《The Female Officer Became a Farmer After Getting Reborn》


 Chapter 1

    Rebirth


    Li Yu came out of the gym and went straight to the parking lot. She drove towards the SWAT apartment in the direction of the suburban botanical garden.


    When she reached a zebra crossing to get to the botanical garden, she saw a group of kindergarteners in front with innocent smiles on their faces. They were holding hands and queuing up to cross the zebra crossing towards the botanical garden.


    Li Yu stopped the car and looked at this group of innocent and cute children with a smile. Suddenly, there was the sound of a violent emergency brake behind her, apanied by the strange sound of tires rubbing against the ground.


    Li Yu saw an SUV in the rearview mirror charging crazily at the child on the zebra crossing. Li Yu didn¡¯t have time to make a choice. She mmed the elerator, turned the steering wheel to the left and mmed into the out-of-control SUV. After a violent bang, the SUV was mmed into the guardrail at the side of the road and stopped. Li Yu also hit the steering wheel with her forehead under the violent impact. Li Yu felt a buzzing sound in her head. Warm blood flowed from his forehead and his vision darkened into endless darkness.


    When Li Yu woke up again, she found that she had been reborn into the body of a 14-year-old girl with the same name.


    The original owner of the body, Li Yu, had lost both her parents. She also had a younger brother named Li Qing who was seven years old this year. The siblings originally lived in West Mountain Vige in Clearwater Town, Green Mountain County. Their father, Li Shan, was a hunter. When Li Yu was eight years old, her mother died after childbirth.


    When she was eleven years old, his father, his future father-inw, Zhang Defa, and the vige chief¡¯s son, Chen Yaohui, went hunting in the mountains together. In order to save Zhang Defa, Li Shan was scratched on the back by a bear w. When he returned home, he was on the verge of death. Due to the fact that the Li and Zhang families were inws, Li Shan entrusted the siblings to Zhang Defa, hoping that he would help him take care of the two children on ount of Li Shan having saving his life. Zhang Defa readily agreed and even swore that he would take good care of the two children.


    Before Mr. Li died, he told the Host where he had hidden his things. He instructed her to take good care of her younger brother and hide the house deeds andnd deeds.


    After Mr. Li left, Zhang Defa brought the Li siblings to his house and took over the Li family.


    Zhang Defa¡¯s wife, Chen Zhaodi, had been looking for Little Li Yu to ask for the Li family¡¯s farm deeds and house deeds. The little girl remembered what her father had said before he died. No matter how Chen Zhaodi coaxed, hit, and scolded her, she refused to say anything.


    From then on, Chen Zhaodi abused the Host¡¯s siblings even more and scolded them.


    In addition, his fiance m, Zhang Guisheng, had passed the county-level examination and was chosen by his teacher to marry his daughter to him. When Zhang Defa and his wife found out about this, they forced the Host to hand over the marriage contract so that Zhang Guisheng could marry The teacher¡¯s daughter.


    The Host liked her fianc¨¦, Zhang Guisheng, very much and would rather die than hand over the marriage contract. She was beaten up by Chen Zhaodi and her daughter, Zhang Guixiang, and starved for another day. When she poured Zhang Guixiang a bath at night, she was pushed into the bathtub by Zhang Guixiang and choked to death.


    Li Yu thought of the pitiful little Li Yu and then thought of the vicious Zhang family. Sheined, ¡°Heavens, if I was given such a big prize like rebirth after death, why can¡¯t I be given the identity of a winner?¡±


    It was not Li Yu¡¯s character to avoid and retreat. Li Yu thought to himself, Since the Zhang family wants to break off the engagement, it would be better for her to take this opportunity to retreat. She had hands, feet, and knowledge. She was not afraid of not having food to eat in the future!


    After thinking about it, Li Yu thought to herself that since she had returned to the ancient times of ignorance and superstition, she would have to live well as Li Yu. Moreover she didn¡¯t want to be burned to death as a ghost.


    Li Yu repeated the Host¡¯s memories several times in her heart. After confirming that she had not missed anything, she got up from the ground and walked past the bed of the girl called Zhang Guixiang. Seeing that she was still sleeping with a clear conscience, she could not help but grit her teeth in anger. She thought to herself, ¡°How ruthless is she to be able to sleep with a clear conscience after killing someone?¡±


    Li Yu touched her hungry stomach and went to the kitchen. In the pot were the rice and eggs that Chen Zhaodi had taken out to make breakfastst night, a small piece of cured meat, and two handfuls of vegetables.


    Li Yu quickly prepared the food. She scooped it up and was about to eat when she suddenly remembered that he still had a younger brother. Li Yu put down the bowl and went to the hut beside the woodshed. When he reached the door, he remembered that Li Qing had already gone to cut wood at this hour.


    Li Yu thought to herself that she should go and see what this brother of hers was like.


    Li Yu turned around and returned to the kitchen. She scooped up the food and put it into a jar. She took two sets of cutlery and walked to the courtyard. Seeing that the Zhang family was still sleeping and waiting for Li Yu to wake them up for dinner, Li Yu pursed her lips and gently opened the courtyard door. She carried the food and walked towards the city gate.


    After leaving the city and reaching the foot of the mountain, Li Yu saw a thin boy carrying a bundle of firewood that was muchrger than his body. He was walking down the mountain. From afar, he looked like Li Qing. When he approached, Li Yu saw that it was indeed him.


    Li Qing looked up and saw Li Yu standing in front of him. He asked with concern, ¡°Sister, why are you here? Did Zhang Guixiang hit you against night?¡±


    Li Yu looked at the green-faced and delicate boy in front of him and thought to herself that in her previous life, those eight or nine-year-old children had to be picked up by their parents when they went to school! However, Li Qing woke up early in the morning and went up the mountain to cut so much firewood. He couldn¡¯t even straighten his body when the wood was pressed on his thin body, but he still cared about whether his sister was beaten up.


    Li Yu sighed in her heart. Sigh! Poor child. Since she had epted the Host¡¯s body, she should take on the responsibility of raising her younger brother. This child would be her younger brother in the future.


    Li Yu put down the bamboo basket in her hand after making up her mind. She pointed at the jar and looked at Li Qing. ¡°Ah Qing, I made some food and brought it here for us to eat together.¡±


    Li Qing put down the firewood on his back and asked worriedly, ¡°Sister, are you alright? Where did this foode from?¡±


    Li Yu felt a little sad when she saw Li Qing¡¯s worried gaze. She smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ve thought it through. If his family wants to break off the engagement, so be it! I¡¯ll bring you home. We have hands and feet, so why should we be afraid of not being able to survive? I cooked the rice and vegetables that Chen Zhaodi took out. We¡¯ll go home after eating.¡±


    ¡°Sister, that¡¯s great. You¡¯ve finally thought it through.¡± Li Qing took Li Yu¡¯s hand and looked at her with a smile. ¡°Sister, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll cut wood every day and bring it to town to sell for money to support you.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Li Yu scooped the food into a bowl and handed it to Li Qing. ¡°Let¡¯s eat first.¡±


    The siblings finished therge jar of food. Li Qing touched his stomach and said, ¡°Sister, the cured meat smells so good! I haven¡¯t eaten so much in a long time. If only I could eat my fill every day in the future.¡±


    ¡°As long as you work hard, you¡¯ll have a full meal.¡± Li Yu looked up at the sky. ¡°Ah Qing, Zhang Defa and the others have already gone to the shop at this hour. We¡¯ll sell the firewoodter. I¡¯ll go back and get my luggage beforeing out to look for you. Hide at the bend in the alley. If you see Chen Zhaodi and the othersing back,e and call me if I¡¯m still not out.¡±


    Li Qing nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll watch from the corner. Sis! You have toe out quickly!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be out soon.¡±


    Li Yu threw the jars and bowls on the mountain and walked over to pick up the firewood. Unexpectedly, she lifted arge bundle of firewood. Li Yu was stunned for a moment. She put down the firewood and used one hand to lift the firewood gently.


    Li Qing looked at Li Yu with a smile. ¡°Sister, have you forgotten that you¡¯re as strong as Father? Just because Zhang Guisheng doesn¡¯t like you, are you despising your own strength?¡±


    Li Yu looked at her hands and was pleasantly surprised. In this world, with her strength and her ability, would she be afraid of not having food to eat?


    Li Yu carried the firewood to the city and followed Li Qing to the ce where firewood was sold. A bundle of firewood weighing 80 to 90 catties was only sold for five copper coins.


    Li Yu handed the money to Li Qing and instructed, ¡°Ah Qing, take the money. Remember to wait for me at the corner. It¡¯s already thiste. Zhang Defa and Chen Zhaodi must have gone to the provision store. Watch them from the corner.¡±


    Li nodded and stayed at the turning.


    When Li Yu returned to the Zhang family¡¯s house, she saw that the courtyard door was ajar. She went forward and gently pushed open the courtyard door. When she saw that the door to the central room was already locked, she knew that Zhang Defa and his wife had already opened their shop.


    Li Yu went to the hut and put all the old clothes into the backpack. She carried the backpack to the kitchen and picked up the kitchen knife and ax at the entrance of the stove. She put them into the backpack and covered them with the clothes. Thinking that she didn¡¯t even have a single cent on her, she carried the backpack to Zhang Guixiang¡¯s room.

 Chapter 2

    Furiously Punishing Zhang Guixiang


    Li Yu ced the backpack at the door and pushed it open to enter. She saw that Zhang Guixiang was still sleeping soundly. Thinking of the innocent owner of the body, she was so angry that she grabbed Zhang Guixiang¡¯s hair and dragged her out of bed.


    Zhang Guixiang woke up from her sleep and screamed in fear, ¡°Aiya! Who¡¯s grabbing my hair¡­¡±


    Zhang Guixiang turned around and saw that it was Li Yu. She cursed, ¡°Li Yu, you b*tch! How dare you pull my hair? I¡¯ll beat you to death.¡±


    Li Yu pped her face twice, and Zhang Guixiang¡¯s face instantly swelled up.


    Li Yu looked at her coldly. ¡°I¡¯ll even hit you! Continue scolding me?¡±


    Zhang Guixiang covered her face and looked fiercely at Li Yu¡¯s pretty face. She cursed, ¡°B*tch, how dare you hit me? Just you wait, I¡¯ll cut your face into pieces and let my father sell you to the brothel to be a slut for the rest of your life.¡±


    Li Yu looked at Zhang Guixiang and thought to herself that not only did she sleep with a clear conscience after killing someone, but she was also so vicious. Since she caused the Host to lose her life, she should pay with her descendant! Li Yu bent her index finger and hit Zhang Guixiang¡¯s uterus.


    ¡°Mother¡­ Ah¡­ It hurts.¡± Zhang Guixiang bent over and groaned as she held her stomach.


    Li Yu dragged her to the ground, picked up her belt, and tied her to the chair. Then, she took out a pair of scissors from the sewing basket on the table and gestured at her face. She said sinisterly, ¡°You still want to cut someone¡¯s face? Then I¡¯ll cut your face first. Tell me, where¡¯re your savings?¡±


    Zhang Guixiang looked up in pain and begged for mercy when she saw the scissors in Li Yu¡¯s hand. ¡°Xiaoyu, I beg you. Don¡¯t cut it. The money is in the porcin pillow.¡±


    Li Yu went over to pick up the porcin pillow and reached into the hole to take out a pouch. She opened it and saw that there were indeed a few pieces of silver inside. Li Yu put the silver into her pocket and returned to Zhang Guixiang with the scissors.


    Zhang Guixiang¡¯s face was swollen as she cried and begged, ¡°Li Yu, I won¡¯t hit you or scold you anymore. I¡¯ll let my brother marry you¡­¡±


    ¡°Marry him?I don¡¯t care for it.¡±


    Li Yu took a pair of smelly socks and stuffed them into her mouth. Zhang Guixiang looked at Li Yu in horror. She couldn¡¯t understand why Li Yu had be so terrifying after just one night.


    Li Yu looked at Zhang Guixiang coldly. ¡°You heartless thing. You beat me to death in order to climb up the socialdder. I¡¯m going to break off the engagement with your family today. Tell that ungrateful old thing in your family that I¡¯m waiting for him in West Mountain Vige to break off the engagement! Tell him not to y any tricks. If he angers me, my surname won¡¯t be Li if I don¡¯t make Zhang Guisheng a peddler.¡±


    Li Yu took the scissors, turned around, pushed open the door, picked up her backpack, and walked to the courtyard door. She opened the courtyard door and walked towards the alley.


    Li Qing was waiting anxiously and kept looking around. When he saw Li Yu, he weed her happily. ¡°Sister, you¡¯re here!¡±


    ¡°Yes! Let¡¯s go! Take a mule cart back to Clearwater Town at the city gate.¡± Li Yu looked at Li Qing and said briskly.


    Li Qing went over and held Li Yu¡¯s hand. The siblings quickly walked to the city gate. ¡°The people from Clearwater Town are leaving! The people from Clearwater Town are leaving!¡± The coachman shouted to attract business.


    ¡°Ah Qing, hurry up. There¡¯s a mule cart going to Clearwater Town.¡± Li Yu pulled Li Qing forward and asked the coachman, ¡°Uncle, how much does it cost to go to Clearwater Town?¡±


    ¡°Five copper coins each. Are you leaving? We¡¯ll be leaving soon.¡± The middle-aged driver looked at the siblings eagerly and asked.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Li Yu and his sister got into the mule cart. The driver raised his whip and started running. Li Qing grabbed Li Yu¡¯s cor tightly and smiled happily at him. ¡°Sister, we¡¯re going home.¡±


    ¡°Yes! We¡¯re going home.¡± Li Yu said to Li Qing and thought to herself that she¡¯ll be the ancient Li Yu from now on.


    Zhang Defa thought about how he didn¡¯t see Li Yu and her brother when he woke up this morning. He thought to himself, ¡®I¡¯m not afraid of the older one, but I¡¯m afraid of the younger one. The younger one is like his mother and is very scheming. If I keep him any longer, I¡¯m afraid something bad will happen.¡¯


    Zhang Defa called Chen Zhaodi, who was busy greeting customers, to the small hut at the back and instructed her, ¡°Go find Granny Wang and give Li Yu and her brother to the potter. Let her sell them separately and sell them far away in the mountains so that they can never find their way back.¡±


    Chen Zhaodi rolled her eyes at Zhang Defa and said angrily, ¡°Why should I give them to her for free? It¡¯s still silver even if I sell it for three to five taels.¡±

 Chapter 3

    Furiously Punishing Zhang Guixiang


    ¡°It¡¯s all up to you. Hurry up and go back. Nothing good will happen if my eyelids keep twitching,¡± Zhang Defa urged Chen Zhaodi.


    Chen Zhaodi recalled that she hadn¡¯t seen Li Yu since she woke up this morning and felt a little flustered. She hurriedly walked towards the nunnery and called Madam Wang to rush home.


    Granny Wang was panting as she walked. She stopped and called out to Chen Zhaodi, ¡°Lady Boss, are those siblings really your servants? I seem to have heard someone say that one of them is your future daughter-inw? Lady Boss, you have to know that if you¡¯re caught buying and selling good people, you¡¯ll be sentenced to be exiled!¡±


    Chen Zhaodi said to Madam Wang, ¡°That¡¯s ndering my family. Why would my son marry such a person?¡± When Chen Zhaodi saw that Madam Wang stopped in her tracks, she panicked. ¡°Aiya! Can I give them to you for free? You just have to help me sell them far away into the mountains. Who woulde looking for you?¡±


    Madam Wang hesitated for a moment before following Chen Zhaodi home.


    As soon as Chen Zhaodi arrived at the house, she saw that the courtyard door was wide open. She walked in quickly and saw that even Zhang Guixiang¡¯s room door was open. She hurriedly ran into the house and saw that Zhang Guixiang¡¯s hair was tied to the chair in a mess. Her face was swollen like a pig¡¯s head and there were a few scratches on her face.


    Chen Zhaodi was shocked and shouted with heartache, ¡°God, what happened? What happened? Where¡¯s that b*tch Li Yu?¡±


    Zhang Guixiang looked at Chen Zhaodi and whimpered as she shook her head. Tears of grievance and sadness flowed down her face uncontrobly.


    ¡°Good girl, you¡¯ve suffered.¡± Chen Zhaodi¡¯s heart ached when she saw Zhang Guixiang¡¯s terrible appearance. She quickly took the sock out of her mouth.


    ¡°Mother, wa wa¡­¡± Zhang Guixiang looked at Chen Zhaodi and cried loudly.


    Chen Zhaodi quickly hugged her andforted her. After a while, Zhang Guixiang cried to Chen Zhaodi, ¡°Mother, that b*tch Li Yu. She hit me. She said that our family is heartless and that Father is ungrateful. She even said that she doesn¡¯t want to be our daughter-inw. She wants to end the engagement and ask Father to go to West Mountain Vige to look for her. She even said that if you dare to y any tricks and anger her, she will let me be a peddler for the rest of my life.¡±


    Granny Wang pricked up her ears and thought to herself,


    That girl is indeed the fianc¨¦e of the Zhang family. You¡¯re about to break the engagement and even asked me to sell her. There must be something wrong. The Zhang family is really something.


    Granny Wang spat secretly and turned to leave.


    Chen Zhaodi looked at her daughter¡¯s pig-like face and was so angry that her heart ached. She muttered to herself, ¡°B*tch, how dare she? How dare she do this?¡±


    She suddenly remembered that Granny Wang was still in the courtyard. She quickly walked to the door and stuck his head out to take a look, only to realize that Granny Wang was already gone.


    ¡°Mother, what are you waiting for! Hurry up and untie me. I want to change my pants. My pants are wet. Boohoo.¡± Zhang Guixiang cursed as she cried. ¡°Li Yu, you bitch. When I caught you, watch how I deal with you.¡±


    Chen Zhaodi chased after her, but after running out for a few steps, she didn¡¯t see Granny Wang. She couldn¡¯t care less and decided to give up.


    Chen Zhaodi turned around and ran back into the house. She looked at Zhang Guixiang with heartache and helped her unbuckle her pants. Sheforted her gently, ¡°I was so angry that I forgot that you were still tied up! My dear daughter, don¡¯t be afraid.¡±


    After Zhang Guixiang came out of the shower, Chen Zhaodi said to her, ¡°Good girl, wait at home for me to go to the shop to find your father.¡±


    Zhang Guixiang held her belly and felt that it kept hurting. She nodded gloomily and shouted at Chen Zhaodi, ¡°Mother, my belly hurts a little.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll get you a doctor.¡± Chen Zhaodi turned to leave.


    Zhang Guixiang screamed, ¡°No, my face is swollen like this and I don¡¯t want to see anyone. Go and capture that bitch and sell her to the brothel first.¡±


    Seeing that she was shouting so loudly, Chen Zhaodi quickly went over to cover Zhang Guixiang¡¯s mouth and coaxed her softly, ¡°Good girl, lower your voice. If others hear this, you won¡¯t be able to get married, understand?¡±


    Zhang Guixiang covered her ears and screamed willfully, ¡°I want to say it loudly! Sell her to a brothel. Ah¡­ How can I go out and meet people in this state?¡±


    Zhang Guixiang threw herself into Chen Zhaodi¡¯s arms and cried loudly.


    Chen Zhaodi felt like her heart was about to break when she looked at her daughter. She turned around and closed the door. She patted her daughter¡¯s vest and said, ¡°Stop crying. I¡¯ll go look for your father and get him to capture that bitch to exact vengeance.¡±


    Zhang Guixiang looked up at Chen Zhaodi and said, ¡°Yes! Let¡¯s disfigure her face first before selling her to the brothel.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll call your father back and ask him to help you catch them.¡± Chen Zhaodi gentlyforted Zhang Guixiang before walking towards the shop.


    When Chen Zhaodi arrived at the entrance of the shop, Zhang Defa saw the hatred on Chen Zhaodi¡¯s face. His heart skipped a beat and he thought to himself that, as expected, something must have happened.


    Zhang Defa went up to her and asked softly, ¡°Is it done?¡±


    Chen Zhaodi¡¯s eyes were red. She nced at Zhang Defa and said timidly, ¡°Something happened. Let¡¯s go home first.¡±


    ¡°Wait a moment. I¡¯ll go talk to the staff.¡± Zhang Defa nced at Chen Zhaodi and thought to himself,


    What a useless woman.


    The couple quickly returned home. As soon as they entered the courtyard, Chen Zhaodi went straight to Zhang Guixiang¡¯s house. Zhang Defa followed her into the house and saw Zhang Guixiang standing there in a daze.


    Zhang Guixiang looked at Zhang Defa and cried aggrievedly. ¡°Father, it was all that bitch Li Yu¡¯s doing. Father, how can I go out and meet people?¡±


    ¡°Tell me, what did you do? How dare Li Yu treat you like this?¡± Zhang Defa looked at Zhang Guixiang and said angrily.


    When Zhang Guixiang saw that Zhang Defa was angry, she shrank her neck and argued, ¡°Father, I didn¡¯t do anything! Justst night, when she poured me my bath water, she made me angry, so I pushed her into the bathtub. But after I was angry, I dragged her up!¡±


    ¡°Then why did you be like this?¡± Zhang De¡¯s face darkened as he asked in a deep voice.


    Zhang Guixiang trembled in fear and pulled Chen Zhaodi¡¯s hand. She sobbed and said, ¡°I, I was still sleeping when Li Yu dragged me out of bed and hit me¡­ She said that she was waiting for you in the West Mountain. She even said that she wanted to break off the engagement with us. She even said¡­ that you guys better not y any tricks. Otherwise, she¡¯ll make me a peddler for the rest of my life.¡±


    Zhang Defa didn¡¯t believe it when he heard that. It wasn¡¯t something that Li Yu could do. He looked at Zhang Guixiang with a livid expression. ¡°You must have hit her again. She only fought back because she was anxious. No, I have to go back to the vige to take a look. If someone finds out and it affects your future, you¡¯ll be in big trouble.¡±


    Zhang Guixiang looked up at Zhang Defa. ¡°Father, believe me. That b*tch Li Yu is so fierce! She said that she wants to end the engagement. I think she¡¯s telling the truth. Hurry up and go back and catch her.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s none of your business.¡± Zhang Defa felt that Guixiang must have hit Li Yu hard. Li Yu had said it in a fit of anger. It would be strange if that girl was willing to break off the engagement since she liked Guisheng so much. Forget it! He should go back and take a look first.


    Zhang Defa said to Chen Zhaodi, ¡°I¡¯ll go back to the vige to take a look first. I¡¯ll also go to the mountains to buy some fur from the hunters before settling the debt.¡±


    Chen Zhaodi nodded. ¡°Got it. Be careful on the way.¡±


    Zhang Defa returned to the house to pick up the money. After thinking about it, he packed the marriage contract and silver. He returned to the shop and instructed the shop assistant before driving the ox cart towards West Mountain Vige.

 Chapter 4

    West Mountain Vige


    Two hourster, Li Yu and Li Qing arrived at Clearwater Town. It happened to be the day of the town¡¯s grand fair. The streets were crowded with people.


    Li Qing pulled Li Yu¡¯s cor tightly, as if he was afraid that his sister would disappear if he let go. Li Yu let him pull her, and the siblings walked from the street to the end of the street.


    Li Yu realized that there was only one street in Clearwater Town. The houses on both sides of the street and the limestone road under their feet were like the ancient streets she had seen when he went traveling in the past.


    Li Qing pulled Li Yu¡¯s cor and looked up. ¡°Sister, are we going home now?¡±


    ¡°Yes! Let¡¯s go home.¡± Li Yu brought Li Qing out of the town ording to her memory. When they walked out of the town, they saw Daqing Mountain opposite them at a nce. From afar, Daqing Mountain was stacked with greenery, and the mountain beams rose and fell like a huge dragon entrenched in the clouds. It was a magnificent mountain.


    The siblings walked towards the river in the west and followed the river. Li Yu saw that the rice grains on both sides of the road looked very short. Li Yu felt that the yield should not be high.


    The siblings walked for about an hour and saw a mountain beam about two stories high on the other side of the river. There was also a limestone arch bridge on the river and a pass on the other side. The siblings crossed the stone arch bridge and walked towards West Mountain Vige.


    Li Yu saw arge banyan tree standing not far ahead. She led Li Qing towards it and arrived in front of it in fifteen minutes.


    There were a few old people sitting under the banyan tree at the entrance of the vige chatting. When they saw Li Yu and her brother enter the vige, an old man looked up at Li Yu and smiled. ¡°Isn¡¯t this Li Shan¡¯s family, Li Yu and Li Qing?¡±


    Li Yu stepped forward and bowed. ¡°Grandpa Zhang, it¡¯s us. We¡¯re home.¡±


    Old Zhang looked at the siblings curiously. ¡°There¡¯s nothing left in your house. Why did you twoe home?¡±


    Another old man with the surname Liu said, ¡°Didn¡¯t they say that the Zhang family¡¯s noble student passed the county-level examination? Counting the days, Xiaoyu has also been filial! Are you back to prepare for the wedding?¡±


    Li Qing replied angrily, ¡°Grandpa, my sister didn¡¯te back to get married. The Zhang family broke off the engagement to marry the youngdy of the county. They scolded us and forced my sister to break off the engagement, so my sister brought me back.¡±


    Li Yu pulled Li Qing and scolded in a low voice, ¡°Ah Qing, stop talking. The Zhang and Li families are not on the same level now. The Zhang family is vicious and almost beat us to death. Even if their family doesn¡¯t want to cancel the engagement, I have to.¡±


    After Li Yu finished speaking, the elders revealed understanding expressions. Sigh! The orphaned siblings were young. It¡¯s no wonder they were bullied!


    After thinking for a while, Grandpa Liu persuaded, ¡°Xiaoyu, take it easy. You can lead a good life in the vige with your brother in the future.¡±


    Li Yu nodded. ¡°Got it. Thank you, Grandpa Liu. We¡¯ll go back now.¡±


    Li Qing asked Li Yu curiously, ¡°Sister, where are our things? I remember that we have everything at home. Where did everything go?¡±


    Li Yu thought at first that Li Qing would not have remembered much. On second thoughts, she thought that he was right! Where did the Li family¡¯s things go? Since they¡¯re gone, the Zhang family must have taken them.


    Li Yu replied, ¡°The Zhang family probably dragged everything over. We¡¯ll get him to return it to uster.¡±


    The people they met on the way were all asking the siblings why they had returned home. Li Yu and her brother repeated what they said at the vige entrance.


    The siblings walked from the vige entrance to their house at the end of the vige. News spread among the vigers of West Mountain Vige that the Zhang family wanted to climb up the socialdder and force Li Yu to break off the engagement. The siblings almost lost their lives and finally escaped.


    When they arrived at the house at the foot of the hill at the end of the vige, Li Yu and his sister stood at the entrance of the courtyard and saw that the door was locked. Li Yu walked to the wastnd in the west and saw that the wall in the west had copsed.


    Li Yu smiled self-deprecatingly and said, ¡°This is great. There¡¯s no need to even find the key.¡±


    Standing at the copsed area, Li Yu realized that the courtyard was filled with weeds as tall as a person. He said to Li Qing, ¡°Ah Qing, let¡¯s clean up the courtyard first.¡±


    Li Yu stepped over the wall and entered the courtyard that was covered in weeds. She saw a triple courtyard inside. The bottom half of the house was made of limestone strips, and the upper half was made of earth walls formed from earth. The roof of the room on the left was broken, but the entire courtyard looked huge.


    Li Yu put down the backpack and pulled out a handful of grass with one hand. Li Qing also jumped in and the siblings began to get busy.


    The siblings worked efficiently and soon cleared half of the courtyard. Li Yu shouted at Li Qing, who was almost at the east wall, ¡°Ah Qing, there¡¯s a well there. You have to be careful not to fall in.¡±


    Li Qing nodded and pricked up his ears. ¡°Someone¡¯sing, sis.¡±


    Just as Li Qing finished speaking, Li Yu heard someone shout outside, ¡°Xiaoyu, Ah Qing.¡±


    Li Yu hurriedly replied, ¡°Who is it? We¡¯re inside.¡±


    At this moment, an uncle and auntie stepped into the courtyard from the copsed wall. Li Yu thought about it carefully before remembering that it was the youngest son of the vige chief, Chen Yaohui, and his wife, Madam Chen Li.


    Madam Chen Li looked at Li Yu and her brother and smiled happily. ¡°It¡¯s really you two. I thought they were pulling our legs!¡±


    Li Yu and her brother greeted Chen Yaohui and his wife. ¡°Uncle Chen, Auntie Li, we just arrived.¡±


    Chen Yaohui looked at Li Yu and asked, ¡°Xiaoyu, everyone in the vige is saying that the Zhang family beat you up and forced you to break off the engagement. Is that true?¡±


    Li Yu nodded. ¡°Yes, Uncle Chen. Auntie Li, the Zhang family thinks that I¡¯m just an orphan with a younger brother. In order to end the engagement, the Zhang family pushed us to our limits. Even if their family doesn¡¯t end the engagement, I must end it.¡±


    Madam Li looked at Li Yu and sighed. ¡°Xiaoyu! You have to have a backbone. In the past, I taught you not to let the Zhang family take away your furniture and farming equipment. You were still unhappy. It¡¯s not toote to recognize the Zhang family for what they are now. Yourte parents should be at ease now.¡±


    Chen Yaohui was furious. ¡°If Zhang Defa hadn¡¯t been greedy enough to steal the baby bear back then, the mother bear wouldn¡¯t have chased after him. Your father wouldn¡¯t have lost his life to save him. After your father left, Zhang Defa took so much things and food from your family. Your aunt has long remembered these things. I¡¯ve already brought a letter to your aunt. When shees, we¡¯ll uphold justice for you.¡±


    Li Yu thought to herself, Father Li saved Zhang Defa¡¯s life, and Zhang Defa took the Li family¡¯s assets. However, he didn¡¯t know how to be grateful and even abused the original owner¡¯s siblings. However, Chen Yaohui and his wife still remembered Father Li¡¯s kindness of saving their lives back then. Could this what was meant by the old saying that rice feeds kindness and rice feeds hatred?


    Li Yu pulled Li Qing and bowed. ¡°Thank you, Uncle Chen and Auntie Li, for upholding justice for us.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to thank me! If your father hadn¡¯t dragged your uncle and Zhang Defa away back then, I¡¯m afraid your uncle wouldn¡¯t have been able to escape.¡±


    Auntie Li looked at the copsed walls and dpidated houses and recalled that when Li Yu¡¯s mother was alive, the courtyard and walls were filled with roses and wildflowers. Ever since that gentle and beautiful woman left, the Li family had declined. After the eldest brother of the Li family left, the Li family became worse.


    Chen Yaohui and his wife sighed and bent down to help Li Yu and her brother clean up the courtyard.

 Chapter 5

    Settling the Score


    Zhang Defa was still toote. When the ox cart entered West Mountain Vige, he saw that everyone in the vige was looking at him strangely. There were even people pointing at him from behind. Zhang Defa knew that Li Yu and her brother had already arrived.


    Zhang Defa endured his anger and drove the ox cart towards the Li residence at the foot of the vige. When he reached the entrance of the Li residence, he heard the conversation inside and sighed that he was a step toote.


    Zhang Defa got out of the ox cart and tied it to a small tree by the side of the road. He got up, closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and walked towards the copsed wall with a smile.


    Li Qing looked up and saw Zhang Defa. He clenched his fists. ¡°What are you doing at my house? You¡¯re not wee here.¡±


    Li Yu and Chen Yaohui also looked at him coldly.


    Zhang Defa smiled dryly and said, ¡°Brother Yaohui is here too!¡±


    Chen Yaohui replied indifferently, ¡°I¡¯m here to take a look at these two poor children and see how the person her father risked his life to save harmed them.¡±


    Zhang Defa did not expect Chen Yaohui to fall out with him so mercilessly. However, Chen Yaohui made him speechless. He could only pick on the weak. He turned to look at Li Yu. ¡°Xiaoyu, do the words you asked Guixiang to bring me still count?¡±


    When Li Yu saw that Zhang Defa didn¡¯t mention that she had beaten up Zhang Guixiang, she felt a little strange. When she looked up and saw Zhang Defa¡¯s gloomy eyes, she thought to herself, It looks like he wants to keep it forter. Alright! Bring it on!


    Li Yu looked at Zhang Defa and said coldly, ¡°Fine, but shouldn¡¯t you return what you took from my house?¡±


    Zhang Defa looked at the upright and calm Li Yu and suddenly realized that the person standing in front of him didn¡¯t seem to be the Li Yu he knew. He wondered if this was really the Li Yu who was obsessed with Guisheng.


    Zhang De looked at Li Yu with a smile and sneered, ¡°Xiaoyu, you must have remembered wrongly! What do you have at home? Xiaoyu, ask for anything else. I¡¯ll try my best to satisfy you.¡±


    Li Yu looked at Zhang Defa and sneered. ¡°What request do you have? Can you pay for my father¡¯s life?¡±


    ¡°You.¡± Zhang Defa looked at Li Yu, too angry to smile.


    Seeing that he couldn¡¯t smile anymore, Li Yu sneered. ¡°You took the fur my father saved back then, the rice stored in my barn, and my farming equipment and furniture. You¡¯re trying to renege on your debt!¡±


    Li Yu saw Zhang Defa¡¯s eyes darting around and knew that he wouldn¡¯t admit it easily. She looked at him coldly, nning to see how he would quibble.


    Zhang Defa looked at the vigers who had rushed over to watch themotion after hearing the news. He hesitated to answer, but Chen Yaohui took over the conversation. ¡°Zhang Defa, if you can¡¯t remember, I can remind you that there are four fox fur coats and five deer hides. Also¡­ Li Mei and we counted them back then. Do you think you can still deny it?¡±


    Zhang Defa was stunned when he heard that. He looked at Chen Yaohui angrily. ¡± Chen Yaohui, what does this have to do with you? What can you gain by helping her like this?¡±


    Chen Yaohui sneered. ¡°Do you think everyone is like you, mercenary and ungrateful?¡±


    Zhang Defa flew into a rage out of humiliation. He turned around and looked at Li Yu with a livid expression. ¡°Li Yu, you siblings lived in my house for so many years. Did you intend to eat and live for free?!¡±


    Li Yu took a few steps forward and stood in front of Zhang Defa. She spat, ¡°Pfft! Aren¡¯t you afraid that the wind will blow your tongue? What expenses did your family have? Ever since my father left, the two of us have lived in your house like cows and horses. We¡¯ve never made a new set of clothes or eaten a full meal.


    Ever since we went to the county city with your family, we¡¯ve been living worse than servants. Every day, we have to weave hemp threads endlessly. Ah Qing goes up the mountain to cut firewood at dawn every day, and your family doesn¡¯t even care about the leftovers. Your Chen Zhaodi and Zhang Guixiang always vent their anger on the us whenever things don¡¯t go their way. We go hungry and get beaten up. These aremon urrences.¡±


    Li Yu pulled up her sleeve to reveal the old and new scars from being pinched and beaten up. She looked at the surrounding vigers and said, ¡°Grandpa, Granny, Uncle, Auntie, take a look. These were all caused by Chen Zhaodi. There are even more on Ah Qing.¡±


    Li Yu pulled Li Qing over and pulled up his clothes, revealing the crisscrossed whip wounds on his back. The new and old wounds ovepped.


    Everyone gasped and whispered to each other, ¡°This is too much. Li Shan died in vain and left the two children to suffer in the world!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why you have to follow your own flesh and blood even when you¡¯re begging for food. It¡¯s Li Shan¡¯s fault for being too stupid. He lost his life for someone else and left two orphans behind. He didn¡¯t even entrust the children to his biological sister and foolishly left them to fend for themselves with an outsider.¡±

 Chapter 6

    Calcting


    An old man who understood the situation sighed. ¡°Of course Li Mei is good, but she has an evil mother-inw. The two children won¡¯t have it easy with her either. Li Shan was afraid that the children would drag his sister down. He thought that he and Zhang Defa were inws and friends who had grown up together. He didn¡¯t expect this to happen!¡±


    ¡°Yes! People are unpredictable! Now that the Zhang family¡¯s son has obtained schrly honors at such a young age, no one will interfere in this matter anymore. If his son bes sessful¡­¡±


    Chen Yaohui looked at Zhang Defa and shouted angrily, ¡°Zhang Defa, you vicious person. How do you exin the injuries on the child?¡±


    ¡°Children are disobedient. When the adults are anxious, they can¡¯t help but get angry. Sometimes, when they¡¯re angry, they can¡¯t help but miss. Which child doesn¡¯t get beaten up a few times?!¡± Zhang Defa smiled awkwardly and turned around. He pretended to bow to Li Yu and her brother. ¡°Xiaoyu, Uncle has let you and your brother down. Uncle willpensate you.¡±


    Li Yu raised her head and said, ¡°We don¡¯t care about thepensation. I just want you to break off the engagement and return our things to us.¡±


    Zhang Defa nced at the onlookers and walked up to Li Yu. He said in a low voice, ¡°Xiaoyu, for the sake of your Brother Guisheng, let¡¯s talk in private, okay?¡±


    Li Yu looked at Zhang Defa and thought to herself, He wants to use Zhang Guisheng to seduce Li Yu again. Unfortunately, the Li Yu, who cares about his son, was no longer around.


    Li Yu looked at Zhang Defa with a mocking expression. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to talk about. If you don¡¯t return it, I¡¯ll go to the government office to plead for justice. I¡¯ll see if your son will still take the schrly examination then.¡±


    Li Qing clenched his fists and shouted at Zhang Defa, ¡°Zhang Defa, hurry up and return my family¡¯s money. My sister and I haven¡¯t eaten since yesterday. After returning it, we still have to buy rice to cook.¡±


    ¡°Xiaoyu, Ah Qing, the two of you haven¡¯t eaten sincest night? Why haven¡¯t you eaten?¡± Madam Chen Li asked Xiaoyu.


    Li Yu looked at Zhang Defa and said loudly, ¡°Yesterday afternoon, Chen Zhaodi wanted me to return the marriage contract to her. When I didn¡¯t agree, she beat and scolded me and refused to let us eat. Zhang Guixiang even said that if I didn¡¯t take out the marriage contract, she would sell me to a brothel. I wouldn¡¯t ever want to marry into such a family.¡±


    ¡°Oooh,¡± gasped the watching vigers.


    ¡°Ah! Big Brother Li saved an enemy! Zhang Defa, your conscience has been eaten by a dog!¡± Madam Chen Li shouted.


    ¡°Brother Zhang, your family doesn¡¯tck that bit of money now. Return it to Xiaoyu and her brother! Let them go!¡± Someone from the surrounding vigers said.


    ¡°Yes! Yes! After all, those things were left behind by Li Shan for the two children!¡±


    Zhang Defa was furious as he listened to these discussions. He thought to himself that tey were all just a bunch of people who aren¡¯t afraid of being exposed. They were just jealous that his family was living a good life now. When his son makes a name for himself¡­ Zhang Defa looked at the person who spoke up and remembered it.


    The few vigers who were speaking up were so frightened by Zhang Defa¡¯s gaze that they stopped talking.


    Li Yu looked at Zhang Defa¡¯s vicious gaze and said indifferently, ¡°You¡¯d better think carefully before returning it. If you don¡¯t return it, I¡¯ll immediately go to the government office toin about being wronged. I heard that people who seize other people¡¯s assets and don¡¯t return it will never be hired by the Imperial Court.¡±


    Zhang Defa looked at Li Yu and shouted, ¡°How dare you!¡±


    Li Yu looked at him coldly. ¡°Why don¡¯t we try?¡±


    ¡°Big Brother, you¡¯re really back. What happened?¡± Zhang Defa¡¯s younger brother, Zhang Decai, squeezed to Zhang Defa¡¯s side.


    Zhang Defa pulled him aside and told him what had happened. Zhang Decai rolled his eyes and whispered in his ear, ¡°Brother, you don¡¯t have to break off the engagement. You can just carry a small sedan chair home. As long as she enters our Zhang family, we¡¯ll be able to handle an orphan.¡±


    Zhang Defa thought for a moment. That¡¯s right! Let¡¯s see how arrogant you can be after entering the Zhang family. He patted Zhang Decai happily and said, ¡°Yes, let¡¯s do that.¡±


    Li Yu saw that after the Zhang brothers muttered for a while, Zhang Defa¡¯s expression became rxed and happy. He knew that Zhang Decai had already given him an idea to scheme against her.


    Zhang Defa walked up to Li Yu with a rxed expression and smiled proudly. ¡°Ha! Ha! Xiaoyu! You¡¯ve been filial. We don¡¯t want to break off the engagement either. Your marriage with our noble son was your father¡¯sst wish. Our noble son also passed the county-level examination this year. I think it¡¯s best to get married. What do you think?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! Xiaoyu, you and Guisheng grew up together. Now that Guisheng has grown up, your parents will be relieved that you two are married,¡± Zhang Depei persuaded hypocritically.


    Li Yu looked at Zhang Defa coldly and said, ¡°Marriage was my father¡¯sst wish. Then, he asked you to treat his two children well and help him raise Li Qing. Why didn¡¯t you abide by hisst wish? Instead, you took what he left for his children and didn¡¯t return it. You ate his food and used his things, and even abused his children. Zhang Defa, you shameless person, be careful that my father won¡¯te looking for you in the middle of the night.¡±


    Zhang De said angrily, ¡°You, don¡¯t be ungrateful¡­¡±


    Chen Yaohui stepped forward and stopped him. ¡°Xiaoyu is right. Zhang Defa, are you really not afraid that Brother Li wille looking for you in the middle of the night? Back then, Zhang Defa swore in front of me and the elders in the vige that he would raise the siblings well. God is watching.¡±


    The Zhang brothers¡¯ faces were ashen as they looked at each other speechlessly.


    At this moment, someone was saying that Li Mei and her man had returned. Li Yu looked up and saw a beautiful woman in her forties wearing an old dress that had been washed out. She and an honest man with a backpack walked out from behind the crowd that had parted on both sides.

 Chapter 7

    Settling the Score


    When Zhang Defa saw Li Mei, his heart skipped a beat.


    Li Yu¡¯s aunt nced at Li Yu and his sister before turning to look at Zhang Defa. She walked up to him and spat at him. She cursed angrily, ¡°Son of a bitch Zhang, do you think all the adults in the Li family are dead? You ungrateful dog, what¡¯s the point of bullying a child?


    Only my brother, who was blinded, would believe you and think that you were his good brother! Pui! Let me tell you, return my nephew¡¯s things immediately. If you don¡¯t, I¡¯ll go to the government office and sue you for being ungrateful. I¡¯ll see how the county magistrate will deal with an ungrateful dog like you.¡±


    After Li Mei finished scolding, she turned to look at Li Yu and reprimanded, ¡°What did I tell you back then? Look at the two of you. You¡¯re so skinny. It¡¯s been almost four years, but you haven¡¯t grown taller. I¡¯ll settle the score with youter.¡±


    Seeing her frown and stern look, Li Yu thought to herself, With such a fierce aunt, why did Father Li entrust the child to Zhang Defa back then?


    Li Yu nudged Li Qing. Li Qing went over to pull Li Mei and called out sweetly, ¡°Aunt, you haven¡¯te to see me in a long time. I don¡¯t even recognize you anymore.¡±


    Li Mei hugged Li Qing and touched his thin face. Her heart ached. ¡°Aiyo! Everyone, take a look. This is the only descendant of my Li family! How badly has he been abused by the Zhang family? Even the people begging on the streets look better than him. Ah Qing, be good! It¡¯s good that you¡¯re back. I¡¯ll nourish you well in the future. However, we have to get back what your father left for you first.¡±


    Zhang Decai looked at Li Mei and tugged at Zhang Defa¡¯s sleeve. ¡°Brother, why is this spicy fellow here? Didn¡¯t she fall out with Li Yu and her sister for the past two years?¡±


    Zhang De did not make a sound and looked at Li Mei with a dark expression. Li Mei pointed at Zhang Defa and shouted, ¡°Big Dog Zhang, are you still not returning it? Give me a quick answer.¡±


    Zhang Defa looked at Li Yu and Li Mei, who were standing behind Li Mei. He revealed a look of disgust and said hatefully, ¡°You have to break off the engagement.¡±


    ¡°You make it sound like you don¡¯t want to. When I walked out of the courtyard, I heard that my Xiaoyu wanted to break off the engagement with your family. Aren¡¯t you the one who refused to do so?¡± Li Mei looked at Zhang Defa in disdain. ¡°Big Dog Zhang, do you remember how many things you took from my brother? You might have forgotten, but I remember everything! You better not be mistaken.¡±


    Zhang Defa looked at Li Mei viciously and cursed in his heart. ¡°B*tch, don¡¯t fall into my hands in the future.¡±


    Li Mei looked at Zhang Defa and patted her chest, pretending to be afraid. ¡°Yo! Zhang Defa, are you going to eat someone? Why don¡¯t we go to the Green Mountain Academy and talk to your son?¡±


    Zhang Defa gritted his teeth. ¡°Four pieces of fox fur for twenty taels of silver, five pieces of deer hide for twenty-five taels, twenty pieces of gray rat skin for nine taels, and a hundred pieces of rabbit skin for one tael, right?¡±


    Li Mei looked at him mockingly. ¡°You have to ask your conscience! What¡¯s the point of asking me? Don¡¯t forget that you also took the grains, farming equipment, and furniture in the barn.¡± Li Mei pped her hands. ¡°Aiya! Speaking of farming equipment, I also know that some of my brother¡¯s farming equipment is still in Dog Zhang¡¯s house. Dog Zhang, don¡¯t you think so?¡±


    Li Mei looked at Zhang Defa and his brother with a sneer. ¡°I never expected that the things that the father of the Elementary Schr helped my nephew manage would all grow legs and be rtives!¡±


    Zhang Defa was so angry that his face turned green. He pointed at Li Mei and argued, ¡°You, even if you leave it there for a long time, it will still spoil. Now that I¡¯ve calcted it and returned it to you. Don¡¯t take advantage of me.¡±


    Li Mei looked at him with disdain. ¡°I don¡¯t care. Return my brother¡¯s things.¡±


    Zhang Defa no longer paid attention to Li Mei. He took out the silver and the marriage contract and said to Chen Yaohui, ¡°Brother Yaohui, you¡¯ll be a witness today. I¡¯ll hand over the marriage contract and the silver to you. The leather was sold for 55 taels of silver, and the grains were sold for 12 taels.¡± Zhang Defa looked at the silver and trembled in heartache. He gritted his teeth. ¡°In the past few years, other than what Li Yu and her brother have eaten and used in the fields, I¡¯llpensate her with 5 taels of silver. I¡¯ll suffer a little for those farm equipment and furniture. I¡¯ll just give them 10 taels as a good deed. I won¡¯t be able to collect the farnd this year even if I nt it. You have to give me the sry and seed money. In total, I¡¯ll give her family 80 taels. Ask her to bring her marriage contract over. We¡¯ll hand over the money and end the engagement.¡±


    The onlookers whispered, ¡°I couldn¡¯t tell that Li Shan had earned so much. Sigh! In the end, it¡¯s all because of money!¡±


    ¡°So the Zhang family suddenly has money to do business and even moved to the city because they received such a huge sum of money from the Li family!¡±


    ¡°Exactly. You¡¯d think it would fall from the sky! Or grow out of the ground!¡±


    Li Yu took out the marriage contract and letter of marque from her pocket and handed them to Chen Yaohui. Thinking of the dead Little Li Yu, she turned to look at Zhang Defa and said, ¡°My father used his life to save yours. Before he died, he thought that you would take into ount the fact that you saved his life and treat us kindly. That¡¯s why you entrusted us to you. I didn¡¯t expect that you were actually a wolf in a sheep¡¯s clothing. You won¡¯t be able to repay a life with a life. As the saying goes, the heavens are good. Can I wait to see if the heavens will spare you?¡±


    ¡°You.¡± Zhang Defa flew into a rage out of humiliation. He raised his hand and wanted to p Li Yu. He looked at the furious Li Mei and her husband, Chen Yaohui, and then lowered his hand. After handing the silver and Li Yu¡¯s marriage certificate to Chen Yaohui, he took Zhang Guisheng¡¯s marriage certificate and left.


    Zhang Defa looked at Li Yu viciously. When he walked past Li Yu, he threatened in a low voice, ¡°Little hussy, just you wait. Let¡¯s see how long you can talk for.¡±


    Li Yu suddenly pped Zhang Defa on the back. ¡°Ah!¡± Zhang Defa staggered and fell to the ground. The onlookers were dumbfounded.


    Li Yu stared at him and said, ¡°What¡¯s the use of threatening me behind my back? Bring it on if you have the guts.¡±


    Zhang Decai hurriedly helped Zhang Defa up and turned to point at Li Yu. ¡°I won¡¯t bicker with you, girl. Remember to be careful when you go out in the future.¡±


    ¡°Everyone, look! This is the beast my brother saved with his life. This is a wolf in sheep¡¯s clothing. Zhang Defa, let me tell you, if my niece and nephew are fine, it¡¯s all good. If anything happens, it¡¯s your family¡¯s doing.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t argue with a shrew like you.¡± Zhang Defa¡¯s face darkened as he pulled Zhang Decai towards the ce where the ox cart was tied.


    Zhang Decai turned to look at Li Yu and asked softly, ¡°Brother, why has this girl be like this? Wasn¡¯t she very honest in the past?¡±


    ¡°I find it strange too! She was originally an honest person, but she changed overnight. I still have to me Guixiang for pushing her for no reason! I lost so much money and even spent all the money to pay off the goods.¡±


    ¡°Brother, I don¡¯t want to criticize you, but your Guixiang really has to be controlled.¡±


    Zhang Defa nodded and untied the cow rope. After the brothers got into the car, Zhang Defa instructed Zhang Decai, ¡°Keep an eye on the Li siblings in the vige. Don¡¯t let them benefit for nothing.¡±


    Zhang Decai understood. ¡°Yes, Li Shan is no longer around. Isn¡¯t it easy to deal with these two children? Go back and settle your son¡¯s marriage first, in case Mr. Zhu hears about it. These schrs value their reputation.¡±


    Li Yu watched as the Zhang brothers drove the ox cart away and thought to himself, Zhang Defa won¡¯t let it go so easily. Looks like I have to be more careful in the future.

 Chapter 8

    Aunt Li Mei


    The onlookers also dispersed. Chen Yaohui walked up to Li Yu and handed her the silver and the marriage certificate. He instructed, ¡°Xiaoyu, put these silver coins away first. Uncle will go home and bring two hoes over. Your courtyard has to be properly renovated before it can be lived in.¡±


    Li Yu took the silver and letter and tore the marriage contract into pieces. She pulled Li Qing and bowed. ¡°Uncle Chen, Auntie Li, thank you.¡±


    Li Mei also walked over and bowed to Chen Yaohui and his wife. ¡°Brother Yaohui, Sister-inw, thank you for bringing me the letter.¡±


    Chen Yaohui waved his hand and smiled heartily. ¡°What are you thanking me for? I just brought a letter!¡±


    ¡°Sister, it¡¯s a good thing you came. This Brother Zhang is really a piece of trash.¡± Madam Chen smiled at Li Mei.


    Li Mei looked at the Li siblings and smiled at Chen Yaohui and his wife. ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to your help. Otherwise, those things would have been taken away. Look, many of the people here today have also received Ah Shan¡¯s help. Only you and your wife can step forward to help. I thank you on behalf of Ah Shan.¡±


    Li Mei¡¯s husband, Liu Changmin, came over and said to Li Mei, ¡°Ah Mei, let¡¯s repair the house for the Yu siblings first. Otherwise, where are they going to stay if it getste?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Let¡¯s go back and get a few things first.¡± Chen Yaohui brought Madam Chen Li home.


    Along the way, Madam Chen Li looked at Chen Yaohui worriedly. ¡°Ah Hui, will Father scold us when we go backter?¡±


    ¡°Ignore him. The Zhang family treated them like this, yet he still spoke up for them. Isn¡¯t he just afraid that Zhang Guisheng would take revenge on us when he bes sessful in the future? But we can¡¯t be heartless! There¡¯s still a long way to go!¡±


    ¡°If you ask me, it¡¯s all because of that stepmother of yours. I don¡¯t get it. She only had two daughters. Don¡¯t tell me she doesn¡¯t want us to support her in her old age?¡±


    The couple chatted as they walked towards the Chen family¡¯s house in the middle of the vige.


    Li Mei looked at Li Yu and his sister, then at the dpidated courtyard. Her eyes couldn¡¯t help but turn red. When her younger brother and sister-inw were still alive, the courtyard had been renovated so well! In just a few years, it had be dpidated.


    Li Mei wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and asked Li Yu, ¡°Yu¡¯er, Ah Qing, why don¡¯t you follow me home and stay at my house for a few days? You cane back after the house is fixed, okay?¡±


    When Liu Changmin heard this, he panicked. ¡°Ah Mei, let¡¯s go back and discuss with Mother beforeing to pick up Ah Qing and the others, okay?¡±


    Li Mei thought of her unreasonable mother-inw and looked at her thin nephew and niece. She was furious. She pointed at Liu Changmin andined, ¡°It¡¯s all your fault. You¡¯re weak and useless. You always listen to your mother. Otherwise, would Ashan have entrusted the child to that bastard Zhang Defa?¡±


    ¡°Ah Mei, but Mother, sigh! I can¡¯t do anything about her!¡± Liu Changmin stomped his feet and turned around to enter the courtyard to start working.


    Li Yu finally understood why her father had entrusted Little Li Yu and her brother to Zhang Defa. It turned out that her aunt had an evil mother-inw.


    Li Yu said to Li Mei, ¡°Aunt, we¡¯ll stay at home and not go anywhere. I n to hire someone to repair the house and settle down first.¡±


    Li Mei¡¯s heart ached so much that tears flowed from Li Yu and her sister¡¯s eyes. ¡°I told you to stay at home and not stay at the Zhang family¡¯s house in the past because I was afraid that you would suffer. It¡¯s not toote to turn back now. Now that you have that money and some things, your lives will be better.¡±


    Li Yu smiled andforted Li Mei. ¡°Yes, Aunt, don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ll be fine. Don¡¯t quarrel with Uncle when you go back.¡±


    Li Mei looked at Liu Changmin, who was busy in the courtyard, in disappointment. ¡°Ignore him and let him go back alone. I¡¯ll help you guys for a few days.¡± Li Mei took out a piece of red bean cake from her backpack and handed it to the siblings. ¡°Eat some of this to fill your stomach first.¡±


    Li Qing took a piece of red bean cake and handed one to Li Mei and Li Yu. ¡°Aunt, Sister, eat it.¡±


    Li Yu looked at the mud in her hands and the mud in Li Qing¡¯s hands. ¡°Ah Qing, let¡¯s wash our hands first before eating.¡±


    Li Mei stuffed the red bean cake in her hand into Li Yu¡¯s mouth. ¡°What are you afraid of? As the saying goes, you can¡¯t get sick if you eat dirty food.¡±


    Li Yu was stunned for a moment. Li Qing covered his mouth and chuckled at Li Yu. He said to Li Mei, ¡°Aunt, in the future, will you cook without washing the rice and vegetables?¡±


    ¡°You two, eat and rest for a while. I¡¯ll go help your uncle with the work,¡± Li Mei said as she rushed into the courtyard and carried the weeds to the outside of the courtyard wall to spread them out to dry.


    Li Yu swallowed the red bean cake with difficulty. She recalled that the property deeds,nd deeds, and household register were still hidden in the woodshed.


    Li Yu walked into the woodshed and saw a few holes in the roof. She followed her memory to the foot of the left wall and dug through the soil to find a hole under the corner. There was a small y pot in the hole.


    Li Yu reached into the y pot and took out an item wrapped in oilcloth. After opening it, she saw that it was the title deed that Chen Zhaodi had been longing for. There was also a set of keys, a jade gourd pendant, and the Li family¡¯s household register and title deed.


    Li Yu saw that the title deed said two acres of fertilend. There was the location of a house on the title deed. The house base was two acres big. Only Li Yu and Li Qing were left on the household register.


    Li Yu put the pendant, the deed, and the household register back into the oilcloth and wrapped it up. She took it to the courtyard and hid it with the silver ingot.


    After hiding, she took the key and went out of the courtyard. Li Yu opened the courtyard door and went back to take a piece of silver and stuffed it into Li Mei¡¯s hand. ¡°Aunt, I¡¯ll clean up the kitchen first. Go find an acquaintance to help us buy some rice and grains.¡±


    Li Mei looked at the silver in her hand and thought about how her purse was empty. She secretly med herself for not having the silver to buy some food for her child. Li Mei took the silver and nodded at Li Yu before turning around and walking into the vige.


    Li Yu carried the backpack and walked to the door of the central room. She opened the door and saw that it was empty.


    Li Yu entered the central room and opened the bedroom doors on both sides. She stood at the door and looked into the room. There was only an empty shelf bed and a room full of cobwebs. Coupled with the broken window paper, it looked like a scene from a horror movie.


    Li Yu ced the backpack in the bedroom and came out to lock the door. She walked towards the kitchen and was stunned when she arrived. There were only two holes in the stove and the pot was gone. There was only a water vat, a low wooden table, and a few old bamboo stools left in the kitchen.


    Li Yu thought to herself, I have to go to town and buy two pots and a few bedding and tools.


    Li Yu returned to the bedroom and took out some silver. She went to the courtyard and gave the key to Li Qing. She instructed Li Qing in a low voice, ¡°Ah Qing, I¡¯m going to town to buy pots, pans, and oil. Stay at home and watch over things. I left the money in the house.¡±


    ¡°Got it, sis. Be careful on the road.¡±


    ¡°Got it!¡± Li Yu greeted Liu Changmin and hurried towards town.


    After Chen Yaohui and his wife returned home, they took two hoes with them and nned to go to the Li family to help. The vige chief, Chen Changzong, stopped them and said, ¡°Where are you going if you¡¯re not going to work? You don¡¯t know your ce.¡±


    Chen Yaohui looked at him indifferently and said, ¡°We¡¯re just there to work. Aren¡¯t you satisfied?¡± With that, he picked up the basket and left.


    Chen Changzong looked at the couple¡¯s backs and sighed before returning to his room with his hands behind his back.


    Li Yu had just walked to the corner when she bumped into Chen Yaohui and his wife. Madam Li looked at Li Yu and smiled. ¡°Xiaoyu, where are you rushing to?¡±


    ¡°Aunt, a pot is gone from my stove. I¡¯ll go to town and buy two pots and some soy sauce and vinegar.¡±


    ¡°Oh, be careful then. Come back soon.¡±


    Li Yu thought of the leaking roof and stopped in her tracks. She turned around and called out to Chen Yaohui, ¡°Uncle, is there anyone in the vige who knows how to repair houses?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll get a few for you. We¡¯ll repair the kitchen and the woodshed walls while it¡¯s still early.¡±


    ¡°Alright, then I¡¯ll have to trouble you. Tell everyone that my family doesn¡¯t provide food. Help me pay the sry!¡±


    ¡°Alright, go quickly! The market will have dispersed by now.¡±

 Chapter 9

    Purchase


    Li Yu rushed towards the town. By the time she arrived, the market had already dispersed. asionally, people would rush past on the streets. The shops on both sides became cold and cheerless. It was apletely different scene from the lively scene she saw when she first arrived in town.


    Li Yu looked at the shops on both sides as she walked. Although the town was small, the variety of shops was still veryplete. There were all kinds of Sapporo hanging at the entrance of the shops.


    Li Yu saw a cloth shop and went in to buy 15 kilograms of cotton. There was also a sky-blue and a jade-green thin cloth, an earth-white coarse cloth, ten feet of gauze, and more than ten feet of in white cotton cloth. Two mosquitos and a handful of needles and thread cost two taels of silver. Thedy boss happily gave her a handful of thread and a bag of cloth.


    Li Yu ced the items in the cloth shop and walked to the end of the street before finding the cksmith. The cksmith was snoring as he leaned against the bamboo chair at the door.


    The cksmith was a middle-aged man wearing a dark rough coat. His face was tanned ck and red. Li Yu shouted at the cksmith, ¡°Uncle, wake up. I want to buy something.¡±


    The cksmith was startled by the sudden awakening. He opened his eyes to see a young girl and patted his chest. ¡°Ouch! I was almost scared to death by you, little girl.¡±


    Li Yu looked at him innocently. ¡°Uncle, you can¡¯t me me. I can¡¯t just go in and take what I need!¡±


    The cksmithughed heartily. ¡°Of course, of course. What would you like to buy, miss?¡±


    Li Yu went into the shop and asked for two iron pots, a few locks, two hoes, a shovel, a kettle, two sickles, and fire tongs and a spat. Finally, Li Yu saw a dagger. After picking it up and ying with it, he looked at the cksmith and said, ¡°Uncle, how much is this dagger?¡±


    The cksmith looked at what Li Yu had chosen. ¡°Youngdy, an iron pot costs six hundred copper coins a piece. A spat costs thirty copper coins. Together, it¡¯s four thousand nine hundred and ten copper coins.¡±


    Li Yu calcted and said, ¡°Uncle, how about this? Four taels of silver and nine taels of silver. Can you give me another handful of nails?¡±


    The cksmith nodded readily. ¡°I¡¯ll sell it to you, youngdy. Can you carry two iron pots that big?¡±


    Li Yu thought to herself,


    Looks like I have to buy a backpack to fit so many things.


    ¡°Uncle, where can I find a piggyback nearby?¡±


    The cksmith pointed diagonally across the street to the grocer¡¯s shop. ¡°Eh, there¡¯s one diagonally across the street from Chow Ji¡¯s.¡±


    Li Yu looked at those things and instructed the cksmith, ¡°Uncle, pick two better iron pots for me. I¡¯ll go buy a backpack beforeing back to get it.¡±


    ¡°Little girl, don¡¯t worry. Everything in my ship is good.¡± The cksmith boasted about his things and watched Li Yu go to the grocery store opposite.


    Li Yu entered the shop and saw that it was indeed a grocery store. There were all kinds of food and necessities inside. The shop assistant eagerly weed her and looked at Li Yu with a smile. ¡°Miss, what do you want to buy? Our food is good and cheap.¡±


    Li Yu took a look and pointed to therge ingredients. She said to the shop assistant, ¡°Please weigh the grass fruits, star anise, cinnamon, fragrant leaves, peppercorns¡­ three taels each, and a pound of chili.¡±


    ¡°Alright!¡± The shop assistant quickly weighed the items and put them into the oiled paper bag. He smiled and asked Li Yu, ¡°Miss, what else do you need?¡±


    Li Yu pointed at the oil in the jar and asked, ¡°What oil is in here?¡±


    ¡°Vegetable oil, thirty-five copper coins a catty squeezed from rapeseed. Want some?¡±


    Li Yu thought for a moment. ¡°Five catties! If I buy so much, you have to give me a discountter!¡±


    The clerk smiled and nodded. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll give you a discount when you¡¯ve chosen.¡±


    Li Yu bought another two catties of brown sugar, two catties of salt, soy sauce, vinegar, a wooden steamed bun, bowls, chopsticks,dles, and a pile of misceneous things.


    In the end, it was a total of 915 copper coins. The shop assistant epted 900 copper coins from Li Yu. After Li Yu paid, the shop assistant looked at the pile of things and at Li Yu worriedly. He thought to himself, ¡°How can such a small body carry so many things?¡±


    ¡°Can you carry it, girl?¡±


    ¡°Help me pack it. I¡¯m thinking about buying some morerd. Where¡¯s the meat seller?¡±


    The clerk pointed to the street where Li Yu hade from. ¡°Head south of town. There¡¯s an alley on the right. That¡¯s where the meat sellers are.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Li Yu went to the cksmith shop opposite and paid. After counting the items, the cksmith helped Li Yu move the items to the provision store. He looked at the pile of items and persuaded Li Yu, ¡°Youngdy, how can you take so much back? I advise you to go to the town entrance and hire a car!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s a hassle to walk around. I¡¯ll hire a car when I¡¯ve found a suitable one at the town entrance.¡±


    Seeing that Li Yu was unwilling to hire a car, the two of them could only say, ¡°W-We¡¯ll help you pack your things.¡±


    The cksmith waited for the clerk to put the bowls and chopsticks and the fragile things into the backpack. He ced the pot in the backpack and put the other things into the pot. He fixed it with a rope. The cksmith looked at the thin man and advised Li Yu worriedly, ¡°Youngdy, if you can¡¯t carry it, don¡¯t force yourself and be careful not to crush your body.¡±


    ¡°Uncle, don¡¯t worry, I can carry you.¡±


    Li Yu squatted down and easily carried the backpack. The shop assistant looked at Li Yu in surprise and hurriedly handed the shovel and broom to Li Yu.


    Li Yu carried the basket in one hand and a broom in the other. She smiled and said, ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll take care of you next time I want buy something.¡±


    They bothughed. ¡°Sure!¡±


    Seeing how rxed Li Yu¡¯s footsteps were, the cksmith realized that she was naturally strong. He sighed and walked back, thinking, What a pity. If it was a man, I would have taken him in as my disciple.


    Li Yu looked around as she walked. She walked to the cloth shop to get the things she had stored. She walked for a while before reaching the alley the shop assistant had mentioned.


    Li Yu looked inside. There was still a meat stall that had not been closed. Li Yu walked over and saw a few bones on the meat stall. There was a pair of pig¡¯s lungs, a set of chicken crown oil, and a piece of hind leg meat that weighed about three to four catties.


    ¡°Uncle, are you still selling this meat?¡± Li Yu asked Tuhu, who was napping on the meat stall.


    The fat butcher looked up and saw a youngdy carrying a big pot on her back. He was stunned for a moment before smiling amiably. ¡°Yes! You came a littlete today, so this is all that¡¯s left. When I go home, I¡¯m afraid of the nagging at home. Girl, let me help you put down your backpack first.¡±


    Li Yu waved her hand. ¡°There¡¯s no need to trouble yourself. Hurry up and tell me how much you sell these for. If the price is right, you can wrap them up for me. It¡¯ll save you the trouble of guarding them on a hot day.¡±


    The butcher pointed at the cockb oil and the hind legs. ¡°The two together will be six copper coins a catty. The pig¡¯s lungs will cost you two copper coins a catty. I¡¯ll give you the bones!¡±


    Li Yu nodded readily. ¡°Alright, how much do you want?¡±


    The butcher weighed it. It was a total of nine catties and two taels. After Li Yu paid, the butcher looked at the things Li Yu was carrying. ¡°Miss, where do you live in West Mountain Vige? If it¡¯s on the way, I¡¯ll drive you there.¡±


    Li Yu¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°What a coincidence. I live in West Mountain Vige too.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! What a coincidence that you live in West Mountain Vige too. It¡¯s been almost three years since my family moved to West Mountain Vige. Why haven¡¯t I seen you?¡±


    ¡°I used to live in the county. I only came home today.¡±


    ¡°I see! My surname is He and I live at the end of the vige. It¡¯s the one that copsed a section of the courtyard wall. Just go over a little. Take my ox cart back!¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Uncle He. My surname is Li. You can call me Xiaoyu! My house is the one where the wall copsed. My brother and I just came back today. Uncle He, I didn¡¯t expect us to be neighbors.¡± Butcher He went up to help Li Yu put down the backpack.


    ¡°What a coincidence.¡± Butcher He packed up his stall tools. ¡°Xiaoyu, wait for me here. I¡¯ll bring the cows over.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± After Li Yu agreed, he ced the meat and bones into the pot and ced the pig¡¯s lungs in the kiln. Butcher He brought the cow over.


    ...


    After Butcher He got Li Yu into the car, the two of them rode the ox cart towards West Mountain Vige.


    ¡°Your house is closer to the ditch below. There¡¯s also a well in the courtyard. I wanted to buy your house, and we¡¯d already agreed on a price. Then your second uncle said he wasn¡¯t selling it anymore, so I bought a foundation from the vige chief and repaired it myself.¡±


    Li Yu didn¡¯t expect the Zhang family to want to sell the Li family¡¯s house too. They probably gave up on the idea because they couldn¡¯t get the deed from Little Li Yu! She didn¡¯t expect there to be such a greedy and shameless person in the world.


    ¡°Uncle He, I didn¡¯t know that my family was going to sell the house! Besides, that house was left to my brother by my parents!¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡± Butcher He thought to himself that there must be something fishy about the person selling the house. Fortunately, he didn¡¯t buy it. Otherwise, it would be troublesome.

 Chapter 10

    n


    It took less than half an hour to reach Li Yu¡¯s house.


    After Butcher He helped move the things down, he pointed at the courtyard about ten feet west of Li Yu¡¯s house and said, ¡°Xiaoyu, that¡¯s my house. I have a girl about your age at home. Come and y with her!¡±


    Li Yu smiled and agreed. ¡°Alright, thank you, Uncle He.¡±


    Butcher Heughed heartily. ¡°Why are you so polite to your neighbors?¡±


    Li Qing heard voices at the door and ran out. ¡°Sister, you¡¯re back! You bought so many things?¡±


    Li Yu smiled and said, ¡°I was toozy to run, so I bought everything I thought of.¡± The siblings were busy moving the things into the courtyard.


    Li Yu saw that Chen Yaohui and a few others were helping to repair the roof and courtyard walls in the courtyard. Madam Li had already gone home.


    Li Mei took the cotton from Li Yu¡¯s hand. ¡°Yu¡¯er, did you buy a mosquito? There are many mosquitoes at night.¡±


    ¡°I bought them all.¡± Li Yu handed the cotton and cloth to Li Mei. ¡°Aunt, I¡¯ll wash the pots and bowls and leave these to you.¡±


    Li Mei looked at Li Yu¡¯s neat appearance and nodded in relief. ¡°Put it in the house. I bought a stone of rice and two stones of rice. Aunt Chen even gave me some vegetables. There¡¯s still a lot of money from you. I¡¯ll go to the potter¡¯s house to buy a few mats andy them on the ground to make bedding.¡±


    ¡°Alright, do as you see fit!¡± Li Yu carried the things into the kitchen and took the pot down from the backrest. She took the wooden basin and bucket to the well to draw water and soak the pig¡¯s lungs and oil in it. He took the iron pot to the kitchen.


    Seeing that Li Yu had taken the pot to the kitchen, Liu Changmin quickly went to carry some yellow mud in. He smiled gently and said, ¡°Xiaoyu, leave the iron pot to Uncle. If it¡¯s not filled properly, smoke wille out.¡±


    Li Yu nced at the honest person in front of her and smiled. ¡°Alright, sorry to trouble you, Uncle.¡±


    ¡°Uncle doesn¡¯t have the ability and made you suffer. I¡¯ve let you and your parents down.¡± After Liu Changmin finished speaking with a red face, he quickly got to work.


    Seeing that he was ming himself, Li Yu didn¡¯t know how to coax this honest person. She turned around and went to the courtyard to wash the pig¡¯s lungs and oil. She took the kitchen knife and vegetable board to the kitchen and saw that the pot was already ready. There was even a circle of yellow mud under the pot.


    Li Qing came back from outside with a bundle of firewood on his back. After handing a small bundle of dry firewood to Li Yu, he looked at Li Yu and asked, ¡°Sister, where¡¯s our family¡¯s rice field? I heard from those uncles that they¡¯ve started to water it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! We¡¯re going to go easy on them. The two fields by the ditch at the entrance are ours. Come and take a look.¡±


    Li Yu quickly went to the courtyard door and saw Liu Changmin filling the paddy field with water. Li Yu turned around and said to Li Qing, ¡°Ah Qing, Uncle is already in the field. Why don¡¯t you go take a look and learn from him?¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡± Li Qing added two pieces of firewood to the stove and left.


    Li Yu tore two pieces of oil skin and used a spat to press them down. He smeared the oil evenly in the hot iron pot. After the iron pot finished eating the oil, it was cooled, washed, and started boiling the oil.


    Li Yu saw the items Li Mei had brought back on the small table. There were shallots, coriander, arge winter melon, and a bundle of rapeseed moss. There were radishes, eggnts, four seasons beans, peas, and chili peppers.


    Li Yu thought for a moment before soaking the pig¡¯s lungs in water. She carried the kitchen tools she had bought and brought them to the well to wash them before starting to cook.


    Li Yu nned to steam rice and cook a pea soup, stir-fry some four seasons beans, make green pepper salt fried meat, and stir-fry a rapeseed moss. After thinking about it, she got busy.


    When Li Yu came out after cooking, the people who repaired the roof had already left. Only Liu Changmin and Chen Yaohui were still using the yellow mud to paste the courtyard wall. Li Yu shouted at the two of them, ¡°Uncle Chen, Uncle, the food is ready. Come in and eat.¡±


    Chen Yaohui shoveled some yellow mud onto the wall and turned around to look at Li Yu. He said loudly, ¡°That¡¯s all. Uncle will help you paste it and go back to eat.¡±


    Liu Changmin chuckled. ¡°Brother Yaohui, the fish is ready. Just eat some here.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! Uncle, just make do with it!¡± Li Yu looked at Chen Yaohui and said.


    When Chen Yaohui heard this, he smiled readily and said, ¡°Alright, I won¡¯t stand on ceremony. I¡¯ll try the fish dishes and see if they taste good.¡±


    Li Yu went into the house to call Li Mei and Li Qing over. The few of them brought the tables and stools to the eaves porch. Li Mei looked at the courtyard that had been tidied up and sighed. ¡°The previously tattered courtyard has be presentable again.¡±


    Chen Yaohui wiped his hands with a cloth and replied with a smile, ¡°That¡¯s right! No matter how good a house is, it needs someone to live in it.¡±


    Li Yu ced the dishes on the table and smiled politely. ¡°Uncle, Aunt, Uncle, it¡¯s been hard on you today.¡±


    Li Mei looked at Li Yu strangely and said with a smile, ¡°Why are you being so polite?¡±


    Liu Changmin smiled honestly. ¡°Let¡¯s eat. Look at how well the fish dishes are cooked!¡±


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s not stand on ceremony. I¡¯ll start eating first.¡± Chen Yaohui picked up his bowl and picked up a piece of green pepper and salt fried meat with his chopsticks. He ced it in his mouth and chewed a few times. After swallowing, he gave a thumbs up and praised, ¡°The fish was stir-fried well.¡±


    ¡°Second Uncle Chen, my sister is best at cooking.¡± Li Qing smiled at Li Mei.


    Li Mei looked at Li Qing¡¯s thin face and her heart ached. ¡°If it¡¯s delicious, why are you so thin?¡±


    ¡°The Zhang family doesn¡¯t even let us eat our fill. We¡¯re so hungry at night.¡± Li Qing looked at Li Mei aggrievedly.


    ¡°No! You can eat whatever you want at home in the future.¡± Li Mei picked up a piece of meat with her chopsticks and ced it in Li Qing¡¯s bowl,forting him gently.


    On the other side, Zhang Defa returned to Green Mountain County. Chen Zhaodi hurriedly went up to help lead the cows to the cowshed before tying them up. Zhang Defa unloaded the ox cart with a gloomy expression and returned to the house without a word. Hey on the bed and rested.


    Chen Zhaodi didn¡¯t dare to ask when she saw Zhang Defa¡¯s gloomy look. She quietly went to Zhang Guixiang¡¯s room and saw Zhang Guixiang lying on the bed sleeping soundly. She sighed in her heart. It seemed that Guixiang was a little spoiled, but women were the most carefree in their lives when they were girls in their families. Who would dote on them when they married in the future? After serving the old, they still had to serve the young. There was no free time.


    Chen Zhaodi sighed and shook her head. She picked up the dirty clothes on the ground and went to the well.


    Zhang Defay on the bed and felt his heart ache when he thought about the silver. He thought to himself,


    If I return the silver, I won¡¯t even have the money to buy the goods. I wonder how many betrothal gifts Mr. Zhu¡¯s daughter wants. Damn it, it¡¯s all that bitch Li Yu¡¯s fault for breaking off the engagement. She actually ran back to the vige to embarrass me in front of so many people. No, I have to think of a way to get the silver back.


    Zhang Defa was so angry that he sat up from the bed. He walked to the courtyard and saw Chen Zhaodi washing clothes by the well. He asked with a dark expression, ¡°Where¡¯s Guixiang? Why don¡¯t you let her wash your clothes? Do you know how to be a mother? Your daughter is already so old, but you still don¡¯t teach her how to do housework. When she gets married in the future, will you help her wash her clothes?¡±


    Chen Zhaodi thought to herself,


    You took it out on me when you came back after being bullied outside.


    However, she replied, ¡°I saw that Guixiang¡¯s face was so swollen. I was afraid that she would be seen by the people next door!¡±


    ¡°Never mind, never mind,¡± said Zhang Defa, waving his hand impatiently. ¡°I thought you mentioned that your cousin escaped here too, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    Chen Zhaodi nced at Zhang Defa and lowered her head to rub the clothes in the basin. She replied unhappily, ¡°I haven¡¯t interacted with her since you told me off thest time.¡±


    Zhang Defa recalled, ¡°I remember that her son, Chun, has delicate features and looks simr to us. I wonder if he has a wife.¡±


    Chen Guixiang thought of Qi Chunsheng and spat in disgust. ¡°Pfft! How can her sonpare to our Guisheng? He¡¯s only in his teens and he¡¯s already eating, drinking, and gambling. Why are you thinking of him?¡±


    Zhang Defa looked at Chen Zhaodi and told her everything that had happened in West Mountain Vige. He said angrily, ¡°After we return the money to that b*tch, we won¡¯t even have the money to buy the goods. Isn¡¯t that girl loyal to Guisheng? Let him pretend to be Guisheng¡­¡±


    Chen Zhaodi looked at Zhang Defa in confusion. ¡°Will this work?¡±


    Zhang Defa grinned hideously. ¡°We didn¡¯t suffer any losses even if it didn¡¯t work out! Tell him that if he seeds, we¡¯ll give him 20 taels of silver.¡±


    ...


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll look for him after I dry my clothes.¡±


    Zhang Defa¡¯s heart ached when he thought of the hundred flowers. ¡°Hurry up! Don¡¯t let that bitch spend all the money.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go now, alright?¡± Zhang Defa watched as Chen Zhaodi left the courtyard. It was as if he saw Li Yu crying bitterly. He suddenly felt that he couldn¡¯t sleep even if he had the energy. He went out and walked towards the provision store.

 Chapter 11

    The Past


    After Li Yu and the others finished their meal, Chen Yaohui went home and picked some straw to return to Li Yu¡¯s house. Together with Liu Changmin, they used straw to weave a few straw curtains for the bed and dried them in the courtyard.


    The workers arrived in the afternoon. After everyone fixed the roofs of the rooms on both sides, two craftsmen began to repair the tiles of the main room. Chen Yaohui led the two of them to repair the pigpen andtrine in the backyard.


    Due to the fact that the main house was undergoing renovation and a lot of dust and trash had fallen from the roof, Li Mei had no choice but to tidy up the unfinished bedding and ce it on the bed. After covering it with a mat, she went out with a hoe to the vegetable field outside the west wall with Liu Changmin.


    Li Mei dug hard at the vegetable field and looked up at Liu Changmin. ¡°Zhaodi¡¯s father, you go home first. I¡¯ll go back after helping Yu¡¯er and the others settle down.¡±


    After hearing this, Liu Changmin hesitated for a moment. He looked at Li Mei and said carefully, ¡°Ah Mei, Mother didn¡¯t know that we wereing today. If you don¡¯t go back to Mother, what am I going to tell her?¡±


    Li Mei¡¯s heart turned cold when she heard Liu Changmin¡¯s words. She thought about how the two sisters-inw at home were protected by their husbands. Her mother-inw had never dared to torture them. Her man was honest and weak, and even his children and daughter-inw suffered. If not for that old woman¡¯s viciousness, Ah Shan would not have entrusted the child to that dog, Zhang Defa.


    The more Li Mei thought about it, the colder her heart became. She said coldly, ¡°You can say whatever you want when you go back. If not, you can ask your mother to divorce me when you go back!¡±


    Seeing Li Mei¡¯s cold expression, Liu Changmin knew that Li Mei was really angry. After a while, he said, ¡°Ah Mei, don¡¯t say things in anger. I¡¯ll go back and tell Mother that you¡¯ll stay here with Yu¡¯er and the others for two days.¡±


    Li Mei did not respond. She just dug at the soil under her feet as if she was venting.


    Li Yu started to clean up the wing room at home. After cleaning up the trash in the woodshed, she carried the broom and walked towards the right wing room. Just as she reached the door of the wing room, she saw Li Qing walking out of the right wing room with a bow and a long saber. He shouted excitedly, ¡°Sister,e and take a look. Aunt took out Father¡¯s bow and machete and ced them behind the door.¡±


    Li Yu took the long saber and held it in her hand. She felt that the heavy saber was at least a foot long. The hilt was slightly curved, and the back of the saber was wide. The de was thin and shone with a cold light.


    Li Yu looked at the long saber in her hand carefully and thought to herself, This is probably a saber. Could it be that Old Li was a soldier?


    ¡°Ah Qing, this knife is very sharp. You can¡¯t take it out to y. It¡¯ll be troublesome if you hurt someone,¡± Li Yu reminded Li Qing.


    Li Qing nodded obediently. ¡°Got it, Sister. Look at how heavy this bow is!¡±


    Li Yu ced the knife in the corner and took the bow. He pulled the bowstring and asked Li Qing, ¡°Ah Qing, where did Aunt put it? Where¡¯s the quiver?¡±


    ¡°Sister, I¡¯ll take you there.¡± Li Qing led Li Yu to the room on the right. He pushed open the door and pointed at the leather quiver hanging behind it. ¡°Sister, do you think that¡¯s a quiver?¡±


    Li Yu looked at the long saber and bow and thought to herself, Logically speaking, this saber and bow are more valuable than those furs. Why didn¡¯t Zhang Defa sell them for money?


    ¡°Yes, this is called a quiver.¡± Li Yu reached out and took off the quiver. She counted that there were still more than 20 arrows inside. Li Yu took off the bowstring and hung the bow back behind the door, as well as the knife.


    She pulled Li Qing into the house. ¡°Ah Qing, let¡¯s go! Let¡¯s clean the house first.¡±


    ¡°Sister, I¡¯ll sweep this one.¡± Li Qing took the broom and went to the one outside. Li Yu saw that there was a wooden granary in the inner room. The wood was wet from the rain, and grayish-ck mushrooms had already grown in some ces. Li Yu cleaned the granary and carried the grain board to the courtyard to dry.


    The siblings had just cleaned up the rooms on both sides when Chen Yaohui and the four people came down from the roof. Chen Yaohui pointed at the roof and smiled at Li Yu. ¡°Xiaoyu, we¡¯ll go back after the roof is fixed.¡±


    Li Yu hurriedly called out to Chen Yaohui, ¡°Uncle Chen, don¡¯t leave yet. I¡¯ll pay everyone first.¡±


    Chen Yaohui nodded and smiled. ¡°Alright, fifteen copper coins each.¡±


    Li Yu paid the money and bowed to them. ¡°Thank you, uncles.¡±


    An older-looking uncleughed. ¡°You¡¯re too kind, kid. Let us know if anything leaks after we¡¯ve been paid.¡±


    Chen Yaohui instructed Li Yu, ¡°Xiaoyu, if Zhang Defaes to cause trouble, go find your aunt. I¡¯m going to the county to look for work tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Alright, thank you, Uncle Chen.¡± After Li Yu agreed, she sent Chen Yaohui to the back of the house. She saw that there were three huts and a pigpen against the courtyard wall. There was also a toilet and bathroom.


    The pigsty and bathroom were both paved with limestone. There was a small door beside the pigsty. Li Yu opened the small door and saw arge wastnd outside the courtyard wall. The wastnd was filled with wild grass that was as tall as a person. In the past, the wastnd was a lush bamboo forest and shrubs. Li Yu turned her head and saw arge manure pit outside the courtyard wall behind the pigsty. The manure pit was filled with wild grass.


    Li Yu turned around and returned to the courtyard. After returning to the house and starting to clean the main room, she found the gauze andpared it to the size of the window. She cut off the side of the lock and went out to pick up a few bamboo pieces. He used the bamboo pieces to press on the window cloth and nail it to the window. After pulling out two pieces ofke-blue cloth and folding them half an inch, she tied them with twine on the nails at both ends for curtains.


    After the curtains were hung, Li Yu looked at the bedding on the bed and realized that Li Mei had used coarse cotton. Li Qing carried the straw curtain in and ced it on the bed. ¡°Sister, I¡¯ll go and chop some firewood. If it rains at home, there won¡¯t be any left to burn.¡±


    Li Yu instructed, ¡°Don¡¯t go far. Just cut in the bushes at the back.¡±


    ¡°Got it!¡± Li Qing agreed loudly and went out with the machete rope.


    Li Yu took out the thin cloth andpared the width and length of the bedding. She cut a few pieces of thin cloth and nned to start making the nket.


    Li Mei entered the house and looked at the thin cloth that Li Yu had torn off. Her heart ached. ¡°Yu¡¯er, why did you tear off the cloth? What a pity!¡±


    Li Yu smiled and exined, ¡°Aunt, I¡¯ll use it to make a nket so that it¡¯ll be easier to wash in the future.¡±


    ¡°Oh! That¡¯s good too.¡± Li Mei looked at the fine cloth andughed at herself. ¡°Aunt has been tortured by that stingy old woman all these years.¡±


    Li Yu couldn¡¯t answer and thought of the knife and bow. She asked Li Mei, ¡°Aunt, why didn¡¯t Zhang Defa take the knife and bow at home to exchange for money?¡±


    ¡®You think he doesn¡¯t want to?¡¯ Li Mei was furious. ¡®He came to me after your father was buried and asked me about your father¡¯s bow and arrow and the long knife. I told him that the knife and the bow were buried with your father before he gave up. Come with me.¡¯


    Li Mei brought Li Yu to another bedroom and pointed at the beam. ¡°After your father left, I hid the knife and bow on the beam. The knife and bow are treasures passed down from generation to generation in the Li family.


    Yu¡¯er, your father is a soft-hearted person who trusts people easily. Your mother has never liked the Zhang family. She said that their eyes are evil, but their hearts are bitter. Your father just doesn¡¯t believe it. Less than two years after your mother left, your father was even persuaded by Zhang Defa to betroth you to Zhang Guisheng. Look, it¡¯s only been a few years, but his true colors have already been revealed!¡±


    Li Yu finally understood why Li Mei hated guarding against the Zhang family so much. It turned out that Mother Li didn¡¯t like them. It seemed that her aunt and Mother Li were quite close.


    Seeing that it was gettingte, Li Yu smiled at Li Mei and said, ¡°Aunt, I¡¯ll go cook. I¡¯ll leave the bedsheets and nkets to you to lock the sides.¡±


    Li Mei replied readily, ¡°Alright, there¡¯s no need to cook for your uncle. He¡¯s already gone back.¡±


    Li Yu was stunned for a moment. She turned around and looked at Li Mei. ¡°Aunt, why didn¡¯t you let Uncle eat before leaving?¡±


    ¡°Ignore him. Aunt has had enough all these years.¡± Li Mei looked up at Li Yu and sighed. ¡°Sigh! You won¡¯t understand even if I tell you. Go and cook!¡±


    Li Yu felt that she didn¡¯t know what was going on, so she couldn¡¯t say anything. After all, she was just a teenage girl.


    Li Yu nodded and went to the kitchen. After washing the pig¡¯s lungs, she used arge fire to stir-fry the water and ced some ginger slices and condiments in it. She scooped two scoops of water and poured it into the pot to stew the pig¡¯s lungs soup. When it was ready, she ced the steamer on top and steamed a basin of rice.


    When the pig¡¯s lung soup was almost ready, she cut the radish into pieces and put them into the soup. Li Yu felt that cooking with the stove was the most convenient. When the dishes were ready, the rice was also steamed. Li Yu sat in front of the stove and felt like she had returned to when she was young and lived in the countryside. Although those days were hard, they were also the most carefree times for her.


    Li Yu looked at the fire in the stove and pondered. She didn¡¯t know if her selfish brother and sister-inw were sad or relieved to know that this old spinster had finally left.

 Chapter 12

    Jade Gourd


    Li Qing returned with a bundle of firewood on his back. Seeing Li Yu looking at the stove in a daze and looking sad, he hurriedly put down the firewood and walked to Li Yu. He squatted down and looked at Li Yu worriedly. ¡°Sister, what¡¯s wrong? Don¡¯t be sad.¡±


    Li Yu¡¯s heart warmed when she saw Li Qing¡¯s worried expression. She smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯m fine. I just remembered some things from the past.¡±


    Li Qing heaved a sigh of relief when he saw Li Yu smile. He thought that she was worried about the future and patted his thin chest tofort Li Yu. ¡°Sister, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m also very strong. I¡¯ll earn a lot of money to let you live a good life in the future.¡±


    Li Yu thought to herself that he should be going to school at this age instead of thinking about earning money.


    ¡°Ah Qing, do you want to study?¡±


    Li Qing shook his head without hesitation. ¡°Studying is very expensive. I¡¯m not going. I want to learn how to hunt and sell wild animals to earn money like Father.¡±


    ¡°Ah Qing, even if you don¡¯t take the imperial examination, you have to be able to write and calcte if you want to earn money. Otherwise, you won¡¯t even be able to calcte how much a wild boar can be sold for. If someone wants to make a contract with you, will you know how to write and read?¡±


    Li Qing frowned at Li Yu. ¡°Then what should we do? Sister, will you?¡±


    Li Yu nodded. ¡°Yes, you should go to school to learn. Go and see what kind of path you should take in the future.¡±


    Li Qing kept shaking his head. ¡°I¡¯m not going. I¡¯m worried about you being home alone.¡± After Li Qing said that, his stomach rumbled twice.


    ¡°You must be hungry!¡± Li Yu stood up and patted Li Qing with a smile. ¡°Go and call Aunt out. We¡¯ll eat first.¡±


    ¡°Sister, the food you cooked is too fragrant. I¡¯m hungry just by smelling it.¡± Li Qing called Li Mei over.


    Li Yu lifted the lid of the pot and brought out the rice. The fragrance of the steamed pork lung soup wafted over. She brought the pork lung radish soup over and ced it on the table. She washed a few half-red chili peppers, chopped them into short pieces and ced them in a bowl with salt and soy sauce. She burned some boiling oil and poured the boiling oil into the chili. Then, she cut some green onions and coriander and mixed them in the chili. She scooped the sauce into a small dish.


    Li Mei and Li Qing arrived at the kitchen and said with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s so hot.¡± Li Mei opened the back door of the kitchen. A cold breeze blew in as soon as the back door was open. She sniffed. ¡°Yu¡¯er, what did you make that smells so good?¡±


    Li Yu pointed at the table and smiled. ¡°Pig lung radish soup.¡±


    Li Mei took a sip and drank some soup. She smiled and praised, ¡°Your culinary skills are getting really good. If the pig¡¯s lung soup isn¡¯t cooked well, it would have a strong fishy smell. When it¡¯s stewed, it tastes good and brings food.¡±


    Li Qing looked at Li Yu and smiled. ¡°My sister¡¯s culinary skills are getting better and better.¡±


    Li Mei smiled and said, ¡°If it¡¯s delicious, eat more and grow fatter.¡±


    After their meal, Li Mei and Li Yu cleaned up the pots, bowls, and stoves. They poured two buckets of water into the pot and began to boil it. Li Mei carried the banquette out to the courtyard and squatted on it to sew the nket.


    Li Mei said to Li Yu and her brother, who were sitting in the courtyard, ¡°Xiao Yu, Ah Qing, you¡¯re young and you¡¯ve lost your health in the Zhang family. You have to make up for it. In the future, eat three meals instead of two. We farmers even eat mixed grain rice, brown rice, and beans.¡±


    Li Yu asked, ¡°Aunt, are taxes heavy these days?¡±


    Li Mei¡¯s face was full of worry. ¡°It¡¯s heavy. How can it not be heavy? The personal tax is 200 copper coins per person. Thend tax has been 300 copper coins per acre sincest year. You have to pay one stone for three stone of grain. An acre ofnd can only yield four stones of grain at most. It¡¯s difficult to survive in a year.¡±


    ¡°Do those distinguished families also have to pay taxes?¡±


    ¡°The families of the Elementary Schrs don¡¯t have to pay taxes. The Elementary Schrs are exempt from 15 acres ofnd taxes, and the High Schrs are exempt from 40 acres. They don¡¯t have to pay taxes and don¡¯t have to work!¡±


    Li Yu asked, ¡°Are there many schrs in the vige? Is it easy to take the exam?¡±


    Li Mei sighed and said with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s not that easy to be an Elementary Schr! Look at the Zhang family. Zhang Guisheng has been studying since he was four or five years old. He only became an Elementary Schr when he was 17 this year. How much did he spend? That¡¯s all because of money. He¡¯s quite smart. Some people are still studying even after taking the exam their entire lives.¡±


    Li Yu finally understood why everyone in the vige had to listen to Zhang Defa when the Zhang family had a schr. It seemed that she had to send Li Qing to school to see if he had the talent to study.


    ¡°Aunt, is there a school in the vige?¡±


    Li Mei looked up at Li Yu. ¡°There¡¯s none in West Mountain Vige. Our East Mountain Vige has one. The youngest son of the Zhou family, Zhou Xiucai, owns it. Yu¡¯er, do you want to send Ah Qing to study?¡±


    Li Yu nodded. ¡°I want to send Ah Qing to study and learn something. Even if it¡¯s a transaction, I¡¯ll settle the score. I¡¯m not afraid of being cheated by others if I sign a contract.¡±


    Li Mei felt uneasy when she thought of the Zhang family. She thought to herself, It¡¯s good to let Ah Qing study. If he¡¯s sessful, I won¡¯t be afraid of Zhang Guisheng taking revenge on Yu¡¯er.


    Li Mei nodded and said, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s send Ah Qing to school. Ah Qing has been smart since he was young. I¡¯ll go back and ask Schr Zhou tomorrow.¡±


    When Li Qing saw that his sister and aunt had decided to send him to school, he was worried about where the money woulde from. Also, if his sister stayed at home alone, the Zhang family mighte looking for trouble. Li Qing frowned and said, ¡°Sister, Aunt, studying is good, but where will the moneye from? I¡¯m worried about Sister staying at home alone. I¡¯m afraid that the Zhang family mighte looking for trouble.¡±


    Li Yu did not expect Li Qing to consider so much at such a young age. He looked like a sensible child, but she could not say too much. If she spoke too much, she might be exposed.


    Li Meiforted him. ¡°Ah Qing, the silver Zhang Defa returned is enough for you to study for a few years. Why don¡¯t you study for two years first? If you can do it well, you can continue. When you make a name for yourself, your taxes, head taxes, andbor will be gone.¡±


    If you can¡¯t, just like your sister said, you can learn how to write and calcte. If Zhang Guisheng bes a High Schr in the future, he will be an official. Only you can protect your sister from being bullied by the Zhang family.¡±


    Li Qing was silent for a while when he heard that. He looked at Li Yu and said, ¡°Sister, I¡¯ll try and continue reading if it works. If it doesn¡¯t, I¡¯ll go home and hunt in the mountains.¡±


    Li Yu nodded and said, ¡°Alright, go to the school with Aunt tomorrow and see if I¡¯m waiting for you at home.¡± Li Yu turned back to look at Li Mei. ¡°Aunt, please make a set of clothes for Ah Qing with me and go to the school to see Sir.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ve finished sewing the nket. Bring it in and we¡¯ll start making clothes.¡±


    After Li Yu made the bed, she asked Li Qing to rest in the house and rushed to make a set of clothes with Li Mei overnight.


    After Li Yu washed up, she went to her room. Li Mei handed the silver and oilcloth bag in her backpack to Li Yu and said with a reproachful smile, ¡°Girl, just leave these things in your backpack. If someone takes them away, where will you find them?¡±


    Li Yu blushed and smiled. ¡°I took it out and ced it there. Who knew that I would forget about it?¡±


    Li Mei opened the oilcloth bag, took out the jade pendant, and tied it with a ribbon. She stroked the jade pendant and thought of her sister-inw. She looked at Li Yu and said gently, ¡°Yu¡¯er, this is the protective jade gourd your mother left for you. I¡¯ll bring it to protect you.¡±


    Li Yu was stunned for a moment before she lowered her head and let Li Mei put it on for her. Li Mei looked at Li Yu and patted her head lovingly. ¡°Sister-inw, please bless Yu¡¯er and Ah Qing to be safe in the future.¡±


    Li Yu thanked her in a daze andy on the bed with the jade gourd in her hand. Li Mei alsoy down and soon let out a soft sound of sleep.


    Li Yuy there and realized that she seemed to have entered a circr space. There was a ring of shelves around her, and there was a small booklet hanging on the shelf. Li Yu picked up the booklet curiously and opened it. She saw that it said, ¡°The Jade Gourd Storage Space wees its owner.¡±


    One, to store food and still objects.


    Two, when you need to store it, you only need to touch the item you need to store and chant, ¡°Jade Gourd¡±. The item will automatically enter the space.


    Three, every time you need to enter the space, you can enter automatically by silently chanting ¡°Jade Gourd¡± to open the door.


    Four, when youe to extract storage items and leave, you can leave automatically by chanting ¡°Jade Gourd¡±.


    Five, Every time you enter the space to extract an item, you only have a quarter of an hour. If you exceed the time limit, you will be pushed out automatically.


    After Li Yu finished reading it, the booklet disappeared into thin air.


    Li Yu was extremely surprised and anxious. She wanted to test if it was true. She reached out to touch the silver under her pillow and silently muttered, ¡°Jade Gourd¡±. Indeed, the silver disappeared.


    Li Yu was overjoyed and thought to herself, Heavens, is thispensation for me? Thank you! Thank you!


    ...

 Chapter 13

    Hunting in the Mountains


    The next morning, Li Yu woke up to find that Li Mei had already woken up and prepared food.


    The three of them ate. Li Yu took some silver and asked Li Mei to bring Li Qing to school. Li Mei took the silver and smiled. ¡°Yu¡¯er, Aunt and Ah Qing will be backter. Wait for our news at home.¡±


    Li Yu nodded and sent the two of them off. She returned to the house and filled a bamboo tube with water. She took two cloth straps and tied her pants. After packing up, she took the bamboo tube, rope, and machete. She carried the bow and arrow and closed the door as she walked towards the West Mountain.


    When she reached Butcher He¡¯s house, she realized that there were no more rice paddies under the hill. The slope was filled with sorghum, beans, and hoots. Beyond Butcher He¡¯s house was arge forest.


    Further up was a long, thin mountain road that wound up. From a distance, it looked like a giant snake.


    The bushes on both sides of the mountain path were filled with wild flowers. Li Yu pulled some herbs for snake bites by the side of the road and ced them in her backpack before continuing up.


    Halfway there was a gully about ten feet wide. Standing at the edge of the gully, she could see that the bottom of the gully was dark. The gully was paved with two thick logs.


    Li Yu walked across the wooden bridge and climbed up the mountain. She saw a few pheasants flying out of the grass. Li Yu shot an arrow with her bow and hit a pheasant¡¯s neck. The pheasant fell into the grass. She used her machete to push aside the wild grass on both sides and found a nest of eggs not far away from the pheasant she shot.


    Li Yu touched the eggs and pheasant and muttered, ¡°Jade Gourd¡±. The egg and pheasant had indeed disappeared.


    Li Yu climbed up the east mountain excitedly. Along the way, she caught three more hares and four pheasants. She slowly climbed to the top of a small mountain and found a trap mark left behind by hunters on a small path.


    Li Yu looked around the trap carefully and found the feces left behind by the wild boar. Li Yu avoided the trap and walked towards a col at the bottom of the slope. After looking around, she did not find any traces of the wild boar. Instead, she found a clear ditch.


    Li Yu walked to the edge of the ditch and saw fish swimming around. She used a machete to cut a vine to form arge. She tied it to a wooden stick and ced it horizontally in the ditch. She used the wooden stick to stir the water in the ditch to drive the fish into the.


    Li Yu only lifted the after seeing the fish enter it. She saw seven or eight fish weighing about 500 grams in the. Li Yu pped the fish to death with a wooden stick and ced it in her space. She continued to walk down the ditch.


    She walked to a yellow-horned tree that was so thick that it would take several people to wrap their arms around it. Under the shade of the tree, she saw a pool. Li Yu walked towards the yellow-horned tree and saw a patch of oil tea trees. The trees were filled with heavy oil tea fruits.


    Li Yu recalled how when her parents were still alive, she wouldugh happily every time she returned to the countryside to get oil.


    Suddenly, there was a rustling sound from behind. Li Yu heard the breathing of a wild beast. Li Yu held the machete and turned around abruptly. He saw a wild boar that weighed at least 100 to 200 kilograms ten meters behind him. Its fangs were raised and it was staring at her intently.


    When the wild boar realized that Li Yu had moved, it lowered its head and roared as it rushed towards Li Yu. Li Yu retreated at lightning speed and raised her machete to sh at the wild boar. When she shed at the wild boar¡¯s neck, the gash was so deep that bones could be seen. Blood spurted out and the wild boar howled. It turned its head and rushed towards Li Yu before falling to the ground.


    Li Yu walked to where the boar had fallen and grabbed the leg to see if he could lift it.


    Li Yu grabbed the boar¡¯s leg and lifted it off the ground. Seeing that she could move the boar, Li Yu muttered the ¡°Jade Gourd¡± in relief and put the boar into her space.


    Li Yu walked to the side of the pool with the machete and washed the blood off her hands. She took out a bamboo tube and drank two mouthfuls of water. After determining the direction, she climbed up the nearby mountain.


    Li Yu cut a path and climbed up a mountain beam. When she saw arge orange-red gem-like berry growing on the mountain beam, Li Yu picked a few in surprise and put them in his mouth. When she bit them open, she felt a sweet and sour taste.s


    Li Yu noted down the location and quickly walked down the mountain. After crossing the wooden bridge, she took the wild boar out of the space and carried it on her shoulder as she walked down the mountain.


    When she reached Butcher He¡¯s door, she saw that his courtyard door was wide open. Li Yu ced the bloody wild boar on the weeds by the roadside and shouted at the door, ¡°Uncle He, are you home?¡±


    ¡°Hey! Who is it?¡± A female voice replied. Li Yu saw an apple-faced girl with rosy skin and a slightly chubby figure walk out. She looked at Li Yu with a smile. ¡°You¡¯re Sister Li from next door, right? I heard from my father. Sister Li, why are you looking for my father?¡±


    Seeing her sweet smile, Li Yu also smiled and pointed at the wild boar on the weeds by the roadside. ¡°I hunted a wild boar and came back. I want to ask Uncle to help me fix it.¡±


    ¡°Wow! What a big wild boar. Sister Li, you¡¯re amazing.¡± Miss He turned her head and shouted into the house, ¡°Father,e out quickly. Sister Li wants you to help her prepare the wild boar.¡±


    Butcher He walked out of the house and scolded, ¡°Xiaoyu, can¡¯t youe in and talk? Aren¡¯t you afraid that Sister Li willugh at you?¡±


    ¡°Father, I was wrong! It won¡¯t happen again.¡± Miss He went over and pulled Butcher He¡¯s hand.


    Li Yu looked at the father and daughter and smiled. ¡°Uncle He, Sister Xiaoyu is adorable. I like her.¡±


    ¡°What a crazy girl.¡± Butcher He walked out of the door with a smile and looked at the wild boar on the grass. ¡°Yo! Such a big wild boar.¡± Butcher He stepped forward and pulled the wild boar on the ground. He asked in disbelief, ¡°Xiaoyu, did you really hunt this?¡±


    Li Yu nodded and carried the wild boar into the house. ¡°Uncle He, let me help you carry it in first.¡±


    Seeing that Li Yu had moved the wild boar alone, Butcher He and his daughter believed that Li Yu had brought the wild boar back.


    ¡°Come, I¡¯ll carry it with you.¡± Butcher He quickly helped carry it to the side and walked towards the ughterhouse in the courtyard.


    He Xiaoyu began to boil water. Butcher He blew into the pig¡¯s stomach with a bamboo pipe. The pig¡¯s stomach bulged. After the water boiled, Butcher He began to scald the fur and scrape away the dirty things on the pig¡¯s skin. Li Yu helped to flip the pig.


    Butcher He looked at the wild boar and asked Li Yu, ¡°Xiaoyu, how do you n to sell this wild boar?¡±


    Li Yu grabbed the pork leg. ¡°I haven¡¯t thought about it! Uncle He, do you know where I can sell wild animals in town?¡±


    Butcher He thought for a moment. ¡°Huang Yuan¡¯s grandson is one month old. He has to hold a banquet for three days. Why don¡¯t I take you to sell it to him?¡±


    ¡°Sure! Thank you so much, Uncle He.¡±


    ¡°Child, a close neighbor is better than a distant rtive. Our families are neighbors now!¡±


    He Xiaoyu looked at Li Yu and smiled sweetly. ¡°That¡¯s right! Sister Li, we¡¯re neighbors now! Let my father help you sell the wild boar to Minister Huang.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and nodded. ¡°Thank you, Sister Xiaoyu!¡±


    Butcher He cleaned up the wild boar and left the pig guts behind. He drove the ox cart towards Clearwater Town with Li Yu.


    When they arrived at Clearwater Town, they walked through the town entrance for a quarter of an hour and entered an alley. They saw arge house with green bricks and green tiles. It was very lively.


    Butcher He drove the ox cart to the back door and spoke to the servant guarding the door. The servant nodded and went in to report. Soon, a man in his forties walked out.


    Butcher He smiled and went up to bow. ¡°Steward Huang, my niece¡¯s family hunted a wild boar and brought it to you.¡±


    ¡°Let me see.¡± Steward Huang walked to the ox cart and looked at the wild boar meat. ¡°Hmm! It¡¯s quite fresh. I¡¯m going to prepare a wine for Young Master. I¡¯ll give you twenty copper coins a catty to carry to the kitchen!¡±


    Butcher He bowed. ¡°Alright, thank you, Steward Huang.¡±


    Li Yu and Butcher He hurriedly helped carry the wild boar meat into the kitchen. After weighing it, there was still more than 50 kilograms left.


    Manager Huang smiled and said to Butcher He, ¡°The banquet willst for three days. If you hunt other wild animals in the next two days, you can send them over.¡±


    Butcher He pointed at Li Yu and smiled at Steward Huang. ¡°Steward Huang, if there¡¯s any prey, my niece will send it over.¡±


    Manager Huang nodded and paid the servant to send them out.


    After getting into the car and returning home, Li Yu took out 200 copper coins and handed them to Butcher He. She smiled and bowed. ¡°Uncle He, these copper coins are for your hard work.¡±


    Butcher He politely refused, ¡°I don¡¯t need you to pay for such a small matter.¡±


    ¡°Uncle He, I still need your help in the future! If you don¡¯t want it, I won¡¯t dare toe to you for help in the future.¡±


    ...


    ¡°Alright, Uncle will ept it.¡± Butcher He saw that Li Yu insisted on giving it to him, so he could only ept the copper coins.


    He Xiaoyu took out the cleaned internal organs and ced them in a basket. She handed them to Li Yu and said, ¡°Sister Li, hurry up and go home to boil the oil. You can bring the pig intestines home to cook.¡±


    Li Yu split the pork tripe and pig liver in half and handed them to He Xiaoyu. ¡°Xiaoyu, stay and eat these.¡±


    He Xiaoyu frowned and quickly waved her hand. ¡°Sister Li, I don¡¯t want it. I¡¯m tired of eating it at my house.¡±


    Seeing that she really didn¡¯t like it, Li Yu smiled and retracted it. ¡°Thank you, Xiaoyu. You¡¯ve even helped me clean it.¡±


    When Li Yu reached home, she saw that there was no sign of Li Qing and Li Mei returning.


    Li Yu took a wild rabbit and a pheasant from the space and brought them to Butcher He¡¯s house to call He Xiaoyu out. ¡°Xiaoyu, take these are for you.¡±


    He Xiaoyu epted it readily and smiled. ¡°Thank you, Sister Xiaoyu. I won¡¯t stand on ceremony.¡±


    Li Yu waved her hand and smiled. ¡°Help yourself. I¡¯m going back.¡±

 Chapter 14

    The Matchmaker¡¯s Visit


    Li Yu returned home. After boiling the oil and putting it into an oil can, she stir-fried a pot of rice and ate it. She began to wash the wild boar¡¯s internal organs. Just as she finished washing and rinsing the water, Li Mei returned with Li Qing and two youngdies.


    Li Yu saw that Li Mei¡¯s eyes were red and swollen. Li Qing had an angry expression on his face. There were also two youngdies tugging at Li Mei¡¯s clothes with sad expressions.


    Li Qing looked at Li Yu andined angrily, ¡°Sister, Aunt¡¯s mother-inw is so fierce! She beat Aunt and told her to get lost. She even scolded her for being a hen who upied her nest and couldn¡¯ty eggs. I got angry, so I brought Aunt and our cousins back.¡± After Li Qing finished speaking, he looked at Li Yu nervously, afraid that Li Yu would disapprove of his actions.


    Li Yu went forward and patted Li Qing. ¡°Ah Qing, you did the right thing.¡±


    Li Qing pursed his lips and smiled when he heard that. Li Yu walked to Li Mei, who was sitting under the eaves and in a daze. She patted Li Mei¡¯s shoulder andforted her. ¡°Aunt, no matter what decision you make, Ah Qing and I will support you.¡±


    Li Mei sobbed as she looked up at Li Yu, her face filled with tears. ¡°Yu¡¯er, I¡¯m just angry that your uncle can¡¯t say a word for us. He listens to his mother regarding everything. The same thing happened. Second Brother¡¯s family also had two daughters. Just because her man was willing to speak up for her and someone from her family stood up for her, that old woman didn¡¯t dare to make things difficult for Sister-inw. If she wasn¡¯t so detestable back then, why would your father entrust you to the Zhang family and make you suffer in the Zhang family? I hate myself for not daring toe back from the Liu family back then¡­¡±


    Li Mei cried uncontrobly. Li Yu looked at the fierce and straightforward Li Mei crying her heart out and felt ufortable. She looked at the two cousins standing behind Li Mei and persuaded Li Mei, ¡°Aunt, don¡¯t be sad. Those are all in the past. We have to look forward as humans and throw away what needs to be thrown away. Now that Ah Qing and I have also returned home, we still have to rely on you to handle many things. You have to think about it on ount of the two cousins.¡±


    Li Mei sobbed and wiped the tears off her face. She looked at Li Yu in embarrassment. ¡°Yu¡¯er is right. I still have you guys. Don¡¯t worry that I won¡¯t do anything stupid.¡±


    Li Yu nodded and asked Li Qing to get a basin of water for Li Mei. She went to the kitchen to start cooking.


    Li Mei washed her face and went to the kitchen. When she saw the pig intestines in the basin, she asked curiously, ¡°Yu¡¯er, where did so many pig intestinese from?¡±


    Li Yu smiled faintly. ¡°I came back from hunting in the West Mountains today. Uncle He, the butcher next door, has already helped me sell it. All that¡¯s left is these internal organs.¡±


    Li Mei was shocked when she heard this. She hurriedly pulled Li Yu over to check her entire body beforeining, ¡°Why are you so bold? You¡¯re a girl, yet you dare to go hunting in the mountains. Have you forgotten how your father left?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine!¡± Li Yu smiled. ¡°Minister Huang¡¯s house in town will be open for three days. I still want to hunt some prey tomorrow morning and send them to Minister Huang¡¯s house.


    ¡°Aunt, there¡¯s a mountain beam that¡¯s full of goji berries. Go to the potter¡¯s house and buy a few more pieces of t bamboo and bamboo baskets. We¡¯ll go to the mountain to pick goji berries tomorrow.¡± As Li Yu spoke, she suddenly remembered that she had not asked Li Qing about going to school. ¡°Hey! Have you settled the matter of Ah Qing going to school?¡±


    Thinking that Li Qing would be able to go to school, Li Mei finally felt happy about something. ¡°It¡¯s done. Schr Zhou taught Ah Qing for a while and asked Ah Qing to recite it to him. After hearing it and feeling satisfied, he epted Ah Qing. He will charge four taels of silver a year for the cultivation. If Ah Qing eats lunch at his ce, it will be five taels a year. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s much distance for Ah Qing to go home to eat.¡±


    Li Yu felt that it was very expensive when she heard that. She smiled and nodded. ¡°Alright, do I still need to buy a master-disciple gift?¡±


    Li Mei smiled. ¡°This Schr Zhou is also interesting. He has the child¡¯s apprenticeship gift, as well as brush, ink, paper, inkstone and the entire set of books. He even said that we don¡¯t have to trouble ourselves.His items are supposedly cheaper than elsewhere, so I bought it and asked Ah Qing to buy it to deliver the apprenticeship gift.¡±


    ¡°Can this be done?¡± Li Yu felt that Schr Zhou was either greedy or not bothered by trifles.


    Li Mei took out the remaining silver and handed it to Li Yu. ¡°Yu¡¯er, this is the remaining silver.¡±


    ¡°Aunt, I¡¯ll leave this money with you for now. Go to the carpenter¡¯s house and buy a cupboard and a bathtub. There¡¯s also a wicker basket and sun pads.¡±


    ¡°Good. I¡¯ll sow those vegetables before I go and ask your two cousins to put the fire to wash them.¡±


    Li Mei called over her two daughters and pointed at the two of them. She smiled at Li Yu and said, ¡°These are your two cousins. The older one is called Zhaodi. The younger one is called Laidi.¡± She then said to the sisters, ¡°This is your Cousin Yu.¡±


    The two children shouted softly at Li Yu, ¡°Cousin Yu.¡±


    After Li Yu agreed, she smiled. ¡°Cousin, let¡¯s call each other by our names in the future!¡±


    The sisters smiled timidly and nodded. At this moment, Li Qing returned with a washed hoe.


    Having eaten the braised pig intestines, stir-fried pig liver, and stir-fried vegetables that Li Yu made, their mouths were filled with oil. Li Qing touched his round stomach. ¡°Sister, it¡¯s too delicious. Look, my stomach is round.¡±


    Li Mei patted Li Qing¡¯s hand gently. ¡°Ah Qing, don¡¯t touch your stomach after eating. Go take a few steps to digest your food.¡±


    Li Qing smiled and agreed. ¡°Got it, Aunt.¡±


    After dinner, Li Mei went to the vige to buy something. Zhaodi and Laidi fought to wash the pot and wash the dishes. Li Yu stewed the pig¡¯s lung in the pot and let Li Qing carry a wild rabbit and pheasant to Chen Yaohui¡¯s house.


    Li Yu saw that Zhaodi and Laidi¡¯s clothes were very old. She took out the remaining cloth and asked Zhaodi with a smile, ¡°Zhaodi, do you know how to make clothes?¡±


    Zhaodi nodded shyly and said softly, ¡°I do, Cousin.¡±


    Li Yu ced the cloth beside Zhaodi. ¡°Then I¡¯ll leave this cloth to you. Make our new clothes. There are still cloth heads in the bags in the house. Take a look and get whatever you need yourself.¡±


    ¡°Cousin, are Laidi and I going to have our clothes made too?¡± Zhaodi looked at Li Yu and thought that she had heard wrongly.


    Li Yu smiled and nodded. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡±


    The sisters looked at Li Yu with red eyes. ¡°Thank you, Cousin.¡±


    At this moment, an old woman in fancy clothes stood at the door and asked, ¡°Is this the Li family?¡±


    ¡°Yes, who are you looking for?¡± Li Yu asked her.


    The old woman walked into the courtyard and chuckled when she saw Li Yu. ¡°Miss Li, I¡¯m Matchmaker Zhao from town. Madam Chen from town invited me to propose marriage to Miss Li for her son, Chun Sheng.¡±


    Li Yu frowned at Matchmaker Zhao and thought to herself, We just got home and someone came to propose marriage. It would be strange if it wasn¡¯t the Zhang family.


    Li Yu looked at Matchmaker Zhao coldly. ¡°No one in our family wants to talk about marriage. I¡¯m afraid you¡¯re mistaken.¡±


    Matchmaker Zhao said anxiously, ¡°It can¡¯t be wrong. Madam Chen said that the family lives in West Mountain Vige. There¡¯s only the Li family left. I asked around.¡±


    Li Yu was even more certain that the Zhang family was behind this. She pulled Matchmaker Zhao out and looked at her coldly. ¡°Then go back and tell Madam Chen that no one in the Li family wants to matchmake.¡±


    When Matchmaker Zhao saw that Li Yu didn¡¯t even give her a sip of water and even chased her out, she was so angry that her face turned red. She shouted, ¡°Little girl, you¡¯re just someone who has been rejected. Now that someone wants you, it¡¯s all thanks to your good deeds in your previous life. I came to propose marriage with good intentions, but you still chased me out. Be careful that you won¡¯t be able to get married in the future.¡±


    Li Yu looked at her and sneered. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about me. Just stay where you are!¡±


    ¡°Damn girl, just stay at home and be an old maid for the rest of your life!¡± Matchmaker Zhao was so angry that she walked towards the vige.


    Zhaodi and Laidi looked at Li Yu angrily. ¡°Cousin, she doesn¡¯t look like a good person. She looks like my granny.¡±


    When Li Yu heard that, she burst outughing. ¡°Laidi, is your granny also dressed like this?¡±


    Laidi gestured animatedly. ¡°Granny is even better dressed than my mother. She¡¯s always bluffing and scolding my mother and my sister. She would be crying, but she would immediately smile when she saw Third Uncle¡¯s Baoyin.¡±


    Zhaodi looked at her andughed. ¡°You¡¯re such a gremlin. Do you dare say it at home?¡±


    Laidi rolled her eyes. ¡°I¡¯d be surprised if Granny didn¡¯t beat me to death at home.¡±


    Li Yu looked at the two sisters; one was active and the other was quiet. She felt that it was quite good.


    Suddenly, she remembered that she still had to build a few rows of shelves to dry the rice seedlings. Also, there were a lot of mosquitoes in the night. She took the back hoe and machete and said to Zhaodi, ¡°Zhaodi, I¡¯ll go chop bamboo. You stay at home and watch the house. Come, I¡¯ll go and cut some wormwood.¡±


    After hearing this, Laidii ran in to get a sickle and pulled Li Yu as if they were close. ¡°Cousin, let¡¯s go!¡± Li Yu nodded and went to the wastnd outside the backyard with Laidi.


    ...

 Chapter 15

    Chen Sisters


    Matchmaker Zhao stormed back to town and walked to the east end of town. She went to a small courtyard in an alley and banged on the door. A woman who looked like Chen Zhaodi opened the door.


    When Matchmaker Zhao saw her, her face darkened and sheined, ¡°I listened to you and went to the Li family. As soon as I raised my head, I was chased out by that girl. She didn¡¯t even give me a sip of water. Didn¡¯t your family inform anyone beforehand?¡±


    Madam Chen handed over a string of money in embarrassment. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Sister-inw. I thought that girl can¡¯t wait to get married. I don¡¯t like someone who has been rejected before. Since she¡¯s unwilling, forget it!¡±


    After receiving the money, Matchmaker Zhao was no longer angry. She chuckled and said, ¡°It¡¯s time for your Chunsheng to get married. That girl is only so young. I¡¯m afraid she hasn¡¯t even arrived yet. If you want to have grandchildren after marrying her, you¡¯ll have to wait a few years. I¡¯ll help you look for more.¡±


    Madam Chen smiled. ¡°Sister-inw, I¡¯ll have to trouble you.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the big deal? Just look for me in the future.¡± Matchmaker Zhao walked away happily.


    After Matchmaker Zhao left, Chen Zhaodi walked out of Madam Chen¡¯s room. Madam Chen looked at her and said indifferently, ¡°Cousin, did you hear that? It¡¯s not that I¡¯m unwilling, but the Li family doesn¡¯t agree.¡±


    Chen Zhaodi looked at Chen with some impatience. ¡°Thest time I came, I told you to ask Chunsheng to go personally. That girl has liked my son since he was young. Your Chunsheng also looks a little like him. She will definitely be tempted.¡±


    Madam Chen nced at her cousin and lowered her head, thinking, Your son is precious and my son is also my treasure! Why should I get him to marry someone your family doesn¡¯t want?


    Seeing Madam Chen lower her head in silence, Chen Zhaodi gritted her teeth and said, ¡°Discuss it with Chunsheng. After this matter is over, I¡¯ll give 20 taels of silver to your family.¡±


    Chen¡¯s heart skipped a beat and she smiled. ¡°Cousin, how much money did you pay her family?¡±


    Chen Zhaodi said resentfully, ¡°80 taels of silver. I¡¯ve alreadypensated her with all the money meant for buying goods in the autumn. Forget it, it¡¯s useless to tell you. Wait for Chunsheng toe back and discuss it with him.¡± Chen Zhaodi looked at Madam Chen¡¯s unwilling expression and curled her lips. ¡°It¡¯s not that I look down on your Chunsheng, but look at him, he¡¯s guilty of everything from gluttony to seeking prostitutes and gambling. Which daughter would be willing to find such a husband? That girl is also well-groomed and diligent. If you marry her, you¡¯ll get 20 taels of silver and a wife.¡±


    Madam Chen brushed Chen Zhaodi off unhappily. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll discuss it with Chunsheng when hees back.¡±


    After sending Chen Zhaodi off, Chen closed the courtyard door and spat. She thought to herself, ¡°My family contributed by sacrificing Chunsheng. Yet we are only getting 20 taels while you reap 60. Are you the only ones that know how to settle scores?¡±


    Madam Chen went back to the house to get the key, locked the door, and went to the casino in town. She found her son, Qi Chunsheng, and told him what Chen Zhaodi had said when she got h


    Qi Chunsheng¡¯s eyes lit up when he heard that. ¡°Mother, why are you only taking 20 taels of silver out of 80 taels of silver? If I can really deceive that girl, she and the silver will be ours.¡±


    Chen looked at Qi Chunsheng worriedly. ¡°Son, Chen Zhaodi and her inws are cunning and ruthless. I¡¯m afraid that their family will cause trouble for us.¡±


    Qi Chunsheng looked disdainful and pped the table. ¡°Mom, what are you afraid of? They are not good people themselves. When the timees, that girl from the Li family and I will be family. What right does the Zhang family have to split our money?¡±


    Madam Chen said happily, ¡°That¡¯s right! My son is still the smartest.¡±


    After Qi Chunsheng thought about it, he said to Chen Shi, ¡°Mom, why did Chen Zhaodi plot against our family? We can¡¯t let her family get away with it like this. Go look for Chen Zhaodi tomorrow morning and tell her that I can seduce that girl. Let them buy me two sets of clothes. I can¡¯t possibly seduce her like a beggar!¡±


    The mother and son hit it off immediately. ¡°That¡¯s true. I¡¯ll go to the county to look for Chen Zhaodi tomorrow morning.¡±


    Li Yu still did not know that for the sake of those dozens of taels of silver, the Chen sisters were using her family¡¯s silver as chips to scheme against each other.


    Li Mei had bought the bathtub, bamboo que, and bamboo basket from the vige potter and carpenter. She had also bought a bamboo cupboard. When she heard from Zhaodi that a matchmaker hade and was chased away by Li Yu, she was a little worried that Li Yu still couldn¡¯t forget Zhang Guisheng.


    Laidi picked up the needle and thread and started working with Zhaodi. She looked at her. ¡°Mother, are we really not going back?¡±


    ¡°Do you want to go back?¡± Li Mei looked at Zhaodi¡¯s thin body and felt sorry for her. ¡°Your cousin is so thin because she suffered in the Zhang family, but you and Laidi are with your mother. You¡¯re also yellow and thin. I don¡¯t have the ability to make you suffer.¡±


    Zhaodi looked at Li Mei and smiled gently. ¡°Mother, as long as we¡¯re with you, we won¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯m just worried about Father¡­¡±


    Li Mei looked at Zhaodi angrily. ¡°Why are you worried about him? He¡¯s your grandmother¡¯s biological son. When I leave, she¡¯ll find him a son.¡±


    Li Yu and Li Qing carried a bundle of bamboo while Lidi carried a full load of Chinese mugwort. When the three of them reached home, Li Mei asked Li Yu, ¡°Yu¡¯er, which family hired a matchmaker to propose marriage? Did they say what kind of family it is?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid the Zhang family found someone to do it. Aunt, I won¡¯t consider marriage for the next few years. At most, I¡¯ll just be an old maid at home.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense. My Yu¡¯er is so beautiful. When she recovers in a few days, the matchmakers will break our doorstep!¡± As she spoke, she pointed at the bamboo poles. ¡°Why did you guys cut so many bamboo poles?¡±


    ¡°When the tweezers are picked, it¡¯ll be used for the ingots.¡± Li Yu said as she tied the bamboo frame with vines with Li Qing. Li Mei also put down her needlework and helped.


    The few of them tied five rows of four-story bamboo frames and ced them in the courtyard. Li Yu went to tidy up the side room andid out straw, a mattress, and a mat. When she came out of the house, she called out to Li Mei, ¡°Aunt, when you send Ah Qing to school tomorrow morning, go to town and buy a mosquito. The three of us will sleep together tonight.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you were going up the mountain to pick that so-called goji berries? I¡¯m afraid it¡¯ll be toote when I get back from town. Just send the prey and bring it back!¡±


    Li Yu thought about it and agreed. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll cook.¡± After dinner and washing up, the few of them rested early.


    Li Yu woke up early in the morning and Li Mei had already prepared the food. After dinner, Li Qing looked at Li Yu and instructed, ¡°Sister, when I go to school, you have to be careful when you go up the mountain. Don¡¯t go deep into the mountains.¡±


    ¡°Alright, don¡¯t worry and just focus on studying. I know my limits.¡± Li Yu sent Li Qing to the door and watched him walk towards the vige with Li Mei.


    After an hour, Li Mei returned. Li Yu asked curiously, ¡°Aunt, why are you so fast?¡±


    Li Mei smiled and said, ¡°Ah Qing made mee back. He made me watch you, afraid that you would run into the deep forest.¡±

 Chapter 16

    Picking Goji Berries and Selling Wild Meat


    The few of them chatted andughed as they carried their wicker baskets up the mountain. Just as they crossed the wooden bridge, Li Yu caught a few pheasants. Li Yu brought Li Mei and her two daughters to the mountain ridge. She pointed at the bed and said to Li Mei, ¡°Aunt, you guys pick the goji berries here. Only the red ones should be picked. Be careful that there are thin thorns on them that can easily sting your hands.¡±


    Li Mei smiled. ¡®This little burr won¡¯t hurt. Don¡¯t go far. Be careful ande back early.¡¯


    After getting familiar with Li Yu, Laidi became much more lively and cheerful. Seeing Li Yu go hunting, she was envious. ¡°Cousin, you¡¯re too amazing. I also want to learn how to hunt from you. When I learn how to hunt and earn money, I won¡¯t be afraid that my grandmother will chase my mother away in the future.¡±


    Li Yu watched as Laidi handed her the bow. ¡°If you can draw the bow, I will take you there.¡±


    Laidi took the bow and despite trying her best, could not draw it. Li Yu took the bow back and pulled it easily. Laidi looked at Li Yu dejectedly. ¡°Cousin, when can I be like you?¡±


    Li Mei pulled Laidi along. ¡°Silly child. Your cousin is born with divine strength, just like your uncle. Alright, don¡¯t dy your cousin. Come and pluck the lice quickly.¡±


    Li Yu pointed at the dumpling and smiled at Laidi. ¡°This can also make money. When I take it home and sell it to the pharmacy, I¡¯ll split the money with you.¡±


    Laidi nodded happily. ¡°Cousin, I work the fastest. Hurry up ande back.¡±


    After Li Yu nodded in agreement, she left behind a machete and some medicine for snake bites before walking into the forest.


    Li Yu walked towards the pool that she had gone to yesterday. Just as she reached the foot of the mountain, he saw a mule stretching its neck and drinking water at the pool. Li Yu hid behind a tree and shot an arrow. It hit the mule¡¯s neck. The mule fell to the ground and twitched a few times before falling silent.


    Li Yu quickly ran to the pool and picked up the mule to put it in the space. She walked up the ditch and captured a few more hares and a goat.


    Li Yu was a little worried about Li Mei and her two daughters. She turned around and walked back. Just as she was about to go up the mountain, she saw a few deer-like prey in the forest. Li Yu quickly nocked an arrow, drew the bow, aimed at the head of one of them, and shot an arrow. It hit its head. The animals were frightened and fled in all directions. The one that was shot fled desperately, but because its head was injured and it could not escape quickly, Li Yu chased after it and shot another arrow. The prey fell to the ground.


    Li Yu quickly walked over and pulled out the arrow to put it back into her quiver. She ced the prey into her space and turned around to speed up towards the mountain ridge.


    When she were almost at the ridge, Li Yu took the mule and the prey that she couldn¡¯t quite distinguish out of the space and climbed up the ridge with it over her shoulder.


    Li Yu heaved a sigh of relief when she saw Li Mei and Laidi. Laidi turned around and shouted happily, ¡°Mother, Cousin is back.¡±


    Li Mei and Zhaodi turned around and smiled happily when they saw Li Yu. ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯re back. It saves me from being on edge all the time.¡±


    Li Yu put down the prey. ¡°Aunt, I¡¯ve made you worry. Look at what¡¯s on this end.¡±


    Li Mei shouted happily, ¡°Ah! This is a musk deer. Let me see if it¡¯s male or female.¡± Li Mei pulled the musk deer away and smiled happily. ¡°Yu¡¯er, you¡¯re in luck. This is a male musk deer. When we get home, we can sell it to Minister Huang.¡± She pointed at the musk deer again. ¡°This one is a musk deer. The meat of the musk deer is the best. In the past, your father got a good price in Green Mountain City. This time, we should be able to sell it for a good price.¡±


    Seeing that Li Mei knew how to pick fennel, Li Yu was relieved. ¡°Okay, Aunt.¡± Li Yu saw that Li Mei and the others had already picked two baskets full. ¡°You guys are so fast! You¡¯ve already picked two baskets full.¡±


    Li Yu also picked them up. Seeing Li Yu¡¯s clumsy appearance, Lidi smiled. ¡°Cousin, you¡¯re good at hunting. You¡¯re much slower at picking goji berries.¡±


    Li Yu saw their fingers flying around as if they had only used it a few times. She plucked a handful and looked at the one in her hand. She also smiled. ¡°Yes! My hand seems to be stuck. I can¡¯t move fast no matter what. It seems that I¡¯m a rough person.¡±


    Li Mei said angrily, ¡°Silly girl, everyone has his merits. You¡¯re just not used to it.¡±


    The four of them picked for another hour. Seeing that Li Qing was going home for dinner, they carried the wicker basket down the mountain.


    When they got home, Li Mei wanted toy the sun pad in the courtyard dam to dry the goji berries. Li Yu recalled the method of drying the goji berries at herrade¡¯s house and quickly stopped her. ¡°Aunt, the fresh crucible has to be ced in a steamer. After steaming it for a while, it will be taken out and dried in the venttion area. When the water dries, it can be carried out to be exposed to the sun


    ¡°Zhaodi and Laidi will wash the rice and cook. Mother and cousin will steam it.¡± Li Mei made arrangements to walk toward the kitchen.


    ¡°Okay.¡± The two of them started a fire and began to steam. After they put the steamers in the firewood stove, steam came out in a short while.


    Li Yu felt that it was about time, so he asked Li Mei to pour the goji berries into the bamboo and spread them out to dry in the central room.


    Li Mei took out the goji berries and fennel, wrapped them in vegetable leaves, and ced them in her backpack. She then ced a few pheasants in and said to Li Yu, ¡°Yu¡¯er, I¡¯ve learned how to distill. Hurry up and go to town. If you¡¯re hungry, buy a few buns to fill your stomach.¡±


    After Li Yu nodded in agreement, she ced the deer and musk deer on her back and walked towards the town. When she reached a secluded ce, Li Yu took out the goats from her space and ced them in her back. She carried the pheasant and rabbit with both hands and walked towards Minister Huang¡¯s residence.


    When Li Yu arrived at the backyard of Steward Huang¡¯s residence, the same servant from yesterday was guarding there. When the servant saw Li Yu, he quickly said, ¡°Miss, wait for me.¡±


    He turned around and ran towards the courtyard. After a while, Steward Huang and the servant walked out quickly.


    Steward Huang smiled when he saw Li Yu. ¡°Miss Li, let me see what good things you hunted today.¡±


    ¡°Steward Huang, look at the wild game today.¡± Li Yu put down the pheasant and hare in his hand and put down the pack. Steward Huang looked at the deer, musk deer, and goat in Li Yu¡¯s pack and opened his mouth in surprise. ¡°I couldn¡¯t tell! A little girl like you can carry such heavy things. Today¡¯s wild game is good.¡± Steward Huang looked at the wild game with a smile and thought to himself, We have another distinguished guest today. This wild game came at the right time.


    ¡°Lady, please carry it in for me!¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Li Yu carried the hoe on his back. Steward Huang hurriedly helped lift the pheasant and hare and led Li Yu to the kitchen.


    When they reached the kitchen, Steward Huang said to Li Yu, ¡°Youngdy, I¡¯ll give you 15 taels for the musk deer, 10 taels for the wild goat and deer, and 100 copper coins for the pheasant and rabbit! What do you think?¡±


    Li Yu nodded readily. ¡°No problem, we¡¯ll do as you say.¡±


    Seeing that Li Yu was decisive, Steward Huang was satisfied. ¡°Alright, youngdy, you¡¯re a decisive person. If you have any wild animals in the future, send them to the residence. Just look for me.¡±

 Chapter 17

    Teaching Mrs. Zhao a Lesson


    Li Yu chose a fat hare and pheasant and handed them to Steward Huang. ¡°Uncle Huang, my name is Xiaoyu. Please take care of me in the future.¡±


    Seeing that Li Yu was so polite, Steward Huangughed and said, ¡°Alright, Uncle will ept it.¡±


    Li Yu took out the wild goat, mule, and must deer from her backpack and handed them to Steward Huang. After Steward Huang paid the money, he sent Li Yu to the back door and said to Li Yu with a smile, ¡°Xiaoyu, there¡¯s still a day to the banquet tomorrow. After you deliver them tomorrow, you can rest for two days.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and bowed. ¡°Thank you, Uncle Huang. I¡¯lle back tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Steward Huang smiled as he watched Li Yu leave. Thinking that his wife would definitely be satisfied with the wild game today, and that his reward would be quite good, he went back happily to arrange the dishes.


    Li Yu carried her backpack and went to the pharmacy. When she saw the sign saying Ji Shi Hall, Li Yu walked in. The shop assistant went forward and asked politely, ¡°Miss, are you here to get medicine or to see a doctor?¡±


    ¡°Brother, do you ept medicinal herbs?¡± Li Yu took out the musk wrapped in vegetable leaves, opened them, and ced them in front of the waiter.


    When the waiter saw the musk wrapped in the vegetable leaves, he smiled and said politely, ¡°Yes, please wait a moment. I¡¯ll go to the inner hall to invite the shopkeeper over.¡±


    Li Yu nodded and saw the waiter go to the inner hall. After a while, he walked out with a thin and kind-looking old man.


    ¡°Little girl, are you the one who wants to sell fennel? Give it to me quickly. You can¡¯t carry it with you for a long time.¡± The old man took the fennel from Li Yu and reminded her again, ¡°This thing is harmful to women. Don¡¯t hold it for too long in the future.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and bowed to the shopkeeper. ¡°Thank you for your advice.¡±


    The shopkeeper examined the fennel in his hand and nodded. ¡°Not bad. It¡¯s top-grade. Will you sell it to me for eight taels of silver?¡±


    Li Yu nodded readily. ¡°Yes, shopkeeper. Please give me some more Golden Injury Medicine and medicine for snake and insect bites.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± The shopkeeper went in to get two jars and handed them to Li Yu. He pointed at the brown porcin jar. ¡°In here is the Gold Injury Medicine. In the white porcin jar are pills to treat snake and insect bites. In case someone is bitten by a snake or insect, you must cut open the wound and squeeze out the poisonous blood until the bleeding turns red.¡±


    Li Yu took the porcin jar and bowed. ¡°Thank you for your guidance.¡±


    The shopkeeper nced at Li Yu and said with a smile, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect a youngdy like you to know etiquette. Take this. It¡¯s to make up for your three taels of silver.¡±


    Li Yu took the silver and thought of the goji berries at home. She looked at the shopkeeper and asked, ¡°Uncle Shopkeeper, would you buy goji berries?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it depends on the color. The price is high if the quality is good. There¡¯re not many goji berries here! How much weight do you have?¡±


    Li Yu smiled. ¡°I just started picking. I¡¯m not sure how much it weighs.¡±


    The shopkeeper smiled. ¡°Oh! Send it to me when you get it back!¡±


    ¡°Alright, thank you.¡± Li Yu bowed and said goodbye. She came out of the medicine shop and went to the cloth shop to buy a mosquito. After buying the mosquito, she went to the grain shop to buy 15 kilograms of white flour. She bought more than ten buns at the bun shop before carrying the backpack and walking towards West Mountain Vige.


    Just as she reached the entrance of the vige, she encountered a tall woman and a girl in her teens walking over. The two of them were facing Li Yu.


    The woman turned her head and spat at Li Yu. She even shook her hand in disdain. ¡°Aiyo! I didn¡¯t look at the time when I went out. It¡¯s so damn unlucky to meet an abandoned woman.¡±


    Li Yu looked at the woman carefully and remembered that she was Zhang Decai¡¯s wife, Zhao Shi, and her daughter, Zhang Guihong. In the Host¡¯s memories, these people had bullied the Host and her brother.


    Li Yu turned around and stood in front of the two of them. She pinched her nose with one hand and fanned herself with the other. Her eyes were filled with mockery. ¡°Yo! I thought some mad dog forgot to tie the rope! So it¡¯s two smelly maggots that crawled out of thetrine. Aiyaya! Why didn¡¯t these two smelly maggots die from the sun?! They even came out to disgust people.¡±


    ¡°You bitch.¡± After hearing this, Mrs. Zhao spread her five ws and grabbed Li Yu¡¯s face from above. Li Yu grabbed Mrs. Zhao¡¯s hand and pulled it back forcefully. She raised her leg and kicked Mrs. Zhao¡¯s calf. Mrs. Zhao screamed in pain.


    Mrs. Zhao felt a piercing pain in her fingers and calves. She couldn¡¯t care less about making things difficult for Li Yu. She just wanted to reach out and pry Li Yu¡¯s hand away.


    When Zhang Guihong saw that Mrs. Zhao had suffered a loss, she lowered her head and charged at Li Yu. Li Yu pulled Mrs. Zhao over to block her. With a bang, the mother and daughter collided and staggered to the ground, crying in pain.


    Li Yu walked over and looked down at Mrs. Zhao and her daughter. ¡°You bunch of cowards. Behave yourself in the future. Otherwise, I¡¯ll beat you up every time I see you.¡±


    Mrs. Zhao and her daughter lowered their heads and did not dare to respond. They only dared to look up after Li Yu left. They watched helplessly as Li Yu walked towards the vige.


    After Li Yu left, the mother and daughter helped each other up and limped home.


    Seeing the mother and daughter limping and covered in dirt, Zhang Decai frowned and scolded, ¡°Weren¡¯t you two going to town? How did you end up like this?¡±


    ¡°Father, that bitch Li Yu blocked the entrance of the vige and hit Mother and me,¡± Zhang Guihong cried out.


    Mrs. Zhao groaned in pain and raised her hand to show Zhang Dacai. ¡°Father, look at that bitch Li Yu. She broke my hand. Find her to getpensation for the medicine.¡±


    Zhang Guixiu frowned and looked at her parents and sister. ¡°Father, she can¡¯t hit someone for no reason! You must have scolded her again.¡±


    ¡°You traitor, why are you being so sarcastic when I¡¯m in so much pain?¡± Mrs. Zhao scolded her.


    ¡°Up to you. You¡¯ll know what¡¯s good for you when you suffer.¡± Zhang Guixiu pursed her lips and went back into the house with his needlework.


    Zhang Decai also felt suspicious in his heart. His wife was a tall and strong womanl, and she was not small either. No matter what, the mother and daughter would not be the ones to be beaten up. However, when he saw Mrs. Zhao¡¯s pale face and swollen hands, he felt that it should be true.


    Zhang Decai picked up a wooden stick and said to Mrs. Zhao, ¡°Let¡¯s go find her.¡± Zhang Guihong also wanted to follow, but Zhang Decai shouted, ¡°What are you going to do? Don¡¯t you care about your reputation?¡± The couple went out and walked towards Li Yu¡¯s house.


    When Li Yu arrived home, Li Qing had already eaten and left. Li Mei pulled Li Yu to see the goji berries that she had steamed and dried in the bamboo. ¡°Yu¡¯er, do you think Aunt did it right?¡±


    Li Yu took a look and nodded with a smile. ¡°Yes, Aunt. Is Ah Qing back?¡±


    ¡°Ah Qing went to school after eating.¡± Li Mei looked at Li Yu lovingly. ¡°You must be hungry! Let¡¯s go eat first.¡±


    Li Yu took out the mosquito from her backpack and handed it to Li Mei. He pointed at the flour and buns in the backpack. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s eat first. I also bought buns and white flour. In the future, it¡¯ll be convenient to dry some noodles and eat them.¡±


    ¡°Okay, Aunt will make noodles when youe back from the mountainter.¡± Li Mei carried the mosquito into the room and went to the kitchen to eat.


    Li Yu handed the buns to the sisters. ¡°You twoe and eat the buns too.¡±


    Zhaodi took one and took a bite. She smiled and nodded at Li Yu. ¡°Cousin, you eat too.¡±


    Li Yu pointed at the buns. ¡°I bought more than ten! Eat more.¡±


    Laidi smiled at Li Yu. ¡°Cousin, we eat delicious food at your house every day. If no one scolds us, I¡¯ll follow you from now on.¡±


    ¡°Greedy girl, aren¡¯t you afraid that your cousin willugh at you for saying such things?¡± Li Mei went up and patted Laidi when she heard this.


    Li Yu smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s fine, Aunt. I can still ck off here!¡±


    After dinner, Li Yu said to Li Mei and her daughters, ¡°Aunt, Cousin, be careful when you meet the Zhang family in the future. I was at the vige entrance¡­¡±


    Li Yu told Li Mei about her confrontation with Mrs. Zhao and her mother. Li Mei was furious. ¡°A family of scoundrels. Fortunately, you¡¯re strong. Otherwise, you would have been bullied by those two bastards again.¡±


    Li Mei was still cursing the Zhang family when she suddenly heard someone banging the courtyard door. A man shouted outside, ¡°Li Yu, you vicious bitch,e out.¡±


    ...

 Chapter 18

    Confrontation


    Li Mei listened carefully and cursed. ¡°It¡¯s that son of a bitch, Zhang Decai.¡± Furious, she picked up the pole leaning against the wall and rushed out.


    ¡°B*stard, you¡¯re still bullying us.¡± Li Mei cursed as she opened the courtyard door and threw a pole at Zhang Dacai.


    Zhang Decai was so frightened that he hurriedly dodged to the side as he scolded, ¡°Shrew, the abandoned wife broke my wife¡¯s hand, yet you still want to hit me.¡±


    Zhang Decai dodged Li Mei¡¯s shoulder pole and seized the opportunity. He grabbed Li Mei¡¯s shoulder pole and punched her. Li Yu and Zhaodi also arrived.


    Seeing Zhang Decai punch Li Mei, Li Yu rushed over and kicked Zhang Decai to the ground. Zhang Decai rolled on the ground a few times. Fortunately, he was blocked by a small tree by the roadside and did not roll into the ditch below.


    Zhang Decai propped himself up with both hands and sat up. He looked at Li Yu in disbelief. A four to five-foot-long man like him was actually kicked to the ground by a skinny girl. Was this really the Li Yu who only knew how to work?


    Seeing Zhang Decai looking at her with certainty, Li Yu pointed at Zhang Decai and scolded, ¡°A family of crazy dogs biting everywhere. Hurry up and get lost.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s that girl!¡± Zhang Decai thought to himself. He stood up and looked at Li Yu hesitantly. ¡°Are you really Li Yu? How did you be so strong? And why did you hit my wife and daughter?¡±


    When Li Mei heard this, she pointed at Zhang Decai and scolded, ¡°Dog Zhang, you piece of trash. If you can¡¯t beat her, you just spout nonsense. Let me tell you, when my niece was three years old, she could already hold a piglet that weighed dozens of kilograms for fun. Don¡¯t even think about ndering my niece. You can¡¯t even control the female dogs at home, and you still dare to me my Xiaoyu. Why don¡¯t you talk about your wife and daughter? On the way, they scolded my niece like a mad dog. And when they can¡¯t win a fight, they go back and bring a mad dog like you to bite people!¡±


    ¡°That slut and abandoned wife of yours who can¡¯t get married.¡± Mrs. Zhao¡¯s mouth was not as sharp as Li Mei¡¯s. She only knew how to scold non-stop. ¡°Bi*tch, slut¡­¡±


    ¡°Your whole family are bitches. You should know that it¡¯s my Yu¡¯er who doesn¡¯t want your Zhang Guisheng.¡± Li Mei was not to be outdone. The two of them jumped and scolded each other.


    Li Yu pointed at Zhang Decai. ¡°Zhang Decai, let me warn you. Your family better not y tricks behind my back. Otherwise, I¡¯ll beat you up every time I see you.¡± After saying that, Li Yu pulled Li Mei and said to her, ¡°Aunt, don¡¯t belittle yourself by scolding her.¡±


    Zhang Decai hurriedly stopped Li Yu. ¡°Don¡¯t go. You broke my wife¡¯s hand. You have to pay for my medicine.¡±


    Li Yu sneered. ¡°Get this straight. It was your crazy dog who bit people first. She deserved to be beaten up. Was her hand broken? I think you¡¯re crazy about money!¡±


    ¡°Just you wait. I¡¯ll go look for Doctor Chen immediately.¡± Zhang Decai couldn¡¯t beat him or scold him. He could only say some harsh words and pull Mrs. Zhao towards Doctor Chen¡¯s house.


    When the people who had rushed over to watch themotion saw Zhang Decai limping away with his wife, they started discussing as they walked towards the vige.


    Li Yu pulled Li Mei back to the house. After Li Mei vented her anger, she was no longer upset. She smiled at Li Yu and patted her shoulder. ¡°Yu¡¯er, you¡¯ll probably be stronger than your father in the future. I think you¡¯ll catch up to your grandfather.¡±


    ¡°Mother, was grandfather very powerful?¡± Laidi looked at Li Mei and asked curiously. Li Yu also looked at Li Mei.


    Li Mei recalled, ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s true but every generation of our family has a person with innate divine power. ording to our ancestors, we are the descendants of General Li Tang who had divine power.¡±


    Laidi pped her hands and smiled. ¡°Oh! This generation passed to my cousin.¡±


    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s go! We should hurry up and go up the mountain to pick the seedlings. It would be a pity if so many ripe ones fell to the ground.¡± Li Mei went to pick up the wicker basket under the eaves.


    Laidi smiled and pulled Li Yu. ¡°Cousin, let¡¯s go! Earning money is more important.¡±


    ¡°Alright, earning money is more important.¡± Li Yu also smiled and went out to pick up the bamboo basket. The few of them closed the door and walked up the mountain.


    Zhang Decai brought Mrs. Zhao to Doctor Chen¡¯s house in the East Vige. He looked at Doctor Chen anxiously and said, ¡°Doctor Chen, see if my wife¡¯s hand is broken. Why is it so swollen that she can¡¯t move?¡±


    After Doctor Chen checked Mrs. Zhao¡¯s hand, he shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s not broken. It might be because of the qi and blood. I¡¯ll get you some medicinal wine and you can go back and apply it for two days.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not broken! But why is it so swollen?¡± Zhang Decai looked at Doctor Chen in disappointment.


    Uncle Chen looked at Zhang Decai unhappily. ¡°What¡¯s going on? You don¡¯t seem happy to hear that it¡¯s not broken. Why don¡¯t you find another doctor to take a look?¡±


    Seeing that Doctor Chen was unhappy, Zhang Decai hurriedly cupped his hands and smiled apologetically. ¡°There¡¯s no such thing, Doctor Chen. Please prescribe me some medicinal wine!¡±


    Doctor Chen poured a small jar of medicinal wine for Zhang Decai. Zhang Decai took it and asked, ¡°Doctor Chen, do you think it¡¯s possible for a person with a weak personality to be tough overnight?¡±


    Doctor Chen thought for a while after hearing that. ¡°If you¡¯ve suffered a huge blow or experienced life and death, your temperament might change drastically.¡±


    When Zhang Decai heard this, he recalled how Li Yu had been forced to break off the engagement by the mother and daughter of the Chen family the day before. Then, she had been pushed into the bathtub by Guixiang and almost drowned. Perhaps her temperament would really change drastically after being provoked.


    Zhang Decai thanked Doctor Chen and pulled Mrs. Zhao home. He instructed Mrs. Zhao and her mother, ¡°Don¡¯t provoke that bull in the future. You can¡¯t defeat her. Wait for me to discuss with Big Brother before dealing with her.¡±


    When Mrs. Zhao and the others heard this, they nodded repeatedly, indicating that they would not provoke Li Yu anymore.


    When Li Yu, Li Mei, and the others arrived at the mountain, Li Yu asked Li Mei, ¡°Aunt, our ancestors were passed down by Li Tang. Which dynasty are we in now?¡±


    Li Mei smiled and said, ¡°How would I know which dynasty? I only know that we are now citizens of Great Yong. The surname of the imperial family is Chu. It has been three years since the treasure was opened, and there is still Great Qi on Great Green Mountain. On the official road in the middle of the town exit, there are often caravans going there to sell skins and herbs.¡±


    Li Yu frowned. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t we be in trouble if a war breaks out?¡±


    ¡°In the blink of an eye, it has been peaceful for thirty to forty years. Your father, mother, and Big Dog Zhang¡¯s family have fled to this ce for sixteen to seventeen years.¡± Li Mei looked sad. ¡°Your grandfather and grandmother saved all the food for us. They tricked us into not being hungry after eating. The two of them starved to death before they could escape halfway.¡±


    When Li Yu heard this, she recalled what her grandmother and mother had told her in her previous life. During the famine era, they had finished eating food, leaves, and Guanyin y. After eating Guanyin y, they could not digest it or defecate. In the end, they could only be stuffed to death.


    Li Yu secretly made up her mind. From today onwards, she would stock up on rice, water, salt, medicine, and anything edible in the space.

 Chapter 19

    Liu Family


    Li Yu and the others were busy on the mountain until midnight before they each carried a basket of goji berries down the mountain. When they reached home, it was already noon. Li Yu and Li Mei were busy steaming the goji berries.


    Zhaodi and Laidi washed the vegetables and cooked. After 15 minutes, Li Qing returned with a book basket. As soon as he entered the courtyard, he shouted, ¡°Sister, I¡¯m back.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re back! How do you feel in the school? Did you understand what was taught?¡± Li Yu came out of the kitchen with a bamboo que and asked.


    Li Qing followed behind Li Yu and walked in. ¡°I can understand it. The teacher taught me so well that I can remember it. Sister, the teacher knows everything.¡±


    Seeing Li Qing say with admiration, Li Yu smiled and said, ¡°Oh! Then help me ask tomorrow what dynasty is before the Great Yong Dynasty?¡±


    Li Qing recalled how serious Sir looked and was a little afraid, but he still agreed. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll help you ask when I have the chance. Sister, I¡¯ll go do my homework.¡±


    Li Yu wiped his sweat. ¡°Got it. Go and carry the small table out and write in the courtyard. It¡¯s cooler outside.¡±


    ¡°Ah!¡± Li Qing agreed happily and went to the kitchen. He thought to himself, ¡®Sister has be happier aftering home. If I had known earlier, we should havee back earlier.¡¯


    Li Yu and Li Mei steamed all the oranges and dried them. Li Mei looked at Li Yu and said, ¡°Yu¡¯er, I think those cooked goji berries will be ready in three to four days. Will there be more in the future? Also, Yu¡¯er, how do you know how to do this?¡±


    Li Yu thought for a moment. ¡°I don¡¯t know how I know either. I think I just know how to do it when I saw those rakes. It¡¯s probably because Father brought them back from the mountains!¡±


    After Li Yu finished speaking, she didn¡¯t know if Li Mei would believe her. She felt a little uneasy. Unexpectedly, Li Mei smiled when she heard that. ¡°Yes! It¡¯s possible that you remembered it because your mother mentioned it.¡±


    Li Mei looked at Li Yu as if she was looking at that weak and beautiful woman. She recalled and said, ¡°Your mother should be the daughter of a rich family. Back then, on the way to escape, she was saved by your father. After seeing that your father was loyal and honest, she married your father. She never mentioned her past, but she could write and draw. We¡¯ve never seen the patterns she drew. The embroidery she embroidered was vivid and lifelike. She also liked to be clean. No matter if it¡¯s winter or summer, she has to bathe every day. Your mother also asked your father to repair the toilet and bathroom in your backyard. In short, your mother is different from us countrywomen at a nce.¡±


    Li Yu heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Then I must have remembered from what my mother said! Aunt, I remember that Mother also said that after a batch is picked, the second batch can be picked in six or seven days. The goji berries can be picked several times in a season!¡±


    Li Mei said happily, ¡°We can pick whatever we want from that mountain ridge. We¡¯ll be able to pick a lot of lettuce after this season! If the price is good, we can sell it for a lot of money.¡±


    ¡°I can pick quite a few this season, at least until the farmers are busy. Aunt, I want to open up the wastnd behind the house and dig up some loam to nt in it.¡±


    ¡°Can you grow it alive?¡±


    ¡°Just give it a try! Look, those peach trees and pear trees were dug up from elsewhere and nted here!¡±


    ¡°Then we¡¯ll do as you say. If we can grow them, we¡¯ll cultivate all the wastnds behind.¡±


    Li Yu saw that Li Mei was not like the other elders who pointed fingers at the younger generation and were stubborn. She felt that it was very pleasant to interact with her and slowly began to treat her as her family in the other world.


    The next day, after Li Yu delivered the wild game to Minister Huang¡¯s house, she went to the grocery store to buy a few bundles of oilcloth. She went home and sewed some oilcloth bags, preparing to use them to store the sun-baked oranges so that they wouldn¡¯t affect their appearance when the tide returned.


    Li Yu calcted that after selling the prey three times and adding the money that the Zhang family had given her, she had already saved up more than 100 taels of silver. Li Yu nned to look for the vige chief after picking the seedlings. After buying the wastnd behind the house and opening it up, she would nt the crops in the area near the forest.


    In the following days, Li Yu still went hunting early in the morning. She only stored most of the prey in her space and left a small portion for themselves to eat. Then, she sent wild animals to Steward Huang¡¯s house every few days.


    The aunt and niece worked on the mountain until early July. A few days before the Zhongyuan Festival, they finally plucked all the goji berries and brought them home. The courtyard was filled with goji berries.


    Zhaodi saw that her mother and sister were staying at her cousin¡¯s house for the Zhongyuan Festival, her mother didn¡¯t mention anything about going home, and her father didn¡¯te to pick her up either. Although staying at her cousin¡¯s house was much better than staying at home, this wasn¡¯t her home after all!


    Zhaodi found Li Mei and asked, ¡°Mom, are we really not going back in the future?¡±


    Li Mei was also a little worried about Liu Changmin. Although he was honest and foolishly filial, they had been husband and wife for more than ten years and had treated her well. If not for his mother¡¯s interference¡­


    Li Mei sighed and looked at Zhaodi. ¡°Did your fathere to pick us up? If we return to the Liu family by ourselves, have you thought about the future?¡±


    Zhaodi thought to herself, That¡¯s right! If Mother goes home like this, I don¡¯t know how Grandma will torture Mother! But this can¡¯t go on!


    Zhaodi looked at Li Mei¡¯s worried face. ¡°Mother, what should we do?¡±


    Li Mei red at her. ¡°What should we do? If your father hasn¡¯te to pick us up by the Hungry Ghost Festival, I¡¯ll go back and divorce him. I won¡¯t suffer grievances with that coward in that house.¡±


    In the Liu residence, Liu Changmin sat alone in his room and looked at the empty house. He thought about how Li Mei had been busy at home with the children in the past. Then he thought about how Li Mei had been away with the children for almost a month. It was almost the Zhongyuan Festival, but she had not even brought back a message. It seemed that Ah Mei was determined not to spend the day with him.


    Liu Changmin recalled Li Mei¡¯s sad and disappointed gaze when she left. He hugged his head in pain and curled up on the bed.


    Liu Changmin could not understand why his mother could not get along well with Ah Mei. When Ah Mei was at home, she would get up and do the chores every day before dawn. She was busy all day long, but his mother was still not satisfied. His two siblings worked secretly, but he did not see his mother torturing them every day!


    Liu Changmin really wanted to ask his mother why she had to torture Ah Mei like this and make her unable to return home.


    At this moment, Liu Changmin¡¯s mother, Madam Yang, walked out of the kitchen. She walked into Liu Changmin¡¯s house and said to him with a livid expression, ¡°Boss, I say, why are you so useless! Liu Zhi is your biological nephew. Her niece has just received arge sum of money. I asked her to lend some money to Zhi¡¯er to study for your sake. When Zhi¡¯er bes sessful in the future, he will also support you in your old age. However, she ran away from me. Isn¡¯t she just a woman?! You look like you¡¯re on the verge of death. I¡¯m telling you, you¡¯re not allowed to pick her up. If you have the ability, stay in your family forever.¡±


    The more Liu Changmin listened, the angrier he became. He got up from the bed and shouted at her, ¡°Mother, that¡¯s the money Li Shan left for Ah Qing. Why should we borrow it? Besides, will you return it? Mother, why are you making things difficult for Ah Mei? Can¡¯t you think for me and the two children?¡±


    Madam Yang was stunned by Liu Changmin¡¯s shout. When she regained her senses, she went over to beat Liu Changmin up and cried, ¡°You unfilial son. To raise you, I took on the role of a father and mother. I didn¡¯t expect that I would raise such a disobedient and unfilial beast like you. How dare you shout at me for an outsider and two useless people?¡±


    An honest person could not be dealt with even if he was stubborn. Liu Changmin straightened his neck and looked at Madam Yang. ¡°The two useless people you speak of are my daughters and your granddaughters. Since Mother thinks that I¡¯m disobedient and unfilial, you can just beat me to death and let Ah Mei find a good family again so that she won¡¯t have to suffer your torture.¡±

 Chapter 20

    Splitting Up and Seeking Refuge


    When Madam Yang heard Liu Changmin¡¯s angry shout, she suddenly felt that although she had chased away Madam Li, she had caused her son to lose his heart.


    Madam Yang looked at Liu Changmin and persuaded in a soft voice, ¡°Son! It¡¯s all because of you. Look, you¡¯re already in your thirties and you don¡¯t even have a son. The Li n hasn¡¯t had a child for nearly ten years. Seeing that your eldest branch¡¯s lineage is about to end, how are you going to carry on the family line in the future?¡±


    Liu Changming knelt down in front of Madam Yang with a thud and kowtowed as he begged, ¡°Mother, Third Brother already has two sons. Our Liu family already has a descendant. Mother, I beg you. Please let me and Ah Mei live a good life! At most, I¡¯ll let Laidi recruit a son-inw in the future.¡±


    Madam Yang looked at her son who was kneeling on the ground and kowtowing. She sighed coldly and said, ¡°Forget it, forget it. You¡¯ve been bewitched by that bitch. I won¡¯t care about you anymore in the future. But let me tell you, if you don¡¯t have a son to carry on the family line, you can only move out and give the old residence to your brother¡¯s family in the future.


    Liu Changmin heaved a sigh of relief when he heard this. He thought to himself, Ah Mei often said that she would rather move out than be bullied at home. This oue was for the best.


    After thinking about it, Liu Changmin looked at Madam Yang and said, ¡°Mother, just give it to Third Brother!¡±


    Seeing Liu Changming¡¯s rxed expression, Madam Yang was furious. ¡°Alright, then I¡¯ll get your third brother to look for the elders. Let¡¯s make it clear first that you don¡¯t have a son to carry on the family line, and you don¡¯t have anything at home either. Don¡¯t me me for being ruthless in the future.¡±


    When Liu Changmin saw that the Madam Yang was going to chase him out, he was also a little angry. He straightened his neck and looked at Madam Yang. ¡°Mother, let Third Brother do it. I won¡¯t regret it even if I have to leave with nothing.¡±


    Madam Yang pointed at Liu Changmin¡¯s nose. ¡°Sure! So you¡¯re thinking of splitting up with me!¡±


    Liu Changmin twisted his head and looked at Madam Yang. ¡°Mom, please be reasonable. You were the one who said that you wanted to invite the elders. Why are you ming me again?¡±


    ¡°You, you unfilial son.¡± Madam Yang rushed out angrily and shouted, ¡°Changsheng, go and call your uncle, the Patriarch over. I want to split up the family.¡±


    When Liu Changsheng heard this, he rushed out of the house. ¡°Mother, do you really agree to splitting up the family? I told you! We should have split up the house long ago. It¡¯s only so big. The children are already so big, so it¡¯s not a good idea to squeeze together!¡± Liu Changmin looked at Madam Yang¡¯s darkening expression and pointed at the entrance of the courtyard with an embarrassed smile. ¡°Then I¡¯ll go get them?¡±


    When Madam Yang saw Liu Changmin¡¯s anxious expression, she suddenly felt that her insistence was meaningless. She waved her hand dejectedly and said, ¡°Hurry up and get lost.¡±


    Madam Yang felt that it was Liu Changmin who forced her to split up the family. As expected, she only gave Liu Changmin two stones of grain with the excuse that he had no sons. She even gave him 800 copper coins for his retirement every year before kicking him out.


    The Patriarch felt that this separation was unheard of. He wanted to help Liu Changmin, so he said to him, ¡°Changmin, your mother said that you have no children and won¡¯t give you a house and fields. What do you say?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Liu Changmin hesitated. However, when he thought of how ipatible Madam Yang and Li Mei were, he thought about it again. If he really didn¡¯t have any children in the future, his family assets would be eaten up by his nsmen in a hundred years. He might as well not have anything now.


    Liu Changmin gritted his teeth. ¡°Great Elder, I¡¯ve already left the family with nothing. It¡¯s fine if I have a son in the future. If I don¡¯t have a son, I¡¯ll get Laidi to recruit a son-inw. After a hundred years, the nsmen are not allowed toe to my house to eat and divide my food.¡±


    The Patriarch looked at Liu Changmin¡¯s uncle. ¡°Uncle, what do you think of what Changmin said?¡±


    Liu Changmin¡¯s uncle nodded and said, ¡°Changmin is right. Let¡¯s do as he says!¡±


    The patriarch wrote a letter and got the Yang family¡¯s mother and children to ce their thumbprints on it before handing it to Liu Changmin and his children.


    Liu Changmin took the letter and kowtowed to Madam Yang. ¡°Mother, I¡¯ll pack up and look for Ah Mei and the two children. I¡¯ll send the retirement money to you on time.¡±


    Madam Yang raised her head and did not even look at Liu Changmin. Liu Changmin could only go home to pack his bedding and clothes before heading to West Mountain Vige.


    Li Yu, Li Mei, and the others were sunbathing at home when they heard a knock on the door. Li Mei ran to open the courtyard door and was stunned when she saw Liu Changmin standing at the door with a nket and a sack.


    Liu Changmin looked at Li Mei and smiled honestly. ¡°Ah Mei, my mother has separated us. Now, I only have two grains and nothing else. Do you still want me?¡±


    Li Mei was stunned. She did not understand what Liu Changmin meant.


    Li Yuughed when she heard that. ¡°Aunt, let Uncle in first. It¡¯s hard to exin even if you stand at the door!¡±


    ¡°Dad, Mom, let¡¯s go in and talk.¡± Zhaodi and Laidi quickly led Liu Changmin and Li Meera into the house.


    Liu Changmin looked at Li Yu with a red face. ¡°Xiaoyu, I also request that you take in your aunt and the others for a few more days. I¡¯lle back to pick up your aunt and cousin after I earn some money to repair two houses.¡±


    Li Yu looked at him and smiled. ¡°Uncle, I can¡¯t wait for Aunt and Cousin to stay at my house!¡±


    After saying that, Li Yu pulled Zhaodi and Lai Di to the backyard to collect the seedlings, leaving the ce for Li Mei and her husband to talk.


    Liu Changmin told Li Mei about the separation. Li Mei was furious. ¡°We worked so hard to nt rice at home and we were about to harvest it. Why is your mother so heartless? She only gave us two stones of rice, but not a cent of it.¡±


    Liu Changminforted her in a low voice, ¡°Ah Mei, we have hands and feet. When I go to work to earn some money ande back to repair two thatched cottages, I¡¯ll open a few acres of wastnd. Life will slowly get better.¡±


    Li Mei rolled her eyes at Liu Changmin. ¡°Since we¡¯ve already split the family, we can only do this. Sigh! It¡¯s good that we¡¯ve split. No one will torture the two children anymore.¡±


    Li Mei asked Liu Changmin to put the things in the room while she went to the backyard to tell Li Yu and Zhaodi about the separation.


    Li Mei looked at Li Yu in embarrassment. ¡°Yu¡¯er, it looks like Aunt¡¯s family is going to disturb you and Ah Qing for a while. We¡¯re about to be busy with farming. When your uncle goes out to help earn some money, we¡¯ll go back to the vige to buynd and repair the house.¡±


    ¡°Aunt, how much can you earn by waiting for Uncle to work and earn money? I¡¯m afraid it won¡¯t even be enough to buynd.¡± Li Yu pointed at the goji berries in the sun pad. ¡°Look at these goji berries. If you sell them, you¡¯ll have money to repair the house.¡±


    Li Mei waved her hands. ¡°No, no, Yu¡¯er. How can I take your money? It¡¯s only right that the three of us earn our keep here.¡±


    Li Yu pulled Li Mei and smiled. ¡°Aunt, we¡¯re family! We can¡¯t be estranged like this. How much would I need to get by? I originally nned to give half to you.¡±


    Li Mei pulled Li Yu gratefully. ¡°Then let¡¯s just say that Aunt borrowed it from you. Didn¡¯t you say that you wanted to develop the wastnd at the back? We¡¯ll help you open the wastnd and work to pay back the money first.¡±


    When Li Yu heard this, she thought to herself, I¡¯ll agree to it first and then pay them in the future.


    After thinking about it, Li Yu nodded and said, ¡°Aunt, we¡¯ll do as you say. I also want Uncle to go to the vige and help me collect some red peppers, beans, and soybeans. We¡¯ll make spicy sauce, meat sauce, bean paste, and soybean paste to sell.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Every family has chili. You can buy two or three pounds for a penny. I know how to make soy sauce too. We¡¯ll get your uncle to collect those things. It¡¯s just not easy to buy salt. Go ask the salt seller how much you can buy first.¡±


    When Li Yu heard Li Mei mention it, she remembered that this was ancient times. Salt was a controlledmodity. It seemed like she had to buy salt back first before making sauce.


    ¡°Aunt, I¡¯ll take some lettuce and go to the town pharmacy to ask. I¡¯ll also go and sell salt and ask around.¡±


    Li Mei nodded. ¡°Go! It¡¯s not toote to find out.¡±

 Chapter 21

    Selling Goji Berries


    Li Yu carried a bag of goji berries and wore a cloth hat made by Li Mei to town.


    After Li Yu left, Li Mei told Liu Changmin that Li Yu wanted to lend them money to repair his house.


    When Liu Changmin heard this, he thought of his two sisters-inw. The two of them were still quietly watching him as he packed his things. There were also a few nieces and nephews who looked like they couldn¡¯t wait for him to leave.


    Liu Changmin said gratefully to Li Mei, ¡°Ah Mei, your family is still the most affectionate. Tell Xiaoyu that her uncle won¡¯t be ungrateful.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare.¡± Li Mei¡¯s heart ached as she tugged at him. ¡°You haven¡¯t had your lunch, have you! I¡¯ll make you a bowl of noodles. You can eat before you go.¡±


    Liu Changmin sighed when he saw Li Mei¡¯s white face. ¡°Did you guys eat white noodles? No wonder you and the two children have gained weight. Zhaodi and Laidi have also grown taller.¡±


    Li Mei smiled as she kneaded the dough. ¡°You don¡¯t know this, but Yu¡¯er say that it¡¯s better to eat well. Only when your body is better will you have the strength to work. They also say that money is earned, not saved by not eating. I don¡¯t know where this child got this twisted logic from, but it¡¯s true. Ever since I got enough oil, I¡¯ve be stronger. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s so easy to tire.¡±


    Li Yu had already arrived at the Ji Shi Hall with the goji berries on her back. When she entered the shop, she saw that the shopkeeper was there. When Shopkeeper Yang of the Ji Shi Hall saw Li Yu carrying the goji berries on her back, he smiled. ¡°Miss, what herbs are you selling this time?¡±


    Li Yu put down the backpack and replied with a smile, ¡°Uncle Shopkeeper, the goji berries I told you aboutst time have been dried. I brought some back for you to take a look.¡±


    Li Yu untied the oilcloth bag and Shopkeeper Yang bent down to grab a handful and ced it in his palm. He saw that the even color of the goji berries Li Yu had brought was dark red. Shopkeeper Yang tasted two sweet ones and there was a hint of bitterness in his throat.


    Shopkeeper Yang smiled and nodded in praise. ¡°Not bad. It¡¯s already not bad to be able to pick goji berries of this quality here. The sunning is also good. Miss, how many more do you have at home?¡±


    Li Yu smiled and replied, ¡°About four to five stones!¡±


    Shopkeeper Yang thought for a moment. ¡°Youngdy, I¡¯ll give you 50 copper coins a catty. If not, you¡¯ll have to go to another house to take a look.¡±


    Li Yu looked at Shopkeeper Yang and smiled. ¡°Sure, I don¡¯t have an ox cart at home. Can you send someone to bring an oil sack over?¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll have the guys pull it over to your ce. Let¡¯s get this ce weighed first.¡±


    Shopkeeper Yang asked the waiter to weigh it. The bag that Li Yu carried was exactly 50 kilograms. Shopkeeper Yang looked at Li Yu and smiled. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Miss Xiaoyu to be so strong!¡±


    Li Yu took the silver. ¡°I¡¯m naturally strong. Uncle Shopkeeper, can you wait for me to go to the provision store to buy something beforeing?¡±


    Shopkeeper Yang looked at Li Yu and nodded readily. ¡°Alright, go ahead!¡±


    Li Yu went to Zhou Ji¡¯s grocery store. When the clerk saw Li Yu, it greeted her politely, ¡°Miss, you¡¯re here! What are you nning to buy today?¡±


    ¡°Brother, I want to ask how much your family can sell to me if I want to buy salt for food?¡±


    The clerk looked at Li Yu with a troubled expression. ¡°A household can buy at most 10 kilograms. You have to look for the town mayor to approve the extra.¡±


    Li Yu stuffed the copper coins into the clerk¡¯s hand and lowered his voice. ¡°Is there no other way? I want to buy a stone of salt. Please help me think of a way!¡±


    The clerk took the copper coin and lowered his voice. ¡°Miss, you¡¯re a regr customer. It¡¯s not impossible to sell it to you. It¡¯s just that a bucket of it costs two coins. If it works, I¡¯ll get it for you.¡±


    Li Yu thought to herself, 20 copper coins per kilogram is only 22 copper coins per catty. One stone is only 20 copper coins per catty. She agreed readily. ¡°Alright, give me two more stones if you have extra. I want to make some spicy sauce to sell.¡±


    The clerk nodded and went to the inner hall. Soon, he came out and said with a smile, ¡°Miss, there are two stones here. I know you¡¯re strong, so pleasee in and move it.¡±


    Li Yu followed him to the door and saw two packets of salt in oilcloth bags at the door. Li Yu took the backpack and ced the salt inside to pay. She smiled and said to the clerk, ¡°Brother, thank you.¡±


    The clerk whispered to Li Yu, ¡°Miss, let me tell you that these salts are umted in the shop. You can¡¯t tell others that you bought them at my shop. We won¡¯t admit it even if you tell on us.¡±


    After Li Yu bought the salt, it was time to start preparing the things needed to make bean paste and pickled vegetables. She smiled and said to the clerk, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll keep my mouth shut. I still have to buy a scale. Some can oil, pepper, star anise, fragrant leaves, and cinnamon, and some peanuts. I¡¯ll buy them at your shop.¡±


    The clerk thought for a moment. ¡°How about this? I¡¯ll give you another two copper coins a pound for each.¡±


    When Li Yu heard this, she bought another 50 catties of vegetable seed oil and a can of sorghum wine. She also bought a few catties ofrge ingredients, and 10 catties of peanuts and sesame seeds.


    The clerk helped Li Yu deliver the oil drums and big materials to the Ji Shi Hall. Manager Yang asked Ah Gen to drive the mule cart to West Mountain Vige with Li Yu. They boarded the mortuary wagon pulled by the big green mule and arrived home in less than half an hour.


    Li Yu invited Ah Gen into the courtyard. Li Mei brought over a bowl of sugar water and handed it to Ah Gen with a smile. She said politely, ¡°Little brother, sorry to trouble you to make a trip.¡±


    Ah Gen took the sugar water. ¡°Thank you, Auntie. You¡¯re too kind.¡±


    Ah Gen checked the quality of the goji berries in Li Yu¡¯s house and took out the oil cloth bags. He packed the goji berry bags together with Li Yu and the others. He took out the rods from the cart and weighed them one by one. After weighing them, he paid Li Yu a total of 20 taels of silver.


    After Li Yu sent Ah Gen back, Li Mei looked at Li Yu in surprise. ¡°Yu¡¯er, why is this worth so much money?¡±


    Li Yu smiled and exined, ¡°Aunt, goji berries are medicinal herbs that nourish the body. They can also be used to make tea with wild chrysanthemum. Drinking them can rx the liver and brighten the eyes, so they¡¯re worth a lot!¡±


    Li Mei was enlightened. ¡°I see! Let¡¯s dig up more after spring. We¡¯ll take out half of thend at the back and nt seedlings.¡±


    Li Yu nodded in agreement. ¡°It¡¯s good that no one knows the price now. You and Uncle can also find some barren mountains to grow seedlings. When more people nt them in the future, they won¡¯t be worth much.¡±


    ¡°Even so, you can¡¯t nt all those things. You still have to nt food. You¡¯re still young. You don¡¯t know that if you encounter a year of famine; no matter how much silver your family has, you won¡¯t be able to buy food.¡±


    ¡°Aunt, if the harvest is good this year, I want to buy more food to store.¡± Li Yu counted out 30 taels of silver and handed it to Li Mei. ¡°Take this silver first. Buynd to repair the house and open up some wastnd.¡±


    Li Mei hurriedly pushed away the silver that Li Yu handed over. ¡°Yu¡¯er, don¡¯t be in a hurry to give us the silver. There are still a few days after the Hungry Ghost Festival. We¡¯re going to start farming and cutting the grains. Even if we want to repair the house, we¡¯ll have to wait until the farming is done. Your uncle and I will help you collect the chili and beans in the next few days.¡±


    ¡°Alright then! I¡¯ll give you money first. You and Uncle have to collect more peas and vegetables. Then, ask those people for some pumpkin leaves.¡±


    ¡°Alright, pumpkin leaves are simple!¡± Li Mei agreed with a smile. She took the silver and called Liu Changmin to carry the basket to collect the vegetables.


    Li Yu put more than half of the salt into the space and took out two pheasants from it to the vige head¡¯s house.

 Chapter 22

    Buying Land


    Li Yu carried the two pheasants to the vige chief¡¯s house. When she walked to the backyard, she saw that the door was wide open. Li Yu stood at the door and looked in. She saw Madam Li standing under the eaves and grinding.


    Li Yu stood at the door and shouted, ¡°Auntie Li, you¡¯re busy!¡±


    Madam Li turned around and saw Li Yu standing at the door with two pheasants in her hands. She hurriedly put down the grinding handle and went to the door. She whispered, ¡°Xiaoyu, why did you send wild animals over again? We won¡¯t be able to eat two pieces even if you send them over. Why don¡¯t you sell them for money? Remember not to send them over next time.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and replied softly, ¡°Auntie Li, didn¡¯t the Zhang family return my family¡¯s money? It¡¯s not safe to leave it at home. I want to find the vige chief and grandfather to buy the wastnd behind my house.¡±


    Madam Li took the pheasant and nodded with a smile. ¡°Buyingnd is a good thing. Remember! Don¡¯t send prey over in the future. Save it for Ah Qing to study.¡± Madam Li pulled a chair for Li Yu to sit down and pointed into the house. ¡°Wait for me. I¡¯ll call my father-inw for you.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and nodded. After a while, Madam Li called the vige chief over. The vige chief nced at Li Yu and asked, ¡°Xiaoyu, your aunt said that you want to buy wastnd, but there are no good wastnds in the vige anymore!¡±


    Li Yu stood up and bowed to the vige chief. ¡°Grandpa Vige Chief, there won¡¯t be much food left after paying taxes. I want to buy the wastnd behind my house. What do you think?¡±


    The vige chief frowned when he heard that. ¡°Even if the wastnd behind your house is tilled, I¡¯m afraid it will take a few years to develop. Besides, it¡¯s not convenient to water it. Have you considered it?¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your advice, Vige Chief. I just want it to be convenient for me to take a close look at it.¡±


    When the vige chief saw that Li Yu had made up her mind to buy it, he did not persuade her. ¡°Because the terrain in that barren mountain is not good, no one has ever wanted it there.¡± The vige chief paused for a moment. ¡°The mayor came to measure it two years ago. There are a total of 82 acres. The price is 200 copper coins per acre. Including the contract tax, it¡¯s a total of 20 taels. Hand over the money first and I¡¯ll go to the government office to settle thend deed for you. Also, if you don¡¯t pay taxes for the first three years in the wastnd, you¡¯ll have to pay 20 copper coins per acre.¡±


    Li Yu took out the silver and handed it to the vige chief. She said politely, ¡°Thank you, vige chief.¡±


    The vige chief took the silver and waved his hand. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so polite. It¡¯s not easy for you siblings either. I¡¯ll get it done for you tomorrow morning.¡± The vige chief took the silver and returned to his house.


    After the vige chief left, Madam Li looked at Li Yu and said worriedly, ¡°Xiaoyu, you bought so muchnd and Ah Qing is still studying. What are you going to do as a girl?¡±


    Li Yu smiled. ¡°Auntie Li, don¡¯t be afraid. When the timees, I¡¯ll hire people to nt it.¡± Li Yu looked at the stone mill and asked Madam Li, ¡°Auntie Li, where can I buy a stone mill?¡±


    ¡°Stonemason Craftsman Chen¡¯s house at the east end of the vige makes them. Do you want to buy a stone mill?¡± Madam Li looked at Li Yu and asked.


    Li Yu counted on her fingers. ¡°There are still a lot of things to buy! I want to buy a stone mill and a rice mill and a stone mortar. I also want to buy chickens and pigs.¡±


    Madam Li untied her belt and said with a refreshing smile, ¡°There are all of them in these viges. Follow me, I¡¯ll bring you there.¡±


    Madam Li brought Li Yu to the family selling incubated chicks to buy more than ten chicks. Then, she went to the family raising sows to order two piglets before bringing Li Yu to Craftsman Chen¡¯s house.


    Li Yu saw that Master Chen¡¯s house was filled with all kinds of stone tools. The ones for the millet rice were also stepping vertebrae that he had seen in the countryside before. Li Yu bought a te of medium-sized stone mill, a stepping vertebra, and a small stone mortar.


    After Madam Li bought it with Li Yu, she bade farewell to Li Yu and returned home.


    Li Yu brought Craftsman Chen, carried the chick, and helped Stonemason Chen push the handcart. He pulled the stone mill and stone mortar and stepped on them home.


    When Laidi saw that Li Yu had returned with the chickens, she happily went forward to carry them to the wastnd outside the house to release the chickens. Li Yu asked the stonemason to install the stone mill and stepping vertebrae under the eaves outside the woodshed. After installing them and sending the stonemason away, she returned to the house and began to stir-fry the big ingredients. She prepared to make pickled vegetables and bean paste after grinding them down. Then, she washed the stone mill, stone mortar, and rice mortar to dry.


    When Li Qing returned home from school at around nine o¡¯clock, he found Li Yu and said with a red face, ¡°Sister, I¡¯ve made you wait for a long time. I only found a chance to ask Sir today. Sir said that Great Yong is preceded by Great Chen. Great Chen has been around for more than 300 years, and Great Yong has been around for more than 150 years.¡±


    When Li Yu heard this, she lowered her head and thought that she might have been reborn into a parallel universe. In that case, Li Yu decided not to think about it.


    Looking up at Li Qing¡¯s blushing face, she smiled andforted him. ¡°Ah Qing, I¡¯m not in a hurry. You don¡¯t have to feel embarrassed about how long it took.Sigh! You¡¯ve been studying for more than a month. How do you feel about it?¡±


    Li Qing looked at Li Yu and said seriously, ¡°Sister, I want to study hard. Firstly, the things in the books are too interesting. Secondly, I want to get an academic title so that the Zhang family won¡¯t dare to bully you again.¡±


    Li Yu heard from Li Qing that he first felt that studying was interesting before he wanted to take the schrly examination. She felt that it was good for him to have such an understanding. After all, no matter what he learned, he had to be interested in it first. Coupled with the goal of fighting for it, it would give people the motivation to study hard.


    Li Yu looked at Li Qing¡¯s serious expression. ¡°You have to do what you can. It¡¯s not something that can be done overnight. Don¡¯t force yourself.¡±


    Li Qing nodded and said, ¡°I¡¯ll remember that. I¡¯ll go chop some firewood first before doing my homework.¡±


    ¡°Alright, make your own arrangements.¡± Li Yu watched as Li Qing left with the machete and rope. She called Zhaodi over to cook and began to sharpen the ingredients.


    Li Mei and her husband did not return until evening, each carrying a tray of chili peppers, two baskets of peas,beans and a basket of vegetables.


    Li Mei wiped the sweat off her face and said to Li Yu with a smile, ¡°Yu¡¯er, I told the vigers to send the excess vegetables to our house. The peas, chili, and vegetables we bought today are all 1 copper coin for 2 catties. The dried beancurd and beans are 1 copper coin for 500 grams. We only spent less than 200 copper coins on so many things.¡±


    Li Yu looked at Li Mei¡¯s sweat-soaked hair. ¡°Aunt, it¡¯s been hard on you and Uncle. Hurry up and take a shower. Leave this to me.¡±


    Seeing that Li Yu was concerned about her, Li Mei felt warmth in her heart. She smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s not hard work. In the past, I was busy from morning to night and even got scolded. That¡¯s why Iined.¡±


    Liu Changmin put beans into a sack and went to take a shower. Zhaodi set up the dishes and came out. ¡°Mom, Cousin is eating.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Li Mei looked around but did not see Li Qing and Laidi. ¡°Where are Ah Qing and Laidi?¡±


    ¡°One of them went to cut firewood while the other went to release chickens outside the courtyard,¡± Zhaodi said as she pointed at the stone mill and stepping stones outside the woodshed. ¡°Mother, you haven¡¯t noticed, right?¡±


    Only then did Li Mei discover the stone mill and pedals under the eaves. She happily went over to push the mill around twice and touch the pedals. ¡°Zhaodi, I¡¯ve wanted these two things for a long time. Your grandmother just doesn¡¯t take out money to buy them. Now that I¡¯m free, I¡¯ll make some beans and make tofu pudding for you.¡±


    Li Yu didn¡¯t expect Li Mei to know how to make tofu. She smiled and said, ¡°Aunt, if you know how to make tofu, why don¡¯t you sell it?¡±


    Li Meiughed. ¡°I learned how to make tofu pudding from your mother in the past. When I moved to Old Liu¡¯s house, I had to work. I was always beaten and scolded by that old woman. How could I have the mood to help her earn money!¡±


    Seeing how happy Li Mei was, Zhaodi also felt that life was getting better. She smiled happily. ¡°Mother, now no one will scold you anymore.¡±

 Chapter 23

    Collecting Vegetables, Burning the wastnd


    After Ah Qing and Laidi returned, the two families began to eat. Liu Changmin looked at the big pot of chili fried hare on the table, as well as stir-fried vegetables and fish soup. He smiled and sighed. ¡°Sigh! My appetite has been spoiled at Ah Qing¡¯s house. What if I can¡¯t get used to eating at home in the future?¡±


    Li Yuughed when she heard that. ¡°Uncle, don¡¯t worry. There are plenty of wild rabbits on the mountain. There are several in a nest!¡±


    Liu Changmin chuckled. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll eat freely then.¡±


    Laidi looked at Li Yu and asked, ¡°Cousin, can you help me get a few live hares? I want to try raising rabbits myself.¡±


    Li Yu agreed readily. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go to the bushes at the back of the house tomorrow and raise a few for you.¡±


    After the meal, Li Qing did his homework. Li Yu, Li Mei, and the others took off the chilies, washed them, and poured them into the t bamboo to dry on the bamboo rack.


    Li Yu took out the peas and poured them into a wooden bucket. She scooped a basin of warm peas from the pot. Everyone removed the rotten peas with bug eyes. After Li Qing finished his homework, he came to help. With more people, they worked faster. The few of them picked all the peas and washed them before drying them on the bamboo board.


    When they were almost done, they cleaned up and took turns washing up before returning to their rooms to sleep.


    Li Yu and Zhaodi slept on the same bed. Li Yu thought that fortunately, they were both thin, so it didn¡¯t feel crowded. Otherwise, she really couldn¡¯t stand the heat.


    After Li Yuy down to sleep, she entered the space to check and discovered that the items inside were stored in different categories. There were two wild boars, six mules, nine wild goats, more than 20 wild hares, and wild chickens. There were also a few turtledoves and wild ducks. Including the money from the Zhang family, there were already more than 200 taels.


    Li Yu came out of the space and narrowed her eyes. She thought that after the grains were collected, she should buy more food so that they could get by in times of famine.


    The next morning, Li Yu woke up and saw that the two sisters were still sleeping soundly. After Li Yu got up quietly, she took the rope and machete to the bushes at the back of the mountain.


    When she walked into the forest and stepped on the soft ground, Li Yu smiled. Now, she didn¡¯t have to worry about fertilizer. There was plenty of natural organic fertilizer in the forest. After finding a few spots to set up a rope, she turned around and came out of the forest. On the way, she found more than a dozen soapberry trees. The trees were already filled with soapberries.


    Li Yu sighed in her heart. In her previous life, she had seen her grandmother pick soapberries for washing hair andundry. There were actually more than ten of them here. Now, she didn¡¯t have to worry about bathing and washing clothes.


    Li Yu trained in the forest for a while and practiced two sets of punches before returning home. When she reached home, she saw that everyone had woken up. Li Qing was standing at the door with a book and reading loudly at the rice paddies. Li Mei and her daughter were cooking.


    Li Yu looked at the beancurd soaked in the bucket. When she scooped it up, she saw that the skin of the bean was already swollen. She took a stool and sat down to peel the skin.


    After the beancurd was soaked, the skin fell off with a gentle rub. Li Yu used her strength and nimbly peeled a basin of beancurd not long after. After dinner, Li Qing went to school. Li Mei and her husband asked Li Yu to collect the vegetables at home while they went to the wastnd behind the house with hoes and sickles.


    Li Yu hurriedly stopped the two of them. ¡°Aunt, how long will it take for you and Uncle to cut such arge patch of wild grass? There¡¯s no wind at home today. I¡¯ll go with you. I have a way to clean up those wild grass.¡±


    Li Mei looked at Li Yu¡¯s confident expression and said with a smile, ¡°Alright! Aunt will see what good ideas you have.¡±


    Li Yu picked up the hoe and went to the wastnd behind the house with Li Mei and her husband. She cut five feet wide around the wastnd. She pointed at the ce and said to Li Mei and Liu Changmin, ¡°Aunt, you and Uncle cut off the wild grass around the ce I cut.¡±


    Li Mei and Liu Changmin nodded and bent down to cut. Li Yu used a hoe to dig a fire divider in the middle of the wastnd.


    Halfway through the digging, Laidi came running to say that someone had brought vegetables and peas. Li Mei took the hoe from Li Yu¡¯s hand. ¡°Yu¡¯er, go back quickly. Leave this to me.¡±


    Li Yu pointed at the square she had drawn and instructed, ¡°Aunt, cut ording to what I¡¯ve drawn.¡±


    ¡°Go quickly!¡± Li Mei smiled and agreed. Li Yu quickly ran home and saw a few women standing in the courtyard with chili peppers and peas. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to have kept you waiting.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯m not busy now,¡± one of the women replied brightly.


    ¡°Zhaodi, watch me teach you.¡± Li Yu took the scale from her. As she weighed it, she taught her how to calcte. Then, she weighed the peas, head vegetables, and chili that they had brought.


    Li Yu paid the money. Seeing that they could really sell it for money, the women happily carried their baskets and bamboo baskets back.


    Zhaodi pointed at the tofu leaves that had been peeled, washed, and left to dry. ¡°Cousin, are you going to dry the tofu?¡±


    ¡°No, go get the bamboo out.¡±


    When Zhaodi heard this, she took the bamboo and ttened it. Li Yu went into the house to take out the pumpkin leaves that Li Mei had brought back. The two of them poured the tofu slices onto the bamboo. Li Yu spread the tofu slices evenly and covered the tofu with the pumpkin leaves one by one. She carried them into the room and ced them on the bamboo rack.


    Zhaodi looked at the bean petals covered with pumpkin leaves and looked at Li Yu in confusion. ¡°Cousin, will you spoil it if you cover it like this?¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t. It¡¯s fermenting. I¡¯ll be able to start making bean paste in a few days when white stuff grows on the bean p.¡±


    Zhaodi felt that she still didn¡¯t understand, so she nodded obediently. ¡°Cousin, go ahead! I¡¯ll clean up the ones I just collected at home.¡±


    After Li Yu agreed, she took the lighter from the backyard to the wastnd to cut out the istion tape with Li Mei and her husband. Li Yu took out the lighter and prepared to light the fire. When Li Mei saw this, she was so frightened that she quickly stopped Li Yu. ¡°Yu¡¯er, you can¡¯t do this. It¡¯ll be troublesome if it burns.¡±


    Li Yu pointed at the istion tape and smiled. ¡°Aunt, there¡¯s no wind at all today. We even cut off an istion tape. The fire won¡¯t burn over.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Li Mei and Liu Changmin looked at Li Yu skeptically. Li Yu nodded solemnly. ¡°If you¡¯re worried, take the hoe to the forest and watch over it!¡±


    Li Mei and Liu Changmin hurriedly ran towards the forest. Li Yu blew on the fire and lit the weeds. As soon as the hay was lit, it started burning.


    The fire stopped when it reached the istion zone. Only then did Li Mei and Liu Changmin feel relieved. They ran over and said with a smile, ¡°Yu¡¯er, this is a good idea. The wild grass will be burned clean in a while. Even the grass seeds will be burned clean, but the grass ashes can still fertilize the ground.¡±


    Li Yu instructed the two of them, ¡°Aunt, if you want to burn the wastnd in the future, you have to cut out the istion belt first. It¡¯s best to cut the istion belt wider. You also have to choose a windless day to burn it. You have to guard there just in case.¡±


    Li Mei and her husband hurriedly agreed. Li Yu waited for the remaining wild grass to be burned and said to Li Mei, ¡°Aunt is going to the market tomorrow. Let¡¯s go buy an ox and a handcart. Then, we¡¯ll buy a plow and hoe. We¡¯ll use them in the future.¡±


    After hearing this, Liu Changmin advised, ¡°Xiaoyu, in my opinion, let¡¯s forget it! An ox costs at least ten taels of silver, and a plow costs four to five taels of silver. We just need to spend more effort.¡±


    ¡°Uncle, you can¡¯t save on these things. Oh! We need y pots to make pickled vegetables. Do you know where there¡¯s a y kiln for burning y pots?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s one in East Mountain Vige. What size do you want?¡± Liu Changmin looked at Li Yu and asked.


    Li Yu thought for a moment. ¡°Let¡¯s buy 20 soy sauce jars with 50 catties first. We¡¯ll buy other 10 jars with 50 catties each.¡±


    Li Mei was worried that Liu Changmin would not bargain. ¡°Yu¡¯er, we have to discuss the price with the boss if we buy so much. Let me apany your uncle!¡±


    Li Yu smiled and agreed. ¡°Alright, go with Uncle!¡±


    When the three of them returned home, Zhaodi had already prepared lunch. After Li Qing came back for dinner, Li Yu gave the money to Li Mei and her husband and the couple went to East Mountain Vige with Li Qing.

 Chapter 24

    Making Hot Sauce


    Li Yu saw that Zhaodi had washed the peas and was still washing the vegetables in the courtyard. Li Yu went over and brought the washed vegetables to the kitchen. She cut them into chopstick-sized vegetable strips and poured them into the sun pad to dry them in the courtyard.


    Li Yu touched the chili and realized that the water had already dried. She went back to get arge wooden basin and ced the vegetable board in it. After cutting the chili into sections, she filled half the wooden basin and began to chop the chili into thin pieces.


    At first, she didn¡¯t feel ufortable. After a while, Li Yu felt that her hands were burning with pain. She endured the pain and chopped up a few pots of chili. Li Yu quickly got a bucket of well water and soaked her hands in cold water. After a while, she felt a little better and went to scoop a bowl of salt. There were also some big ingredients. She weighed 50 catties of chopped chili. ording to the ratio of one catty of chili to one or two catties of salt, she poured the salt into the chopped chili and stirred it evenly with long bamboo chopsticks.


    She went to scoop out another bowl of peanuts and half a bowl of sesame seeds. Then, she stir-fried the peanuts in the pot and poured them into the spittoon. After drying them, she rubbed the skin off the peanuts and poured them into the stone mortar. After crushing them, she ced them in the bowl for backup.


    Li Yu took the machete and went to the back of the house. She found a quiet ce and took out a few wild rabbits from the space. Just as she walked into the backyard, she met Laidiing out of the toilet. Laidi saw Li Yu carrying a few dead rabbits and thought that Li Yu had just gotten them from the forest at the back of the mountain. She pouted. ¡°Cousin, why are there dead rabbits again?¡±


    Li Yu smiled awkwardly and walked into the house. ¡°I didn¡¯t find them alive. I¡¯ll get live ones for you next time.¡±


    Li Yu hung the rabbit on a long nail nailed to the outer wall of the wing. She peeled off the rabbit skin and ced it on the stone b. She scraped the fat off the skin with a knife and hung it on the wall to dry with bamboo slices. After carrying the rabbit meat to the well to wash, she used a dagger to shave all the rabbit meat and cut it into buttered water. She marinated it in salt andrge ingredients for a while before frying it in boiling oil. She fried the rabbit until it was the color of caramel and used a bambooder to scoop it out of the pot and pour it into a pottery pot.


    Li Yu ced the ginger, garlic, and scallions in and fried them. Then, he poured the chili peppers that had been mixed with the seasoning into the hot oil and fried them. After the water had evaporated, Li Yu extinguished the fire in the stove. She crushed the rabbit meat, peanuts, sesame, and white sugar, poured them into the pot, stirred them evenly, and poured a small bowl of white wine into it. After it was cold, she ced it in the y pot.


    When Li Yu came out of the kitchen, she felt spicy all over. When Zhaodi saw Li Yue out of the kitchen, she smiled and asked, ¡°Cousin, what delicious food did you make? It smells so good!¡±


    Li Yu smiled. ¡°Hot sauce! We¡¯ll make noodles tonight.¡±


    ¡°Sure!¡± Zhaodi agreed happily.


    At this moment, Madam Li entered the courtyard from the door with Li Yu¡¯s title deed. She saw that the courtyard was filled with chili peppers and peas and vegetables. She smiled and said, ¡°Xiaoyu, are you nning to sell dried vegetables?¡±


    ¡°Auntie Li,e in and sit down.¡± Li Yu hurriedly brought over a stool and got Madam Li to sit down.


    Madam Li handed the title deed to Li Yu. ¡°The title deed has been settled. Keep it well. After you¡¯re done harvesting the grains, your uncle and I will help you reim thend.¡±


    ¡°Auntie Li, you can¡¯t work for free. It costs money to hire someone else. I¡¯ll pay you the usual price.¡±


    ¡°Alright, that saves your uncle the trouble of looking for work in town.¡± Madam Li agreed heartily and pointed at the dried vegetables in the courtyard. ¡°Dried vegetables don¡¯t taste good when dried. I¡¯ll go back and pick some fresh ones for you.¡±


    Li Yu hurriedly rejected her. ¡°There¡¯s no need, Auntie Li. I took these back. I wanted to make some food and sell them. If you have extra peas and beans, you can sell them to me.¡±


    Madam Li stood up and said with a smile, ¡°Alright, there are peas and vegetables. I¡¯ll send them to you when I return from the market tomorrow. I¡¯ll be going back then.¡±


    ¡°Alright, take care!¡± Li Yu sent Madam Li back to the courtyard and dried the vegetables that Zhaodi had washed. Then, Li Mei and Liu Changmin returned with a cart full of soy sauce jars.


    Li Yu helped unload the soy sauce vat and ced it in the courtyard. Liu Changmin sent away the deliveryman. Seeing that the two of them had washed the vegetables and dried them, Li Mei said to Li Yu, ¡°Yu¡¯er, we got a price of 80 copper coins for the big soy sauce vat and 50 copper coins for the small one. The Taoist family said that they will charge us 3 copper coins for one catty of small jars. Two for two catties of five copper coins and two for seven copper coins for five catties.¡±


    Li Yu felt that the price was still very cheap. She nodded and said with a smile, ¡°Aunt, as long as you think the price is cheap, it¡¯s fine. Auntie Li sent the title deed over just now. I want to go to the forest and dig some fertile soil back while it¡¯s not hot. After plowing the ground, I¡¯ll scatter the soil and other fields. The nutrients in the ground will be enough. I want to nt a season of wheat in winter.¡±


    Li Mei looked at Li Yu in surprise. ¡°Yu¡¯er, you have so many ideas now. Who taught you?¡±


    After thinking about it, Li Yu said to Li Mei, ¡°Aunt, let me tell you, when I was in the Zhang family, Chen Zhaodi and her daughter forced me to break off the engagement. After beating me up, they didn¡¯t give me food. When I poured a bathtub for Zhang Guixiang at night, Zhang Guixiang pushed me into the bathtub.¡± Li Mei was so frightened that she held Li Yu¡¯s hand with tears in her eyes and looked at Li Yu nkly.


    Li Yu continued, ¡°I choked on the water and fainted. When I was in a daze, I saw Father and Mother. Father and Mother said, ¡®Yu¡¯er, this isn¡¯t a ce you should be. Hurry up and bring Little Brother home to break off the engagement with the Zhang family.¡¯ After Mother finished speaking, she touched my head twice and Father pushed me back. When I woke up, I realized that I understood everything that I couldn¡¯t understand in the past. My mind was still filled with many things that I wouldn¡¯t have understood in the past.¡±


    Li Mei¡¯s heart ached as she hugged Li Yu and cried. ¡°Yu¡¯er, it was your parents who protected you and saved your life. It¡¯s all my fault. I didn¡¯t have a good life and even threw a tantrum at a child like you. I¡¯ve let your mother and father down. I caused you and Ah Qing to suffer in the Zhang family!¡±


    Liu Changmin, Zhaodi, and Li Qing were standing at the door. Their faces were covered in tears as they listened. Li Qing clenched his fists and secretly made up his mind to work hard and not let anyone bully his sister again.


    Li Yu smiled andforted Li Mei. ¡°Aunt, don¡¯t cry. These things have passed. Look, Ah Qing and I are fine.¡±


    Li Mei cried for a while, wiping away her tears. ¡°It¡¯s all Zhang Defa¡¯s fault. Just you wait! They¡¯ll get what¡¯sing to them.¡±


    Zhang Defa was so angry that he was circling the house. Zhang Decai went to the county to tell him that Li Yu had bought dozens of acres of wastnd and a lot of things in the vige. She was also buying vegetables in the vige to eati


    Zhang Defa felt that Li Yu was using his silver. He was so angry that he pounded his chest and stomped his feet. ¡°This b*tch. She won¡¯t be happy until she spends all that silver.¡±


    Zhang Decai looked at him and frowned. ¡°Brother, look, she¡¯s almost finished spending the silver. There¡¯s no movement from that Chun Sheng you found. Do I still have to watch the Li family?¡±


    ¡°That bastard Qi Chunsheng said that he wanted to seduce that slut, but even if he went, he wouldn¡¯t be able to seduce her. He wanted me to give him money to buy clothes. He thought that I didn¡¯t know what he was thinking. I scolded his mother and there was no movement from him and his mother.¡±


    Zhang Decai recalled that Mrs. Zhao¡¯s hands still hurt from time to time. He gritted his teeth in hatred and said to Zhang Defa, ¡°Brother, now that Li Mei¡¯s family is living in the Li family, it¡¯s not easy for us to make a move. Why don¡¯t we wait for Li Mei¡¯s family to go back before we hire a few hooligans? When it¡¯s dark, we¡¯ll sneak in and destroy that bitch.¡±


    Zhang Defaughed when he heard that. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s do that. Wait for me to vent my anger one day.¡±

 Chapter 25

    Buying An Ox


    After Li Yuforted Li Mei, she turned around and saw Li Qing looking at her with tears in his eyes. Li Yu smiled at him and said, ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of beingughed at?¡±


    Li Qing wiped the tears from his face. ¡°Sister, you¡¯ve suffered.¡± With that, he put down the book basket and went out to chop wood with his machete.


    ¡°Zhaodi¡¯s father, let¡¯s go to the forest to dig up fertile soil. Yu¡¯er said that that stuff is good for farming.¡± After saying that, Li Mei went out to pick up the wicker basket and walked towards the forest behind the mountain with Liu Changmin.


    Li Yu said to Zhaodi, ¡°Cousin, knead the noodles and wait for us to cook them.¡±


    ¡°Got it, Cousin.¡± Zhaodi nodded and scooped up the noodles.


    When they reached the forest, Li Mei pointed at the soft and fat soil. ¡°Yu¡¯er, do you think this soil is really useful?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s useful. Let¡¯s dig this up and go home.¡± Li Yu picked up the hoe and started digging. With a light scoop, she could see the grayish-ck rotten soil below. Li Yu dug it up and piled it up. Liu Changmin and Li Mei dug for a while and used the hoe to pour it into the basket and carry it back to the wastnd.


    The three of them dug one by one. They were busy until the sun set and a fewrge piles of fertile soil were piled on the wastnd.


    Seeing that the sun had set, Li Yu said to Li Mei, ¡°Aunt, after you finish picking these, you and Uncle cane home for dinner. I¡¯ll go back and cook noodles.¡±


    ¡°Sigh! You can go back first!¡± After Li Mei agreed, she dug into the pot and poured the fertile soil into the basket. Li Yu took the hoe home, washed her hands, and went to the kitchen to get a few big bowls to put the ingredients.


    Zhaodi ced the washed cabbage leaves on the stove. Li Yu asked her to call Laidii and Li Qing back for dinner.


    Li Yu rolled the noodles into dough, cut them carefully, shook the noodles loose, and ced them in the pot. When they were half-cooked, she put the vegetable leaves in and cooked them with the noodles. Then, he scooped them into a bowl and scooped a spoonful of the chili rabbit meat sauce she had made in the afternoon into the bowl.


    Laidi and Li Qing were sweating as they ate a bowl of noodles. As they ate, they praised Li Yu. ¡°Sister, the noodles with meat sauce are too delicious. It¡¯s spicy and delicious.¡±


    After the two of them finished eating, Zhaodi asked Li Yu, ¡°Cousin, are you nning to make this sauce to sell? I see that you have included rabbit meat, peanuts, and sesame seeds. Can these expensive things make money?¡±


    Li Yu calcted for a moment. ¡°50 catties of chili, 25 copper coins, six rabbits, 500 copper coins, and more expensive vegetable seed oil,¡± After Li Yu estimated, ¡°These things probably cost a tael of silver in total. If you can fill 70 to 80 jars like this and sell each jar for 30 copper coins, you will have a profit of more than a tael of silver. Do you think we can make it?¡±


    Everyone¡¯s eyes lit up when they heard that. Li Mei said happily, ¡°Of course we can do it with double the profits. Let¡¯s pack a dozen cans and bring them to town tomorrow to see how much we can sell them for.¡± Li Mei got up and nned to wash the cans.


    Li Yu hurriedly called out to her, ¡°Aunt, after the jar is washed, you have to heat it with salt water again. It¡¯ll be troublesome if people get diarrhea after eating it.¡±


    ¡°Okay, whatever you say.¡± Li Mei went to the well to get water and wash the jars.


    Li Yu hurriedly boiled a basin of salt water. The sisters brought the washed jar over and washed it with salt water. Then, they poured it into the frame.


    The next morning, Li Yu woke up and saw that Li Mei had already gotten up to make breakfast.


    Li Yu went to the ce where the noose was ced in the forest and picked up four dead hares and two live gray rabbits.


    Li Yu touched the dead rabbit and found that it was still warm. She ced the rabbit in the space and changed the position of the rope. Then, she carried the two live rabbits back and gave them to Laidi.


    Li Yu instructed Laidi, ¡°Remember that rabbits can¡¯t eat wild grass with dew. They like to eat milk grass and lettuce leaves.¡±


    ¡°Cousin, I¡¯ll remember.¡± Lidi happily carried the rabbit and went to look for Liu Changmin to weave a cage.


    After the meal, Li Yu began to pack the meat sauce into the backpack. Li Qing came over and said to Li Yu, ¡°Sister, Sir said that he wants to rest for five days after five days. He wants us toe back for the Zhongyuan Festival and help his family harvest grains.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Li Yu handed a can of spicy meat sauce to Li Qing. ¡°Bring a can of meat sauce to your teacher and thank him for his guidance.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Sister.¡± Li Qing took the meat paste and carried it towards the school. Li Yu and Li Mei carried the meat paste to town.


    When Li Qing arrived at the entrance of the school, he saw the handsome gentleman and his smiling fox-like servant, Ruyi, standing at the door to send off the two guests.


    Li Qing stepped forward and bowed. ¡°Good morning, sir.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Qing and smiled. ¡°Hurry up and go in! You have to take the test for the things you learned yesterday.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Li Qing bowed and handed over the hot mince. ¡°My sister made this minced meat sauce, sir. She said to thank you for your guidance.¡±


    Zhou Jia thought that Li Qing¡¯s sister was also like the women in the vige who were infatuated with him. She was probably thinking of giving him something through her brother. He reached out to take the meat sauce and handed it to Ruyi. ¡°Okay, thank your sister for me.¡±


    He turned around and walked towards the ssroom. After Ruyi returned to the house with the meat sauce, he handed it to the festive-looking Ji Xiang. ¡°Ji Xiang, I heard that this meat sauce is very delicious. I¡¯ll give it to you.¡±


    ¡°I happen to be hungry.¡± Ji Xiang carried the meat sauce to the kitchen. He uncovered the steamer and took a steamed bun to break it open. When he pulled out the wooden stopper from the jar, he smelled a strong spicy fragrance.


    Ji Xiang took a spoon and scooped up a spoonful. She smeared it on the steamed bun and took a bite. It was numb and spicy. He chewed until the meat inside was fragrant and spicy. He muttered to himself, ¡°This Ruyi has lied to me so many times. Why did he change this time?¡±


    Li Yu and Li Mei arrived in town. Liu Changmin brought the two of them to the ce where livestock was sold. Liu Changmin looked at several ces and finally spent eleven taels of silver to buy a strong yellow ox.


    The broker brought a few people to register before Liu Changmin paid the money and led the cows to the ce where they sold wooden tools.


    Li Yu looked at the yellow ox and asked in confusion, ¡°Uncle, I saw that the cows in front were quite tall and the price was cheaper. Why did you choose this one?¡±


    Liu Changmin pointed at the bull horn and said with a smile, ¡°Look at the protruding part here. It¡¯s the growth ring of a cow. One ring represents one year in terms of age. If you want to buy a cow, you have to buy the young one. You also have to have to check for good teeth, a wide back, and thick and smooth fur on your limbs. ording to these, you can see that this cow has all these. It doesn¡¯t matter if the price is higher.¡±


    Li Yu was enlightened when she heard that. She didn¡¯t know that buying a cow required so much knowledge.


    When they arrived at the ce where the cart was sold, Liu Changmin chose a cart that had been painted with tung oil. The seller boasted that he had no problem selling this cart made of alder wood for decades.


    Li Mei pointed at the mixing bucket in the wood shop and said to Li Yu, ¡°Yu¡¯er, we¡¯re going to cut the grains soon. Let¡¯s buy a mixing bucket to use at home.¡±


    Li Yu walked into a shop and saw the mixing bucket and Wind Grain Machine inside. She felt that they were not much different from the ones used in her previous life in the countryside. She felt that a transmigrator must have created these things.


    Li Yu simply bought the mixing bucket and the Wind Grain Machine. The shop assistant helped to carry them to the handcart. The few of them secured the cart and went to the incense and paper money shop to buy the sacrificial items. Then, they went to the market to buy some onions, ginger, garlic, and some vegetables. They left the town and walked towards the official road.

 Chapter 26

    Selling Meat Sauce


    Li Yu and the others arrived at a fork in the road and walked to an inn. After standing for a while, they saw arge group of carriages and mule carts pulling heavy goods over.


    Seeing that Li Mei and Liu Changmin did not know how to promote themselves, Li Yu stood there foolishly and watched the carriages pass by.


    Li Yu could only pick up a jar of meat paste from her back and shout along the way, ¡°Selling meat paste! Spicy and delicious meat paste with steamed buns and pancakes. It¡¯s delicious and goes well with rice¡­¡±


    When a man heard Li Yu¡¯s shout, he looked at the pancake in his hand and felt that it was really difficult to swallow. ¡°Miss, let me see what kind of meat paste you¡¯re selling.¡±


    Li Yu walked up to the man and pulled out the cork of the jar. A fragrant and spicy smell assaulted his nose. The man swallowed his saliva. ¡°It smells quite fragrant. I wonder how it tastes.¡±


    Li Yu handed the jar to the man. ¡°Uncle, you have pancakes. You can scoop some to try.¡±


    ¡°Okay, we¡¯ll talk after I taste it.¡± The man took a spoon, scooped a spoonful, and smeared it on the pancake. He took two bites of the pancake and chewed a few times. He tasted peanuts, sesame seeds, and meat. ¡°Mmm! Not bad, it¡¯s quite delicious. Girl, how much is your meat sauce?¡±


    ¡°This one¡¯s about a pound. Made with game and peanuts and sesame seeds. It was supposed to sell for thirty-five cents a jar. You¡¯re the first customer. I¡¯ll sell it to you for thirty-three.¡±


    The man hesitated. Looking at the jar Li Yu was carrying, he felt that it did taste good and was very appetizing. He bargained, ¡°Youngdy, it¡¯s still a little expensive! If it¡¯s any less, I¡¯ll buy two jars.¡±


    ¡°Thirty copper coins, no less. Look, it¡¯s all fried in vegetable oil. You don¡¯t have to worry about spoiling it if you eat it on the way.¡±


    The man nodded. ¡°Sure. Give me two jars.¡±


    Li Yu quickly took out two cans from her backpack and handed them to him. The three people sitting in the car in front asked the man, ¡°Old Xu, how does it taste?¡±


    Old Xu waved the pancake in his hand. ¡°It¡¯s fragrant and spicy. It¡¯s really quite delicious.¡±


    The three of them waved at Li Yu. ¡°Youngdy, give it to us to try.¡±


    ¡°Alright!¡± After Li Yu gave the meat sauce to the three of them to try, the three of them bought two cans each. Li Yu carried the pickles on her back and continued walking forward.


    Old Xu finished his pancake and carried a jar of meat sauce to the inn. He walked to a middle-aged man and handed him the meat sauce with a fawning smile. ¡°Manager Wei, try the meat sauce I just bought. It¡¯s fragrant and spicy.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Old Xu.¡± Manager Wei smiled and took the meat paste. He pulled out the wooden stopper and scooped a spoonful into the noodle bowl. He tasted it and nodded with a smile. ¡°Yes, it tastes good and is quite appetizing.¡±


    Old Xu looked at him and chuckled in satisfaction. ¡°I thought you would like it.¡±


    Li Yu walked around. Several people had asked about it and found it expensive. Li Yu was a little disappointed and felt that selling this spicy sauce was not as easy to sell as she had imagined.


    On second thought, she consoled herself. Everything was difficult in the beginning! Besides, just one variety was a little expensive. She would go back and make sauces with the peas and vegetables in two days.


    Li Mei and Liu Changmin learned that Li Yu had sold eight jars of pickled vegetables in a short while. The two of them looked at Li Yu with smiles. ¡°Yu¡¯er, not bad. You¡¯ve only been here for a while, but you¡¯ve already sold eight jars.¡±


    ¡°Yes, several of them felt that it was a little expensive and didn¡¯t buy it, but it¡¯s fine. Let¡¯s go back and make sauces with the peas and vegetables. We¡¯lle back when the variety isplete.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. This one isn¡¯t easy to sell.¡± Li Mei let Li Yu get on the ox cart and Liu Changmin drove it back. Suddenly, she heard someone shouting from behind, ¡°Seller of meat sauce, wait¡­¡±


    Li Yu turned around and hurriedly called out to Liu Changmin, ¡°Uncle, wait a moment. It¡¯s the uncle who bought the meat sauce just now.¡±


    Liu Changmin stopped the car. Li Yu got out of the car and waited for Old Xu to arrive. She asked, ¡°Uncle, is there anything else?¡±


    Old Xu ran over angrily and panted twice. ¡°Our Manager Wei wants to buy your meat paste. How much do you have left?¡±


    ¡°There are seven cans left here and about sixty at home. It¡¯s not far if you want it. It¡¯ll be here in less than a quarter of an hour.¡±


    ¡°Wait for me to go back and ask.¡± Old Xu turned around and walked towards a carriage behind him. A momentter, the carriage turned around and headed towards Li Yu and the others.


    When the carriage arrived beside Li Yu and the others, a man stuck his head out of the carriage. He took a look at Liu Changmin¡¯s ox cart and the things in it and smiled at Li Mei. ¡°Auntie, my carriage is fast. Take my carriage and bring me to your house to get it.¡±


    Li Mei replied readily, ¡°Sure! We¡¯re just ahead in West Mountain Vige.¡±


    Li Yu did not expect a big client toe so quickly. She got into the man¡¯s carriage with Li Mei excitedly.


    Seeing that the aunt and niece were dressed well, the man was satisfied. ¡°I¡¯m Wei Wencheng, the manager of the Wei family¡¯s caravan. Is Sister-inw from a nearby family?¡±


    Li Mei smiled politely and bowed. ¡°Mr. Wei, my husband¡¯s surname is Liu, and my mother¡¯s surname is Li. We live in West Mountain Vige. This is my niece, Xiao Yu. My niece made this sauce. Our family loves it.¡±


    Wei Wencheng said frankly, ¡°Sister-inw Li, your pickled vegetables taste alright, but we¡¯re a long way away. I wonder if your pickled vegetables can be stored. If they¡¯ve been stored for a long time, we¡¯lle back in the future.¡±


    When Li Yu heard this, she felt more confident. She had fried the sauce such that all the moisture was gone and even put white wine to preserve it. This big client should be able to keep it for a while.


    Li Yu said to Wei Wencheng, ¡°Mr. Wei, my family¡¯s pickled sauce are all made from vegetable oil. It shouldn¡¯t be a problem for you to store them for a month or so. Also, try not to use wet cutlery when you use them.¡±


    After Wei Wencheng heard Li Yu¡¯s exnation, he smiled and said, ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll reallye again next time.¡±


    After a while, they arrived at the Li residence. Li Yu jumped out of the car and opened the door. She said to Zhaodi, ¡°Cousin, go and bring two bundles of grass over. I want to fill them with pickled sauce.¡±


    Zhaodi nodded and walked into the woodshed. In a moment, she came out with a bundle of hay and handed it to Li Yu. Li Yu freed up the bamboo basket and padded it with a thickyer of hay before starting to fill the sauce jar.


    Li Mei said to Wei, ¡°Mr. Wei, pleasee in for a moment.¡±


    Wei Wencheng nodded and followed Li Mei into the courtyard. He saw that the courtyard was quiterge and clean. There were also several rows of bamboo shelves in the courtyard, filled with bamboo ques. Inside the bamboo ques, chili peppers, peas, and vegetable shreds were drying.


    Wei Wenxin said sincerely, ¡°This family loves cleanliness. If those pickled sauce can really be stored, we can still cooperate.¡±


    Li Yu packed the sauce jars and Liu Changmin arrived. He quickly helped carry the basket outside. Wei Wencheng saw that there was a thickyer of hay in the basket and nodded in satisfaction.


    Li Yu pointed at the pickled vegetable jars in the basket and said, ¡°Manager Wei, look, there are exactly 70 jars.¡±


    After taking a look, Manager Wei nodded and said with a smile, ¡°Yes, move it to the car!¡± Then, he took out a few pieces of silver from his bag and handed them to Li Yu. ¡°70 cans. It¡¯s exactly 2 taels for a tael of silver, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Li Yu took the silver and carried the basket into the car with Liu Changmin. She said to Wei Wencheng, ¡°Mr. Wei, there will be other vors of pickled sauce at my house. You¡¯re wee toe again after eating.¡±


    ¡°Okay, goodbye.¡± Wei Wencheng got into the carriage and walked towards the three-way road.


    Zhaodi looked at Li Yu happily. ¡°Cousin, did you really sell them for 30 copper coins a can? And all of them?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s sold out. You didn¡¯t have anyone selling sauce at home today, did you?¡±


    Zhaodi nodded with a smile. ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve collected almost a stone for each.¡±


    Li Yu looked at the peas and vegetables drying in the bamboo board. ¡°Zhaodi, you can take these in.¡±

 Chapter 27

    Hurry Up and Make Sauce


    Li Yu and Zhaodi carried the bamboo que into the kitchen and said to Li Mei, who was choosing vegetables, ¡°Aunt, we still have to order a batch of small jars. I think it¡¯s best if we can make a mark on the jars to let others know that the pickled vegetables belong to our family.¡±


    Li Mei looked at Li Yu in confusion. ¡°Mark? What kind of mark?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just like the Ji Shi Hall that epted us. The name Ji Shi Hall is the mark of his family. I think we¡¯ll name it.¡± Li Yu turned around. ¡°It¡¯ll be Li Ji Sauce.¡±


    Li Mei shook her head. ¡°That won¡¯t do. There are so many people with the surname Li in the world. Why don¡¯t we name it ¡°Qingyu¡±!¡±


    ¡°Qingyu Sauce.¡± Li Yu read it and felt that it was convenient. ¡°That¡¯s fine too. It¡¯s best if you can find someone to help write it out and draw two chili peppers for the pottery workshop to duplicate.¡±


    Li Mei thought for a moment. ¡°I still have to paint. Should I ask Zhou Xiucai, Ah Qing¡¯s teacher?¡±


    ¡°Alright, if he doesn¡¯t agree, we¡¯ll think of a way. You and Uncle can drive the ox cart together and collect some vegetables from East Mountain Vige.¡±


    Li Yu thought to himself, If Mr. Zhou doesn¡¯t agree, I can only do this.


    Li Mei called Liu Changmin, who was building an ox barn, and the two of them drove the ox cart towards East Mountain Vige Academy.


    When Li Mei arrived at the school, she saw a cheerful-looking young man standing at the entrance. She went forward and asked with a smile, ¡°Little brother, has Mr. Zhou finished his ss?¡±


    Ji Xiang smiled at Li Mei. ¡°My young master¡¯s ss isn¡¯t over yet. Auntie, what¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Li Mei hesitated. ¡°I want Mr. Zhou to help me write a few words and draw two chili peppers.¡±


    Draw two chili peppers, thought Ji Xiang, wide-eyed. What does that mean?


    ¡°Auntie, what do you mean? I don¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°My niece made sauces to sell. She named it Qingyu Sauce and wanted to ask you to help write it out and draw two chili peppers. I¡¯ll take it so that the burner can be burned on it as it is.¡±


    Ji Xiang understood now. ¡°Oh! Just a name. Wait for me to ask for you.¡±


    ¡°Alright, thank you, Little Brother.¡±


    After a while, Ji Xiang came out and waved at Li Mei. ¡°Auntie,e in! Young Master has agreed.¡±


    Ji Xiang led Li Mei to the ssroom and pointed inside. ¡°My young master is inside. You can go in!¡±


    Seeing that the children had all finished ss and there were only a few children in the ssroom, Li Mei walked in and bowed to Zhou Jia. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Zhou.¡±


    Zhou Jia nodded gently. ¡°You have to write a name called Qingyu. May I know which word you want to write?¡±


    ¡°Qing is Li Qing¡¯s Qing. Yu is Li Yu¡¯s Yu. This name uses Ah Qing and Yu¡¯er¡¯s names.¡±


    Zhou Jia was a little troubled when he heard that. He thought to himself, This auntie can¡¯t read. I know which represents ¡°Qing¡± in Li Qing, but how do I know which ¡°Yu¡± Li Yu is?


    At this moment, Li Qing walked in from outside. When he saw Li Mei, he said in surprise, ¡°Aunt, why are you here?¡±


    Li Mei quickly pulled Li Qing over. ¡°Ah Qing, quickly tell Mister which ¡°Yu¡± is used in your sister¡¯s name.¡±


    Li Qing was confused by Li Mei, but he still went forward and said to Zhou Jia, ¡°Sir, I know how my sister¡¯s Yu character is written.¡±


    ¡°Write it down for me to see.¡± After Zhou Jia got Li Qing to write it down, he helped write down the name of the Qingyu Sauce dish and drew two chili peppers beside it.


    ¡°Thank you, Mr. Zhou.¡± Li Mei bowed to Zhou Jia and walked out of the ssroom with Li Qing.


    Li Qing only understood after asking. After the aunt and niece agreed to go home together, Li Mei went to the pottery workshop.


    Li Yu made Zhaodi cut the peas into pieces as long as her pinky finger.


    Li Yu cut a basin of peas and sprinkled salt on them before rubbing them hard. After the peas were seasoned, she poured them into the sauce vat and continued to marinate the next basin.


    Li Yu and Zhaodi only came out halfway after Li Mei, his wife, and Li Qing returned home.


    Li Mei took out a piece of paper and handed it to Li Yu. She looked at the words written on it with admiration. ¡°Mr. Zhou is the knowledgeable one. Look at how well this is written. The chili is drawn as if it¡¯s real.¡±


    Li Yu took it and took a look. Although she didn¡¯t understand, the handwriting did look good. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll give him two jars of pickled vegetables in the future.¡±


    Seeing that Li Yu was satisfied and felt proud, Li Qing smiled and said to Li Yu, ¡°Sister, I gave the pickled vegetables to Sir. Sir said thank you.¡±


    Li Mei brought the food to the table. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s eat first. We still have work to do!¡±


    After dinner, everyone split up. Li Mei and her husband went out to collect vegetables and came to help with the selection. Everyone split up and worked together.


    Li Yu and Zhaodi were busy until it was almost dark before they marinated the pickled vegetables and chili separately and put them into the sauce vat.


    Li Mei and Liu Changmin had collected a full cart of chili, peas, and vegetables, as well as some onions, ginger, and garlic. They had worked through the night to pick them all out.


    The next day, Li Mei and her husband continued to go out to collect vegetables. After Li Yu fried the ginger and garlic onions in boiling oil, she scooped them out and poured the chili into the oil pot to fry.


    After the chili was fried and cooled, it was scooped into the sauce jar along with the oil. Together with the peanuts, sesame,rge ingredients, white sugar, and white wine, they were poured into the sauce jar and mixed. They sealed the sauce jar with oilcloth and moved it into the empty room. When the jars arrived, they were distributed. Li Yu counted this batch and made more than ten jars.


    Li Yu looked at the beancurd covered by the pumpkin leaves and realized that ayer of white fluff had already grown. It seemed that it had begun to ferment. Li Yu covered the pumpkin leaves back and returned to the kitchen to continue working.


    The few of them worked hard. On the day before the Zhongyuan Festival, Li Yu and Li Mei¡¯s family had already made 70 to 80 jars of pea sauce and 40 to 50 jars of vegetable sauce.


    Li Yu looked at the sauces in the central room and the wing room and sighed in satisfaction. If these sauces were sold out, there would be more than a hundred taels of silver. When the grains were harvested, she could buy some food and store them slowly.


    On the day of the Zhongyuan Festival, Li Mei¡¯s family returned to East Mountain Vige. Li Yu and Li Qing were at home performing sacrifices.


    In the afternoon, Li Yu made some dishes and wine. She burned paper money with Li Qing and worshiped the Li family¡¯s parents and ancestors.


    Li Yu secretly said to the Host in her heart, ¡°Li Yu, don¡¯t worry! I¡¯ll treat Ah Qing as my biological brother. I hope that you can reincarnate in the society of my previous life and be a carefree woman.¡±


    After the siblings washed up, Li Yu checked the front and back doors. Just as she was about to rest, she heard Li Mei calling the door.


    Li Yu hurriedly ran to open the courtyard door and saw Li Mei and her family standing at the door dejectedly.


    When Laidi saw Li Yu, sheined, ¡°Cousin, is there any food? I¡¯m starving. We didn¡¯t even eat dinner.¡±


    Li Mei patted her. ¡°Today is the Zhongyuan Festival. Don¡¯t die, okay?¡±


    Li Yu smiled and pulled Laidi into the house. ¡°Aunt,e in quickly. There¡¯s food.¡±


    Li Qing hurriedly brought Li Mei into the house. Zhaodi followed Li Yu to the kitchen. Zhaodi said angrily, ¡°Grandma and the two uncles didn¡¯t even cook for us. The two aunts are still being sarcastic.¡±


    Li Yu advised, ¡°Don¡¯t argue with them. It¡¯s not worth it to anger yourself.¡±


    ...


    After Li Mei¡¯s family finished eating, Li Yu and her brother rested again.

 Chapter 28

    Harvesting


    The next morning, they started harvesting rice. Li Yu¡¯s family¡¯s rice field was at the entrance, so it was much more convenient to harvest. The six of them finished harvesting half an acre of rice in no time.


    Liu Changmin went back to carry the mixing bucket to the ground. Li Yu quickly helped him take it down and ced it in the open space. Laidi and Li Qing carried the grain and passed it to Li Yu and Liu Changmin. Li Yu took it and smashed it against the side wall of the mixing bucket. In a few moments, the grains on the rice stalks fell into the mixing bucket.


    Seeing that Li Yu was done in a few hits, Liu Changmin raised his thumb and praised, ¡°Xiaoyu, as expected of divine power.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and continued to remove the grains. It only took them a day to collect the two acres of grains.


    Li Yu asked Li Mei to go to the vige to buy a few sun pads and dry the grains in the wastnd outside the house.


    Li Yu realized that she had only collected less grains than expected. She sighed in her heart. This yield was too little!


    After the grains were collected, Li Mei and her husband explored the wastnd at home. Li Qing and Laidi went to the forest to dig fertile soil. Li Yu carried the pickled vegetables to the crossroads.


    Li Yu walked to the intersection and saw that there was no convoy on the road. Just as he was about to put down the backpack, the shopkeeper of Shunfeng Inn stood at the door and waved at Li Yu. ¡°Miss Li,e over. I have something to discuss with you.¡±


    Li Yu nced at the fat shopkeeper and walked over with a smile. ¡°May I know what you want to discuss with me?¡±


    The fat shopkeeper looked at the pickled vegetables in Li Yu¡¯s backpack and smiled. ¡°Miss Li, you can send me your pickled vegetables for sale! I¡¯ll take a copper coin asmission for every jar you sell.¡±


    Li Yu thought to himself: His shop is here. There are many caravans that feed livestock. It¡¯s feasible to put it here.


    ¡°Shopkeeper, I only earn three to four copper coins per jar of pickled vegetables at home. If I sell them on consignment, I¡¯ll give you one copper coin for two jars at most. If you think it¡¯s okay, I¡¯ll put a few jars of each kind with you. I¡¯ll pay you ording to the number you sell.¡±


    The shopkeeper thought about it and felt that it was fine. The ce was empty anyway. He could sell ten cans a day for five copper coins!


    ¡°Miss Li, if arge caravan wants pickled vegetables, your few jars are not enough!¡±


    ¡°My house is in West Mountain Vige. It won¡¯t take more than a quarter of an hour to drive there. Just bring someone with me to note the address.¡±


    The fat shopkeeper nodded and smiled. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll have to get my assistance to go with your.¡±


    ¡°Alright, shopkeeper. You know my surname is Li, so what¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°My surname is Liu and my name is Yong. My family is in East Mountain Vige. Your uncle and I are rted.¡±


    Li Yu bowed to him. ¡°Thank you, Uncle Liu.¡±


    Shopkeeper Liu smiled. ¡°Miss Li, you¡¯re too polite. Let¡¯s help each other!¡±


    Li Yu picked up five cans of pickled vegetables from the back basket and said to Liu Yong with a smile, ¡°Uncle Liu, the wooden stopper is painted with a bar to represent cabbage sauce, the two bars denote pea sauce, the three bars denote minced meat; the vegetable sauce is 20 copper coins a can. The meat sauce costs 30 copper coins each.¡±


    Shopkeeper Liu read them one by one and muttered a few times before nodding. ¡°I¡¯ll remember.¡±


    ¡°We set it in a hurry today. I¡¯ll bring an ount book next time. In the future, we¡¯ll record how much we hand over every time.¡±


    ¡°Good, good. I didn¡¯t expect you to be so thoughtful at your age.¡±


    ¡°I have no choice. No one wants to make a living at such a young age. You know the situation at my house.¡±


    Shopkeeper Liu nodded. ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±


    Li Yu came out of the inn. Shopkeeper Liu sent a worker named Zhu Zi to follow Li Yu to the Li family¡¯s residence.


    Zhu Zi followed Li Yu to the Li residence with a red face. After recognizing the door, he turned around and ran off.


    Li Yu entered with a smile. When Zhaodi, who was at home drying the grains and vegetables, saw that Li Yu was back so quickly, she thought that she had sold out again. She asked happily, ¡°Cousin, were the sauces sold out again?¡±


    Li Yu shook her head. ¡°How could it be so fast? I left it at the inn for sale.¡±


    Zhaodi was a little disappointed when she heard that. She said to Li Yu, ¡°Cousin, Liu Yong is the second son of the Liu family¡¯s patriarch. The inn we call Second Uncle is owned by the patriarch¡¯s family.¡±


    Li Yu was even more relieved when she heard that. She took the hoe and went to the wastnd.


    Somend had already been plowed. Liu Changmin and his wife were picking up stones from the ground. Li Yu also picked them up.


    As Li Yu picked it up, she thought that she had to go to the forest to find some roses to nt around the ground.


    The few of them worked for a day and drove out four to five acres ofnd. Li Qing and Lai Di also carried a lot of fat leaves and scattered them on the ground.


    Li Qing poured the leaf fertilizer out of his backpack and walked to Li Yu¡¯s side. ¡°Sister, I¡¯m going to school the next day. Don¡¯t work too hard at home. I¡¯lle back to work when Ie back from school.¡±


    Li Yu patted the soil on Li Qing¡¯s body. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about this side. In two days, I¡¯ll hire a few people to help with the plowing. Aunt and the others can go back and repair their house.¡±


    Li Qing was relieved to hear that Li Yu would hire someone to work. ¡°Okay! I understand.¡±


    The few of them had just walked to the door when a twelve or thirteen-year-old dark and thin boy walked up to Li Yu nervously. ¡°Sister Li, I heard that your family is hiring people to plow the wastnd. Can Ie to your house to help you? I don¡¯t want money. I just want food.¡±


    When Li Qing saw him, it was as if he had seen his old self. He tugged at Li Yu¡¯s cor. Li Yu patted Li Qing and smiled as she nodded at the boy. ¡°Sure! I was just worried about not being able to find someone to work!¡±


    The boy¡¯s eyes lit up when he saw Li Yu and his sister. He bowed to Li Yu and said, ¡°Thank you, Sister Li. Thank you, Brother Ah Qing. I will work hard.¡±


    Li Yu smiled at him and said, ¡°But I have to pay you for my work. You¡¯re young, so I can only give you a few coins, a wallet, and three meals a day.¡±


    The boy¡¯s eyes reddened at the mention of three meals. ¡°Thank you, Sister Li. I¡¯ll be here first thing in the morning.¡±


    ¡°Hey! Isn¡¯t this the Jiang family¡¯s Xiao An? Is your father feeling better?¡± Li Mei walked over from behind and asked.


    Jiang Xiao¡¯an lowered his head sadly and said, ¡°Aunt Li, my father has already left. Aunt Li, Sister Li, my mother is still waiting for me at home. I¡¯ll go back first.¡±


    Jiang Xiao¡¯an turned around and ran towards the vige. Li Yu turned around and asked Li Mei, ¡°Aunt, what happened to his father?¡±


    ¡°Sigh! His father couldn¡¯t get up after falling when he went to work two years ago. When was carried home, he copsed on the bed. His family also fled to settle down here. His mother¡¯s health isn¡¯t good, and she¡¯s sickly. Sigh! How are they going to live with one sick and one weak?¡±


    Li Qing looked at Li Yu. ¡°Sister, he¡¯s so pitiful!¡±


    Li Mei nodded and looked at Li Yu. ¡°Yu¡¯er, why is An¡¯zi looking for you?¡±


    ¡°He came to me asking for work. He said he didn¡¯t want wages, only food. Auntie, he looks rather pitiful. Let¡¯s go and see!¡±


    ¡°Sigh! She¡¯s an orphan and a widow. There¡¯s no one at home to help her. There¡¯s probably no rice left to cook. Let¡¯s go take a look!¡±


    ¡°Sister, can we give him some rice?¡± Li Qing looked at Li Yu, who nodded. ¡°Sure.¡±


    Li Yu went home and scooped up a few catties of rice. Li Mei led her towards the vige.


    ...

 Chapter 29

    Chance Encounter


    Li Mei brought Li Yu to the east end of the vige. Along the way, Li Yu saw that most of the houses at the east end of the vige were thatched huts. ¡°Aunt, their lives are quite difficult.¡±


    Li Mei nodded. ¡°These families all fled here, and most of them rely on paddy fields to survive. Therge piece of fertilend by the river belongs to the Zhou and Xu families. Fortunately, Aunt has you. Otherwise, she could only be a tenant farmer.¡±


    The aunt and niece chatted as they walked to a thatched house. Li Mei led Li Yu into a fenced courtyard.


    ¡°Is An here?¡± Li Mei called.


    Jiang walked out of the house with tears on his face. ¡°Aunt Li, why are you looking for me?¡±


    ¡°Your Sister Xiaoyu said that she would send you some rice first and deduct it from your sry. Where¡¯s your mother?¡±


    At this moment, a sallow-faced woman walked out shakily while holding onto the wall. ¡°An, who¡¯s looking for you?¡±


    An quickly went over to help his mother. ¡°Mom, it¡¯s Auntie Li and Sister Li.¡±


    Li Yu handed the rice to An before she left. ¡°Auntie, I¡¯m Xiaoyu. An is going to my house to work tomorrow. I¡¯ll send him some rice first.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Li Mei and Xiaoyu? What a rare guest. I haven¡¯t seen you two in years.¡±


    Li Mei looked at her sallow face and felt a little sad. ¡°Big Sister Qian, rest well. An will work at my niece¡¯s house tomorrow.¡±


    Qian panted. ¡°Thank you for taking care of my An.¡±


    Li Mei smiled at her. ¡°Big Sister Qian, rest well. We¡¯ll go back when it¡¯ste.¡±


    Tears flowed from Qian¡¯s eyes as he nodded in a choked voice. ¡°Alright, An, quickly send them off.¡±


    An sent Li Yu and her niece to the door and bowed to them. With tears in his eyes, he said, ¡°Thank you, Aunt Li. Sister Li.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Go back and take care of your mother.¡± The aunt and niece quickly walked home.


    After returning home for dinner, Li Mei looked at Li Yu and said with a smile, ¡°Yu¡¯er, your uncle and I have our eyes on a piece ofnd. When the wastnd here is developed, your uncle and I will go back to repair the house.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll hire some people to work tomorrow. You and Uncle can go back and hire someone to repair the house.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the hurry? It doesn¡¯t matter if it takes a few days. We still have to go to the fields tomorrow morning. Hurry up and rest.¡±


    The next morning, when Li Yu and the others arrived at the field, they saw that An was already digging the ground and picking up rocks. Li Yu quickly stopped him. ¡°An, go eat.¡±


    An nced at Li Yu and smiled. ¡°Sister Li, I ate here.¡±


    Li Mei looked at him and smiled. ¡°This child is too polite. Ah Qing, take An to eat.¡±


    ¡°Brother An,e with me!¡± Li Qing went forward and pulled him home.


    ¡°We¡¯rete.¡± Chen Yaohui and the Madam Li had also arrived with their hoes.


    Li Yu saw that Chen Yaohui and Madam Li had also arrived. ¡°We just came out too. Uncle Chen, Auntie Li, thank you for your hard work.¡±


    Madam Li smiled and patted Li Yu. ¡°This child is always so polite.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and said to Chen Yaohui, ¡°Uncle Chen, I want to hire two more people to work so that Aunt can go back and repair the house. Just follow the sry fromst time. Do you think there¡¯s anyone suitable in the vige?¡±


    Chen Yaohui thought for a moment. ¡°Yes, do you want me to help you call them?¡±


    ¡°Alright, thank you.¡± Li Yu smiled.


    Chen Yaohui put down the hoe and went to the vige. Li Mei said angrily, ¡°Child, why are you in such a hurry?¡±


    Madam Li wiped the sweat off her face. ¡°Big Sister, let¡¯s take advantage of the fact that everyone is free now and quickly fix it. I heard from my father-inw that we¡¯ll probably have to send outborers again in a few days.¡±


    When Li Mei heard this, she frowned and said, ¡°Why do we have to do hardbor again? These past few years have really made me worry.¡±


    ¡°I heard that it takes a lot of days to get a dock to repair the river. Sigh! I¡¯ve just collected some food and I have to spend money again. These days are getting more and more difficult.¡±


    Seeing their miserable expressions, Li Yu was also secretly worried. Chen Yaohui brought four men with hoes over. He pointed at the three of them and smiled at Li Yu. ¡°Xiaoyu, these uncles are all good at working in the vige.¡±


    Li Yu smiled at them and said, ¡°Thank you, uncles, for your hard work.¡±


    A tall and strong middle-aged manughed heartily. ¡°What¡¯s so hard about the work! With money, I can work from morning to night. Haha¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes! We have to thank you,¡± everyone said, rolling up their sleeves and getting to work.


    Li Mei hired a few more people. Thinking that it would cost about 100 copper coins a day, she asked Yu¡¯er to go to the crossroads to sell those pickled vegetables. She stopped Li Yu. ¡°Yu¡¯er, you should go to the crossroads to take a look!¡±


    Li Yu took a look and saw that the few people who came were all good at work. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go take a look.¡±


    Li Yu put down the hoe and returned home. Just as she changed into her dress, Zhaodi ran in. ¡°Cousin, there¡¯s someone called Zhu Zi at the door who wants 50 jars of pickled vegetables and peas.¡±


    ¡°Alright, bring him in. I¡¯ming.¡± Li Yu hurriedly took the booklet from Li Qing. When she came out of the bedroom, she saw Zhaodi filling the bamboo basket with pickled vegetables with Zhu Zi.


    Li Yu also hurriedly filled up the two bamboo baskets. Li Yu carried the bamboo baskets and ced them on the handcart to inform Zhaodi. Then, she got into the cart and went to the Shun Feng Inn on the three-way road with Zhu Zi.


    Seeing that Li Yu and Zhu Zi had arrived, Shopkeeper Liu rubbed his hands and looked at the pickled vegetables in the basket happily. ¡°Xiaoyu, I¡¯ve sold all the pickled vegetables you ced here. The merchants who have tried them all said that your pickled vegetables are delicious.¡±


    Li Yu also became happy. ¡°It¡¯s good that you like it. Uncle Liu, sorry to trouble you.¡±


    A burly man quickly walked over and urged, ¡°Old Liu, hurry up. We¡¯re about to set off.¡±


    ¡°Coming,ing.¡± Shopkeeper Liu hurriedly brought Li Yu to load the pickled vegetables onto a mule cart behind.


    When the man saw the thick hay in the bamboo basket, he smiled in satisfaction. ¡°Sigh! Your family is meticulous. The pickled vegetables I bought in Green Mountain City almost shattered.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and replied, ¡°This is what we should do. Uncle, if you think it¡¯s good after eating my family¡¯s pickled vegetables, help me promote. My family¡¯s pickled vegetables are called Qingyu pickled vegetables. There are two chili peppers on the jar.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± The man readily agreed to pay and shouted at the people in front, ¡°Guys, let¡¯s go! Guys¡­¡± The convoy slowly moved away.


    Li Yu and Shopkeeper Liu returned to the inn. Shopkeeper Liu smiled and said, ¡°Xiaoyu, including the 15 jars you ced here and the ones you sold just now, a total of 65 jars were sold. I collected 15 jars of pickled vegetables. Other than the money from the consignment, I¡¯ll pay you 317 copper coins.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Li Yu put away the copper coins and pointed at the bamboo basket with a smile. ¡°Uncle Liu, I brought 10 jars of each type this time. I¡¯ve recorded them all in this booklet. Please check the numbers and sign in the booklet.¡±


    Shopkeeper Liu took the booklet and flipped through it. He saw that the booklet stated that there were ten jars of July 20th bean paste¡­ and he remembered every single one of them clearly. Shopkeeper Liu nodded. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ve already counted them. I¡¯ll sign here!¡±


    Li Yu pointed at the date. ¡°Yes, after you sign here, we¡¯ll go through the ounts ording to this.¡±


    Shopkeeper Liu signed at the back. Li Yu took the booklet and said, ¡°Uncle Liu, my family is still plowing. I¡¯ll have to trouble you with the pickled vegetables.¡±


    ...


    Shopkeeper Liu waved his hand with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Go ahead!¡± Li Yu came out of the inn and walked towards the town quickly.


    Zhang Guixiang leaned against the car window and saw Li Yuing over from the official road. She patted Zhang Guisheng, who was leaning against the wall of the car and pretending to sleep. ¡°Brother, look. It¡¯s that bitch Li Yu.¡±


    Zhang Guisheng looked at Zhang Guixiang and frowned in disgust. ¡°Ignore her. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°Dachun, stop the car.¡± Zhang Guixiang stopped Dachun, who was driving the car, and pulled Zhang Guisheng. ¡°I¡¯m not leaving. She hit mest time and caused my stomach to hurt for a long time. Brother, you have to help me vent my anger.¡±


    Zhang Guisheng frowned and looked at Zhang Guixiang. ¡°How are you going to vent your anger? Do you think the Zhang and Li families are still as before?¡±


    Zhang Guixiang looked at him and smiled. ¡°Brother, as long as you give her a good attitude, she wille and suck up to you.¡±


    When Zhang Guisheng heard this, he felt a little smug. He recalled that every time Li Yu saw him, her face would turn red and she would shrink her neck in a wretched manner, making him feel disgusted. Then, he thought about how his father had begged everywhere to raise money. He felt that he should give her some respect.

 Chapter 30

    Buying Seeds


    ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll do as you say,¡± Zhang Guisheng agreed with a nod. Zhang Guixiang cheered up. ¡°Watch her.¡±


    Zhang Guisheng looked over, expecting to see an even more cowering and dispirited Li Yu. Unexpectedly, a beautiful and refined woman walked over from behind. She passed the ox cart with light steps and walked straight over without even looking at him.


    ¡°Is this her? She doesn¡¯t look like her!¡± Thinking that he had seen wrongly, Zhang Guisheng stuck his head out and looked around. He realized that there was only the woman who had just walked past.


    Zhang Guisheng realized that he was a little disappointed. He turned his head to look at Li Yu¡¯s back and began to specte how beautiful Li Yu would be after two more years.


    Zhang Guixiang also stared at Li Yu and realized that it had only been a short month, but Li Yu¡¯s skin had be fair and rosy. Even her height had increased, and she looked even more beautiful and refined.


    Zhang Guixiang looked at Li Yu with jealousy and shouted, ¡°Li Yu, my brother is here. Where are you going?¡±


    When Li Yu heard the cry, she thought that someone was calling her. She turned around and saw that it was the Zhang siblings.


    Zhang Guixiang panicked and hurriedly jumped out of the car to run in front of Li Yu. She opened her arms and stopped Li Yu. She raised her eyebrows and looked at her. ¡°My brother is here to see you. Don¡¯t you want to see him?¡±


    Li Yu sneered. ¡°Your brother is not God. Get lost. I¡¯m busy! I don¡¯t have time.¡±


    Zhang Guisheng chased Zhang Guixiang out of the car and walked behind Li Yu. He blurted out, ¡°Xiaoyu, although we¡¯ve broken off the engagement, I still treat you like a sister. Don¡¯t hate my family like this. I¡¯ll make it up to you when I get an honorary title in the future.¡±


    Li Yu had goosebumps all over her body when she heard that. She turned around and looked at Zhang Guisheng with a disdainful smile. ¡°Compensation? Sure! You don¡¯t have to wait until then. Letting Zhang Guixiang die immediately ispensation for Li Yu.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you alright?¡± Zhang Guisheng looked at Li Yu and pretended to be heartbroken. ¡°Xiaoyu, how did you be like this?¡±


    ¡°Do you think that Li Yu should be a pitiful worm who can allow you toe and go as you please? That she should be at your beck and call!¡± Li Yu pointed at him and said coldly, ¡°Zhang Guisheng, put away your hypocritical face. I won¡¯t fall for your tricks.¡±


    At this moment, a mule cart approached from the west. Zhang Guisheng retreated towards the back of the carriage with a red face.


    After saying that, Li Yu turned around and left. Zhang Guixiang was unwilling to let Li Yu go just like that. She suddenly pounced over and wanted to grab Li Yu¡¯s braid. Ji Xiang, who was driving the carriage, widened his eyes and was about to remind Li Yu when Li Yu seemed to have eyes behind his back. She grabbed Zhang Guixiang¡¯s outstretched hand and threw her over his shoulder. With a muffled thud, Zhang Guixiang fell to the ground.


    ¡°Good, your movements are really neat.¡± Ji Xiang looked at Li Yu with glowing eyes and shouted. Li Yu turned to look at Ji Xiang and left without caring if Zhang Guixiang was dead or alive.


    Zhou Jia shouted in the car, ¡°Hurry up and leave.¡±


    ¡°Yes, young master.¡± Ji Xiang sheepishly drove the mule cart away.


    Zhang Guixiangy on the ground in pain. She covered her face and even wanted to die.


    Seeing that the mule was gone, Zhang Guisheng hurriedly ran over from behind the car and helped Zhang Guixiang up. ¡°Little sister, are you alright?¡±


    ¡°Brother.¡± Zhang Guixiang cried on Zhang Guisheng¡¯s shoulder. Zhang Guisheng looked around nervously. ¡°Let¡¯s go quickly. More people will see this if we stay here longer.¡±


    When the siblings returned to the car, Zhang Guixiang looked at Zhang Guisheng and cried, ¡°Brother, you have to avenge me. I want to sell that bitch Li Yu to the most despicable ce.¡±


    Zhang Guisheng replied absent-mindedly. He thought about Li Yu¡¯s look of disgust and determination towards him just now. Then, he recalled how she used to ask about him and fawn on him. His heart felt like it was stabbed by a thorn.


    Li Yu quickly walked to the Zhouji grocery store. Moneymaker smiled and weed her. ¡°Miss, what are you buying today?¡±


    Li Yu looked at the clerk¡¯s smiling face and smiled. ¡°Brother, tell your shopkeeper to lower the price of the vegetable oil. Look, I¡¯ve already bought more than 50 kilograms these days. If you don¡¯t give me a discount, I¡¯ll have to find a new ce to buy my stuff.¡±


    The clerk looked at Li Yu with a troubled expression. ¡°Miss, I¡¯ve already given you a discount.¡±


    When Li Yu heard this, she pretended to leave. The clerk hurriedly shouted, ¡°Miss, wait. Coincidentally, the shopkeeper is here. I¡¯ll help you ask.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Li Yu stopped in his tracks. She thought that if this went on for a long time, she would have to buy some rapeseed seeds to extract oil.


    The clerk went to the courtyard behind the shop and said to Zhou Jia, ¡°Young Master, the girl who bought the salt is here. She wants us to lower the price of the oil.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at the ount book and did not even look up. ¡°Two copper coins less per catty.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± the clerk bowed and retreated into the shop. Ji Xiang pulled him from behind. ¡± I¡¯ll go with you to see that Hercules girl.¡±


    The clerk nced at him with a smile. The two of them went to the shop and looked at Li Yu. They said in surprise, ¡°Aren¡¯t you the girl who threw someone just now?¡±


    Li Yu nced at Ji Xiang nomittally and ignored him. ¡°Brother, how is it?¡±


    ¡°The shopkeeper said one pound is two pennies less.¡± the clerk looked like he had lost money.


    Li Yu pursed her lips. ¡°Your shopkeeper is really stingy. He only lost two copper coins after buying so much. Forget it, give me 50 kilograms!¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll get it for you.¡± the clerk turned around and walked towards the storeroom. Lucky scurried to Li Yu¡¯s side and gave her a thumbs up. ¡°Miss, that throw of yours was really cool and neat!¡±


    Li Yu looked at the happy Ji Xiang and thought to herself, Where did this childe from? He even looks so festive.


    Li Yu pursed her lips and smiled. ¡°Thank you for thepliment.¡±


    Ji Xiang asked Li Yu, ¡°Miss, did you buy so much oil and salt to make something delicious? I love delicious food.¡±


    So he was a foodie. Li Yu smiled and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t have much to eat, so I made some pickled vegetables to sell. They¡¯re sold at Shun Feng Inn at the crossroads.¡±


    Lucky nodded with a smile. ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll buy it and try it when I get back.¡±


    The clerk raised the oil barrel to the door and shouted, ¡°Girl, the oil is out. I¡¯ll lend you a backpack. You can return it next time.¡±


    ¡°Brother you¡¯re too stingy. She bought so many things from us. You can just give her the backpack.¡± Lucky ran over and picked up a backpack for Li Yu. ¡°Miss, this is for you.¡±


    Li Yu nced at the silent clerk and took the backpack with a smile. ¡°Thank you, Little Brother. I¡¯ll treat you to pickled vegetables when I have the chance.¡±


    ¡°Alright! Then I¡¯ll wait!¡± Li Yu nodded, picked up the wooden bucket, and ced it in her backpack. She paid and carried the oil out of the shop.


    Li Yu looked at the shops on both sides of the street and saw a seed shop. The shopkeeper smiled and asked, ¡°Miss, what seeds are you buying?¡±


    ¡°Rapeseed and winter wheat.¡±


    The shopkeeper replied with a smile, ¡°Thirty copper coins for a catty of rapeseed and fifty copper coins for winter wheat.¡±


    ¡°I want 20 catties of rapeseed and four catties of wheat,¡± Li Yu said to the shopkeeper.


    When the shopkeeper heard that Li Yu wanted so much, his smile became even more sincere. ¡°Miss, the wheat seed costs 45 copper coins per catty. 28 copper coins for rapeseed.¡±


    Li Yu did not know the price of the seeds here, so she could only nod in agreement. ¡°Alright, my house is in West Mountain Vige. You have to send me home.¡±


    ¡°Alright, give me a moment,¡± the shopkeeper agreed with a smile. He shouted for the assistant and the two of them neatly weighed the wheat and rapeseed, loaded them into the sacks, and loaded them onto the mule cart. Li Yu paid and boarded the mule cart. When they passed by the winery, they went to buy a vat of wine and ced it on the cart before returning to West Mountain Vige.


    Zhaodi looked at Li Yu and said, ¡°Cousin, you¡¯re finally back. You sent over a lot of peas and vegetables today. The money you left at home has been used up. Also, Uncle Liu said that he wants a hundred jars of pickled vegetables for you to prepare tomorrow afternoon. Send them over early.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and praised her. ¡°Our Zhaodi is really capable.¡±


    ...


    Zhaodi blushed. ¡°No, Ah Qing helped me settle the bill today.¡± She pointed at the sack. ¡°What did you buy this time?¡±


    Li Yu carried the sack into the house. ¡°Wheat seeds and rapeseed seeds. I n to nt all of them in the wastnds at the back.¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡± Zhaodi helped Li Yu carry the rapeseed into the house and went to choose the vegetables.

 Chapter 31

    Unwilling to Give Up


    Li Yu went into the house to put the wheat seeds and rapeseed seeds into the space. She went to the kitchen to catch some peppercorns and cinnamon¡­ and put them in the pot to boil before filtering out the main ingredients. She scooped out the boiled water and hung it in the empty oil bucket.


    She turned around and went to the side room. She poured the moldy bean petals from the bamboo que into arge wooden basin and carried it to the well. She washed the moldy bean petals and poured them into the bamboo que to dry. She then poured them into the cold water to soak with salt and white wine.


    Zhaodi put away the dried chili and handed it to Li Yu. She looked at the bean petals in the wooden bucket. ¡°Cousin, are you going to start making bean petals?¡±


    Li Yu nodded. ¡°Yes! Leave it to me.¡±


    ¡°Good. We got a lot of peas today. We may not have enough saucepans.¡±


    ¡°Go make lunch first. Later, ask Ah Qing to send over the sauce jar and jar from his house.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Zhaodi went to wash the vegetables and cook. Li Yu went to the eaves and stored a portion of the chili and peas in the space. She returned and started chopping the chili. She held the kitchen knife in both hands and swung it quickly from left to right. She started chopping.


    At this moment, Madam Chen Shi had also arrived at the entrance of West Mountain Vige. When she saw a few old men and women sitting under the tree at the entrance of the vige, she walked over and smiled politely at them. ¡°Are you uncles and aunties enjoying the shade here?¡±


    They looked at her and nodded with a smile. An old woman saw that she looked a little like Chen Zhaodi and asked with a smile, ¡°Sister-inw, are you here to visit your rtives?¡±


    Chen smiled. ¡°No, I want to ask you about something!¡±


    ¡°What do you say?¡± said the old woman, smiling.


    ¡°I want to ask about the Li family girl who broke off the engagement with the Zhang family. I heard that she¡¯s very fierce now.¡±


    The old woman nced at her. ¡°That girl is a capable person now. In addition, she¡¯s strong. You don¡¯t know that she beat up Zhang and his wife the other day. Oh my! The two of thembined are no match for her alone. That girl used to be quiet, but now it seems that she¡¯s a formidable person.¡±


    When Madam Chen heard this, she thought to herself that Zhang Decai was strong and muscr. Mrs. Zhao was not just tall but also strong. Yet the two of them could not defeat that girl. Chun Sheng¡¯s small body would not be able to withstand her torture. She would not dare to take such a daughter-inw.


    After Chen thought about it, she stood up and smiled dryly at the old woman. ¡°Auntie, thank you. I still have something on at home, so I¡¯ll go back first.¡±


    The old woman looked at her and nodded. As she walked away, the old woman sitting beside her said, ¡°I remember that she¡¯s the cousin of the Chen family! Why is she asking about Xiaoyu?¡±


    The old woman pursed her lips. ¡°She must be up to no good. She doesn¡¯t look like she¡¯sing.¡±


    When Zhaodi came out after cooking, she saw that Li Yu had already chopped up half a jar of chili. She called everyone home to prepare for dinner.


    When Li Mei returned home, she saw the peas and peppers piled up under the eaves. ¡°Why did you collect so much today? I¡¯m afraid there are more than ten stones in total!¡±


    Zhaodi replied, ¡°Seven stones for chili peppers, six or seven stones for peas, and some vegetables. Mom, several vigers havee to sell vegetables. It¡¯s like a market.¡±


    Li Qing looked at Li Yu¡¯s fingers that were red from the chili. He frowned and said to Li Yu, ¡°Sister, go to the forest in the afternoon and plow the soil with Brother Xiao An. I¡¯ll chop chili at home.¡±


    ¡°How many catties of chili can you chop with your thin arms?¡± Li Mei smiled and pointed at Liu Changmin. ¡°Let your uncle chop chili at home. His skin is so thick that he¡¯s not afraid of the spiciness.¡±


    Liu Changmin smiled honestly. ¡°Yes! I¡¯ll chop it at home. I¡¯m thick-skinned and not afraid of spicy food.¡±


    Everyone sat at the table and ate while talking. An looked at the warm scene at Li Yu¡¯s house and thought of his cold home. He lowered his head and ate his white rice.


    Li Mei ced some meat and vegetables in his bowl. ¡°An, don¡¯t just eat white rice. Eat some vegetables.¡±


    An¡¯s heart warmed. ¡°Aunt Li, I¡¯m eating. You eat too.¡±


    After dinner, everyone was hard at work. Li Qing when to get jars for the sauces Lidi and Zhaodi stayed at home to pick vegetables. Liu Changmin stayed at home to chop chili. Li Yu and An went to the forest to dig for fertilizer.


    Li Qing dragged the sauce jar and y pot back to exchange for Li Yu¡¯s money. After seeing Potter Luo out, Li Yu returned to the house to clean up the two sisters¡¯ vegetables and wash them with peas before drying them in the bamboo board. She then went to put the pickled vegetables Shopkeeper Liu wanted in the bamboo basket and returned to the kitchen to start chopping chili again.


    When Zhang Guisheng and his sister returned to Green Mountain City, Zhang Guisheng went to ask Zhang Defa, ¡°Dad, when did Li Yu be a different person?¡±


    Zhang Defa recalled how he had been begging for money and Zhang Guisheng¡¯s betrothal gifts these days. He was furious. ¡°That bitch has changed since the day your mother and sister forced her to break off the engagement. You don¡¯t have to bother about her. Just wait for Miss Zhu to marry you!¡±


    Zhang Guisheng heard from his father that Li Yu became like this because of the engagement. For some reason, he was secretly delighted. ¡°Father, I understand. I¡¯ll go read.¡±


    Zhang Defa looked at his son with relief. ¡°Go!¡±


    Chen Zhaodi looked at the sobbing Zhang Guixiang andforted her gently, ¡°Good girl, bear with it for a few more days. Your father will get someone to teach her a lesson.¡±


    Zhang Guixiang jumped from the bed into Chen Zhaodi¡¯s arms. ¡°Mother, remember to help me vent my anger when the timees.¡± Chen Zhaodi nodded and gently patted her vest.


    Li Yu didn¡¯t know that the Zhang family was still thinking about revenge. She gritted her teeth and chopped the chili. Liu Changmin looked at Li Yu happily. ¡°Xiaoyu! You¡¯ve almost chopped through the chopping board. There¡¯s not much left. Go y for a while!¡±


    Li Yu blushed. ¡°Uncle, I¡¯m fine. Look, there¡¯s still a pile there that you can¡¯t finish chopping alone until dawn.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re just too stubborn.¡± Liu Changmin sped up. The two of them persisted until evening, when there were still two baskets of chili left. Li Yu swung her sore and swollen hands around the courtyard.


    Li Mei and the others returned and saw more than a dozen jars of chopped chili in the courtyard, as well as peas and shredded vegetables filled with bamboo racks. They smiled and praised them. ¡°You guys are too efficient! You did so much in one afternoon.¡±


    Zhaodi came out with a low table. ¡°Mom, didn¡¯t you see that my cousin almost chopped through the chopping board?¡±


    Li Yu smiled. ¡°It¡¯s not just me! The shredded vegetables were cut by Zhaodi and Cousin Laidi.¡±


    Li Qing looked at them and smiled. ¡°Sister, Cousin, you¡¯ve worked hard.¡±


    Li Mei stroked Ah Qing¡¯s head. ¡°Ah Qing and Xiao An also worked hard. The two of them dug up all the fertile soil in that forest and piled up several piles of the soil beside the wastnd!¡±


    ¡°Everyone has worked hard. Cousin asked me to make chicken soup.¡± Zhaodi ced the chicken soup on the table and turned to look at Li Yu. ¡°Hey! Cousin, I wanted to ask you just now. Where did you get this pheasant?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I go out for a walk just now? I caught in the forest back then.¡± Li Yu made things up. After the few of them had a lively meal, Liu Changmin and Li Mei sent Xiao An to his door before returning home.


    Qian was relieved to see An¡¯s cheerful expression.


    When Li Mei returned home, Li Yu took out 30 taels of silver and handed it to her. ¡°Aunt, take this silver and repair the house.¡±


    Li Mei took the silver and hugged it in her arms. She looked at Li Yu gratefully. ¡°Yu¡¯er, I¡¯ll slowly save up money to repay you.¡±


    ¡°Aunt, if you continue to say that, it means that you don¡¯t treat us as your family. Besides, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to pluck those goji berries on the mountain without your and my two cousins¡¯ help. Also, you guys helped to make all these pickled vegetables at home!¡±


    Li Mei and Liu Changmin looked at Li Yu. Liu Changmin¡¯s eyes turned red. ¡°Yu¡¯er, Uncle will always remember your help.¡±


    Li Yu smiled. ¡°Uncle, you¡¯re being too polite!¡± Liu Changmin scratched his head andughed.


    Li Mei made arrangements. ¡°Before the rainy seasones, your uncle and I will go back and buy the foundation from the vige chief tomorrow. We¡¯ll hire the craftsmen to build the shed. At that time, Zhaodi and Laidi wille back to help.¡±


    ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll do as you say,¡± Liu Changmin said happily.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s get to work.¡± Li Mei pulled Liu Changmin to help Li Yu chop up all the chili. Li Yu and the others washed the peas and vegetables and dried them under the eaves before dragging their sore bodies back to the house to sleep.


    The next morning, Li Mei and her husband returned to East Mountain Vige. Li Qing also had to go to school. Li Yu took two jars and handed them to Li Qing. ¡°Ah Qing, this is for your teacher to thank him for helping us write.¡±


    ...


    Li Qing took the bamboo basket. ¡°Okay. Sister, don¡¯t tire yourself out at home. I¡¯lle back to help after school.¡±


    ¡°Got it. Go quickly or you¡¯ll bete.¡± Li Yu went to the wastnd. Chen Yaohui and a few vigers who were working were already starting to plow thend. An came back with a full load of grass on his back and poured it by the wastnd to feed the cows.


    Chen Yaohui asked Li Yu loudly, ¡°Xiaoyu, what do you n to nt in thesends?¡±


    Li Yu said loudly, ¡°Uncle Chen, I n to nt winter wheat and rapeseed.¡±


    ¡°Rapeseed?¡± Chen Yaohui asked curiously. ¡°What are you nting that for?¡± Li Yu said, ¡°To yield edible oil! Haven¡¯t you nted it before? The vegetable oil sold in town costs 30 copper coins a catty!¡±


    Chen Yaohui shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ve never nted it before. That vegetable oil is all eaten by vegetarian cultivators. There¡¯s also a strange smell when using it to cook.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Li Yu finally understood why everyone stopped growing rapeseed. Li Yu asked An to continue digging the fertile soil and went home.

 Chapter 32

    Buying Food


    Li Yu went home and filtered out the soaked moldy bean cloves and ced them in a sauce jar. She poured in the white wine, peppe, and salt and can oil ording to the ratio. After mixing them well, she ced them in the courtyard to dry. When she returned to the house, she ced the salt and white wine in the chili sauce ording to the ratio. She stirred them evenly and ced them there for backup. Then, she started a fire and started to fry the chili to make the peas and cabbage sauce.


    Zhaodi used salt to dry the peas and brought them into the kitchen for Li Yu to use. The two cousins worked quietly and cooperated well.


    When Li Yu saw that it was about time, she went to the wastnd to bring the ox home. After setting up the ox cart, she sent the pickled vegetables to Shun Feng Inn.


    Shopkeeper Liu smiled when he saw Li Yu. ¡°Xiaoyu, we still have to make a trip. We are ordering another 300 cans.¡±


    ¡°Okay, Uncle Liu, I¡¯ll go back immediately.¡± Li Yu unloaded the goods and paid the bill with Shopkeeper Liu before turning around to drive the ox cart back.


    As soon as Li Yu reached home, she called for Zhaodi and Lai Di. ¡°Cousin,e and help me move the pickled vegetables.¡± The two sisters hurriedly ran out. Li Yu smiled and said, ¡°I have an order for 300 jars. Fortunately, I filled a few hundred jars yesterday. Otherwise, I would have been dyed.¡±


    Laidi smiled happily. ¡°Cousin, there must be more people who know about our pickled vegetables. It looks like we have to make a little more.¡±


    ¡°Yes! I¡¯ll start filling cans when I get back from the delivery.¡± Li Yu sent the pickled vegetables to the inn in a huff and returned home to start filling cans with the Zhaodi sisters.


    The three of them busied themselves until Li Qing returned and realized that they had yet to cook.


    Li Yu smiled. ¡°There¡¯s no time to cook. Let¡¯s just have the soup.¡±


    The few of them smiled and nodded. Li Yu made the soup with noodles. Li Qing, Zhaodi, and the others ate until they were slurping and kept praising Li Yu¡¯s cooking.


    After eating, Li Qing and Xiao An went to the forest. They dug until it was not far from school time before they rushed to school.


    Li Yu decided that the children here were really sensible. As long as they had food to eat and work, no one needed to worry.


    The three of them busied themselves until before dinner. The packed pickled vegetables filled the entire house. After counting, Li Yu realized that there were only about 200 jars of meat sauce left. She nned to send the wild boars in the space to the He family to prepare so she can make them into meat sauce.


    After dinner, Li Yu lit the oilmp and mixed the bean paste and chili sauce in proportion. She moved the sauce jar to the wall and ced it in two rows. She scooped ayer of bean paste into the sauce jar and added ayer of vegetable oil. She ced the bean paste half a foot away from the edge of the jar and stopped, leaving some space for the bean paste to ferment and spread outside the sauce jar.


    Li Qing held the oilmp and looked at Li Yu. ¡°Sister, Sir asked me to thank you for the pickled vegetables.¡±


    ¡°Oh! If your teacher likes it, send more to him next time. Ah Qing, put the oilmp on the bamboo rack and rest early.¡±


    Zhaodi pointed at Laidi, who was dozing off under the eaves. ¡°Ah Qing, go to sleep. It seems like I fell asleep as soon as it got dark.¡±


    Li Qing shook his head. ¡°None of you are sleeping.¡± Li Yu took the oilmp from Li Qing¡¯s hand. ¡°Be good and call Cousin back to the house to sleep.¡±


    Ah Qing watched as Li Yu nodded and put down the oilmp. She went over to wake up the siblings and they went back to their rooms to sleep. Li Yu and Zhaodi were busy until midnight before they mixed all the bean slices, covered them, and ced them in the courtyard to ferment.


    Li Yu went to the backyard to check that the door was closed properly and sent a bundle of grass to the ox before returning to the house to rest.


    Early the next morning, she stirred the bean paste in the sauce jar and ced the bamboo lid upright against the jar. She opened the jar and began to tan.


    It took them several days to make all the peas, peppers, and vegetables in the courtyard into pickled vegetables.


    Li Mei set up a shed and brought the sisters back to Dongshan Vige to help take care of the construction site. Laidi carried her rabbit and said to Li Yu, ¡°Cousin, when the house is fixed, I¡¯lle back and spend time with you.¡±


    Li Yu stroked her soft hair and smiled. ¡°Sure! I¡¯ll wait for you toe back.¡±


    Li Mei reminded Li Yu, ¡°Be careful at home. When Aunt¡¯s house is repaired, I cane over and help you make pickled vegetables.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Li Yu sent Li Mei and her daughters away and returned to the house.


    Li Mei bought the foundation in East Mountain Vige, which was close to Xishan Vige. There was also a 30-acre mountain behind the homestead. The title deed and the house deed cost ten taels of silver together.


    Li Yu¡¯s soy sauce business was also on track. Even the least sold could sell sixty to seventy cans a day.


    Li Yu knew that there would be less and less peas and chili as the weather turned cold, so she put all the retracted peas and chili into the space.


    After Li Mei¡¯s family returned, it was much more convenient for Li Yu to retrieve things from her space. She sent the wild boar to the He family and had it made it into minced meat.


    Li Yu was afraid that if she wasn¡¯t at home, Shopkeeper Liu would not be able get the goods and lose the customers. Hence she would increase the number of pickled sauces in Shopkeeper Liu¡¯s inn to 100 jars. After making arrangements, she stored all the pickled sauces into her space to preserve them.


    The straw in the field had also dried up. Li Yu spent half a day collecting all the straw and stacking it in the woodshed.


    After another five to six days, Chen Yaohui and the others followed Li Yu¡¯s instructions and scattered fertile soil onto the wastnd twice before plowing it deeply and ttening it. Only then did the wastnd finally open up.


    Li Yu paid the wages to the few of them. After the helpers left, she said to Chen Yaohui, ¡°Uncle Chen, I¡¯m strong and eat a lot. Also, Ah Qing is growing. After paying taxes, I only have three to four catties of grain left. I want to buy some grains or rice to put at home. Do you know which family has a lot of grain?¡±


    ¡°My family sells twenty to thirty catties of grain every year. How much do you want? Buy it from my family!¡± Chen Yaohui said with a smile.


    Li Yu knew that the vige head was in charge of the Chen family¡¯s affairs. She smiled and said to Chen Yaohui, ¡°Uncle Chen, I¡¯ll buy 30 stones from your house. Tell the vige head and grandfather that I¡¯ll give them as much as they pay.¡±


    When Chen Yaohui heard this, he heaved a sigh of relief. If he sold less, he could still make the decision for a cheaper price. If he sold too much, the rest of the family would grumble. The price would be the same as others, and it would be easier for him to report.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll send it to you when I get back.¡± Chen Yaohui strode away.


    Li Yu called An over. An looked at Li Yu uneasily. ¡°Sister Li, I¡¯ll go home after cutting the cow grass.¡±


    ¡°An, I want to ask if it¡¯s okay for you to help at my house. I¡¯ll give you four hundred copper coins a month. Are you willing to eat lunch at my house?¡±


    An didn¡¯t expect Li Yu to hire him. He said gratefully to Li Yu, ¡°Sister Li, you don¡¯t have to give me so much. I know you¡¯re taking care of me, but I¡¯m not worth that much. Just give me ten copper coins a day.¡±


    Li Yu didn¡¯t expect An to say that, but she decided to respect the child.


    ¡°Okay, we¡¯ll do as you say. Is your mother feeling better?¡±


    ¡°Much better. Thank you, Sister Li.¡± An bowed to Li Yu and happily led the cow away.


    After more than an hour, the two Chen brothers arrived in an ox cart. Chen Yaohui¡¯s elder brother, Chen Yaozu, pointed at the grains and said to Li Yu with a smile, ¡°Xiaoyu, the grains are all dried. They¡¯re all this year¡¯s new grains. 600 copper coins for one stone. This cart contains 10 catties.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and nodded. ¡°Alright, Uncle Chen. I¡¯ll give you the money when you send it all over.¡±


    Chen Yaozu chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m not afraid that you¡¯ll run away.¡±


    The few of them carried the food into the house. Li Yu asked them to put it under the eaves. The brothers went back to get more food.


    After running back and forth three times, they finally managed to get all the food to Li Yu¡¯s house. Li Yu paid the money and sent Chen Yaohui and his brother away. Just as they returned to the courtyard, the family selling piglets came with two piglets. Madam Xie smiled brightly and said, ¡°Xiaoyu, the piglets have already been raised. Is your pigpen still in the backyard? I¡¯ll carry it over for you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s still in the backyard.¡± Li Yu brought the Xie couple to the backyard and locked the piglets in the pigpen. Li Yu paid the rest of the money, and the Xie couple left happily.

 Chapter 33

    Alert


    Li Yu went to the vegetable garden and broke off a handful of vegetables. After returning to the house to wash them, she cut them up, cooked them with slop, and scooped them into the basin. She then mixed the rice bran and brought it to the pigpen to feed the piglets before going back to put all the food into the space.


    Li Yu was relieved. Now that she had food, she still had a few thousand catties of pickled sauces in her space. Li Yu was not in a hurry to earn money. At home, she recalled the steps when she was farming at home in her previous life. She recorded them in the booklet and tidied them up before putting the booklet into her space.


    An returned with the cow on his back. Li Yu picked up the cow with two bags of grass hanging on its back. She nodded in satisfaction and put the chick into the chicken coop. When she returned, she handed her sry and a pheasant to An. ¡°Keep An¡¯s sry well. Also, take this pheasant back and stew it for your mother.¡±


    An hesitated, then took the wages and the pheasant. ¡°Thank you, Sister. I¡¯lle back in the morning.¡±


    Li Yu nodded and watched An leave before leading the cows to the cowshed. Seeing that An had cleaned up the cowshed, she was even more satisfied.


    Li Yu returned to the house and grabbed a handful of grains to open the back door. She called for the chicks that were looking for food in the wastnd. When the chicks heard their master¡¯s call, they spread their wings and flew back to the backyard, pecking at the grains in the courtyard.


    Li Qing returned with the bamboo basket and smiled at Li Yu. ¡°Sister, I got an excellent grade in the exam. Sir rewarded me with a set of brush and ink.¡±


    ¡°Alright, it¡¯s worth a reward. I should reward you too.¡± Li Yu looked at the bamboo basket Li Qing was carrying and thought of a gift. ¡°When I go to town to buy cloth, I¡¯ll make a school bag for you.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Li Qing agreed happily and went to chop wood with a machete and rope.


    Li Yu cooked the meal at home. She stir-fried some cabbage and made a bowl of egg soup. After Li Qing finished his homework and the siblings ate, Li Qing fed the cow. Li Yu scooped a small bowl of beans and soaked them in the basin. After the siblings washed up, they split up to rest.


    Li Yu¡¯s family situation was reported to Zhang Depa. Zhang Depa told Zhang Defa, ¡°Brother, that bitch is very strong. We have to find two strong ones.¡±


    Zhang Defa thought for a while and thought of two people. He smiled sinisterly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll go look for the xu brothers. These two brothers are tall and strong, and they specialize in the streets.¡±


    Li Yu woke up early the next morning. After going to the forest to train, she went to set up the rope. She took a look at the tree and went home. After grinding the beans, Xiao An entered the courtyard with two pairs of shoes.


    Xiao An handed the shoes to Li Yu. ¡°Sister, my mother made these shoes for you and Brother Ah Qing. Try them and see if they match.¡±


    Li Yu took it and smiled happily. ¡°Thank you, An, and thank your mother. Ah Qing and I like them very much.¡±


    Xiao An nodded shyly and went to the backyard to herd the cows.


    Li Yu looked at the shoes in her hand that were made of green cloth. One pair was simply embroidered with a few bamboo leaves, and the other pair was embroidered with a pair of magnolia flowers. The stitching looked good.


    Li Yu handed the shoe to Li Qing. ¡°Ah Qing, Auntie Qian made this for you. See if it fits.¡±


    ¡°It looks really good.¡± Li took off his shoes and tried them on. ¡°It¡¯s a little loose. I can wear it no matter how big it is.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go cook.¡± Li Yu patted Li Qing and took her shoes back to the house to try them out. They were also a little loose. She secretly felt that the Auntie Qian family¡¯s sewing skills were really good.


    Li Yu cooked some bean curd rice. After the siblings ate, Li Qing went to school. Li Yu fed the pigs and let Xiao An, who was herding the cows, find his own work. She drove the ox cart with the pickled vegetables towards Shun Feng Inn. When he passed by Zhang Decai¡¯s house, Li Yu suddenly felt a prick on her back. She turned her head slightly and nced at the door of the house. Seeing that the door was closed, Li Yu felt that something was wrong. Without batting an eyelid, she continued to drive the ox cart to the inn and handed the goods to Shopkeeper Liu to drive the ox cart to town to buy cloth.


    When they arrived at the cloth shop, Li Yu bought a bolt of dark coarse cloth and some cotton. She also bought a thin cotton white cloth and a few thin pieces of cloth. She nned to give two to Chen Yaohui¡¯s family to thank them for taking care of her family.


    After leaving the cloth shop, Li Yu went to the ce where she had bought paper moneyst time. She bought 20 catties of straw paper and went to the grocery store to buy a can of cooked tung oil and two brushes. She drove the ox cart back.


    Along the way, Li Yu kept feeling that someone was secretly spying on her. Li Yu pretended to be attracted by the hawking sound by the roadside and turned around. She saw a tall man pretending to look at the stall in front of him.


    Li Yu became even more guarded. There was no movement from that person even after she left the town. When she returned home, Li Yu was still thinking that it was definitely not that simple. As she thought about it, she moved her things into the house and ced them in the ox cart. Then, she led the ox to the ox shed and tied it up before returning to the kitchen to cook.


    After cooking, Li Yu went to the forest to find Xiao An and asked him to look after the house. She went to East Mountain Vige School alone and saw that the school gate was still closed. She stood at the door and waited for a while.


    Li Yu stood there for more than ten breaths when she heard the courtyard door open. She turned around and saw Ji Xiang.


    When Ji Xiang saw Li Yu, he smiled and greeted her. ¡°Miss, are you looking for me?¡±


    Li Yu smiled and shook her head. ¡°No, I passed by and came to pick my brother up for dinner.¡±


    Ji Xiang pointed at the school. ¡°Who¡¯s your brother? My name is Ji Xiang. I¡¯m the school teacher¡¯s assistant. Do you want me to call him for you?¡±


    Li Yu thought that she had run into a chatterbox. She turned around and saw Li Qing running out of the school. ¡°Ah Qing.¡± Li Yu hurriedly called out to Li Qing.


    Li Qing turned around and was pleasantly surprised to see Li Yu. He went up to her. ¡°Sister, why are you here?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s almost time for school to end, so I wanted to pick you up.¡± Li Yu pulled Li Qing and waved at Ji Xiang before leaving without looking back.


    ¡°So she¡¯s Li Qing¡¯s sister! She¡¯s good-looking and agile. She even knows how to make pickled vegetables. Li Qing is really lucky.¡± Ji Xiang muttered to himself as she watched the siblings walk away.


    Ruyi stood behind him and patted him. ¡°What are you muttering about? You don¡¯t even know that I¡¯m behind you. Tell me, what delicious food are you hiding?¡±


    Ji Xiang smiled cheekily and held Ruyi. ¡°What am I mumbling about? I¡¯m muttering about how Li Qing is lucky to have a good-looking sister.¡± Ji Xiang and Ruyi returned to the courtyard. ¡°Ruyi, let me tell you. That day, when Young Master and I went to town and saw Sister Li Qing on the way, in the blink of an eye, she threw a woman who attacked her from behind to the ground. I saw that her skills were not what a farm girl should have. I was still worried. Later, I found out that she was the strong girl that the clerk mentioned.¡±


    Ruyi patted Ji Xiang¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Young Master promised that witch to quit the Zhou family and stop fighting with her son for the position of the family head. She¡¯s living in seclusion in the old residence. It¡¯s time for her to stop.¡±


    Li Qing followed Li Yu home and saw that the food was ready. He happily brought the food to the table with Xiao An and ced a piece of pork ribs in Li Yu¡¯s bowl. ¡°Sister, eat more.¡±


    Xiao An looked at Li Qing enviously. Li Qing thought that An wanted to take another piece and put it in his bowl. ¡°Brother An, it¡¯s been hard on you.¡±


    Xiao An smiled and nced at Li Qing. ¡°It¡¯s not hard on me. Sister Li is the one who has been suffering.¡±


    Li Yu knocked on the vegetable bowl. ¡°Hurry up and eat. It¡¯ll get cold if you don¡¯t.¡±


    After the three of them ate, Li Qing and Xiao An went to the forest. They carried the fertile soil to the edge of the wastnd and poured it into the manure pit that Li Yu had dug.

 Chapter 34

    Set a trap, Catch the Vicious


    Li Yu rolled out some rice and ced it in the rice tank. She returned to the house and carried the coarse cloth out to hang on the bamboo pole. She used a brush to brush the tung oil on to the coarse cloth.


    After the can of tung oil was used up, she finished brushing the coarse cloth. Li Yu dried the cloth on the bamboo pole and cut it four feet long and one and a half feet wide. She went back to the house and cut the same length and width of dark green thin cloth. ording to the appearance of the backpack in her memory, she cut and folded the sides before cross-stitching the bag. After sewing the bag cover, she made two one-inch-wide shoulder straps and sewed them on the top of the bag. At the bottom, she sewed two thin cloth straps to make it easier to adjust the length. After the bag was done, Li Yu cut a cloth shell for shoes and wrapped it in tung oil cloth before sewing it and cing it at the bottom of the bag. A double-shoulder bag was made. Li Yu looked at her masterpiece with some pride.


    Li Yu stretchedzily and looked up at the sky. She estimated in her heart and realized that she had used more than an hour.


    Li Yu took her bag and ced it in her room. She picked up the wicker basket and went to the forest to see Xiao An carefully carrying the fertile soil into his back.


    Li Yu went over to help lift the backpack. ¡°Xiao An, I¡¯ll carry it for a while.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not tired! Sister Li, why don¡¯t you rest for a while?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not tired.¡± Li Yu poured the fertile soil back into the manure pit and went back to pick up another load of fertile soil to continue pouring into the pit.


    The two of them were so busy that Li Yu asked Xiao An to go back and herd the cows while he continued to pour fertile soil into the manure pit. By the time Xiao An returned, Li Yu had already filled the pit.


    After picking the fertilizer, Li Yu walked around the wastnd and found a few low-lying ces to dig marks. She nned to dig a few cisterns and wait for the rainwater to fill up.


    When the sun set, Xiao An went home. Li Yu cooked dinner and locked the chicken in the chicken coop. She went out to school and watched from afar as Li Qing returned to West Mountain Vige before taking the path home.


    Li Yu felt that the sky was getting darker and darker. She was busy every day. After dinner, she fed the pigs and cleaned the pigsty. After packing everything up, Li Yu handed her bag to Li Qing.


    ¡°Sister, what is this?¡± Li Qing held the school bag for some reason. Li Yu smiled and ced Li Qing¡¯s book and booklet into the school bag. She ced the school bag on his shoulder. Li Qing touched the school bag and smiled in surprise. ¡°Sister, is this for studying?¡±


    Li Yu smiled and said, ¡°Yes, this is a school bag. I¡¯ve packed ayer of oilcloth inside. Even if it rains, you don¡¯t have to worry about the books getting wet.¡±


    ¡°Sister.¡± Li Qing looked at Li Yu with red eyes.


    Li Yu smiled and patted him. ¡°Silly child, you¡¯re a man. How can you cry so easily? Go and rest. Get up early tomorrow.¡±


    Li Qing carried his bag back to their room. He sat on the edge of the bed and kissed his bag. He smiled foolishly and fell asleep shortly after.


    Li Yu alsoy on the bed with her clothes on. She thought to herself, If the Zhang family really found someone to take revenge, they might onlye in the dead of the night. She should sleep early and recuperate. Li Yu adjusted her breathing and slowly fell asleep.


    It was early in the evening. The night was dark and it was drizzling. The vige slowly fell silent. asionally, from somewhere in the distance, a child would cry. In a moment, it would be coaxed into silence.


    The rain stopped after more than two hours. It was so dark that one could not see their fingers. At dawn, Li Yu woke up andy on the bed, breathing slowly. She pricked up her ears to listen to themotion outside.


    At midnight, two tall men in ck walked out of Zhang Decai¡¯s house. The two of them lightened their footsteps and walked quickly towards the end of the vige. When they reached the end of the vige, they turned and walked towards Li Yu¡¯s house.


    Soon, the two of them stopped in front of Li Yu¡¯s house. They looked around and walked towards the backyard sneakily.


    Li Yu turned over and got out of bed. She used the water beside the bed to wet the cloth to cover her mouth and nose. She took out a bow and arrow from her space and quietly opened the bedroom door. She went to the central room and gently locked Li Qing¡¯s door. She turned around and jumped onto the roof beam on a high stool.


    At this moment, the slightmotion of the piglets and chickens came from the backyard. Li Yu listened attentively and heard two people jump into the yard. The footsteps were getting closer and Li Yu heard that the two of them had already reached the eaves porch and went to the bedroom window.


    The Xu brothers arrived at Li Yu¡¯s window and poked at the window paper with one finger. Unexpectedly, it didn¡¯t break. Eldest Xu touched it and realized that it was the window gauze.


    Eldest Xu took out a dagger and gently poked a hole in the window curtain. He took out a bamboo tube and lit it before cing it in the window curtain.


    After a while, both of them felt that it was about time. They turned around and walked towards the central room. Li Yu nocked an arrow and aimed it at the door.


    Slowly, Li Yu watched as the door bolt was pried open by a thin de that shone with a cold light. A hand reached in and supported the door bolt. The door bolt was gently ced on the ground. Then, the door was gently pushed open from both sides. A pair of legs stepped in. Li Yu fired both arrows at the same time. The arrows tore through the air and two muffled sounds were heard as they shot into their calves.


    Eldest Xu and Xu Er gritted their teeth and tried to escape while supporting each other.


    Li Yu immediately shot two more arrows which hit their targets. The two of them fell in the courtyard.


    Li Yu jumped down and took two steps into the courtyard with the knife. She pointed the knife at the two of them and shouted in a low voice, ¡°Tell me, who asked you toe?¡±


    The Xu brothers thought that the Li family had hired someone from the martial world and kept begging for mercy. ¡°Spare us, heroine. We won¡¯t do it again.¡±


    Li Yu kicked one of them, who fell to the ground and happened to touch the arrowhead. The arrowhead pierced straight into the bone.


    Li Yu shouted, ¡°Shut up. If you scare my brother, I¡¯ll take your wretched life.¡±


    ¡°Who? Who¡¯s outside?¡± Li Qing woke up and lit the oilmp. He walked to the window and lifted the curtains. When he saw Li Yu in the courtyard, he asked worriedly, ¡°Sister, what happened?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Two thieves came. You don¡¯t have toe out of the house.¡± Li Yu took out the rope and threw it on the ground. She pointed at Eldest Xu and shouted at Xu Er, ¡°Go and tie him up.¡±


    When Li Qing heard that there was a thief, he hurriedly ran to open the door and realized that the door was locked from the outside. Li Qing was so anxious that he knocked on the door desperately. ¡°Sister, open the door. Sister, how are you? Sister!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Wait for me for a while.¡± Li Yu shouted. Li Qing hurriedly went back to the window and saw Li Yu in the courtyard.


    Under Li Yu¡¯s coercion, Xu Er crawled over and tied Eldest Xu up. Li Yu waited for him to finish tying up before kicking him over. She took out a rope and tied Xu Er up as well. Then, she dragged the two of them to the woodshed.

 Chapter 35

    Incident


    When they arrived at the woodshed, Li Yu blew on the lighter and lit the oilmp on the windowsill. Looking at the Xu brothers who were trembling in pain on the ground, she squatted down and looked at the two of them. She said sinisterly, ¡°Speak! Who are you? Who sent you?¡±


    Xu Er replied with a trembling voice, ¡°No one asked us toe. We heard that only the siblings in your family started a business. You¡¯ve even bought an ox cart. We wanted to get some money to use.¡±


    Li Yu took out a dagger and stabbed it into his thigh. Ah! Xu Er screamed. Li Yu ced the knife on his mouth and looked at him coldly. ¡°Don¡¯t scream. I¡¯ve said it before. If you scare my brother, I¡¯ll take your life.¡± Xu Er gritted his teeth and closed his mouth. He looked at Li Yu in a daze and thought to himself. The old saying was indeed true!


    Seeing that he had stopped screaming, Li Yu took the dagger away. ¡°Think carefully about what you want to say. Remember, I¡¯ll stab you if you lie. I want to see how many stabs you can take.¡±


    Xu Er was so frightened that he kept nodding. He wished he could faint too. ¡°My name is Xu Zhong. His name is Xu Lei. I¡¯m his younger brother. We brothers are from Green Mountain City. Zhang Defa hired us and said that you extorted his family¡¯s money. He asked us toe and¡­


    ¡°Where were you hiding during the day? Why are you here? Why aren¡¯t you saying anything? Tell me!¡±


    Xu Zhong closed his eyes and didn¡¯t dare to look at Li Yu. He said angrily, ¡°During the day, we¡¯ll hide in Zhang Defa¡¯s house. Zhang Defa asked us to catch you and disfigure your face first. Then, we¡¯ll sell you to the lowest brothel and sell your brother to the salt well to dig salt.¡±


    Li Yu pped her hands. ¡°Aiya! Why can¡¯t you make up something new? Why do you always have to cut someone¡¯s face face and sell them?¡± Li Yu patted Xu Zhong¡¯s face with her knife a few times. ¡°You¡¯re not good people either. You¡¯re helping the wicked and blowing smoke. You don¡¯t care about the morals of the martial world. Why didn¡¯t you ask around beforeing? Remember what you said tonight. Say it in front of the vigers of West Mountain Vige tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Got it. We won¡¯t dare to do it again.¡± Xu Zhong didn¡¯t dare to look at Li Yu again.


    Li Yu pulled out the arrows from the Xu brothers¡¯ bodies and checked the ropes binding them. She reinforced the ropes on Xu Zhong¡¯s body, stuffed their mouths with something, and carried them to lock them in the room. Only then did she return to the central room with the oilmp to open Li Qing¡¯s door. Li Qing pounced to Li Yu¡¯s side and pulled her back. His voice trembled as he said, ¡°Sister, are you alright?!


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Li Yu raised her hand and let Li Qing check.


    Li Qing raised the oilmp and checked repeatedly. Seeing that Li Yu was not injured, he finally rxed and looked at Li Yu. ¡°Sister, who are they? Why did theye to our house in the middle of the night? What do they want?¡±


    ¡°The Zhang family sent them to capture us¡­¡± Li Yu told Li Qing the whole story.


    Li Qing was so angry that he clenched his fists and rushed out. ¡°I¡¯m going to find them.¡± Li Yu quickly pulled him back. ¡°Where are you going in the middle of the night?¡±


    Li Qing bit his lip and didn¡¯t dare to look at Li Yu. He med himself and said, ¡°Sister, I¡¯m really useless. I didn¡¯t even know that someone had entered. If you didn¡¯t notice, we¡­¡±


    Li Qing did not dare to imagine how it would have been if his sister had not discovered that the thieves were weing him and his sister.


    Li Yu went over to touch Li Qing¡¯s head andforted him gently. ¡°Ah Qing, this isn¡¯t your fault. It¡¯s the Zhang family¡¯s fault. They¡¯re vicious and greedy.¡± Li Yu pulled Li Qing back to the room and looked at him. She said gently, ¡°They¡¯re the ones suffering now. Be good and sleep. We¡¯ll look for them tomorrow morning.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Li Qingy on the bed. ¡°Sister, go to sleep too!¡±


    Li Yu nodded and helped him put the mosquito away. She got up, blew out the oilmp, and went back to her room to sleep.


    After Li Yu woke up, he realized that Li Qing hade out of the room with a fierce expression. Li Yu called out to him, ¡°Ah Qing.¡±


    Li Qing saw Li Yu smile. ¡°Sister, why don¡¯t you sleep a little longer? Shall we go find Zhang Dacai now?¡±


    ¡°Calm down. They¡¯re the ones suffering in our hands. Ah Qing, you have to learn to be patient.¡± Li Yu looked at Li Qing. ¡°Now, go to the school and apply for leave from Mr. Li. I¡¯ll go to the forest to collect the prey. When Xiao Anes, we¡¯ll go to the vige chief¡¯s house first.¡±


    Li Qing did not understand why he had to go to the vige chief¡¯s house first, but he still nodded. ¡°Sister, I¡¯ll go to the school to apply for leave now.¡±


    ¡°Alright, be careful on the way,¡± Li Yu instructed.


    ¡°Got it.¡± Li Qing opened the courtyard door and ran towards the school.


    Li Yu went to the ce where the rope was tied and realized that she had trapped two hares and three pheasants. Li Yu ced the prey in her space and went home to stir the bean paste. She then went to the kitchen to cook the noodles and ced them aside to wait for Li Qing to return.


    After preparing the pig food, she carried it to the pigpen. At this moment, Xiao An arrived and quickly took the bucket. ¡°Sister Li, I¡¯ll feed the pigs and clean the pigpen. You go ahead.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Li Yu handed the pig barrel to An and returned to the kitchen. Li Qing returned after washing up. The siblings ate and walked towards the vige chief¡¯s house.


    In Zhou¡¯s Academy, after Li Qing took leave and left, Zhou Jia said to Ruyi, ¡°Follow that child and see what¡¯s going on.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Young Master.¡± Ruyi followed Li Qing to the Li family¡¯s house and hid behind the western wall. After a while, he saw Li Qing and Li Yuing out and walking towards the vige. Ruyi also followed the siblings to the vige.


    When the Li siblings were about to reach Zhang Decai¡¯s house, Zhang Decai was pacing around the door worriedly. When Zhang Decai turned around and saw the Li siblings, he hurriedly walked into the house. After entering the house, he hurriedly closed the courtyard door.


    ¡°Sister, look.¡± Li Yu stopped Li Qing from going over and went straight to the vige chief¡¯s house to knock on his door.


    ¡°Who is it? It¡¯s so early in the morning!¡± The vige chief opened the door and saw that it was Li Yu and her brother. He smiled. ¡°Xiaoyu, Ah Qing, you¡¯re here to look for your uncle, right?¡±


    Li Yu stopped him. ¡°Grandpa Vige Chief, we¡¯re here to seek justice.¡±


    ¡°Justice? Xiaoyu, what happened?¡± The vige chief frowned. Chen Yaohui and his brother also came out. They looked at Li Yu and her brother.


    Li Yu said angrily, ¡°Zhang Defa found two hooligans in Green Mountain City. They hid in Zhang Decai¡¯s house yesterday. Last night, they sneaked into my house¡­¡±


    ¡°This is too bad!¡± The vige chief¡¯s family widened their eyes when they heard Li Yu tell them what had happened. They felt that it was too scary. Chen Yaohui said angrily, ¡°They¡¯re worse than pigs and dogs. Father, are you going to interfere or not? Look, they even dare to bring people to the vige tomit evil.¡±


    Li Qing bowed to the vige chief. ¡°Grandpa, if my sister hadn¡¯t discovered them, we would have been doomed today. You have to help us!¡±


    ¡°What is the Zhang family trying to do?¡± The vige chief was so angry that his face turned ashen. He waved at them and said, ¡°Go and bring Zhang Decai along. We¡¯ll go to Xiaoyu¡¯s house to take a look.¡±


    The group of people left the vige chief¡¯s house and happened to see Zhang Decai driving the ox cart away. Zhang Decai turned around and saw Li Yu and her brothering out with the vige chief and his group. He waved his ox whip and drove the ox away.


    Li Yu jumped onto the ox cart and grabbed Zhang Dacai. He said coldly, ¡°Are you trying to flee? What were you doing earlier?¡±


    Zhang Decai struggled and shouted, ¡°What right do you have to arrest me?¡±


    Li Qing went over and kicked him a few times. ¡°Bastard, you¡¯ll die a horrible death.¡±


    ¡°Alright, Ah Qing.¡± The vige chief stopped Li Qing and looked at Zhang Decai with a dark expression. ¡°Zhang Decai, you know what you¡¯ve done. The people you brothers sent to Xiaoyu¡¯s house are still locked up!¡±


    The surrounding vigers came out of their houses when they heard themotion. When they saw Chen Yaohui and his brother grabbing Zhang Decai and walking towards Li Yu¡¯s house, they all followed. Ruyi and everyone else also followed.

 Chapter 36

    Send Off


    Seeing this, Madam Li hurriedly went to Li Mei¡¯s house and shouted from outside, ¡°Sister Li Mei, something happened to Xiaoyu¡¯s house. Come out quickly.¡±


    Li Mei¡¯s family hurriedly ran out. The family was so frightened that they panicked. Li Mei¡¯s face was pale. ¡°Sister, what happened to Xiaoyu? I saw Ah Qing going to school this morning.¡±


    Madam Li pulled Li Mei away. ¡°Hurry up. Xiaoyu caught two thievesst night. Zhang Defa sent them to capture Xiaoyu and her brother. They wanted to¡­¡±


    Madam Li spoke as they walked. Li Mei¡¯s family was furious when they heard the rest of the story. They followed Madam Li anxiously towards Li Yu¡¯s house.


    Li Yu and her brother brought the vige chief and the others home. They opened the door and Li Yu brought the vige chief to a room. She dragged out a tall man covered in blood.


    Ruyi listened to the vigers¡¯ discussion in the crowd. The Zhang family had sent two men to the Li¡¯s residence with bad intentions. Fortunately, Miss Li was a strong woman! The Zhang family was repaying their kindness with hatred!


    Ruyi asked a woman who liked to talk the most, ¡°Sister, why are they doing this?¡±


    ¡°Why? You¡¯re from another vige! You don¡¯t know that the Zhang family¡­ has lost their conscience!¡± The woman told them about the Li and Zhang families. Many vigers echoed her words. Ruyi was also furious.


    The Xu brothers had been tied up for the night with their injuries. They were in pain and looked hungry. Li Yu pointed at Zhang Decai and sneered. ¡°You didn¡¯t expect this, did you?¡±


    Li Qing looked at Zhang Decai angrily. Zhang Decai lowered his head and did not speak. Li Yu kicked the Xu brothers and shouted, ¡°Tell me what you two saidst night.¡±


    The Xu brothers trembled in fear. ¡°We¡¯re from Green Mountain City. Zhang Defa found us two days ago¡­¡± Xu Lei repeated what he had saidst night and pointed at Zhang Decai. ¡°We¡¯ve been at his house since dusk yesterday. We came here at midnight.¡±


    Zhang Decai looked at the Xu brothers and roared, ¡°This has nothing to do with my brother. I asked him to help me hire you. Because I was beaten up by that bitchst time, I couldn¡¯t take it lying down and wanted to take revenge on them.¡±


    Xu Zhong was worried that Li Yu would think that they were lying. He was so frightened that he roared, ¡°Zhang Defa was the one who lied to us and said that the girl from this family was despicable and shameless. He said she used underhanded methods to extort money from his family before we agreed toe.¡±


    ¡°You beast, my family used despicable methods? My family is lowly? It was clearly Zhang Defa who caused us to lose our father at a young age, and then did something unforgivable to us.¡± Li Qing pointed at Zhang Decai and roared, ¡°Zhang Decai, aren¡¯t you afraid of being struck by lightning for distorting the truth?¡±


    Li Yu pulled Li Qing back and said to the vige chief and the others, ¡°Grandpa, it was clearly the Zhang family who was ungrateful, but they still did such a vicious thing. We¡¯re going to report this to the officials.¡±


    Li Mei¡¯s family arrived. Liu Changmin and Li Mei pounced on Zhang Defa and beat him up. ¡°You¡¯re worse than pigs and dogs. You¡¯re heartless. Send him to the government office.¡±


    ¡°My poor niece! Your father saved an evil ghost.¡± Li Mei cried as she pounced on Li Yu and his sister and pulled them to check.


    ¡°Aunt, we¡¯re fine,¡± Li Qingforted Li Mei.


    Zhaodi and Laidi surrounded Li Yu and her brother and looked at them worriedly. Li Yuforted them. ¡°Aunt, Cousin, we¡¯re fine. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Li Yu turned to look at the vige chief and said, ¡°Grandpa Vige Chief, the Zhang family actually dared to do such a vicious thing. Let me ask you, which vige has such a vicious family? Everyone in the vige knows the situation of my family and his family. They even dared to be so vicious to their benefactor¡¯s child. I was only spared because I was born with great strength and had the bow and arrow left behind by my father. If the other vigers offend his family in the future, who can escape?¡±


    Everyone discussed. ¡°That¡¯s right! We don¡¯t have bows and arrows, nor are we as strong as Xiaoyu. Who knows when a viger will offend him?¡±


    ¡°If we had a conflict, we would either spit at each other or go all out. We wouldn¡¯t do such a heartless thing!¡±


    After hearing this, the vige chief also felt that the Zhang family was too vicious. What they had done could not be dealt with ording to how the vigers usually dealt with disputes and fights.


    ¡°Send them to the officials!¡± The vige chief drove the ox cart to the door and got Chen Yaohui and his brother to drag Zhang Decai and the Xu brothers onto the ox cart. He said to Li Yu and her brother, ¡°You guys are the victims. Come with us!¡±


    Li Yu was about to get into the car. ¡°Sister, don¡¯t go. I¡¯ll go.¡± Li Yu was stopped by Li Mei and Li Qing. Li Mei looked at the vige chief. ¡°Uncle Vige Chief, my Yu¡¯er can¡¯t go. Ah Qing and I will go to the government office with you.¡±


    The vige chief looked at Li Yu. If she went, she wouldn¡¯t be able to get married. He sighed and nodded. ¡°Alright! You can go with Ah Qing.¡±


    Li Yu looked at Li Mei in confusion. ¡°Aunt, why?¡± Li Mei looked at Li Yu. ¡°Yu¡¯er, listen to me. You can¡¯t go.¡±


    Liu Changmin pulled the sisters into the car and said to Li Yu, ¡°Xiaoyu, don¡¯t worry. Uncle will apany them. Zhaodi and Laidi will go back to repair the house.¡±


    Madam Li also stopped Li Yu. ¡°Xiaoyu, listen to your aunt and let them go.¡± Chen Yaohui drove the ox cart away, and the vigers dispersed.


    Madam Li brought Li Yu back to the courtyard and said to her, ¡°Yu¡¯er, you¡¯re already a big girl. In the future, you may have trouble with your inws.¡±


    Li Yu finally understood. They were afraid that she would be despised in the future. She smiled bitterly and said, ¡°Auntie Li, I understand. It¡¯s just that if I find a husband in the future and hel despises me for these things. I would rather be a spinster for the rest of my life.¡±


    Madam Li smiled and patted Li Yu¡¯s hand. ¡°Sigh! Child, the world is not as simple as you make it out to be.¡±


    ¡°Auntie Li, I know you¡¯re doing this for my own good, but I can lead a good life by myself. Why do I have to find someone to despise me?¡± As Li Yu spoke, she remembered the cloth she had bought and prepared to give to the Li family. ¡°Auntie Li, wait for me.¡±


    Li Yu ran into the house and walked out with a stack of cloth. She smiled and stuffed it into Madam Li¡¯s arms. ¡°Auntie Li, take these pieces of cloth back to make clothes.¡±


    Madam Li looked at the cloth in her arms and sighed. ¡°Child, it¡¯s not like your uncle and I have helped you much. When we don¡¯t want you to give us prey, you bought us cloth. What can I say?¡±


    Li Yu smiled. ¡°It¡¯s just a few pieces of cloth. It¡¯s not worth anything. Since you and Uncle are so concerned about us, can¡¯t you let us repay you a little?¡±


    ¡°Alright, Auntie will ept it. Now, Chuanzhou and Chuanguo will be happy to have new clothes to wear.¡±


    Madam Li sat at Li Yu¡¯s house for a while and looked at Li Yu¡¯s bean paste in the courtyard before returning with the cloth.


    Li Yu waited for Xiao An to return with the cows and grass on his back before asking him to take care of the delivery.


    Ruyi returned to the Zhou family and reported what she had seen and heard to Zhou Jia. ¡°Young Master, the Zhang family is really despicable. Listen, they are too vicious.¡±


    Zhou Jia thought for a moment. ¡°Ji Xiang, get the clerk to check if the shops in the city are supplying goods to the Zhang family. If they are, make sure they do not supply goods to the Zhang family¡¯s grocery store in the future.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Young Master,¡± Ji Xiang replied and headed for town.

 Chapter 37

    Grievance


    Zhang Decai¡¯s wife and three children ran out of the vige from a small road and hired a mule cart to rush to Green Mountain City. They went to Zhang Defa¡¯s house in a panic.


    When Mrs. Zhao saw Zhang Defa, she cried, ¡°Uncle, what do you think we should do? The child¡¯s father was captured by the vige chief, and the two people who wentst night were also captured by that bitch.¡±


    ¡°How can that be?¡± Zhang Defa was stunned when he heard that. The two tall men had actually been captured. What should he do?


    Zhang Defa was so anxious that he kept circling around. He frowned and thought of a solution. After thinking for a long time, he still had no idea. Zhang Defa thought to himself, ¡®Looks like I can only ask my inw, Mr. Zhu, for help.¡¯


    ¡°Sister-inw, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll go find my inw, Mr. Zhu.¡±


    After saying that, Zhang Defa hurriedly drove the ox cart towards the academy. When he arrived, he spent some money and hired the academy¡¯s gatekeeper to call Zhang Guisheng out.


    Zhang Defa told Zhang Guisheng what had happened and said with a frown, ¡°Guisheng! We can only ask your father-inw for help now. Otherwise, if those two people expose me, they will drag you down!¡±


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be in a hurry to find trouble with her. When I have an official title in the future, will I still be afraid that I won¡¯t be able to make up for it?¡± Zhang Guisheng looked at Zhang Defa unhappily. After thinking about it, he bit his ear and whispered, ¡°Father, you can¡¯t look for Sir. The best way now is to let Second Uncle acknowledge this matter. Hurry up and look for Second Uncle. Let him shoulder it alone. It¡¯s better than dragging us all in.¡±


    Zhang Defa¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll go find your second uncle now.¡±


    Zhang Defa turned around and drove the ox cart out of the city. Not long after he left the city gate, he saw the vige chief driving the ox cart towards the county city.


    Zhang Defa hurriedly went over to stop the vige chief and begged, ¡°Vige chief, please allow me to speak to my second brother.¡±


    The vige chief looked at Zhang Defa. ¡°You can talk, but you have to promise me that you¡¯ll move out of West Mountain Vige immediately.¡±


    Zhang Defa said angrily, ¡°You¡¯re adding insult to injury.¡±


    The vige chief looked at Zhang Defa with a dark expression. ¡°You¡¯re too ruthless. The vigers don¡¯t agree to you living in the vige. If you¡¯re unwilling, so be it. Don¡¯t block us from sending the thieves to the government office.¡±


    Zhang Defa had no choice but to agree. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll move when I get back.¡±


    Zhang Defa had just reached the ox cart. ¡°You son of a bitch!¡± Li Mei hissed and pounced over to scratch Zhang Defa¡¯s face. She kept fighting. Li Qing and Liu Changmin clenched their fists and looked at Zhang Defa.


    Zhang Defa gritted his teeth and did not say a word. He carried Zhang Decai off the ox cart and whispered into his ear to tell him what Zhang Guisheng had said. He promised in a low voice, ¡°Second Brother, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll take care of sister-inw and niece. Since that bitch is fine, you¡¯ll be only beaten a few times. I¡¯ll find someone to take care of her.¡±


    Although Zhang Decai had originally nned to do so, he still felt a little cold when he heard Zhang Defa say it. He replied, ¡°Brother, don¡¯t worry. I also nned to do so.¡±


    Zhang Defa carried Zhang Dacai back to the car. He looked at the Xu brothers and threatened, ¡°Brother Xu, you have to consider carefully what you should say when you reach the government office. I¡¯ll double what I promised.¡±


    Li Qing rushed over and shouted, ¡°Shameless. You¡¯re colluding.¡±


    Zhang Defa looked at Li Qing and the others disdainfully. Without a word, he turned around and got into the ox cart to drive away.


    Li Yu sent the pickled vegetables to Shun Feng Inn and paid the bill with Shopkeeper Liu before rushing home with the ox cart. After waiting for a while, she felt extremely annoyed and told Xiao An before going up the mountain to hunt with her machete and bow.


    The vige chief brought a few people and reported the situation to the county magistrate. After the county magistrate reported the situation to the county magistrate, a meeting was held on the spot. As expected, the Xu brothers changed their minds. As there were no adverse consequences, the county magistrate sentenced Zhang Facai and the Xu brothers to 20 strokes of the paddle each. They would serve for a year andpensate Li Qing and his sister with 20 taels of silver.


    Zhang Defa paid the fine and watched as Zhang Decai was sent to prison by the bailiffs. He smiled at Li Qing disdainfully.


    When Li Qing saw this, he secretly vowed to study hard and make a name for himself so that no one would dare to have designs on his sister again.


    Li Yu vented her anger on the mountain and hunted three wild goats, two mules, and more than ten hares and pheasants. After putting some in the space, she carried the rest down the mountain and went home. She sent one wild goat and one mule to Steward Huang¡¯s house before driving the ox cart back. Just as she left the alley, she saw Li Qing and the others returning.


    When Li Qing saw Li Yu, he jumped down from the ox cart and ran over to climb into Li Yu¡¯s car. He called out, ¡°Sister, I¡¯m so useless.¡± Tears of humiliation fell.


    Li Yu thought that Zhang Deicai and the Xu brothers had been released. ¡°Were Zhang Decai and the Xu brothers released?¡±


    Li Qing shook his head and told Li Yu the verdict. When Li Yu heard this, she felt that it was better than she had expected. After all, there were no actual consequences. In this world, such a verdict was considered not bad.


    Li Yu looked at Li Qing¡¯s aggrieved expression and patted his back. ¡°Feeling aggrieved and indignant is the most useless thing one can do. What you have to do is to improve yourself and be stronger. Only then will they obediently shrink their tails and not dare to offend you again.¡±


    Li Qing thought about Li Yu¡¯s words for a while and replied solemnly, ¡°Sister, I¡¯ll remember it.¡±


    Li Yu followed the vige chief¡¯s ox cart to the vige in the evening. Li Mei and her husband alighted from the ox cart in front of the vige chief¡¯s house and returned home with Li Yu and her brother.


    Seeing that it was gettingte, Li Yu asked Xiao An to go back. Li Mei handed the money to Li Yu and instructed, ¡°Yu¡¯er, be careful at home. Aunt¡¯s house will probably be ready by the end of August. When the house is fixed, you can stay at my house.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Look, those two are no match for me. What are you afraid of?¡±


    Li Mei felt that it made sense. Even if she joined forces with Liu Changmin and, they would not be a match for Li Yu.


    ¡°All in all, you guys have to be careful.¡±


    Li Yu went to the kitchen to carry the goats and mules out. He said to Li Mei, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ve hunted the mules and goats. Bring one back. I¡¯ll send the goats to the vige chief¡¯s house.¡±


    ¡°Yes! We should thank the vige chief. If he hadn¡¯t approached the county magistrate, he wouldn¡¯t have been sentenced so easily.¡±


    Li Yu drove the ox cart and Li Qing to the ce where Li Mei and her husband were repairing the house. Then, she drove the ox cart to the vige chief¡¯s house. When she arrived at the entrance of the courtyard, Li Yu saw the vige chief and Chen Yaohui sitting under the eaves and discussing something.


    Li Yu tied the ox to the tree farm outside the vige chief¡¯s house. He stood at the door with the wild goat and shouted, ¡°Grandpa Vige Chief, I¡¯ming in!¡±


    The vige chief, father, and son looked up and saw Li Yu standing at the door with a wild goat. They all stood up.


    ¡°Xiaoyu,e in quickly.¡± Chen Yaohui quickly went to the door. ¡°Why did you send this over? It¡¯s so expensive.¡±


    Li Yu smiled at Chen Yaohui. ¡°I was lucky today. I hunted two and sold one. This is for the vige chief and grandfather to nourish themselves. It¡¯s been hard on you today.¡±


    The vige chief smiled politely and said, ¡°I¡¯m the vige chief. Everyone should look for me if something happens. You¡¯re too polite.¡±


    Li Yu ced the goat under the eaves. Li Qing went forward and bowed to the vige chief. ¡°Grandpa Vige Chief, sorry to have troubled you today.¡±


    The vige chief looked at Li Yu and his sister and thought about their performance today. He suddenly felt that he should build a good rtionship with these two children. After thinking about it, the vige chief said to Li Qing, ¡°The county deputy was my ssmate when I was in school. He¡¯s already an official now that I¡¯m a farmer. I heard that you¡¯re studying. Remember to get along well with your ssmates in school in the future.¡±


    Li Qing bowed and replied, ¡°Thank you for your advice, Grandpa Vige Chief. I¡¯ll remember it.¡± Everyone was polite again before Li Yu and his sister bade farewell and returned home.

 Chapter 38

    nting Fences


    When Li Yu and her brother came out of the vige chief¡¯s house, the sky had already darkened. Along the way, Li Qing thought about the vige chief¡¯s attitude towards the siblings. When they reached home, he asked Li Yu, ¡°Sister, why do I feel that the vige chief is more polite to us than before? What do you think?¡±


    ¡°Well, maybe he thinks we¡¯re not so bad after all!¡±


    Li Qing fell into deep thought after hearing that. The siblings casually made some food and went to wash up and rest.


    Li Yu woke up early in the morning and went to the forest to train. She realized that Li Qing was already reading outside the house. Li Yu thought to herself that this child must have been stimted a little yesterday although it was good that he was working hard.


    Li Yu did not disturb Li Qing. She quietly went to the forest to train and retrieve her prey. When she returned home, she realized that Li Qing had already cooked the meal.


    Li Qing saw Li Yu carrying the pheasant and hare. ¡°Sister, when did you go out? Why didn¡¯t I see you?¡±


    ¡°I saw that you were reading it with your heart, so I didn¡¯t call you. Ah Qing, send one of the pheasants and hares to your teacherter.¡±


    ¡°Okay, Sister. I¡¯m going to school.¡± Li Qing put down his bowl and went to the eaves to pick up the pheasant. He left with the wild rabbit and the book basket.


    After Li Yu cleaned up the kitchen, she went to the courtyard to stir the bean paste. She carried the pig food to the backyard and fed the pig before rushing over.


    The moment Xiao An saw Li Yu, he asked, ¡°Sister Li, I heard that you caught two bad guys sent by the Zhang family two nights ago?¡±


    Li Yu smiled. ¡°Yes! It¡¯s fine now. Xiao An, is your mother alright?¡± Li Yu wanted Madam Qian to help take care of the fields at home. She coulde in the autumn and go up the mountain to find some chestnuts and other mountain goods.


    ¡®Well, she wants to go and find something to do.¡¯


    ¡°Go back and ask your mother if she¡¯s willing to work at my house.¡±


    Xiao An asked happily, ¡°Sister Li, can my mother really help you?¡±


    Li Yu smiled and nodded. ¡°Really. Go and ask her if she¡¯s willing toe today.¡±


    ¡°Good. I¡¯ll go after I¡¯ve cleaned the pigsty and the cowshed.¡±


    Li Yu nodded when she heard that. She went back and carried the hoe to the forest. She found a patch of hibiscus and a cluster of gardenias. She dug them out and carried them home. Starting from the vegetable field by the roadside, she nted the hibiscus and gardenias at intervals.


    When Madam Qian heard that Li Yu was willing to hire her, she was overjoyed and followed An to Li Yu¡¯s house. When she saw Li Yu nting flowers, she picked up a hoe and started working.


    Li Yu said to her, ¡°Auntie Qian, if you help me work, you and Xiao An can eat at my house. You can take care of the work and vegetable fields at home. I¡¯ll give the both of you 600 copper coins a month. What do you think?¡±


    Madam Qian bowed gratefully to Li Yu. ¡°Miss Xiaoyu, we¡¯re just doing some housework. How can we ask for so much money?¡±


    Li Yu smiled. ¡°Auntie Qian, I should pay. Besides, Xiao An is already growing older every year. You have to prepare the money for him to take a wife!¡±


    ¡°Xiaoyu, thank you. Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll do our best.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll leave the rest to you. I¡¯ll dig some more from the forest.¡±


    Li Yu carried the hoe on his back and walked into the forest. Madam Qian carefully nted the remaining flowering trees and plucked the weeds in the vegetable field. She took the hoe to Li Yu¡¯s courtyard. The moment she entered, she saw 20 to 30 sauce jars ced in the courtyard.


    Madam Qian walked closer to the sauce jar and saw the bean paste that had turned red from the sun. She sighed. ¡°Xiaoyu is so young, but she can already make such a good spicy sauce. She¡¯s also good-natured and is capable. Xiao An followed the right person.¡±


    Two dayster, Madam Li came to Li Yu¡¯s house with a face full of joy and told her, ¡°Xiaoyu, now that Zhang Defa has moved his things away and sold the house and fields to Chen Jingshui¡¯s family in the vige, no one wille looking for trouble anymore.¡±


    Madam Qian also apuded. ¡°This is really a good thing, Sister Li. They¡¯re too vicious. It¡¯s good that they moved away.¡±


    Madam Li looked at Madam Qian and said, ¡°Auntie Qian, your body seems to have recovered a lot. Your Xiao An can rest assured now.¡±


    Madam Qian smiled and said, ¡°That¡¯s right! I¡¯m much better. It¡¯s all thanks to Miss Xiaoyu taking care of us. Otherwise, we wouldn¡¯t have been able to survive. Miss Xiaoyu is just like her parents. She¡¯s kind and righteous.¡±


    Madam Li looked at the honeysuckle, gardenias, roses, and hibiscus flowers piled on the ground and recalled the situation of the Li family when Li Yu¡¯s mother was still around. ¡°That¡¯s right! Xiaoyu and her brother are like their parents. Her parents were so good to people back then! At that time, Xiaoyu¡¯s mother also loved to nt flowers.¡± Madam Li picked up a hibiscus flower and handed it to Li Yu. ¡°Xiaoyu, in the future, your wastnd will be the garden of thendlord.¡±


    When Li Yu heard that, she also imagined the flower-filled courtyard walls and the flower walls around the wastnd. The scenery should be very beautiful. She also smiled. ¡°That¡¯s good! Come to my house to look at the flowers in the future.¡±


    Madam Li said happily, ¡°I¡¯lle every day. Don¡¯t chase away your Aunt Li.¡± Everyoneughed.


    Li Yu searched the forest for more than ten days and even found many 10,000-year-old trees, as well as some other species. Li Yu nted the trees at the end of the wastnd and surrounded the wastnd and the courtyard wall before stopping.


    That night, when Li Yu came back from the shower, she saw that the oilmp in Li Qing¡¯s room was still lit. Li Yu felt that Li Qing had been studying hard ever since the incident with the Zhang family. Most of the time, he was even studying hard at night.


    Li Yu went to Li Qing¡¯s room. ¡°Ah Qing, why aren¡¯t you resting yet?¡±


    Li Qing didn¡¯t even look up. ¡°Sister, I¡¯ll sleep after watching for a while.¡±


    ¡°Ah Qing,¡± Li Yu called out again. Li Qing looked up at Li Yu.


    Li Yu looked at him and said, ¡°Ah Qing, I feel that studying and learning is the same as making pickled vegetables. I can¡¯t make many of them at once. I have to umte them over time. I¡¯m very gratified that you¡¯re studying so hard, but you¡¯re still young. It¡¯s time for you to grow.¡±


    Li Qing thought for a while and looked at Li Yu. ¡°Sister, I understand. I¡¯ll sleep now and learn tomorrow.¡±


    Li Yu nodded in relief. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll rest too.¡±


    The days passed in an orderly manner. In the blink of an eye, it was August. The vigers went to the hill near the vige in groups. Everyone looked for chestnuts, walnuts, and various wild fruits on the hill.


    Li Yu used hemp rope to weave a at home. She found a small tree to roast and bend. She tied the to the curved tree trunk to make a scoop. With the machete on her back, she walked towards the west alone.


    Zhou Jia carried the medicine basket and walked not far behind Li Yu.


    Ji Xiang saw Li Yu walking in front. ¡°Young Master, look, that¡¯s Miss Li.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu¡¯s strong figure and quickly walked on the mountain path. Then, he looked at himself, who was panting, andughed at himself. ¡°Your young master can¡¯t walk as fast as her.¡±


    Ji Xiang turned to look at Zhou Jia andforted him. ¡°Young Master, she¡¯s a strong woman. Why are youpeting with her?¡±


    When the master and servant looked up again, they could no longer see Li Yu.


    Li Yu climbed up the mountain beam and looked at the forest going down the mountain to the pool. she looked at the big fish swimming in the pool and took out the she had prepared in advance. She held the wooden handle and reached into the pool. She scooped four big fish that weighed five or six catties in the first. Li Yu put the fish into the back of the and scooped a few mores without missing. Thergest fish that weighed more than ten catties shone with silver light.


    Li Yu knocked the fish to death and stored it in the space. She walked towards the tea tree forest. When she arrived, she saw that the fruits were about to ripen. Li Yu turned around and walked towards the stream.

 Chapter 39

    Danger, Rescue


    Li Yu used her long saber to push aside the wild grass and vines on the road and walked up the stream. On the way, she hunted a few fat wild ducks, a few pheasants, and two nests of wild eggs. When she reached a depression in the mountain, she saw a group of wild deer leisurely eating grass in the depression. Li Yu took out her bow and shot two of them, while the others fled in all directions.


    Li Yu caught up to a wild deer that had been shot. She shed it to death and put it into the space. Then, she chased after the other injured wild deer and caught up to it in a forest. Li Yu had just killed the wild deer and put it into the space when she suddenly smelled a stench. She looked up and saw a brown bear standing three to four meters ahead looking at her.


    When the brown bear saw Li Yu, it straightened up and rush towards her. Li Yu didn¡¯t dare to face it and hurriedly hid in the space. The brown bear rushed to where Li Yu had been standing and realized that it had lost its target. It could smell the blood left behind by the wild deer, but it couldn¡¯t find its prey. It angrily knocked down two thick pine trees and panted heavily. It stood there and looked around for traces of its prey.


    Li Yu silently prayed that the brown bear would leave quickly. Otherwise, she would be ejected out of the space in 15 minutes.


    The brown bear circled around and sniffed around unwillingly. Seeing that it really could not find any traces of its prey, it twisted its heavy body and crawled towards the cave.


    Not long after the brown bear left, Li Yu was ejected from the space. When she came out, she saw the brown bear crawling towards the cave. She hurriedly held her breath and hid back in the space.


    When she was ejected again, there was no longer any trace of the brown bear around her. Li Yu hurriedly put the backpack into the space and ran quickly in the forest with the long knife. Only when she felt that she had left the brown bear¡¯s territory did she stop to lean against a big tree. She sat on a rock under the tree to regte her breathing. She drank two mouthfuls of sugar water and ate two meat pies before getting up and walking forward.


    After taking a few steps, she was hit by the chestnuts that fell from a tree. Her scalp was scraped. Li Yu looked up and saw chestnuts all over the tree and on the ground.


    Hurriedly, she removed the backpack from the space and picked up the chestnuts. She picked up the fresh chestnuts from the ground and ced them in the backpack. Then, she cut a long wooden stick and climbed up the chestnut tree to knock the chestnuts from the tree. Only when she had knocked down the chestnuts that he could reach did he get down from the tree, pick up the chestnuts from the ground, and store them in the space. She began to walk back.


    Only then did she realize that she had gone too far in chasing the wild deer. No wonder she had encountered the brown bear.


    As Li Yu walked, she secretly rejoiced that she had this magical space to escape to.


    Suddenly, she heard the sound of fighting in front of her. Li Yu was hiding behind a big tree. When she stuck her head out, she saw Ji Xiang protecting a man as he retreated. A masked man in green was approaching the two of them.


    Li Yu realized that Ji Xiang was already injured. His movements became slower and slower. She gently put down her backpack and pulled out her long saber, hesitating if she should go forward to help.


    Ji Xiang pushed Zhou Jia and urged, ¡°Young Master, leave quickly.¡±


    Zhou Jia covered the wound on his arm and hated himself for being powerless. Seeing that Ji Xiang was rushing towards the assassin, he could only turn around and escape down the mountain. After running for a while, he was exhausted and fell to the ground.


    Li Yu saw that Ji Xiang had pushed that young master away and rushed towards the killer again. She was still hesitating whether to help or not.


    In the blink of an eye, Ji Xiang was stabbed again. She gritted her teeth and rushed over with a long saber. When Ji Xiang saw Li Yu, he hurriedly shouted, ¡°Miss Li, leave quickly and help me take Young Master away.¡±


    The man in green heard Ji Xiang call someone for help. But when he saw that it was a woman, he stopped paying attention to Li Yu and focused on dealing with Ji Xiang.


    Li Yu jumped up and shed at the green-robed man¡¯s back. The green-robed man felt a gust of wind and hurriedly retracted his sword to block Li Yu¡¯s long saber.


    The sword in the green-robed man¡¯s hand was broken by Li Yu. The green-robed man did not expect Li Yu to be so strong and was stunned for a moment.


    While the man in green was stunned, she kicked at his groin. The man in green did not expect Li Yu to use such a dirty move. He hurriedly stabbed at Li Yu with his broken sword to protect his groin. Li Yu took the opportunity to sh at his chest.


    Ji Xiang also took the opportunity to stab at the man in green. The man in green was attacked from both sides and was pierced through the back by Ji Xiang¡¯s sword. His chest was split open by Li Yu¡¯s sword, and he fell to the ground and twitched a few times before dying.


    Ji Xiang covered his wound and panted heavily. ¡°Miss Li, please help me see how Young Master is doing.¡±


    Li Yu took out the Golden Creation Medicine and handed it to Ji Xiang. ¡°Take it. This is Golden Creation Medicine. Take care of your own life first.¡±


    ¡°Please, Miss Li.¡± Ji Xiang looked at Li Yu pleadingly. Li Yu nodded and chased after Zhou Jia. Before long, he saw a dirty and handsome man sitting with his eyes closed against a big tree.


    Li Yu thought to herself that when a good looking person would look good even when he¡¯s dirty.


    He walked over and squatted down. He looked at the beautiful man in front of him and shouted, ¡°Hey! How are you?¡±


    Zhou Jia opened his eyes and looked at Li Yu. He asked weakly, ¡°Miss Li, how¡¯s Ji Xiang?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s not dead. Wait here for me to bring him over.¡± Li Yu turned around and ran towards Ji Xiang. She nced at the weak Ji Xiang. ¡°Your young master is fine.¡±


    As she spoke, she went over and searched the man in green. She found a handful of golden leaves, a few pieces of silver, a banknote, a bronze waist token, and a small jar. Li Yu dragged the man to the edge of the cliff and threw him down the mountain stream.


    Walking back to where Ji Xiang was resting, she handed him the waist tag and small jar. ¡°I won¡¯t give you the money. Let¡¯s treat it as your payment to me. What are you going to do?¡±


    Ji Xiang took the waist token and put it in his pocket. He forced himself to get up. ¡°Miss Li, please help us again. We have to leave quickly. It will be troublesome if the smell of blood attracts wild beasts when the sky is about to darken.¡±


    ¡°Let me carry you!¡± Li Yu went to empty the chestnuts in the backpack and ced Ji Xiang in it. She carried Ji Xiang and walked towards Zhou Jia.


    Ji Xiang was powerless and could only let Li Yu carry her. When he saw Zhou Jia, he was relieved and fainted.


    Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia and thought to herself that he was only good looking with no brawns.


    Zhou Jia tried to stand up, but he failed twice. Li Yu secretly curled her lips and reached out her hand to Zhou Jia. ¡°Come on! I¡¯ll help you walk.¡±


    ¡°Miss Li, I can walk.¡± Zhou Jia used all his strength to stand up. He staggered and fell to the ground.


    Li Yu rolled her eyes. ¡°Stop nagging. I don¡¯t want to be eaten by wild beasts with you.¡± Li Yu reached out to Zhou Jia. Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu¡¯s small hand and reached out to her. Li Yu pulled Zhou Jia up and carried him down the mountain.


    Zhou Jia¡¯s tall and thin body leaned against Li Yu. He listened to Li Yu panting with some difficulty as she carried Ji Xiang on his back. He secretly tried his best to reduce Li Yu¡¯s burden.


    When they were about to reach the wooden bridge, Ruyi rushed over. When he saw Zhou Jia, who was being supported by Li Yu, he felt relieved. He crossed the wooden bridge in a few steps and carried Zhou Jia on her back. He asked softly, ¡°Young Master, how are you? Where¡¯s Ji Xiang?¡±


    Li Yu turned her head and said, ¡°I¡¯m carrying Ji Xiang!¡±


    Only then did Ruyi see Ji Xiang on Li Yu¡¯s back. He said gratefully, ¡°Miss, thank you for saving my young master and Lucky.¡±


    Li Yu saw that the sun had already set. Afraid that Li Qing would worry, she carried Ji Xiang and walked towards the wooden bridge. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Let¡¯s go! My family is getting anxious.¡±


    The few of them quickly crossed the wooden bridge and walked the mountain path. When they were about to reach Butcher He¡¯s house, Li Yu saw a mule cart parked at the turn. She said to Ruyi, ¡°Is that your mule cart?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Miss. Please put Ji Xiang in the car.¡± Ruyi took a few steps forward and passed Li Yu. She helped Zhou Jia into the cart and turned around to help Li Yu put down the backpack. She carried Lucky out of the backpack and bowed to Li Yu. ¡°May I know where you live¡­¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need. I¡¯ve already collected the reward.¡± After Li Yu finished speaking, she carried her backpack and disappeared around the corner.


    Ruyi put Ji Xiang away and saw that his breathing was rapid. Seeing that Zhou Jia was leaning against the wall of the cart and looking fine, she hurriedly drove the mule cart towards East Mountain Vige.

 Chapter 40

    Trouble


    Li Yu had just reached the door when she saw Li Qing walking out. ¡°Ah Qing, where are you going?¡±


    Li Qing saw the blood on Li Yu¡¯s body and pounced over to check. ¡°Sister, what¡¯s wrong with you? You¡¯re bleeding!¡±


    Li Yu smiled andforted Li Qing. ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s not mine. It¡¯s that kid called Ji Xiang.¡±


    ¡°Ji Xiang? Ji Xiang is Sir¡¯s assistant! How did you meet them?¡± Li Qing followed Li Yu. ¡°Today, Sir brought Ji Xiang and Ji Xiang up the mountain to see the autumn scenery! Sister, they encountered wild beasts, right? Is everything alright?¡±


    Li Yu put down the backpack. ¡°Yes! I encountered a hungry bear. Fortunately, I helped chase it away. It¡¯s just that Ji Xiang was a little injured. Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s fine.¡±


    Li Qing was relieved. ¡°That¡¯s good. Fortunately, they met you.¡± Li Qing looked at the blood on Li Yu¡¯s body. ¡°Sister, go wash up first.¡±


    Madam Qian came out with hot water and said to Li Yu, ¡°Xiaoyu, go wash up first ande back for dinner.¡±


    After Li Yu came out of the shower, Madam Qian handed the money for the pickled vegetables that Xiao An had retrieved from Shopkeeper Liu and the booklet to Li Yu. ¡°Xiaoyu, Xiao An took these back from Shopkeeper Liu. I gave 100 jars to Shopkeeper Liu like you said. Take a look.¡±


    Li Yu took the booklet and looked at it. She smiled. ¡°That¡¯s right. I made a wasted trip today and didn¡¯t hunt anything. The chestnuts I picked up also dropped.¡±


    Madam Qian arranged the dishes and said with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯re fine. Have one of the steamed buns first. You must be tired after a day of running.¡±


    Li Qing and Xiao An closed the door and washed their hands before everyone started eating. Madam Qian waited for everyone to quickly pack up before returning home with Xiao An to rest.


    Li Yu and Li Qing sat in the courtyard and burned wormwood to chase away the mosquitoes. The siblings chatted for a while before going to rest.


    Li Yu went back to her room and counted. There were 17 gold leaves and more than five taels of silver. The banknotes had 200 taels of silver printed on them.


    Li Yu put the golden leaves and banknotes into her space andy on the bed, thinking to herself that she had thought Li Qing¡¯s teacher was an old man. She didn¡¯t expect him to be so troublesome. Where did this troublee from? He¡¯s actually being hunted down. Looks like she would have to find another academy Li Ah Qing. As Li Yu pondered, she slowly fell asleep.


    In the Zhou family, Zhou Jia and Ji Xiang¡¯s injuries had been bandaged. Ji Xiang was lying on the bed with a pale face and was unconscious. Zhou Jia sat on the chair in front of the bed and watched Ji Xiang take his pulse. After a while, Zhou Jia heaved a sigh of relief and said to Ruyi, ¡°It¡¯s alright. His pulse has stabilized. Remember to feed him medicine again at night.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± After Ruyi agreed, she looked at Zhou Jia indignantly. ¡°Young Master, that witch caused you to not even be able to go to the countryside examination. She even used Madam¡¯s funeral to force you to agree to leave thepetition for the role of the family patriarch. We¡¯ve already escaped here, but that old witch still wants to kill us.¡±


    Zhou Jia said indifferently, ¡°The Zhou family has long been strong on the outside but weak on the inside. She was just afraid that I would take the exam next year and jeopardize her son¡¯s position, so she sent someone over. Also, in my opinion, this is already herst resort. If we hadn¡¯t met the Li family¡¯s youngdy today, I¡¯m afraid Ji Xiang and I would have already lost our lives. It seems that we aren¡¯t fated to die. It¡¯s just a pity that we lost the medicinal herbs that we finally found.¡±


    Ruyi went up to support Zhou Jia. ¡°Young Master, that Miss Li is really a strange person. I said I wanted to thank her, but she said she had already taken the reward.¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled. ¡°When Ji Xiang woke up, he said that she took all the money from the assassin and gave him the bronze te and jar. She even threw the assassin and his sword down the mountain stream.¡±


    Ruyi frowned and said, ¡°It¡¯s strange. ording to the vigers, Miss Li used to be timid and submissive to the Zhang family. How did she suddenly be so tough and skilled?¡±


    Zhou Jia pondered for a moment. ¡°Maybe she had a fortuitous encounter. Besides, it¡¯s all thanks to her saving us today. When Ji Xiang and I get better, we¡¯ll visit her again.¡±


    ¡°Got it. Have a good rest. I¡¯ll go watch Lucky.¡±


    Zhou Jia waved his hand and Ruyi left. Zhou Jiay on the bed and couldn¡¯t help butugh when he thought of Li Yu¡¯s expression when she rolled her eyes at him.


    The next day, Li Yu dragged the pickled vegetables to Shunfeng Inn. After handing the pickled vegetables to Shopkeeper Liu, she took the money and drove the ox cart back.


    Not long after, they met Manager Wei. Wei Wencheng looked at Li Yu and smiled. ¡°Miss Li, how¡¯s business?¡±


    Li Yu smiled. ¡°My small business helps me make a living. Why are you looking for me, Mr. Wei?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m looking for Miss Li to buy pickled vegetables and discuss business with you.¡± Wei Wencheng smiled.


    Li Yu said readily, ¡°Sure! Then can youe to my house to talk?¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Wei Wencheng turned around and got into the carriage. He followed Li Yu¡¯s cart to the Li residence. Li Yu saw the courtyard door close and thought that Auntie Qian and Xiao An might have gone to the wastnd.


    Li Yu opened the courtyard door and invited Wei Wencheng and the two people who came with him into the house.


    Li Yu carried the small wooden table to the eaves and poured three bowls of boiling water into the pot. She said politely to Wei Wencheng and the two people apanying him, ¡°Mr. Wei, my ce is simple. Please sit and drink some water.¡±


    ¡°Not at all,¡± Wei said politely.


    A young man apanying Wei Wencheng nced at Li Yu and sat down. After he sat down, Wei Wencheng sat down.


    The man pointed at the sauce jars ced against the courtyard wall and said with a smile, ¡°Are these the sauce jars for your pickled vegetables?¡±


    Li Yu shook her head. ¡°No, those are bean paste. They¡¯re also used for cooking.¡±


    The man nodded and stopped talking. Wei Wencheng looked at Li Yu and asked, ¡°Miss Li, do you still have a lot of pickled vegetables at home? I want to buy more this time.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not much. It¡¯s just that, Mr. Wei, if you buy too much, the pickled vegetables will go bad if you can¡¯t finish them.¡±


    Wei smiled. ¡°I¡¯m not afraid. We should have enough demand.¡±


    Li Yu did some mental calctions. There were only 30 vats of meat paste weighing 50 catties per vat. There were also 50 vats of peas and vegetables weighing 500 catties. If she divided them up, she could at least fill more than 8,000 vats. If he could buy them all at once, it would save her a lot of effort.


    ¡°Mr. Wei, there are still seven or eight thousand jars of pickled vegetables left at home! Do you want all of them?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s going to snow soon. These pickled vegetables are just right, Miss Li.¡± Wei Wencheng looked at Li Yu and hesitated about how to tell her.


    Li Yu saw that he was not in a hurry. Wei Wencheng hesitated for a moment and decided to tell the truth. ¡°Miss Li, I won¡¯t hide it from you. We¡¯ve tried to make your pickled sauces a few times, but the taste is still a littlecking. Most importantly, they do notst as long as your pickled sauces. We want to buy your recipe. Are you willing to sell it?¡±


    When Li Yu heard this, she knew that they might not have added white wine and white sugar. However, as time passed, they would be able to figure it out. If the price was suitable, they could sell it.


    ¡°Mr. Wei, how much money do you n to give me for the prescription?¡±


    Wei raised a finger. ¡°One thousand taels. After you sell it to us, you can continue to sell at Clearwater Town, but you have to promise not to sell it to anyone else.¡±


    ¡°Since I promised to sell it to you, I won¡¯t do such a thing. I¡¯ll agree to sell it to you for 1,500 taels. Since you¡¯ve tried it, you should know how much profit they would yield. If I have the manpower, I can earn a few 1,500 taels a year,¡± Li Yu said calmly.


    Wei Wencheng nced at the man apanying him. After seeing the man nod, he smiled and replied, ¡°Alright, 1,500 taels. Miss Li, do you want banknotes or cash?¡±


    Li Yu thought to herself that she would still have to go to Green Mountain City to exchange the banknotes. Silver is still better. Furthermore, she did not have to worry about having more space to store them.¡¯


    ¡°I¡¯ll go for silver? Looks delightful.¡±


    ¡°Alright, Miss Li is really a straightforward person.¡± Wei Wencheng turned to the guard standing at the side and said, ¡°Ah Sheng, go and get the silver.¡±


    ¡°Yes, shopkeeper.¡± Ah Sheng carried two wooden boxes from the carriage and ced them at Mr. Wei¡¯s feet. ¡°Silver, sir.¡±

 Chapter 41

    ?41 Selling Recipes


    Wei Wencheng opened the box and pointed at the silver inside. He smiled at Li Yu and said, ¡°It¡¯s all ten taels a stack. Miss Li, after you count it, let¡¯s sign the contract.¡±


    Li Yu roughly counted and nodded with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s fine to sign a contract. It¡¯s just that I¡¯ll be blunt first. You guys will produce a lot, so you definitely have to hire someone to make the goods. If someone leaks it, don¡¯t me me. Also, if someone finds out in the future, you can¡¯t look for me. If you think what I say makes sense, we¡¯ll sign the contract. After signing the contract, I¡¯ll tell you the form.¡±


    Wei Wencheng discussed it with the man and nodded. ¡°Okay, you¡¯re not responsible for any of this.¡±


    Wei Wencheng wrote down the contract and the two uses Li Yu mentioned. After the two of them pressed their fingerprints, Li Yu smiled and said, ¡°Mr. Wei, please record it!¡±


    Wei Wencheng took out a booklet and Li Yu exined the cooking method for each pickled dish. Wei Wencheng felt that he seemed to understand. ¡°You used sugar to make it fresh. What¡¯s the use of white wine?¡±


    Li Yu smiled. ¡°White wine can be used for preservation and can slow down the speed of food deterioration.¡±


    Wei Wencheng was enlightened. ¡°Oh! I see! Miss Li is really pure-hearted.¡±


    ¡°You tter me. I¡¯m just trying to make my life better. Do you still want the pickled vegetables?¡±


    Wei Wenchengughed. ¡°Of course I do. I can¡¯t collect vegetables at the moment anyway!¡±


    Wei Wencheng turned around and instructed Ah Sheng, ¡°Ah Sheng, get someone to drive the mule cart here.¡±


    Li Yu stood up and looked at Wei Wencheng as she pointed at the silver. ¡°Mr. Wei, I¡¯ll put the silver away first and bring the pickled vegetables out of the cer.¡±


    Wei nodded. ¡°Okay. You can also wait for them to help you.¡±


    ¡°No need. Excuse me.¡± Li Yu carried a box with one hand and walked into the bedroom.


    Wei Wencheng and the man were dumbfounded as they watched Li Yu walk into the central room with the silver in her arms.


    The man gestured at Li Yu¡¯s height. ¡°Ha! I really can¡¯t tell.¡± Thinking about it, he felt that it was a pity. ¡°If she¡¯s a man, we would have brought her along.¡±


    Wei Wencheng smiled and said, ¡°Young Master, most capable people like to hide in the countryside.¡±


    ¡°Yes! You have a point,¡± they said. They got up and went to the courtyard. The bean paste in the sauce jar smelled salty. Wei Wencheng pointed at the bean paste. ¡°I¡¯m sure it has white wine in it too.¡±


    The man smiled and pointed at Wei Wencheng. ¡°You¡¯ve benefited.¡±


    Li Yu put the silver into the space and turned to go to the room. She took out some sauce jars from the space and piled them in the two rooms.


    Ah Sheng brought a few mule carts with him. When he arrived at Li Yu¡¯s house, he carried the pickled vegetables onto the mule carts with Li Yu. When they were not paying attention, Li Yu took the opportunity to move out the pickled jars in the space.


    The vigers surrounded Li Yu¡¯s house. Someone said, ¡°Look, these are the pickled vegetables Xiaoyu and the others made. I heard that they sell very well. They cost 20 to 30 copper coins a jar! If Zhang Defa knew that Xiaoyu was so good at earning money, I wonder how angry he would be?¡±


    One of them smiled and said, ¡°There¡¯s no turning back even if they die of anger. The two families have already fallen out like this. Speaking of which, the Zhang family asked for it.¡±


    Li Yu helped carry the pickled vegetables back to the courtyard and Wei Wencheng paid her more than 160 taels of silver. He bade farewell and left with the coachman.


    Li Yu felt light after selling the pickled vegetables. She was about to go to Li Mei¡¯s ce to take a look when Madam Qian returned from the field with a hoe. When she saw Li Yu, she smiled and asked, ¡°Xiaoyu, you¡¯re back!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been back for a while. Aunt Qian, after I sell the pickled vegetables, I don¡¯t have to send them to Shun Feng Inn. I¡¯ll go tell my aunt.¡±


    Madam Qian did not expect Li Yu to finish selling the pickled vegetables after she worked for a while. She smiled happily. ¡°I should tell her to make her happy too.¡±


    ¡°Yes! Get Xiao An to take the cows out for a walk.¡±


    ¡°Aye!¡± Madam Qian agreed and went to ask Xiao An to herd the cows.


    Li Yu returned to the house and took out 40 taels of silver. She carried the pheasant and wild duck to Li Mei¡¯s house in East Mountain Vige.


    When Li Yu arrived at Li Mei¡¯s house, she saw Laidi sitting at the door with her head lowered. She waved the wild duck and pheasant in front of her eyes. ¡°Little Laidi, there¡¯s delicious food!¡±


    Laidi looked up and saw Li Yu. She got up happily. ¡°Cousin, you¡¯re here!¡±


    Li Yu looked at Laidi. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Little Laidi? You look so sad.¡±


    Laidi turned her head and pointed into the shed. She said with disgust, ¡°My grandmother is here. She¡¯s scolding my mother at my house.¡±


    When Li Yu heard this, she rushed in a few steps and heard an old woman pointing at Li Mei¡¯s nose and scolding, ¡°You¡¯re a jinx. You¡¯re upying thetrine but don¡¯t shit. What¡¯s the use of repairing the house so well? Third Brother gave his son to you, but you¡¯re still unwilling...¡±


    Li Yu saw Liu Changmin squatting there with his head in his hands. Li Mei looked up at the old woman stubbornly.


    Li Yu¡¯s heart ached and she called out, ¡°Aunt.¡± When Li Mei saw Li Yu, she cried. Li Yu went over to hug her and turned to look at Liu Changmin. She said coldly, ¡°Uncle, have you found someone to write the loan receipt? Even biological brothers have to settle ounts! Your family has been eating and living at my house for more than a month. The food and money for the repair of the house are a total of 40 taels. You have to pay it back in five to ten years. Together with the principal and the interest, you have to pay 50 taels. We agreed on this!¡±


    Liu Changmin quickly stood up. ¡°Xiaoyu, I¡¯m sorry. Uncle forgot about it. I¡¯ll get someone to help write it.¡±


    ¡°What are you writing? Are you stupid?!¡± Old Madam Liu grabbed Liu Changmin and refused to let him go. Li Yu went over and grabbed her wrist. Old Madam Liu felt the pain and hurriedly let go of Liu Changming.


    Li Yu pulled her back. ¡°Old woman, are you trying to go back on your word? Back then, everyone knew that my uncle¡¯s family left with nothing. I lent my aunt silver to repair the house and you got your grandson to live here.¡± Li Yu looked at her and spread out her hands. She sneered. ¡°Sure! Give me the silver and I¡¯ll leave immediately.¡±


    Old Mrs. Liu pursed her lips. ¡°I don¡¯t owe you any silver. You can ask whoever borrowed it to pay.¡±


    Li Yu picked up a wooden stick and waved it in front of Old Madam Liu¡¯s eyes. With a gentle twist, the wooden stick broke into two. Li Yu yed with two wooden sticks and smiled faintly. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you wanted your grandson to live here and raise my aunt and the others? Aren¡¯t you still fine? When your grandson moves in, I¡¯ll get your grandson to pay me back.¡±


    Old Madam Liu was dumbfounded. She argued, ¡°Who cares abouting to this house to help pay debts?¡± Old Madam Liu pushed Li Yu away and walked out.


    Only then did Li Mei look at Li Yu and say, ¡°Yu¡¯er, why are you here?¡±


    Li Yu swallowed the words she wanted to say. ¡°I sold all the pickled vegetables to Mr. Wei and wanted toe to your ce to take a look.¡± Li Yu pointed at the half-repaired house. ¡°Why are you repairing so slowly?¡±


    Li Mei¡¯s face was filled with anger as tears flowed down her face. ¡°The old womanes here every other day to stir up trouble and insist on giving us the youngest son of the third family. Can a seven or eight-year-old child support the family? Besides, that child is so spoilt. I¡¯m not willing.¡±


    ¡°From now on, take out the IOUs and get the freeloaders to pay.¡±


    Li Mei smiled through her tears. ¡°You have a way.¡±


    Liu Changmin went to the chief¡¯s house and asked him to help write the loan receipt. He took it home and handed it to Li Yu. ¡°Xiaoyu, it¡¯s safer to have a loan receipt to prevent them from thinking about it.¡±


    Li Mei rolled her eyes at Liu Changmin and took the loan receipt. ¡°It¡¯s all your fault. I listened to your mother in the past. Look, why didn¡¯t she bully Second Brother¡¯s family?¡±


    Liu Changmin looked at Li Mei and smiled ingratiatingly. ¡°Ah Mei, Xiaoyu brought wild ducks and pheasants over. Zhaodi is packing them up! Hurry up and help.¡±


    Li Yu also smiled and said to Li Mei, ¡°Aunt, don¡¯t me Uncle. Hurry up and repair the house. Otherwise, what will you do when the rainy seasones?¡±


    Li Mei and Li Yu came out of the shed. Li Yu said to Li Mei, ¡°Aunt, I¡¯m going back. Come to the house when you have time.¡±


    Li Mei nodded and did not ask Li Yu to stay. She watched her walk away.


    ...

 Chapter 42

    42 Tax


    Li Yu came out of Li Mei¡¯s house and returned home. Madam Qian looked at Li Yu and frowned. ¡°Xiaoyu, the vige chief came just now. The vige chief said that we will need to pay the farm tax and head tax tomorrow.¡±


    Li Yu looked at Madam Qian. ¡°Auntie Qian, do you still have to pay taxes if you don¡¯t have fields?¡±


    ¡°Why not! It¡¯s fine now. There¡¯s only the head tax and the farm tax. From what the old people said, there were all kinds of taxes in the previous dynasty. You¡¯ll even have to pay taxes for drinking water!¡± Madam Qian smiled bitterly. ¡°Fortunately, I earned my sry from you. Otherwise, my family wouldn¡¯t even have the money to pay the head tax of 200 copper coins per person.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! It¡¯s still usmoners who suffer.¡± When Li Yu heard this, she felt that these people who lived at the bottom of the food chain in ancient times had really suffered too much. There were all kinds of taxes and hardbor. Once they encountered a natural disaster, they could only sell their children or even starve to death on the streets. No wonder the great poet Du Fu wrote that the wine and meat in the red gate stank, and there were poems about freezing to death on the road.


    The next morning, when Li Yu went to Shun Feng Inn, she saw the vigers pulling food to the vige chief¡¯s house in twos and threes. After Li Yu returned from paying the bill at Shun Feng Inn, she asked the bailiffs if she could pay for the food. She decided to pay and save the trouble of sending food to Green Mountain City.


    After the taxes were collected, the government office began to recruitborers to repair the river. For a moment, the vige was gloomy. Everyone sighed. The wealthy families paid three taels of silver to exempt their people from serving asborers, and the poor could only work asborers to repair the river. Li Mei paid the money to exempt Liu Changmin from thebor. Li Yu¡¯s family and Xiao An¡¯s family were also exempted from the conscription.


    After paying the taxes, Li Yu also had a load on her mind. She began to prepare for winter seeds.


    Li Yu prepared to start digging the reservoir. Li Yu chose a few ces with lower terrain and went to the cksmith to order two shovels and two wide-toothed iron plowshares. She hired Chen Yaohui and his wife to round up the Li family, and the Qian family to dig the few reservoirs into a two-meter square. They kept an inlet at the same level as the ground so that it would be easier to discharge the water into the reservoir on a rainy day.


    Then, they ced the soil that they had dug out of the reservoir around the pool to be reinforced. Chen Yaohui borrowed a stone arena from the vige and sealed up the earthworks around the pool.


    The few of them were busy for a few days before they finished digging the reservoir. After Li Yu chose thend to nt rapeseed and wheat, Chen Yaohui drove the cows to plow the ground. Li Yu then brought Madam Qian and Madam Li and began to spread the fat.


    Madam Li grabbed a handful ofpost and was put off by the sour and rotten smell. Madam Li felt that it was strange. Where did Li Yu learn to use the rotten soil in the forest? She wondered if this thing could be used. Not only would it be a waste of effort to destroy the ground, but it would also cost money and seeds.


    Madam Li smiled and asked Li Yu, ¡°Xiaoyu, look at the wastnd that those people plowed. Thend is more fertile than yours. It will take three to four years to raise it. Can you really raise thend with these rotten leaves?¡±


    ¡°Aunt Li, I¡¯m just guessing. I think the leaves in the autumn will fall and rot in the forest with those weeds. They pile up year after year and are wedged underground before they turn into this ck rotten leaf soil. It¡¯s possible that it¡¯s this rotten leaf soil that makes the trees and weeds in the forest grow so lush. I thought that since my house doesn¡¯t have fertilizers, I¡¯ll try using this rotten leaf soil.¡±


    When Madam Li heard this, she felt that what Li Yu said made sense. ¡°Xiaoyu, now that you mention it, even I want to try.¡±


    Li Yu smiled. ¡°Why don¡¯t you try?¡±


    After the group finished scattering the leafpost, Chen Yao plowed the ground again. He divided the ground into six feet wide and drove out the carriage ditch and the surrounding ditch to drain the water. Everyone was busy until the end of August.


    Li Yu¡¯s bean paste was also ready. After sealing the sauce jar, she stopped stirring it and prepared to go to the restaurant to promote it when she was free.


    Li Yu began to tidy up the nting bed. She mixed the rotten leaves, fertilizer, and fine soil together with the nt ash. She scattered a thickyer on the divided groundpartment and prepared to sow the rapeseed. When the nting bed was ready, Li Yu exposed the rapeseed, which had already been sifted out, to the sun for two days. She mixed the nt ash and scattered it evenly on the nting bed. After scattering it, she covered it with the mixed fine ash.


    Madam Li and Madam Qian followed Li Yu and sowed seeds. They were shocked by Li Yu¡¯s meticulous farming method. The two of them were secretly looking forward to seeing what kind of harvest they could get.


    After the rapeseed was nted, Li Mei¡¯s house was finallypleted. Li Mei¡¯s family came to help Li Yu nt wheat.


    Li Yu brought out the wheat seeds that had been screened. In order not to soak the wheat, Li Yu spread the seeds out on the sun pad. It took two days to mix the wheat seeds with nt ash. She took out the iron wide-toothed plow and tied arge rock to the back of the plow. She then pulled the wheat out of the groove and scattered the seeds in the groove. Finally, she covered the wheat seeds with wood and soil.


    After the seeds were sown, they began to water the nts. It had only been a day when it started to rain. Li Mei evenughed at Li Yu¡¯s luck. It rained as soon as she began to watering the nts. The autumn rain was cold, and the sky became cold.


    Li Yu took out cotton and cloth and handed them to Madam Qian to make cotton clothes and shoes. She and Xiao An began to burn charcoal.


    Li Yu found a green hill forest in the forest at the back of the mountain. She knocked down the green hill fruit and got Xiao An to carry it home. Li Yu specially chose a thick tree trunk to cut down and dug a few holes in the open space to burn charcoal. Just as she was cing the firewood and covering them with soil to light the fire, Xiao An came to look for Li Yu and said that Ah Qing¡¯s teacher hade to thank her.


    Li Yu pointed at the two smoke vents at the top and bottom of the pit and instructed Xiao An, ¡°Xiao An, look, the fire has reached the hole below. Block the two holes with soil, understand?¡±


    Xiao An nodded. ¡°Got it.¡±


    Only then did Li Yu walk back in relief. Just as she reached the courtyard door, she saw Ji Xiang and that troublesome person sitting at the entrance of the central room. There was also a pile of gifts under the eaves.


    When Ji Xiang saw Li Yu step forward, he was about to kneel. ¡°Miss Li, thank you for saving my life.¡±


    Li Yu hurriedly stopped him from kneeling and smiled politely. ¡°It¡¯s just a matter of convenience. Don¡¯t be so polite. Besides, I¡¯ve already received a thank-you gift!¡±


    Zhou Jia bowed to Li Yu. ¡°Miss Li, the life-saving grace can¡¯t be confused with the things you took. We escaped because of your help.¡± As Zhou Jia spoke, he bowed to Li Yu. ¡°Miss Li, we¡¯re here to sincerely thank you for saving our lives.¡±


    Seeing that Zhou Jia bowed deeply, Li Yu smiled and said, ¡°Mr. Zhou, I appreciate your gratitude. Besides, the matter has already passed. If you hadn¡¯te, I would have forgotten.¡±


    Only then did Zhou Jia get up and smile at Li Yu. ¡°Alright, it¡¯s all in the past. Miss Li, please ept the gift.¡±


    Li Yu looked at the pile of gift boxes and nodded with a smile. ¡°Alright! I¡¯ll ept the gift. Can we forget about this?¡±


    Seeing that Li Yu had epted the gift, Zhou Jia also felt relieved. He smiled at Li Yu and said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll listen to Miss Li. This matter will be over.¡± Zhou Jia changed the topic. ¡°Miss Li, your brother is very talented at studying. Do you want to continue nurturing him to take the schrly examination?¡±


    Li Yu thought for a moment. ¡°It¡¯s important to obtain schrly honors and bring honor to our ancestors, but it also depends on Ah Qing¡¯s thoughts. If he wants to take another step forward, I agree.¡±


    Zhou Jia nodded and said, ¡°Alright, I know what to do. Miss Li, we¡¯ll take our leave.¡±


    ¡°Alright, Mr. Zhou, take care.¡± Li Yu sent Zhou Jia and Ji Xiang to the door and returned to the house.


    Madam Qian looked at Li Yu and smiled. ¡°Xiaoyu, why is Mr. Zhou even more good-looking than a girl? Look at him standing there elegantly. He looks like a painting.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and nodded. ¡°Yes! He¡¯s quite handsome, but he¡¯s too troublesome.¡±


    Auntie Qian thought that Li Yu felt that Mr. Zhou¡¯s etiquette was too troublesome. She smiled and said, ¡°Aiyo! That¡¯s how schrs are. They¡¯re very polite.¡±


    Li Yu carried the gift box into the central room. ¡°Well, he did bring quite a lot of gifts.¡±

 Chapter 43

    43 Soapberry, Oil Tea Tree


    Li Yu put away the gift and returned to the foot of the mountain. Seeing that Xiao An was still guarding the charcoal pit, Li Yu saw that he had already blocked the vent. She checked and said, ¡°Xiao An, there¡¯s no need to watch here. We¡¯ll pick soapberries. We¡¯lle back tomorrow morning to get the charcoal.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Xiao An carried the backpack. ¡°Sister Li, what¡¯s a soapberry?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a fruit that can be used to wash things. The seeds inside are medicinal herbs.¡± Li Yu brought Xiao An to the forest with the soapberry trees. Seeing that most of the soapberry fruits were ripe and most of them had turned brownish-yellow, Li Yu pointed at the fruits. ¡°Look, these are soapberry fruits. Xiao An, pick them at the low ces. Only pick the yellow ones and don¡¯t pick the green ones.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Xiao An put down the backpack and plucked the yellow soapberries. Li Yu used a tree branch to hold down the soapberry tree. This allowed her to pluck the riped soapberries at the top and she ced them in her backpack.


    The two of them plucked from three to four trees before filling up the two backpacks. Their hands were sticky with oil. Li Yu carried the soapberries back home and poured them on the sun pad to dry. She nned to dry and store them. She would slowly peel them when she was free in the future.


    At night, Li Yu looked at the gifts Zhou Jia had sent. There were two gray fur coats, two sets of ink and paper, a few boxes of snacks, and a few rolls of thin cloth. They were purple, grayish-green, andke blue in color.


    Li Yu brought the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone to Li Qing¡¯s room and ced them on his bed. Looking at the empty house, she felt that she should make a few pieces of furniture and paint the house with lime.


    Li Qing came back while drying his hair. He smiled and said to Li Yu, ¡°Sister, what¡¯s that thing you gave me to bathe today? My hair feels astringent after washing it. I didn¡¯t think it was useful at first but my hair smoothed out after I wiped it.¡±


    Li Yu smiled. ¡°See those things on the sun pad? They¡¯re called soapberries.¡±


    ¡°Yes! Sister, Sir asked me today if I want to continue studying in order to obtain schrly honors, or if I want to learn some words and calctions?¡±


    ¡°So what did you answer?¡±


    ¡°Sister, I want to study for two years to try. If I can pass the county-level examination, I¡¯ll continue studying. If I can¡¯t pass the county-level examination twice in a row, I won¡¯t continue.¡±


    ¡°Alright, you have to be confident in yourself too. You have to believe that you can do it. Also, you don¡¯t have to worry about the money for your studies. Your family still has the money to pay for your studies for a few years.¡±


    ¡°I know. You made some money selling pickled vegetables, but I couldn¡¯t take the exam year after year with my family¡¯s hard-earned money like those old kids. I decided to take the exam twice at most. If I don¡¯t pass, I wouldn¡¯t study. I¡¯de back and work with you.¡±


    When Li Yu heard this, she felt that this child was too sensible. He was only nine years old and already knew how to n his life. Li Yu patted Li Qing¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Alright, I support you. Ah Qing, I believe you can do it.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Li Qing agreed solemnly. As he watched Li Yu go forward, he held Li Yu¡¯s hand and called, ¡°Sister,¡±. Li Yu smiled and nodded. The siblingsughed.


    In the next few days, Li Yu nned to burn the charcoal. After that, she would pick the soapberries and dry them at home. After picking the soapberries, she began to fertilize the rapeseed. Li Yu was as busy as a bee. She was only finished when it was almost winter.


    At night, lying in bed, Li Yu suddenly remembered that she could pick the camellia oil tea fruits in the mountains. She was also worried about whether there was a way to extract oil here.


    Li Yu put on her clothes and came out to see that the oilmp in Li Qing¡¯s room was still lit. She knocked on the door. Li Qing opened the door and said to Li Yu with a smile, ¡°Sister, why aren¡¯t you asleep?¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t slept either, have you? I wanted to ask if you¡¯ve heard of an oil press?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s one in Green Mountain City! There¡¯s one at the foot of the mountain where I used to chop wood.¡± Li Qing smiled and said, ¡°Sister, the rapeseeds are not ripe yet!¡±


    ¡°I found a patch of oil tea trees in the mountains. They should be ripe by now. I¡¯ll pick them up tomorrow and extract the oil. Since the oil press is so far away, I¡¯ll pick them and go home first. Sleep early.¡±


    Li Qing nodded and watched Li Yu return to her room before going back to study hard.


    Li Yu returned to the house and thought about picking the oil tea fruit first. She might as well get a stonemason to make a press and extract it herself. Yes, that was what she would do.


    Li Yu took a pen and drew a stone pestle and a kiln nest. However, it was muchrger than ordinary stone pestles and kiln nests. She wanted to dig a hole at the bottom of the kiln nest, roast a bamboo tube, and attach it to the hole. When the oil was squeezed out, it could flow out through the bamboo tube.


    The next morning, Li Yu drove the ox cart to Master Chen¡¯s house at the east end of the vige and handed the drawing to him. ¡°Uncle Chen, I want to make something like this to extract oil. Do you think it¡¯ll work?¡±


    Stonemason Chen looked at it for a while and smiled. ¡°Xiaoyu, I¡¯ve seen how they extract oil. This stone mortar and stone pestle can be made into a stepping pot. You can use a hard wooden head slightly smaller than a mortar nest like a cork to squeeze it into the mortar nest and press out the oil. Then, you can ce three stone pirs at the bottom of the mortar nest and the oil will flow out of the bamboo pipe.¡±


    Li Yu asked worriedly, ¡°Will the tube be secure?¡±


    Stonemason Chen smiled confidently. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. It will be unbreakable after I apply fish glue on it.¡±


    Li Yu was relieved. ¡°Alright, please help me make it as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°Xiaoyu, this thing is a little expensive. I¡¯ll charge you at least a tael of silver.¡±


    ¡°Alright, Uncle Chen.¡± Li Yu paid the money and happily went home to take two strings of money and handed them to Madam Qian. ¡°Auntie Qian, get Xiao An to rush to buy two stones of ash backter. I have a use for them.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Madam Qian took the money and agreed with a smile.


    Li Yu took the sack and bamboo basket to the oil tea forest and busied herself harvesting ripe oil tea fruits.


    Li Qing went to school early in the morning. When he saw Ji Xiang, he asked, ¡°Brother Ji Xiang, do you know where there¡¯s an oil press workshop nearby?¡±


    ¡°The oil press workshop? Why are you looking for the oil press workshop? If your sister wants to buy oil, my grocery store has it!¡±


    Li Qing told Ji Xiang about Li Yu picking the oil tea fruit. When Ji Xiang heard this, he asked curiously, ¡°What does the oil tea tree look like?¡±


    Li Qing shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. My mother probably taught my sister what it looks like.¡±


    Ji Xiang smiled at Li Qing. ¡°Oh! Go to ss first! I¡¯ll help you askter.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Brother Ji Xiang.¡±


    Ji Xiang found Zhou Jia and told him about Li Yu looking for the oil press workshop. ¡°Young Master, what is an oil tea tree?¡±


    For some reason, Zhou Jia recalled Li Yu¡¯s look of disdain. ¡°Go and find Qi Min Agricultural Text for me. Go up the mountain and search. If you can find Miss Li, go and help.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Ji Xiang went to find the text and gave it to Zhou Jia before turning around and going out into the mountains.


    Thinking about Zhou Jia¡¯s expression, Ji Xiang thought to himself as he walked, Could it be that Young Master is interested in Miss Li?! Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have asked me to look for her in the mountains.


    Li Yu was busy picking oil tea fruits in the mountain. After picking a bag, she ced it in her space. Just as she was busy, she suddenly heard panting sounds behind her. Li Yu thought to herself, Not good, there¡¯s a wild boar.


    She turned around and saw a wild boar with long fangs charging at him.


    Li Yu took a few steps back and hid behind the oil tea tree. She took out a long saber from her space. Just as she took out the saber, she saw that the two tea trees had been knocked down by the wild boar. Li Yu jumped up and stepped on the wild boar¡¯s back. She jumped to the wild boar¡¯s side and raised the saber to sh at the wild boar¡¯s back. Blood sprayed out and sttered all over the ground.


    The wild boar howled and rushed into the forest. Li Yu chased after it and shed its back again. The wild boar howled and fell to the ground. It grunted and twitched a few times before stopping.


    Li Yu ced the wild boar in her space and dug some soil to cover its blood to prevent the smell of blood from attracting ferocious beasts.


    After the blood was covered, she sat down to rest for a while and ate something before continuing to pick the oil tea fruits.

 Chapter 44

    44 Picking Oil Tea Fruits


    Ji Xiang couldn¡¯t find Li Yu after circling the mountain. He caught a few pheasants and hares and carried them home. When he returned home, he reported to Zhou Jia, ¡°Young Master, I searched everywhere but couldn¡¯t find Miss Li. I did catch a few pheasants and hares though.¡±


    Zhou Jia took out the Qi Min technique and ced it in front of Ji Xiang. ¡°I already know what the oil tea tree is like. Do you remember the pool we saw when we picked herbsst year? The oil tea tree is a little past the pool.¡±


    Ji Xiang nced at the painting in the book and felt that he did not understand what it was. ¡°I remember! Shall I go again now?¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled and shook his head. ¡°No need. When youe back from the mountain, I¡¯ll go with you tomorrow morning.¡±


    Ji Xiang looked at Zhou Jia in confusion. ¡°Young Master, are you really going to help Miss Li pick the oil tea fruits?¡±


    Zhou Jia nodded and rolled his eyes like Li Yu. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Can¡¯t I go?¡±


    Ji Xiang looked at Zhou Jia and widened his eyes. ¡°Yes, yes.¡± Ji Xiang bent down and retreated, muttering to himself, ¡°Sigh! Young Master really doesn¡¯t seem like his usual self.¡±


    Li Yu carried the oil tea fruit home. Madam Qian had already put the soapberries away and entered the house. Seeing that Li Yu had reached home, she was finally relieved. Madam Qian pointed at the lime under the eaves. ¡°Xiaoyu, look, I¡¯ve already bought the lime. Come back early from the mountain in the future. There will be more wild animals when the weather gets cold.¡±


    ¡°Got it, Auntie Qian. I hunted a wild pig and ced it with Uncle He for handling. I¡¯ll go get the meat.¡±


    Li Yu took the backpack and went to the forest at the back. She took out the wild boar from her space and carried it towards Butcher He¡¯s house. Only then did she remember that there were still two wild deer in her space. She thought that she had to find a day to send one to Minister Huang¡¯s house in town.


    When Li Yu arrived at Butcher He¡¯s house, Xiaoyu opened the door and smiled when she saw the wild boar Li Yu was carrying. ¡°Sister Xiaoyu, why are the wild boars you hunt getting bigger every time?¡±


    Li Yu nced at the wild boar on the chopping board. ¡°Yes! They¡¯re really getting bigger every time.¡±


    Butcher He walked out of the house with a butcher knife. A young man who looked like an iron tower came with him. Butcher He looked at the wild boar on the chopping board andughed. ¡°Xiaoyu, I¡¯m afraid this one weighs more than 300 catties!¡±


    ¡°Uncle He, it¡¯s sote. I¡¯ll have to trouble you again.¡±


    ¡°What trouble? You¡¯re taking care of my business!¡± Butcher He handed the knife to the young man. ¡°Tiezhu, you¡¯ll do it today.¡±


    Xiaoyu nced at the Tiezhu and turned to look at Li Yu with a smile. ¡°Sister Xiaoyu, this is my brother, He Tiezhu. Don¡¯t you think he looks like an iron pir?¡±


    ¡°Xiaoyu, are you looking for a beating?¡± He Tiezhu said with a red face.


    ¡°Mother, look, brother¡¯s going to hit me,¡± Xiaoyu said coquettishly to Madam Huang, who came out with a wooden basin. Madam Huang nodded at Xiaoyu. ¡°Crazy girl, aren¡¯t you afraid that your Sister Xiaoyu willugh at you?¡±


    Xiaoyu tugged at Madam Huang¡¯s sleeve. ¡°Sister Xiaoyu won¡¯tugh at me!¡±


    He Tiezhu¡¯s hands and feet were agile. Soon, the wild boar was cut. Li Yu took half of the meat and oil. The rest of the meat was handed to Butcher He to help sell.


    After Li Yu left, Butcher He avoided his son and said to Madam Huang, ¡°Mother, Xiaoyu looks good, right?¡±


    Madam Huang frowned. ¡°She looks quite capable and neat, but I don¡¯t like it that she¡¯s orphaned. Let¡¯s wait and see!¡±


    Xiaoyu pursed her lips and nced at Madam Huang. ¡°Mother, you don¡¯t like her but I don¡¯t think my brother is worthy of Sister Xiaoyu.¡±


    Madam Huang patted her with a dark expression. ¡°Stupid girl, who would be willing to find a wife without parents? Not to mention whether they are well-mannered, I don¡¯t like people who show their faces all day.¡±


    Butcher He pped the chopping board impatiently. ¡°Alright, don¡¯t mention this again in the future. If Xiaoyu finds out, how will everyone interact in the future?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you mention it first?¡± Madam Huang pursed her lips and returned to the house with the wooden basin.


    Li Yu carried the meat home and brought out a leg of meat and a piece of oil. She handed it to Li Qing, who was reading. ¡°Ah Qing, send the pork to Aunt.¡±


    Li Qing looked at the pig leg Li Yu was carrying. ¡°Sister, aren¡¯t wild boar all very thin? This wild boar is really fat.¡±


    Li Yu took a strip of meat that weighed three to four catties and handed it to Xiao An. ¡°Yes! It¡¯s quite fat. Wait for Xiao An to leave with you. I¡¯ll get him to send a piece to Uncle Chen.¡±


    Li Qing smiled and said to Li Yu, ¡°Sister, give one to my teacher too!¡±


    ¡°Take it!¡± Li Yu handed him another piece before the two of them left with the meat.


    Li Yu stir-fried the peppercorns, salt, and fragrant leaves and ced them on the meat in a basin to marinate. She then took two pig trotters and burned them with fire to get rid of the hair. Shen then chopped meat into small pieces and ced them in the saucepan.


    Madam Qian brought the finished cotton dress and outerwear to the kitchen. ¡°Xiaoyu, look at how beautiful this purple dress looks! Xiaoyu, you would look so good in it. You¡¯re so looking but wear frumpy clothes all the time. It makes you look old.¡±


    Li Yu looked at the dress in Madam Qian¡¯s hand and smiled. ¡°This color is not resistant to dirt. Put it away and I¡¯ll wear it when I¡¯m free. Auntie Qian, how many days do you think we need to wait before the rapeseed can be transnted?¡±


    Madam Qian smiled and said, ¡°In another four to five days, it should be fine.¡±


    Li Yu estimated in her heart and felt that the oil tea fruits should have been picked by then.


    Li Yu went to the vegetable field and plucked two radishes. She cut two onions and coriander and brought them home. Madam Qian hurriedly took them to the well to wash them. After Li Qing and Xiao An returned and ate, Li Yu took a piece of meat and gave it to Madam Qian. The mother and son carried it home.


    The next morning, Li Yu carried a sack and a backpack and walked up the mountain with a seasoning bag. Just as she turned past Butcher He¡¯s house, she heard someone shouting from behind, ¡°Miss Li, Miss Li, wait.¡±


    Li Yu turned around and saw that it was Ji Xiang and Mr. Zhou. Li Yu felt a little strange. Why were these two people going up the mountain so early in the morning? Weren¡¯t they afraid after almost dying on the mountainst time?


    Ji Xiang and Zhou Jia caught up to Li Yu. When Li Yu saw Zhou Jia¡¯s flushed face, she thought to herself, He¡¯s really devilish. Why is he so good-looking as a man?


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu and smiled as he cupped his hands. ¡°Miss Li, I heard that you¡¯re going to pick oil tea fruits. I¡¯ve only seen such trees in books and want to see the real ones with you, is that okay?¡±


    Li Yu was almost blinded by Zhou Jia¡¯s smile. She turned her head. ¡°If you want to go, follow me!¡± Li Yu sighed in her heart. She could only me him for being too good-looking. She couldn¡¯t even bear to reject him.


    Li Yu pursed her lips and turned to look at Zhou Jia. ¡°Mr. Zhou, can you withstand the long journey up the mountain?¡±


    Zhou Jia took two steps to catch up to Li Yu and said with a smile, ¡°Miss Li, look at what you¡¯re saying. What¡¯s so unbearable about this road?¡±


    Ji Xiang looked at Zhou Jia¡¯s brilliant smile and sighed in his heart. It¡¯s over, it¡¯s over. It seems that Young Master really wants to repay her with his life.


    As Ji Xiang followed behind the two of them silently, Li Yu was finding it strange that this chatterbox was silent today.


    When the few of them arrived at the forest, Li Yu pointed at the oil tea trees. ¡°Mr. Zhou, these are all oil tea trees. There¡¯s nothing to see actually!¡±


    Of course, Zhou Jia understood that the oil tea tree was not worth looking at, but she was the one worth looking at!


    ¡°Miss Li, since we¡¯re already here, we¡¯ll help you pick the tea fruits before returning!¡±


    Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia¡¯s tender skin and looked doubtful. ¡°Can you do it?¡±


    Zhou Jia spread his hands and smiled. ¡°It should be possible to pick fruits.¡±


    ¡°Alright then!¡± Li Yu pointed at the ripe tea fruits. ¡°Pick the red and yellow ones.¡±


    Zhou Jia nodded and picked them up with Ji Xiang. Seeing that the two of them were quite efficient, Li Yu ignored them and walked a distance away from them to start picking. She filled the sack and quickly ced it in the space when the two of them were not paying attention. Then, she continued to pick fruits.


    ...

 Chapter 45

    45 nting Rapeseed


    When Zhou Jia saw Li Yu walking far away to pick the oil tea fruits, he slowly moved to Li Yu¡¯s side and smiled at her. ¡°Miss Li, why did you think of picking the oil tea fruits to extract oil? No one should know about this in Green Mountain.¡±


    Li Yu smiled faintly. ¡°My mother told me.¡±


    Zhou Jia put the fruit into his backpack. ¡°Oh! I¡¯ve asked. If you want to extract oil, you can only go to the oil press workshop outside Green Mountain City. I have a mule cart and oil drums that can be sent to you.¡±


    Li Yu shook her head. ¡°Mr. Zhou, thank you for your kindness. I¡¯ve already asked someone to help make a simple oil extraction tool. We¡¯ll talk about it after I try it.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu with a smile. ¡°Then can I go to your house to take a look when Miss Li is extracting oil?¡±


    Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia¡¯s smile and couldn¡¯t reject him. She could only nod and reply, ¡°Alright.¡±


    When Ji Xiang saw how Young Master was fawning over Miss Li, he felt extremely depressed. He felt that it was really a rare sight. It had always been those youngdies who surrounded Young Master who could not be bothered with them.


    Ji Xiang could not bear to watch anymore and walked to Zhou Jia¡¯s side. ¡°Young Master, it¡¯s almost noon. I¡¯m going to hunt two pheasants and roast them.¡±


    Zhou Jia nodded and watched Ji Xiang walk into the forest. He continued to talk to Li Yu. The two of them chatted.


    After more than an hour, Ji Xiang carried the two pheasants to the stream to wash them. He removed the chicken skin and put it on a wooden stick. Li Yu took out some seasoning and smeared it on the meat. Ji Xiang lit the fire and the two of them roasted the pheasants.


    Ji Xiang nced at Li Yu. ¡°Miss Li, do you n to pick all these oil tea fruits home?¡±


    Li Yu flipped the pheasant in her hand. ¡°Yes! I¡¯ll pick whatever you can.¡±


    Ji Xiang looked at Zhou Jia, who was picking the tea fruits, and then at the oil tea trees. He frowned. ¡°Then it will take at least three to four days to finish picking.¡±


    ¡°Probably!¡± Li Yu smelled the fragrance of the pheasant and tore off a piece to taste. ¡°Yes! It tastes pretty good. Get your young master to eat it!¡±


    Ji Xiang nodded and handed the pheasant to Li Yu. He called Zhou Jia over.


    Li Yu took the opportunity to take out a bamboo tube and egg pancake from her space. When Ji Xiang and Zhou Jia came over, she handed the pheasant to the two of them. After roasting the pancake, she handed it to them. ¡°Eat it! I brought it out this morning.¡±


    Zhou Jia took the pancake and gave one to Ji Xiang. The three of them surrounded the fire and ate.


    After eating, Li Yu extinguished the fire and said to Zhou Jia and Ji Xiang, ¡°Thank you for your help today. I still have to pick for four hours before leaving. You guys can go back first!¡±


    ¡°How can we give up halfway?¡± Zhou Jia smiled and walked towards the oil tea forest.


    Li Yu looked at the intive Ji Xiang and shrugged at him. She turned around and picked the oil tea fruits.


    The few of them picked for another two hours before one of the three sacks was filled to the brim. Ji Xiang carried two sacks of tea fruits, and Li Yu carried one sack back.


    Zhou Jia thought as he walked. He had clearly seen Li Yu pick several sacks. Why were there only three sacks now?! Could he have seen wrongly?


    Li Yu carried the oil tea fruits on her back resentfully. If the two of them didn¡¯te, she would have been able to use her space instead of carrying the oil tea fruits.


    The few of them walked to Li Yu¡¯s house at the end of the hour. Ji Xiang ced the sack at the door. Li Yu said politely, ¡°Mr. Zhou, Ji Xiang, thank you. I¡¯ll send the oil to you to try after the extraction.¡±


    Zhou Jia nodded and smiled. ¡°Alright, then we¡¯ll wait for Miss Li to send the oil over.¡±


    After Li Yu sent Zhou Jia and Ji Xiang away, Madam Qian looked at Li Yu with a smile. ¡°Xiaoyu, why did Mr. Zhoue back with you?¡±


    Li Yu made things up. ¡°Oh! We happened to meet each other on the mountain.¡±


    Li Yu moved the oil tea fruit into the room and locked the door. When she saw Li Qing returning with a school basket, she said, ¡°Ah Qing, didn¡¯t I make a school bag for you? Why don¡¯t you use it?¡±


    Li Qing smiled in embarrassment. ¡°Sister, I want to use it in the future.¡±


    Li Yu guessed that Li Qing couldn¡¯t bear to use the bag. She smiled and patted him. ¡°Idiot, it¡¯s a pity if you don¡¯t use the bag after it¡¯s done! I¡¯ll make it for you if it¡¯s torn!¡±


    Li smiled happily. ¡°Yes! I¡¯ll go to school tomorrow with my backpack.¡±


    The next morning, Li Yu had just gone out with the backpack on her back when she saw Ji Xiang and Ruyi waiting at the door. Ji Xiang looked at Li Yu and smiled. ¡°Miss Li, Young Master asked Ruyi and me to help you go up the mountain to pick tea fruits.¡±


    Li Yu looked at the two of them in surprise. ¡°How can I do that? I can go back alone!¡±


    Ji Xiang and Ruyi shook their heads. ¡°That won¡¯t do. Young Master will me us when we go back.¡±


    Li Yu could only bring the two of them up the mountain. With Ji Xiang and Ruyi¡¯s help, the remaining tea fruits were picked home in two days.


    Li Yu stored the tea fruit in her space and began to transnt the rapeseed. Seeing that Li Yu¡¯s family had begun to nt the rapeseed, Chen Yaohui, his wife, and Li Mei¡¯s family came to help her.


    Chen Yaohui and Liu Changmin dug the nest. Laidi and Madam Qian plucked the seedlings. Xiao An released the seedlings. Li Yu transported the fat soil and ced it in the nest. Li Mei and Zhaodi raised the rapeseed seedlings in the nest and used the soil to press down on the roots of the rapeseed seedlings before digging the soil to cover the roots.


    In the evening, Stonemason Chen sent the oil-press stone mortar to Li Yu¡¯s house. Li Yu asked him to ce the mortar nest against the wall of the woodshed. After Stonemason Chen ced the mortar nest on three stone pirs and fixed it with fish glue, heid a stone b beside it.


    Stonemason Chen pointed to the bamboo tube at the bottom. ¡°Xiaoyu, the golden bamboo Uncle found was roasted and bent and stuck inside. I guarantee it won¡¯t fall off. Also, when you squeeze the oil, step on this wooden board and knock the wooden stopper into the nest.The wooden stopper will allow the oil to flow out from the bottom when it squeezes the oil.¡±


    ¡°Alright, Uncle Chen, sorry to have troubled you.¡± After Li Yu sent Stonemason Chen away, she returned to the courtyard and tried it out. She also used the same lever principle. She stepped on the wooden board and knocked on the wooden plug, letting the wooden stoppersqueeze out the oil.


    When everyone returned after work, they saw the oil-squeezing stone mortar that Master Chen had sent over. After looking at it for a while, Chen Yaohui and Liu Changmin felt uncertain. ¡°Xiaoyu, even if you can¡¯t squeeze oil, you can still grind rice.¡±


    Li Mei brought the dining table to the courtyard and shouted with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s time to eat. Aren¡¯t you hungry?¡±


    For dinner, Chen Yaohui stewed radish, garlic sprouts, stir-fried rapeseed, and bean paste fish. ¡°This fish and Twice Cooked Pork are really fragrant.¡± Chen Yaohui had eaten the bean paste fish and Twice Cooked Pork and pointed at the sauce jar in Li Yu¡¯s courtyard. ¡°Xiaoyu, did you stir-fry it with that bean paste?¡±


    Li Yu nodded. ¡°Yes, Uncle Chen. I¡¯ll scoop a can for youter so you can bring it back for Grandpa to try.¡±


    Chen Yaohui took a sip of wine and smiled brightly. ¡°Alright, I won¡¯t stand on ceremony.¡±


    After dinner, Li Yu took a jar and scooped a jar of bean paste for Chen Yaohui. The couple happily carried it home.


    Li Mei looked at Li Yu and asked, ¡°Yu¡¯er, what do you think is good for my wastnd?¡±


    Li Yu thought for a moment. ¡°Aunt, why don¡¯t you nt radishes and vegetables? You can make pickled vegetables to sell when you harvest them.¡±


    Li Mei nodded. ¡°That¡¯s fine. We¡¯ll go home ande back in the morning.¡±


    After Li Yu sent Li Mei¡¯s family and the Qian family back to their house, she realized that Li Qing had already fed the pigs. The siblings washed up and rested separately.

 Chapter 46

    46 Making Tea Oil


    It took seven to eight people four to five days to nt nearly 20 acres of rapeseed and fertilize it. Everyone helped to fertilize the winter wheat before going home.


    After everyone left, Li Yu took the oil tea fruit out of the space. She mixed a small amount of lime and piled it under the eaves for three to four days. She spread it out in the courtyard under the sun and waited for most of the fruits to crack naturally. Li Yu brought Madam Qian and her son to peel and open the unopened fruits on the sun pad.


    Madam Qian looked at the seeds and asked Li Yu, ¡°Xiaoyu, there are probably 20 to 30 stones if you clean all these seeds, right?¡±


    ¡°Probably!¡± Li Yu used a sieve to sieve the seeds clean. She spread them out on a sun pad and dried them for two days before putting them in a wicker basket. She nned to start squeezing oil the next day.


    For some reason, she recalled that Zhou Jia had said that he wanted toe and see her squeeze tea oil. Li Yu woke up early in the morning and said to Li Qing, ¡°Ah Qing, I¡¯ll start extracting tea oil today. Tell Mr. Zhou.¡±


    Li Qing looked at Li Yu. ¡°Sister, is Mr. Zhouing to see you extract tea oil?¡±


    ¡°Yes! He said thatst time, and I promised to invite him to watch. Just mention it.¡±


    Li Qing nodded and touched his bag as he smiled at Li Yu. ¡°Sister, the young master of the Xu family wants to ask you to buy a bag like mine. He said that he¡¯ll give you 500 copper coins. Will you make it?¡±


    ¡°Sure! Tell him to bring the money and I¡¯ll make it for him.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll go to school and tell him.¡± Li Qing carried his bag and left.


    Li Yu thought about Li Qing¡¯s words and thought to herself, I can get Li Mei and Madam Qian to make some school bags and take them to Green Mountain City Academy for sale! After Li Yu thought about it, she happily picked the tea seeds from the basket to the edge of the stone mill and began to grind the tea seeds powder.


    After Madam Qian and An arrived, Li Yu pushed Madam Qian to help add oil tea seeds. The two of them ground a basket of oil tea seeds and came out. Li Yu said to Madam Qian, ¡°Auntie Qian, continue pushing me to make a few straw baskets.¡±


    ¡°Alright, go! Leave this to me.¡± Madam Qian took the grinding handle and continued to grind the seeds.


    Li Yu went to the woodshed and carried a bundle of clean straw to make more than ten straw baskets. She carried them out of the woodshed and returned to the courtyard. When she saw Zhou Jia standing at the door and knocking with Ji Xiang, Li Yu smiled and said, ¡°The door isn¡¯t closed. Juste in. Country bumpkins aren¡¯t that particr.¡±


    Madam Qian was amused when she heard that. ¡°Mr. Zhou is a schr and is well-mannered. How can he be like us!¡±


    Zhou Jia and Ji Xiang smiled and entered the courtyard. They saw Li Yu carrying the tea seed powder to the kitchen.


    Ji Xiang pointed at the big stone mortar and pedals in the courtyard and said to Zhou Jia, ¡°Young Master, look, Miss Li is nning to use this to press oil! Do you think it¡¯ll work?¡±


    Zhou Jia walked closer to take a look and nodded. ¡°It should work.¡±


    After Li Yu steamed the tea seed powder, she poured it onto the stone b, ced it in a straw basket, and wrapped it tightly.


    Zhou Jia clumsily helped Li Yu put the straw basket wrapped in tea seed powder into the stone mortar and ced seven packets of oil tea cakes in it. The stone mortar was filled.


    Li Yu pressed the wooden stopper on the oil tea pancake and prepared to step on the stepping board. Ji Xiang ran over and stepped on the stepping board. She smiled at Li Yu and said, ¡°Miss Li, hold on to the wooden stopper and I¡¯ll help you step on the stepping board.¡±


    ¡°Sure!¡± Li Yu held the wooden stopper. Ji Xiang stepped on the wooden stopper and smashed it down. He knocked the wooden stopper into the stone mortar with a bang. The wooden stopper squeezed the pancake down. After a while, the oil flowed from the pipe into the basin.


    Zhou Jia watched as the tea oil flowed from the bamboo tube into the wooden basin. He pointed at the tea oil in the wooden basin. ¡°Miss Li, look. The tea oil has flowed into the wooden basin.¡±


    Li Yu looked down at the golden oil flowing down the bamboo tube and thought to herself that the color of the tea seed oil looked better.


    When Auntie Qian heard that there was oil, she happily put down the grinding handle and ran over. She looked at the oil in the basin. ¡°Xiaoyu, you can rest assured that the work wasn¡¯t in vain.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! You can rest assured!¡± Li Yu scooped up a spoon and poured it back into the basin. She smiled and said, ¡°Tea oil tastes much better than can oil.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu and thought to himself, From Miss Li¡¯s tone, this shouldn¡¯t be the first time she¡¯s had tea oil.


    Ji Xiang also put down the pedals and ran over to look at the golden and transparent tea seed oil in the wooden basin. ¡°Young Master, look, the oil is extracted.¡±


    Zhou Jia threw away his thoughts and looked at Ji Xiang. ¡°I told you it would work! Ji Xiang, go and continue stepping!¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡± Ji Xiang continued to step hard on the pedals. The tea oil flowed faster.


    Zhou Jia pointed at the dregs in the oil and said to Li Yu, ¡°Miss Li, I think we should filter the oil.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll filter it with gauzeter.¡±


    Zhou Jia squatted down and scooped up a spoonful of the golden transparent liquid. ¡°Not bad. It looks much better than the vegetable oil I sell. There¡¯s also a faint fragrance.¡±


    Li Yu smiled proudly. ¡°Of course. Tea seed oil is very good for people. If you don¡¯t believe me, try it for a few days.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked up at Li Yu. ¡°Looks like Miss Li has eaten a lot of tea oil?¡±


    ¡°No, my mother said so.¡± Li Yu smiled and carried the steamer to the kitchen.


    Li Yu steamed tea seed powder in the kitchen and secretly reminded herself not to get carried away.


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu¡¯s back thoughtfully and shook his head. He helped Li Yu put the tea seed powder into the straw basket.


    The few of them were so busy that they only finished squeezing two stones of tea seeds at noon. Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia and said politely, ¡°It¡¯s almost noon. Mr. Zhou, you and Ji Xiang can have a simple meal at my house!¡±


    Li Yu thought that Zhou Jia would refuse, but Zhou Jia smiled and nodded. ¡°Then we¡¯ll have to trouble Miss Li.¡±


    ¡°Not at all! It¡¯s just a simple meal.¡± Li Yu smiled and went to the vegetable field. She plucked two asparagus and two radishes, pinched a handful of garlic seedlings and a basket of rapeseed, and carried them home.


    Auntie Qian had already washed the pickled meat and cured pork ribs and chopped them into inches long. Li Yu cooked a radish pork rib soup and stir-fried a te of asparagus meat slices. She stir-fried the pickled meat with garlic sprouts and stir-fried the rapeseed.


    When Li Qing returned home and saw Zhou Jia in his house, he bowed to Zhou Jia in surprise. ¡°Sir, did you see how my sister pressed oil?¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled and nodded. ¡°I saw it. Ah Qing¡¯s sister is a sensitive woman.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your praise, sir.¡± Li Qing happily took off his bag and showed it to Zhou Jia. ¡°Look, sir, my sister made this bag for me. My sister said that if I carry this to school, I won¡¯t be afraid of getting my books wet. Even Xu Jinxin likes it and is asking my sister to make one for him.¡±


    Zhou Jia¡¯s eyes lit up when he took the bag. After looking at it for a while, he said, ¡°Yes! It¡¯s indeed not bad. Ah Qing, help Sir tell your sister and ask her to help me make one too.¡±


    Seeing that Zhou Jia also liked Li Yu¡¯s school bag, Li Qing nodded happily. ¡°Alright, sir. I¡¯ll tell my sisterter.¡±


    Ji Xiang covered his face and felt that he couldn¡¯t take it anymore. He wondered if Ah Qing knew that he was helping his shameless Young Master.


    Li Yu carried the dishes and asked Auntie Qian to call Zhou Jia and his servant to eat.


    Due to his status, Ji Xiang would not eat with Zhou Jia no matter what. Li Yu had no choice but to share a portion of the dishes with Li Qing, Xiao An, and Ji Xiang.


    Auntie Qian looked at Zhou Jia sitting on the small stool and couldn¡¯t even stretch his legs. ¡°Xiaoyu, look at Mr. Zhou sitting on the stool. He can¡¯t even stretch his legs.¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Miss Li¡¯s food is very delicious.¡±


    Auntie Qian looked at Zhou Jia¡¯s elegant manner when he ate. ¡°Mr. Zhou, I heard that when you big families eat, you don¡¯t talk when you eat or sleep, right?¡±


    ...


    Zhou Jia swallowed the food in his mouth and nodded. ¡°Something like that.¡±


    Auntie Qian sighed. ¡°Aiyo! Then we¡¯re not used to it. After a busy day, we¡¯ll sit together during dinner and talk about family matters.¡±


    Li Yu smiled at Zhou Jia¡¯s red face and thought to herself, Let¡¯s see if you¡¯ll still stay here to eat in the future.

 Chapter 47

    47 Cooperation


    After dinner, Zhou Jia stopped Li Yu. ¡°Miss Li, I want to discuss cooperation and business with you. Are you willing?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Zhou, go ahead.¡± Li Yu watched as Zhou Jia sat back down.


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu. ¡°I saw the school bag you made for Ah Qing just now. I think we can work together. I have shops in Green Mountain City and beside Green Mountain Academy. You¡¯ll be in charge of making the school bag and I¡¯ll be in charge of selling it. Also, I can help you sell the bean paste and tea oil you make to the restaurants. What do you think?¡±


    Li Yu thought for a moment. ¡°Mr. Zhou, how do you think we should cooperate?¡±


    ¡°Just cooperate and sell bags!¡± Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu in confusion.


    Li Yu continued, ¡°For example, if we make a school bag, we have to consider the customers who buy bags. How old are they? Are there more adults or more children? There¡¯s also the problem of buying cloth to make cloth shells, tung oil, and hiring people to process it. How should we split the responsibility and the profits? Also, it¡¯s great for you to help me sell my bean paste. How should we calcte the fees that arise in the middle?¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu and felt that the girl in front of him was like a mystery. The more he interacted with her, the more he wanted to investigate. The more he wanted to know what else she could do to surprise him.


    Seeing that Zhou Jia was silent, Li Yu stood up and wanted to continue pressing the oil. Zhou Jia raised his hand to stop Li Yu. ¡°Miss Li, there are two academies in Green Mountain City. Most of the students in the academy are 17 or 18 years old. I¡¯ll prepare the funds, cloth, and tung oil. You can also hand over the sale to me. You¡¯ll be in charge of recruiting people to make bags. Our profits will be 50-50. I¡¯ll charge amission of 10% in regard to your bean paste and tea oil. What do you think?¡±


    Li Yu was a little surprised when she heard that. If this was the case, Schr Zhou would be at a disadvantage. She was not rted to him, so she could not take advantage of him.


    Li Yu shook her head and said, ¡°Mr. Zhou, since you¡¯re sincere about cooperating with me, so be it! I¡¯ll take 40% of the profits and you take 60%. After discussing the details, we¡¯ll sign a contract.¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled when he heard that and thought to himself, What a good girl. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s do as Miss Li says. We¡¯ll write the contract.¡±


    The two of them discussed some details. Li Yu went into the house to get a pen and paper. Zhou Jia began to write the contract.


    After Zhou Jia finished writing, he felt that Li Yu might not be able to read. He read the contract to Li Yu again. ¡°Miss Li, if you¡¯re worried, you can get someone else to take a look.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need. How can Mr. Zhou be such a faithless person?¡± Li Yu took a pen and signed her name.


    After the two of them signed, Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu¡¯s crooked words and pursed his lips into a smile. ¡°I¡¯ll get Ji Xiang to bring the ink for pressing our fingerprints.¡±


    Li Yu nodded and red at him again. ¡°Mr. Zhou, the inneryer of the school bag is made of rough cloth. We have to use a stronger thin cloth for the outeryer. Not only can we make a school bag, but we can also make bags for going out. Also, we don¡¯t have to buy good cloth to make a cloth shell. We can just get someone to buy leftovers from the cloth shop.¡±


    Zhou Jia stood up and said with a smile, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll get someone to prepare it. Miss Li, I think I¡¯ll help you pull these tea oil seeds to the oil mill to squeeze them, okay?¡±


    Li Yu nodded. ¡°Alright! I want to keep half of the oil for myself. Sell the rest for me. Also, this oil is much more expensive than vegetable seed oil. The cheapest bean paste is 20 copper coins a catty.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu and smiled. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that tea oil is good for the body? The bean paste is unique to your family. I promise to sell it for a good price.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and did not reply. Zhou Jia went out to get Ji Xiang to drive the mule cart over. Li Yu passed Ji Xiang jars of bean paste and the remaining tea seeds.


    After Zhou Jia and Ji Xiang left, Auntie Qian looked at the stone mortar that had only been used for half a day. As she washed it, she sighed. ¡°It can still be used! Why did you drag the seeds away?¡±


    Li Yu went to the stove and found a charcoal stick. After sharpening it, she wrapped it in a cloth and drew a rough image of the bags in her previous life.


    Li Yu took the blueprint to Li Mei¡¯s house. After showing it to Li Mei, she asked her, ¡°Aunt, how long will it take for you to make such a bag?¡±


    Li Mei looked at the blueprint in her hand and shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t understand how you made this. If you can make one like the bag Ah Qing is carrying and show me, I¡¯ll know how to do it.¡±


    ¡°All right then! I¡¯ll go back and get the fabric. We¡¯ll make the look first. You¡¯ll specialize in cutting it from now on.¡±


    Li Mei stopped Li Yu. ¡°Girl, you haven¡¯t told me why you want to make so many bags.¡±


    Only then did Li Yu remember that she had yet to tell Li Mei that she was working with Mr. Zhou. Li Yu hurriedly exined to Li Yu.


    Li Mei was a little worried when she heard that. ¡°Yu¡¯er, why would he help you like this?¡±


    Li Yu said casually, ¡°It¡¯s probably because I saved them when he and his bookworm encountered a wolf on the mountainst time!¡±


    ¡°Girl.¡± Li Mei patted Li Yu. ¡°You even dare to provoke a wolf? Have you forgotten why your father left? Don¡¯t force yourself in the future, understand?¡±


    Li Yu leaned against Li Mei and smiled. ¡°Aunt, don¡¯t worry. I only went out to help because I felt that I could kill the wolf.¡±


    ¡°Yes! In short, you have to be careful when you go up the mountain, understand?¡± Li Mei instructed.


    Li Yu went home and brought the oilcloth and cloth shell to Li Mei¡¯s house. The aunt and niecey on the sun pad. After Li Yu finished drawing, Li Mei cut it and Zhaodi helped sew it together. She made several inferior products in session.


    ¡°Yu¡¯er, it¡¯s such a waste.¡± Li Mei looked at the ruined fabric with heartache. ¡°With them cut like this, they can only be used for shoes.¡±


    Li Yu looked at it and chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s not a waste if you can still make shoes.¡±


    They experimented several times before making the most suitable size. Li Yu used a cloth shell to cut out a sample version, preparing to cut it as usual in the future.


    Li Yu asked Liu Changmin to go to the carpenter¡¯s house to customize two sewing boards. She recalled that there was not even a decent dining table and desk at home. The central room was still empty. She was concerned that, when the time came, the people who came to do needlework would not even have a ce to sit.


    Li Yu simply drew two sets of tables and chairs, a desk, and two sets of furniture. She went to the carpenter¡¯s house with Li Mei to customize the furniture.


    The two of them returned to Li Mei¡¯s house from the carpenter¡¯s house. Li Yu said to Liu Changmin, ¡°Uncle, please help me buy some lime and ask someone to help me paint the house.¡±


    ¡°Child, why are you being so polite with Uncle!¡± Liu Changmin happily drove the ox cart to buy lime.

 Chapter 48

    48 Start Work


    Li Yu left Li Mei¡¯s house and went to the vige chief¡¯s house. Standing at the entrance of the courtyard, she saw a 15 or 16-year-old girl sitting in the courtyard. Li Yu smiled and greeted her. ¡°Sister, is Auntie Li at home?¡±


    The girl looked up and rolled her eyes at Li Yu. ¡°Who¡¯s your sister? How do I know if she¡¯s here?¡±


    Seeing that she was ignoring her, Li Yu shouted into the house, ¡°Auntie Li, are you at home?¡±


    ¡°Who is it?¡± Madam Li walked out of the kitchen and saw Li Yu. She weed her at the door. ¡°Xiaoyu! Come in and sit for a while.¡±


    Li Yu pulled Madam Li out of the door and said to her, ¡°Auntie Li, I want to invite you to my house to do some needlework in two days. The sry is temporarily set at 15 copper coins a day. Do you have the time?¡±


    Madam Li smiled in embarrassment. ¡°I do have some skills, but I¡¯m not very good at needlework. I only know how to do some simple work.¡±


    ¡°Auntie Li, it¡¯s fine. Everyone¡¯s work is different. You just have to sew the wires straight and firmly.¡±


    Madam Li smiled when she heard that. ¡°I thought you needed me to do those meticulous tasks. I don¡¯t have a problem with these tasks. I¡¯ll do it then. Let me know when the timees.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go back first.¡± Li Yu came out of the vige chief¡¯s house and walked home.


    Madam Li sent Li Yu off and turned to enter the courtyard. Just as she entered, she heard a sneer. ¡°Hmph! You¡¯re talking bad about me again!¡±


    Madam Li walked up to her and looked at her. ¡°Baozhen, what did you do to let me down? Look at how guilty you are. See how mean you are.¡±


    Chen Baozhen threw the hemp thread away and stood up. She sneered and pointed at Madam Li¡¯s nose. ¡°Aren¡¯t you talking bad about me with that slut Li Yu? Could it be that you still know how to say good things about me?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t point and poke.¡± Madam Li pped Chen Baozhen¡¯s hand away and sneered at her. ¡°Look at you. Can¡¯t you put on a decent appearance? You¡¯re simply a shrew.¡±


    Chen Baozhen pushed Madam Li. ¡°You shrew, who are you calling a shrew? Do you think I don¡¯t know that you¡¯re only happy when my mother and I are dead?¡±


    Chen Yaohui, Chen Yaozu, the vige chief, and Madam Liu all ran out of the house. Chen Yaohui walked over and pulled Madam Li behind him. He frowned at Chen Baozhen. ¡°Who asked you to talk to your sister-inw like this?¡±


    Seeing this, Madam Liu pped her hands and cried, ¡°Baozhen¡¯s father, they can¡¯t tolerate us! Boohoo...¡±


    Chen Yaozu looked at Madam Liu unhappily. ¡°What are you saying? It¡¯s clearly Baozhen...¡±


    With a bang, the vige chief was so angry that he picked up his stool and threw it to the ground. ¡°Shut up, all of you. Don¡¯t you just want to split up?! Split up, we¡¯ll split up today.¡±


    Everyone was stunned. The vige chief looked at Chen Yaozu tiredly. ¡°Go and call your granduncle and the others over to preside over the separation. I don¡¯t want to see you guys fighting every day. I still want to live for a few more years.¡±


    Li Yu didn¡¯t know that the Chens had split up not long after leaving the vige chief¡¯s house. She was still busy at home preparing the ce to process her bag. Li Yu moved the bed in the room to the inner room and vacated the room with good light outside to use as a processing ce.


    The next morning, Liu Changmin brought two craftsmen to paint Li Yu¡¯s house.


    Madam Qian looked at the painted house and sighed. ¡°Xiaoyu, look at this house. It¡¯s so bright now.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Li Yu also felt that the house looked much brighter.


    The two of them cleaned up the house. Li Yu took the mat andid it in the room. Madam Qian weaved a few straw cushions and ced them on the mat. She looked at the new room and nodded in satisfaction. ¡°This way, you won¡¯t have to worry about getting cold.¡±


    The next day, Liu Changmin went to the carpenter¡¯s house to haul back the sewing board and ced it in the room. Everything was ready, and he was just waiting for Zhou Jia to send the cloth over.


    At noon, the sky darkened and a strong wind blew. Xiao An came back from outside with the cows and shouted at Li Yu, ¡°Sister Li, they brought something over.¡±


    Li Yu went out and saw Ji Xiang driving two mule carts to the door. Ji Xiang got out of the car and handed a list to Li Yu. ¡°Miss Li, take inventory. I sent over the leftover cloths, needles, and thin cloth. Ruyi brought tung oil and coarse cloth. Half of those oil tea seeds were pressed for you.¡±


    ¡°Alright! Thank you. Move them in first!¡± Li Yu took the list and looked at it. It said that there were 60 bolts of dark coarse cloth, 600 copper coins a bolt, 20 bolts of fine cloth, 900 copper coins a bolt, and every price was clearly indicated.


    Li Yu counted the goods. Ji Xiang said to Li Yu, ¡°Young Master tells you not to be anxious. Take your time and make more.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I understand.¡± Li Yu sent Ji Xiang away and returned to the house to get a stack of paper to cut into an ount book. She also asked Xiao An to go to Li Mei¡¯s house to invite Liu Changmin and Li Mei over. Everyone helped to brush out the tung oilcloth.


    After Xiao An left, Li Yu brought the machete into the bamboo forest. The wind blew the bamboo until it swayed. Li Yu looked at the sky and felt that the weather was definitely going to change.


    Li Yu cut a bundle of bamboo and carried it home. Li Mei and her husband had already arrived. Li Yu said to Liu Changmin, ¡°Uncle, we forgot to set up two rows of shelves to dry the cloth.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s still time to build it now.¡± Liu Changmin took a machete and shaved the bamboo with Li Yu. Madam Qian and Li Mei washed the bamboo and dried it.


    Li Yu and Liu Changmin built two rows of bamboo frames under the eaves. After the bamboo frames were set up, they carried a few sun pads out andid them under the bamboo frames. They carried the cloth out and pulled it out toy on the sun pads. Next, they brushed the cloth with tung oil and dried it on the bamboo frames.


    Li Mei took out a sample and began to cut the thin cloth. Madam Qian made the paste. Li Yu, Zhaodi, and Madam Qian smeared the paste on the cloth head with a brush. They spread it on the door and began to make cloth shells.


    Liu Changmin burned the charcoal and carried it to the room. He smiled at Li Mei and said, ¡°The charcoal that Xiaoyu burned has piled up half of the woodshed. The firewood that Ah Qing cut has also piled up under the eaves at the back. These two children are really too sensible.¡±


    Li Mei sighed. ¡°Children without parents are mostly sensible. If they don¡¯t rely on themselves, who can they rely on?!¡±


    After the oilcloth was dry, Li Yu began to cut the oilcloth. The aunt and niece cut out two pieces of cloth of every color. Li Yu calcted that a piece of cloth could be cut into 13 or 14 bags. Then, she calcted the cost. A school bag plus thebor capital cost 135 copper coins to make. Arge travel bag cost more than 200 copper coins, while a medium-sized bag was about 160 copper coins. If she could sell them for 400 to 500 copper coins on average, the profit was still considerable.


    After the cost was calcted, Li Yu was filled with confidence in making bags. By the time the cloth was cut, it was already dark. When Li Mei¡¯s family returned home, it had already begun to rain.


    The next day, Li Mei called Madam Li over and everyone started working. Madam Li and Li Yu were in charge of making the straps. Li Mei and Zhaodi sewed up the sides of the bags. Madam Qian was in charge of embroidering two small pieces of green bamboo at the bottom left corner of each bag to use as the .


    They divided up the work. On the first day, they used three bolts of cloth and made dozens of bags. The next day, Ji Xiang sent two more carts of cloth and materials.He handed over the goods and cut them with Li Mei.


    After making them for a day, everyone became more and more efficient. It took them more than ten days to make the first batch of 60 bolts of cloth into school bags and travel bags.


    Li Yu asked Li Qing to bring a letter to Zhou Jia and ask him to try bringing the selling the goods. Zhou Jia replied and asked Li Yu to make more. He would get someone to haul them after making eight to nine hundred of each color and appearance.


    Li Yu felt that it made sense. After all, this thing was easy to imitate. Someone could just buy one and make another like it.

 Chapter 49

    49 Selling Bags


    It was not until Li Yu finished the second batch of cloth that Zhou Jia brought Ji Xiang to haul the goods.


    When Ji Xiang brought people to load the goods, Zhou Jia smiled at Li Yu and said, ¡°Miss Li, yesterday, I gave the bag I took away to a few friends who were studying in the academy. They all like it very much. It might have already spread today. I reckon that we can sell it as soon as we get the goods.¡±


    Li Yu didn¡¯t expect Zhou Jia to know how to advertise in advance. Hearing him say this, she was even more confident in their cooperation. She smiled happily and said, ¡°Alright, I wish us a big sale.¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled at Li Yu. ¡°Of course. Miss Li, I think you should go to Green Mountain City with me to take a look and see what color they like. We can adjust ordingly.¡±


    Li Yu thought for a moment and agreed readily. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go with you to take a look.¡±


    Li Yu told Li Mei about going to Green Mountain. Li Mei felt a little worried and came out to say to Zhou Jia, ¡°Mr. Zhou, will Xiaoyu be fine if she goes to Green Mountain City with you? I¡¯m afraid that the Zhang family won¡¯t be kind.¡±


    When Zhou Jia heard this, he promised Li Mei, ¡°Aunt Li, don¡¯t worry. I promise to bring Miss Li back intact before sunset.¡±


    Li Mei looked at Zhou Jia and nodded. ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll leave Xiaoyu to you.¡±


    Li Mei sent Li Yu and Zhou Jia to the mule cart and reminded Li Yu repeatedly before returning to the house to work.


    Li Yu got into the carriage and sat down against the wall. Zhou Jia took out a box of cakes from a small drawer and handed it to Li Yu. ¡°Miss Li, eat some cakes to kill time.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Li Yu took the box and took a piece of date cake from it. She lowered her head and took a bite. Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu¡¯s ufortable expression and took out a school bag. He pointed at the green bamboo embroidered on it and smiled. ¡°I see green bamboo embroidered on the bottom left corner of each bag. Is there a meaning?¡±


    Li Yu took a look. ¡°It¡¯s just like the chili I asked you to drawst time. It¡¯s just a brand mark.¡±


    Zhou Jia took out a teapot from the winter basket and poured Li Yu a cup of tea. ¡°I heard that your pickled jars business is doing quite well. Even the Wei family is looking for you to buy them.¡±


    Li Yu put down the date cake and looked at Zhou Jia. ¡°Is the Wei family very famous?¡±


    ¡°The Wei family has done business all over the country. I heard that the Wei family is as rich as a country.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± The two of them chatted for a while. Li Yu leaned against the carriage and staggered forward, feeling sleepy. Seeing that Li Yu was asleep, Zhou Jia took out his cloak and gently covered Li Yu.


    Zhou Jia leaned against the carriage and looked at Li Yu¡¯s sleeping face. He saw that her hair was casually tied into a simple bun and fixed with a wooden hairpin. She was wearing a dark purple thin cloth short gown and a dark green thin cloth dress. She had long and thick eyebrows, long eyshes, and cherry-red lips. Zhou Jia¡¯s throat moved slightly, and he hurriedly turned his head to the side, not daring to look at Li Yu again.


    When the mule cart arrived at the city gate, Ji Xiang alighted and reported to Zhou Jia, ¡°Young Master, are we going to the shop at the academy or the street?¡±


    Zhou Jia instructed Ji Xiang in a low voice, ¡°Send the goods to the shop first. Miss Li and I will walk this way.¡±


    After Ji Xiang agreed, he led the others to leave first. Li Yu and Zhou Jia entered the city and turned into a bustling street. Li Yu lifted the curtain and looked at the bustling crowd on the street. She realized that the pedestrians on this street were dressed better and there were more shops on both sides of the street.


    The car stopped in front of a ready-to-wear shop. Zhou Jia lifted the curtain and got out of the car to reach out to Li Yu. ¡°Miss Li, we¡¯re here.¡±


    Li Yu looked up and saw that a sign bearing the words ¡°Zhou Ji Clothing¡± was hanging at the door of the shop. She got out of the carriage and walked towards the shop. Zhou Jia was stunned for a moment before following with a smile.


    Li Yu walked into the shop and saw that most of the clothes in the shop run by Zhou Jia were for men. There were clothes, shoes, and hats inside. A shop assistant was cing the bag on a wooden shelf. The bag was ced on the wooden shelf and looked like a deted model. Li Yu recalled that when she bought a bag in her previous life, she saw that the merchants had stuffed the bag with useless newspapers. She turned around and said to Zhou Jia, ¡°Mr. Zhou, can you find some rags for me?¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Zhou Jia asked the shop assistant to take out some rags and saw Li Yu stuffing them into the bag. The originally deted bag looked much better when it was full.


    Zhou Jia looked at the bag on the shelf and gave Li Yu a thumbs up. ¡°Miss Li, this is a good idea.¡±


    Li Yu smiled awkwardly. At this moment, a group of schrs entered the shop. The man in the lead was dressed exquisitely. His skin was fair and rosy, and he was round and smooth. When he saw Zhou Jia, he pointed at him and smiled. ¡°If there¡¯s something good, you don¡¯t think about me. You can only think about that old fox.¡±


    Zhou Jia cupped his hands and said with a smile, ¡°Brother Zijing, you¡¯ve really wronged me. Brother Wen Lan happens to be going out for a trip. He had a use for the travel bags.¡± Zhou Jia pulled him to the shelves and pointed at the bags. ¡°Come,e. You can choose whatever you like.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Zijing looked at it for a moment, then pointed at a brown bag and smiled. ¡°Let me try that brown one.¡±


    The clerk removed the bag solicitously. Zijing took it and spun it around on his back. He proudly extended his arms to disy it. ¡°Does it look good?¡±


    ¡°Nice,¡± they said in unison.


    ¡°Okay, three-colored bags. Big, medium, and small, wrap me a set of each.¡±


    The others also started choosing. Zi Jing pulled Zhou Jia to the side. ¡°Xi¡¯er, are you still not nning to participate in the countryside examination next year?¡±


    Zhou Jia looked down at him. ¡°Don¡¯t call me by my name.¡± Then, he smiled and shook his head. ¡°No, I¡¯ll wait to hear your good news.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going either.¡± Zhou Jia looked at Zi Jing in surprise. Zi Jing spread his hands and said, ¡°My uncle said that I¡¯m not ready yet and asked me to wait another two years.¡±


    Zhou Jia raised his eyebrows and looked at him. ¡°You¡¯re bluffing me! How can you not be at the right level?¡±


    Zi Jing nced at the shop and lowered his voice. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to you in detail when we meet alone.¡± Zi Jing nced at Li Yu, who was standing at the side and looked at Zhou Jia wretchedly. ¡°Xi¡¯er, how dare you keep a mistress in your house?¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t joke about that.¡± Zhou Jia looked at Zi Jing seriously. ¡°That¡¯s my savior.¡±


    Zi Jing looked at Zhou Jia and frowned. ¡°That old woman hasn¡¯t given up?¡±


    Zhou Jia nodded and pulled Zi Jing in front of Li Yu. He pointed at Zi Jing and said to Li Yu, ¡°Miss Li, this is my good friend, Xia Tao. We call him Zi Jing.¡± Zhou Jia turned to Xia Tao and said, ¡°This is Miss Li. She¡¯s my savior as well as a partner.¡±


    Xia Tao cupped his hands and smiled. ¡°Hello, Miss Li.¡± Li Yu also bowed. ¡°Hello, Young Master Xia.¡±


    A tall, thin man shouted from the other side, ¡°Zijing, let¡¯s go. We¡¯ve got it all.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Xia Tao cupped his hands and smiled at Zhou Jia and Li Yu. ¡°I¡¯ll get going first. Bring Miss Li over for a meal in two days.¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled and patted him. ¡°Alright, go!¡±


    Xia Tao left with a group of schrs. The shop assistant reported to Zhou Jia with a smile, ¡°Boss, we sold more than 20 sets of bags this time.¡±


    Zhou Jia nodded. ¡°Did you note it down? What color do they like?¡±


    The clerk smiled and replied, ¡°Two dark ones and more of the brown ones. Someone else asked if there were any brighter colors they wanted to buy for their wives.¡±


    Zhou Jia turned around and looked at Li Yu. ¡°Miss Li, what do you think?¡±


    Li Yu thought for a moment. ¡°We can nail a piece of cloth the size of a palm to each color and let the guests choose. Let them customize the color they like.¡±


    When Zhou Jia heard this, he pped and praised, ¡°Yes! That¡¯s a good idea. Xiaocong, just get someone to cut off the cloth and let the guests choose.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go now.¡± Xiaocong went in to find someone to cut the cloth. Zhou Jia smiled and said to Li Yu, ¡°Miss Li, let¡¯s go eat first.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Li Yu followed Zhou Jia out of the door and the two of them walked toward the restaurant.

 Chapter 50

    50 Enemies on a Narrow Road


    Li Yu and Zhou Jia walked to a two-story wooden shop. Li Yu saw a striking big sign hanging above the tall door, Spring Breeze Restaurant.


    Zhou Jia turned around and said to Li Yu with a smile, ¡°Miss Li, the chef of this restaurant is best at making Eight Treasure Duck. There are also some snacks that taste good. Try themter and see if you like them.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Li Yu and Zhou Jia entered the restaurant. The waiter eagerly brought the two of them upstairs and arranged for them to sit by the window. Zhou Jia looked at the waiter. ¡°Bring one of your Eight Treasure Duck and other dishes and some snacks.¡±


    ¡°Alright, please wait a moment.¡± The waiter went in to pass the dishes. Li Yu looked at the endless crowd downstairs.


    Zhou Jia introduced it to Li Yu. ¡°This street is the most prosperous street in Green Mountain. Most of the people living around here are famous families and some rich families in the city.¡±


    Li Yu turned around and looked at Zhou Jia. ¡°Mr. Zhou, do you have to pay taxes when you open a shop? Is anyone here to collect protection fees?¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled at Li Yu. ¡°I have to pay taxes. It¡¯s just that I pay less than ordinary families. Those hooligans usually don¡¯t dare to cause trouble.¡±


    As they spoke, the waiter began to serve the dishes. Li Yu saw that the Eight Treasures Duck¡¯s soup was thick and the duck meat was crispy. She thought to herself, ¡°It does look good.¡±


    Zhou Jia scooped a bowl of soup and handed it to Li Yu. He smiled and said, ¡°Try it. It tastes delicious.¡±


    Li Yu tasted it. ¡°Yes! It¡¯s indeed not bad.¡±


    After the two of them ate, the waiter brought over other snacks. Li Yu saw that there was sugar cane juice, candied fruit, preserved fruits, osmanthus cake, and pine nut candy.


    Li Yu picked up the sugarcane juice and took a sip. ¡°This juice tastes very sweet. Thank you for your hospitality, Mr. Zhou. Let¡¯s go see how the bag is selling. Can we go back?¡±


    Zhou Jia saw that Li Yu did not even taste the other snacks and only drank the sugarcane juice. He secretly remembered it and nodded with a smile. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go!¡±


    After the waiter came to settle the bill, the two of them went downstairs and walked back to Zhou Ji Clothing. Li Yu stood at the door and was relieved to see that there were quite a number of customers inside. Seeing this, Zhou Jia smiled and said, ¡°Miss Li, it¡¯s too noisy inside. Wait for me here. I¡¯ll drive the mule cart over. We¡¯ll go to the shop at the academy to take a look.¡±


    Li Yu stopped and nodded. ¡°Okay.¡±


    Zhou Jia went in to get someone to drive the carriage. Li Yu saw two shops on both sides of Zhou Ji. One of them sold rouge and cosmetics. She walked to the rouge shop and entered. Li Yu saw that it was filled with all kinds of rouge and cosmetics. A few women were lowering their heads and choosing. Li Yu asked the shop assistant, ¡°Brother, are there any moisturizing oils for sale?¡±


    ¡°Yes, miss. Which one do you want for a price? There¡¯s one or two hundred copper coins a box, four or five hundred copper coins a box, and...¡± Before the shop assistant could finish, a harsh female voice sounded. ¡°Second brother, don¡¯t waste your breath. Look at her. Can she afford it?¡±


    When Li Yu saw that it was that mad dog, Zhang Guixiang, she thought to herself, Bad luck! She turned around and left. Seeing that Li Yu was about to leave, Zhang Guixiang smiled proudly. ¡°Your pockets are empty, yet you dare toe to these ces. I think you¡¯re here to steal!¡±


    The woman standing beside Zhang Guixiang frowned and whispered, ¡°Sister, don¡¯t talk nonsense.¡±


    Li Yu had already walked to the door. When she heard Zhang Guixiang ndering her for going in to steal, the anger in her heart rose. She thought to herself that Zhang Guixiang was really a person who remembered food but not beatings! She turned around and walked toward Zhang Guixiang. Only then did Zhang Guixiang remember Li Yu¡¯s methods and retreat in fear. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Steal something? Are you talking about those two shameless old things at your house? Until now, my heart hurts so much that I can¡¯t sleep! Wasn¡¯t it that old thing at your house who hired someone to steal? I remember that one of them is still serving and hasn¡¯t been released! What¡¯s wrong? Have you forgotten so quickly?¡±


    Zhang Guixiang pointed at Li Yu with a trembling hand. ¡°Your family ndered my family.¡±


    Li Yu stopped two steps in front of Zhang Guixiang and looked at her disdainfully. ¡°nder your family? Do you mean that the county magistrate has wronged your family?¡± Li Yu shook her head. ¡°That won¡¯t do. It¡¯s wrong to use someone. Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll bring you toin.¡±


    As Li Yu spoke, she wanted to pull Zhang Guixiang away. Zhang Guixiang hurriedly hid behind the woman. ¡°Sister-inw, ask her to go.¡±


    The woman frowned and looked at Li Yu unhappily. ¡°Miss, how can you tarnish her innocence at will?¡±


    Li Yu looked at her and sneered. ¡°I¡¯m defiling someone¡¯s innocence? You don¡¯t even know the ins and outs of the matter, yet you dare to spout nonsense here. You¡¯d better go back and ask Zhang Defa¡¯s inws before telling me if she¡¯s innocent.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re unreasonable.¡± The woman pulled Zhang Guixiang away. Li Yu looked at her and sneered. ¡°Miss, you should go to West Mountain Vige and ask around. Be careful not to fall into the thieves¡¯ nest!¡±


    Seeing that Zhang Guixiang, left, the shop assistant was angry that Li Yu chased his customer away and asked Li Yu with a dark expression, ¡°Miss, are you still buying oil?¡±


    Li Yu nced at him. ¡°If you wee me with a smile, I¡¯ll buy it. I¡¯m not in the mood to just looking at you.¡± The shop assistant looked at Li Yu angrily.


    Zhou Jia and Ji Xiang drove the mule cart out and did not see Li Yu at the entrance of the shop. Zhou Jia hurriedly got out of the car to look for her. When he saw Li Yuing out of the cosmetics shop next door, he greeted her with a smile. ¡°Have you bought what you wanted?¡±


    Li Yu nodded and got into the car with Zhou Jia. They walked towards the shop at the academy.


    Zhang Guixiang and the woman came out of the cosmetics shop and took the mule cart home. Seeing that her sister-inw had gone into the house with a dark expression, Zhang Guixiang ran to Chen Zhaodi¡¯s house in fear and told her about meeting Li Yu. Chen Zhaodi knocked her on the head. ¡°Why did you provoke that bitch? You were even with Zhu Qiaoyu. If your father finds out, he¡¯ll beat you to death.¡± Chen Zhaodi was so anxious that she paced around the house. ¡°No, I have to let your brother think of a way to deceive your sister-inw.¡±


    Chen Zhaodi abandoned Zhang Guixiang and rushed out the door. Zhu Qiaoyu returned to the house. Seeing that she was frowning, Madam Jiang asked worriedly, ¡°Miss, didn¡¯t you go buy cosmetics with your sister-inw? Where are the cosmetics you bought?¡±


    Zhu Qiaoyu told Madam Jiang about meeting Li Yu. She looked at Madam Jiang and asked, ¡°Nanny, there must be something we don¡¯t know about. Get someone to West Mountain Vige to ask around. What is the Zhang family hiding from us?¡±


    Madam Jiang nodded solemnly. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll get Qiu Yue to ask around.¡± Madam Jiang went back to the Zhu family.


    Chen Zhaodi went to the academy to find Zhang Guisheng and told him about Zhang Guixiang and Li Yu¡¯s argument. She looked at Zhang Guisheng worriedly. ¡°Guisheng, what do you think we should do? That bitch Li Yu asked Zhu Qiaoyu to go to West Mountain Vige to ask around. Do you think she¡¯ll go?¡±


    Seeing that Zhang Guisheng was staring nkly ahead and not replying, Chen Zhaodi said anxiously, ¡°What are you looking at? I¡¯m asking you a question.¡±


    When Zhang Guisheng saw Zhou Jia enter the shop opposite with Li Yu with a smile, he couldn¡¯t help but be stunned. He couldn¡¯t help but think, Why is Schr Zhou with Xiaoyu? What¡¯s their rtionship?


    Chen Zhaodi followed Zhang Guisheng¡¯s gaze and looked at the shop opposite. She saw peopleing and going in the shop. She pulled Zhang Guisheng¡¯s sleeve and asked enviously, ¡°Guisheng, whose shop is that? Business is so good.¡±


    Zhang Guisheng came back to his senses after being pulled by Chen Zhaodi. He said patiently, ¡°Mother, go back first! I¡¯ll exin to Qiao Yu when I get hometer.¡±


    Chen Zhaodi understood that she could only wait for Zhang Guisheng toe back from school. ¡°Alright, then find a better excuse. Don¡¯t offend your wife¡¯s family.¡±


    Zhang Guisheng was annoyed and roared in a low voice, ¡°She¡¯s my wife, not my ancestor.¡±


    Chen Zhaodi thought to herself, Didn¡¯t you marry an ancestor? Fancy serving her every day.

 Chapter 51

    51 Preparing


    Li Yu and Zhou Jia had looked at the shop. When they came out of the shop, it was alreadyte in the day. The two of them hurriedly rushed back and finally returned to West Mountain Vige at the end of the day.


    Li Qing and Li Mei were standing at the door waiting for them. Li Qing saw the mule carting from afar and pointed at it happily. ¡°Aunt, look, Brother Ji Xiang is driving the cart. My sister and Sir are back.¡± Li Mei¡¯s heart finally rxed when she saw Ji Xiang.


    Soon, the car arrived at the door. Li Yu jumped out of the car and smiled at Li Mei and Li Qing. ¡°Aunt, Ah Qing, I¡¯m back.¡±


    Li Mei was about to speak when Zhou Jia also got out of the car. He cupped his hands and smiled at Li Mei. ¡°Auntie Li, I¡¯m sorry for beingte and making you worry.¡±


    Li Mei smiled and nodded. ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯re back. It¡¯s good that you¡¯re back.¡± On second thought, she asked, ¡°Mr. Zhou, are those bags saleable?¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled and replied, ¡°They are. ording to today¡¯s quantity, those bags can be sold for three to four days at most. Please lead everyone to work harder and make more bags. Before others jump on the bandwagon, we¡¯ll make a name for ourselves first.¡±


    ¡°Are they really that saleable?¡± Li Mei looked at Li Yu. Li Yu smiled and nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. Those people want all three sets.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good. I was worried sick after making so much at once.¡± Li Mei looked at them happily. ¡°You haven¡¯t eaten, have you? Come in. I¡¯ve made noodles. I¡¯ll cook you some.¡±


    Li Yu hurriedly pushed Li Mei into the house. ¡°Aunt, it¡¯s already dark. Mr. Zhou is busy and needs to go home!¡±


    Seeing this, Zhou Jia smiled politely and said, ¡°That¡¯s right, Auntie Li. I have to go back. I¡¯lle again next time.¡±


    Li Mei poked Li Yu andined softly, ¡°How can you chase him away?¡±


    Li Yu smiled awkwardly and looked at Li Mei without saying anything. Zhou Jia turned around and carried a food box out of the car. He handed it to Li Qing. ¡°Ah Qing, take this in.¡±


    Li Qing bowed and took the food box. ¡®Yes, sir.¡¯


    After sending Zhou Jia off, they turned around and entered the house to close the courtyard door. Li Mei said to Li Yu, ¡°It¡¯s already dark. I¡¯ll let your Aunt Li and the others go back first. Don¡¯t stay out sote next time. Go wash up quickly. I¡¯ll cook noodles for you.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and promised, ¡°Got it. It won¡¯t happen again.¡±


    Li Qing put down the food box and hurriedly poured water for Li Yu. ¡°Sister, quickly wash up. You must be tired!¡±


    Li Yu took the handkerchief and said to Li Qing with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s alright. Go and do your homework! Sleep early at night.¡±


    Li Qing nodded and returned to the house. Li Yu ate the noodles, washed up, and went back to the house with Li Mei to rest.


    After two days, Zhou Jia went to Green Mountain and met Xia Tao at home.


    After the meal, the two of them went to the study. Zhou Jia smiled and asked him, ¡°Last time, you said that we would talk in detail alone. What happened? Also, why aren¡¯t you participating in the countryside examination next year?¡±


    Xia Tao sat beside Zhou Jia and said in a low voice, ¡°My uncle sent a letter saying that it will probably not be peaceful in the next few years and asked me to take the exam in two years. Firstly, the Third Prince fell from his horse and has been lying unconscious on the bed for more than half a month. The Empress openly said that the Imperial Consort instructed someone to do it. The Imperial Consort refused to admit it and instead said that the Empress framed her. The two factions were in a mess in the royal court.


    ¡°Secondly, there has been a drought in several ces in Great Qi this year. It seems to be quite serious. Everyone is worried that the drought will affect Great Yong if it continues. My uncle asked my aunt to store more water and food in case of emergencies.¡±


    When Zhou Jia heard this, he cupped his hands gratefully at Xia Tao. ¡°Zijing, fortunately, I still have you. After Grandfather left, she sealed all the news in the capital. Thest time I went to the mountain to pick herbs, I was almost killed by the people she sent. Fortunately, I met Miss Li and escaped.¡±


    Xia Tao looked at Zhou Jia and sighed. ¡°You¡¯re the same. Having a father is the same as not having one. Although my parents are no longer around, I still have an uncle and aunt who treat me well. Your family is the one who has a rotten debt. Your father actually has two wives. One is backed by your grandfather, and the other is backed by your grandmother. One lives in the countryside and the other lives in the capital. They¡¯re both officially married. What did your grandfather and grandmother do back then?¡±


    Zhou Jia leaned back in his chair and smiled bitterly. ¡°I¡¯m not sure about the grudges of the previous generation. Ever since my mother left, I swore never to return to the Zhou family in the capital. No matter how they fight, it has nothing to do with me.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s right for you not to go back. With those few pieces of trash in your family, I don¡¯t think the Zhou family in the capital canst for more than a few years. My uncle said that the methods in the backyard are even more dangerous than those in the Royal Court.¡± Xia Tao held Zhou Jia by the shoulders. ¡°To be honest, are you interested in that Miss Li?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going too far with these words!¡± Zhou Jia blushed and patted Xia Tao. ¡°Don¡¯t spout nonsense. I just admire her tenacious personality.¡± As he spoke, he pushed Xia Tao out and said, ¡°We¡¯re already full. Hurry up and leave.¡±


    Xia Tao turned around and pointed at Zhou Jia. Heughed loudly. ¡°Haha... your love has blossomed.¡±


    ¡°Damn you.¡± Zhou Jia pushed Xia Tao out. The two of them bickered as they came out of the study. After Zhou Jia sent Xia Tao off, he wanted to tell Li Yu about the food storage as soon as possible. He went out to buy a few bundles of sugar cane and brought Ji Xiang back to Li Yu¡¯s house with the cloth and tung oil.


    Zhou Jia let Ji Xiang unload the goods and called Li Yu to the side. He whispered to her, ¡°Miss Li, I received news that there are several ces in Great Qi that are suffering from severe droughts. If this continues, I¡¯m afraid Great Yong will be implicated. Save more water and grains for emergencies. Just keep this matter to yourself and don¡¯t spread it. Also, hire a few more people to make bags. I¡¯ve already asked the clerk to bring a few carts of bags to Qingzhou Prefecture.¡±


    Li Yu replied gratefully, ¡°Mr. Zhou, don¡¯t worry. I know what to do. Also, the custom-made bags are ready. Take them with you!¡±


    Zhou Jia nced at Li Yu and nodded with a smile. ¡°Alright, the tea oil has already been sold out and the bean paste is about to be sold out. I¡¯ll settle the bill with you next time Ie.¡±


    Li Yu nodded and took out the custom-made bags from the room and ced them in the carriage. After sending Zhou Jia off, she returned to the courtyard. When she saw the sugar cane under the eaves, Li Yu thought that Zhou Jia was grateful to her for saving his life. That was why he did these things. He was worried that the drought in Great Qi might affect this ce.


    Li Yu secretly nned what to do to deal with the disaster that mighte. After thinking for a long time, she still couldn¡¯t figure it out. She thought to herself, I should hire someone first.


    Li Yu went to the side room. After calling Li Mei out, she said to her, ¡°Aunt, go to the vige and find another dozen or so women who are fast at needlework and don¡¯t talk much. We have to hurry up.¡±


    Li Mei went through the women she had interacted with in her mind and said to Li Yu, ¡°Auntie Chen¡¯s, and your Auntie Li¡¯s sister-inw... They don¡¯t talk much and are agile. Why don¡¯t I go to their houses to take a look first?¡±


    ¡°Alright, go ahead!¡±


    Li Mei took off her apron and went to the vige to recruit people. Li Yu went to the wheat field and looked at the reservoirs. Seeing that the water in the pool had just covered the bottom of the pool, Li Yu thought that she should hire someone to fill it with water and nt the crops first.

 Chapter 52

    52 Water and Food Storage


    Zhou Jia returned home and told his loyal servant, Uncle Zhou, what Xia Tao had said. He said to him, ¡°Uncle Zhou, prepare more rice and water and store them well. Xia Tao said that there are ces in Great Qi that are affected by the drought. If this continues, it will also affect Great Yong.¡±


    Uncle Zhou smiled and said, ¡°Young Master, it¡¯s going to be the new year in two months. Even if we encounter a natural disaster with the rice and grains we have at home, it won¡¯t be a problem to sustain us for three to four years. The drought in Great Qi shouldn¡¯t affect us much. It¡¯s still more difficult to be stable in the royal court. If the Third Prince doesn¡¯t wake up, the empress¡¯s family will have military power. If it¡¯s the empress¡¯s family,¡± Uncle Zhou pondered for a moment and lowered his voice, ¡°I¡¯m afraid there will be a military disaster!¡±


    Zhou Jia nodded in agreement. ¡°You¡¯re right, but that¡¯s not something we can control.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! You¡¯ve already sworn not to return to the Zhou family in the capital. That witch is still eyeing you covetously and sending people to plot against you time and time again.¡± Uncle Zhou looked at Zhou Jia. ¡°Fortunately, you met your savior. Otherwise, how would I have the face to see Old Master in the future?!¡±


    Zhou Jia thought of Li Yu and smiled. He said in a low voice, ¡°Yes! Fortunately, she sent someone. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t have gotten to know her.¡±


    Uncle Zhou looked at Zhou Jia¡¯s smile and thought to himself, Young Master might have someone in his heart.


    Li Yu turned around and returned to her room. Madam Li smiled and asked Li Yu, ¡°Xiaoyu, are we not able to do our job well?¡±


    Li Yu smiled and nodded. ¡°Yes, Auntie Li. Mr. Zhou said that he wants to sell some goods in the Qingzhou Prefecture. It¡¯s faster to make more with more people. He wants us to hire more people to work. Mr. Zhou wants us to quickly finish the work so that he can give us red packets for the new year.¡±


    When Madam Li heard this, she chuckled. ¡°That¡¯s good! Thanks to Mr. Zhou, we can all have a good year this year.¡±


    Li Yu thought of Chen Yaohui and his brother and asked Madam Li, ¡°Auntie Li, did Uncle Chen go to town to look for work?¡±


    Madam Li shook her head. ¡°No! It¡¯s not easy to find someone now. They¡¯re all resting at home!¡±


    ¡°Then get Uncle Chen to help me draw water for a few days! I want to fill those cisterns.¡±


    When Madam Li heard this, she smiled heartily and said, ¡°Sure! Your uncle is also idle at home. I¡¯ll get him toe tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Alright, thank you.¡± Li Yu said to Zhaodi, ¡°Cousin, tell Aunt that I have something to do in town.¡±


    Zhaodi looked up at Li Yu and smiled. ¡°Alright,e back quickly!¡±


    Li Yu nodded and went to the cowshed to bring the cows out. She put on the cart and walked towards town.


    When they arrived in town, Li Yu went straight to the grain shop and saw the old shopkeeper and shop assistant sitting around the brazier. When the two of them saw Li Yu, they went up to her eagerly and asked with a smile, ¡°Miss, are you buying rice or mixed grain?¡±


    Li Yu looked at the grains in the wooden bucket and grabbed a handful to take a look. ¡°I want to buy grains. How much are you selling them for?¡±


    The old shopkeeper looked at Li Yu. ¡°Miss, the price is higher now. It¡¯s 750 copper coins a stone.¡±


    Li Yu recalled the grains she had bought from the vige chief¡¯s house. They were only 600 copper coins a stone. In just two months, they had grown by 150 copper coins. Li Yu looked at the shopkeeper. ¡°Shopkeeper, make it cheaper. I¡¯ll buy 20 stones.¡±


    The shopkeeper smiled and shook his head. ¡°Youngdy, if you¡¯re unhappy, the price of food is different from before. If you¡¯re willing to buy it, this is the price. There¡¯s no cheaper price.¡±


    Li Yu smiled bitterly when she heard that. ¡°Alright! I have to buy it even if it¡¯s expensive! So many people need to eat! Give me 20 stones!¡±


    ¡°Alright! Wait a moment!¡± The shopkeeper got the assistant to go in to get the grains. He turned his head and smiled at Li Yu. ¡°Miss, sit and warm yourself up!¡±


    Li Yu went over to sit by the brazier. The shopkeeper looked at Li Yu and smiled. ¡°Miss, you won¡¯t suffer a loss by buying food now. The price of food will probably increase. I heard that there was a disaster over there. Regardless of whether it¡¯s true or not, it¡¯s better to store more food!¡±


    Li Yu pretended to be surprised and looked at him. ¡°Shopkeeper, which side has suffered a disaster? Is it serious?¡±


    The old shopkeeper pointed at Mount Daqing and said, ¡°Over at Great Qi! I heard from the caravan that it hasn¡¯t rained much since the new year. The cracks in the fields can be seen clearly. Even if there¡¯s silver over there now, they can¡¯t buy food.¡±


    Li Yu smiled when she heard that. ¡°Great Qi is so far away from us. It has nothing to do with us as long as we¡¯re fine.¡±


    When the shopkeeper heard this, he shook his head. ¡°You¡¯re young and don¡¯t understand. Great Qi is in the north, and our Great Yong is in the south. When they have a dry spell, we will suffer from floods. This is the experience passed down from the older generation.¡±


    When Li Yu heard this, she thought about it and felt that it made sense! She had heard of the drought in her previous life! How could she have forgotten? Then why was she still drawing water?


    Before Li Yu could figure it out, the shop assistant loaded the grains onto the ox cart. After Li Yu ordered, she bought another 50 catties of flour and paid. After bidding farewell to the old shopkeeper, she drove the cart towards West Mountain Vige. When she drove the cart to the pass, Li Yu stood there and looked around. After confirming that there was no one around, she stored all the grains in the space.


    After saving up the food, Li Yu thought that even if they really encountered a famine, it would be enough for them and her aunt to eat for two years. Li Yu still nned to mention the news she heard from the old shopkeeper to Madam Li and the others. It would be up to them to believe it or not.


    Li Yu drove the cart home and ced the flour in the kitchen. She went to the room and saw that Li Mei had already returned.


    Li Mei looked at Li Yu and smiled. ¡°I invited Auntie Chen and her eldest daughter, your Auntie Ma and her daughter, Xuelian, and... they¡¯lle to work tomorrow.¡±


    Li Yu calcted that there were more than ten people now. ¡°Alright, another dozen should be enough.¡± Li Yu looked at Li Mei and changed the topic. ¡°Aunt, when I went to town to buy flour, I heard from the shopkeeper of the grain shop that there was a drought in Great Qi. I¡¯m afraid the price of food will increase. They even said that when there is a drought in the north and there will be a flood in the south. Do you think our West Mountain Vige will flood?¡±


    When Li Mei and the others heard this, they were shocked. Madam Li said, ¡°What does the drought in Great Qi have to do with us? It¡¯s so far away.¡±


    ¡°I think so too.¡± Li Yu looked at them. ¡°Auntie Li, why don¡¯t you ask the vige chief and grandfather if there¡¯s a saying that goes like this?¡±


    When Madam Li heard this, her expression turned solemn. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll ask when I get home from work.¡±


    Madam Qian sped her hands devoutly and prayed, ¡°God bless us, it¡¯s not easy for us to have a taste of life. Please don¡¯t cause a famine!¡±


    When everyone saw this, they put down their needles and threads and prayed devoutly.


    When the few of them heard the news that Li Yu had brought back, they were all a little listless. After waiting for a long time, Madam Li rushed home and found Chen Yaohui. She said anxiously, ¡°Ah Hui, let¡¯s go back to Father¡¯s ce. Xiaoyu went to buy grains today and the shopkeeper of the grain shop said that the drought in the north is quite serious. He also said that once there¡¯s a drought in the north, there will be a flood in the south.¡±


    When Chen Yaohui heard this, he was also stunned. Without a word, he pulled Madam Li towards the vige chief¡¯s house. When the two of them arrived at the vige chief¡¯s house, Madam Liu rolled her eyes when she saw the two of them. She nced at them from the corner of her eye. ¡°Why are the two of you stilling over?¡±


    Chen Yaohui also rolled his eyes at her with a mocking expression. ¡°I¡¯m here to see my father! Otherwise, would I be here to see you?¡±


    Madam Liu was so angry that her face turned green, but she didn¡¯t dare to say anything else. She watched Chen Yaohui and his wife enter the house.

 Chapter 53

    53 Invitation


    After Chen Yaohui and Madam Li entered the house, they saw the vige chief sitting in the courtyard and weaving a bamboo basket. Chen Yaohui walked to the vige chief¡¯s side and told him what Madam Li had said. He looked at the vige chief anxiously and said, ¡°Father, do you think this is true?¡±


    After pondering for a moment, the vige chief sighed and said, ¡°I¡¯ve heard about it in the past. It¡¯s just that our terrain is high and we won¡¯t be drowned. The ces that are affected by floods are all downstream.¡±


    Chen Yaohui and Madam Li heaved a sigh of relief when they heard that. The coupleughed happily. ¡°Aiya! It scared us to death. Since that¡¯s the case, what¡¯s there to be afraid of?!¡±


    The vige chief looked at the two of them as if they were fools. ¡°What are you afraid of? When others don¡¯t have any food, you would be afraid of robbery! When people are hungry to a certain extent, they can do anything.¡± When the vige chief saw Chen Yaohui and his wife¡¯s worried and afraid expressions, he couldn¡¯t bear to see them like this. He turned tofort the two of them. ¡°Don¡¯t be too afraid. There might not be a natural disaster! Don¡¯t believe the words of those grain merchants. They can¡¯t wait for a natural disaster. This way, they can get rich.¡±


    Madam Li nodded. ¡°That¡¯s true. When those grain merchants collect grain every year, they would lower the price. When the grain reaches their hands, they can earn arge sum of money easily.¡±


    Seeing that the two of them didn¡¯t seem to care, the vige chief was worried that they didn¡¯t know how to save. ¡°Just in case, you still have to mix in more mixed grains to eat and save more food.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡± After Chen Yaohui and his wife heard that they wouldn¡¯t suffer a disaster, they returned home in a good mood. Madam Li told them about Xiaoyu fetching water. Chen Yaohui waved his hand and said, ¡°Forget it! If it rains heavily, will we have to carry water out again?¡±


    Li Yu decided that she had to store some water no matter what. After Li Mei and the others left, Li Yu washed the remaining ten sauce jars at home and filled them with water to store in her space.


    Li Yu entered the space and took a look. She saw that the items inside would automatically be sorted and stored. Li Yu felt that her space was really a rare treasure.


    The next day, Madam Li, Madam Ma, and more than ten other women that Li Yu did not know came to Li Yu¡¯s house to work. Madam Li told Li Yu what the vige chief had said. Everyone heaved a sigh of relief when they heard that and calmed down to hurry up.


    In the blink of an eye, it was December. Li Yu and Zhou Jia¡¯s bag business was booming, but there were also many merchants who followed suit. However, Zhou Jia¡¯s shop was the first to sell bags and already had a stable customer base. Also, their style was the best.


    When the twelfth lunar month arrived, Zhou Jia asked Ji Xiang to send a message to tell Li Yu to ask the female workers to stop work on the 23rd of December and go back to prepare for the new year.


    On the fifth day of the twelfth lunar month, Li Yu began to prepare the New Year goods. Li Yu went to the mountains. When she came back, she made the pheasants and hares she had hunted into roast meat. Then, she went to Butcher He¡¯s house to buy an entire pig. With the pork, she made roasted pork trotters, roasted pork ribs, and cured meat.


    She cut meat into slices, in a certain proportion, with salt, chili powder, white wine, rock sugar, fennel, wood incense.. and pickled the meat in a basin.


    Li Yu brought Zhaodi along and taught her how to use bamboo slices to scrape the fat in the pig intestines clean until only the outeryer of the intestine was left. She went to the bamboo forest and found a bamboo tube about the size of an intestine. She sawed it into a small bamboo tube that was more than an inch long and two inches long and used the bamboo tube to store the sausages.


    As Zhaodi filled the sausage, she asked Li Yu curiously, ¡°Cousin, I¡¯ve never seen my mother make this sausage. Did Aunt teach you?¡±


    Li Yu could only reply, ¡°Yes! Your aunt taught me.¡± Li Yu gently squeezed the filled sausages tightly and tied them with cotton thread to dry them on the bamboo rack. Then, she hung the cured bacon, preserved pork ribs, and preserved pork trotters on the crossbar in front of the stove and slowly smoked them.


    On the eighth day of the twelfth month, they cooked Laba Congee. Li Mei and Madam Qian cooked two full pots of Laba Congee and sent it to the helpers and Zhou Jia. They also brought back jars of Laba Congee. For two days, Li Yu and her brother¡¯s mouths were filled with the taste of Laba Congee.


    On the 22nd of December, Zhou Jia and Ji Xiang came to Li Yu¡¯s house at midnight. Butcher He also came with an entire pig¡¯s worth of pork.


    Zhou Jia cupped his hands and smiled at Li Mei and the other dozen or so female workers. ¡°It¡¯s going to be the new year soon. It¡¯s been hard on you these past few months. In order to express my gratitude, I¡¯ve prepared a small gift to thank everyone.¡±


    Li Mei was amused when she heard that. ¡°Logically speaking, we should be thanking Mr. Zhou for letting us have a good year this year!¡±


    Madam Li smiled brightly and said, ¡°That¡¯s right! Mr. Zhou, will there be any more work next year?¡±


    ¡°Yes, everyone is going to start work on the eighth day of the new year. Then, we¡¯ll officially start work on the fourteenth and fifteenth day of the new year.¡± Zhou Jia took the red packet from Ji Xiang. ¡°This is the red packet for everyone.¡±


    Zhou Jia gave the red packets to a few people and asked Butcher He to cut a strip of meat weighing four to five catties for each of them.


    Everyone was so happy that their mouths could not close. They bowed to Zhou Jia gratefully. ¡°Mr. Zhou, thank you. We¡¯ll definitely work hard next year.¡±


    Butcher He packed his things and said with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s good for you to sit in the house. You won¡¯t be exposed to the rain or the sun. At the end of the year, the boss will still give you a new year gift.¡±


    ¡°Yes! We thought the job was good too. That¡¯s why we wanted to continue next year.¡±


    Everyone happily took the red packets and meat back. Ji Xiang brought the gifts for Li Yu into the house. Li Yu saw cloth, gift boxes, and a few furs.


    Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia in embarrassment. ¡°Mr. Zhou, you¡¯re too polite. You even sent so many things over.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a little token of appreciation.¡± Zhou Jia smiled at Li Yu. She was still wearing a dark thin cloth dress. Her exquisite facial features looked handsome. Zhou Jia couldn¡¯t help but gaze at Li Yu¡¯s cherry-red lips again. He hurriedly waved the ount book in his hand and said with a smile, ¡°After working hard for a few months, it¡¯s time for us to split the dividends.¡±


    Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia with a smile. ¡°Alright! After working so hard for so long, we can finally see the harvest today.¡±


    The two of them entered the central room and sat down. Zhou Jia took out the ount book and said to Li Yu with a smile, ¡°We started selling bags in the middle of October. Today, we¡¯ve been on the market for two months and have a few days left. There are still a few days before the break. I¡¯ll calcte the rest with you after the new year. In these two months, apart from the capital, we¡¯ve earned more than 9,000 taels of silver. The two of us can split 4,530 taels of silver each, not counting the remaining bags in the few shops.¡±


    When Li Yu heard this, she also smiled happily and thanked Zhou Jia sincerely. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Zhou. If you hadn¡¯t used a few shops to promote these bags, we definitely wouldn¡¯t have earned so much money. I really don¡¯t have to worry about working with you.¡±


    Seeing Li Yu¡¯s happy expression, Zhou Jia was also overjoyed. He looked at Li Yu with a smile and subconsciously softened his voice. ¡°I¡¯m very happy that I didn¡¯t let you down. It¡¯s great that you¡¯re satisfied.¡±


    Li Yu avoided Zhou Jia¡¯s gaze and looked down at the ount book. ¡°I still have to thank you.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu¡¯s evasive expression and knew that Li Yu had discovered his joy in her. He looked at Li Yu and smiled. ¡°Then I have a small wish. Can Miss Li help me fulfill it?¡±


    Li Yu looked up at Zhou Jia and smiled. ¡°Mr. Zhou, let me hear it.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu. ¡°Can we not be so polite in the future? Let¡¯s address each other by name. Also, I want to invite you and Ah Qing to Green Mountain City for the Lantern Festival, okay?


    Li Yu thought for a moment and smiled brightly. ¡°I¡¯ll call you Zhou Jia from now on. You can also call me Xiaoyu. Also, why do you want to do it at the Lantern Festival?¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled at Li Yu. ¡°Because that day is my birthday. I want to spend it with you.¡±


    Li Yu asked in confusion, ¡°Where¡¯s your family? Aren¡¯t they apanying you?¡±


    Zhou Jia lowered his head and replied in a low voice, ¡°Two of my closest rtives are gone. The others are all people who want me dead.¡±

 Chapter 54

    54 Young Master¡¯s Sweetheart


    Li Yu did not expect that the people who chased Zhou Jia up the mountain to kill him were his family. Looking at Zhou Jia, she felt that Zhou Jia was quite pitiful. The people who loved him had all left, and the rest wanted his life.


    Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia and smiled. ¡°How about this? I¡¯ll treat you to barbecue during the Lantern Festival?¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu and smiled brightly. ¡°Sure! I couldn¡¯t ask for more.¡±


    Li Yu was stunned by his bright smile. She hurriedly turned to look out of the house and then turned back to hide her loss ofposure. ¡°I made some sausages. You might not have eaten them before. You can bring them back to try.¡±


    ¡°Alright, take the banknotes and put them away first.¡± Zhou Jia stopped Li Yu. ¡°These are banknotes from the Four Seas Bank. If you don¡¯t like banknotes, I can help you exchange them for silver and bring them back.¡±


    Li Yu pushed the banknotes back to Zhou Jia and smiled. ¡°Alright, thank you.¡±


    Li Yu sent Zhou Jia and his servant away. She patted her cheek and thought to herself, Li Yu, so you¡¯re also from the Appearance Association.


    Li Yu rubbed her face and smiled at Madam Qian and her son, who were packing up the pork. ¡°Auntie Qian, I also want to give you and Xiao An red packets for the New Year.¡±


    Madam Qian looked at Li Yu and smiled. ¡°Mr. Zhou gave us each a red packet of one tael of silver and even pork. We can already celebrate the New Year!¡±


    Li Yu entered the house and took a little of the spicy chicken, dried rabbit, cured meat, and sausages. She mentioned the courtyard and handed the red packets to An and Madam Qian. She smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯ll also give you a red packet of one tael, as well as these dried sausages. Go home and prepare for the new year!¡±


    Madam Qian and her son hurriedly wiped their hands clean and took the things from Li Yu¡¯s hands. They bowed gratefully. ¡°Thank you, Xiaoyu. I¡¯ll go back and prepare the things for the new year. Xiao An still has to help herd the cows.¡±


    Xiao An smiled happily. ¡°Sister Xiaoyu, I know what they like to eat. I¡¯lle over every day to serve the livestock in the backyard!¡±


    ¡°Sure! I can¡¯t wait!¡± Li Yu smiled and agreed. She sent Madam Qian and her son away and began to deal with the pork Zhou Jia had left behind.


    Li Qing returned with his bag and smiled happily at Li Yu. ¡°Sister, Sir gave us a New Year¡¯s holiday. We can only go back to school after the New Year.¡±


    Li Mei came out of the room with the new clothes and waved at Li Qing. ¡°Ah Qing,e and try the new clothes Aunt made for you.¡±


    Li Qing put down his bag and took the dark purple new clothes from Li Mei¡¯s hand. After putting them on, he smiled and said, ¡°Aunt, you don¡¯t have to make new clothes for me in the future. I have enough clothes.¡±


    Li Mei looked at Li Qing in relief and helped him straighten his clothes. She turned to look at Li Yu. ¡°Yu¡¯er, look at Ah Qing. Doesn¡¯t he look even more handsome in this?¡±


    Li Yu looked at Li Qing, who was getting more and more handsome and praised him with a smile, ¡°Our Ah Qing is really getting more and more handsome. I wonder how many youngdies he will charm in the future!¡±


    Li Qing looked at Li Yu with a red face. ¡°Sister, you¡¯re teasing me again.¡±


    Li Mei looked at Li Yu and her brother and smiled in relief. ¡°The two of you are getting better-looking. In the future, the matchmakers will break our doorstep.¡±


    Li Yu carried the meat into the kitchen and ced it there. She washed her hands and said to Li Mei, ¡°Aunt,e into the house with me.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Let¡¯s talk inside.¡± Li Mei smiled and followed Li Yu into the house. Li Yu took out 200 taels of silver and ced them in a small backpack. She handed it to Li Mei and said, ¡°Aunt, this is for you. Whether you tell Uncle or not is up to you.¡±


    Li Mei pushed her bag away and looked at Li Yu reproachfully. ¡°Child, I know you¡¯ve earned money. This time, our entire family has earned money. How can we still take your money?¡±


    Li Yu stuffed the bag into Li Mei¡¯s arms. ¡°This silver is for you. You can use it however you want. Also, pick two pieces of cloth from the central room and make new clothes for my cousins. Let them dress beautifully and anger that old woman to death.


    Li Mei wiped the tears of joy from the corners of her eyes and pulled Li Yu into her arms. She said emotionally, ¡°Yu¡¯er, thank you for giving me the confidence to face the old woman.¡±


    Li Yu was not used to being so intimate with others and felt a little awkward. She came out of Li Mei¡¯s arms and smiled with a red face. ¡°That¡¯s right. We have to let her understand that you also have your family backing you. Let¡¯s see if she still dares to bully you in the future.¡±


    Li Yu pulled Li Mei to the central room and opened the gift boxes. There were osmanthus cakes, glutinous rice cakes, and peach cakes. After Li Mei took a box and opened it, she was stunned. ¡°Yu¡¯er, look at how beautiful these pearl flowers are. There¡¯s also this jade hairpin, jade bracelet, and this silk bracelet.¡± Li Mei¡¯s voice suddenly stopped. She recalled Mr. Zhou¡¯s gaze when he looked at Yu¡¯er and seemed to understand something. She looked up at Li Yu and said in a negotiating tone, ¡°Yu¡¯er, we¡¯ll return these gifts for Mr. Zhou. These things are not for a man outside of our family to give.¡±


    Li Yu did not expect Zhou Jia to give her some expensive jewelry. She nodded and said, ¡°Aunt, give it back to Mr. Zhou! It¡¯s not appropriate for me to use these things.¡±


    Seeing that Li Yu agreed to return these things to Mr. Zhou without hesitation, Li Mei looked at Li Yu in relief. ¡°We women have to have backbone. We can¡¯t be so shallow that others will look down on us.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and replied, ¡°Yes! I¡¯ll remember. Go ahead!¡±


    Li Mei packed the jewelry and rushed to the Zhou family. When Ji Xiang opened the door and saw that it was Li Mei, he asked curiously, ¡°Aunt Li, what¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Li Mei smiled faintly. ¡°Brother Ji Xiang, please take me to see Mr. Zhou.¡±


    ¡°Alright, Young Master is in the study. I¡¯ll bring you there.¡± Ji Xiang brought Li Mei to Zhou Jia¡¯s study and reported at the door, ¡°Young Master, Aunt Li wants to see you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± Zhou Jia stood up and opened the study door. He cupped his hands and bowed to Li Mei. ¡°Aunt Li, why are you looking for me?¡±


    Li Mei took out the jewelry from her bag and ced it on Zhou Jia¡¯s desk. She smiled slightly. ¡°Mr. Zhou, thank you for the gift. We¡¯ll ept those cloth skins and food but please take the jewelry back.¡± Li Mei smiled bitterly at Zhou Jia. ¡°My Xiaoyu has a bitter life. Her reputation has been tarnished by that ungrateful Zhang family. I can¡¯t let others gossip about her.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Mei and bowed. ¡°Auntie Li, I was rude. Xiaoyu deserves better.¡±


    Li Mei smiled faintly. ¡°Thank you for your praise, Mr. Zhou. I still have something on at home, so I¡¯ll take my leave.¡±


    After Zhou Jia sent Li Mei away, he returned to the study and ced the jewelry in the drawer. He sat on the chair and fell into deep thought.


    Uncle Zhou carried a stack of ledgers into the study. When he saw Zhou Jia sitting there in a daze, he was a little worried. ¡°Young Master, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Zhou Jia looked up at Uncle Zhou. ¡°It¡¯s fine, Uncle Zhou. There are some things in my heart that I haven¡¯t figured out yet.¡±


    Uncle Zhou looked at Young Master and smiled mysteriously. ¡°Young Master, you¡¯re already at the age where you should get married. From the looks of it, you¡¯ve taken a fancy to some youngdy, right?¡±


    Zhou Jia shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t like any of those youngdies who pretend to be delicate. What I like is...¡± Li Yu¡¯s figure appeared in front of Zhou Jia and he couldn¡¯t help but smile.


    Uncle Zhou looked at his young master and smiled happily. ¡°Young Master, I know that you have someone in your heart just by looking at you. People often say that marrying is better than having money for the new year. It¡¯s time for you to propose marriage.¡±


    Zhou Jia agreed solemnly. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll propose after the new year.¡±

 Chapter 55

    55 New Year


    When Li Mei returned home, she looked at Li Yu regretfully and thought to herself, Mr. Zhou is handsome and knowledgeable. If only he was from an ordinary family. He and my Xiaoyu are really a match made in heaven. Unfortunately, he¡¯s the young master of a rich family. I have to talk to her to prevent her from falling for him.


    Li Mei instructed Li Yu earnestly, ¡°Yu¡¯er, I know that Mr. Zhou is handsome and knowledgeable, but I¡¯m afraid the young masters of these rich families are already engaged. We can¡¯t degrade ourselves and be concubines. Next year, I¡¯ll get someone to search for you and find a reliable family for you to marry into as a first wife.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and brought Li Mei into the kitchen. ¡°Aunt, don¡¯t worry. I definitely won¡¯t do such a despicable thing. I don¡¯t want to get married and just wish to stay at home for the rest of my life.¡± Li Yu hugged Li Mei. ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about things that have nothing to do with us. Bring these New Year goods back.¡±


    Li Mei stopped in her tracks and looked at Li Yu. ¡°It¡¯s not up to you when ites to getting married. When a woman turns 18 and hasn¡¯t gotten engaged yet, the government office will have to match you with someone. At that time, who knows what kind of ugly person he will be?¡±


    Li Yu was stunned when she heard that. What kind of world was this? She couldn¡¯t even decide whether to marry or not.


    Seeing Li Yu standing there in a daze, Li Mei hurriedly smiled andforted her. ¡°Yu¡¯er, you¡¯re only 14 years old. You¡¯re still two to three years away from 18! We¡¯ll slowly find a good family.¡± Li Mei pulled Li Yu¡¯s hand. ¡°Didn¡¯t you want to give me New Year goods? Take them to Aunt!¡±


    Li Yu came back to her senses and brought Li Mei to get the New Year goods. Li Mei saw that the bamboo basket was filled with all kinds of dried goods and fresh meat. She smiled at Li Yu reproachfully and said, ¡°You¡¯ve given us all the New Year goods. What are you eating?¡±


    ¡°Look, there are still so many hanging on the wooden frame at the mouth of the stove!¡± Li Yu carried the bamboo basket to the eaves porch. Zhaodi came out of the room and said to Li Yu with a smile, ¡°Cousin, the shoes are done. Try them onter.¡±


    Li Yu looked at the elegant and quiet Zhaodi and smiled. ¡°Thank you, Cousin. I¡¯ll try againter.¡±


    After Li Yu sent Li Mei and her daughters away, she sat on the chair and felt worried. Did she really have to find someone to marry? Li Yu¡¯s mind kept spinning and her eyes lit up. She could find someone to fake a marriage! When the timees, she could give him some money and get a divorce! Yes, that¡¯s what she would do.


    After thinking about it, Li Yu stopped hesitating and started cleaning up the house in peace.


    On the 23rd of December, Li Yu, Li Mei, and her daughter went to town together. When they arrived, Li Yu said to Li Mei, ¡°Aunt, I¡¯ll go to the cksmith to order a grill. I¡¯m going to treat Mr. Zhou to a barbecue on the 15th.¡±


    ¡°Then go! We¡¯ll wait for you at the entrance of the townter.¡± Li Mei led Zhaodi and Laidi away. Li Yu went to the cksmith. When the cksmith saw Li Yu, he smiled. ¡°It¡¯s you! Miss Strong.¡±


    Li Yu also smiled and replied, ¡°It¡¯s me. Uncle, I¡¯m here to ask you to make a barbecue rack and a copper hotpot.¡±


    The cksmith looked at Li Yu and pointed at the grill in the shop. ¡°There¡¯s a barbecue grill ready. However, what¡¯s this copper hotpot you mentioned? I¡¯ve never heard of it?¡±


    ¡°A copper hotpot is a hotpot made of copper. Let me draw it for you to see.¡± Li Yu found an iron nail and drew a copper hotpot on the ground. ¡°Look, it looks like this.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s how it works, huh?¡± The cksmith pointed to the center column, which looked like a chimney. ¡°That¡¯s where they put the charcoal in the middle, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes. When can you make it? I¡¯ll pick it up.¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow. Come and collect it after noon tomorrow! There¡¯s a total of one tael and four taels of silver.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll give you the money first.¡± Li Yu paid the money readily and came out of the cksmith¡¯s shop with the grill. She went to the grocery store and bought some big ingredients and a jar of honey. She carried it to the town entrance and waited for Li Mei and her daughters to drive the ox cart back.


    Laidi looked at the grill curiously. ¡°Cousin, I want a barbecue too. It looks delicious.¡±


    ¡°You all have toe on the fifteenth. I¡¯ll make hotpot and I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll like it.¡±


    Li Mei smiled strangely. ¡°Just spoil your cousin! Look, she¡¯s about to be a big girl, but she¡¯s still so greedy!¡±


    Zhaodi pursed her lips and smiled as she scratched her face. Laidi pulled Li Mei¡¯s cor and said coquettishly, ¡°Mother, look, Sister isughing at me. Don¡¯t scold me! I won¡¯t be greedy after eating it this time.¡±


    Zhaodiughed. ¡°You¡¯re kidding yourself!¡± Everyoneughed when they heard her.


    After Li Yu returned home and took out the sugar melon and noodles made by Li Mei to supply to the stove lord, she lit an incense stick in front of the old portrait of the stove god. She prayed to the stove lord to put in a good word for everyone at the Heavenly Court so that the future would be better.


    On the 24th of December, she spring-cleaned and took a bath. On the 29th of December, Li Yu cooked enough cured meat, roasted chicken, rabbit, and sausages that the siblings could eat without using knives before the fifth day of Lunar New Year.


    On New Year¡¯s Eve, after the siblings pasted the spring couplet that Zhou Jia had sent over, they burned incense and worshiped their ancestors. Li Yu and Li Qing had their first New Year¡¯s Eve meal together aftering to a different world. Li Yu took a sip of the glutinous rice wine that Madam Li had sent over and looked at Li Qing with a smile. ¡°Ah Qing, the glutinous rice wine is really delicious. You can drink some when you¡¯re a little older.¡±


    Li Qing looked at his sister¡¯s red face and said to Li Yu excitedly, ¡°Sister, I¡¯m so happy. We¡¯ve returned home and even led a good life.¡± Li Qing looked at Li Yu and felt a little guilty. ¡°Sister, why didn¡¯t Father and Mothere to look for me? If they had taught me all their skills, you could have been more free at home. Now that you¡¯ve worked so hard, I can¡¯t help you much.¡±


    Li Yu looked at Li Qing and said seriously, ¡°Ah Qing, although everyone¡¯s opportunities are different, we have to learn to seize them and be brave enough to change ourselves. Take me for example. I met our parents when I fainted. They taught me some principles and skills. When I woke up, I began to change myself. I stopped being afraid and cowardly and decisively left the Zhang family with you. This is my change.


    If I wake up and still suffer in silence in the Zhang family like before, what¡¯s the use of more opportunities?¡±


    Li Qing was silent for a moment when he heard that. He looked at Li Yu. ¡°Sister, I understand. You letting me study is also an opportunity for me. It depends on whether I can seize this opportunity to change my fate.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and nodded. ¡°You can say that. Ah Qing, you don¡¯t have to worry about me. I like to work hard and live a better life with my family.¡±


    When Li Qing heard that, he promised Li Yu, ¡°Sister, I have to work hard to let us live a better life.¡±


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s work hard together.¡±


    After the siblings finished eating and drinking, Li Qing fought to wash the pots and bowls. Li Yu was slightly drunk as she apanied Li Qing to paste a new portrait of the stove lord. After lighting up the candles to wee the stove lord home, the two of them went to the central room and sat on chairs around the brazier to celebrate the New Year.


    Li Yu leaned back in her chair and fell asleep. When Li Qing saw this, he shook Li Yu awake worriedly and led her to her room. ¡°Sister, go to sleep first. I¡¯ll stay up for the the New Year.¡± Li Yu nodded and kicked off her shoes. She crawled into bed and fell asleep.

 Chapter 56

    56 Birthday Celebration (1)


    When Li Yu woke up, it was already a new year. She turned around and saw an orange embroidered dress on the bedside table. Li Yu took it and put it on before walking outside the house. When Li Qing saw Li Yuing out in a new set of clothes, his eyes lit up. He smiled and praised, ¡°Sister, you look so good in this today.¡±


    Li Yu nced at him and pretended to be angry. ¡°Does your sister not look good in old clothes?¡±


    Li Qing quickly smiled and bowed in apology. ¡°I was wrong. My sister looks better in old clothes.¡±


    Li Yu burst outughing. ¡°What do you want for breakfast?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heated up the cold food fromst night. I was just waiting for you to get up and eat.¡±


    After the siblings ate and fed the chickens and pigs, Xiao An also came to take the yellow cow out for a walk. The siblings went to Li Mei¡¯s house to visit Chen Yaohui¡¯s house for the new year. Li Yu had a rare day of leisure.


    On the third day of the New Year, Li Yu discovered that the rapeseed in the ground had bloomed flowers. The wheat had also begun to turn green. The fence surrounded by those nts had also begun to pull out tender green branches. It was time for the vegetable seeds and wheat seedlings to be fertilized and nourished.


    Li Yu used a hoe to clear the ditch and returned to the house to put on the ox cart. She asked Li Qing to move the buckets and wooden basins at home to the ox cart. The three of them came to the ditch. Li Yu realized that the water in the ditch was much shallower than before and decided to fill the reservoir with water after fertilizing it.


    Xiao An and Li Qing pulled the cart to the edge of the ditch and filled it with water before pulling it to the field. Li Yu scooped some manure and mixed it with water to start fertilizing.


    Li Yu, Xiao An, and Li Qing worked for a few days to fatten up the rapeseed and wheat.


    On the eighth day of the New Year, Madam Li, Madam Qian, and more than ten other women came to work. Li Yu asked Li Mei to bring them to work while she brought Li Qing and An to continue transporting water into the reservoir.


    On the afternoon of the 14th, Li Yu began to prepare for the barbecue and hotpot the next day. Li Yu first went to the bamboo forest to get a bamboo stick. After splitting it, she peeled the long bamboo stick and prepared to use it to skewer deer meat.


    After peeling the bamboo sticks, she ground the small fennel, peppercorns, andrge ingredients in proportion and began to stir-fry the soybeans, sesame seeds, and soybeans. After frying the soybeans, she ground them into powder for use. Then, she ground the soaked peas and let the pea powder precipitate and filter out the starch as she prepared to make meatballs.


    The next morning, Li Yu took advantage of the fact that Li Qing and Xiao An had gone out to herd cows to retrieve the goats and wild deer from her space at home. She ced them on the chopping board and cut open their stomachs. She mixed the goat¡¯s stomach and goat¡¯s meat and washed them before cutting them into condiments and marinating them in the basin.


    Zhou Jia and his old servant, Uncle Zhou, went to the Zhou family¡¯s small ancestral hall. Zhou Jia looked at his grandfather and mother¡¯s memorial tablets. After twisting the incense stick and lighting it up to pay respects, he knelt in front of the memorial tablet. ¡°Grandfather, Mother, I¡¯ve found the woman I like. I want to propose to her tomorrow. I hope the two of you can bless me and fulfill my wish.¡±


    Uncle Zhou stood at the side and looked at Zhou Jia with teary eyes. He prayed silently in his heart, ¡°Old Master, Madam, please bless Young Master in heaven and prevent him from suffering those unexpected disasters.¡±


    Zhou Jia knelt in the ancestral hall for a while before getting up and walking out. Uncle Zhou walked briskly behind him and muttered, ¡°Young Master, shouldn¡¯t we take out the betrothal gifts Madam prepared and clean them up? We¡¯ll send them to Young Madam when the timees.¡±


    Zhou Jia hesitated for a moment. ¡°Alright, do you need anything else?¡±


    ¡°Sigh! I¡¯ll go now.¡± Uncle Zhou jogged happily to the storeroom to clean up the betrothal gifts.


    Zhou Jia looked at Uncle Zhou¡¯s back and shook his head with a smile. As long as he agreed to get married, this old man would be energetic.


    Li Yu carried the vegetable basket to the field and washed the peas, rapeseed moss, coriander, garlic seedlings, lettuce, and radish. She went home and took out some hoes to scrape clean. She also took out a few fish from her space to wash them and put them in seasonings.


    Put the remaining two fish in the gauze bag with themb chops, hooves, and bones to make a base soup.


    Li Mei, Zhaodi, and Laidi carried glutinous rice wine and glutinous rice cakes to help. When Laidi saw that Li Yu had prepared so much food, she happily washed her hands and asked Li Yu eagerly, ¡°Cousin, what do you need my help with?¡±


    Li Yu looked at her happy expression and pointed at the deer meat in the basin with a smile. ¡°You and Cousin Zhaodi should skewer all those meat on bamboo sticks. Otherwise, some of them won¡¯t be cooked.¡±


    ¡°Cousin, when did you go hunting in the mountains again?¡± Li Yu pretended not to hear her. Laidi didn¡¯t care either. She pulled Zhaodi to sit at the small wooden table with the basin and went to skewer meat.

 Chapter 57

    57 Birthday Celebration (2)


    Li Mei ced the glutinous rice wine and glutinous rice cakes in the kitchen and asked Li Yu with a smile, ¡°Yu¡¯er, what do I help you with?¡±


    Li Yu pointed at the vegetables in the bamboo basket and said, ¡°Aunt, help me wash the vegetables. I¡¯ll go chop meatballs.¡±


    Li Yu took out a piece of meat, cut it into pieces, and ced some ginger rice into it. Li Yu used all her strength to chop the meat, and it was chewy and smooth.


    Li Yu chopped the meat into minced meat with starch and egg white. With a little salt and a little wine, Li Yu grabbed the meat and squeezed it into a meatball. Soon the meatballs were made and ced aside for backup. Li Yu began to make the dipping sauce. The dipping sauce was mixed with sesame, peanut minced pepper, and red oil chili in a bowl. It smelled fragrant and spicy, and it must taste good with meat.


    When the food was ready, Li Yu began to put the burning charcoal into the copper fire pot. From the pot, she scooped the boiled soup into the copper fire pot. Then, she ced the mutton, haggis, sheep intestines, meatballs and yams into the pot to cook.


    The pot boiled. Li Yu was about to look for Li Qing to invite Zhou Jia when Zhou Jia and Ji Xiang arrived with gifts.


    Zhou Jia saw that the courtyard was bustling with activity as he handed the gift to Li Yu. He smiled and bowed to Li Mei. ¡°Auntie Li, wishing you a prosperous new year.¡±


    ¡°Likewise, I hope we¡¯ll all get rich.¡± Li Mei said. Li Yu saw that Zhou Jia was wearing a new red robe, making him look even more handsome. Li Mei sighed again in her heart. How good would it be if such a good son could match my Yu¡¯er!


    Li Mei let Zhou Jia sit in the central room and brought tea with a smile. ¡°Mr. Zhou, don¡¯t stand on ceremony!¡±


    Zhou Jia hurriedly stood up and took the teacup. He said respectfully, ¡°Auntie Li, I¡¯ll do it myself. You don¡¯t have to worry about me.¡±


    Li Mei smiled politely. ¡°My Ah Qing has troubled you in school. Is he obedient?¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled and nodded. ¡°Ah Qing is very good. He¡¯s also very hardworking in his studies. He¡¯ll be sessful in the future.¡±


    Li Mei couldn¡¯t stop smiling when she heard that. ¡°If he¡¯s really promising, it¡¯s because you taught him well, Mr. Zhou.¡±


    Li Qing returned from outside and saw Ji Xiang helping fill the courtyard with charcoal. He greeted him happily, ¡°Brother Ji Xiang, Happy New Year. I wish you good fortune.¡±


    Ji Xiang looked at Li Qing and patted him with a smile. ¡°Ah Qing, Brother Ji Xiang wishes you a schrly title as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Li Qing walked into the central room and happily bowed to Zhou Jia. ¡°Sir, Ah Qing wishes you good health and sess.¡±


    Zhou Jia took a red packet and handed it to Li Qing. He smiled and said, ¡°Sir, I also wish you sess in your studies.¡±


    Li Yu set up the table and looked around. She didn¡¯t see Liu Changmin and asked curiously, ¡°Aunt, why isn¡¯t Uncle here yet?¡±


    Before she could finish her sentence, she heard Liu Changmin¡¯s voice. ¡°Xiaoyu, Uncle knew that you were done from afar. Look, I came because of the fragrance.¡±


    Li Qing ran over and pulled Liu Changmin. ¡°Uncle,e and sit down.¡±


    Li Yu called Zhou Jia out and everyone greeted him again. Li Yu smiled at Zhou Jia and Ji Xiang and said, ¡°Mr. Zhou, Ji Xiang, everyone is gathered today for two reasons. Firstly, it¡¯s to celebrate Mr. Zhou¡¯s birthday. Secondly, everyone is here for a lively gathering.¡±


    Zhou Jia turned to Ji Xiang and said, ¡°There¡¯s no need for us to be polite today. Sit down and join in the fun.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Young Master.¡± Li Qing pulled Ji Xiang along. ¡°Brother Ji Xiang, sit beside me and Brother An.¡±


    After everyone sat down, Li Yu poured the glutinous rice wine and raised her bowl with a smile. ¡°We wish Mr. Zhou a happy life.¡±


    Everyone picked up their bowls and blessed Zhou Jia. Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu with a smile. ¡°Thank you, Xiaoyu. Thank you for celebrating my birthday.¡±


    Laidi looked at the dumplings in the pot. ¡°Let¡¯s not stand on ceremony. Let¡¯s eat something delicious first.¡±


    Li Mei smiled and shook her head. ¡°Look at this girl. When will she grow up?¡±


    Li Yu smiled and picked up a round piece for Laidi with the public chopsticks. ¡°Laidi is right. Let¡¯s start eating! Mr. Zhou, Ji Xiang, don¡¯t stand on ceremony!¡±


    After eating for a while, the younger ones couldn¡¯t sit still anymore. Li Qing and Laidi pulled Xiao An to the barbecue. Seeing that they were in a hurry and had burned the meat, Ji Xiang hurriedly went over and smiled at Li Qing. ¡°Ah Qing,e, Brother Ji Xiang will teach you how to barbecue the meat.¡±


    Li Qing hurriedly handed the meat skewer to Ji Xiang. ¡°Brother Ji Xiang, look, I¡¯ve burned it. Roast it for me and I¡¯ll learn.¡±


    Ji Xiang smiled and took the skewer and ced it on the grill. He nimbly brushed some oil on the skewer and flipped it from time to time to make it heat evenly. The three children studied it seriously for a while before Ji Xiang distributed the roasted skewer to the others. ¡°Try it and see how it tastes.¡±


    After Li Qing and the others took it, they didn¡¯t care that it was hot. They hurriedly bit off a piece and chewed it a few times before swallowing it. Laidi raised her thumb. ¡°It¡¯s delicious. It¡¯s better than cooking.¡±


    After Li Qing learned it, he took the meat skewers he had roasted and handed them to Li Yu. ¡°Sister, try them. How¡¯s my roasting?¡±


    Li Mei and Liu Changmin pretended to be angry and pointed at Li Qing with intive expressions. ¡°Ah Qing, you¡¯re really biased. You¡¯re only roasting meat for your sister, not Uncle and Aunt.¡±


    Seeing this, Laidi hurriedly ced the roasted meat skewers in their hands. ¡°Father, Mother, you have me!¡±


    Everyoneughed. The atmosphere was less restrained after a few children chimed in.


    Zhou Jia smiled and said to Li Yu, ¡°You made this pot well. You¡¯re such a great cook.¡±


    Li Yu smiled. ¡°That¡¯s why I went to order the pot. Zhou Jia, don¡¯t stand on ceremony and eat.¡±


    When Zhou Jia heard Li Yu call his name, he was so happy that his eyes curved into crescents. He looked at Li Yu¡¯s red face after drinking and for some reason, looked at her cherry-red lips. Zhou Jia secretly pinched himself and thought to himself, Zhou Jia, why are you like a lecher?

 Chapter 58

    58 Releasing the Wife


    Li Yu¡¯s heart skipped a beat when she saw Zhou Jia¡¯s smile. She hurriedly took the deer skewer from Li Qing and took a big bite. She smiled at Li Mei and her husband and said, ¡°Aunt, Uncle, try this roasted deer meat too.¡±


    Zhou Jia picked up his wine bowl and stood up. He looked at Li Mei, Liu Changmin, and Li Yu with a smile. ¡°Auntie Li, Uncle Liu, Xiaoyu, today is the happiest day I¡¯ve had in the past few years. Thank you for celebrating my birthday.¡±


    Liu Changmin held his wine and said with a restrained smile, ¡°As long as Mr. Zhou doesn¡¯t mind our humble family, you¡¯re wee toe and y anytime.¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled at Li Yu and said meaningfully, ¡°As long as Xiaoyu doesn¡¯t despise me, I can¡¯t wait for such a day.¡±


    Liu Changming replied honestly, ¡°No, no. We don¡¯t despise you¡±


    Li Mei secretly pinched Liu Changmin. Liu Changmin did not know what he had said wrong and sat down with an embarrassed smile.


    Li Yu nced at Zhou Jia and thought to herself, It seems that this beautiful trouble wants to cling to me. Li Yu was a little hesitant about epting this trouble.


    Zhou Jia secretly looked at Li Yu and thought to himself, Little Yu¡¯er, don¡¯t hesitate. Come to me!


    After everyone had their fill, Li Yu, Zhaodi, and the others were busy clearing the tables and grills in the courtyard.


    Zhou Jia and Li Mei sat in the central room and chatted. Zhou Jia looked at Li Mei and Liu Changmin and asked sincerely, ¡°Auntie Li, Uncle Liu, I like Xiaoyu. I want to marry her and hope that the two of you can fulfill my wish.¡±


    When Li Mei heard Zhou Jia say that he wanted to marry Li Yu, she was also a little tempted. However, she still rejected, ¡°Mr. Zhou, our families are too different. Your elders won¡¯t agree. It¡¯s best if you don¡¯t disturb our Xiaoyu anymore. Let her find a good family in the future.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Mei and said sincerely, ¡°Aunt Li, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll make the decision for my marriage. I mentioned this in front of my grandfather, father, and mother when my grandfather was still alive. The elders also agreed.¡±


    Li Mei felt that Zhou Jia was a good candidate. He had a good family background, was good-looking, and had status and knowledge, so she did not refuse. ¡°In that case, as long as Xiaoyu is willing, we won¡¯t stop you.¡±


    Seeing that Li Mei was no longer stopping them, Zhou Jia happily bowed to Li Mei and her husband. ¡°Thank you, Auntie Li and Uncle Liu.¡±


    Li Mei looked at Zhou Jia¡¯s ecstatic expression and smiled. ¡°It¡¯s useless to thank us. Xiaoyu has to be willing.¡±


    However, Zhou Jia thought to himself, As long as the two of you don¡¯t stop me, the possibility of Xiaoyu agreeing to my request will be much greater.


    After Li Yu and the others packed up, Li Mei and Liu Changmin came out of the central room and said to Zhaodi, ¡°Let¡¯s go and pluck the weeds from the rapeseed field and wheat field while it¡¯s still early today. Otherwise, we won¡¯t have any time to work tomorrow.¡±


    Zhaodi nodded obediently. ¡°Sure! I¡¯ll get the backpack.¡±


    The few of them took their backpacks and went out. Li Yu saw that Zhou Jia was sitting in the central room and didn¡¯t leave. She looked at him and smiled. ¡°Zhou Jia, are you going to sit here for a while? Or are you going to pluck the weeds with us?¡±


    Zhou Jia watched as Li Yu walked up to her. He blushed and said nervously, ¡°Xiaoyu, I have something to tell you.¡±


    Seeing Zhou Jia blush, Li Yu felt a little amused. ¡°Are you talking about starting work tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Zhou Jia mustered his courage and looked at Li Yu. ¡°Xiaoyu, I like you. I want to marry you. Are you willing to entrust yourself to me?¡±


    Li Yu didn¡¯t expect Zhou Jia to say it so directly. She was stunned for a moment and thought to herself, Didn¡¯t they say that the ancient people were very reserved?


    Li Yu looked up at Zhou Jia and smiled. ¡°Zhou Jia, I admit that I have a good impression of you, but I¡¯m not to the point of wanting to entrust my life to you. Also, have you ever thought that it might be because you¡¯ve nevere into contact with a woman like me before? Perhaps you are just curious about me?¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu and said seriously, ¡°Xiaoyu, it¡¯s not like that. I had a good impression of you after I first saw you, but at that time, I was indeed curious about you. I just wanted to know what kind of woman you were, but after knowing you, I couldn¡¯t stop the desire in my heart to see you every moment.


    I also knew that this was wrong, so I suppressed the crazy idea of wanting to see you every day. I asked myself if I was more curious about you or if I really liked you until I came to settle the bill with you that day. After seeing you, I knew that I liked you and wanted to marry you and protect you.¡±


    When Li Yu saw Zhou Jia¡¯s expression, she knew that he was telling the truth. However, in her previous life, she had seen many couples who lost their love for each other.


    Although the ancient people wouldn¡¯t divorce like modern people, they could put you aside when they were tired of you. They could look for second and third wives openly. Just thinking about it made Li Yu feel disgusted. She didn¡¯t want to be like those women in the backyard who were jealous of one another because of a man all day long.


    No, if she married Zhou Jia, it would probably be difficult to get a divorce.


    Zhou Jia watched nervously as Li Yu¡¯s expression changed. He hoped that Li Yu would give him the answer he wanted.


    After thinking about it, Li Yu said to Zhou Jia, ¡°I know that you¡¯re indeed sincere now, but since ancient times, the most difficult thing to control is the human heart. Perhaps my thoughts are a little unorthodox. I don¡¯t think I can ept the kind of life where I¡¯m locked in the backyard every day fighting with a bunch of women and waiting for my husband to dote on me. I like to pursue my own interests and be independent. I don¡¯t like to live a life where I¡¯m controlled by others.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu in confusion. ¡°But since ancient times, women have been taking care of their husbands and children at home after getting married. Men work hard outside to support their families. Don¡¯t you like to live a leisurely life?¡±


    Li Yu smiled when she heard that. ¡°That¡¯s why I said that my thoughts are a little unorthodox. Zhou Jia, if you think that our cooperation will be inconvenient in the future, I¡¯ll withdraw!¡±


    Zhou Jia hurriedly waved his hand when he heard that. ¡°No, no, Xiaoyu, there¡¯s nothing inconvenient about it. I¡¯m not saying that what you said is wrong. I¡¯ve just never heard anyone say such a thing and was suddenly stunned.


    Also, you said that it¡¯s absolutely impossible for you topete with a bunch of women after you get married and wait for your husband to dote on you. It might be because of what we¡¯ve seen from the previous generation. I¡¯ve always wanted to marry a woman who¡¯s in love with me and live a peaceful life with her.


    As for you saying that you¡¯re going to do what you like, Xiaoyu, think about it. Isn¡¯t it because we¡¯re doing what you and I like together that we¡¯re working together now? Xiaoyu, believe me, I¡¯m going to walk with you, not marry you and restrain you in the backyard.¡±


    Li Yu was stunned by Zhou Jia¡¯s words. She looked at Zhou Jia in a daze. Zhou Jia walked forward and held Li Yu¡¯s hand. ¡°The first time we met, you held my hand and protected me down the mountain. In the future, let me hold your hand and we¡¯ll walk together, okay?¡±


    Li Yu was a little moved by Zhou Jia¡¯s words. ¡°I can travel with you through thick and thin. However, you have to promise me that if you have other thoughts in many years, let me go so that we don¡¯t hate each other.¡±


    Zhou Jia nodded without hesitation. ¡°Alright, I promise you.¡±


    Li Yu smiled slyly and said, ¡°A gentleman never goes back on his word. Write me an undertaking to release your wife first before getting someone to propose marriage.¡±


    Zhou Jia did not know whether tough or cry at Li Yu¡¯s words. ¡°Xiaoyu, how can I write a divorce letter before getting married?¡±


    Li Yu smiled sweetly at Zhou Jia. ¡°We can be the first to implement this. As long as you don¡¯t have any ulterior motives, the letter is just a decoration!¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu¡¯s smile. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll write it for you now.¡±


    Li Yu smiled as she took the letter that Zhou Jia had written and ced it in her pocket. She looked at Zhou Jia and said seriously, ¡°As long as you don¡¯t leave me, I will travel hand in hand with you.¡±


    ¡°Xiaoyu, believe me. Time will prove everything.¡± Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu longingly. ¡°I¡¯ll go back and find an official matchmaker to propose marriage.¡±


    Li Yu agreed generously. ¡°Alright, go ahead! I have to go and pull the weeds.¡±

 Chapter 59

    59 Marriage Proposal


    Zhou Jia called Ji Xiang and left in a hurry. Li Mei smiled and pulled Li Yu aside. ¡°Yu¡¯er, how are you and Mr. Zhou?¡±


    Li Yu smiled and said with a blush, ¡°He said he was going to find an official matchmaker to propose marriage.¡±


    Li Mei was overjoyed when she heard that. She pulled Liu Changmin and said happily, ¡°Zhaodi¡¯s father, did you hear that? Mr. Zhou is going to invite an official matchmaker to propose marriage. After the engagement, I¡¯m going to tell Ashan and sister-inw that Yu¡¯er has found a good marriage to reassure them underground.¡±


    Liu Changmin also chuckled happily. ¡°Alright, it¡¯s time to talk to them. I¡¯ll apany you then.¡±


    Li Qing scurried over from the side and frowned at Li Mei. ¡°Aunt, who do you say my sister is getting engaged to?¡±


    ¡°Are you happy that your sister and Mr. Zhou are getting engaged?¡± Li Mei looked at Li Qing and said with a smile.


    Li Qing pursed his lips and threw the grass into his backpack angrily. ¡°I thought it was strange. Why does Mr. Zhou always ask me about my sister? It turns out that he has designs on her.¡±


    Li Mei looked at Li Qing¡¯s angry expression and said curiously, ¡°Ah Qing, Mr. Zhou is not bad. Won¡¯t you like Mr. Zhou to be your brother-inw?¡±


    Li Qing frowned in confusion. ¡°Mr. Zhou is good, but I don¡¯t want him to marry my sister.¡± Li Qing¡¯s eyes turned red as he pulled at Li Yu. ¡°Sister, I don¡¯t want you to get married.¡±


    Li Yu did not expect Li Qing to be so attached to her. She wiped the mud off her hands and patted Li Qing tofort him gently. ¡°Ah Qing, I¡¯m not going to marry into the family soon. There are still a few years! Besides, even if I get married to Mr. Zhou in a few years, you can still live with us!¡±


    Li Qing wiped his tears with his sleeve and looked at Li Yu with tears in his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m not staying at Mr. Zhou¡¯s house. If I stay at his house too, you won¡¯t have anywhere to go if he bullies you.¡±


    Li Mei¡¯s heart ached when she heard that. She walked over with tears in her eyes and hugged Li Qing. Sheforted him gently. ¡°Ah Qing, don¡¯t be afraid! From what I can see, Mr Zhou is not that kind of person. He will treat your sister well.¡±


    Li Yu smiled bitterly and patted Li Qing. ¡°Ah Qing, believe me. If he doesn¡¯t treat me well, I¡¯ll divorce him.¡±


    Li Qing smiled through his tears. ¡°Yes, let¡¯s divorce him.¡±


    ¡°How can you say that?¡± Li Mei smiled strangely and knocked on the siblings.


    Zhou Jia brought Ji Xiang to the city to find the official matchmaker, Old Madam Wang. She said that she would send someone to pick her up on the 16th morning to propose marriage in Clearwater Town. Then, she brought Ji Xiang to the bank to exchange the banknotes for silver before going to the shop with him.


    After the clerk, whose name was Zhao Cai, handed the money from selling the bags to Zhou Jia before and after the New Year, the three of them pulled the cloth goods back to Li Yu¡¯s house in West Mountain Vige.


    When he arrived at Li Yu¡¯s house, Zhou Jia saw Li Qing looking at him from afar and turning to leave. He felt a little puzzled and whispered to Ji Xiang, ¡°Ji Xiang, what¡¯s wrong with Ah Qing today? Did you offend him?¡±


    When Ji Xiang heard this, he burst outughing. ¡°Young Master, you¡¯re about to snatch Ah Qing¡¯s sister away. Will Ah Qing give you a good attitude?¡±


    Zhou Jia was enlightened and nodded with a smile. ¡°I see. He shouldn¡¯t give me a good attitude. I¡¯ll go coax himter.¡±


    Li Yu saw Ji Xiang and Zhao Cai each carrying a box. The three of them stood at the door and muttered, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going toe in?¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu and smiled. ¡°I¡¯ve exchanged the silver for you and even brought back the silver from thest batch of bags.¡±


    Ji Xiang and Zhao Cai ced the boxes on the table with smiles and bowed to Li Yu before retreating to unload the goods.


    Zhou Jia smiled at Li Yu. ¡°The bags in the storeroom before and after the new year have been emptied. You have to arrange for someone to rush the goods!¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ve also made a lot of bags these days. Take them and sell them first.¡± Li Yu smiled. ¡°Sigh! They shouldn¡¯t be as busy as they were in the beginning this year. There should be more shops following the trend!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s indeed a lot, but we¡¯ve also earned a lot.¡± Zhou Jia opened the box and pointed at the silver inside with a smile. ¡°In just three months, we¡¯ve earned more than 10,000 taels of silver. I¡¯ll leave it all to you.¡±


    Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid that I¡¯ll run away with the money?¡±


    Zhou Jia sat opposite Li Yu and pulled her hand. He smiled confidently and said, ¡°I¡¯m not afraid. I¡¯m much more valuable than silver. You won¡¯t bear to run away.¡±


    Li Yu red at him and pulled her hand back. ¡°Let¡¯s get down to business! It hasn¡¯t rained much sincest year, and the water in the ditch is getting shallower. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s going to be a flood. Instead, it looks like there will be a drought. If there¡¯s really a drought, no matter how much silver you have, you won¡¯t be able to buy water to drink. I think we have to think of a way to save some water.¡±


    When Zhou Jia heard this, he thought that Uncle Zhou had also said the same thing. He looked at Li Yu and said gently, ¡°I asked Uncle Zhou to save some water. When I gathered with Xia Tao before the New Year, I heard from him that the drought in Great Qi is still spreading. The Qingzhou Prefecture, which is adjacent to Great Qi, also shows signs of drought.


    We went to check the Green Mountain County Records. ording to the records, there has only been one drought in Green Mountain in the past hundred years. After suffering three consecutive years of drought, it suffered a locust gue. The entire Qingzhou Prefecture was filled with hunger. After the disaster, the Qingzhou Prefecture became empty.¡±


    Li Yu was stunned when she heard that. That¡¯s right! Water and food were the source of life for humans. Without water and food, how could everyone survive? When the time came, they could only escape through migration. It seemed that she had to make two preparations.


    ¡°Zhou Jia, I think we have to be prepared. If there¡¯s really a drought, we can only migrate. Get someone to make a few big wooden barrels like those used to store vegetables and oil. In the future, we can use them to store food and water. Buy two big mule carts.¡±


    Seeing that Li Yu did not panic and instead began to prepare to migrate, Zhou Jia felt much more at ease. ¡°Alright, leave these to me to prepare. I also have to secretly find someone to forge a few bows and arrows to hide. When the timees, there will be many bandits.¡±


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s take it slow. Don¡¯t panic.¡± Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia andforted him.


    Zhou Jia stood up and looked at Li Yu, his face turning red. ¡°Yes! Tell Aunt that Matchmaker Wang wille to propose marriage tomorrow.¡±


    Li Yu nodded generously and sent Zhou Jia out. She watched the three of them leave with the goods before returning to the central room. Looking at the white silver in the wooden box, she felt sweet.


    On the 16th day of the first month, Li Yu woke up early and went up the mountain to hunt.


    Matchmaker Wang carried a pair of geese to Li Yu¡¯s house. As soon as she entered, she congratted Li Mei. ¡°Madam Li, what a joyous asion! Today, I was entrusted by Schr Zhou to propose marriage to the nobledy, Li Yu. I hope that the two families can interact closely and get married.¡±


    Li Mei weed Matchmaker Wang into the house with a smile. She poured a cup of hot tea and handed it to Matchmaker Wang. ¡°The countryside is simple. Thank you for making this trip. Please have some tea to moisten your mouth.¡±


    Matchmaker Wang chuckled and said, ¡°I¡¯m not tired. Young Master Zhou sent someone to pick me up.¡± Then, she pointed at the spacious dam and said with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s great that your ce is so spacious.¡±


    After the two of them exchanged pleasantries and agreed on the marriage, Matchmaker Wang stood up and bade farewell. Before she left, Li Mei gave Matchmaker Wang a red packet and two packets of pastries. Matchmaker Wang took them and went to the Zhou family happily.


    Madam Li and the others waited for Li Mei to return to the room before asking happily, ¡°Sister, it was Schr Zhou from the East Vige who sent someone to propose marriage, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes! He sent someone to propose marriage.¡± Li Mei couldn¡¯t stop smiling.


    Everyone was happy for Li Yu. ¡°No wonder Xiaoyu went hunting today. She was afraid that we would tease her!¡±


    Madam Li smiled and said, ¡°Our Xiaoyu is very lucky. This Schr Zhou is handsome andes from a good family. His looks are alsopatible with Xiaoyu. The two of them are really a good match.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! The two of them are both good-looking and capable. The Heavenly Matchmaker has finally pulled the right strings.¡± Madam Qian praised.

 Chapter 60

    60 Foreboding of Drought


    Not long after Li Yu went up the mountain, she hunted two wild goats and three mules. She put them into the space and hunted some pheasants, hares, and turtledoves along the way. She even hunted a mule.


    Li Yu walked towards the ravine. When she reached the ravine, she realized that the water in the ravine had also be shallow. The stones in the ravine were exposed, and small fish and prawns were jumping on the exposed stones.


    Li Yu¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She hurriedly walked towards the pool downstream.


    When she reached the pool, Li Yu saw that there was very little water in the pool. After seeing this, Li Yu believed that the possibility of a drought was very high. For a moment, Li Yu¡¯s mood became gloomy.


    Li Yu looked at the pool unhappily and saw a fewrge fish floating out of the water. Li Yu took out a from her space and fished out a few fish. After knocking them to death, she stored them in her space. She was in no mood to hunt anymore. Along the way, she picked some dandelions, fishy grass, motherwort, and wormwood and carried them back to the ditch in front of the house. She washed the herbs in the ditch before carrying them home.


    When Li Mei saw Li Yu return with a bag of herbs, she smiled and said, ¡°Yu¡¯er, didn¡¯t you say that you wouldn¡¯t be home until the afternoon? It¡¯s only past noon!¡±


    Li Yu nced at the happy Li Mei and swallowed the words that were about toe out of her mouth. She forced a smile and said, ¡°After I went up the mountain, I saw two hunters also going up the mountain, so I picked some herbs and carried them back.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! I knew it! Today is a good day. You should stay at home.¡± Li Mei looked at Li Yu lovingly. ¡°You must be tired! I¡¯ll make you something to eat.¡±


    Li Yu looked around but did not see the two sisters. She asked curiously, ¡°Where did my two cousins go?¡±


    Li Mei pointed in the direction of Butcher He¡¯s house. ¡°Butcher He¡¯s Xiaoyu came and called the two of them over. She said that she has a new trick for Zhaodi.¡±


    After dinner, Li Yu kept feeling a faint pain in her stomach. It felt like the menstrual cramps she had in her previous life.


    Li Yu quietly cut some thin cotton cloth and ovepped it with the oilcloth. She made more than ten period bandages and made a stack of sanitary pads with cotton wool. She boiled water and took a shower. When it was dark, her period came. Li Yu worked overnight and made two more stacks of sanitary pads before she felt at ease.


    The next morning, Li Yu cut off all the rapeseed moss in the ground and ced it in her space. She went to the town pharmacy to buy various pills and herbs to store them before going to the seed shop to buy seeds for rapeseed and cabbage. She scattered the radish seeds in the ground and prepared to collect some vegetable leaves to store.


    The official matchmaker hired by the Zhou family made several trips before settling the marriage between the two of them. When the Zhou family carried dozens of betrothal gifts to the Li family, Li Mei and Li Qing carried the wedding pancakes to the vige to distribute them. The vigers in the east and west viges were discussing how the eldest daughter of the Li family, Li Yu, who had been rejected by the Zhang family, was now engaged to the young master of the Zhou family.


    Two dayster, the news of Li Yu and Young Master Zhou¡¯s engagement reached Zhang Defa¡¯s ears in Green Mountain City. Zhang Defa was so angry that he threw his bowl on the ground. ¡°This bitch. I don¡¯t know what despicable methods she used to actually seduce Young Master Zhou.¡±


    When Zhang Guixiang heard this, she refused to believe it. She was so angry that she cut the embroidered cloth she was holding and threw it on the ground.


    Chen Zhaodi looked at the embroidered cloth and picked it up with heartache. She looked at Zhang Guixiang and scolded, ¡°Look at you. You¡¯re already so old, yet you still lost your temper and cut the embroidered cloth into pieces. I got it for you from your sister-inw.¡±


    Zhang Guixiang screamed, ¡°I don¡¯t care. Mother, I¡¯m about to die of anger. Why isn¡¯t that bitch Li Yu dead yet?¡±


    Chen Zhaodi looked at Zhang Guixiang and thought about how she had chased Li Yu and her brother away in order for her son to marry Zhu Qiaoyu. She had even spent all the money that she had painstakingly saved at home. Her family still owed a lot of foreign debt and still had to support Zhang Decai¡¯s family.


    The more Chen Zhaodi thought about it, the angrier she became. She pped Zhang Guixiang¡¯s face and pointed at her as she scolded, ¡°It¡¯s all your fault. If you hadn¡¯t pushed her into the bathtub, she wouldn¡¯t have given up on your brother and asked your father to return the money. Yet, you¡¯re stillining here. I think you¡¯re the one who should be med.¡±


    Zhang Guixiang covered her face and looked at the livid Chen Zhaodi. She didn¡¯t dare to shout anymore. Her lips trembled as she shouted miserably, ¡°Mother, don¡¯t you want me anymore?¡±


    Chen Zhaodi looked at Zhang Guixiang and then at her hand. She couldn¡¯t believe that she would hit her precious daughter. Chen Zhaodi hugged the crying Zhang Guixiang and the mother and daughter cried.


    The only person in the Zhang family who was most happy about Li Yu¡¯s engagement was Zhang Guisheng¡¯s wife, Zhu Qiaoyu. When she heard that Li Yu was engaged, Zhu Qiaoyu pulled Madam Jiang happily. ¡°Nanny, since that girl from the Li family is finally engaged, my husband will finally give up now!¡±


    Madam Jiang looked at Zhu Qiaoyu and sighed. ¡°Miss, you really don¡¯t have to take the Li family¡¯s daughter seriously. The Zhang family broke off the engagement and married you. The Zhang and Li families have already formed a feud, not to mention that it involves the feud of the previous generation!¡±


    Zhu Qiaoyu retorted unhappily, ¡°Nanny, Hubby said that the Li family made those up. Hunter Li was greedy and was injured by the bear.¡±


    Madam Jiang was also angry at Zhu Qiaoyu for being bewitched by Zhang Guisheng. ¡°Then why don¡¯t you believe him when he said that he has already broken off the engagement with Miss Li?¡±


    ¡°I...¡± Zhu Qiaoyu looked at Madam Jiang, speechless.


    Madam Jiang looked at Zhu Qiaoyu and sighed inwardly. She advised earnestly, ¡°Miss, you can¡¯t continue like this. You¡¯re the officially married daughter-inw of the Zhang family but you think about such nonsense every day. There¡¯s still such a long time in the future. How are you going to live?¡± Zhu Qiaoyu lowered her head and didn¡¯t say a word.


    Li Yu didn¡¯t know that her engagement could actually anger the Zhang family. If she knew, she would probablyugh out loud.


    She spent most of the month quietly taking out the pheasants, wild ducks, rabbits, turtledoves, and fish in the space. She cleaned them up and rubbed them with salt before putting them back in the space. She also took out the wild sheep, wild boar, and deer and smeared them with salt. She then steamed them with ingredients before storing them in the space.


    Zhou Jia bought a cow and tworge mule carts in the city. He then went to find someone to make a fewrge wooden buckets to take home and fill them with water before cing them in the cer.


    Li Yu prepared the meat and vegetables and began to busily brush the bup cloth with tung oil. From her memory, she made more than a dozen tents with doubleyered tung oil cloth. Then, she used ayer of fine cotton cloth and ayer of tung oil cloth to make more than a dozen raincoats ording to the approximate sizes.


    February passed in the blink of an eye, and soon, it was March again. In the past, there should have been spring rain in these two months, but this year, not a single drop of rain had fallen since December.


    When Li Mei¡¯s family and the Li siblings went to the grave, they saw that the water in the ravine had already dried up. The vigers they met when they returned home were all discussing. Li Mei also felt that the sky was probably going to dry up.


    Along the way, Li Mei saw the vigers discussing if there was going to be a drought. Everyone looked at the sky worriedly. Only then did Li Mei and her husband think of storing food.


    After returning home, Li Mei took out some silver and said to Li Yu, ¡°Yu¡¯er, tell Aunt Zhou to help buy some food in the city. Aunt only has about ten stones of food left.¡±


    Li Yu pulled Li Mei back into the house. ¡°Aunt, don¡¯t worry! I¡¯ve long stored the food in a secret ce. Remember to keep it quiet. Also, let¡¯s take advantage of the fact that there¡¯s still water and wait for our crops to grow thicker. We¡¯ll pull them out and dry them.¡±


    Li Mei smiled in disbelief. ¡°When did you start saving? We didn¡¯t know at all. A few days ago, I was still thinking that those vegetable mosses were about to bloom. I was wondering why you had to cut them? So you started preparing at that time. I¡¯m really useless. I¡¯ve lived for so many years and I¡¯m inferior to a junior like you.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and said, ¡°Since I¡¯ve saved it for you, why should I make you worry?¡±


    Li Mei looked at Li Yu and was touched. ¡°Yu¡¯er, thank you.¡±

 Chapter 61

    61 Harvest


    After dawn, there would asionally be a few muffled ps of thunder in the sky, but it would always be dry thunder without rain. Everyone would be happy for nothing.


    More than half of the water in Li Yu¡¯s family¡¯s reservoir had been used up. Liu Changmin and Xiao An drove the ox cart and began to go to the river to draw water home to pour it into the reservoir.


    Some of the vigers emted Li Yu¡¯s family and began to dig a pond to store water they fetched from the river. Some began to pour water into the rice fields to prepare for the nting of grains in April.


    Li Yu invited Butcher He toe to the house to kill the two pigs. The streaky pork was cut into small cubes and marinated withrge ingredients. Then, it was fried with te oil and a small amount of rapeseed oil. The oil and meat were stored in jars and sealed.


    The ribs and lean meat were marinated, steamed, and roasted into jerky for storage.


    The rapeseed flowers in the field had already bloomed. The golden rapeseed flowers emitted a sweet fragrance, attracting groups of bees to dance in the flowers.


    The wheat seedlings also began to grow. Li Yu, Liu Changmin, and Xiao An began to fertilize the wheat to ensure that the wheat could absorb nutrients in time and prevent it from aging early, causing the grain to decrease and reduce production.


    Zhou Jia brought some salt and sugar to Li Yu¡¯s house. He said to Li Yu worriedly, ¡°Xiaoyu, the weather has been drying up like this. No one dares to spend money casually. The business in the shop has also plummeted. Get the aunties to stop work after today¡¯s work is done and wait for our notice to start work. Also, these bags of salt are all distributed by the officials to sell to the shop. The shop hasn¡¯t finished selling them and umted them. Pack them up and put them away. If the weather continues to dry up, I¡¯m afraid it¡¯ll be difficult for this year¡¯s harvest. I¡¯ve already informed the tenant farmers that other than paying taxes for food this year, I won¡¯t collect rent.¡±


    Zhou Jia nagged. Seeing his worried expression, Li Yu pretended to smile lightly. ¡°So you¡¯re a kindndlord, not Zhou the Exploiter.¡±


    ¡°Who is Zhou the Exploiter?¡± Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu¡¯s smile and suddenly understood. He concluded that it was not a good thing and threatened Li Yu, ¡°Alright! How dare you say that I¡¯m Zhou the Exploiter? How dare you be disrespectful to your husband? Watch how I deal with you.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and told Zhou Jia the story of Zhou the Exploiter learning how to crow in the middle of the night. She looked at Zhou Jia and smiled. ¡°Look, I praised you for being a good person, not Nero Zhou.¡±


    After the two of them yed around, Zhou Jia felt that he was not so worried anymore. He began to tell Li Yu about the situation in the city. ¡°Xiaoyu, some of the big families in the city have already begun to store water, food, and salt. There are also a few families who have already begun to prepare to migrate. Xia Tao and his aunt are already prepared to wait until the end of the month. If it doesn¡¯t rain, we¡¯ll leave for the capital.¡±


    Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia. ¡°Zhou Jia, after the rapeseed and wheat are collected, do you n to leave if it hasn¡¯t rained yet?¡±


    Zhou Jia thought for a moment. ¡°Unless it¡¯s absolutely necessary, I haven¡¯t thought of leaving this ce to go anywhere else. What do you think?¡±


    Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia and nodded with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s the same for me. I haven¡¯t thought of going anywhere else.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu and gently touched his forehead to Li Yu¡¯s. He said softly, ¡°Yu¡¯er, as long as I am with you, I¡¯m not afraid.¡±


    Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia and whispered, ¡°If you¡¯re not afraid, I¡¯m not afraid either.¡±


    The two of them chatted for a while. When Li Yu sent Zhou Jia to the door, Zhou Jia remembered that he had forgotten to tell Li Yu about the arrows. Zhou Jia whispered to Li Yu, ¡°I¡¯ve already gotten someone to forge the arrows. I also bought two daggers for you and Ah Qing to carry around. I¡¯ll bring them to you in two days.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and nodded. She watched as Zhou Jia got into the mule cart and left with the goods. Then, she went home and picked up a pen and paper to sketch two drawings. One was a crossbow, and the other was a drawing of a sleeve arrow. She drove the ox cart to the cksmith shop in town.


    When Li Yu arrived at the cksmith¡¯s shop, the cksmith was forging a long saber. He turned around and smiled at Li Yu. ¡°Miss Li, what do you want to make today?¡±


    Li Yu took out the blueprint and handed it to the cksmith. ¡°Uncle, I have something to show you. Can you see if you can make it?¡±


    The cksmith took the drawing. ¡°Let me see what kind of rare thing it is.¡±


    The cksmith looked at the blueprint in his hand in shock. He looked around and whispered, ¡°Girl, this thing is so exquisite. Where did you get it? Don¡¯t let the government know. You¡¯ll be exiled if you forge these.¡±


    Li Yu looked at the cksmith and smiled. ¡°Uncle, I came to look for you because I know you¡¯re a good person. I want to make a crossbow and three hidden arrows. Help me make more arrows. Do you know how to make these two things?¡±


    ¡°Aye!¡± The smith sighed. ¡°Tell me something,ss. I haven¡¯t touched one of these things in years. A hand crossbow costs forty taels, and a sleeve arrow costs thirty taels of silver with the arrow. If you want it, I¡¯ll forge it for you. You can collect it in ten days.¡±


    Li Yu nodded. ¡°The price is fine. I¡¯lle and collect it in ten days. Thank you, Uncle cksmith.¡± Li Yu gave half of the deposit and returned home.


    The vigers still had to carry water ashore from the river in early April to nt the grains.


    After ten days, Li Yu went to the town to retrieve the crossbow and sleeve arrow. She went to the forest alone and aimed the crossbow at the tree trunk. After trying it a few times, she felt that it was quite urate. She tied the sleeve arrow to her arm and carved a mark on a tree. She touched the butterfly piece and activated the sleeve arrow. After the arrow shot out at lightning speed, it hit the spot Li Yu had engraved. Li Yu was satisfied and hid the crossbow and sleeve arrow in her space.


    At the end of April, the rapeseed leaves had already begun to turn yellow. The color of the rapeseed sticks had also begun to turn light green. The wheat seeds had also begun to germinate. Li Yu estimated that they could cut rapeseed by the beginning of May and wheat by the middle of the same month.


    When the rapeseed was ripe, Li Yu hired Chen Yaohui and his wife in the vige, as well as a few other men and women who worked efficiently in the vige. It took four to five days to cut the rapeseed and dry it on the sun mat.


    After producing the rapeseed, Li Yu realized that there was very little yield. It was only about 200 catties. Li Yu put the rapeseed into the warehouse and began to harvest the winter wheat.


    The vigers stood on the field and looked at the 20 acres of golden wheat in Li Yu¡¯s house with envy. Everyone was thinking about nting some wheat this winter.


    It took a dozen men four or five days to cut the wheat and bring it home. It took a few more days to dry it before they threshed it.


    When the wheat was cleaned and dried, Li Yu weighed it. An acre ofnd only had a harvest of 500 catties. However, the vigers praised Li Yu¡¯s family for their good harvest and even asked her how to grow wheat.


    Li Yu told everyone how she chose and cultivated. Everyone sighed, ¡°No wonder the harvest is good.¡±


    Madam Li also smiled and echoed, ¡°Back then, I was also saying that Xiaoyu¡¯s farming was so meticulous. I wondered how the harvest would be. Looks like her method is still better.¡±


    Everyone was discussing excitedly how to nt the winter wheat this winter and which piece ofnd to nt. They had temporarily forgotten about the worries of theck of rain.


    Suddenly, Madam Qian pointed at Mount Daqing and screamed, ¡°Look, there¡¯s a ck mass in the sky over there. What¡¯s that ck cloud?¡±


    The vige chief looked carefully for a while and shouted, ¡°Heavens! The locusts are here. They¡¯re not giving us a way out!¡±


    The vige chief shouted in panic and ran out of the courtyard. ¡°The locusts are here. The locusts are here. Go get the locust god.¡±

 Chapter 62

    62 gue of Locusts


    Li Yu looked up at the locusts in midair and was stunned. She recalled that in her previous life, she had only seen the tragic state of themoners after the locust gue on television. She had never seen so many locusts with her own eyes.


    Li Yu watched as the dark mass got closer and closer. She suddenly thought of burning it with fire. Li Yu shouted at Madam Qian and Li Mei, ¡°Aunt, quickly light up the locusts.¡±


    As Li Yu spoke, she ran out and ignited the rapeseed shells and rapeseed poles piled on the ground. The rapeseed poles and rapeseed shells crackled and burned. Li Mei and Madam Qian also ran out to ignite the others.


    Everyone raised their wooden sticks and branches to chase the locusts away, but it was useless. They watched helplessly as the locusts flew into the rice field. In an instant, the rice field was filled with locusts. They could only hear the sound of chewing in the rice field. In less than an hour, the acre of rice was only left with bare soil.


    The locusts were everywhere from the vegetable garden to the rice field. Even the forest was filled with locusts. They only avoided the ce where Li Yu was burning the fire. Li Yu looked at Li Mei and Madam Qian, who were looking at the locusts in a daze, and shouted, ¡°Aunt, Aunt Qian, quickly pluck those vegetables and carry them home.¡± The two of them stumbled and ran after Li Yu to pluck the vegetables.


    The other vigers hurriedly ran to Li Yu¡¯s field and hugged the rapeseed poles and wheat stalks. They went back to pile them up on the field and light them up to chase away the locusts. However, it was already toote. The locusts were not even afraid of people anymore. They kept flying towards the crowd and did not escape no matter what.


    The old people in the vige knelt on the ground and lit incense and paper money. They kept kowtowing and begging for mercy from the locust gods.


    Everyone could only sit on the ground in a daze, feeling like crying.


    Everyone looked at the emerald West Mountain Vige in extreme frustration. After half a day, it had turned into a barend without a trace of green in its eyes.


    Zhou Jia drove the mule cart to Li Yu¡¯s house. He looked at Li Yu and said, ¡°Xiaoyu, there¡¯s a drought and a locust gue. It seems that we can only migrate.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! We can only move.¡± Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia. ¡°My family just took so much food home. If we take all of it away, it will attract too much attention on the way. I want to take some out and sell some to those poor people at the market price before the new year. What do you think?¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu and nodded in agreement. ¡°Xiaoyu, you¡¯re doing the right thing. I¡¯ll go back and pack up the things I need for the migration. Zhao Cai went to the county to settle those workers and shopkeepers. We¡¯ll set off the next day. The vigers of West Mountain can also leave. It¡¯s safer with more people.¡±


    Li Yu smiled bitterly and said, ¡°Alright, I understand.¡±


    Zhou Jia drove the mule into the courtyard and left with Ji Xiang. Li Yu tied the mule and ced the mule in the kitchen. He said to Madam Qian and Li Mei, who were choosing vegetables, ¡°Aunt Qian, we encountered locusts before the drought passed. At this rate, we can only migrate.¡±


    Li Mei looked at Li Yu¡¯s confused expression. ¡°Yu¡¯er, it¡¯s the same everywhere! Where can we escape to?¡±


    Li Yu looked at Li Mei. ¡°It¡¯s not safe here either. After a while, everyone will have finished their water and food. Think about it. When there¡¯s no more food and water, only our family will have food. The world is so big. There will always be ces where we won¡¯t suffer.¡±


    Li Mei shuddered when she heard that. She nodded and said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go back and pack.¡±


    After Li Mei left, Madam Qian faced Li Yu and knelt down with a bang. Li Yu hurriedly helped her up. ¡°Auntie Qian, what are you doing?¡±


    Madam Qian begged Li Yu with tears in her eyes, ¡°Xiaoyu, I won¡¯t burden you and Mr. Zhou anymore. I only beg you to take Xiao An away and let him flee for his life. I¡¯ll repay your kindness in my next life.¡±


    Li Yu did not know whether tough or cry. ¡°Auntie Qian, you knelt down before I could finish speaking. I wanted to ask if you were willing to leave with us.¡±


    ¡°Xiaoyu.¡± Madam Qian was so grateful that she couldn¡¯t say anything. She just kept nodding.


    ¡°Then hurry home and pack your things.¡± Li Yu looked at Madam Qian and smiled.


    Madam Qian hurriedly went home to pack her things. Li Qing ran home and panted heavily. He said to Li Yu, ¡°Sister, Sir said that we¡¯re going to migrate. I came back to help pack.¡±


    Li Yu thought to herself, I wonder what we¡¯ll encounter along the way. I might as well let him kill those chickens to train his courage.


    ¡°Alright, then I¡¯ll give you a mission. Kill those chickens and wait for me toe back to deal with them.¡± Li Yu looked at Li Qing. ¡°Do you dare to kill them?¡±


    Li Qing did not expect Li Yu to give him such a mission. After hesitating for a moment, he nodded and said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll kill them.¡±


    Li Yu went out and walked towards the vige. The vigers also gathered together to discuss how to face the problem in front of them.


    When Li Yu walked to the entrance of the vige chief¡¯s house, an old man walked up to Li Yu trembling. He looked at Li Yu and hesitated for a moment before saying, ¡°Xiaoyu, your family just bought food. Can you sell a few stones to my family?¡±


    When Li Yu saw that the old man was wearing patched white clothes, she smiled and nodded. ¡°Sure. Wait for me for a while. I¡¯ll go to the vige chief¡¯s house to talk about something before calling you back.¡±


    The old man didn¡¯t expect Li Yu to be so easy to talk to. He bowed happily. ¡°Thank you, thank you! I¡¯ll wait for you here.¡±


    Madam Li walked to the door when she heard that. When she saw Li Yu, she asked with a frown, ¡°Xiaoyu, what are your ns?¡±


    Li Yu and Madam Li walked over and saw locusts crawling everywhere in the courtyard. They had goosebumps.


    Li Yu asked Madam Li, ¡°Auntie Li, what do you and Uncle think?¡±


    Madam Li looked at Li Yu with a worried expression. ¡°We don¡¯t know what to do either! What do you and Mr. Zhou n to do?¡±


    ¡°We n to leave the next day. I want to sell some of my grain at the market price before the year to those families who are short of grain.¡±


    The vige chief stood at the door of the central room. When he heard Li Yu say that she wanted to sell some food at the market price, he thought that he had heard wrongly. He hurriedly asked, ¡°Xiaoyu, are you really going to sell food at the market price before the new year?¡±


    Li Yu looked at the vige chief and smiled. ¡°Yes, Grandpa Vige Chief. Mr. Zhou and I n to leave the next day. My family just got so much food. I n to keep 20 stones of wheat to take away. The rest will be sold to the families who are short of food at the market price before the new year. I want to ask you to help me, in case I¡¯m wrong.¡±


    The vige chief nodded and sighed. ¡°Xiaoyu! Grandpa has lived for so long, but he¡¯s not as magnanimous as you. I know which families in the vige are having a hard time. I¡¯ll ring the gong and call someone over.¡±


    Chen Yaohui hurriedly stopped the vige chief. ¡°Father, you should make a trip quietly! Otherwise, it¡¯ll be difficult for me.¡±


    ¡°Why would it be difficult? Xiaoyu is doing a good deed.¡± The vige chief was stunned for a moment before understanding. ¡°Yes, I was confused. I¡¯ll make a trip. You guys go to Xiaoyu¡¯s house to help.¡±


    The vige chief called someone over. Chen Yaohui and his brother asked Li Yu, ¡°Xiaoyu, are you leaving with Mr. Zhou?¡±


    Li Yu nodded. ¡°Uncle, tell the families in the vige that if they decide to leave, they can leave with us. Everyone will havepany on the way.¡±


    Madam Li looked at Li Yu and cried. ¡°Where are we going? We¡¯ve only been to Green Mountain City four or five times in our lives.¡±


    Li Yu nced at Madam Li, turned around, and pointed at the world outside. She said loudly, ¡°Auntie Li, the world is huge. As long as everyone works together, are you afraid that we won¡¯t have a ce to stay?¡±


    Everyone looked at Li Yu¡¯s determined and calm expression. For some reason, they didn¡¯t feel so terrified and uneasy anymore.

 Chapter 63

    63 Night Attack


    Chen Yaohui and his brother looked at each other and made up their minds to follow Li Yu and the others.


    The two of them confirmed their gazes and nodded at Li Yu. ¡°Xiaoyu, let¡¯s go to your house first and help weigh the food.¡±


    ¡°Alright, sorry to trouble you.¡± Li Yu and Chen Yaohui went out and saw the old man still standing at the door. Chen Yaohui looked at him and went forward to support him. ¡°Uncle, why are you standing at the door? Aren¡¯t you going in?¡±


    Uncle looked at Chen Yaohui and smiled bitterly. ¡°I wanted to go to Xiaoyu¡¯s house to buy some food. Just as I reached your door, I met Xiaoyu.¡±


    Li Yu didn¡¯t know how to address him for a moment. She took a step forward. ¡°Old man, let¡¯s go! Let¡¯s go to my house to weigh the grains.¡±


    Chen Yaohui helped the old man towards Li Yu¡¯s house.


    When he arrived at Li Yu¡¯s courtyard, he saw that there were already seven to eight vigers standing at the door with baskets and sacks.


    When everyone saw Li Yu, they bowed to her gratefully. ¡°Xiaoyu, thank you for selling food to us. Thank you.¡±


    Li Yu hurriedly bowed in return. ¡°Uncle, Auntie, my family happened to have bought more food. We¡¯ll sell some to everyone at the market price before the new year so that we can tide over the crisis together.¡±


    Uncle nodded and pointed at Li Yu gratefully. ¡°Xiaoyu really saved our lives! The market price before the new year is several times lower than the current price.¡±


    Li Yu was not used to hearing praise. She hurriedly opened the courtyard door and walked in. However, she saw that the courtyard was a mess. Li Qing was chasing a rooster with blood flowing from its neck with a kitchen knife.


    When Li Qing saw Li Yu enter, he shouted crazily, ¡°Sister, why is it still running around after I cut it?¡±


    Li Yu looked at the depressed Li Qing. ¡°You didn¡¯t cut in the right ce.¡±


    Chen Yaohui ran over and grabbed the rooster to check. ¡°Ah Qing, you can¡¯t even cut the chicken¡¯s trachea.¡±


    Chen Yaohui helped Li Qing kill the chicken and taught him how to kill it. Li Yu and Chen Yaozu came out with the grain bags.


    Li Yu pointed at the sack and said to everyone, ¡°I¡¯ll leave 20 stones. The families can buy four stones worth of the other type of wheat.¡±


    The vige chief said to Li Yu, ¡°Xiaoyu, there are a total of 16 families in the vige who don¡¯t have food. Sell the remaining wheat to the few families with more people!¡±


    Li Yu nodded. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll weigh the grains for everyone now.¡±


    The first family to leave paid the money. Only when everyone saw that they only paid 2,800 copper coins did they believe that Li Yu was indeed selling grain at the market price before the new year. They all bowed gratefully to Li Yu.


    The news that Li Yu had sold more than 80 stones of wheat at the market price before the new year spread throughout West Mountain Vige that night. Some people said that Li Yu was stupid, while others said that Li Yu was kind and would be rewarded.


    Li Yu didn¡¯t care about what everyone said. She stayed at home and prepared the things she needed on the way.


    That night, Li Mei and Liu Changmin returned to Li Yu¡¯s house. The couple helped grind the flour and sift it.


    Li Yu stir-fried the flour she had sifted out into oil tea noodles. The wheat straw was mixed with flour and fermented before being roasted into charcoal to make coarse grain pancakes.


    She boiled the cabbage and radish in salt water and ced them in a jar to make pickled vegetables.


    The vigers did not even dare to open the doors and windows. They had to do everything behind closed doors. The moment they opened the door, locusts flew into the house when they saw the light in the house, filling their food with feces.


    The heads of more than a dozen families were sitting in the patriarch¡¯s house. Everyone looked at the patriarch and vige chief. ¡°Patriarch, vige chief, do you think we should stay or leave?¡±


    The vige chief looked at them with a frown. ¡°The water in the river is about to dry up. I¡¯m afraid we won¡¯t even be able to see a green leaf when we go out tomorrow morning.¡± The vige chief sighed. ¡°We¡¯ll die if we stay behind in the drought. If we follow Xiaoyu and Young Master Zhou, we might be able to survive.¡±


    The chief kept sighing. ¡°That¡¯s right! Our old bones have lived enough. It doesn¡¯t matter if we die, but the children can¡¯t wait for death here with us! Let¡¯s go! Let¡¯s go out and run for our lives.¡±


    In the end, the vige chief, the chief, and more than ten other families decided to leave with Li Yu and the others. After agreeing, everyone took their torches and went home to pack.


    When the vige was quiet, more than a dozen men in ck masks walked in from the pass and headed towards the Xu family at the east end of the vige. Soon, the sound of fighting and crying for help came from the Xu family.


    Someone from the Xu family rang the gong and shouted miserably, ¡°The bandits are here! The bandits are here! Everyone,e and help...¡±


    After two bangs, the sounds stopped. The nearby vigers all got up and hid behind the window. They looked in the direction of the Xu family in fear. No one dared to help.


    Zhou Jia, Ji Xiang, and Ruyi carried arrow jars on their backs and stood behind the door with oilmps. Zhou Jia was worried about Li Yu¡¯s safety and instructed Ji Xiang, ¡°Ji Xiang, go out the back door and quickly rush to Ah Qing¡¯s house to take a look. They probably can¡¯t hear anything at the end of the vige.¡±


    ¡°Young Master, you should go and hide first!¡± Ji Xiang looked at Zhou Jia and refused to leave. ¡°Young Madam is skilled. She¡¯ll be fine. Those bandits must be here to rob the Xu family and our family.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Ji Xiang and shouted in a low voice, ¡°Just go.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Young Master.¡± Ji Xiang hurriedly turned around and left. Zhou Jia looked at Ruyi and said, ¡°Go hide on the parapet. As long as someone you don¡¯t know breaks in, shoot them to death.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Young Master.¡± Ruyi jumped onto the parapet in a few strides. Zhou Jia took the bow and hid behind the wall to look at the crescent moon in the sky. He was worried about Li Yu¡¯s safety.


    Ji Xiang rushed to Li Yu¡¯s house and climbed over the wall. Just as he entered the courtyard, he heard Li Yu ask, ¡°Who is barging into my house in the middle of the night?¡±


    Ji Xiang walked to the door of the central room and whispered, ¡°Miss Li, it¡¯s me, Ji Xiang.¡±


    Li Yu opened the door of the central room with the oilmp and asked Ji Xiang strangely, ¡°Why are you here? Did something happen?¡±


    ¡°The Xu family has been attacked by the mountain bandits. Young Master was worried and asked me to take a look.¡±


    ¡°The Xu family is attacked by bandits?¡± Li Yu was worried about Zhou Jia. ¡°Hurry up and go back. I¡¯m fine.¡±


    When Ji Xiang heard this, he felt as if he had been pardoned. He turned around and walked out. Li Yu remembered that she had not given the sleeve arrow to Zhou Jia and hurriedly called out to Ji Xiang, ¡°Wait, I have something for you.¡±


    Li Yu handed the sleeve arrow to Ji Xiang and said, ¡°Get Young Master to tie it to his arm. He can kill enemies within 30 steps of flicking the butterfly feature.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll leave now.¡±


    Ji Xiang held the sleeve arrow and ignored his surprise. He opened the courtyard door and ran towards the Zhou family.


    Li Yu closed the courtyard door and turned around to return to her room. Shey on the bed and listened quietly to themotion outside.


    Ji Xiang flew back to the Zhou family¡¯s back door like an arrow and knocked lightly. ¡°Uncle Zhou, open the door.¡±


    Uncle Zhou opened the door halfway and shed in. He smiled at Uncle Zhou and said, ¡°Young Madam is very alert. She knew as soon as I entered the courtyard.¡±


    Uncle Zhou smiled proudly. ¡°Of course. Don¡¯t you know whose wife that is?¡±


    Ji Xiang ran to the front yard. Zhou Jia came out from behind the photo wall and reprimanded him in a low voice, ¡°Why are you back again? I don¡¯t think you listen to me anymore!¡±


    ¡°Miss Li asked me toe back,¡± Ji Xiang exined aggrievedly and hurriedly handed the sleeve arrow to Zhou Jia. ¡°Miss Li even asked me to send this to you.¡±


    Zhou Jia took the sleeve arrow and looked at it several times. He looked at Ji Xiang in surprise. ¡°Where did she get it?¡±


    ...


    Ji Xiang pouted. ¡°I don¡¯t know either. Miss Li stopped me after I left. She gave me the sleeve arrow and even taught me how to use it.¡± Ji Xiang taught Zhou Jia how to use it and helped Zhou Jia tie the sleeve arrow to his arm.

 Chapter 64

    64 Mountain Bandits


    Zhou Jia stroked the sleeve arrow on his arm and was about to ask again when Ruyi warned him softly, ¡°Young Master, someone ising.¡±


    Ji Xiang hurriedly picked up his bow and arrow and scurried to the parapet. He looked at the ck-robed people walking towards the Zhou family residence and pricked up his ears to listen for approaching footsteps. ¡°There are more than ten people. The footsteps are heavy. There shouldn¡¯t be much effort.¡±


    The few people who came over were the bandits. They had just robbed the Xu family and were preparing toe to the Zhou family again.


    Ruyi and Ji Xiang raised their bows and aimed at the two bandits in range. With two swooshes, the arrows tore through the air and hit the two bandits with two dull thuds. The bandits fell to the ground after being shot.


    When the other bandits saw the two people in front of them fall to the ground, they hurriedly hid in the dark and shouted at the people behind, ¡°Second-in-charge, what should we do? This ce has bows and arrows.¡±


    The second-in-charge looked at the Zhou family and snorted. ¡°Looks like this family is prepared. It¡¯s almost dawn. We don¡¯t have enough people today. Let¡¯s go back and bring more people.¡±


    The bandits looked resentfully at the Zhou family mansion not far away. They dragged the two people who had fallen to the ground and left unwillingly.


    Ruyi and Ji Xiang leaned against the wall and watched them walk away quickly. Ji Xiang jumped down from the wall. ¡°Young Master, they¡¯re gone.¡±


    Zhou Jia listened to themotion outside for a while, but he was still worried. ¡°Go to the Li family and report to Miss Li that we¡¯re safe. Let her rest assured.¡±


    As Ji Xiang ran, heined in his heart that his Young Master was still so formal with how he addressed Miss Li at this time.


    As Li Yuy on the bed, her face revealed worry. The bandits came to rob overnight after the locusts decimated the fields. It seemed that everyone had underestimated the severity of the drought this time.


    If the drought and locust gue continued, it might cause an even greater disaster. It seemed that the escape route this time would not be too smooth.


    Just as Ji Xiang entered the courtyard, Li Yu got up and opened the door of the central room. Ji Xiang went forward and whispered, ¡°Miss Li, the bandits have already left. Young Master said to let you know so you can rest well.¡±


    Li Yu nodded and said, ¡°Alright. Ask him to rest well too.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Ji Xiang bowed and opened the courtyard door to leave. Li Yu went over to close the courtyard door andy down in the house before falling asleep.


    At dawn, a group of people opened the Xu family¡¯s courtyard door and walked out of the vige with their bags dejectedly.


    The vigers looked at them from afar and discussed. ¡°I don¡¯t think anything happened to the family. Looks like they handed over their belongings. Otherwise, these bandits wouldn¡¯t have let them off so easily.¡±


    Someone retorted angrily, ¡°Pfft, what nonsense are you talking about? There¡¯s a drought and locusts. Without food and silver, will the Xu family still be able to survive?¡±


    An old man with white hair sighed. ¡°There are still three catties of nails left in a rotten boat. No matter what, the Xu family is better off than us. Go back! Pack up, pack up, and escape with your wife and children while you still have the strength to find a way out.¡±


    The vigers who lived near the Xu family still had lingering fears about what had happenedst night. They all gathered at the entrance of the vige chief¡¯s house. Everyone looked at the bare bamboo poles in the bamboo forest and the locusts flying back and forth and sighed.


    ¡°I still wanted to stay at home and survive this drought, but even the Xu family was robbedst night. No one in the East Vige helped. Looks like the vige isn¡¯t peaceful either!¡±


    An old man looked at him and smiled bitterly. ¡°You¡¯re young and haven¡¯t experienced it before. As long as there¡¯s a disaster, we¡¯ll be the ones to die. Before your body is exhausted, escape if you can!¡±


    A man with a face full of resentment punched the wall of the vige chief¡¯s house. ¡°Sigh! God, he¡¯s not giving us a way out! We¡¯ve eaten everything and there¡¯s less and less water. Everyone can only wait to die of thirst and hunger.¡±


    The older one stood up shakily. ¡°If you¡¯re strong, escape with your wife and children! If I can¡¯t walk anymore, I won¡¯t leave. The sooner I die, the sooner I can reincarnate.¡±


    The vige chief stood behind the courtyard door and listened to everyone sigh. He frowned and hesitated for a moment before opening the courtyard door. He said to the viger squatting at the door, ¡°The Xu family was robbedst night. Those who want to leave, hurry up and go home to prepare. We¡¯ll meet at the vige entrance tomorrow at midnight. We¡¯ll set off when it¡¯s time.¡±


    When everyone heard the vige chief¡¯s words, they all stood up. ¡°Got it. Then we¡¯ll go back and prepare.¡±


    Everyone split up and ran home. The vige was in an uproar as everyone ughtered their pigs and chickens.


    After the robbery of the Xu familyst night, Li Mei¡¯s family was even more determined to escape with Li Yu.


    Liu Changmin stood in the courtyard and looked at the newly renovated house reluctantly. He sighed and slowly ced the packed luggage on the ox cart.


    Zhaodi and Laidi came out of the room with the bedding. Zhaodi looked at Li Mei, who was sitting nkly on a chair at the table in the central room. ¡°Mother, let¡¯s go! Let¡¯s go to Cousin¡¯s house first.¡±


    Li Mei looked at the tables and chairs in the house reluctantly. Her tears fell as she choked and said, ¡°Sigh! It wasn¡¯t easy for me to have my own home. Boohoo... I¡¯ve only had a few stable days, but I¡¯m going to have to escape again.¡±


    The sisters looked at Li Mei and their eyes turned red. They went forward and grabbed Li Mei¡¯s hand. ¡°Mother, let¡¯s go! Grandmother will be hereter.¡±


    Li Mei wiped her tears and picked up the clothes on the table. She said firmly, ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    The family left the courtyard. Liu Changmin locked the door and drove the ox cart towards Li Yu¡¯s house without looking back.


    Li Yu woke up and realized that the sun was high. When she went out, she saw Li Mei and Li Qing packing dried grass into sacks.


    Li Qing looked up and saw Li Yuing out. He said with concern, ¡°Sister, the food is warm in the pot. Hurry up and eat.¡±


    Li Mei looked at Li Yu worriedly. ¡°Yu¡¯er,st night, the Xu family was robbed. I¡¯m afraid more people are escaping today.¡±


    Li Yu nodded. ¡°Ji Xiang came to tell mest night.¡±


    Li Yu recalled that Zhou Jia felt that his family was also the target of the robbers. She thought that it would be safer for them to live here together.


    ¡°Ah Qing, go to the Zhou family and ask them to bring everything over. Everyone can stay together and take care of one another.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Li Qing put down the sack and left.


    Li Yu returned to the house to take out the water bag and handed it to Li Mei. ¡°Aunt, put some mint leaves in the water and boil them before putting them into the water bag.¡±


    Zhaodi walked in with a pair of shoes and handed them to Li Yu. ¡°Cousin, take a look. I sewed ayer of leather on the soles and the top of the shoes. This way, you won¡¯t have to worry about the soles being easily worn through.¡±


    Li Yu took it and looked at it. She raised her thumb and praised, ¡°Zhaodi is so smart and your needlework is also good. This way, I¡¯m not afraid that my shoes will wear out quickly.¡±


    Zhaodi smiled happily and said to Li Yu excitedly, ¡°Then Laidi and I will sew a few more pairs.¡±


    Li Mei looked at Zhaodi and nodded in relief. ¡°Go! If you sew a few more pairs, who knows how long we¡¯ll be gone!¡±


    Butcher He brought Xiaoyu to Li Yu¡¯s house. Xiaoyu looked at the worried Butcher He and said, ¡°Father, are Sister Xiaoyu and the others really going to migrate?¡±


    Butcher He pointed at the locusts in the field. ¡°If we don¡¯t flee, are we going to stay here and wait for death? ording to the situation, we won¡¯t be able to recover for three to five years.¡±


    When the father and daughter arrived at Li Yu¡¯s house, Butcher He smiled and said to Li Yu, ¡°Xiaoyu, Uncle also wants to walk with you. How about that?¡±


    Li Yu smiled and nodded. ¡°Sure! We can take care of one another when we walk together.¡±


    Xiaoyu looked at Li Yu and pouted as sheined, ¡°Sister Xiaoyu, you¡¯re so mean. You didn¡¯t even tell me that you were going to leave.¡±


    Li Yu smiled awkwardly. ¡°Xiaoyu, I¡¯m sorry. I forgot about it.¡±


    Butcher He looked at Xiaoyu. ¡°Stupid girl! Do you think your Sister Xiaoyu is as free as you?! Let¡¯s go! Let¡¯s go back and pack our things.¡±


    ...


    ¡°Alright, Uncle He. Let¡¯s meet at the vige entrance tomorrow at midnight.¡±


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s meet at the vige entrance at midnight.¡± Butcher He pulled Xiaoyu back to prepare.

 Chapter 65

    65 Departure


    Uncle Zhou took Ji Xiang, Ruyi, and Zhao Cai and hid everything that they could not take with them in the cer. After covering the cer, he carried the food and water to the cart and tied them up before covering them with an oilcloth.


    After Zhou Jia paid his respects to his grandfather and mother in the small ancestral hall, he put his grandfather and mother¡¯s memorial tablets into a wooden box in the carriage. He said to Li Qing, who was waiting there, ¡°Ah Qing, go to the study room. There¡¯s the homework I prepared for you on the desk. Take it with you.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Li Qing agreed and ran toward the study.


    Auntie He came out of the kitchen with a bag of food and ced it in the car. ¡°Young Master, I¡¯ve ced the food in the cart. Remember to take them out to eat!¡±


    Zhou Jia nodded. ¡°Got it. Have you prepared food in your car?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s ready. I¡¯ll go get the water bag.¡± Auntie He turned around and walked towards the kitchen.


    Li Qing came out of the study with a big bag on his back. Uncle Zhou had also packed his luggage. He came over and helped Zhou Jia tidy up. ¡°Young Master, the luggage is ready. Let¡¯s go!¡±


    Zhou Jia nodded and led Li Qing out of the house. Three big green mule carts and an ox cart slowly walked towards Li Yu¡¯s house.


    Li Yu and Liu Changmin carried all the wheat to the car. Li Mei hung the stewed noodles on a bamboo pole in the kitchen. Two braziers were lit under the bamboo poles to bake the noodles.


    A mule cart was loaded with food, bedding, food, and water. The ox cart was filled with grain and fodder.


    Li Yu took out a dagger and handed it to Liu Changmin. ¡°Uncle, this is for you to protect yourself.¡±


    Liu Changmin looked at the dagger for a moment before taking it. Li Yu pointed at his calf and said, ¡°Find a cloth strap and tie the knife sheath to your leg. It¡¯s more convenient to take it out that way.¡±


    Liu Changmin nodded and went to look for cloth with heavy footsteps.


    Zhou Jia and Li Qing brought their people back to the Li family. Li Yu¡¯s courtyard was filled with mule carts. Everyone unloaded the carts and brought the livestock to the backyard to tie them up.


    The two families saw Zhou Jia hold Li Yu¡¯s hand before taking her aside. He rolled up his sleeve and pointed at the sleeve arrow on his arm. He asked Li Yu worriedly, ¡°Xiaoyu, where did you buy this? Do many people know about this?¡±


    Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia. ¡°I bought it from the cksmith in town. I bought a crossbow and three sleeve arrows. A crossbow costs 50 taels of silver, and sleeve arrows cost 30 taels of silver!¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu and heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°I thought you were robbed by a thief! 30 taels would not be expensive. You might not be able to buy such a thing even if you have money.¡±


    Li Yuughed in her heart and pursed her lips. ¡°Sigh! I should have bought two more.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu¡¯s expression and felt that something was wrong. Ji Xiang ran over and said to the two of them, ¡°Young Master, Miss Li, Vige Chief Chen is here.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Li Yu and Zhou Jia returned to the courtyard. Seeing the vige chief standing in front of the mule cart and looking at the oilcloth covering the carriage, Li Yu walked forward. ¡°Grandpa Vige Chief, why are you looking for me?¡±


    The vige chief looked at Li Yu and Zhou Jia and smiled awkwardly. ¡°Mr. Zhou, Xiaoyu, we originally agreed that 15 families would leave together. More families came today. There are nearly 30 families now. I¡¯m just here to tell you.¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled faintly. ¡°Vige Chief Chen, it¡¯s fine. We¡¯re all vigers. We can take care of each other when we leave together.¡±


    The vige chief heaved a sigh of relief when they heard that. He smiled at the two of them and said, ¡°That¡¯s good. Everyone, be more vignt when you sleep at night. I¡¯m afraid these bandits wille again.¡±


    Zhou Jia thought for a moment. ¡°Vige Chief Chen, I think they might being for my family and the Xu family. However, I think you should tell the vigers just in case. It¡¯s best if you gather everyone tonight and leave together tomorrow morning.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go back and talk to everyone. I¡¯ll let them all stay in the ancestral hall.¡±


    Li Yu and Zhou Jia sent the vige chief away. Li Mei and Auntie He prepared the food. Everyone closed the door and ate in the kitchen. Li Yu returned to the house and took out the tent for Ji Xiang and the others. Everyone split up to rest. Ji Xiang, Ruyi, and Zhao Cai were on night duty. The night was calm.


    When it was almost dawn, Li Mei and Auntie He got up to cook. Ji Xiang and the others heaved a sigh of relief andy down to rest for a while.


    After everyone got up and ate, Li Mei and Auntie He carried a basket of biscuits into the carriage. Li Yu and Ji Xiang moved the carriage out of the house. Li Qing held Li Yu¡¯s hand and the siblings looked at the small courtyard they had lived in for more than half a year reluctantly. They climbed into the mule cart and drove towards the vige entrance.


    The vige chief sat on the ox cart with food and water. Beside him sat his two little grandchildren. Madam Liu and Baozhen stood beside the cart with dark expressions as they looked at the two children on it.


    Chen Yaohui and Chen Yaozu had a wheelbarrow in front of their feet. Madam Li and Madam Ma were carrying some luggage on their backs.


    The vige entrance was already filled with people. Everyone had their belongings by their feet. When they saw Li Yu and the othersing out, they all stood up and wrapped the rope on the cart around their shoulders. They picked up the burden and prepared to set off.


    Seeing Li Yu and the others¡¯ carriage walk to the front, Chen Baozhen muttered unhappily, ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why are you putting on such airs and making an entire vige wait here?¡±


    When He Xiaoyu, who was standing at the side, heard this, she sneered. ¡°Sigh! Nothing goodes out of a dog¡¯s mouth.¡±


    Chen Baozhen pointed at He Xiaoyu angrily. ¡°Who are you calling a dog?¡±


    He Xiaoyu looked at her from the corner of her eye. ¡°Whoever responded.¡±


    Chen Baozhen raised her hand to hit He Xiaoyu, but Madam Liu grabbed her and pinched her. She persuaded her softly, ¡°Little ancestor, be obedient these days. Don¡¯t make your father angry again.¡±


    Chen Baozhen pursed her lips and nced at He Xiaoyu. ¡°I won¡¯t argue with a bootlicker like you.¡±


    He Xiaoyu snorted and curled her lips. ¡°You make it sound like I¡¯m afraid of you.¡±


    The vige chief climbed onto the ox cart and shouted at everyone in a hoarse voice, ¡°Fellow vigers of West Mountain Vige, we¡¯re leaving now!¡±


    As soon as the vige chief finished speaking, there were cries at the vige entrance. Everyone looked up at the ce where they had lived since they were young.


    The vige chief looked at them and roared, ¡°Stop crying. The heavens don¡¯t want us to live here. We can¡¯t just wait for death! Let¡¯s go out and make a living for the children.¡±


    Tears streamed down the adults¡¯ faces as they led their children out of the vige with their luggage.


    Suddenly, a cry sounded from the back of the team. ¡°You heartless bitch. You tricked my son into not even acknowledging his mother. You n to leave me behind. You¡¯ll be struck by lightning!...¡±


    Someone looked and said, ¡°Isn¡¯t this Li Mei¡¯s mother-inw? If she wants to leave, let¡¯s leave together! Why are you crying?¡±


    ¡°Look, Brother Liu Changmin and the others are following behind!¡±


    Li Mei sat on the edge of the carriage and looked at Old Madam Liu, who was making a scene behind her. She looked at Liu Changmin coldly. ¡°Go and take care of your mother yourself.¡±


    Old Madam Liu had already caught up to the ox cart. She pulled the ox rope and shouted angrily at Liu Changmin, ¡°Are you going to ignore me and your brother?¡±


    Liu Changmin looked at Old Madam Liu with an angry expression. ¡°Mother, I went to ask you two the day before yesterday if you wanted to leave. You, Second Brother, and Third Brother chased me out. You¡¯re only thinking of asking me now. Why didn¡¯t you do it earlier?¡±


    Old Madam Liu grabbed the ox rope and red at Li Mei¡¯s family. ¡°We¡¯re leaving now. Give the ox cart to Bao¡¯er and the others.¡±


    Liu Changmin jumped off the ox cart and begged Old Madam Liu, ¡°Mother! Can you be more reasonable? The ox cart belongs to Xiaoyu¡¯s family. There¡¯s food on it. Where would you put them?¡±


    Old Madam Liu twisted her body unreasonably. ¡°Then I don¡¯t care. It¡¯s unfilial of you not to give it. I¡¯m going to the government office to sue you.¡±


    Li Yu watched from the front for a while. Seeing that Liu Changmin had no choice, she gave the reins to Zhou Jia and jumped out of the car. She walked up to Liu Changmin. ¡°Uncle, I think you should stay and be filial! The ox cart belongs to my family. Don¡¯t dy our journey.¡±


    Liu Changmin looked at Li Yu, then at Li Mei and the two children in the car. He squatted on the ground, hugged his head, and said to Li Yu, ¡°Xiaoyu, the car belongs to your family. Take it away!¡±


    ...


    Li Yu walked up to Old Madam Liu and shouted at her, ¡°Let go of your hand. Otherwise, don¡¯t me me for being rude.¡±


    Seeing that Li Yu was really going to chase Liu Changmin away, Old Madam Liu pointed at Li Mei and Zhaodi and said rudely, ¡°They¡¯re also from my Liu family. They have to follow me.¡±


    Li Yu grabbed Old Madam Liu¡¯s wrist. Old Madam Liu let go of the ox rope in pain. Li Yu had just climbed onto the ox cart when Old Madam Liu rushed over to grab Zhaodi.


    Li Yu pointed at Old Madam Liu with the bull whip. ¡°They¡¯re also from the Li family. See if you dare to move a finger.¡±


    Old Madam Liu nced at Li Yu and was stunned by the aura she emitted. She was stunned for a moment before turning around and pouncing on Liu Changmin to tear him apart. ¡°Useless thing. Go get me the ox cart.¡±


    Liu Changmin slowly stood up and looked at Old Madam Liu with his hair down. He said in a hoarse voice in disappointment, ¡°Mother, are only Second Brother and Third Brother your sons? Why do I feel that I¡¯m not your biological son? Otherwise, why can¡¯t you see the good in me? You disappoint me too much.¡±


    Li Mei jumped out of the ox cart and pulled Liu Changmin along. She looked at Old Madam Liu coldly. ¡°Let¡¯s go. Let her sue.¡±


    Liu Changmin did not even look at Old Madam Liu as he silently followed Li Mei onto the ox cart.


    Old Madam Liu fell to the ground. Seeing that the ox cart was slowly moving forward, she came back to her senses and ran towards the back of the fleeing crowd.


    She ran to the Liu brothers in a panic and looked at Second Brother Liu, who was carrying something on his back. Third Brother said with a bitter expression, ¡°Third Brother, Mother wasn¡¯t able to get the ox cart. Should we go back or leave?¡±


    Third Brother looked at her impatiently. ¡°Hurry up and take the things and leave! You won¡¯t be able to make itter.¡±


    ...


    The party that was fleeing looked at Old Madam Liu and her children with disdain and moved forward.

 Chapter 66

    66 Escape


    When the fleeing party reached the town, they saw that the shops in town were all closed. Along the way, they encountered a few groups of families who had fled with their families. Everyone walked forward with solemn expressions.


    Li Yu sat beside Zhou Jia and looked at the paddy fields along the way that had all be bare. The bare branches and trunks by the roadside were also covered in locusts eating tree bark.


    Li Yu thought about how it was time for the crops to run out. Seeing that the harvest for the entire season was gone and the victims were out of food, she wondered if the Imperial Court would help.


    ¡°Zhou Jia, in this season, there¡¯s no supply. Everyone¡¯s food has been eaten by locusts. Will the Imperial Court distribute relief food?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s difficult. I¡¯m afraid the current Imperial Court doesn¡¯t have the money to help with the disaster.¡± Zhou Jia lowered his voice. ¡°The Imperial Court has been building pces since a few years ago. I¡¯m afraid the Ministry of Revenue won¡¯t be able to fork out the money to help with the disaster.¡±


    ¡°Then what will these victims eat without food?¡± Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia and asked.


    ¡°Would they care about that? They just need to keep their official hats on their heads. You¡¯ll know when we reach Green Mountain City. If I¡¯m not wrong, I¡¯m afraid the city gates are already closed.¡±


    At this moment, the vige chief shouted from behind, ¡°Mr. Zhou, stop and rest for a while. Those walking behind can¡¯t catch up.¡±


    Zhou Jia stopped the mule cart and jumped out. He shouted at Ji Xiang, ¡°Ji Xiang, stop and rest for a while.¡±


    The mule cart slowly stopped by the roadside, and the people behind followed. Liu Changyun¡¯s wife, Madam Ye, poked Liu Changyun and nced at Liu Changmin¡¯s ox cart. Liu Changyun understood.


    Liu Changyun walked to Old Madam Liu, who was sitting by the roadside. He pointed at the two children and looked at Old Madam Liu. ¡°Mother, go and talk to Eldest Brother. Bring Baojin and Baoyin to the carriage to rest for a while.¡±


    Liu Baojin and Liu Baoyin also ran up and pulled Old Madam Liu¡¯s hand toin, ¡°Grandma, go to Uncle and tell him to let me sit on the ox cart!¡±


    Old Madam Liu¡¯s heart ached when she saw her two grandsons sweating profusely. ¡°It¡¯s been hard on my good grandsons! I¡¯ll go tell your uncle now.¡±


    Li Mei watched coldly as Old Madam Liu walked towards Liu Changmin and warned him, ¡°Your mother is here. If you promise her anything, fulfill it yourself. Don¡¯t think about ruining us.¡±


    Liu Changmin looked at Li Mei and her daughters and said firmly, ¡°Ah Mei, don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t be confused.¡±


    Old Madam Liu walked to the ox cart and reprimanded Zhaodi and Lai Di with a cold expression. ¡°Why are you two sitting in the cart? Don¡¯t you have any sense? Hurry up and get down. Let Bao Jin and Bao Yin sit.¡±


    Laidi looked at Old Madam Liu. ¡°Why should we give them seats? This is my cousin¡¯s ox cart.¡±


    ¡°Loser, how dare you talk back.¡± Old Madam Liu raised her hand and pped Laidi.


    Liu Changmin grabbed Old Madam Liu¡¯s hand and looked at her coldly. The respect in his eyes was gone. ¡°Mother, I will discipline my daughter myself. Besides, this cart belongs to Xiaoyu¡¯s family. If Jin Bao and the others want to take the cart, Xiaoyu has to agree.¡±


    Liu Changyun walked over and smiled at Liu Changmin hypocritically. ¡°Big Brother, how can you speak to Mother like this?¡±


    Li Mei looked at the Liu mother and son coldly. Liu Changmin looked at Liu Changyun and said, ¡°I am disobedient and unfilial. It¡¯s fine as long as you¡¯re filial to her.¡±


    Zhaodi and Li Yu walked over with sesame cakes and water bags. When Old Madam Liu saw Li Yu, she pulled Liu Changyun and her grandson and ran off.


    Li Yu handed the water bag to Zhaodi and walked to the vige chief¡¯s car. She said to the vige chief, ¡°Grandpa Vige Chief, we have to walk a little faster. At this speed, I¡¯m afraid we won¡¯t be able to reach Green Mountain City by noon.¡±


    Chen Yaohui looked at the sun in the sky and wiped his sweat. ¡°That¡¯s right! If we¡¯re dyed for two more days on the road, we have to eat and drink more. Let¡¯s hurry up.¡±


    Madam Li looked at Chuanzhou and Chuanzhou and said worriedly, ¡°The children¡¯s feet are hurting from walking too much.¡±


    Li Yu looked at the brothers¡¯ red faces and thought for a moment. ¡°Auntie Li, bring them to Ruyi¡¯s ce in front to take a ride. Everyone can rotate.¡±


    Madam Li patted the two children happily. ¡°Hurry up and thank Sister Xiaoyu.¡±


    After thanking Li Yu, the two children followed Madam Li to Ruyi. Chen Baozhen was about to speak when she saw the vige chief looking at her with a dark expression. She hurriedly shut her mouth and did not dare to make a sound.


    The vige chief shouted again, and the crowd began to move again.


    After walking for another two hours, they were almost at Green Mountain City. Along the way, everyone did not see a single green nt. There were locusts everywhere. The more people flew, the more desperate they felt. They felt that this world had already be a world of locusts.


    After rushing for a while, the fleeing party finally arrived at Green Mountain City before noon.


    Zhou Jia¡¯s guess was right. The gates of Green Mountain City were tightly shut, and the entrance was filled with people who were about to enter the city.


    Li Yu looked at the tightly shut city gates and thought of those ancient dramas on television in her previous life. They portrayed corrupt officials. Whenever a natural disaster happened, they would close the city gates tightly and not care about the lives of themoners. She did not expect to really encounter them.


    Zhou Jia pointed at the official road in the south and said loudly to Ruyi, ¡°There¡¯s no need to enter the city. Let¡¯s take a detour and go to Qi County from the south.¡±


    Ruyi agreed loudly and drove the mule cart towards the official road to the south.


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu and pointed at the road ahead. ¡°There¡¯s a forest in Green Mountain City. Let¡¯s rest there for a while. We have to rush to Chongyun Town today. We can only cross the Cloud Stream Peak tomorrow morning.¡±


    When Li Yu heard Zhou Jia mention Cloud Stream Peak, his tone was especially heavy. She looked at him in confusion. ¡°Zhou Jia, is there a problem with Cloud Stream Peak?¡±


    ¡°That mountain road has a cliff on the left and a deep stream on the right. The road is very narrow. Once the sky turns dark, the mountain road will be surrounded by clouds and mist. It¡¯s impossible to see the road ahead clearly. If we don¡¯t go over early, we¡¯ll be afraid that someone will fall down the mountain stream if we can¡¯t see the road clearly.¡±


    ¡°Oh! I see. That road is so narrow. If a convoyes from the other side, can they avoid it?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that. That path is divided into two. We can pass through it alone in a day. If we can reach Chongyun Town tonight, we can go up the mountain tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll talk to the vige chief and get everyone to hurry or we¡¯ll be dyed for a day.¡±


    Li Yu handed the reins to Zhou Jia and jumped out of the car. She walked to the vige chief¡¯s ox cart and told him about the road situation. When the vige chief heard this, he nodded repeatedly. ¡°We have to hurry. Every day we dy means another day of expenses.¡±


    ¡°Grandpa Vige Chief, make it clear to everyone. I¡¯m going back to steer the cart.¡±


    The vige chief shouted at the top of his lungs and told the people behind him about the road situation. He shouted to everyone, ¡°Everyone, hurry up and rest after crossing the mountain tomorrow.¡±


    The vigers were all sweating profusely, especially the children who were following behind their parents. The older ones were holding the younger ones¡¯ hands with tears in their eyes as they. staggered forward.


    Li Yu returned to the car and sped up. An hourter, they arrived at the forest Zhou Jia had mentioned.


    The forest had be bare. There was not even a de of grass left on the ground.

 Chapter 67

    67 Difficulty


    Ruyi and Ji Xiang were the first to rush to the forest. They had already unloaded the mule cart and were waiting there. When they saw Li Yu and the others, they hurriedly went up to help unload the cart and took out grass to feed the livestock.


    Ruyi said to Zhou Jia, ¡°Young Master, I remember that there¡¯s a ditch in the forest. I¡¯ll go see if there¡¯s still water. I¡¯ll get some to feed the livestock.¡±


    Zhou Jia took a look and felt that there should be no more water in his heart. He waved his hand reluctantly. ¡°Go! Zhao Cai, go with Ruyi.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Zhao Cai carried the bucket and Ruyi towards the ditch. When the two of them reached the ditch, they were stunned. Zhao Cai sighed and saw that the dry ditch was filled with rotten fish and dead prawns.


    Auntie He took out a small red y stove and carried a teapot out of the wooden barrel. She poured some water into the pot and prepared to boil it for noodles. Li Qing and Xiao An carried a bundle of branches that they had picked up and helped Auntie He light the fire.


    When the water boiled, Li Yu took out the noodles and put them into the pot. Auntie He looked at the noodles in Li Yu¡¯s hand and smiled at Zhou Jia happily. ¡°Young Madam is smart. Young Master, you¡¯ll be lucky in the future.¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled proudly. ¡°If she wasn¡¯t, would I have chosen her?¡±


    Li Qing retorted loudly, ¡°Hmph! My sister was tricked by Sir.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Qing with a sinister smile. ¡°Ah Qing, write ten scripts a day.¡±


    Li Qing looked at Zhou Jia disdainfully. ¡°Sir, return my sister to me. I¡¯ll write twenty small scripts a day.¡±


    Uncle Zhou held his bowl of noodles and watched the two of them bicker. Heughed out loud. ¡°Young Master, to think you even dare to provoke your brother-inw.¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled awkwardly. ¡°I¡¯m his teacher. If he doesn¡¯t listen to me, I¡¯ll hit his hand!¡±


    Li Yu nced at the two childish people and said to Chuan Zhou and Chuan Guo, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you twoing to eat? Why are you standing there?¡±


    Chuan Zhou and Chuan Guo looked at the noodles in Li Yu¡¯s bowl and swallowed their saliva when they smelled the fragrance. They shook their heads and refused with difficulty. ¡°Sister Xiaoyu, Mother said that food is precious. We can¡¯t eat your food.¡±


    Li Yuughed. ¡°Eat! I¡¯ll talk to your mother when sheester.¡± The two children still couldn¡¯t resist the temptation of the food and started eating.


    After a while, Zhao Cai and Ruyi returned with empty buckets. Zhao Cai looked at the empty buckets in frustration. ¡°Young Master, there¡¯s no water in that ditch. It¡¯s filled with rotten fish and dead prawns.¡±


    ¡°Forget it. I expected this. I just didn¡¯t give up. Go eat first!¡±


    At this moment, Li Mei¡¯s family finally arrived. Li Mei looked at Li Yu and her heart palpitated. ¡°Yu¡¯er, I didn¡¯t expect there to be locusts along the way. How do you think such a small thing can fly so far?¡±


    ¡°Aunt, there¡¯s no other way!¡±


    Auntie He looked at Li Mei. ¡°Inw, you must be tired. Have a bowl of noodles first.¡±


    Li Mei sighed at Auntie He. ¡°Sigh! I¡¯ve been watching the locusts along the way. I¡¯m really tired and worried.¡±


    Auntie He smiled andforted her. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. Heaven will always find a way out.¡±


    Everyone arrived one after another and put down their luggage. They sat on the ground and took out dry food and biscuits to eat. After a moment of rest, they continued to travel with heavy footsteps and finally arrived at Chongyun Town before nightfall.


    Along the way, they saw that there was no one in town. Zhou Jia brought everyone straight to the foot of the mountain.


    There was t ground at the foot of the mountain. There were already people sleeping on straw mats and mats.


    The vige chief asked the people of West Mountain Vige to push the carts and barrows around. After packing up, everyone felt so tired that they didn¡¯t even have the energy to eat. They spread the mats on the ground and ced mattresses on them. The children fell asleep with dry food in their hands.


    Li Yu led everyone to set up the tent and found Zhou Jia to arrange for night duty. Zhou Jia shook his head and said, ¡°Feel free to rest. You can leave the night duty to the men!¡±


    Liu Changmin also persuaded Li Yu, ¡°Xiaoyu, go rest. Uncle and Ji Xiang will take turns to keep watch.¡±


    Seeing this, Li Yu could only nod in agreement. She went back into the tent and fell asleep. She only woke up at midnight. Li Yu crawled out of the tent and said to Ruyi, ¡°Ruyi, go rest.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Miss Li.¡± Ruyi bowed and went back to rest.


    Li Yu walked around and saw Chen Yaohui and a man on duty at the other end. There were also two people dressed as merchants carrying bags and walking up the mountain.


    Li Yu stood there and watched the two of them for a while. She couldn¡¯t see any abnormal movements from the two of them, so she went to the ce where the livestock was tied up to investigate. She returned to the fire and watched as the moths and locusts kept pouncing at the fire. They were burning and emitting a burnt scent.


    Li Yu stood there quietly and looked up at the stars in the sky. An inexplicable mncholy surged in her heart.


    Zhou Jia came out of the tent and saw Li Yu standing there quietly. She looked up at the starry sky as if she was alone in the world. Zhou Jia quickly walked forward and held Li Yu¡¯s hand. He asked gently, ¡°Xiaoyu, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Li Yu turned around and looked at Zhou Jia¡¯s worried gaze. She smiled and pointed at the stars in the sky. ¡°Look, the night sky is so beautiful.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll watch it with you.¡± Zhou Jia held Li Yu¡¯s hand and sat down, letting her lean on his shoulder. The two of them snuggled up and sat there quietly, looking up at the bright starry sky.


    The sun had just risen in the sky when the vigers got up and started packing their luggage. After eating some biscuits and dry food, they started on their way. Zhou Jia said to the vigers, ¡°Everyone, don¡¯t be anxiouster. You must walk to the left. Let¡¯s go!¡±


    Everyone agreed loudly before Ruyi led the way and drove the mule cart away. Li Yu followed behind. When they first came up the mountain, the mountain path was rugged but wide, making it easy for everyone to move along. Slowly, the mountain path became narrower and steeper. The livestock stopped and the people on the cart had no choice but to get out of the car and walk in front of the livestock while the others pushed the cart behind.


    Li Yu was strong, so she did not find it difficult to push the mule cart. Ruyi carried the food, and the mule cart stopped moving. The two children, Chuan Zhou, and Chuan Guo, could not help either.


    Zhou Jia followed behind and saw that Ruyi¡¯s mule cart was stopping and about to reverse. Zhou Jia pulled the hoe hard to stabilize the mule and shouted to Li Yu, who was pushing the cart behind, ¡°Xiaoyu, quickly go and help Ruyi.¡±


    When Li Yu heard this, she rushed forward and stopped the retreating mule cart. She pushed the mule cart hard and trudged up the mountain.


    When the vige chief saw that Li Yu and the others¡¯ car was not moving forward, he shouted at the vigers behind, ¡°Hurry up and help push it.¡±


    More than ten families who had bought food from Li Yu¡¯s house looked up and saw them. They hurriedly put down the burden on their shoulders and rushed to the front to help Li Yu and the others push the cart forward.


    When they reached the narrowest point, the mountain path was just wide enough for a mule cart to pass through. On the right was a bottomless gully. The timid vigers carefully walked close to the cliff on the left, not even having the courage to look at the gully.


    Everyone set off at dawn and walked for more than four hours before reaching the top of the mountain. They rested in a rtively t ce and fed the livestock with grass and water. Everyone ate some dry food and rested for a moment before starting to descend the mountain.


    It was difficult to go up the mountain, and the road down was even more difficult. The cart behind was too heavy and the livestock could not stop. The handcart would rush forward and press down on the livestock. Zhou Jia got everyone to tie a rope to the cart and pulled the rope behind to slow the handcart down. They slowly walked down the mountain. When the sun set, everyone finally went down the mountain.


    At the foot of the mountain, Zhou Jia realized that the t ground at the foot of the mountain was already upied by two groups of people. He could only lead everyone towards the forest in front.

 Chapter 68

    68 Danger


    Zhou Jia turned around and saw that everyone was dragging their tired feet weakly. He shouted in front, ¡°Everyone, hold on for a while longer. We can stop and rest when we reach the forest in front.¡±


    The vige chief also roared, ¡°Everyone, cheer up and use more strength. Let¡¯s have a good night¡¯s rest when we get there.¡±


    When the adults and children heard this, they all followed the car forward in one go. After walking for almost two hours, they finally saw a small forest. The mule cart in front stopped and everyone unloaded the car. ording to Li Yu¡¯s instructions, they used arge handcart to circle the cart and the burden in the middle. The people thenid out tents.


    After feeding the livestock with grass and water and arranging everything, Auntie He and Li Mei lit the firewood and started the stove to boil water.


    The children staggered to the ground and could not cry out. Everyone felt a piercing pain in the soles of their feet after using too much strength. Their legs were also sore and weak.


    When Li Yu saw this, she said to the people sitting on the ground, ¡°Everyone, don¡¯t sit still. Use your hands to loosen your calves. Otherwise, you won¡¯t be able to walk tomorrow or the day after. Also, it¡¯s best to heat up a handkerchief and apply it to your feet.¡±


    Someone quickly got up to help his child pat and rub his calf. He patted his own too. Some people did notment and curled up without moving.


    Li Yu didn¡¯t say much. She led Li Qing, Zhaodi, and the others to rx their muscles. She took out the cured meat and hoes and began to cook the rice. Zhou Jia also clumsily helped to scrape the hoe. After being teased by Zhaodi and Laidi, he awkwardly put down the hoe and helped Li Yu burn the fire.


    After Ji Xiang, Ruyi, and the others set up the tent, Li Yu¡¯s cured meat rice was also cooked. Auntie He and Li Mei cooked a pot of pickled vegetable soup. Zhou Jia called the few families who helped over for a meal.


    After everyone finished eating, the vige chief came over and said to Li Yu, ¡°Xiaoyu, we have to split up to keep watch. Everyone is tired. I¡¯ll get Yaohui and Chen Zhong to keep watch for the first half of the night. You guys will take over the second half.¡±


    Li Yu thought for a moment and nodded. ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll guard at midnight. Tell the person on duty not to fall asleep.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of them.¡± The chief shuffled back inside.


    Li Yu brought Laidi to the tent and fell asleep. Chen Yaohui, Chen Zhong, and the three men from the vige sat in front of the fire and were dozing off.


    At midnight, Chen Yaohui suddenly heard the crisp sound of a tree branch being broken. He stood up and shouted, ¡°Who is it?¡± The others also woke up and picked up their machetes to look around. They saw that the forest was dark and there was no movement.


    Chen Zhongughed. ¡°No one! Hui, you¡¯re too nervous!¡±


    Butcher He shook his head. ¡°I also feel that something is wrong. Let¡¯s call Mr. Zhou and Xiaoyu over to take a look!¡±


    Chen Yaohui looked at Chen Zhong. ¡°I clearly heard it. I hope they are not wild beasts! I¡¯ll go wake Xiaoyu and the others up.¡±


    Chen Yaohui walked towards Li Yu¡¯s tent. Li Yu had alreadye out of the tent with a crossbow and a quiver on her back. Chen Yaohui went forward and said to Li Yu, ¡°Xiaoyu, Uncle feels that something is wrong.¡±


    Li Yu nodded. ¡°I heard it.¡± Li Yu pointed at the fire and instructed Chen Yaohui, ¡°Get everyone to heat up the fire. I¡¯ll wake Ruyi and the others up.¡±


    Zhou Jia had alreadye out of the tent with Ji Xiang and Zhao Cai. Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia. ¡°Zhou Jia, go into the tent so that we won¡¯t be distracted.¡±


    ¡°You guys have to be careful too.¡± Zhou Jia shook Li Yu¡¯s hand and returned to the tent.


    Ruyi climbed up a big tree. The dark moonlight shone through the bare tree trunk into the forest. Ruyiy on the tree and saw a faint shadow behind the tree trunk in front of him.


    Ruyi came down from the tree and whispered to Li Yu, ¡°Miss Li, there¡¯s probably someone lying in ambush in front. Seeing that we have more people, they probably want to wait for us to fall asleep beforeing to rob us.¡±


    Li Yu made arrangements in a low voice. ¡°Their goal is the food in the cart. Ji Xiang, go guard the livestock. Zhao Cai, Ruyi, and I will guard the cart.¡±


    When everyone heard this, they silently guarded their posts ording to Li Yu¡¯s arrangements. Li Yu said to Chen Yaohui, Butcher He, and the others, ¡°Uncles, use your machetes to protect our people.¡±


    The bandits hiding behind the tree looked at Li Yu and the others¡¯ camp and saw that the fire had burned even brighter. One of themined softly, ¡°It¡¯s Big Head¡¯s fault for waking them up. If you ask me, Third Master is too careful. It¡¯s just a group of bumpkins. If we had rushed over earlier, we would have dealt with them in less than an hour.¡±


    One of them asked softly, ¡°What do we do, Third-in-charge? Should we go up or retreat?¡±


    The Third-in-charge looked at Li Yu and the others¡¯ camp. ¡°Wait a little longer. There¡¯s no benefit in fighting them head-on. Besides, they¡¯ve been climbing the mountain for a day today. We can save some energy.¡± Everyone could only lie down and look at the fire opposite from afar.


    Li Yu leaned against the tree trunk as if she was asleep. Only those who knew her would know that she was squinting and paying attention to the subtle changes in her surroundings.


    After another hour, the bandits looked at Li Yu and the others. The fire was still burning brightly, but the people had long calmed down and stopped moving.


    The Third-in-charge thought that it was about time. No matter how vignt a person was, they wouldn¡¯t be able to take it after a long day.


    The Third-in-charge raised his hand and more than ten people quickly rushed towards Li Yu¡¯s camp. When the bandits were about ten meters away from the camp, Ruyi jumped up at lightning speed, drew his bow, and shot arrows in one go. After a whoosh, the bandits in front fell. The bandits behind began to retreat and didn¡¯t move forward. The third-in-charge shouted, ¡°Everyone, disperse and attack! They think we¡¯re afraid of a bow!¡±


    Chen Yaohui, Butcher He, and the others widened their eyes and watched as the bandits rushed over. They held the woodcutters in their trembling hands and made a fighting stance.


    The bandits split up and rushed towards the grain cart. Li Yu half-squatted behind a big tree and held the crossbow horizontally. With a few soft sounds, the crossbow bolts tore through the air. In an instant, two bandits clutched their throats and fell. Li Yu moved like lightning behind the tree and coordinated with Ruyi to attack the bandits from both sides.


    Under Li Yu and Ruyi¡¯s attacks, seven or eight bandits fell in the blink of an eye. The Third-in-charge saw that he had lost more than half of his men and hurriedly shouted, ¡°Retreat quickly. They have experts protecting them.¡±


    When the bandits heard this, they hurriedly turned around to flee. Ruyi wanted to chase after them with her bow and arrow. Li Yu shouted at her, ¡°Ruyi,e back. Don¡¯t chase after a cornered enemy.¡±


    Li Yu and Ruyi raised their crossbows and bows and watched the bandits escape before rxing. Chen Yaohui, Butcher He, and the others surrounded Li Yu and Ruyi. Zhou Jia and Uncle Zhou also came out of the tent, followed by Li Mei and Auntie He.


    Li Yu said to Ji Xiang and Zhao Cai, ¡°The two of you, bring Uncle Chen and the others to see if those bandits are dead. Be careful not to be tricked.¡±


    The two of them respectfully took the torches and walked towards the bandits on the ground with Chen Yaohui and the others.


    Zhou Jia said to Auntie He, ¡°Auntie He, pour some hot water for Xiaoyu and Ruyi to wash up.¡±


    Li Mei looked at Li Yu worriedly. ¡°Yu¡¯er, are you hurt anywhere?¡±


    Seeing that Zhou Jia and Li Mei were looking at her worriedly, Li Yu smiled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯re fine. Wash up first before resting.¡± Li Mei went to Li Yu¡¯s tent and took out a handkerchief. She wet it in the basin and wrung it dry before handing it to Li Yu.


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu¡¯s tired appearance and swallowed the words he wanted to say. After Li Yu washed up, he sent her to the entrance of the tent and watched her enter it to rest.

 Chapter 69

    69 Clear Wind Ridge


    After Ji Xiang and Zhao Cai brought Chen Yaohui to check on the bandits, they did not find any survivors. After the two of them removed the arrows from the bandits, Ji Xiang went to ask Zhou Jia, ¡°Young Master, what about those corpses?¡±


    When Zhou Jia heard this, he instructed coldly with disgust, ¡°Drag them to a pit and throw them in.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Ji Xiang led Chen Yaohui and the others to a pit at the end of the forest and threw the bandits down.


    The two of them went back and reported to Zhou Jia, ¡°Young Master, Miss Li¡¯s archery is too urate. She shot the bandits in the throat and killed them with an arrow.¡±


    Zhou Jia took the short arrow. ¡°I understand. Uncle Zhou and I will be on duty. You guys go and rest!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Young Master.¡± Ji Xiang and Zhao Cai bowed and returned to the tent to rest.


    Zhou Jia looked at the short arrow in his hand and thought to himself, Where did Xiaoyu¡¯s skillse from? Did she really have a fortuitous encounter?


    After Chen Yaohui returned, he called the vige chief to the side and whispered, ¡°Father, Xiaoyu¡¯s kung fu is so good that we can¡¯t even see it clearly, but those robbers were all shot in the throat. I remember that Brother Li Shan¡¯s kung fu isn¡¯t that good!¡±


    ¡°Silly fellow, everyone is like you! You¡¯re like a single-minded person.¡± The vige chief smiled and patted Chen Yaohui¡¯s shoulder, feeling much more relieved. ¡°Those people with some skills won¡¯t reveal everything to you unless their lives are at stake!¡±


    When Chen Yaohui heard this, he felt that what his father said made sense. He nodded and said, ¡°You¡¯re so knowledgeable. I¡¯ll go back and sleep for a while. I¡¯ll leave this ce to you and my brother.¡±


    The vige chief patted him. ¡°Go! You can sleep for more than two hours.¡±


    The vige chief nodded as he thought about Chen Yaohui¡¯s words. Xiaoyu and Mr. Zhou were both capable. There was nothing wrong with following them.


    The vige chief walked around the camp and saw Zhou Jia guarding Li Yu¡¯s tent. He nodded to himself. Yes! Xiaoyu¡¯s eyes were sharper than her father¡¯s this time.


    The sky gradually brightened. A thin mist moved through the bare tree trunks. The forest slowly became lively. The children slept the night away and were energetic again. Theyughed and yed in the forest, picking up firewood.


    Auntie He and Li Mei had already prepared the food. The two of them sat there and looked at the children. They smiled and said something.


    Zhou Jia stood under the tree and listened to Li Qing recite his homework. Everything seemed so calm and peaceful as if the killingst night was an illusion.


    When Li Yu woke up, she realized that Laidi had already woken up. She hurriedlybed her hair and tied it up simply. She folded the mattress and started to dismantle the tent.


    Zhou Jia walked up to Li Yu and looked at her worriedly. ¡°Xiaoyu, I think it¡¯s very likely that the bandits fromst night came from Clear Wind Ridge, which is still more than half a day away.¡±


    Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia. ¡°Clear Wind Ridge? Are there bandits there?¡±


    Zhou Jia nodded and said, ¡°I heard that there¡¯s a ck Bear Stronghold there. About two years ago, a person called ck Bear came from somewhere and gathered some people in Clear Wind Ridge to intercept passing merchants. I didn¡¯t expect them to have designs on the refugees. Sigh! It¡¯s my fault for not thinking things through.¡±


    Li Yu was silent for a moment when she heard that. She looked up at Zhou Jia. ¡°Don¡¯t take everything on yourself. Nothing goes smoothly when you¡¯re outside. Zhou Jia, can we take a detour to Qi County from another ce?¡±


    Zhou Jia shook his head. ¡°There¡¯s only one way to Qi County.¡±


    Li Yu pondered for a moment before saying, ¡°It¡¯s easy to handle with only our families, but we brought so many vigers. Let¡¯s discuss with the vige chief and see what they think?¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu and said gently, ¡°You must be hungry! Let¡¯s go eat first before seeing what they think.¡±


    Li Yu nodded. ¡°Alright, there¡¯s no hurry. I¡¯m already hungry. Let¡¯s go eat first.¡±


    Li Mei looked at Li Yu and smiled at Auntie He. ¡°Xiaoyu, you¡¯re up too. Let¡¯s eat!¡±


    Li Qing went forward and held Li Yu¡¯s hand. ¡°Sister, I didn¡¯t even notice that the leaves here had been eaten by the locustsst night. Look, the forest is bare.¡±


    Li Yu looked at the bare tree trunk and frowned. ¡°That¡¯s right! Who would have thought that such a small thing would be so destructive?¡±


    Li Mei shouted, ¡°Xiaoyu, Ah Qing,e and eat so that we can hurry.¡±


    The few of them went over and saw that Li Mei and Auntie He¡¯s pickled vegetables were delicious.


    Li Yu and Zhou Jia went to the vige chief after dinner. Zhou Jia told him the situation and the vige chief stayed for a while. He discussed with Zhou Jia, ¡°Mr. Zhou, I can¡¯t make the decision for everyone. Why don¡¯t we call everyone together to see what they think?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s only right. We have to pass through Clear Water Ridge to go to Qi County. The bandits of the ck Bear Stronghold will definitelye to rob us again. As long as we fight, there will inevitably be casualties. Everyone, think carefully before making a decision.¡±


    The vige chief said worriedly to the two of them, ¡°Mr. Zhou, wait a moment with Xiaoyu. I¡¯ll call them over.¡±


    Chen Yaohui and Madam Li walked over. ¡°Xiaoyu, Mr. Zhou, why aren¡¯t you leaving yet?¡±


    Xiaoyu then told them about the bandits in Clear Water Ridge. Madam Li looked at Li Yu in fear. ¡°Xiaoyu, what should we do? Why don¡¯t we go back?!¡±


    Chen Baozhen was standing at the back. When she heard about bandits, she shouted, ¡°I told you that she was unreliable, but you insisted on believing her. Now, you even have to die here.¡±


    Li Yu looked at Chen Baozhen coldly. ¡°Miss Chen, it¡¯s not toote for you to turn back now.¡±


    Chen Baozhen pointed at Li Yu and flew into a rage out of humiliation. ¡°What kind of attitude is that...¡±


    ¡°Baozhen, it¡¯s not your turn to speak here.¡± Chen Yaohui pulled Chen Baozhen away and red at Madam Li. ¡°Are there no bandits when we go back? Have you forgotten about the Xu family being robbed? After these dogs finish robbing the big families, they¡¯lle and rob us.¡±


    The vige chief brought Butcher He, the patriarch¡¯s son, Chen Zhong, and more than 20 other family heads over.


    Everyone sat there. The vige chief said to them, ¡°I¡¯ve already told you what Mr. Zhou said. Now, everyone is here to discuss ande up with an idea.¡±


    A viger called He Cheng looked at Zhou Jia unhappily. ¡°Mr. Zhou, since there are bandits over there, why didn¡¯t you say so earlier? If you had said so, I wouldn¡¯t havee.¡±


    Zhou Jia nced at him. ¡°Fellow viger, I don¡¯t remember looking for you to escape with me! Besides, we¡¯re not far away. You can turn back.¡±


    He Cheng red at Zhou Jia when he heard that. ¡°What kind of attitude is that? You want to abandon us after you brought us out!¡±


    When Zhou Jia heard this, he thought to himself that he should make things clear as soon as possible. Otherwise, it won¡¯t be safe to bring these people along and cause trouble on the road.

 Chapter 70

    70 Sharpening the Spear


    Zhou Jia walked to the middle of everyone and looked at the 30-odd family heads. ¡°I¡¯ll take this opportunity to make things clear to everyone today. It¡¯s at least three to four months away from the capital. I don¡¯t know what difficulties we¡¯ll encounter in the future and how many robbers we¡¯ll encounter. Some of us might not be around before we reach the capital.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d better think about it now. It¡¯s not toote to turn back. Also, I never said I wanted to bring anyone out to live a good life. Those who want to follow me out to live a good life should perish the thought early.¡±


    He Cheng was about to scold him when the vige chief looked at him and said coldly, ¡°He Cheng, I remember that you and your brothers came to look for me and asked me to talk to Xiaoyu to bring you and your brothers along. We¡¯re going to escape, not enjoy life. I think you brothers should go back early!¡±


    Seeing this, He Cheng stood up, patted his butt, and snorted. ¡°So be it. What¡¯s so great about this?¡± The four brothers of the He family left with the other two families.


    The vige chief looked at the remaining 20-odd families. ¡°Mr. Zhou has made things clear to everyone. We don¡¯t know what kind of situation we¡¯ll encounter on the way. We might not even be able to cross the Clear Wind Ridge. Those who want to leave should leave now!¡±


    The Xu brothers and the other families stood up. ¡°Vige Chief, Mr. Zhou, who knows what will happen when we go out? We can¡¯t me you, but we¡¯re timid. We¡¯ll go back and guard West Mountain Vige. Have a safe trip.¡±


    The vige chief and Zhou Jia looked at them and instructed, ¡°You¡¯ll still have to cross the Cloud Stream Peakter. Be careful.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Vige Chief. We¡¯ll be careful.¡± The Xu brothers and the families also turned around and walked back.


    Liu Changyun saw that Liu Changmin did not even ask about them along the way. Thinking of the big house that Liu Changmin had just repaired, he rolled his eyes and said to Old Madam Liu, ¡°Mother, there are bandits ahead. I don¡¯t think Big Brother is reliable. Let¡¯s go back with those people!¡±


    Old Madam Liu was also afraid that something would happen to her grandsons on the way. She nodded unhappily. ¡°Sigh! We¡¯vee so far for nothing. Let¡¯s go back!¡± The Liu brothers also packed their things and left behind those families.


    Li Yu looked coldly at the families who had left and thought to herself that since she was worried that the people who were going along would not be united, it would be good that they had left.


    The vige chief calcted that more than half of the families had left. Including the seventeen families left behind, it seemed like the party could leave in peace.


    The vige chief asked the heads of the remaining 14 families, ¡°Have you thought about it? Have you decided not to go back?¡±


    Chen Gui said with a smile, ¡°Uncle, you also know that our brothers don¡¯t have fields in the vige. We just nted thend from thendlord¡¯s house. After a year, we can¡¯t even fill our stomachs. If Xiaoyu hadn¡¯t sold the food to us at a low price, we would have starved to death at home. The three of us have decided to follow Xiaoyu and Mr. Zhou. We won¡¯t me anyone if we die.¡±


    ¡°Uncle, we¡¯ll follow Xiaoyu,¡± Chen Gui¡¯s two younger brothers, Chen Jin and Chen Yin, said.


    ¡°We¡¯re not afraid. We¡¯ll follow Xiaoyu.¡± A few vigers who had bought food from Li Yu¡¯s house also stood up and expressed that they wanted to follow Li Yu.


    Butcher He also stood up and smiled brightly. ¡°I¡¯ve also decided to leave with Xiaoyu and Mr. Zhou.¡±


    The vige chief looked at Zhou Jia and Li Yu and said, ¡°Mr. Zhou, Xiaoyu, my family, Chen Zhong¡¯s family, and their 13 families have all decided to leave with you. We¡¯ll leave the matters on the way to fate!¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at the vige chief and said, ¡°Since everyone trusts Xiaoyu and me, we¡¯ll go through thick and thin with everyone.¡±


    Li Yu walked forward and said to everyone, ¡°Mr. Zhou said that the Clear Wind Ridge in front is the ck Bear Stronghold¡¯s territory. As long as we work together, we can break through. Everyone must listen to my orders along the way and not act on your own.¡±


    Chen Yaohui, Butcher He, Chen Zhong, and Chen Gui, who had seen Li Yu and Ruyi¡¯s abilitiesst night, replied loudly without hesitation, ¡°Xiaoyu, don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ll listen to your instructions.¡± The others also agreed.


    Li Yu turned to look at Zhou Jia. ¡°Mr. Zhou, bring the remaining two bows and sabers over.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Zhou Jia nodded and went back to get his weapon.


    Li Yu looked at everyone and said, ¡°Uncles, there are also two bows. If any of you knows how to draw bows and shoot arrows, please volunteer yourselves.¡±


    Chen Yaohui and Chen Gui walked out. Chen Yaohui looked at Li Yu in embarrassment. ¡°Xiaoyu, your father taught me and Chen Gui to hunt and shoot arrows. We know how to use your bow, but our aim is not good.¡±


    ¡°Alright, when Mr. Zhou brings the bow and arrow overter, I¡¯ll teach you and Uncle Chen Gui to practice.¡± Li Yu turned to the vige chief and said, ¡°Grandpa Vige Chief, we won¡¯t leave today. Let¡¯s rest well for a day before leaving tomorrow morning.¡±


    The vige chief nodded in agreement. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll listen to your arrangements.¡±


    Zhou Jia brought Ji Xiang and Ruyi over with two bows and four thin-ded thick-backed machetes. Li Yu pointed at these weapons and said to the others, ¡°Whoever has good arms cane and learn a few moves from Ji Xiang.¡±


    Butcher He stood up and said with a smile, ¡°Xiaoyu, I¡¯ll go and learn a few moves from Brother Ji Xiang, but I¡¯m used to using the butcher knife. Let¡¯s leave the machete to the other brothers!¡±


    Chen Zhong and the other three looked at Li Yu. ¡°Xiaoyu, let us try.¡±


    ¡°Okay, Ji Xiang. Take a few uncles with you.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Ji Xiang led Butcher He and Chen Zhong to the forest.


    Li Yu handed the bow and arrows to Chen Yaohui and Chen Gui and led them to choose a big tree. Li Yu used a dagger to carve an archery target on the tree and drew a ray.


    Li Yu stood on the beam and said to Chen Yaohui and Chen Gui, ¡°Uncle, let me demonstrate first.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Chen Yaohui and Chen Gui stood at the side. Seeing that Li Yu had hit the bullseye with two arrows in a row, they pped and praised, ¡°Xiaoyu, your archery is better than your father¡¯s.¡±


    Li Yu smiled at the two of them. ¡°Uncle, face the target with your left shoulder. Hold the bow in your left hand and stand with your feet wide apart. The weight of your body will fall evenly on your feet. Moreover, lean your body slightly forward and ce the arrow on the arrow tform... Use the force of your left shoulder pushing and your right shoulder pulling to draw the bow...¡±


    Chen Yaohui shot an arrow ording to Li Yu¡¯s method. Although it was a little off target, it was still much better than ordinary beginners. Chen Gui¡¯s aim was several times better than Chen Yaohui¡¯s. Li Yu watched the two of them practice for a while, corrected their posture, and left the them to continue practicing.


    Li Yu returned to the camp and saw that Zhou Jia had already brought people to set up the tents again.


    Li Yu called Li Mei¡¯s family and Li Qing over and said solemnly to them, ¡°Aunt, Cousin, and Ah Qing, we¡¯re going to pass through the Clear Wind Ridge tomorrow. If you encounter bandits, you have to quickly hide and remember not to put on a brave front.¡±


    Li Mei, her daughters, and Li Qing nodded in agreement. Li Yu handed the machete to Liu Changmin and instructed him, ¡°Uncle, I¡¯ll leave Aunt and Ah Qing to you.¡±


    Liu Changmin took the machete and replied solemnly, ¡°Xiaoyu, don¡¯t worry. Uncle will protect them even if I have to risk my life.¡±


    After Li Yu took out the sleeve arrow and taught Li Qing how to use it, she showed him how to tie the sleeve arrow with a leather belt.


    Li Yu said to Li Qing, ¡°Ah Qing, you¡¯re a man of the Li family. I¡¯ll leave Aunt and my two cousins to you and Uncle. Find a ce to practice ording to what I¡¯ve taught you.¡±


    Li Qing looked at Li Yu firmly. ¡°Sister, don¡¯t worry! I¡¯ll practice well.¡±


    Li Mei looked at Li Qing¡¯s determined and serious expression and looked at Li Yu in relief. ¡°Yu¡¯er, don¡¯t worry about us. You have to be careful.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! Cousin, we¡¯ll hide when we see that the situation was bad. You still have to rush ahead. You have to be careful,¡± Zhaodi and Laidi reminded her.


    Li Yu nodded. Li Mei looked at the sisters. ¡°Alright, follow us out and let your cousin rest well.¡±


    The vige chief led the other men to repair the weapons. Everyone was preparing to pass through Clear Wind Ridge tomorrow.

 Chapter 71

    71 Departure


    The Third-in-charge of Clear Wind Ridge fled back to Clear Wind Ridge with the remaining seven or eight bandits in a panic.


    The Second-inmand of the bandits in Clear Wind Ridge, Hu San, had never been on good terms with the third-inmand, Lone Wolf. Seeing that thetter had returned empty-handed with his men and that half of the men were even missing, he looked at them gloatingly.


    The chief, ck Bear, also looked at them curiously. With a livid expression, he asked repeatedly, ¡°Third Brother, where¡¯s Big Head and Dog Feed? Why did youe back empty-handed? Where¡¯s the food you snatched?¡±


    Lone Wolf looked at his boss, who was sitting in an armchair with his chest exposed and looked like a big ck bear. He smiled cautiously and said, ¡°Big Brother, you don¡¯t know that those people have bows and arrows and are protected by two ruthless experts. We were busy for half the night and didn¡¯t even manage to touch anything before half of our men were lost.¡±


    Hu San looked at Lone Wolf and sneered. ¡°Third Brother, didn¡¯t you say that those who came were all refugees? You guaranteed that you will be able to capture them.¡±


    Lone Wolf looked at the sharp-mouthed Hu San and felt bitter. He thought to himself, I was the one who went. I fought for a long time and I¡¯ve already lost so many people. I¡¯ll let him have a taste of kicking an iron te.


    Lone Wolf bent down and apologized to Hu San in a low voice, ¡°Second Brother, I was wrong. I shouldn¡¯t have snatched it from you. If it were youst night, you might have already dealt with those people.¡±


    Hu San snorted. ¡°You don¡¯t have to set me up. Everyone knows what you are up to!¡±


    Seeing that Hu San was pressing him s, Lone Wolf looked at Hu San angrily and sneered, ¡°Why don¡¯t you get a basin of water to take a look at yourself? It¡¯s already an honor to say that you look like a quail.¡±


    Hu San rushed up and punched Lone Wolf. The two of them started fighting.


    Seeing that the two of them were fighting non-stop, ck Bear was so angry that he kicked the table to the ground and shouted, ¡°You still have the strength to fight here? You¡¯re about to run out of food!¡±


    Seeing that ck Bear was angry, the two of them couldn¡¯t care less about attacking each other. They hurriedly pounced in front of the ck Bear. Lone Wolf fawned on the ck Bear and said, ¡°Big Brother, don¡¯t worry. If they are going to Qi County, they won¡¯t be able to escape from our hands.¡±


    Hu San said anxiously, ¡°That¡¯s right! Brother, there¡¯s only one way to Qi County, the Clear Water Ridge. We brothers will work together and guarantee to take them down.¡±


    ck Bear looked at the two of them. ¡°Second Brother, Third Brother, why were you fighting when Big Head and the others came back with the news yesterday?¡±


    The two of them hurriedly patted their chests and promised, ¡°Big Brother, don¡¯t worry. From today onwards, we promise to be on the same side.¡±


    ck Bear looked at the two of them and said earnestly, ¡°If the two of you were as united as you are now, our ck Bear Stronghold would have long be rich.¡±


    Lone Wolf said obsequiously, ¡°Yes, Big Brother is wise. Big Brother is right. Second Brother and I will bring our brothers down the mountain and bring them back to avenge Big Brother and our dead brothers.¡±


    ck Bear looked at Hu San, who was standing silently at the side. ¡°Second Brother, what do you think?¡±


    Hu San cursed Lone Wolf his heart for having thoughts about what little manpower he had.


    Hu San stood up and cupped his fists at the ck bear. ¡°Brother, I¡¯ll listen to you!¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± ck Bear looked at the two of them. ¡°Big Head said that they¡¯re a group of refugees who fled. A group of them brought their families with them. Even if there are two good people inside, I¡¯ll assign a few more people to you. Go to the pass and set up the people. Wait there and kill them when theye.¡±


    Hu San looked at ck Bear and said, ¡°Big Brother, who will lead this operation?¡±


    ck Bear looked at Hu San and said soothingly, ¡°You¡¯re the Second-in-charge. Of course, you¡¯ll lead. Third Brother, you have to listen to Second Brother¡¯s instructions.¡±


    Lone Wolf nced at Hu San and suppressed his displeasure. He cupped his hands and said, ¡°As you wish.¡±


    Hu San and Lone Wolf came out of the cave with peaceful expressions and walked down the mountain with about twenty people.


    Li Yu and a group of vigers rested in the forest for a day. Ruyi and Zhao Cai went hunting and came back with some pheasants and hares. Everyone gathered some food and more than 20 families gathered together to eat happily.


    Hu San and Lone Wolf waited at the pass until it was almost dark. They were bitten by mosquitoes everywhere, but there was no sign of Li Yu and the others. Hu San scratched his itchy spot and said to Lone Wolf, ¡°Third Brother, do you think they¡¯ll turn around and leave?¡±


    Lone Wolf shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s impossible! They don¡¯t have much livestock with them. They must be walking slowly because they¡¯re carrying a lot. Let¡¯s wait.¡±


    The two of them waited for another four hours. It was already dark, but Li Yu and the others were not there. Hu San lost his patience and stood up to say to Lone Wolf, ¡°Damn it, we¡¯re not waiting anymore. They must be afraid and turned around to go back.¡±


    Lone Wolf also felt that those who fled the wastnd had most likely gone back. He secretly regretted it. If he had known that these people were so timid, he would have led them to charge again. If he didn¡¯t get the food, he would have to tuck his tail between his legs in the vige in the future.


    Lone Wolf said unhappily to Hu San, ¡°Let¡¯s listen to Second Brother and go back!¡±


    Hu San secretly enjoyed Lone Wolf¡¯s worried expression and happily brought his men back to the vige.


    Li Yu and the others rested for the night. The next day, Li Yu arranged for people at dawn. Everyone packed their luggage and set off in high spirits.


    This time, Ruyi took the lead. Li Yu followed behind and changed to a person on foot in the middle.


    Not long after Chen Gui¡¯s wife walked, she rubbed her foot and shouted, ¡°Aiya! My foot is so sore that I can¡¯t even lift it. The soles of my feet hurt like I¡¯m stepping on iron nails.¡±


    The auntie beside her looked at her and said with a smile, ¡°Last night, Xiaoyu asked you to rub your feet. You didn¡¯t do it, did you? You suffered today.¡±


    Chen Gui¡¯s wife smiled awkwardly. ¡°I thought that a little girl like her wouldn¡¯t have much knowledge, so I couldn¡¯t be bothered! Who knew that I would be in pain today?¡±


    Zhou Jia leaned against the cart shed and watched as Li Yu drove the mule cart forward. He suddenly felt very useless to think that as a man, he still needed his wife to protect him.


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu and said guiltily, ¡°Xiaoyu, I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m too useless. I can¡¯t help you with the bandits or the cart.¡±


    Li Yu turned to look at his handsome face and smiled. ¡°Then you¡¯ll be in charge of being as beautiful as a flower in the future. I¡¯ll be in charge of earning money to support the family.¡±


    Zhou Jia did not know whether tough or cry when he heard that. ¡°Where did you hear this nonsense? Women are in charge of being as beautiful as flowers, and men are in charge of earning money to support the family.¡±


    As Zhou Jia spoke, he moved to Li Yu¡¯s side and sat down. He said in a low voice, ¡°Although your husband is weak, he still has the ability to earn money to support the family. Just wait for us to settle down. I¡¯ll earn money and dress you up beautifully.¡±


    Li Yu nced at Zhou Jia and pretended to be sad. ¡°Then ording to you, I¡¯m not beautiful anymore!¡±


    Zhou Jia hurriedly cupped his hands and apologized, ¡°My wife is outstanding and unparalleled.¡±


    Li Yu snorted. ¡°At least you know your ce. I¡¯ll spare you.¡±


    The two of them flirted as they drove the mule cart forward. Li Yu felt that this road was rtively t. There were trees and withered weeds on both sides.


    In the ck Bear Stronghold, ck Bear found Hu San and said to him with a smile, ¡°Second Brother, I think you should bring people to investigate again and see if those people have turned around and gone back.¡±


    Hu San thought for a moment and said to the ck Bear, ¡°Big Brother, you have to give me more people. I¡¯ll make a trip. If those people are still in the forest, I¡¯ll send someone back to report.¡±


    The ck Bear nced at Hu San and pondered for a moment before nodding. ¡°I¡¯ll give you another five men. Take them down the mountain.¡±


    Hu San was extremely satisfied when he heard that. ¡°Thank you, Big Brother. Then I¡¯ll leave with my men.¡± Hu San looked at Lone Wolf proudly before leading the dozen people down the mountain.


    After Hu San left, Lone Wolf walked to ck Bear¡¯s side and sowed discord. ¡°Big Brother, look, Second Brother¡¯s manpower is almost the same as yours now. In the future, I¡¯ll follow behind you and Second Brother and enjoy life.¡±


    ck Bear stroked his chin and looked thoughtfully at Hu San¡¯s back. The smile was gone from his eyes.


    ...

 Chapter 72

    72 Challenging


    Seeing that it was almost noon, Zhou Jia said to Li Yu, ¡°After turning around the hill in front, there¡¯s a pass in front of us. If you climb up from the pass, you¡¯ll reach Clear Wind Ridge. I heard that there are many caves on it. The stone pirs in the caves are in all shapes and sizes. The scenery is very strange.¡±


    When Li Yu heard this, she felt that there must be a group of karst caves below Clear Wind Ridge.


    Li Yu asked Zhou Jia to stop the cart. After Ji Xiang and Chen Yaohui arrived, Li Yu said to Ji Xiang and the others, ¡°Ruyi and I will go and scout for information first. You guys follow behind us. Everyone, act ording to the situation.¡±


    After Ji Xiang and Chen Yaohui remembered it and nodded in agreement, Li Yu took out a red headscarf she had taken from Zhaodi and said to Zhou Jia, ¡°Zhou Jia, after we leave, get everyone to split the old people and children into a few carts. You guys can slowly follow behind us. When we can safely pass, I¡¯ll wave the headscarf and you can quickly bring everyone over.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu and the others and repeatedly instructed, ¡°Alright, you must be careful.¡±


    Li Yu agreed solemnly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll be careful.¡± Ji Xiang and the others also nodded.


    Li Yu called Ruyi and walked towards the pass. Ji Xiang slowly followed with Chen Yaohui and the others.


    Hu San led more than a dozen people down the mountain. When they were about to reach the pass, Hu San instructed his two subordinates, ¡°When we reach the passter, the two of you will go up and check on the rolling logs and stones on the pass first. I¡¯ll wait for you at the pass with everyone else before going to the forest to gather information.¡±


    His trusted aide immediately replied ingratiatingly, ¡°Alright, Second-in-charge. As soon as we arrive, we¡¯ll go to the pass to take a look.¡±


    Hu San led his men towards the pass proudly.


    Li Yu and Ruyi looked around as they walked. After the two of them went up a gentle slope, they saw hills stretching up on both sides of the road. The hills got higher and higher, and the mountain road above became narrower and narrower.


    Ji Xiang, Chen Yaohui, and the others also followed the two of them towards the pass. Li Yu looked at the pass in front and estimated that only one ox cart could pass.


    Ruyi whispered to Li Yu, ¡°Miss Li, the pass Young Master mentioned is ahead.¡±


    Li Yu nodded. The two of them walked to the foot of the pass. Li Yu looked up at the top of the pass and whispered to Ruyi, ¡°Ruyi, go up and take a look.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Ruyi whispered, climbing up the stone wall of the pass.


    Hu San led more than ten people down the mountain and walked to the pass. Hu San said to his two trusted aides, ¡°The two of you, hurry up. I¡¯ll go first.¡±


    Li Yu had just covered her body when she heard Hu San¡¯s instructions to the bandits. She looked up at Ruyi and saw that he was almost at the top of the pass.


    Li Yuy there quietly and listened to the sound of feet stepping on withered grass. She picked up the crossbow and jumped up. She took aim and the crossbow arrow flew towards the source of the sound. With a scream, a bandit clutched his chest and fell down beside Li Yu.


    ¡°There¡¯s an ambush.¡± Hu San heard a scream and panicked. In the blink of an eye, he saw his subordinate fall from the pass. Then, he discovered Li Yu in the grass and rushed up with his men. He raised his waist knife and shed at Li Yu. Li Yu released the arrows and shot down a few bandits.


    ¡°Quick, shoot them with arrows.¡± Before Ji Xiang could finish his sentence, the arrows had already left the bow and shot at the bandits. Chen Yaohui and Chen Gui also raised their bows and began to shoot. The three of them shot down the few bandits in front of them. Butcher He also raised his butcher knife and rushed toward the bandits.


    After Ruyi finished off the bandits who went up the pass with an arrow, he jumped down from the pass and joined the battle.


    Hu San rushed in front of Li Yu and raised his waist knife to sh at her. Li Yu waved the crossbow in one hand and pulled out the dagger under her skirt in the other. There was a ng when the crossbow blocked the waist knife. The knife in Hu San¡¯s hand was sent flying by the crossbow.


    Li Yu leaned forward with her dagger. With a silver sh, the long and narrow de cut Hu San¡¯s throat. Hu San widened his eyes and did not have time to cover his neck before blood sprayed out. He fell to the ground like a ughtered pig, raising a cloud of dust.


    Ji Xiang swung his saber and killed a few bandits. When the remaining bandits saw that the situation was bad, they turned around and fled. But they were injured by Chen Yaohui and Chen Gui, who chased after them. Finally, Ruyi caught up and killed all of them.


    A bandit fled towards Clear Wind Ridge. Li Yu raised her arm and triggered the sleeve arrow. The sleeve arrow flew out and hit the back of his neck. The bandit fell to the ground.


    Li Yu looked around and saw that Ruyi and Ji Xiang had dealt with thest two bandits. She quickly climbed to the pass and shook the red scarf at Zhou Jia.


    Zhou Jia stood on the mule cart and saw the red headscarf waving. He turned around and waved his arms at the people behind him. He shouted, ¡°Run! Everyone, use your fastest speed. Let¡¯s rush over.¡±


    The vige chief shouted at everyone, ¡°Hurry up, vigers. Let¡¯s rush over.¡±


    At this moment, regardless of age or gender, they only had one thought. They used all their strength to rush forward.


    Zhou Jia drove the mule quickly towards the pass. Someone fell and the people behind hurriedly lifted her up. Everyone supported each other and rushed through the pass behind the car.


    When Ruyi and the others saw therge group rushing over, they immediately fell behind the group and escorted everyone forward.


    Li Yu stood on the pass. Seeing that everyone had passed safely, she leaped down and caught up to the team.


    When the vigers saw that everyone had caught up, they were overjoyed. Some of them were tired from running and wanted to stop to see if their rtives who had participated in the battle were injured. Li Yu waved her hand and shouted to everyone, ¡°Everyone, don¡¯t stop. It¡¯s not safe here. Hurry up and leave.¡±


    The folks gritted their teeth again, pushed the wheelbarrow, and rushed recklessly forward.


    Li Yu caught up to Zhou Jia¡¯s mule cart and jumped onto it. Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu and smiled as brightly as the sun. Li Yu pointed at Zhou Jia. ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to smile like this at others in the future.¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled and replied, ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll only smile at my Yu¡¯er in the future.¡±


    Li Yu smiled angrily. ¡°Who¡¯s yours?¡±


    Zhou Jia hurriedly said, ¡°I belong to your family.¡±


    The few children who were squeezed into the carriageughed out loud,


    ¡°Oh! Oh! Mr. Zhou said that he will only smile at Sister Xiaoyu in the future.¡±


    Li Yu blushed and threatened the child. ¡°Don¡¯t say it. If you say anything else, Mr. Zhou will chase you out of the cart!¡±


    The children covered their mouths and nodded, looking at Li Yu with smiles.


    A fair and chubby little boy crawled in front of Li Yu and said to her in a childish voice, ¡°Sister Xiaoyu is so beautiful! When I grow up, I¡¯ll marry you and make you my wife.¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled and red at him. ¡°Little fatty, don¡¯t snatch my wife.¡±


    The little fatty looked at Zhou Jia and said unhurriedly, ¡°Mr. Zhou, my mother said that I¡¯m still young and can¡¯t get a wife. When I grow up, I¡¯ll marry Sister Xiaoyu.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and asked him, ¡°What¡¯s your name? Whose baby are you?¡±


    The fatty looked at Li Yu. ¡°My mother calls me Little Bean. My father is Brother Zhong. My mother is Sister Yan.¡±


    Li Yu, Zhou Jia, and the children allughed. A youngdy smiled and said to Li Yu, ¡°Sister Li, he¡¯s the youngest son of Uncle Zhong¡¯s family.¡±


    ¡°Oh! Sit down obediently. Be careful not to fall.¡± Li Yu surrounded the children with a rope and made them sit down obediently. Looking at the withered weeds by the roadside and the withered tree trunks in the forest, she was secretly worried. This drought was more serious than she had expected. It would probably be difficult to have a stable life.


    Everyone rushed for more than two hours before the team slowed down.


    Zhou Jia looked at the drought along the way and looked at Li Yu. ¡°It seems that we have to save water in the future. Along the way, the water everywhere has dried up.¡±


    Li Yu frowned and said, ¡°Is that so? The situation is even more serious than we expected. With the drought and the locust gue continuing, the refugees will finish their food reserves. If the Imperial Court doesn¡¯t help them, the refugees will have no food and no way to obtain food. Great Yong is not far from chaos.¡±


    After Zhou Jia heard Li Yu¡¯s words, he was even more certain of his previous guess that Li Yu had a fortuitous encounter. This was because these insights were not something an ordinary woman could have.


    ...

 Chapter 73

    73 Water Storage


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu and thought to himself, ¡®The heavens are still fair. If they hadn¡¯t pressed me step by step, I wouldn¡¯t have returned to my former residence and met Yu¡¯er. It seems that my grandfather¡¯s advice to me in the past was reasonable. Meeting Yu¡¯er was thepensation from the heavens.¡¯


    Seeing Zhou Jia smiling foolishly at her, Li Yu pointed at the road ahead. ¡°What are you smiling foolishly for? If you don¡¯t watch the road, the mule will go into the forest.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at the children behind him and swallowed the words that were about toe out of his mouth. ¡°We can only reach a vige in front before it gets dark. We¡¯ll stay there tonight.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Li Yu calcted the water in her space and looked back at the nearly 100 vigers who were panting. She felt that the water was just a drop in the bucket for so many people.


    ¡°The vigers have run out of water. It would be best if we could find water ahead to replenish it. Would the vige well be adequate?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what the water source is like there now, but under these circumstances, even if there was water, the people wouldn¡¯t give it to us.¡±


    Li Yu sighed. ¡°That¡¯s true! We can¡¯t snatch it by force!¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled. ¡°Sure! Why don¡¯t we go up the mountain and be bandit chiefs?¡±


    Li Yu rolled her eyes at Zhou Jia. ¡°Go to hell! You¡¯re more like a bandit chief¡¯s little husband.¡±


    ¡°Alright, if you be the bandit king of the mountain, won¡¯t I be your little husband?¡±


    The children apuded. ¡°Oh, Mr. Zhou is going to be a bandit chief¡¯s husband!¡±


    The twilight was dim. The vigers dragged their exhausted bodies and gritted their teeth as they struggled forward. A wisp of the setting sun stretched the shadows of the exhausted migrants.


    The cart turned the corner and navigated through a bare forest. Li Yu saw the vige in front of her and turned to shout at everyone, ¡°There¡¯s a vige in front of us. We¡¯ll stay in the vige in front tonight.¡±


    Chen Gui¡¯s wife looked up and roared, ¡°I really can¡¯t walk anymore.¡± After saying that, she put her backpack on the ground and sat there paralyzed. She looked up at the sky with tears in her eyes.


    When the little girl in Li Yu¡¯s car saw her sitting on the ground, she shouted anxiously, ¡°Sister, what happened to my mother? I want to go down and see my mother.¡±


    Li Yu endured the bitterness in her heart andforted her softly, ¡°Your mother is fine. She¡¯s just too tired. She¡¯ll be fine after you go down and rub her.¡±


    The little girl nodded unhappily. Zhou Jia stopped the mule cart. Li Yu carried her out of the car and watched her run toward her mother.


    Li Yu carried the children to the ground. Little Bean pointed at Chen Zhong. ¡°Sister Xiaoyu, look, my father is here.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and patted him. ¡°Alright, go find your father!¡±


    Everyone unloaded the cart on empty space by the roadside. Chen Gui looked for Li Yu worriedly. ¡°Xiaoyu, my Ah Yin, Ah Tai, and Ah Chun are all injured. Is there anything we can do?¡±


    ¡°Where are they hurt? I have Golden Injury Medicine here. Bandage their wounds first.¡±


    Chen Gui gestured at his body. ¡°Ah Yin was shed on the arm. Tai is on his shoulder and Ah Chun is on his back. They¡¯re not bleeding anymore. It¡¯s so hot that I¡¯m afraid the wound will fester.¡±


    ¡°Zhou Jia, help Uncle Chen bandage them.¡± Li Yu took out wine and clean cotton from the bamboo basket and handed them to Zhou Jia so he could bandage Chen Yin, Ah Tai, and Ah Chun¡¯s wounds after rinsing them with wine.


    Zhou Jia smiled. ¡°I understand. Go and rest.¡± Li Yu nodded but helped unload the luggage.


    Zhou Jia followed Chen Gui over to take a look at their wounds. Indeed, they were a little red. He lowered his head and patiently bandaged them.


    Chen Baozhen stole nces at the handsome Zhou Jia from the side. When she heard his low and gentle words, ripples appeared in her heart.


    Uncle Zhou, Auntie He, and the others got busy. The vigers living by the roadside looked at Li Yu and the others from afar, their expressions revealing nervousness and wariness.


    Zhou Jia and the vige chief walked toward the vigers. When the vigers saw someoneing, they retreated behind the fence and closed the gate.


    Zhou Jia and the vige chief walked to the outside of the fence and cupped their hands at an old man with tattered clothes and white hair. ¡°Greetings, old man. We¡¯re vigers from Clearwater Town in Green Mountain County, West Mountain Vige. We came to your ce because our hometown was attacked by locusts. We¡¯ll stay in the empty space in front for the night and leave tomorrow morning.¡±


    The old man saw that the older ones were covered in dust and looked tired, and the younger ones were also covered in dust. They were quite handsome.


    The old man felt that the two of them did not look like bad people. He pulled open the fence door and walked out. He said to the two of them with a bitter expression, ¡°We also suffered a disaster here! Look, there¡¯s not even a leaf left in the field!¡±


    Zhou Jia took out a string of money and handed it to the old man. ¡°Old man, please ept this. I want to ask you where there¡¯s water nearby. We want to get some water.¡±


    The old man looked at the copper coins in his hand and then at the dry lips of vige chief and Zhou Jia. He sighed and quickly pointed at the mountain behind the house. He lowered his voice and said, ¡°There¡¯s a path behind my house. Follow the path up the mountain to the saliva pool. There¡¯s still water inside. You can go there to get water. Remember to make less noise. Remember not to go to the well in the vige. You¡¯ll be chased away.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, old man.¡± Zhou Jia and the vige chief bowed and thanked the old man before returning to the camp. They whispered to Li Yu, ¡°The old man in the vige said that there¡¯s a pool halfway up the mountain. There¡¯s still water in it but we have to make less noise. Let¡¯s go now!¡±


    Li Yu¡¯s eyes lit up when she heard that. ¡°Alright, get everyone to take out all our containers and hand them to us. We¡¯ll go up in batches and fill up everything that can be filled with water.¡±


    Everyone got to work. Auntie He and Uncle Zhou emptied the wooden buckets and tied them with ropes before handing them to Ji Xiang. Ruyi and Zhao Cai brought the buckets with them. Li Yu looked at Ruyi and instructed in a low voice, ¡°I¡¯ll bring two up first. Everyone spread out and don¡¯t squeeze together.¡±


    The few of them nodded. Li Yu picked up the machete and carried the wooden bucket. She led Chen Yaohui and Chen Yaozu into the forest and walked toward the path behind the old man¡¯s house.


    When the three of them reached the back of the old man¡¯s house, they saw a narrow path leading up the hill.


    Li Yu led the two of them up the mountain. The path became more and more rugged. After walking for more than an hour, the leaves on both sides of the path turned green. The mountain breeze was also a little cold. Li Yu thought to herself that they should be arriving soon.


    The three of them walked for another half an hour before seeing a cave ahead. The wild grass at the entrance was lush and green. Li Yu pointed at the cave and said to the two of them, ¡°The pool should be in the cave.¡±


    The three of them approached the hole and stuck their heads out to look. They could only see that it was dark inside and could not see anything clearly. They could hear water dripping.


    Li Yu took out a lighter and blew on it to illuminate the cave. She saw a pool the size of arge round table inside. The water in the pool was so clear that the bottom could be seen. Water droplets dripped from the top of the cave from time to time.


    Li Yu happily handed the lighter to Chen Yaohui. ¡°Uncle, quickly collect the water. I¡¯ll go cut some firewood and brighten up the cave.¡±


    ¡°Go!¡± Chen Yaohui happily epted the lighter. Li Yu put down the wooden bucket and walked out of the cave with the machete. When she walked out of the cave, she saw that Ruyi had alsoe up the mountain with two vigers. Li Yu pointed at the cave and found two dead trees in the forest from which she cut off a few wooden sticks. She also picked up some dead branches and leaves and carried them into the cave.


    Ruyi quickly helped light the fire. Only then did everyone see that the water in the pool had gathered from the cave wall.


    Chen Yaohui had already filled the wooden bucket. He closed the lid and smiled happily. ¡°People with knowledge are indeed different. Look, Mr. Zhou¡¯s bucket is like a wine jar. It can even be sealed!¡±


    The vigers who cameter were also amazed. ¡°As expected! If we had known, we would have made two wooden buckets like this.¡±


    Ruyi said to Li Yu, ¡°Miss Li, wait for the other vigers here. I¡¯ll carry the water down first.¡±


    Li Yu took a wooden stick from the cave entrance and handed it to Ruyi. ¡°The way down the mountain is not easy. Use the wooden stick to support yourself.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Miss Li.¡± Ruyi squatted down and carried the wooden bucket on his back. Using the wooden stick, he quickly walked down the mountain.


    Everyone was busy filling up everything that could be filled with water. After eating, they arranged for the people on duty to rest in rotation.

 Chapter 74

    74 Killing the Enemy


    The bandits of Clear Wind Ridge waited until it was dark, but Hu San and the others did not return. ck Bear looked at Lone Wolf worriedly. ¡°Third Brother, go and check on Second Brother. Will something happen?¡±


    Lone Wolf thought to himself that it would be good if something happened. In fact, it would be best if he died outside.


    ¡°Big Brother, it will take at least a day to go from Clear Wind Ridge to the foot of Cloud Stream Peak. Besides, it was almost noon when Second Brother left. It will take at least midnight for him to return. Big Brother, don¡¯t worry. Second Brother¡¯s martial arts are better than mine.¡±


    ck Bear felt that Lone Wolf was right. ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯m afraid we¡¯ve already seeded. Let¡¯s go take a look tomorrow morning.¡±


    The next day, Li Yu and the vigers woke up at dawn. Some cooked while others packed their luggage. After dinner, they set off for Qi County.


    After walking for more than two hours, Li Yu felt that the sun that had just risen was scorching. The scorching sun roasted the withered grass and soil on the ground until they seemed to be about to explode.


    Li Yu nced at Zhou Jia, who was driving with narrowed eyes. ¡°Zhou Jia, we have to think of a way to walk. If we continue like this, everyone will get heatstroke.¡±


    Zhou Jia thought for a moment. ¡°Xiaoyu, what do you think? Let¡¯s start resting at noon today. We¡¯ll start walking at 15:00 pm and only rest at 9:00 pm. This way, we¡¯ll avoid the hottest hour. What do you think?¡±


    Li Yu calcted. ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll do as you say. Let¡¯s find a shady ce to rest!¡±


    Li Yu jumped out of the car and shouted at the vigers walking behind, ¡°Uncle and Aunt, let¡¯s find a shady ce in front to rest for four hours and avoid the hottest hours. In the afternoon, let¡¯s hurry up while it¡¯s cool. How about that?¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Everyone agreed in unison. Madam Li wiped her sweat. ¡°Alright, it¡¯s too hot today. I think I¡¯m about to dry up.¡±


    The vige chief looked at the bright sun and felt worried. It seemed that the darn heavens would be dry for a long time.


    Li Yu¡¯s team finally arrived at Qi County two dayster. From afar, everyone saw that the forest on both sides of the official road not far from the city gate was filled with straw huts filled with people fleeing the famine.


    After Zhou Jia went forward to ask, he learned that although the city gate of Qi County was open, only people with the household register of Qi County could enter the city. Li Yu was so angry that she almost cursed.


    The vige chief looked at Zhou Jia worriedly. ¡°Mr. Zhou, do we have anywhere else to go?¡±


    Zhou Jia thought for a moment. ¡°The closest ce is Tongzhou. It¡¯s two months away.¡±


    The vige chief gritted his teeth. ¡°Let¡¯s go! The longer we wait, the longer we¡¯ll be dyed.¡± After a simple rest at the city gate, the group set off for Tongzhou.


    After Li Yu and the others turned around and left, more than ten men came out of a shed and followed. Not long after, Ji Xiang, who had fallen behind, discovered the people following behind.


    Ji Xiang said to Li Qing, ¡°Ah Qing, quickly warn the people in front. Someone is following us.¡±


    Li Qing turned to look at the man following behind. When Ji Xiang slowed down, he hurriedly jumped off the mule cart and shouted to Butcher He, who was walking in front, ¡°Uncle He, someone is following us.¡±


    Li Qing exined the situation to Chen Gui and the other people with weapons. Finally, he reached Li Yu¡¯s cart. ¡°Sister, more than ten men are following us.¡±


    Li Yu jumped out of the car with the crossbow and machete and instructed Li Qing, ¡°Ah Qing, take this cart with Sir. I¡¯ll get out and wait for Uncle Chen and the others.¡±


    At this moment, Ruyi also came. Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu and Ruyi and instructed worriedly, ¡°You have to be careful.¡±


    Li Yu and Ruyi nodded and waited for the team to arrive. They informed the people behind to let them leave first.


    Li Yu, Ruyi, Chen Yaohui, Chen Gui, Chen Zhong, Butcher He, and a few others who had participated in the previous battle followed behind, secretly paying attention to the movements of the people following behind.


    The group of men followed Li Yu and the others. After walking for about two hours, they reached a quiet forest. They took out their machetes and chased after them. They shouted at Li Yu and the others, ¡°Leave the food and water behind and we¡¯ll spare your lives.¡±


    Chen Yaohui looked at them. ¡°If you take away the water and food, we¡¯ll still die.¡±


    ¡°Dead sooner orter,¡± one of the robbers said with a nasty grin.


    Li Yu looked at them. ¡°What if we¡¯re unwilling?¡±


    A hairy man opened his mouth to reveal a mouthful of yellow teeth. He looked at Li Yu and smiled wretchedly. ¡°Little beauty, then don¡¯t me me for being rude. We want both women and things.¡±


    Li Yu picked up the crossbow and aimed it at Yellow Teeth¡¯s face. Someone shouted, ¡°Brother, be careful.¡±


    It was toote for Yellow Teeth to dodge. The arrow tore through the air and hit him between the eyebrows. Yellow Teeth fell to the ground and twitched before stopping.


    ¡°Kill her and avenge Big Brother.¡± A man waved his machete at Li Yu.


    Li Yu raised her crossbow to block the robber¡¯s machete and kicked the robber¡¯s calf. There was a crack and the sound of bones breaking. The robber knelt on the ground. Ji Xiang came from behind and shed the robber to death.


    Chen Yaohui and Chen Gui shot two of them down with their bows. Butcher He waved his butcher knife and rushed towards the robbers. He shed open one of the robbers¡¯ chests and blood spurted out, spraying Butcher He¡¯s face. Butcher He was stunned for a moment. A robber behind him raised his knife and shed at Butcher He. Li Yu shouted, ¡°Uncle He, be careful.¡±


    Butcher He dodged before Yu shot an arrow at the robber. She waved the crossbow and hit the head of the robber. She then shed at him and cut him to the ground.


    ¡°Kill! Fight it out with them.¡± Zhou Jia activated his sleeve arrow and shot a robber to death. He rushed towards the robber. The vige chief and Liu Changmin led the other vigers and surrounded the two robbers with kitchen knives and hoes. The two robbers were killed without even having the strength to fight back.


    Ruyi kicked a robber in the stomach and Ji XIang stabbed him in the chest. Chen Zhong was shed in the arm by a robber and the knife in his hand fell to the ground. Chen Zhong closed his eyes in despair but Li Yu shot an arrow through the robber¡¯s wrist and jumped in front of Chen Zhong to cut the robber¡¯s throat. The chaotic battle ended with the corpses of more than a dozen robbers lying on the road.


    Li Yu, Ruyi, and Butcher He collected the knives and arrows. Li Yu shouted at the viger who was vomiting by the roadside with a kitchen knife and hoe, ¡°Everyone, let¡¯s go quickly.¡±


    Everyone wiped their mouths and endured the disgust as they followed Li Yu and the others towards the team in front.


    Chen Yaohui looked at the nauseous vigers and grinned. ¡°We were so busy escapingst time that we even forgot to be disgusted and afraid.¡±


    The chief red at him. ¡°Like you. You¡¯re a simpleton.¡±


    Chen Zhong¡¯s arm was cut open. Li Yu handed the Golden Creation Medicine to Chen Yaohui. ¡°Uncle Yaohui, help Uncle Chen Zhong apply the medication.¡±


    Chen Yaohui applied the medication and caught up to the women, children, and old people waiting in front. They looked at each other and smiled happily.


    The group did not dare to stay until it was dark and they arrived at a vige. They saw that the main road at the vige entrance was blocking the wooden door and there were still people guarding it.


    Everyone stayed at the vige entrance for the night. Li Yu took out some wine from her space and asked Zhou Jia to wash Chen Zhong¡¯s wound and bandage it with a cloth soaked in wine.


    Chen Zhong bowed to Li Yu and thanked her. ¡°Xiaoyu, thank you for saving my life.¡±


    Li Yu smiled indifferently. ¡°Uncle, we agreed to work together.¡±


    Chen Zhong¡¯s wife, Madam Lin, wiped her tears and bowed to Li Yu. ¡°Xiaoyu, without you, my kids wouldn¡¯t have a father. Let us thank you.¡±


    Little Bean smiled at Madam Lin. ¡°Mother, when I grow up, I want to marry Sister Xiaoyu.¡±


    Everyoneughed when they heard that. ¡°Kid, you¡¯re already thinking about getting a wife before growing up.¡±


    After resting at the vige entrance for a night and walking for more than ten days, there was no longer enough water stored outside. Li Yu took advantage of the night watch to quietly pour the water in the space into a bucket. Li Yu was secretly worried that after the water in the space was used up, they would not be able to find a water source. At that time, everyone would have no water.


    ...

 Chapter 75

    75 Finding Water Source


    The team walked to the foot of a mountain and Ruyi found Zhou Jia. ¡°Young Master, the water is almost gone and there¡¯s not much fodder for the animals. We have to find water and fodder.¡±


    Li Yu turned to look at everyone¡¯s tired and sallow faces and discussed with Zhou Jia, ¡°I think everyone should rest here for a few days! If this continues, we¡¯ll copse.¡±


    Zhou Jia turned to look at the exhausted viger and nodded. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s find a t ground to tarry first before looking for a water source.¡±


    Li Yu walked to the vige chief¡¯s ox cart and said to him, ¡°Grandpa Vige Chief, we don¡¯t have much water and grass left. I think this mountain is quite delicate. I think we should find a ce nearby to rest for a few days and let everyone recuperate.¡±


    The vige chief licked his dry lips and looked at the old yellow cow that was foaming at the corner of his mouth. ¡°It¡¯s good to look. The livestock¡¯s fodder was gone yesterday. Where are the beans everyone fed to the cows and mules?¡±


    Li Yu and the vige chief discussed it and informed the team to stop. Everyone ced their things by the roadside. Li Yu stood at the foot of the mountain and looked around. She realized that the terrain of the mountain path in front of her was a little gentler. She picked up her machete and led Chen Yaohui and Ruyi towards the south mountain.


    The vige chief led everyone to cut the withered grass at the foot of the mountain and find fodder and tender leaves to feed the livestock.


    Li Yu and Chen Yaohui pushed aside the grass and bushes and walked up the mountain. The few of them walked for about two hours and looked at a ridge on the mountain in front of them. There were also caves on both sides of the ridge.


    Ruyi recalled the water she had replenished in the cave on the way and pointed at the cave with hope. ¡°Miss Li, do you think there will be mountain spring water in the cave?¡±


    Chen Yaohui stopped resting his hand on his knee and panted heavily. ¡°Let¡¯s go and take a look in the cave. There might really be water.¡±


    The three of them cut through the bushes and vines on the way and walked to a cave. Mountain rats and hares ran out of the bushes that split open the cave. Li Yu blew on the fire and lit a dead branch. When they approached the cave, they saw that it was dry with only some animal feces. The three of them walked towards another cave in disappointment. They didn¡¯t find a water source after exploring two ces.


    Chen Yaohui looked at the cave above in disappointment. ¡°There¡¯s no water in the three below Xiaoyu. We don¡¯t have to look at the one above!¡±


    Li Yu wiped her sweat and looked at thest cave above. ¡°Since we¡¯re already here, let¡¯s go take a look at the remaining cave!¡±


    Chen Yaohui could only nod in agreement. The three of them walked towards thest cave. Ruyi cut the bushes at the entrance and walked into thest cave. He heard the sound of dripping water.


    Ruyi seemed to have heard the most pleasant sound and shouted excitedly at Li Yu, ¡°Miss Li,e and look. There¡¯s water here.¡± His loud voice echoed in the valley.


    Ruyi shouted as she cut open the bushes at the entrance of the cave. Li Yu and Chen Yaohui also rushed to the entrance of the cave. They lit up the withered branches and walked in. When they walked into the cave, they saw a pool under the rock wall. There was water dripping into the pool from the top of the rock. The pool was so clear that the bottom could be seen. There was a stream of spring water as thick as a finger flowing out from the crack in the cliff wall.


    Chen Yaohui pounced over and hurriedly drank two mouthfuls. He turned to look at Li Yu. ¡°This water is so sweet. Let¡¯s quickly call them up. We can rest here for two days before leaving.¡±


    Li Yu nodded and drank two mouthfuls of water to moisten her dry throat. She brought Ruyi and Chen Yaohui down the mountain.


    When the few of them reached the foot of the mountain, Chen Yaohui ran down the mountain, hugged the vige chief, andughed. ¡°Father, we found water. There¡¯s water.¡±


    The vige chief stiffened when his son hugged him. Then, he smiled and patted his son. ¡°You¡¯re not young anymore. Why are you still so rash?¡±


    Everyone was happy to hear that they had found water. Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu¡¯s peeling smile and walked over to hold Li Yu¡¯s hand. He said gently, ¡°You¡¯re tired, right?¡±


    Li Yu looked at him and nodded. ¡°I¡¯m a little tired, but I¡¯m d. We found water.¡±


    Chen Baozhen looked at Zhou Jia¡¯s gentle expression as he looked at Li Yu. Her heart ached as she muttered softly, ¡°Vixen, shameless.¡±


    Madam Li saw her jealous look and whispered in her ear, ¡°You¡¯re the shameless one who dares to covet Xiaoyu¡¯s fianc¨¦. Why don¡¯t you take a look at yourself? Are you worthy of Mr. Zhou? I advise you to behave yourself and not embarrass our family.¡±


    When Chen Baozhen heard Madam Li¡¯s words, tears welled up in her eyes. However, she did not dare to talk back to Madam Li. She stepped on the mud on the ground and rubbed it back and forth hatefully.


    Madam Li looked at Chen Baozhen disdainfully and thought to herself, A shameless woman will suffer in the future.


    Everyone worked together to climb up the mountain. The weaker ones split the bushes on the mountain in front of them, while the stronger ones pushed the mule cart up the mountain behind them. It took them more than four hours to reach the ridge and untie the livestock from the cart so that the cows and mules could gnaw on the grass.


    Chen Yaohui pointed excitedly at the three caves below and said loudly, ¡°We saw that there was no water in the caves below. At that time, my heart turned cold. I told Xiaoyu to forget it since there was no water below, so there was no need to look above. Xiaoyu said that since we were already here, we should leave after looking. Fortunately, we listened to her, or we would have missed it.¡±


    The vige chief patted him with a reproachful smile. ¡°Look at you. You¡¯re already decades old, but you¡¯re still not as steady as a child.¡±


    The older man chuckled and looked at the father and son. ¡°You should be beaten up. You¡¯re so rash.¡±


    Everyone lit their torches and walked into the cave. When they saw the pool, they cheered. They scooped up the water with adle and slowly swallowed it. It was as if they had drunk nectar. It felt so sweet and delicious.


    The vige chief shouted excitedly to Chen Yaohui and Chen Zhong, ¡°Quick, quickly bring the bucket over and fill it up.¡±


    After everyone drank the water, He Xiaoyu pulled Zhaodi and Laidi along. ¡°Zhaodi, Laidi, let¡¯s go. We¡¯ll cut the grass for the cows.¡± Madam Li looked at the three of them and instructed, ¡°There are wild beasts on the mountain. Don¡¯t go far.¡±


    The three of them agreed happily. Zhaodi touched the grass on the ground. ¡°In the past, it was annoying to talk about cutting grass. Now, why do I feel so happy looking at this grass?!¡±


    He Xiaoyu wrinkled her nose yfully. ¡°I¡¯ve seen dead branches and hay every day for the past month. It was bare everywhere. I¡¯ve not seen anything green for a long time. Of course, I¡¯m happy!¡±


    Li Yu asked Auntie He to take out the big iron pot and smiled at the Lin family. ¡°Let¡¯s celebrate finding a water source. We¡¯ll eat a big pot of rice tonight.¡±


    Madam Lin smiled and pped her hands. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s eat a big pot of rice.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Li Yu agreed and took out the sausages and cured meat from the bamboo basket. Madam Li brought over dried peas. Auntie He and Li Mei washed the rice. The other women found a few stones and cut some firewood to prop up threerge pots. After Li Yu stir-fried the sausages and cured meat in oil, she ced the dried peas to stir-fry before pouring the rice in and boiling it with water.


    Auntie He and Li Mei washed some streaky pork and pork ribs. They took out dried pickled vegetables and cooked arge pot of pickled vegetable soup. The fragrance of sourness and cured meat assaulted their noses, causing the children to drool around the pot.


    Tworge pots of yam, sausages, cured meat, dried rice with peas, and arge pot of pickled vegetable soup. Finally, they even added some dry food. Everyone ate until they sat on the ground and did not want to move.


    The vige chief looked at the sky and kicked Chen Yaohui. ¡°Xiaoyu and the others have cooked food for you. Hurry up and clean up the cave and cut some firewood to pile up at the entrance. Everyone can sleep peacefully tonight.¡±


    Chen Yaohui got up and led his men to clean up the cave with a makeshift broom of withered grass and cleaned up the feces and stones in the cave. They also went to cut some wooden sticks and dug a hole to bury them in the ground. They dug a hole and mounted a wooden stake. They led the livestock into the cave and tied them to the wooden stake. The luggage was also moved into the cave. They lit the firewood at the entrance and everyone went to rest.

 Chapter 76

    76 Dear Rain


    This night was the most peaceful night these people had slept since they left. Li Yu slept until she woke up naturally. She crawled out of the tent and saw that the grass at the entrance of the cave had been cut. Everyone was still looking for those tender green leaves to cut off and prepare fodder for the livestock.


    Zhou Jia walked to Li Yu¡¯s side and looked at her refreshed appearance. He smiled and said, ¡°Looking at them, I¡¯m thinking about staying here.¡±


    Li Yu smiled bitterly. ¡°That¡¯s not realistic. Think about it. What can we do with the little water in the cave? When everyone finishes the food they brought, they will have to eat tree bark!¡±


    Zhou Jia nodded. ¡°You have a point. Go eat something first. We¡¯ll rest here for two days before making ns.¡±


    Li Yu looked at the children¡¯s cheerful smiles. ¡°Yes! Let¡¯s rest here for two days and wait for everyone to recover before leaving.¡±


    While resting on the mountain, Li Yu secretly filled the water vat in her space with water when no one was paying attention.


    The party rested on the mountain for two days. When the old man and child recovered, everyone packed their bags and started moving again.


    They walked for more than a month without any mishaps. Everyone slowly realized that the grass on the road was no longer withered, and there was nock of water along the way. There was also no trace of the locusts.


    The sky was gloomy at noon, and the wind shook the trees on both sides of the mountain path. The vige chief looked at the sky and shouted worriedly, ¡°Everyone, walk faster. I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s going to rain.¡±


    Everyone sped up. As soon as the team descended the mountain, they saw dark clouds hanging above their heads. Boom! Thunder exploded overhead. The vige chief shouted from behind, ¡°The rain ising. Hurry up and find a high ground to stop. The heavy rain ising soon.¡±


    Ji Xiang drove the mule cart ahead of them and saw a cliff wall that was half hanging out. Ji Xiang pointed at the cliff in front of them and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go under the cliff in front of us and hide from the rain.¡±


    Everyone led the livestock to the bottom of the cliff to take the tarpaulin out of the car. They quickly opened the tent and moved the luggage into the tent to stack it. The heavy rain fell from the sky. Everyone stood under the tarpaulin and looked at the heavy rain that they had not seen in a long time. They raised their heads and enjoyed this rare coolness.


    The rain was getting heavier and the fog was spreading. They could not even see the road ahead clearly. Everyone had no choice but to open their luggage and n to stay.


    Laidi looked at the heavy rain and walked to Li Yu¡¯s side. She smiled and whispered, ¡°Cousin, is there anything delicious? Let¡¯s cook something delicious!¡±


    Li Yu looked at her and smiled. ¡°Alright! Go and see what else is delicious in the bamboo basket. We¡¯ll take it out and cook whatever you like.¡±


    ¡°This girl!¡± Li Mei looked at Laidi, whose face was only the size of a palm. She swallowed the me on her lips and helped prepare.


    Seeing that Li Yu was preparing to cook, everyone smiled and said to Li Yu, ¡°Xiaoyu, eat a big pot of rice.¡±


    ¡°Alright! Let¡¯s eat a big pot of rice.¡± Li Yu smiled and agreed to let Auntie He take out thest few pieces of pork belly from the bamboo basket. Then, she mixed a handful of red beans and made a fragrant meal of bacon and grain.


    At night, Li Yu quietly took out some dried meat from her space and distributed it to Zhaodi, Laidi, and Li Qing. The children held the dried meat and asked Li Yu in surprise, ¡°Sister, you know how to do tricks? Granny He emptied the bamboo baskets today!¡±


    Li Yu smiled. ¡°I forgot to eat it in the bag a few days ago. I only remembered it when I saw that you guys were craving meat.¡±


    The rain did not end until after noon the next day. The mountain path was slippery and muddy, making it difficult to walk. Everyone decided to rest for the night before leaving.


    Ji Xiang, Ruyi, and Chen Yaohui went hunting in the mountains. Madam Li and a few women found some wild vegetables, chives, mushrooms, and washed them before waiting for them to return.


    Just after 9:00 am, the group carried a wild goat, two mules, a string of pheasants, and a string of hares down the mountain with smiles.


    Butcher He and the others found a pond and packed up the wild animals. Everyone set up firewood and iron pots. A goat and two mules were smeared with condiments and salt and roasted on sticks of pine. The pheasant was stewed with leeks and mushrooms. The hare was braised in spicy sauce.


    A hundred people surrounded the fire and iron pot and ate until their mouths were covered in oil. Chen Gui wiped the sweat off his forehead andughed heartily. ¡°Even in my dreams, I didn¡¯t expect that these two difficult months of fleeing were the most interesting days I¡¯ve lived in all these years.¡±


    The vige chief sighed. ¡°That¡¯s right! In the past, I used to think about how to dig up food from the ground every day when I opened my eyes. On the day the locusts came, I felt that the sky had copsed. Looking at Chuanzhou and the others, I gritted my teeth and decided toe out with Xiaoyu and the others to survive. Now that thend here is not dry, is it still dry where we came from? Are there still locusts? How are the chief and granduncle at home? And those vigers, how are they doing?¡±


    Everyone fell silent when they heard that. After a while, Chen Yaohui smiled bitterly andforted the vige chief. ¡°Father, after we settle down, we¡¯ll go back and take a look when we have the time.¡±


    The vige chief shook his head and sighed. ¡°Sigh! Who knows if I can wait until that day.¡±


    When Li Yu heard the vige chief¡¯s word about how he might never go back, she felt sad.


    Seeing Li Yu¡¯s gloomy expression, Zhou Jia thought that she was thinking of her home in West Mountain Vige. His heart ached as he squeezed her hand andforted her with a smile. ¡°We¡¯ll go back and take a look.¡±


    Seeing his worried expression, Li Yu¡¯s heart warmed. She nodded at him. ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll go back and take a look.¡±


    Old Madam Liu and her family returned to West Mountain Vige with the vigers. After walking for two days, they returned to the vige and realized that many houses in the vige had been burned to ruins. There was not a single person in the vige.


    Everyone was dumbfounded by the situation in front of them. The Xu brothers sighed. ¡°If we had known that this would happen, would wee back?¡±


    The Xu brothers looked at the scorching sun in the sky that did not even have a single cloud. There were locusts flying everywhere. The water storage had been used up and the food they were carrying would decrease. Everyone silently packed their luggage and left the vige to join the migration. West Mountain Vige fell silent again.


    Zhang Defa sat at the entrance of the shop and looked at the empty street with a frown. He thought about how the well at home had already dried up and how there was such a big family. What should he do?


    A skinny beggar with a dirty face and dry lips walked to the shop. Zhang Defa was about to chase him away when the beggar looked at him and called, ¡°Brother, I¡¯m back.¡±


    Zhang Defa took a closer look and shouted in surprise, ¡°Second Brother, is that you? Why have you be like this?¡±


    Zhang Decai¡¯s dry lips cracked with blood. He said to Zhang Defa in a hoarse voice, ¡°Brother, quickly find me something to eat. I haven¡¯t touched water or rice for a few days.¡±


    Zhang Defa quickly entered the house and handed a bamboo tube to Zhang Decai. ¡°Drink some water to fill your stomach first. I¡¯ll close the door and we¡¯ll go home.¡±


    Zhang Decai couldn¡¯t wait to take the bamboo tube. He drank a few mouthfuls before he recovered and sat on the ground. Zhang Defa closed the shop and helped Zhang Decai back.

 Chapter 77

    77 Green Mountain City, The Zhang Brothers


    When Zhang Defa returned home with Zhang Decai, he shouted at Chen Zhaodi, ¡°Chen, Second Brother is back. Hurry up and cook something to fill his stomach.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Chen Zhaodi didn¡¯t even greet Zhang Decai and went to the kitchen reluctantly.


    Zhang Decai¡¯s heart turned cold when he saw this. He didn¡¯t see his wife and children. ¡°Brother, where¡¯s Madam Zhao and my two daughters?¡±


    Zhang Defa smiled awkwardly. ¡°Second Brother, I rented a small courtyard for them in the back alley since our house can¡¯t amodate them.¡±


    When Zhang Decai heard this, he was a little angry. He propped himself up against the wall and said weakly to Zhang Decai, ¡°Brother, I haven¡¯t seen them for so long. I miss them. Bring me over to take a look.¡±


    Zhang Defa also felt that he was in the wrong and felt sorry for Zhang Decai. He helped Zhang Decai back to his chair and said with a red face, ¡°Second Brother, let¡¯s eat something before goingter. Your sister-inw is already cooking the food.¡±


    Zhang Defaforted Zhang Decai and went to the kitchen. He lifted the pot lid and saw that there was at most a small handful of rice in the pot. He red at Chen Zhaodi, grabbed some rice, and ced it in the pot. He grabbed some pickled vegetables and waited for the porridge to be ready before carrying it to the central room.


    Zhang Decai¡¯s mouth watered when he smelled the fragrance of the porridge. He took the bowl and didn¡¯t care about scalding his mouth. He drank two bowls of porridge and wiped his mouth reluctantly. He smiled bitterly at Zhang Defa and said, ¡°Brother, I made a friend when I was working as a ve. His family has rtives in Tongzhou who say that there are no locusts and nock of water there. His family is going to escape to Tongzhou tomorrow morning to join their rtives.¡±


    Zhang Defa looked at Zhang Decai and smiled bitterly. ¡°He has rtives in Tongzhou. Who are we going to seek refuge with?¡±


    Zhang Decai stood up. ¡°That¡¯s better than waiting for death here! Brother, bring me to see Madam Zhao and the children. I¡¯ll discuss with them what they think.¡±


    Zhang Defa led him towards the back alley. ¡°Alright, go back and discuss with them first. I¡¯ll also discuss with Guisheng to see if his father-inw has decided where to escape to.¡±


    Zhang Defa brought his brother to a remote courtyard and pointed at the closed courtyard door. ¡°Second Brother, Sister-inw and the others live here.¡±


    Zhang Decai patted the door. When Madam Zhao opened it, she recognized the skinny Zhang Decai at a nce and shouted into the house in surprise, ¡°Gui Hong, Guixiu, your father is back.¡±


    Zhang Defa said to Zhang Decai, ¡°I won¡¯t go in and disturb your reunion. I¡¯ll go back and discuss with Guisheng beforeing to look for you tomorrow morning.¡±


    ¡°Alright, you can go back first!¡± After Zhang Decai entered the house, he realized that there were only two rooms in the courtyard. Zhang Decai was even more dissatisfied with Zhang Defa.


    At this moment, the two children ran out of the house and shouted, ¡°Father, you¡¯re back!¡± The mother and daughter hugged Zhang Decai¡¯s family and cried.


    Madam Zhao cried as sheined to Zhang Decai, ¡°You were a fool to help your brother. Look at what kind of life the three of us are living. Your brother took the silver from selling the fields and houses and said that he went to help you make some arrangements. When I have my meal with my two daughters, we still have to suffer their disdainful looks. In the end, he sent us to this little food. If we want to eat more, we still have to get it from him.¡±


    Zhang Guihong also cried, ¡°Father, Guixiang doesn¡¯t like us sleeping in her house. She said that we smell like mud.¡±


    Zhang Defa looked at Guixiu. Guixiu also nodded and said, ¡°Father, I¡¯ve long advised you not to join Uncle and Aunt in picking on Xiaoyu and her brother. Look, karma came quickly. Once you left, it was our turn.¡± Guixiu choked and wiped his tears. ¡°Fortunately, you¡¯ve only been gone for a year. If you don¡¯te back, I think they¡¯ll sell us for money.¡±


    Zhang Decai¡¯s heart ached when he heard that. Zhang Guihong touched her stomach and cried again. ¡°Father, go and get some food from Aunt. I haven¡¯t eaten my fill in a long time.¡±


    Zhang Decai thought to himself that he had saved more than 20 stones of food. Even if Madam Zhao and his daughter ate freely, they could be sustained for at least two years. He had only been gone for a little more than a year, but the children were starving. Now that it was a barren year and he had no food, his family could only starve to death.


    Zhang Decai stood up with a livid expression and said to Mrs. Zhao, ¡°Guixiu¡¯s mother, I¡¯m weak all over now. Come with me. Let¡¯s go to my brother¡¯s house to get the food.¡±


    Chen nodded happily. The couple went to Zhang Defa¡¯s house with dark expressions. When Zhang Decai saw Zhang Defa, he went straight to the point and said, ¡°Brother, please get Sister-inw to return my family¡¯s food and the money from selling my house and fields.¡±


    When Zhang Defa heard this, he kept apologizing with a red face. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Sister-inw and Second Brother. I never knew that that old woman didn¡¯t return the food to you. I¡¯ll get her to return it to you now.¡±


    Madam Chen curled her lips as she looked at him. Zhang Defa¡¯s face was red as he shouted at Chen Zhaodi, ¡°Madam Chen, quickly bring out Second Brother¡¯s food and return it to him.¡±


    Chen Zhaodi came out and shouted at Zhang Decai, ¡°There¡¯s not much food left. I¡¯ll take out the rest for you.¡±


    Seeing that Zhang Defa did not talk about silver, Zhang Decai thought to himself, Let¡¯s talk about it after we get the food. We can¡¯t buy food with silver now.


    The few of them stood in the courtyard. After half an hour, Chen Zhaodi came out with most of the bags of food and threw them in front of Madam Zhao. ¡°Sister-inw, you can take these back!¡±


    Zhang Decai looked at the food in the bag and sneered at Zhang Defa. ¡°Brother, I saved more than 20 stones of food. Sister-inw said that my wife and child finished it in more than a year. Did I hear wrongly?¡±


    Zhang Defa looked at Chen Zhaodi with a livid expression. ¡°Go and move all of them out. Otherwise, get lost.¡±


    Only then did Chen Zhaodi go with Zhang Defa to carry our eight bags of food.


    Zhang Defa looked at Zhang Decai and begged, ¡°Second Brother, this is really all I have. I only kept two bags for myself. Look, your brother still has such a big family!¡±


    Madam Zhao ran to the woodshed and dragged out a handcart. She said proudly to Chen Zhaodi, ¡°The handcart belongs to my family. I¡¯ll drag it back.¡± Madam Zhao happily carried the food onto the handcart.


    Zhang Decai looked at Zhang Defa in disappointment. ¡°Brother, we¡¯re biological brothers from the same mother. You know very well why I went to jail. I won¡¯t say anything about half of the houses in the vige being yours. Just return the money you sold my fields for.¡±


    Zhang Defa looked at Zhang Decai and knew in his heart that the brothers would not be able to go back to the time when they worked together. He thought to himself, I¡¯ll bet if he still has feelings for Guisheng.


    Zhang Defa smiled bitterly at him. ¡°Second Brother, I only have ten taels of silver left at home. I was saving it for Guisheng¡¯s county examination. Why don¡¯t I give it to you?¡±


    ¡°Alright, give it to me now. I¡¯ll go back and pack up. I¡¯ll go to Tongzhou with that friend tomorrow morning. If you want to go, meet me at the north city gate.¡±


    Zhang Defa had no choice but to go into the house and take out the ten taels of silver. He handed it to Zhang Decai reluctantly. ¡°Second Brother, I¡¯ve let you down. I didn¡¯t know that bitch actually had the guts to lie to me. We¡¯re still good brothers. Ah!¡±


    Zhang Decai nodded. ¡°Of course.¡± With that, he handed the silver to Madam Zhao and pulled the handcart away with her.


    Chen Zhaodi looked at Zhang Defa and started crying. ¡°Look, there are only about ten stones of food left. We don¡¯t know how long the drought willst. What will we eat then?¡±


    Zhang Defa looked at Chen Zhaodi in disgust. ¡°Cry, cry. You only know how to cry. It¡¯s all because of you, bitch, that our brotherly rtionship was strained .¡±


    ¡°Stop pretending to be confused. If you didn¡¯t agree, I won¡¯t dare to treat them like this!¡± Chen Zhaodi wiped the tears off her face and shouted at Zhang Defa.


    Zhang Defa, who had been exposed by Chen Zhaodi, hurriedly covered her mouth and scolded in a low voice, ¡°Do you want everyone to know?¡±


    Zhu Qiaoyu looked at the two inws in the courtyard with disdain. Madam Jiang stood in front of the window and thought to herself, ¡°What family did Master choose for Miss?¡±

 Chapter 78

    78 Danger in the Forest


    At noon, Li Yu and the team arrived at a forest. The adults and children sat on the ground and rxed their muscles.


    Some of the men unloaded the carts and fed the livestock with grass. They dragged out the straw mats and ced them on the ground. The women began to boil pots and cook, and the forest became lively.


    After dinner, they each found a tree to lean against and slowly fell asleep. Soon, the sound of snoring and grinding teeth came from the forest.


    After about two hours, the sound of hooves came from the road. Li Yu opened her eyes and saw a group of men riding horses.


    Li Yu noticed that there were a total of 19 people in this group. Most of them were strong men and their horses were all strong. When they reached the forest, they rode their horses and checked the vigers in the forest.


    The leader saw that there were men, women, and children in the forest. Most of them were wearing rough clothes and pulling the carriage with cows and mules. The carriage was also filled with food, boxes of bedding, buckets, and grass.


    The leader led the way down the horse and walked into the forest with a young man in his arms.


    Li Yu narrowed her eyes and saw them sit down around the tired and pale youth. A tall youth took out dry rations and water bags and carefully served the youth.


    Li Yu realized that those men were all on guard after sitting down. She thought to herself, It seems that they are protecting this young man. Could this young man be someone important? We¡¯re also resting here. Will anything happen?


    Li Yu moved to Zhou Jia¡¯s side and pretended to be intimate as she leaned her head on Zhou Jia¡¯s shoulder. She whispered, ¡°Did you notice? These people should have a powerful background. Look at the youth in the middle. He should be the person they want to protect. Look at how careful they are. I¡¯m worried that something will happen.¡±


    Zhou Jia pretended to help Li Yu tidy her hair and nced at the youth Li Yu was talking about. He thought to himself that the person looks a little familiar. He seemed to have seen him somewhere in the capital before.


    Zhou Jia whispered into Li Yu¡¯s ear, ¡°I think I¡¯ve seen that young man somewhere in the capital. I think something¡¯s wrong. We¡¯re almost done resting. Let¡¯s wake them up and leave!¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Li Yu stood up and called Li Mei softly, ¡°Wake up, Aunt. We should hurry.¡±


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s hurry!¡± Li Mei rubbed her eyes and stood up. Zhou Jia walked up to the vige chief. ¡°Grandpa Chen, let¡¯s start the journey!¡±


    The vige chief nodded after resting. ¡°Alright, everyone is almost done resting. Let¡¯s start traveling!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re going to have to start traveling again!¡± Everyone muttered. The rickshaw set packed their bags and called for the children to start traveling.


    Suddenly, the young man¡¯s guards all stood up and surrounded him, protecting him as he walked toward the horses. The guards escorted the young man to the horses. The tall young man helped the young man up and said, ¡°Young Master, let¡¯s go.¡±


    At this moment, a group of masked men on horses had blocked both ends of the road, blocking the youth¡¯s group.


    Li Yu felt that something was wrong and hurriedly shouted to Zhou Jia and the vige chief, ¡°Zhou Jia, vige chief, don¡¯t worry about those things. Quickly bring everyone into the forest. Uncle Chen, Uncle He, you guys cover the back.¡±


    Zhou Jia hurriedly pulled Li Qing and led everyone into the forest. Chen Yaohui and Butcher He stayed behind to protect the fleeing vigers.


    Ji Xiang, Ruyi, and Zhao Cai stood beside Li Yu and protected everyone with their weapons.


    The guards drew their long and narrow machetes. The guard leader pointed his knife at the masked man and shouted to the tall youth behind him without looking back, ¡°Ah Zhong, protect Young Master and retreat into the forest. Everyone, protect Young Master. Charge! Kill them.¡±


    The guards rushed forward. Both sides were strong. For a moment, the forest was filled with the sharp sh of swords and the neighing of horses. Blood and flesh flew as the horses neighed.


    The men in ck had more people on their side. Although the young man¡¯s people were strong, heroes were also afraid of numbers. Soon, they fell one after another.


    Li Yu and the others escorted everyone deeper into the forest. Suddenly, they realized that the tall youth and the four guards had also followed them.


    Li Yu said to Ji Xiang and the others, ¡°It¡¯s terrible. They followed us here. Everyone, get ready.¡±


    Ji Xiang answered loudly. ¡°Miss Li, we¡¯re ready.¡±


    Li Yu turned her head and shouted at Chen Yaohui and the others, who were stopping and watching them. ¡°Don¡¯t wait anymore. Hurry up and walk into the forest. Find a ce to hide.¡± Only then did everyone panic and escape into the forest.


    The tall youth jumped in front of Li Yu and the others and threatened, ¡°You have to help us. If you want to leave, we¡¯ll leave together. Otherwise, we¡¯ll die together.¡±


    Li Yu cursed in her heart. Li Yu looked at him angrily and said, ¡°You¡¯ve already lured them over. Helping you now is akin to helping ourselves. However, you have to act together with us. Otherwise, we can only die together.¡±


    The tall man drew his saber and red at Li Yu. Li Yu red at him and refused topromise. The youth shouted, ¡°Shen Zhong, promise this girl that we¡¯ll fight the enemy together.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Young Master.¡± Shen Zhong retreated to the side. Li Yu, Ji Xiang, and the others scattered and hid behind the tree. The tall youth and a guard also hid behind the tree with Young Master. The other three scattered behind the tree with Li Yu and the others.


    More than ten masked men chased after her. Li Yu half-squatted on the ground and held the crossbow horizontally. The crossbow bolts flew towards the masked men and a few of them fell.


    Ruyi, Ji Xiang, and Zhao Cai drew their bows. The three arrows instantly killed a few masked men.


    Seeing that there were crossbows shooting in front of them, the masked men stopped swarming forward. They hid behind the trees and carefully surrounded Li Yu and the others.


    Li Yu, Ruyi, and the others shot as soon as they discovered the masked men. In the blink of an eye, they killed a few more.


    A masked man said to the rest of the men surrounding him, ¡°Everyone, spread out and end the battle quickly. If we continue to be in a stalemate, their reinforcements wille.¡±


    The masked men spread out and rushed towards Li Yu and the others. After Li Yu shot another masked man to death, she used up the crossbow bolts she had brought with her. She drew her long saber and faced the masked man with the young man¡¯s guard. She shed at a tall and strong masked man. When the masked man saw Li Yu¡¯s sharp saber, he hurriedly raised his saber to block. Li Yu kicked him in the stomach and sent him flying. He hit a tree and rolled to the ground.


    A masked man hid behind a tree and charged toward Li Yu. Li Yu leaned back and dodged the sword. Her fingers touched the butterfly sleeve arrow and it shot through the masked man¡¯s throat.


    The other masked men gradually approached. Suddenly, there was the sound of hooves. A group of people flew towards the forest. Li Yu hid behind a tree and shouted at the youth, ¡°Young Master, are they an enemy or a friend?¡±


    The tall young man looked at the horse team and smiledfortably. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Miss. They¡¯re friends.¡±


    The masked men began to flee in a sorry state, but it was toote. The group of men spurred their horses into the forest and raised their bows to fire wildly at the masked men. A momentter, all the masked men fell to the ground.


    The team dismounted and walked toward the young man. The young man ran towards a tall and powerful man. He shouted in a hoarse voice, ¡°Uncle,¡± and choked on his words.


    The tall man put his arm around his shoulder and patted him gently. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Yuhao. I¡¯m sorry for beingte and scaring you.¡±


    The young man looked at him and said, ¡°Uncle, I¡¯m not afraid. I¡¯m just worried that Mother¡¯s stomach is... ¡±


    The man put his arm around the young man, who stopped talking and leaned on his shoulder. For a moment, both of them were silent as they watched the guards pack up the bodies.


    Li Yu saw that they were worried and thought to herself, Oh no, it looks like we¡¯re really involved in some noble¡¯s dispute. Ruyi and I will probably be silenced.


    Zhou Jia stood in the depths of the forest and saw a group of people rushing into the forest. He told Uncle Zhou worriedly and turned to leave. Chen Baozhen stood beside Zhou Jia and pulled his sleeve. ¡°Mr. Zhou, don¡¯t go. It¡¯s not safe there.¡±


    Zhou Jia didn¡¯t even look at her. He pulled out his sleeve and ran towards Li Yu. Li Mei red at Chen Baozhen. The vige chief pulled her over and stuffed her into Madam Liu¡¯s arms. He scolded in a low voice, ¡°Watch her. Don¡¯t make a fool of yourself.¡±


    When Zhou Jia ran closer, he saw Li Yu, Ruyi, and a group of people standing in the forest.


    Li Yu heard footsteps and turned around to see that Zhou Jia had also arrived. She thought to herself, ¡°Are you here to die?!¡±

 Chapter 79

    79 Tongzhou


    Li Yu turned her head and red at Zhou Jia, gesturing for him to leave quickly. Unexpectedly, that fool walked toward Li Yu.


    When Zhou Jia approached, he realized that the team consisted of soldiers. The middle-aged man in the lead was obviously a general. Zhou Jia¡¯s heart skipped a beat as he walked toward Li Yu.


    Li Yu turned her head away, not wanting to look at him. Zhou Jia walked to Li Yu¡¯s side and held her hand. He said to her gently, ¡°Follow me.¡±


    Li Yu muttered softly, ¡°Why did youe back? Are you here to die?¡±


    Zhou Jia¡¯s heart warmed. He held Li Yu¡¯s hand and walked a few steps away from the tall man. He bowed. ¡°Student Zhou Jia greets General.¡±


    The tall man looked at Zhou Jia and frowned. ¡°Student? Are you a schr?¡±


    Zhou Jia bowed and replied, ¡°Yes, General.¡±


    The general walked up to Zhou Jia and looked at him with an oppressive aura. ¡°Since you¡¯re a schr, why are you here?¡±


    Zhou Jia bowed and handed over his identity te. ¡°General, we¡¯re from Clearwater Town in Green Mountain County. After the drought and locust gue, bandits came to Clearwater Town to rob us. Helpless, I could only bring my fianc¨¦e and some vigers to find a ce to settle down.¡±


    After the general looked at the disc, he returned it to Zhou Jia and nodded. ¡°The drought and locust gue in the Qingzhou Prefecture are very serious this time. I¡¯m afraid it will continue.¡± As he spoke, he looked at Li Yu again. ¡°Is this girl your fianc¨¦e? I see that she¡¯s extraordinary. I wonder which family¡¯s daughter in Qingzhou she is?¡±


    Zhou Jia cupped his hands and replied, ¡°General, my fianc¨¦e is not the daughter of any family. She¡¯s just an ordinarymoner.¡±


    The youth cupped his hands and thanked Li Yu. ¡°Thank you for saving my life. I saw your moves were sharp just now. May I know who you learned them from?¡±


    Li Yu casually said, ¡°I don¡¯t know who my master is either. He¡¯s the one who looks for me every time. I can¡¯t find him either.¡±


    The young man was a little surprised to hear that. The general looked at him and smiled. ¡°That¡¯s what those people in the mountains are like. They do what they want and don¡¯t care about secr etiquette.¡±


    ¡°Sister, are you alright?¡± Li Mei and Li Qing ran over from behind and pulled Li Yu to check nervously. The vige chief and vigers surrounded her.


    Li Yu sighed in her heart. Now, it was all over.


    Zhou Jia bowed to the general and said, ¡°General, the vigers have alle looking for us, so we¡¯ll take our leave.¡±


    The general looked at Li Yu and then at the vigers. He smiled and said to Zhou Jia, ¡°Schr Zhou since you want to find a ce that¡¯s not affected by the disaster, follow us to Tongzhou! To be honest, I¡¯m Tongzhou¡¯smander, Shen Yu. On ount of your fianc¨¦e and these good men helping my nephew, I¡¯ll make appropriate arrangements for you.¡±


    When Zhou Jia heard this, he thought to himself, As long as they don¡¯t kill us to silence us, we were nning to go to Tongzhou anyway. We¡¯ll be safe as long as we can follow the soldiers.


    Zhou Jia raised his head and bowed gratefully. ¡°Greetings, General Shen. It¡¯s a blessing to be able to go to Tongzhou with you.¡±


    Shen Yu waved her hand and smiled brightly. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s set off!¡±


    The Zhou family bowed and replied, ¡°General Shen, please allow me to inform the vigers.¡±


    Shen Yu nodded in agreement. Zhou Jia turned to the vige chief and said, ¡°Grandpa Chen, this is General Shen, who is stationed in Tongzhou. General Shen invited us to Tongzhou and will help us arrange it.¡±


    When the vige chief heard that the burly man in front of him was a general, he knelt down excitedly and kowtowed. ¡°Greetings, General Shen.¡±


    Shen Yu smiled and helped the vige chief up. He said to the vige chief in a pleasant manner, ¡°Old man, you don¡¯t have to find a ce to flee to anymore. Come with me to Tongzhou! Our Tongzhou has plenty of water and very little drought. The fields are also wide.¡±


    The vige chief looked at Zhou Jia, who nodded and said, ¡°Grandpa, we won¡¯t have to be afraid of bandits anymore if we follow General Shen.¡±


    When the vige chief heard this, he hurriedly knelt down and kowtowed. ¡°I thank General Shen on behalf of everyone.¡±


    Shen Yu smiled and helped the vige chief up. ¡°Old man, please get up.¡±


    Shen Yu left behind a young general called Shen Wu and four personal guards. He left with the youth and the others.


    On the way, the youth asked Shen Yu, ¡°Uncle, actually, we don¡¯t have to keep them. I don¡¯t think they look like bad people.¡±


    Shen Yu looked at the youth andughed loudly. ¡°I thought that you would be suspicious after this murder. I didn¡¯t expect you to be as generous as before.¡±


    The young man shook his head. ¡°Uncle, I¡¯ve changed, but I can tell from their eyes that these people are different from those people.¡±


    Shen Yuughed out loud. ¡°Alright, I hope I¡¯m being paranoid. Let¡¯s wait and see!


    The vige chief watched as Shen Yu and the others walked away and asked Zhou Jia in a low voice, ¡°Mr. Zhou, we won¡¯t be made soldiers if we follow the officials, right?¡±


    Zhou Jia shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. I¡¯m afraid there are some reasons behind this.¡±


    The vige chief nodded. ¡°They¡¯re all afraid that they¡¯ll be made into military households. I¡¯ll go over and tell everyone.¡± Everyone was relieved after hearing the vige chief¡¯s exnation.


    The vige chief looked at them and said in a low voice, ¡°As long as we don¡¯t be military households, we can live anywhere! Besides, we originally nned to go to Tongzhou. General Shen also said that Tongzhou has plenty of water. It¡¯s safer to travel with soldiers.¡±


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s follow the officials!¡± Everyone packed their luggage and set off.


    Zhou Jia nced at Shen Wu, who was riding in front of him. He looked at Li Yu and said in a low voice, ¡°Her Majesty¡¯s maiden family is also surnamed, Shen. Her elder brothers are all generals. I wonder if this General Shen is one of them?¡±


    Li Yu smiled. ¡°Who cares! We¡¯ve already encountered them, so we can pretend not to know. Besides, we¡¯re going to Tongzhou anyway. It¡¯s much safer with them escorting us along the way.¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled and nodded in praise. ¡°Yes! You¡¯ve thought it through.¡±


    Li Yu leaned against Zhou Jia tiredly as the mule cart staggered towards Tongzhou.


    With the officials escorting Li Yu and the others, it was as if they had a talisman. They walked safely for more than half a month and arrived outside Tongzhou City in the early morning of August.


    The young general, Shen Wu, pointed at the towering city walls of Tongzhou City and boasted to Zhou Jia, ¡°Mr. Zhou, look at how good our Tongzhou City is. Even the city walls are higher than in other ces. I don¡¯t understand why those people keep saying that we¡¯re a barbaric ce. They all like to escape towards the capital.¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled and nodded. ¡°That¡¯s because everyone doesn¡¯t know the good of Tongzhou. It¡¯ll be good if they get to know it more.¡±


    Shen Wu brought everyone into the city. Li Yu saw that the roads in the city were wide and neat. There were shops on both sides of the street, and the pedestrians on the street looked peaceful.


    Shen Wu brought Li Yu and the others to the garrison office. When they arrived outside the office, Shen Wu said to Zhou Jia, ¡°Mr. Zhou, wait a moment. I¡¯ll ask the general where he ns to ce you.¡±


    Zhou Jia nodded and watched as Shen Wu entered the government office. He turned to look at Li Yu and the vige chief. ¡°Everyone, rest for a while and wait for the general to settle down.¡±


    The vigers waited uneasily at the entrance of the government office and prayed in their hearts that the Great General had arranged a good ce for them!

 Chapter 80

    80 Phoenix Mountain


    Fifteen minutester, Shen Wu finally came out of the government office under the expectations of the vigers.


    Shen Wu smiled and said to Zhou Jia, ¡°Mr. Zhou, the general has brought Young Master to patrol the military camp. Before he left, he instructed us to arrange for you to stay in Phoenix Town. At the foot of Phoenix Mountain, there is arge piece of wastnd with fertilend and convenient water sources. That ce has always been barren and no one has been farming there. The general said that in order to thank Miss Li and those good men for helping my young master, he will arrange for you to be settled there. Each of you will be given 200 catties of rations and 20 acres ofnd. You won¡¯t have to pay taxes for five years after the wastnd is opened. Later, a schr will set off to Phoenix Mountain to settle you down and distribute the food andnd deeds.¡±


    Everyone was pleasantly surprised when they heard that. They thought to themselves that they had indeede to the right ce. They even had fields thanks to Xiaoyu and Mr. Zhou and did not have to pay taxes for five years.


    Zhou Jia bowed and thanked the government office. ¡°Thank you, General.¡±


    Shen Wu waved at Zhou Jia and the vigers. ¡°Let¡¯s go! It¡¯s still a day away.¡±


    As long as they didn¡¯t have to be soldiers, the vige chief and the others felt that they were lucky to be farming anywhere.


    Everyone followed Shen Wu out of the city. After resting for the night, they passed by Phoenix Town and walked east. Around the end of the afternoon, Shen Wu led everyone to a ridge surrounded by mountains on three sides.


    Shen Wu pointed at the ridge in front of him and said to Zhou Jia, ¡°Mr. Zhou, it¡¯s this ridge. Look, there are mountains and rivers here and such arge piece ofnd. If it weren¡¯t for the general¡¯s orders, it wouldn¡¯t have been your turn!¡±


    Zhou Jia stuffed a money bag into Shen Wu¡¯s hand and cupped his hands in thanks. ¡°Thank you, Brother Shen. We¡¯ll invite you to a gathering after we¡¯ve settled down.¡±


    Shen Wu took the money bag and cupped his hands with a smile. ¡°Sure, sure. Mr. Zhou, if you need anything, you can look for me at the garrison office.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Brother Shen.¡± Zhou Jia bowed to Shen Wu. Shen Wu rode away, leaving the vigers of West Mountain Vige standing excitedly in front of the wastnd and looking at the green mountains and water in front of them.


    Zhou Jia looked at everyone in a daze. ¡°Everyone, unload the vehicles first and bring the livestock to be released. Then, we¡¯ll go up the mountain to cut some trees and build temporary shacks.¡±


    The vige chief wiped his old tears. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s set up the shed first.¡±


    Li Yu looked around the Phoenix Mountain that Shen Wu had mentioned. There was arge wastnd at the foot of the mountain. It was filled with weeds and all kinds of small bushes. There was also a mountain stream about ten feet wide. The stream was very shallow and clear.


    Li Yu felt that this ce was quite good. She turned around and asked Zhou Jia and Li Qing, ¡°Do you two think this ce is good? I think it¡¯s not bad. There are mountains and rivers, and such a widend. There are no locusts, and it¡¯s not as dry as where we came from.¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled. ¡°It looks good. Let¡¯s settle down first before making other ns.¡±


    The vige chief walked to the wastnd with a hoe and picked a few ces to dig up a few piles of soil. He bent down and grabbed a handful of soil and squeezed it with his hand. He smiled and turned to look at every one. ¡°Not bad. The soil is fertile and loose. General Shen didn¡¯t fool us.¡±


    After four hours, the person who went up the mountain to cut the tree carried the wood and bamboo down the mountain. Zhou Jia pointed at the high ground at the entrance. ¡°Let¡¯s build the shed here first. We¡¯ll only move when the house is fixed.¡±


    Everyone began to move. Some of the men picked up hoes and dug holes. Some mounted the wood in the holes and used axes to hammer into the soil. They dug to cover the wooden stakes and then used hoes to firm them. When the frames were done, they split bamboo to weave a fence over them.


    The women cut wild grass and vines to form a straw curtain. They took it to cover the bamboo slices and tied them with vines. Two rows of straw sheds were built before nightfall.


    The livestock was led to the straw shed and tied up. After they were distributed, everyone carried their luggage into their own straw shed.


    After dinner, Auntie He boiled the water. Li Yu finally took her first shower in two months.


    After the women took turns washing, the men also took turns washing. Everyone smelled their bodies that were no longer filthy and looked at each other andughed happily.


    Li Qing ran to Li Yu and looked at her. ¡°Sister, are we not going to flee anymore in the future? Are we going to settle down here?¡±


    ¡°Yes! We won¡¯t desert anymore. We¡¯ll settle down here.¡±


    Thinking about how they had been wandering around since they started fleeing, everyone sighed. ¡°That¡¯s great. We¡¯ve finally settled down.¡±


    Zhou Jia quietly held Li Yu¡¯s hand. ¡°Yes, we¡¯ve settled down.¡±


    The next morning, the vige chief came to look for Zhou Jia. ¡°Mr. Zhou, let¡¯s choose a ce to build the houses first. It¡¯s already the beginning of August. If it¡¯s anyter, the weather will get cold.¡±


    Zhou Jia nodded. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll let Uncle Zhou see which location is good for building the houses.¡±


    Zhou Jia found Uncle Zhou. ¡°Uncle Zhou, can you advise where we can build house?¡±


    Uncle Zhou looked around and pointed at the mountain not far away. ¡°We can build them with backyards facing that mountain. After the houses are fixed, we¡¯ll sit north and face south. There¡¯s also a mountain stream in front that¡¯s convenient for everyone to use.¡±


    The vige chief looked at Uncle Zhou and smiled. ¡°Butler Zhou, you even know how to read feng shui!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve learned some of this in the past when I followed Old Master. I know a little,¡± Uncle Zhou said politely.


    ¡°Even if Butler Zhou only knows a little bit, it¡¯s enough for us. Then let¡¯s do what Butler Zhou said. I¡¯ll go and draw the lots. Let¡¯s decide which shop is in which position to avoid noise.¡±


    Li Yu pointed at the weeds and bushes that were almost as tall as a person and said to the vige chief, ¡°Grandpa Vige Chief, let¡¯s burn these weeds and bushes first before repairing the house! It will be troublesome if snakes and insectse out and bite people.¡±


    The vige chief thought that was right. ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll listen to Xiaoyu. Let¡¯s burn the weeds first before we look at the foundation.¡±


    When Chen Yaohui heard this, he took out a lighter and nned to light a fire to burn the weeds. Li Yu hurriedly stopped him. ¡°Uncle Chen, you can¡¯t burn them like this. It¡¯ll be terrible if you cause a mountain fire.¡±


    Chen Yaohui looked at Li Yu. ¡°Then how do we burn it?¡±


    Li Yu pointed at the foot of the mountain. ¡°Let¡¯s dig a few fireproof belts on the side of the mountain and light a fire so that we won¡¯t start a mountain fire.¡±


    ¡°Alright, everyone, work early and repair the house.¡± Chen Yaohui led the way.


    The adults and children all went into battle. They cut, chopped, and dug with hoes. Two hourster, a few fireproof belts that were one to two meters wide were opened. Everyone took out fire sticks and lit them everywhere. The fire crackled and burned.


    Li Mei looked at the fire and said to Madam Li and Madam Qian with a smile, ¡°Thest time we explored the wastnd, it was also the fish that made the firebreak. After digging, we lit a few fires. In a while, we burned down dozens of acres of wild grass.¡±


    ¡°This child is really smart.¡± Madam Li praised.


    After the weeds were burned clean, the vige chief looked at therge area in front of him and was satisfied with the open and t ce. ¡°There are only twenty or so houses in such a wide ce. Let¡¯s make them wider and further away. We can repair it however we want.¡±


    Butcher He couldn¡¯t help but nod. ¡°I¡¯d better stay at the end of the vige! I don¡¯t want to disturb everyone when I kill the pigs.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re all in the first row.¡± The vige chief smiled and began to draw lines to divide the foundation. Pieces ofnd were divided and given to the families.

 Chapter 81

    81 House


    After the foundation was drawn, the vige chief pointed at the house and said to everyone, ¡°There¡¯s no front or back in this row. Those who are willing to live next door to siblings, rtives, and friends, can just pick one. What do you think?¡±


    ¡°Alright, Vige Chief, that¡¯s a good idea. If those who are willing to live next door can draw lots!¡±


    Li Mei looked at Li Yu and Zhou Jia and smiled. ¡°Yu¡¯er, Mr. Zhou, our families will be next door!¡± The two of them nodded happily. ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°Sister Li, I¡¯ll stay next door to you!¡± Madam Qian expressed that she wanted to stay near Li Yu and the others.


    ¡°Alright, next door!¡± Li Mei replied with a smile.


    The vige chief smiled at Li Qing. ¡°Ah Qing, you¡¯re the youngest household owner. I¡¯ll let you choose first.¡±


    Li Qing looked at Li Yu. Li Yu smiled and pushed him. ¡°Just go!¡±


    After Li Qing walked up to the vige chief and bowed, he took out a bamboo piece from the vige chief¡¯s hand and handed it to him. After the vige chief took it and looked at it, he said, ¡°Ah Qing drew the first one at the east end of the vige. Everyone can continue after drawing the three foundations next to each other.¡± After everyone drew the foundations next to the three houses, they began to draw straws again.


    Li Yu smiled at Li Qing and Zhou Jia. ¡°What kind of renovation do you want?¡±


    Li Qing looked at Li Yu happily. ¡°Sister, you can renovate whichever style you want.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and knocked on Li Qing. ¡°Brat, it¡¯s the same as not saying anything.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not right.¡± Li Qing touched his head and looked at Zhou Jia aggrievedly. ¡°Sir, what do you think I should build?¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Qing and smiled before turning to look at Li Yu. ¡°I¡¯ll renovate whatever style you want.¡±


    When everyone heard this, theyughed. Chen Yaohui said with a smile, ¡°Mr. Zhou, you can¡¯t do this. Your wife will end up wearing the pants in the rtionship.¡±¡®


    Zhou Jia smiled and waved his hand. ¡°It¡¯s fine. As long as Xiaoyu likes it.¡± Everyoneughed even louder.


    Li Yu secretly pinched him. The vige chief looked at Li Yu with a smile. ¡°Xiaoyu, what kind of house do you want to build?¡±


    Li Yu looked at everyone and thought for a moment. ¡°I want to build a two-storey house. The lower floor is built with stones, and the upper floor is made of wood. This way, even if it rains, the food can be dried on the wooden building. I won¡¯t be afraid of mold.¡±


    After everyone heard this, they asked Carpenter Chen, ¡°Old Chen, you¡¯re a carpenter. Do you think this wooden building that Xiaoyu mentioned can be built?¡±


    Carpenter Chen nodded. ¡°Why can¡¯t it be built? It can be built.¡±


    The vige chief thought about it and felt that it was good. ¡°Xiaoyu, draw a blueprint with Mr. Zhou. After dinner, we¡¯ll go to town to buy materials from the craftsmen.¡±


    After everyone dispersed, Chen Gui, his brother, and the other families found Li Yu¡¯s shed. Chen Gui looked at Li Yu with a red face and stammered, ¡°Xiaoyu, we¡¯re shamelessly asking you for a favor.¡±


    ¡°Uncle Chen Gui, what is it?¡± Li Yu said with a smile.


    The Chen brothers bowed to Li Yu. ¡°Our total assets are only two taels. We want to talk to you and Mr. Zhou about borrowing some money from him to repair the house. After we get the title deed tomorrow, we¡¯ll mortgage it to him. What do you think?¡±


    Li Yu felt that these brothers were all honest people. She smiled and nodded. ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll tell him. How much silver do you want to borrow.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t know how much money it will take to repair the house. We¡¯ll wait for the craftsmen to estimate it before we work out the exact amount. Is that okay?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good. I¡¯ll talk to him about itter. Then you can tell him how much to borrow. Will that work?¡±


    ¡°Alright, thank you, Xiaoyu. Thank you!¡± Chen Gui and the others bowed gratefully to Li Yu.


    After sending off Chen Gui and his brother, Li Yu told Zhou Jia about Chen Gui and his brother wanting to borrow money to repair the house. Zhou Jia smiled and nodded. ¡°Just ask them to look for me when the timees.¡±


    An hourter, Zhou Jia, the vige chief, and more than ten vigers went to town to hire craftsmen to start building houses.


    There were 20 families that wanted to repair their houses at the foot of Phoenix Mountain. The craftsmen of Phoenix Town gathered at the foot of Phoenix Mountain to sell stone materials and wood. There were also bricks and tiles. The foot of Phoenix Cry Mountain was as lively as a construction materials market.


    The craftsmen hired by Zhou Jia were brothers with the surname Xu. The elder brother was Xu Chun and the younger brother was Xu Dong.


    Zhou Jia showed the two of them the blueprint that he had drawn with Li Yu. He pointed at the blueprint and said to them, ¡°There are two floors in the house that are made of stone. A wooden floor is built on the top. There are five east and west rooms and three other rooms. The ground of the house has to be covered with stone bs. A row of livestock sheds has to be built against the courtyard wall in the backyard. There are two pig pens in the livestock sheds and a chicken pen. The pig pens have to be covered with stone bs. This is the drainage entrance.


    There has to be a well in the front and back courtyards. After the dark ditch where the dirty water is discharged in the front and rear courtyards is dug through, it has to be connected to the septic tank outside the backyard. Then, in the courtyard, there has to be a space three to four feet wide against the courtyard wall to make a flowerbed. The rest has to be paved with stone bs.¡±


    Xu Chun pointed at the room beside the room. ¡°Mr. Zhou, what¡¯s the use of this room?¡±


    Zhou Jia took a look. ¡°These two are bathrooms. These two are potholes. We have to dig out a sewage ditch at the bottom. The ditch has to reach the manure pit outside the backyard wall.¡±


    The Xu brothers understood when they heard Zhou Jia¡¯s words. ¡°We understand. Then what kind of wood do you use for the wooden floor? What kind of wood do you use for the doors and windows?¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at the two of them. ¡°What wood do you have? Tell me.¡±


    ¡°The usual ones are made of yellow and white pine, cypress wood... and rose pear wood...¡± Xu Chun recited the name of a long string of wood like a dish.


    Zhou Jia smiled at Li Yu. ¡°Xiaoyu, what kind of wood do you want to use?¡± Li Yu smiled and shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m not versed in such things. You can decide.¡±


    Zhou Jia nodded and looked at the Xu brothers. ¡°If the wooden floor uses yellow pine wood, we¡¯ll use pear wood for the window. Estimate how much silver it will cost for two simr houses. How long will it take?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Zhou, allow me and my brother to look at the blueprint and estimate it. I¡¯ll answer you.¡± Xu Chun smiled.


    ¡°Might as well. See if there¡¯s anything you don¡¯t understand before you ask me.¡±


    The Xu brothers looked at the blueprint for a long time and asked twice. After calcting for a long time, they said to Zhou Jia, ¡°Mr. Zhou, the cost of repairing a house is about 60 taels of silver. The construction period is about two months.¡±


    Zhou Jia nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s make a contract and I¡¯ll hand the house over to you to build. If there are any problems in the future, we¡¯ll solve them ording to the agreement in the contract. What do you think?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Zhou, don¡¯t worry. No one has ever said anything bad about the residence built by us brothers.¡± Xu Chun patted his chest and promised.


    Zhou Jia looked at the Xu brothers. ¡°It¡¯s best if you have a good reputation, but I can onlyment on how well you¡¯ve repaired my residence.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s what I should do. In the end, you have to be satisfied.¡± Xu Chun smiled and replied.


    After Zhou Jia and the Xu brothers signed the contract and paid a little in advance, the brothers rushed back to call the other craftsmen.


    The materials used for Li Mei¡¯s house were cheap and could be built in about 30 taels. The Qian family only needed 20 taels and borrowed 10 taels from Li Yu. The two families also started work the next day.


    Chen Gui and the others each borrowed 20 taels of silver from Zhou Jia. After writing the loan agreement and waiting for the scribe to settle the title deed, they mortgaged it to Zhou Jia.


    After everything was arranged, Zhou Jia handed the repair of the house to Uncle Zhou and brought Li Yu and Li Qing to town to look for a shop to do business.

 Chapter 82

    82 Setting Shop


    Zhou Jia and Li Yu strolled around the town and felt that Phoenix Town wasrger than Clearwater Town. Pheonix Town had two main streets and a street in the center of the town. On both sides of the street were various shops. One of them was by the river and specialized in selling vegetables, meat, and livestock.


    The three of them wandered the streets and found a Zhu¡¯s Broker Store.


    The broker was a dark and thin man in his forties. When he saw the three of them enter, he hurriedly went up to them and asked with a smile, ¡°My surname is Zhu. Are you here to buy a house ornd?¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled and cupped his hands. ¡°Sir, is there a shop in town for sale?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a shop that¡¯s for sale. There are two shops at the bend ahead. Do you want to take a look?¡± A customer came and smiled.


    Zhou Jia nodded. ¡°Alright, show us!¡±


    The broker closed the shop and eagerly brought Zhou Jia and Li Yu to the two shops he had mentioned.


    Li Yu saw that the location was quite good and the house was in the middle of the street. She felt strange that the owner of such a good shop would sell it.


    Zhou Jia also had the same thought. ¡°Does Broker Zhu know why the main family wants to sell it?¡±


    Broker Zhi sighed. ¡°This is the shop of Huang Di¡¯s family in town. After Huang Di left, my son heard that he lost a lot of money doing business overseas beforeing back to sell his ancestral assets. Let me show you guys in first.¡±


    Broker Zhu took out the key and opened the small door beside the shop. Li Yu saw that the shop was about 80 to 90 square meters.


    Broker Zhu pushed open a small door inside and pointed to the courtyard. ¡°There¡¯s another courtyard inside. There¡¯s a well with a row of four rooms. There¡¯s also a livestock shed and two storerooms behind it.¡±


    Zhou Jia was satisfied. ¡°Broker Zhu, how much do you want to sell it for?¡±


    The broker smiled at Zhou Jia. ¡°It costs 150 taels of silver.¡±


    Zhou Jia shook his head. ¡°The shops in Tongzhou City are worth this price. But shops in town are not worth so much money.¡±


    Broker Zhu thought to himself that he was actually someone who knew his stuff. ¡°If you¡¯re sincere about buying it, you can pay less.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t tell me the real price. I¡¯ve already asked around. A shop like this in this realm is worth at most 120 taels of silver. If you think it¡¯s possible, I¡¯ll buy it. Then we don¡¯t have to waste our breath anymore,¡± Zhou Jia said.


    The broker smiled awkwardly. ¡°Since Young Master has said so, I won¡¯t say anything else. I¡¯ll sell it to Young Master on behalf of the host.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Zhou Jia and the others returned to the broker store with Broker Zhu. They wrote the contract and paid the money. They came out of the broker store with the deed and keys. Zhu Ya eagerly sent them to the broker house¡¯s door. ¡°Young Master Zhou, if you need anything in the future,e and find me.¡±


    Zhou Jia thought for a moment and turned to look at him. ¡°Help me keep an eye out for good spots in Tongzhou City. I won¡¯t treat you badly.¡±


    The Zhuya man couldn¡¯t stop smiling. He kept nodding. ¡°Okay, okay. I¡¯ll let you know as soon as I hear anything.¡±


    The three of them went to the market to buy some meat and vegetables and returned to Phoenix Mountain.


    In the garrison office, Shen Wu reported Zhou Jia and the others¡¯ every move to Shen Yu.


    After hearing Shen Wu¡¯s report, Shen Yu touched his chin. ¡°ording to you, we really just happened to meet. Did they say anything about my arrangements after they arrived? What have those refugees been doing at the foot of Phoenix Cry Mountain these past few days?¡±


    Shen Wu bowed and replied, ¡°General, they are very grateful to hear your arrangements. They are currently repairing the house. Young Master Zhou even went to town to buy the shop of the Huang family. It seems that they n to stay in peace.¡±


    Shen Yu nodded and said, ¡°Alright, as long as they behave themselves, we¡¯ll wait for news from the capital to confirm that they weren¡¯t sent by others. On ount of their help, we¡¯ll take care of them wherever we can in the future. Before the news arrives, you still have to keep an eye on them.¡±


    ¡°Yes, General.¡± Shen Wu bowed and left.


    Li Yu and the other two returned to Phoenix Mountain and saw that the construction site was already in full swing.


    Li Yu looked at the house that was being built and thought to herself that it had been more than a year since she came to this world. She wondered if she could settle down this time.


    Li Yu looked at Phoenix Mountain in the distance. ¡°You have to teach Ah Qingter. I¡¯m bored, so I¡¯ll go to the mountain to hunt some wild animals.¡±


    ¡°Alright, be careful ande back early.¡± Zhou Jia reminded her worriedly.


    Li Yu smiled at Zhou Jia. ¡°Yes! I¡¯ll be careful. Otherwise, my little beauty will belong to someone else.¡± With that, she turned around and slipped away.


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu, who quickly slipped away, and shook his head with a smile. He muttered to himself, ¡°I wonder where this girl learned to spout nonsense.¡±


    After Zhou Jia finished teaching Li Qing, he left his homework and walked towards the work ground alone. Just as he reached the mountain stream, Chen Baozhen caught up to Zhou Jia from behind. She stood in front of Zhou Jia shyly and took out a pouch from her pocket with a red face. She handed it to Zhou Jia and looked at him shyly. ¡°Mr. Zhou, I saw that the pouch you used was old, so I made one for you. Do you like it?¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Chen Baozhen with disdain. ¡°Miss Chen, please respect yourself.¡± Zhou Jia strode away with a cold expression.


    ¡°Sigh!¡± Chen Baozhen looked at Zhou Jia¡¯s back and opened her mouth resentfully. She wanted to ask Zhou Jia how she was inferior to that tomboy, but when she thought of Zhou Jia¡¯s disdainful gaze, she stopped.


    The vige chief passed by with the wood on his shoulder and was so angry that he felt dizzy. He gritted his teeth and waited for Zhou Jia to leave before walking over angrily to pull Chen Baozhen. ¡°Come back with me. I have something to tell you.¡±


    Chen Baozhen looked at the vige chief¡¯s ashen face and stammered, ¡°Father, I, I...¡±


    The vige chief pulled Chen Baozhen back to the straw shed and pushed her in front of Madam Liu. He whispered to her, ¡°Do you know how to teach your daughter? How dare you do such a thing?¡±


    Madam Liu looked at the vige chief in disbelief. ¡°What did Baozhen do that vited public decency? I know my daughter. Don¡¯t listen to your son and daughter-inw.¡±


    The vige chief looked at Madam Liu in disappointment. ¡°When those matchmakers came to propose marriage at home, they always failed. As long as the marriage didn¡¯t work out, you would just say that it was Yaozu and Yaohui¡¯s wife who instigated things and caused Baozhen to not be able to find a good marriage.¡± The vige chief snatched the pouch from Chen Baozhen¡¯s hand and handed it to Madam Liu with trembling hands. ¡°Look, today, I saw with my own eyes that she was going to give this to Mr. Zhou... This is the good daughter you taught.¡± The vige chief threw the pouch in front of Madam Liu and turned to walk toward the construction site.


    Madam Liu stood there in a daze. When she saw the vige chief leave, she picked up the pouch and looked at it before believing the vige chief¡¯s words. Madam Liu walked over and dragged Chen Baozhen into the straw shed. She beat Chen Baozhen and said, ¡°Evil creature, how can you give the pouch to Mr. Zhou? Mr. Zhou and Xiaoyu are already engaged. Do you have any shame?¡±


    Chen Baozhen cried to Madam Liu, ¡°Mother, I don¡¯t want to marry those vigers. They don¡¯t even know how to write and they¡¯re always covered in sweat.¡±


    When Madam Liu saw Chen Baozhen crying, her heart ached as she persuaded, ¡°But you can¡¯t target Mr. Zhou! Why don¡¯t you think about it? He¡¯s already engaged. It¡¯s not like you don¡¯t know how he treated Xiaoyu along the way.¡±


    Chen Baozhen looked up at Madam Liu. ¡°Mother, please help me. If I can marry Mr. Zhou and be a schr¡¯s wife in the future, I¡¯ll be a schr¡¯s wife. At that time, Madam Ma and Madam Li won¡¯t dare to look down on us.¡±


    Madam Liu was a little tempted when she heard that. When she thought of the vige chief, she shook her head in fear. ¡°Don¡¯t let your imagination run wild. If Mr. Zhou can be a High Schr, he will still be at ease as a teacher in the vige. When the days settle down, I will choose one for you.¡±


    Chen Baozhen knelt in front of Madam Liu and kept kowtowing. ¡°Mother, I like Mr. Zhou. Please help me.¡±


    Madam Liu helped Chen Baozhen up with heartache. ¡°I¡¯ll help you, but you have to take it slow. From today onwards, you have to be obedient and not anger your father.¡±


    Chen Baozhen smiled and threw herself into Madam Liu¡¯s arms. She hugged Madam Liu and smiled sweetly. ¡°Mother, I understand. I¡¯ll be good and please Father. Mother, you¡¯re the best.¡±

 Chapter 83

    83 Hunting, A Lesson


    Zhou Jia went to the construction site to take a look. After returning to the straw shed to look at Li Qing¡¯s homework, he brought Zhao Cai and Li Qing to town to tidy up the shop.


    Li Yu carried the backpack and walked along the stream until she reached the foot of the mountain. She saw a pool that looked like arge vat. The pool was green and looked bottomless.


    Li Yu looked up and saw a cave about three to four meters above the pool. After the water flowed out of the cave, it fell into the pool and overflowed into the mountain stream.


    Li Yu quickly walked towards the path at the foot of the mountain in the east. The path up the mountain was very narrow and steep. Thorns grew on both sides of the mountain path, and all kinds of wild fruits grew by the roadside.


    When she walked to the slope, Li Yu looked toward the bushes and saw a jujube tree in the distance. She used a machete to push aside the weeds and vines and came to the jujube tree. The brown jujube tree was filled with fruits. Li Yu pulled down a branch, pulled a segment of the jujube fruit, and ced it in her mouth. She chewed it. It was juicy, and there was a hint of alcohol in its slight bittersweetness. It tasted the same as what she had eaten when she was young.


    Li Yu picked all the dates and ced them in her space. She picked some raspberries and tasted a few. They were sweet and juicy. She turned around and saw another patch of wild grapes. The fruit was still green and not ripe. Li Yu nned to bring Li Mei and the others to pick it the next time.


    Li Yu retreated from the bushes and climbed up the mountain. Along the way, she discovered many unknown wildflowers. Li Yu bent down and picked a purple flower. A gorgeous rooster flew out of the bushes. Li Yu threw the machete at the rooster and hit its back. The rooster fluttered and fell into the grass.


    Li Yu walked over and pushed aside the grass. She picked up the chicken and saw a nest of eggs in the grass. Li Yu picked up the eggs and looked up to see that a meter away from her, a poisonous snake with yellow-green patterns and a triangr head was wrapped around the tree trunk. It stuck out its tongue and looked at her. Li Yu was stunned. She stood there and didn¡¯t dare to move. In an instant, the poisonous snake shot at Li Yu like lightning. Li Yu suddenly realized that she had the pace. She chanted and hid in the space. The poisonous snake lost its prey and slithered away along the grass.


    After a while, Li Yu came out with lingering fear. She walked out of the grass and took the snake medicine out of the space. She hung it at her waist before walking up the mountain.


    They caught a few pheasants on the way and walked up the hill to find a herd of warthogs. Some were ying, while othersy on their backs, enjoying the sun bath.


    Li Yu hid behind the tree and shot three unlucky ghosts. The others quickly fled back into the cave. Li Yu did not chase after them. She picked up the three warthogs and ced them in the space before continuing to climb up.


    On the hill was a pine forest. The soft pine needles were covered in pine antlers and hawthorn fungus. Li Yu put down the backpack and picked up the pine antler and hawthorn fungus. She put them into the space to preserve them. She then picked up some more and put them into the backpack. She carried the mushrooms and walked down the mountain.


    Halfway up the hill, she encountered two men, one in front of the other, walking up the hill. One was carrying a longbow, the other a long knife and rope.


    The man with the longbow on his back looked up at Li Yu with a stunned gaze. When he saw Li Yu alone, he suddenly rushed in front of Li Yu and blocked the way down the mountain. Li Yu looked at him coldly and said, ¡°Move.¡±


    ¡°Yo! She¡¯s quite spicy.¡± The man looked at Li Yu with a lecherous smile. ¡± I like it like this.¡± As he spoke, he reached out to touch Li Yu¡¯s face. ¡°Come, it hurt!¡± Before he could finish speaking, Li Yu kicked him to the ground and he rolled under a tree before stopping.


    Li Yu left without even looking at the person with the long saber on his back. The man on the ground shouted at the long saber man, ¡°Brother Liangbing, stop that little bitch.¡±


    The man called Liangbing stood in front of Li Yu and sneered. ¡°Why? Do you want to leave after hitting someone?¡±


    Li Yu looked at him and said, ¡°Get lost.¡±


    The man reached out to grab Li Yu¡¯s shoulder. Li Yu dodged to the side and grabbed his wrist. She exerted force backward. With a crack, the man¡¯s wrist was broken by Li Yu. ¡°Ah!¡± The man covered his wrist and shouted in pain.


    Seeing that the Liangbing had also been defeated, the man with the bow got up and took it down. He pulled the arrow and put it on the string. He roared, ¡°I¡¯ll kill you, bitch.¡±


    With a whoosh, the arrow flew towards Li Yu, who waved her knife and knocked the arrow to the ground. She jumped in front of him and punched him in the face. The man hurriedly took the bow to block it. Li Yu flipped her hand and snatched the bow from the man¡¯s hand. The man turned around and wanted to escape. Li Yu raised the bow and put it around the man¡¯s neck. She pulled the man back and kicked him to the ground a few times. She said coldly, ¡°Lowly and shameless thing. You can¡¯t do evil, but you still want to kill people. Today, you met your grandaunt. If you meet a weak woman, wouldn¡¯t you have ruined her? It¡¯s also a disaster to keep your dirty hands.¡±


    Li Yu raised her foot and stepped on the man¡¯s wrist, breaking it. The man broke out in cold sweat from the pain and begged for mercy. ¡°I won¡¯t dare to do it again. Please spare my life.¡±


    The man called Liangbing walked over and begged, ¡°Swordswoman, we brothers did not recognize you. We have offended you. Please spare us. I swear we will never do such a despicable and shameless thing again.¡±


    Li Yu raised her leg and moved away from the man¡¯s wrist. She broke the bow and arrow and threw them on the ground. She looked at him and warned, ¡°I¡¯ll let you off for today. If you dare to bully others in the future, I¡¯ll definitely take your wretched life.¡±


    Li Yu turned around and walked down the mountain. The man called Liangbing said to the man on the ground, ¡°Lianggong, I¡¯ve long advised you not to be lecherous and do such despicable things. See, you¡¯ve learned your lesson today!¡±


    Lianggong got up from the ground and looked at Li Yu¡¯s back with a vicious gaze. He said to Liangbing, ¡°Brother Liangbing, do you know where she came from? Why haven¡¯t I seen her all these years?¡±


    Liangbing shook his head and held his wrist. He advised Lianggong kindly, ¡°I¡¯ve never seen her before either. Forget it, Lianggong. Just take it that you¡¯ve bought a lesson. Let¡¯s hurry down the mountain to find a fall doctor and reattach your wrist.¡±


    After saying that, Liangbing endured the pain and walked down the mountain. Lianggong also stumbled and followed him down the mountain.


    At the foot of the mountain, Li Yu took out the pheasant and warthog in the space when there was no one around. She carried the warthog and the pheasant back to the shed.


    When Auntie He saw the warthog in Li Yu¡¯s hand, she happily took one and said with a smile, ¡°Miss, take the oil out of this thing and boil it well. It¡¯s good stuff. It¡¯s best to use it for burns and frostbite. Even the meat is very tender.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll get it ready. You can do it.¡±


    Auntie He pulled Li Yu and smiled. ¡°Just leave it there. I¡¯ll pack these things. I¡¯ll also sell the fur. If there¡¯s good fur in the future, leave it to me. I promise to sell it well for you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good! I¡¯ll hand them all to you in the future.¡± Li Yu took some dates and raspberries and ced them in the bamboo basket. She said to Auntie He, ¡°There are some fruits here. Remember to eat themter.¡±


    ¡°Ah!¡± After Auntie He agreed, she carried the warthog and walked towards the mountain stream.

 Chapter 84

    84 Wild Rice


    Li Yu took some dates and raspberries and sent them to Li Mei. She returned to the shed and sat on the straw mat. She leaned against the shed and ate the raspberries as she leisurely listened to Zhou Jia teach Li Qing.


    Liangbing and Lianggong walked past the straw shed and saw Li Yu sitting in front of it. They said fiercely to the Liangbing, ¡°Brother Liangbing, look at that woman. So she fled here.¡±


    Liangbing nced at him and shook his head secretly. He advised kindly, ¡°Lianggong, listen to my advice. It¡¯s your fault in the first ce. Besides, this wastnd has been there for many years and no one hase to reim it. These people have lived here since they arrived. They should have some background. Don¡¯t provoke them.¡±


    When Lianggong heard this, he sneered, ¡°I don¡¯t have your good temper. I was taught a lesson by a woman for nothing.¡±


    Seeing that he would not listen to advice, Liangbing stopped talking.


    The two of them were not on the same page and kept silent all the way. When they arrived in town and found the doctor to set the bones, there was another heart-wrenching pain.


    The doctor said to Liangbing, ¡°Your hand is fine. It will recover in a few days.¡±


    Lianggong asked with cold sweat, ¡°Doctor, what about mine? When will it be ready?¡±


    The doctor looked at him and said, ¡°Yours will take two months to recover. When it does, you can¡¯t over-exert yourself.¡±


    Lianggong cursed Li Yu in his heart. Bitch, just you wait. When I recover, I¡¯ll bring people to deal with you.


    Li Yu waited for Zhou Jia to finish teaching a chapter and let Li Qing copy it before smiling at him. ¡°You¡¯re in for a treat today. I picked up a lot of pine mushrooms on the mountain today. I¡¯ll make stewed chicken with pine mushroomster. It tastes delicious.¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled and waited for Li Yu to finish. When Li Qing lowered his head to write, he secretly kissed Li Yu¡¯s cheek and smiled like a cat that had stolen a fish. He looked at Li Yu and said, ¡°Yes! I¡¯m waiting to eat your pine antler stewed chicken.¡±


    Li Yu nced at him and said with a smile, ¡°Xiao Xi, the Saint will hit you if he finds out.¡±


    Zhou Jia chuckled softly and said, ¡°The Saint already said that men have primal needs. People are too greedy!¡±


    Li Qing suddenly walked between the two of them and handed the notebook to Zhou Jia with a look of disdain. ¡°Sir, I¡¯m done writing.¡±


    Zhou Jia pretended to cough and took the notebook. After reading it, he smiled at Li Qing and said, ¡°Ah Qing, you¡¯ve passed today. Go y for a while!¡±


    Li Qing looked at Zhou Jia and said seriously, ¡°Sir, I¡¯ve already missed a lot of homework. Please help me make up for it.¡±


    Li Yu looked at the two of them and smiled. ¡°Yes! Ah Qing is good. Let your teacher make up for all the homework you missed. I¡¯ll make chicken soup for you.¡±


    Seeing that Li Yu had left, Zhou Jia looked at Li Qing and said seriously, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll start teaching you now.¡±


    Li Yu walked to the ce where she was cooking and saw Auntie He and Zhaodi shaving pine mushrooms. The chickens had already been washed and chopped into pieces. When Zhaodi saw Li Yu, she waved her hand and took out the rooster feathers from the bamboo basket at the side. She handed them to Li Yu and said, ¡°Cousin, look, the feathers of the rooster are so beautiful! I¡¯ll save them for you.¡±


    Li Yu looked at Zhaodi¡¯s loving expression and smiled. ¡°Keep them. I¡¯ll hunt for more in the future.¡±


    After Li Yu rinsed the pheasant, she poured it into the jar and cut some ginger. She ced two onions in the y pot. After boiling them, she removed the foam and stewed them for an hour. Auntie He tore the pine antler and poured it into the jar, slowly roasting it on a low fire.


    During dinner, everyone said that the pine mushrooms stewed with chicken dish was too delicious. Li Yu also felt that perhaps because there was no pollution, these pine mushrooms were even more delicious.


    At the end of the next afternoon, Zhu Zhencheng and two schrs pulled a few carts of food to the foot of Phoenix Mountain to measure thend and distribute the household register and title deed to Li Yu and the others.


    Secretary Xu said to Zhou Jia, ¡°Mr. Zhou, as you know, since ancient times, women have never had fields to divide. However, the general has instructed that regardless of whether they are men or women, each of you will be given 20 acres ofnd. Also, you will have to pay a sum of tax for the deed. The general said that it will be recorded in his ount. Now, please take out your original household register and divide the fields ording to the poption on it.¡±


    Zhou Jia and the vige chief hurriedly bowed and thanked him. ¡°On behalf of the vigers, please thank the General for his kindness.¡±


    Everyone returned to their shacks and came over with their household registers. After Secretary Xu and Zhen Cheng registered their household registers again, they led the vigers to divide the fields.


    After settling thend and house deeds for everyone and distributing the rations, the town mayor said to Zhou Jia and the vige chief, ¡°The general said that this ce will be called Phoenix Vige in the future.¡±


    Everyone bowed again and said, ¡°Thank you, General. Thank you, Town Deputy and Secretary.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Mr. Secretary and Mr. Mayor.¡± Zhou Jia handed over the red envelope. They were a little surprised, but then they happily epted it.


    After everyone exchanged pleasantries, Zhou Jia and the vige chief sent the town mayor and schr away and returned to the shed. When they saw everyone holding the title deed, they were so happy that their mouths could not close.


    Chen Gui and a few vigers who had borrowed money sent the title deed to Zhou Jia. Zhou Jia looked at them and said, ¡°I¡¯ll ept the title deed. There¡¯s no need for interest. You can alsoe to my house to work. Your loan will be deducted from your sry.¡±


    Chen Gui and the others said gratefully, ¡°Mr. Zhou, you¡¯ve already waived the interest. How can we still collect our sry if we work for you?¡±


    Zhou Jia raised his hand and said, ¡°There¡¯s no need to say anything else. You followed Xiaoyu and me here. I¡¯ll help you if I can.¡±


    Chen Gui and the others bowed gratefully to Zhou Jia before walking back.


    The next morning, Zhou Jia brought Ji Xiang to Tongzhou City with the plow and hoe patterns that Li Yu had drawn up.


    Uncle Zhou and Ruyi were in charge of supervising the house building. Auntie He and Zhaodi were cooking, and Li Qing was chopping wood. For a moment, Li Yu became idle.


    Li Yu thought for a moment and simply walked up the mountain with the machete.


    Li Yu walked up the mountain along the path she had walked thest time. On the way, she caught a few pheasants and picked up a few nests of wild eggs. She then went to the pine forest and picked up some pine antler and mushrooms. She ced them in her space and walked towards the col under the pine forest.


    Li Yu held a wooden stick and knocked on the wild grass in front of her. She pushed aside the grass and walked to the ridge. She saw arge pond. Wild ducks were swimming in the pond. When they saw someoneing, they pped their wings and flew towards the forest by the pond.


    Li Yu chased into the forest by the pond and saw wild ducks¡¯ nests everywhere. There were also wild duck eggs in the nests. Li Yu used a wooden stick to carefully hit the wild grass beside the grass nest, afraid that she would encounter poisonous snakes again.


    After confirming that there were no snakes or insects, she began to pick up wild duck eggs. Li Yu picked up some from each duck nest and went around. Li Yu secretly estimated that there were at least a hundred wild duck eggs in this area and ced them in her space.


    After picking up a portion of the eggs and hunting more than ten wild ducks, she left the pond and walked down. After walking for about an hour, Li Yu saw a patch of wild rice growing sparsely by the ravine in front of her.


    When she walked closer, she saw that only a dozen or so light red rice grains had grown on the ears of each wild rice. Some were ripe, and some were not. Li Yu carefully picked the ripe wild rice and ced them in the leaves. When she had finished picking, she ended up with four to five catties of wild rice. Li Yu ced the wild rice in her space and prepared to try mixing it with the rice in spring to see if she could make the rice here more resistant to illness and copse.


    Li Yu washed her hands at the edge of the ditch and took out some dry food to eat before starting to walk back. When she reached the pond, she saw a group of wild deer drinking water at the edge of the ditch. Li Yu quietly took out her bow and shot at the wild deer. The arrow pierced through a deer¡¯s neck and it fell into the ditch.


    The group of wild deer was so frightened that they fled in all directions. Li Yu shot a few arrows in session and hit two more. Li Yu ran over and pulled out the arrows. She ced the wild deer in the space and strode back. Before the sunset, she rushed back to Phoenix Vige.

 Chapter 85

    85 New House


    The next day, Zhou Jia returned with the farming tools he had made and the cattle he had bought for Li Mei¡¯s family. He even hired more than tenborers to help with the clearing of the wastnd.


    After the workers plowed the ground, they picked up the stones and dead trees in the wastnd. Then they used the plow to rake the ground open. They picked up the small stones hidden in the ground and plowed deeper.


    Li Yu and Zhou Jia brought Li Qing, Ji Xiang, and Ruyi to find a patch of bushes to dig up the withered grass on the ground. They dug up the rotten soil under the withered grass and scattered it in the grooves made by the plows. When the ground was about to be ready, Li Yu brought people to filter out the wheat, leaving behind grainy wheat seeds that were exposed to the sun a few times to prepare them for nting.


    The 20 people had been busy for more than ten days before they finally plowed Li Yu¡¯s 40 acres and Zhou Jia¡¯s 60 acres. They scattered the seeds of winter wheat.


    Li Mei hired ten long-term workers to help plow the 80 acres ofnd at home for a few days and scattered wheat seeds.


    The wheat seeds were scattered. Li Yu brought Ji Xiang and the others to the corners of the ground. Every few acres, they dug a four-foot-wide and six-foot-deep oyster fertilizer pool. They dug a total of more than ten manure pools. Then, they dug rotten soil and withered grass from the forest and filled the fertilizer pools.


    Everyone in the vige emted Li Yu and went to the forest to find rotten soil for fertilizing theirnd.


    After the wastnd was cleared, Zhou Jia brought Zhao Cai to take care of the shop.


    Xu Chun and Carpenter Chen came to the shack to look for Li Yu. Xu Chun said to Li Yu, ¡°Miss Li, the house has basically beenpleted. There¡¯s also one more thing. It¡¯s much colder in Tongzhou than in Qingzhou. It snows once or twice a year. I think it¡¯s better for you to set up a few milling beds in the lower rooms.¡±


    When Li Yu heard this, she felt that it made sense. ¡°Then let¡¯s make a bed! The master who makes the stove has to be skillful. The color on the stove should be fresher.¡±


    ¡°Alright, Miss Li. I¡¯ll tell Master.¡± Xu Chun smiled and agreed. Li Yu handed the blueprint of the stove to Xu Chun, who left with it.


    The woodcutter also came to ask Li Yu, ¡°Miss Li, thest round of tung oil brushing and cleaning will bepleted. Do you need to do anything else?¡±


    Li Yu felt that the woodcutter¡¯s skills were not bad. She smiled and asked him, ¡°Master Lin, I still have to make a few pieces of furniture. Can you make them?¡±


    ¡°Miss Li, draw them out for me to see. Let me see what they look like,¡± the woodcutter said happily when he saw that there was still work to do.


    Li Yu nodded and took out the booklet. She used a charcoal pencil to draw a mahogany sofa, coffee table, wardrobe, cupboard, and a few other simple furniture styles. The forest gardener¡¯s eyes lit up when he saw Li Yu¡¯s drawing. ¡°Miss Li, is this the drawing method Mr. Zhou taught you? The things you draw look like they¡¯re standing in front of you.¡±


    Li Yu smiled. ¡°Mr. Zhou said that this is called a blueprint. I¡¯m just drawing it for you to see. You still have to figure out the exact size yourself.¡±


    The woodcutter looked at the furniture style that Li Yu had drawn and thought to himself, ¡°Such exquisite furniture. If I have these patterns, the business in the shop will definitely be prosperous.¡±


    ¡°Miss Li, I have a furniture shop in Tongzhou City. The business has always been lukewarm. After I make the furniture for you, can I use these patterns to make furniture and sell them? I¡¯ll give you a share...¡± The woodcutter proposed.


    When Li Yu heard that, she smiled and said, ¡°Master Lin, help me make the furniture and arrange it to see the effect before we talk about cooperation.¡±


    The woodcutter was a little disappointed when he heard that, but he still smiled and nodded. ¡°Alright, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll definitely make the furniture. When the timees, I¡¯ll talk to you about cooperation. I also have some rosewood and camphor wood at home. The camphor wood can be used to make the wardrobe and cupboard to keep off insects. The rest can be made of rosewood. Is that okay?¡±


    Li Yu nodded. ¡°I know about using camphor wood to keep off insects, but I¡¯m an amateur. Since you¡¯re the master, I¡¯ll do as you say!¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll get to work.¡± Seeing that Li Yu trusted him, the craftsman was also very happy. He smiled and left with the blueprint. Li Yu packed her things and went to the new house.


    The Zhou family¡¯s house was next to Li Yu¡¯s house, and Li Mei¡¯s house was next to Xiao An¡¯s house. More than 20 families were built in a row, and every house was more than ten feet away.


    There was a dirt road in front of the house that could amodate two handcarts at the same time. There was also a two-acre vegetable field by the side of the road. Li Yu felt that it looked a little like theyout of some modern ces and new viges.


    Li Yu walked under the courtyard wall. The courtyard wall waspletely made of stone and was more than six feet tall. The courtyard door was made of good rosewood. The rosewood was dark red and the wooden patterns looked a little like feathers. They looked gorgeous and noble.


    Li Yu thought to herself, At that time, Zhou Jia said that he didn¡¯tck this bit of silver and asked the craftsmen to use rosewood for all the doors and windows. The level was indeed different. No wonder rosewood was so expensive in the modern world. Silver was still the best.


    Li Yu pushed open the door and entered the courtyard. She saw that the stone bs in the courtyard dam were very t and clean. The well was at the corner of the courtyard wall on the left. The flowerbeds left behind to nt flowers and nts were also separated by stone strips. Flower fertilizer had already been piled up in the flowerbed.


    Li Yu stood in the courtyard and saw that the part of the wooden building that was hung formed the eaves on the bottom floor. There were a total of eight pirs supporting the eaves. The eaves on the top floor of the wooden building were nted upwards. There were also some cloud patterns and auspicious patterns carved on the pirs and eaves.


    The door to the central room was a little narrower than the courtyard door. Li Yu pushed open the door and walked into the room. The room was about 30 square meters. The windows were double-patterned. After the inneryer was pulled open, there was a windowttice outside to paste the window gauze.


    Downstairs, Li Yu saw that there were still carpenters applying the tung oil upstairs. She turned around and walked out of the courtyard. Ruyi and Li Qing were carrying some chrysanthemums, honeysuckle, gardenias, roses, jasmine, and orchids. They happened to walk to the entrance of the courtyard. When Li Qing saw Li Yu, he pointed happily at the flowers in the backpack. ¡°Sister, Brother Ruyi and I went to the forest behind to look. We found so many after searching for a long time.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s already a lot.¡± Li Yu smiled and helped Li Qing put down the backpack. ¡°Do you two know how to nt them?¡±


    Ruyi scratched his head. ¡°Uncle Zhou will take care of these. He¡¯ll be here soon.¡±


    ¡°Alright, then help Uncle Zhou nt them.¡±


    Li Qing nodded sensibly. ¡°Sister, it¡¯s getting harder and harder to find rotten soil now. I¡¯ll dig up more when I¡¯m free.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to look around. Pour the feces and grass ashes of the livestock into the potter¡¯s tank. Then, cut some grass and leaves and pour them into the potter¡¯s tank. After a while, it will be fertile.¡±


    Li Qing nodded in praise. ¡°Your method is still the best. I understand. I¡¯ll go ahead!¡±


    Li Yu came out of the house and looked at the fields in front of her. She decided to walk around the ridge and see how muchnd was left.


    Li Yu followed the stream down. After walking for two to four hours, she saw more than ten ponds of different sizes. The ponds were filled with cattails. The leaves of the cattails had already begun to wither. The cattails on the paving stick had also fallen off, and the paving stick had be bare.


    Li Yu looked at these cattails happily. These were good things. The cattails could be used as medicine and could also ward off mosquitoes when smoked. The cattails were delicious and nutritious. They could also be woven into fans, straw mats, and hats. The elders in the vige were all experts in weaving. Opening a workshop would allow them to earn some pocket money. They could also buy some lotus seeds and nt them in the pond to raise some fish. Li Yu felt that the revenue would be considerable.


    Li Yu walked back and decided to go to town to get Zhou Jia to go to Tongzhou City to buy all these ponds.

 Chapter 86

    86 Buying a Pool, Reunion of Old Friends


    Li Yu went to the backyard of the shop in town and said to Zhou Jia, who was doing the ounts, ¡°Zhou Jia, I found a pond. Come back with me to take a look. I want to buy it.¡±


    Zhou Jia pulled Li Yu to sit beside him and looked at her dotingly. ¡°It¡¯s fine as long as you like it. I¡¯ll go to Tongzhou City tomorrow to buy it for you as a dowry.¡±


    Li Yu looked at the densely written ounts and frowned. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to take a look?¡±


    Seeing Li Yu frown, Zhou Jia thought that she was angry. He pulled Li Yu and said, ¡°Alright, alright, I¡¯ll go back with you to take a look.¡±


    Li Yu pointed at the ounts on the table. ¡°I¡¯m not frowning because I¡¯m angry about you not looking at the pond. I just feel that it¡¯s too troublesome for you to record the ounts like this. It¡¯s easy to get confused and it¡¯s not convenient to check the ounts.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu curiously. ¡°What do you know about ledgers? Show me.¡±


    Li Yu took out a piece of white paper and took out a charcoal pen. She drew a cash flow form and pointed at it as she said to Zhou Jia, ¡°This upper half is the year. Below it are two squares of month and day. This is followed by the numbers. Here we have the borrower, creditor, and amount. At the bottom are the sum of a month, loan, and credit.¡±


    Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia and smiled proudly. ¡°See if the ounts be simple and clear this way. Also, you can change the way you write the headers. You can usebels like ie and expenditures, names, and dates. This way, if there are any problems, there will be a record for tracing the source.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at the ledger in front of him and then at Li Yu. His heart surged. How could there be such a way to do the ounts? Even an old ountant couldn¡¯t do it. Who was Yu¡¯er¡¯s master?


    Seeing Zhou Jia looking at her in a daze, Li Yu smiled reproachfully and said, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is there a problem?¡±


    Zhou Jia pulled Li Yu¡¯s hand and said to her with a smile, ¡°Yu¡¯er, what should I do? I don¡¯t think I¡¯m worthy of you anymore. No matter what you do, you¡¯re better than me. I feel a little ashamed of my inferiority.¡±


    Li Yu also smiled and praised him. ¡°There are many ces where I¡¯m not as good as you. Look, I didn¡¯t know about wood quality when I was building the house. You also have an academic title. Perhaps you¡¯ll even get an official position in the future. Then, I¡¯ll be an official¡¯s wife. Also, you¡¯re good at trading. You¡¯re also handsome and refined. The only w is that you¡¯re too weak. You don¡¯t even have the ability to protect yourself when you encounter something.¡±


    Zhou Jia¡¯s smile disappeared as he listened. He looked at Li Yu with a bitter expression. ¡°Yu¡¯er, why don¡¯t you teach me some self-defense martial arts to prevent me from being bullied?¡±


    Li Yu thought for a while. ¡°There¡¯s a set of fist techniques that¡¯s suitable for you to practice. When the house is fixed, I¡¯ll pull Ah Qing along. The two of you can practice together.¡±


    Zhou Jia pulled Li Yu¡¯s hand and made her sit on the chair. ¡°I¡¯m going to Tongzhou City tomorrow morning. Do you want to buy anything else?¡±


    ¡°See if there are any lotus seeds in the seed shop.¡±


    Zhou Jia kissed Li Yu¡¯s forehead and said gently, ¡°Yu¡¯er, don¡¯t worry. I promise to do it well.¡±


    Li Yu deliberately said fiercely, ¡°Xiao Xi, remember this! Don¡¯te back if you can¡¯t do it well.¡±


    ¡°Yes, if I can¡¯t do it well, I will kiss you as a punishment.¡± Zhou Jia picked up a stack of white paper and handed it to Li Yu. ¡°Supervise me as I prepare some paper for the ounts first. Please guide me, madam.¡±


    Li Yu scratched Zhou Jia¡¯s nose. ¡°Now, you¡¯re bing more and more glib-tongued. In the past, you still looked like a gentleman.¡±


    Zhou Jia held Li Yu¡¯s hand and kissed it, looking aggrieved. ¡°I¡¯ve always been very serious.¡±


    Li Yu looked at him and curled her lips. ¡°Yes! You¡¯ve always been spouting nonsense in all seriousness.¡± Li Yu smiled and pulled her hand out. She picked up the Bamboo de and began to cut the paper.


    After the two of them finished making the ounts, they went to help Zhao Cai ce the goods, leaving Zhao Cai to look after the shop. When the date was chosen, the Zhouji store in Phoenix Cry Town would open.


    The next morning, Zhou Jia left for Tongzhou City. After resting at the inn for a night, he went to buy goods the next morning. When he was done, Zhou Jia went to the garrison office.


    Just as he reached the government office, he met Shen Wu apanying a thin and amiable old man with white hair. Zhou Jia looked at the old man happily and quickly walked over to bow. ¡°Grandpa Wen, when did youe to Tongzhou?¡±


    When the old man turned around and saw Zhou Jia, he hugged him happily. The joy of reuniting after a long time made their eyes tear up. ¡°Little Xi¡¯er, why are you here?¡±


    Shen Wu was anxious to bring Doctor Wen to treat his young master. Seeing that Divine Doctor Wen and Zhou Jia addressed each other as master and disciple, he hurriedly smiled and said to Zhou Jia, ¡°Mr. Zhou, I didn¡¯t expect you to be old friends with Doctor Wen!¡±


    Doctor Wen patted Zhou Jia and said angrily, ¡°Don¡¯t talk about it. He refused to learn medicine from me no matter what. After learning it, he became a dabbler again.¡± Mr. Wen said to Zhou Jia, ¡°Jiahe, let¡¯s meet again after the old man goes to the general¡¯s residence to visit his young master.¡±


    Zhou Jia bowed and said, ¡°Grandpa Wen, I have brought my fianc¨¦e and some vigers to settle down in Tongzhou. I¡¯ll go to the garrison office to buy a few acres of ponds first. When you have seen the young master of the General¡¯s Mansion, I¡¯ll wait for you at the teahouse opposite.¡±


    When Doctor Wen heard this, he said happily, ¡°Alright! Wait for me toe out and look for you. I¡¯ll go and see your little wife.¡±


    When Shen Wu heard this, he said to Zhou Jia, ¡°Mr. Zhou, go to Secretary Xu about buying the pond. Tell him my name and I promise he will not make things difficult for you. Young Master is still waiting for Doctor Wen in the General¡¯s Mansion!¡±


    Zhou Jia thanked Shen Wu and sent Doctor Wen onto the carriage. He watched the carriage leave before turning around and entering the garrison office.


    Zhou Jia found Secretary Xu, who hade to Phoenix Cry Vige that day, and asked him, ¡°Secretary Xu, I want to ask if the remaining wastnds and ponds in Phoenix Cry Vige are for sale?¡±


    Secretary Xu pondered for a moment and said, ¡°You have to ask General¡¯s personal guard, Shen Wu, to know.¡±


    Zhou Jia said, ¡°I met Shen Wu at the garrison office just now. Brother Shen told me to look for you.¡±


    Secretary Xu immediately became polite. He pulled out a chair and said to Zhou Jia, ¡°Mr. Zhou, wait a moment. I¡¯ll go get the fish scale book and see how many wastnds and ponds are left.¡±


    Zhou Jia nodded in agreement. Secretary Xu took out the fish scale book from the cab. After reading it, he said to Zhou Jia, ¡°There are still more than 800 acres of wastnd, 300 acres of pond, and 200 acres of slopingnd. Do you want all of them?¡±


    Zhou Jia said, ¡°Mr. Xu, I want them all.¡±


    Secretary Xu smiled and said, ¡°Mr. Zhou, you¡¯re really lucky. The general just decided to sell all of that piece ofnd yesterday. You¡¯re here today. There are many people who want that piece of wastnd. If those big families in the city find out, hehe!¡±


    Zhou Jia stuffed a red envelope into Secretary Xu¡¯s hand and said with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s a small token of respect.¡±


    Secretary Xu pinched the red seal and knew that there were banknotes inside. He said happily to Zhou Jia, ¡°Mr. Zhou is too polite.¡±


    Secretary Xu took out the title deed and said to Zhou Jia, ¡°That piece of wastnd is a total of 500 taels of silver, 100 taels of silver for the pond, and 100 taels of silver for the slope. Coupled with the contract tax, it¡¯s a total of 750 taels of silver. For the first three years, you won¡¯t have to pay taxes. Three yearster, you¡¯ll be charged ording to the taxes of the mountains. 10% for each acre of pond.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Xu, please record the title deeds of thend and the pond under my fianc¨¦e¡¯s name.¡± Zhou Jia took out a banknote and handed it to Secretary Xu.


    After Secretary Xu finished writing the title deed and handed it to Zhou Jia, he smiled and said, ¡°Mr. Zhou is really a loyal person. Not bad, not bad.¡±


    Zhou Jia took the title deed and put it into his bag. He cupped his hands at Secretary Xu and said, ¡°Mr. Xu, if you don¡¯t mind, pleasee to Phoenix Vige to y if you have the time.¡±


    ¡°Of course, of course. Take care, Mr. Zhou.¡± Secretary Xu sent Zhou Jia to the door and took out the red seal. He opened it and smiled in satisfaction when he saw a banknote containing ten taels.

 Chapter 87

    87 Doctor Wen


    Zhou Jia waited in the tea shop opposite the garrison office for an hour. When he saw Shen Wu escorting Doctor Wen back to the garrison office, he hurriedly went over and helped Doctor Wen out of the car.


    Shen Wu smiled and asked Zhou Jia, ¡°Mr. Zhou, is everything done?¡±


    Zhou Jia cupped his hands and thanked him. ¡°Thank you. Brother Shen¡¯s name is very useful. I bought thend without any effort.¡±


    Shen Wuughed out loud. ¡°There are many people who want that piece ofnd. If anyone is ignorant, feel free to use my name.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your kindness, Brother Shen.¡± After Zhou Jia cupped his hands in thanks, Shen Wu bowed and said to Doctor Wen, ¡°Doctor Wen, I¡¯ll pick you up from Phoenix Vige in five days.¡±


    Doctor Wen nodded in agreement and held Zhou Jia¡¯s hand. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Little Xi¡¯er. Quickly bring me to see your wife.¡±


    After Zhou Jia bade farewell to Shen Wu, he brought Doctor Wen to the mule cart. Doctor Wen smiled and asked Zhou Jia, ¡°Xiao Xi, why are you here? Didn¡¯t you go to the capital to participate in the countryside examination?¡±


    Zhou Jia said to Doctor Wen in a low voice, ¡°Sir, after you sent Grandfather away, Father brought Mother and me to the capital. They locked my mother in the temple hall right after I moved into the academy. They said that they wanted my mother to pray for Grandfather. I, I...¡±


    Zhou Jia choked and could not speak as he recalled the past. Doctor Wen patted his backfortingly. Zhou Jia took a deep breath and clenched his fists. He said hatefully, ¡°In the first few days before the township examination, I returned to the Zhou family from the academy to prepare for the examination. Only then did I know that they had framed my mother for being unfaithful and having an affair with a servant. My mother died in order to prove her innocence. In order to preserve my mother¡¯s innocence, I promised them to leave the Zhou family and live under the name of Third Uncle, who had died early. However, they were still worried and sent people to kill me a few times. Fortunately, Ruyi, Ji Xiang, and Zhao Cai protected me, so I escaped the pursuit. Thest time I went to the mountain to pick herbs, I was chased again. It was my wife who saved me.¡±


    When Doctor Wen heard this, he could not help but sigh. ¡°It¡¯s not convenient for me toment on the feud between your grandfather and grandmother. I feel that since your grandfather and mother have left, you have nothing to worry about in that house. It¡¯s right for you to leave that house. You don¡¯t know how vicious the methods of the women in the inner residence are. I¡¯ve seen it many times. Sigh! Let¡¯s not talk about those troublesome things.¡± Doctor Wen changed the topic. ¡°You said that your wife saved you. Looks like her martial arts skills are not weak?¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled. ¡°She¡¯s good at martial arts and is very capable. You¡¯ll like her when you see her. She¡¯s countless times better than those delicate youngdies who only know how to scheme.¡±


    Doctor Wen looked at Zhou Jia¡¯s smile. ¡°No wonder Little Xi¡¯er gave himself to her.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Doctor Wen and smiled. ¡°You still like to joke. Xiaoyu is a little like you.¡±


    Doctor Wen smiled until his face was full of wrinkles. ¡°Really! It¡¯s only interesting if you¡¯re not rigid.¡±


    The two of them received Zhao Cai. When Zhao Cai saw Doctor Wen, he went forward happily and knelt down with a thud. ¡°Why are you here?¡±


    Doctor Wen looked at Zhao Cai and curled his lips into a smile. ¡°Hurry up and get up. I hate it when people kneel.¡±


    Zhao Cai got up and looked at Doctor Wen with a smile. ¡°You¡¯re still the same. You mind it when people kneel upon seeing you.¡±


    ¡°Why are you still kneeling since you know it?¡± Doctor Wen smiled and said, ¡°If General Shen hadn¡¯t sent someone to invite me to take a look at his young master, I would have already gone to Qingzhou. Fortunately, I came and met you guys.¡±


    Zhao Cai looked around. ¡°Sir, why are you alone? Where¡¯s the pageboy that was serving you?¡±


    ¡°He heard that his hometown was in trouble, so I let him go back to visit his parents,¡± Mr. Wen said freely.


    The few of them arrived at the vige entrance at noon the next day. Doctor Wen looked at the vige that was still under construction and nodded in praise. ¡°Not bad. It¡¯s a good ce.¡±


    Zhou Jia took the opportunity to ask him to stay. ¡°Then stay here and don¡¯t leave.¡±


    Doctor Wen shook his head. ¡°After Shen Wues to pick me up, I¡¯ll set off for Qingzhou.¡±


    Zhou Jia remembered that he would be parting with Mr. Wen in a few days. He pulled him back reluctantly. ¡°Can¡¯t you stay here for a few days before leaving?¡±


    Doctor Wen patted Zhou Jia. ¡°Xiao Xi, we have a long way to go. I¡¯ll visit you when I return from Qingzhou.¡±


    Uncle Zhou, Ruyi, and the others surrounded Mr. Wen and greeted him. Doctor Wen looked at them and asked, ¡°Where¡¯s your wife? Quickly call her over to meet me.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Uncle Zhou, who replied with a smile, ¡°Sir, Miss Li went hunting in the mountains. She might not be back for a while.¡±


    Doctor Wen pped his hands and smiled. ¡°Alright, looks like I¡¯m in for a treat today.¡±


    When the vigers living by the shed saw a thin and amiable old maning to Zhou Jia¡¯s house, they all came to greet him. Everyone learned that the amiable old man was a famous doctor. They stammered and asked Zhou Jia, ¡°Mr. Zhou, can you ask Doctor Wen to take a look at us?¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Doctor Wen. The old man waved his hand and smiled. ¡°Sure, I¡¯m here to treat people.¡±


    Ji Xiang hurriedly brought over a chair and Doctor Wen took out cushions from the medicine box. He checked the vigers¡¯ pulses one by one. Some were malnourished, some had rheumatic bone pain, some children had roundworms, and some women had insufficient blood essence and were weak.


    When Li Yu returned from the mountain and saw that her house was surrounded by people, she thought that something had happened and hurriedly ran back. Seeing that Li Yu had returned, Zhou Jia pointed at Mr. Wen and said to her, ¡°Xiaoyu,e and meet Mr. Wen.¡±


    Li Yu saw Zhou Jia following Doctor Wen excitedly. Zhou Jia waited for him to finish treating the vige chief before holding Li Yu¡¯s hand and walking to Doctor Wen. ¡°Mr. Wen, look, this is Xiaoyu.¡±


    Li Yu bowed. ¡°Hello, Mr. Wen.¡±


    ¡°Good, good. You¡¯re a good one.¡± Doctor Wen smiled and took out a jade pendant from his sleeve pocket. He handed it to Li Yu. ¡°Take it. It¡¯s a greeting gift from me.¡±


    Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia. Zhou Jia nodded and smiled. ¡°Take what Sir gave you. Did you hunt anything good today?¡±


    Li Yu pointed at the backpack behind her and said, ¡°I picked up some pine antler and two monkey head mushrooms. I hunted a mule, a few pheasants, and wild ducks.¡±


    Doctor Wen smiled at the contents of his backpack. ¡°All good things. The old man is in for a treat.¡±


    Li Yu looked at the old man¡¯s happy expression and was very happy. ¡°Mr. Wen, wait a moment. I¡¯ll prepare them now.¡±


    Li Yu and Auntie He prepared a sumptuous dinner. There was stewed chicken with pine mushrooms, roasted duck with taro, stir-fried mushrooms with cured meat, and braised meat with hazelnuts. After Doctor Wen ate, he said happily, ¡°When I can¡¯t walk anymore, I¡¯lle to your ce to retire. You¡¯re not allowed to despise me.¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled happily and said, ¡°Xiaoyu and I can¡¯t wait for you to stay here now.¡±


    Li Yu also liked this amiable old man. She smiled and said, ¡°You cane whenever you want. I¡¯ll go hunt wild animals for you.¡±


    Doctor Wen nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The old man will definitelye.¡±


    After dinner, Li Mei pulled Li Yu to the side and whispered shyly to her, ¡°Yu¡¯er, I want to ask the old divine doctor to take a look at me. I want to know if I can still have babies.¡±


    Li Yu also felt that Li Mei should take a look. She nodded and smiled. ¡°He¡¯s so easy-going. Juste with me!¡±


    After Li Yu brought Li Mei to Doctor Wen to take a look, Doctor Wen said to Li Mei, ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with you. You just have a little cold uterus and your qi and blood are a little insufficient. I¡¯ll give you a prescription. You should be fine after eating for a few days. It¡¯s best if you get your husband to let me take a look too.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, sir. Thank you.¡± Li Mei happily pushed Liu Changmin forward for Doctor Wen to take a look. Liu Changmin had some loss of essence blood and needed to recuperate so Doctor Wen prescribed a prescription for the couple. The couple thanked him repeatedly before leaving.

 Chapter 88

    88 Seeing Off


    After Zhou Jia waited for the doctor to rest, he found Li Yu and gave her the lotus seeds and the title deed. Li Yu saw that there were two title deeds with her name written on them and was extremely touched. ¡°You bought thesends and ponds!¡±


    Zhou Jia nodded and looked at Li Yu dotingly. ¡°As long as you like it, I¡¯ll buy it for you.¡± Li Yu smiled at Zhou Jia. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of spoiling me?¡±


    Zhou Jia walked over and hugged Li Yu. ¡°Yu¡¯er, as long as you¡¯re willing, I¡¯m willing to dote on you forever.¡±


    Li Yu nodded and thought to herself, As long as you treat me sincerely, I¡¯m also willing to dote on you.


    Doctor Wen stayed in Phoenix Vige for a few days. Every day, he went up the mountain with Li Yu to pick herbs. He also made a few antidotes for the two of them. He taught Li Yu the herbs to treat colds and coughs, as well as the herbs to treat snake and insect bites. He also taught Zhou Jia to make Golden Creation Medicine.


    After a few days of gathering, Doctor Wen was about to leave again. Li Yu made some dried meat and spicy sauce for Doctor Wen and packed a set of raincoats for him. Before leaving, Doctor Wen called Li Yu to the side and instructed, ¡°Xiaoyu, Xiao Xi is very bitter. You have to persuade him to let go of those grudges in the capital. The two of you should have a good life.¡±


    Li Yu agreed solemnly. ¡°Alright, sir. We¡¯ll live well.¡±


    Zhou Jia sent Doctor Wen to Tongzhou. When he came out of the General¡¯s Mansion, he reluctantly sent him out of Tongzhou City. Doctor Wen said to Zhou Jia, ¡°Little Xi¡¯er, live well with your wife. When I have yed for a few more years, I¡¯lle back and take care of your children.¡±


    Zhou Jia knelt down and kowtowed. ¡°Got it. Come back early.¡±


    ¡°Why are you crying? I¡¯m leaving.¡± Doctor Wen got into the carriage and slowly walked away.


    Zhou Jia returned to Phoenix Vige. After dinner, Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia. ¡°Xiao Xi, I¡¯m too full. Apany me for a walk to digest my food.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Zhou Jia put down the things in his hand and followed Li Yu up the field. Seeing Li Yu walking forward with her head lowered, Zhou Jia pulled Li Yu¡¯s hand. ¡°Xiaoyu, do you have anything to tell me?¡±


    ¡°Follow me.¡± Li Yu pulled Zhou Jia to the side of the mountain stream and turned to look at him worriedly. ¡°Xiao Xi, Sir said that you¡¯re feeling very bitter and asked me to counsel you. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve cared enough about you to know why you¡¯re feeling bitter. Can you tell me the reason?¡±


    Seeing Li Yu¡¯s worried expression, Zhou Jia lowered his head and thought for a long time before looking up at Li Yu. ¡°Xiaoyu, I told you that the people who want to kill me are my family, but I didn¡¯t tell you who they are and why they want to kill me.¡±


    Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia. ¡°Do you want to tell me now?¡±


    Zhou Jia nodded. ¡°After my grandfather and grandmother gave birth to my father, for some reason, their rtionship deteriorated to the point that they ignored each other. Once, my grandfather was injured when he went out and was saved by my maternal grandfather. My grandfather and my maternal grandfather became friends and inws. When my grandfather returned to the capital, he found out that my grandmother had arranged a marriage with her uncle¡¯s family.


    The two of them refused to give in to each other, so they put things aside. After a few years, when my maternal grandfather fell ill, he asked someone to invite my grandfather over. After entrusting my mother to my grandfather, he fell ill and died. The result of the two of them fighting was that my grandfather made the decision to have my parents marry The marriage in the capital was secured by my grandmother. My grandmother hated my mother and me to the core.


    My mother, grandfather, and I had always lived in the vige. We only moved back to the capital when I was ten years old. We lived on a farm outside the capital. My father sometimes came to live on the farm.


    These dayssted until I passed the county-level examination and my grandfather died. My father brought me and my mother back to the city. I was unworthy of being a son. I couldn¡¯t even protect my own mother, and I still had to let them bully me. I agreed to be adopted.¡± After Zhou Jia finished speaking, his eyes were red and he clenched his fists angrily.


    Li Yu held Zhou Jia¡¯s hand andforted him gently. ¡°This isn¡¯t your fault. What¡¯s wrong is that those two vicious women are also in this cannibalistic world.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu with red eyes. ¡°Yu¡¯er, there are only a few engraving shops left in the Zhou family¡¯s assets. I¡¯ve never taken them seriously. For that little bit of assets, they used sinister methods to harm my mother. I won¡¯t forget the hatred of them humiliating my mother and killing her. When I have the strength, I¡¯ll seek revenge on them for the injustice my mother suffered.¡±


    Li Yu looked at him and said, ¡°I¡¯ll apany you to seek justice from them. Don¡¯t they care about the engraving workshop the most? When the timees, we¡¯ll tear down the engraving workshop and burn it as firewood to anger them.¡±


    Zhou Jiaughed when he heard that. ¡°Yu¡¯er, your thoughts are really strange.¡±


    Li Yu patted Zhou Jia. ¡°Alright, don¡¯t suffer any more in the future. Let¡¯s face it together. Didn¡¯t you say that you wanted to learn some martial arts? When we move into our new house, I¡¯ll teach you.¡±


    ¡°Okay, whatever you say.¡± They smiled at each other and walked back hand in hand.


    The next morning, Zhou Jia went to Tongzhou City to look at the shops and buy cloth to start making bags.


    At home, Li Yu brought the long-term workers to clean up the pond and cut the cattails for weaving. Then, she dug out the weeds in the pond and cleaned up the mud. After spring, she would raise fish to nt lotus roots and cattails.


    Inte September, both Li Yu¡¯s house and the Zhou family¡¯s house were finallypleted. Xu Chun and the woodcutter brought Zhou Jia and Li Yu to see the new house after it waspleted.


    Li Yu saw that the walls on the bottom level had been painted with lime and the roof had been secured. After trying the milling bed and stove, she felt very satisfied.


    Xu Chun smiled at Zhou Jia and said, ¡°Mr. Zhou, I¡¯m most satisfied with the bathroom and toilet tank you designed. It¡¯s clean and convenient. Also, the wooden chair set that Master Lin just made is reallyfortable.¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled. ¡°I¡¯m also satisfied with Master Xu¡¯s skills. I still have to build a manor after spring. I¡¯ll invite you back then.¡±


    Xu Chun was even happier to have a business. ¡°Alright, thank you for your care.¡± Zhou Jia handed the silver to Xu Chun.


    After Xu Chun left, the wood craftsman discussed with Zhou Jia, ¡°Mr. Zhou, I¡¯ll use those blueprints to make furniture and give you 20% of the profits. What do you think?¡±


    ¡°Give me a moment. I¡¯ll discuss it with my fianc¨¦e beforeing back to you.¡±


    The wood craftsman felt that it would work and nodded happily. ¡°Please.¡±


    Zhou Jia found Li Yu, who was looking at the cupboard and dining table in the kitchen and told her about the woodcutter¡¯s suggestion. Li Yu nodded. ¡°If you don¡¯t agree, you won¡¯t know even if he does. You might as well agree generously.¡±


    ¡°Okay, then I¡¯ll go talk to him and agree to his request.¡±


    Zhou Jia and the woodcutter agreed to ask the vige chief, Chen Yaohui, to be a witness. The two of them signed the contract.


    Zhou Jia and Li Yu went upstairs. Li Yu saw that the floors were pieced together tightly. Even the corners were polished to a smooth and thornless state. There were also some simple patterns carved on the doors and windows. The entire ce looked simple and elegant.


    The furniture in the room upstairs was crafted ording to Li Yu¡¯s drawing. There was a Chinese-style shelf bed, two bedside tables, a dressing table, a round stool, and two chairs. There were three modern wardrobes facing each other against the wall. Li Yu looked at everything in front of her and couldn¡¯t help but feel dazed.


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu¡¯s dazed expression when she looked at the furniture and pulled Li Yu¡¯s hand worriedly. ¡°Let¡¯s go down and move things first. It¡¯s windy upstairs. We¡¯ll move upstairs in the summer.¡±


    Li Yu nodded and went downstairs with Zhou Jia.

 Chapter 89

    89 Moving


    Li Qing excitedly moved his things from the shack to the new house.


    Li Mei looked at Li Qing angrily. ¡°I told you to stay at my house first, but you were unwilling. You insisted on waiting until your house was better before moving.¡±


    Li Qing pulled Li Mei and whispered, ¡°Aunt, my sister is waiting for my teacher to move in with her!¡±


    Li Mei was jealous of Zhou Jia. ¡°Hmph, girls will follow their husbands. They won¡¯t be close to their aunt after getting married.¡±


    Li Qing smiled at Li Mei¡¯s sour expression. ¡°Yes! I¡¯ll tell her that Aunt is jealouster.¡±


    Li Mei gently twisted Li Qing¡¯s ear. ¡°Little baddie, you actually want to tease your Aunt.¡±


    Everyone came to help move the things into the house. They looked at the flowers and nts in Li Yu¡¯s courtyard and the rosewood sofa and coffee table in the central room and clicked their tongues in admiration.


    Madam Li touched the sofa and coffee table, thinking that it was designed by Zhou Jia. ¡°Xiaoyu, Mr. Zhou is just different from us. Look at how generous these pieces of furniture are. It¡¯s sofortable to sit on them. I¡¯ll get a set when I get paid.¡±


    Chen Zhong¡¯s wife, Madam Xu, and a few women smiled and asked Li Yu, ¡°Xiaoyu, is Mr. Zhou¡¯s workshop still recruiting? The few of us also want to go to your house to make bags.¡±


    Li Yu nodded. ¡°We still have to recruit people. Try asking my aunt tomorrow. If you think you can do it, go!¡±


    Zhou Jia sat on the wooden sofa and thought of Li Yu¡¯s dazed expression of nostalgia for the furniture upstairs. He was inexplicably worried.


    Chen Baozhen quietly walked into the Zhou family¡¯s house and handed an embroidery to Zhou Jia. She blushed and whispered, ¡°Mr. Zhou, Baozhen congrattes you on your housewarming.¡±


    ¡°How did you get in? Get out.¡± Zhou Jia looked at Chen Baozhen in disgust and shouted. Seeing that Chen Baozhen was standing there and not leaving, he walked to the eaves with a livid expression and shouted, ¡°Ruyi, how did you watch the house? You let someone barge in.¡±


    When Ruyi heard Zhou Jia¡¯s shout, he ran out of the room and saw Chen Baozhen standing in the central room with a flushed face.


    Ruyi frowned and walked to the door of the central room. He said to Chen Baozhen, ¡°Miss Chen, please go back!¡±


    Chen Baozhen looked at Zhou Jia, who was standing in the courtyard, and said with red eyes, ¡°Mr. Zhou, I just wanted to give you something to congratte you on your housewarming. Do you have to be so unreasonable? Is it because Li Yu doesn¡¯t allow you to ept my things?¡±


    Zhou Jia didn¡¯t even look at Chen Baozhen. He looked at Ruyi and scolded, ¡°Why are you still standing here? Hurry up and drag her out. I still want my reputation.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Zhou, are you talking about me?¡± Chen Baozhen watched as Zhou Jia tossed the embroidery and ran out with her face covered.


    Zhou Jia pointed at the embroidery on the ground in disgust. ¡°Ruyi, take this back to Vige Chief Chen. Tell him to control his girl.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Young Master.¡± Ruyi picked up the embroidery and walked out of the house. Just as he reached Li Yu¡¯s house, he met Li Yu and Madam Li.


    Madam Li looked at the embroidery in Ruyi¡¯s hand and felt that it looked a little familiar. She felt that it seemed to be the painting of blooming flowers and riches embroidered by Chen Baozhen.


    Li Yu looked at Ruyi and smiled. ¡°Ruyi, where are you going with the embroidery?¡±


    Ruyi had a bitter expression. ¡°Miss Li, I¡¯m going to the vige chief¡¯s house.¡± With that, he left in a hurry.


    ¡°Oh.¡± Li Yu felt a little strange when she heard that. She thought to herself, What¡¯s wrong with Ruyi today?


    Ruyi carried the embroidery to the vige chief¡¯s house and handed it to him. ¡°Grandpa Chen, my young master asked me to tell you to control your girl.¡±


    Ruyi¡¯s heart ached as he looked at the vige chief¡¯s pale face. He bowed and walked out of the courtyard.


    The vige chief watched Ruyi leave the courtyard without a word. He turned around and walked into the house with the embroidery.


    Madam Liu was sitting on the bed sewing one of the vige chief¡¯s coats. When she saw the vige chief enter the house, she looked up. ¡°Eh! Didn¡¯t you say you were going to Ah Qing¡¯s house to see the new furniture? Why are you back so quickly?¡±


    With a whoosh, the vige chief threw the embroidery in front of Madam Liu and pointed at her chest, unable to speak. Madam Liu was so frightened that she hurriedly got off the bed and rubbed the vige chief¡¯s chest. ¡°Old man, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    After a while, the vige chief caught his breath and pped Madam Liu¡¯s face. ¡°What did I tell youst time?¡± he said angrily. ¡°I told you to discipline Baozhen and not let her embarrass the Old Chen family.¡± The vige chief picked up the embroidery. ¡°Look, what is this? It was sent to me with a message to discipline the girl. Where do you want me to put my face?¡±


    Madam Liu looked at the embroidery in the vige chief¡¯s hand and gritted her teeth. She had asked her not to give it to him but she had done it secretly. Sinful! She must have been bewitched.


    ¡°Baozhen¡¯s father, our daughter just wants to congratte Mr. Zhou on his housewarming. She doesn¡¯t have any other intentions. Everyone lives in the same vige. Isn¡¯t he making a fuss over nothing?!¡±


    The vige chief looked at Madam Liu in disappointment. ¡°Aren¡¯t you shameless? Why didn¡¯t she give it to Xiaoyu¡¯s family or her two brothers?¡± The vige chief pushed Madam Liu out of the house. ¡°Go and find her.¡±


    Chen Baozhen ran out of Zhou Jia¡¯s house and went to the mountain stream. She picked up a stone and threw it into the stream. She kept cursing, ¡°Li Yu, you bitch. Damn it, it¡¯s just a gift. Do you have to boss over such a small thing? If you have the ability, boss over him for the rest of your life.¡±


    ¡°Miss, I want to ask you about someone.¡± Suddenly, a male voice sounded. Chen Baozhen was shocked. She turned around and saw a young man standing not far from her.


    Chen Baozhen looked at the man defensively and said, ¡°Who are you asking about?¡±


    Ye Lianggong pointed at the straw shed not far away. ¡°I¡¯m looking for a woman who knows martial arts and often goes up the mountain to hunt. She lives in this straw shed in front.¡±


    Chen Baozhen shouted in disgust, ¡°Who are you? Why are you looking for her?¡±


    Seeing Chen Baozhen¡¯s disgusted expression, Ye Lianggong thought to himself, Could it be that this woman has a grudge against that bitch? He would test her first.


    ¡°I¡¯m Liang Gong. I live in Phoenix Town. I asked about that girl because I offended her on the mountain and wanted to apologize to her.¡±


    Chen Baozhen threw the stone in her hand into the water. ¡°So what if you offended that bitch? She¡¯s not some rich girl that you can¡¯t offend.¡±


    Ye Lianggong took two steps closer and looked at Chen Baozhen with a smile. ¡°Miss, you have a grudge against her, right?¡±


    Chen Baozhen nced at Ye Lianggong angrily. ¡°What does it have to do with you?¡± With that, she turned around and left.


    Ye Lianggong stopped her and said bewitchingly, ¡°Miss, I have a vendetta against her too. Previously, she broke my wrist when we were on the mountain. If you have a grudge against her, we can join forces to deal with her.¡±


    Chen Baozhen was a little tempted when she heard that, but she was also a little afraid of Li Yu¡¯s martial strength. She stood there hesitating.


    Madam Liu found Chen Baozhen and saw her standing with a young man near a stream. She hurriedly ran over and grabbed Chen Baozhen. ¡°Follow me home.¡±


    Seeing that the mother and daughter were leaving, Ye Lianggong shouted from behind, ¡°I¡¯lle back at this hour in two days. If you¡¯re willing,e and find me here.¡±


    ¡°Where did this messy persone from? Ignore him.¡± Madam Liu red at Ye Lianggong and pulled Chen Baozhen back whileining, ¡°You evil creature, I told you not to send him the embroidery, but you insisted on doing it. Now that he¡¯s returned it and asked your father to discipline you, how can we raise our heads in the Chen family in the future?! Are you only happy if you anger me to death? What exactly do you want? Have you been bewitched?¡±


    Chen Baozhen bit her lip and followed Madam Liu without a word. The words of the man called Ye Lianggong echoed in her ears as she started to think about what to do.

 Chapter 90

    90 Instructor


    Madam Liu pulled Chen Baozhen home. The vige chief sat in the central room with a livid expression. Madam Liu anxiously pushed Chen Baozhen into the central room. ¡°Go, talk to your father properly. Tell him you won¡¯t do such stupid things again.¡±


    Chen Baozhen stood at the door with her head lowered. The vige chief shouted at her, ¡°Kneel down.¡±


    Chen Baozhen knelt in front of the door. The vige chief looked at her and roared bitterly, ¡°Little beast, this is the first time someone hase looking for me, asking me to discipline my girl in my decades of life. You¡¯ve embarrassed my Old Chen family. I¡¯ll beat you to death, you embarrassing thing.¡±


    The more the vige chief spoke, the angrier he became. He picked up the broom by the door and hit Chen Baozhen. The vige chief was panting from the beating. Chen Baozhen knelt there, neither admitting her mistake nor begging for mercy. She did not dodge and allowed the vige chief to beat her up.


    Madam Liu¡¯s heart ached when she saw this. She rushed over and grabbed the vige chief¡¯s hand. She kept begging, ¡°Stop beating. Baozhen already knows her mistake.¡±


    The grievance and resentment in Chen Baozhen¡¯s heart rose like a tide. She thought It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t want to ept it, but why do you have to humiliate me like this? Since you care so much about that bitch Li Yu, don¡¯t me me for being ruthless.


    Chen Baozhen secretly made up her mind to join forces with Ye Lianggong to deal with Li Yu the next day.


    When the vige chief saw Chen Baozhen hanging her head and kneeling on the ground silently, he thought that she realized her mistake. He threw away the broom and pointed at the courtyard door. He said to Madam Liu, ¡°From today onwards, lock her in her room and don¡¯t let her leave this courtyard. Hurry up and find a suitable family to betroth her to.¡±


    ¡°Got it, got it.¡± Madam Liu kept answering and pulled Chen Baozhen into the room.


    When Madam Liu saw Chen Baozhen¡¯s disheveled appearance, her heart ached as she helped her tidy up. ¡°Baozhen, just listen to me! I think Butcher He¡¯s kid is quite good. Butcher He also likes you, so I¡¯ll agree on your behalf.¡±


    Chen Baozhen looked up at Madam Liu and said coldly, ¡°I can agree to it, but you have to promise me something.¡±


    Madam Liu did not expect Chen Baozhen to change her mind so quickly. She was stunned for a moment before revealing a happy smile and saying gently, ¡°I¡¯m your mother. If you have anything to say, just say it! Do you want more dowry?¡±


    Chen Baozhen looked at Madam Liu viciously. ¡°That man by the stream today has a feud with that bitch Li Yu. You heard what he said. He¡¯ll be waiting by the stream the next day to join forces with me to deal with that bitch Li Yu. Let me out. I¡¯lle back obediently after discussing with him.¡±


    Madam Liu shook her head and refused. ¡°Xiaoyu isn¡¯t even afraid of you. Listen to me and find a family to marry. Don¡¯t make your father angry again.¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t help me, I¡¯ll die for you to see.¡± Seeing that Madam Liu didn¡¯t agree, Chen Baozhen picked up the scissors in the string basket and pointed the scissors at her throat.


    Madam Liu was so frightened that she almost fainted. She staggered forward to snatch the scissors. Chen Baozhen gritted her teeth and stabbed the scissors into her flesh. Blood seeped out. Madam Liu was so frightened that she hurriedly agreed. ¡°Alright, I promise you.¡± Chen Baozhen put down the scissors and looked at Madam Liu with afortable smile.


    Madam Liu felt like her heart was being stabbed. How did this child be like this?


    Everyone helped Li Yu and Zhou Jia move the house and bade farewell. Zhou Jia still didn¡¯t know that he had provoked a romantic mess. He excitedly pulled Li Qing to choose a cloth to make training clothes.


    Li Qing nced at Zhou Jia. ¡°Sir, you¡¯re already so old. Can you still practice martial arts now?¡±


    Zhou Jia knocked on Li Qing gently. ¡°Good kid, Sir is only 29 years old. How dare you think that Sir is old? I¡¯ll punish you by having you take the cloth to Auntie He.¡±


    Li Yu and Zhaodi made the bed and came out. Zhaodi smiled and said to Li Qing, ¡°Ah Qing, you study and practice martial arts. Do you want to be a general who knows both martial arts and literature?¡±


    Li Qing hugged the cloth and puffed out his chest. ¡°I want to be a schr with both brains and brawn.¡±


    Zhou Jia nodded and praised, ¡°Your ambition is not bad, but you have to remember that if you want to achieve your dream, you have to spend more effort than others to achieve it.¡±


    Li Qing bowed and replied, ¡°Sir, Ah Qing will remember.¡±


    Li Yu rolled her eyes at Zhou Jia worriedly. ¡°Will you put too much pressure on him?¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu in disapproval. ¡°Xiaoyu, don¡¯t worry. As a man, he should have ideals and ambitions. We can¡¯t let him muddle through.¡±


    At night, the three families ate a housewarming banquet together. Li Mei had afortable smile on her face. ¡°We¡¯ve finally settled down. Everyone, live well in the future. When Ah Qing is sessful in the future, we¡¯ll take root here and go back to move your parents¡¯ graves here.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Aunt,¡± Li Qing replied with a bow.


    At dawn, the next day, Zhou Jia and Li Qing were waiting in the courtyard for Li Yu toe out.


    Li Yu took the sandbag Auntie He had helped make and came out of the house with a smile. She handed the sandbag to the two of them. ¡°Let¡¯s train our strength first before starting to teach moves.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± The two of them took the sandbags. Li Yu taught them to tie the sandbags to their calves and ran outside with them. The three of them ran along the stream towards the foot of the mountain.


    After running for almost an hour, Zhou Jia was panting and could not run anymore. Li Qing smiled at him and said, ¡°Sir, I said that you¡¯re old and your bones are hard, right?!¡±


    Zhou Jia gritted his teeth and quickened his pace. ¡°Kid, look, Sir will catch up to you immediately.¡±


    Li Yu ran to the two of them and looked at them. ¡°Look at me and follow me. Let¡¯s try our best to breathe through our noses and adjust our rhythm. We¡¯ll run two steps and slowly breathe in through our noses. Then, we¡¯ll run three more steps and try our best to exhale with our mouths. This way, we¡¯ll slowly get used to it.¡±


    After Zhou Jia and Li Qing adjusted their breathing with Li Yu, they felt that their throats were not so ufortable anymore and their speed increased.


    Half an hourter, the three of them returned to the courtyard. Li Yu practiced military boxing and demonstrated it to the two of them. ¡°This is a boxing technique that my master taught me. I don¡¯t know what kind of boxing technique it is. I just feel that its movements are not fast. Its offensive and defensive capabilities are not bad. I¡¯ll teach you two this boxing technique.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± they said in unison.


    Li Yu pulled Zhou Jia and gestured. ¡°The first move is to twist the arms and break the wrists. When the enemy wants to attack our chests, we use our right palm to press down on the enemy¡¯s arms. Tight...¡± Zhou Jia watched as Li Yu¡¯s long eyshes trembled slightly. He smelled a faint dark fragrance. Suddenly, blood surged up his nose and flowed down.


    Li Qing eximed, ¡°Sister, Sir¡¯s nose is bleeding.¡±


    Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia worriedly. ¡°Let me see. I didn¡¯t touch your nose just now?¡±


    Zhou Jia ran into the house with a red face and covered his nose. Li Qing hurriedly followed him in. Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia and seemed to understand something.


    After a while, Zhou Jia walked out with a red face. He didn¡¯t dare to look Li Yu in the eye. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Continue teaching.¡±


    Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia and raised her eyebrows. She smiled secretly.


    After the meal, Zhou Jia brought Li Qing and the bags to Tongzhou City. Li Yu brought the long-term workers and the men from the vige to scatter the winter wheat on the 100-acre wastnd that had been opened upter.


    Li Mei was busy processing backpacks and travel bags with a group of women.


    Xiao An had burned a lot of charcoal in the forest and piled it up in the woodshed. He borrowed an ox cart to pull the charcoal to town. A catty of charcoal could be sold for a copper coin, and he could earn a few hundred copper coins per gathering.


    When the men in the vige found out, they also learned how to make charcoal and chose to sell it in the nearby town.

 Chapter 91

    91 Colluding


    Everyone was busy with their own lives. Although they were tired, they felt stable.


    The next day, Madam Liu secretly brought Chen Baozhen to the mountain stream.


    Ye Lianggong saw Madam Liu and her daughter going to the mountain stream from afar and walked over slowly.


    Chen Baozhen looked at him coldly. ¡°Tell me how you want to deal with her.¡±


    Ye Lianggong took out a paper bag with a vicious expression. ¡°This is a knockout pill. You trick her into drinking it and I will drive the carriage to take her away. You don¡¯t have to worry about what to do with her.¡±


    Chen Baozhen looked at the gloomy man in disgust. ¡°Why should I help you if you don¡¯t tell me how you will deal with her?¡±


    Ye Lianggong nced at Madam Liu and said sinisterly, ¡°I¡¯ll sell her at the Spring Breeze Brothel in Tongzhou and see how she can still be arrogant.¡±


    Chen Baozhen was silent for a moment. She stretched out her hand to Ye Lianggong. ¡°Give it to me. After I let her drink the medicine, where will I find you?¡±


    Ye Lianggong looked at Chen Baozhen¡¯s hair and smiled evilly. ¡°I¡¯lle over sooner orter. If you seed, put this flower on your head and stand at your door. I¡¯ll know.¡±


    Chen Baozhen red at him. ¡°How did you know which house I live in? Were you peeping at me?¡±


    Ye Lianggong stared at Chen Baozhen. ¡°How is this peeping?! Aren¡¯t we going to cooperate?!¡±


    ¡°Just you wait!¡± Chen Baozhen grabbed the paper bag and pulled Madam Liu away.


    Madam Liu looked at Chen Baozhen nervously. ¡°Baozhen, that person doesn¡¯t look like a good person. If your father finds out that you¡¯re with him, he¡¯ll chase us out.¡±


    Chen Baozhen¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Can¡¯t you think for me? I stayed upte and embroidered something for him. It¡¯s fine if he doesn¡¯t want it, but he even got someone to send it back for Father to discipline me. Doesn¡¯t he think that bitch Li Yu is the best? I want that bitch to have a taste of humiliation.¡±


    Madam Liu also felt that Schr Zhou was too much. She sighed and said, ¡°Once you¡¯ve vented your anger, you¡¯ll obediently marry into Butcher He¡¯s family.¡±


    Chen Baozhen looked at Madam Liu indifferently. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, after it¡¯s done, you can get his family to propose marriage.¡±


    The mother and daughter returned home in hiding. Chen Baozhen sat there and thought bitterly about how to trick Li Yu intoing to her house to drink the knockout medicine.


    Zhou Jia bought sheepskin boots for Li Yu from the city and a wool mattress. Li Yu looked at the wool mattress in surprise and touched the curly sheep fur. She thought of wool clothes and wool socks.


    Seeing Li Yu¡¯s surprised expression, Zhou Jia whispered, ¡°If you like it, I¡¯ll buy two more for you.¡±


    Li Yu pointed at the sheep fur. ¡°Xiao Xi, where did thise from? Do they sell such fur?¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled and said, ¡°These are all bought from the vendors in Ganzhou. I saw that they had a whole bag of wool for sale. I don¡¯t think anyone likes it. They all say that it smells like sheep.¡±


    Li Yu pulled Zhou Jia in surprise. ¡°Let¡¯s go and buy all their wool.¡±


    Zhou Jia frowned. ¡°Don¡¯t you find it smelly? If you don¡¯t mind, let¡¯s go buy it!¡±


    Li Yu chuckled. ¡°I don¡¯t mind. I have a way to make it not stink.¡±


    The two of them greeted Li Qing and Uncle Zhou before driving the mule cart towards Tongzhou.


    Zhou Jia asked curiously, ¡°Yu¡¯er, do you want to use wool to make wool mules?¡±


    Li Yu pretended to be mysterious. ¡°I won¡¯t tell you for now. I¡¯ll show you when I¡¯m done knitting. I guarantee you¡¯ll like it.¡±


    ¡°Alright, then I¡¯ll wait for the surprise my Yu¡¯er gave me.¡± Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu¡¯s smile and kissed her cheek when she was unprepared. He smiled like a cat stealing fish.


    The next day, before noon, the two of them arrived at the market where fur was sold. All kinds of fur were piled on both sides of the market, dazzling Li Yu.


    Zhou Jia brought Li Yu to the corner of the market. Li Yu saw sheepskin piled up like a hill against the corner of the wall.


    Li Yu looked at the sheep fur in the sack. The merchant smiled and took out a handful of wool from the sack. ¡°Miss, look at how white and soft our wool is. It¡¯s warm on the mat!¡±


    Li Yu took the wool and realized that it had only been roughly washed. There were still debris and sand inside. ¡°Boss, how much are you selling it?¡±


    The boss spread his fingers and said, ¡°I have all the best fine hairs. Five copper coins a catty.¡±


    Li Yu raised three fingers. ¡°Three copper coins. If you are alright with the price, I¡¯ll take them all.¡±


    The boss frowned and thought for a moment. ¡°Miss, you want all 30 stones?¡±


    Li Yu nodded. ¡°I want all of them.¡±


    The owner thought someone finally wanted it, but he looked pained. ¡°Okay! I¡¯ll sell it to you.¡±


    Li Yu bought boots and fur for Li Mei¡¯s family. After paying, the boss asked Li Yu, ¡°Miss, do you still want wool in the future?¡±


    Li Yu thought for a moment. ¡°I¡¯ll know if I still want it after I make it and see the sales.¡±


    ¡°Alright, if you still want it, look for me at the Ganzhou fur shop. My name is Su Quanyou.¡±


    ¡°Okay. You can also go to the Zhouji Bag Shop and find Zhao Cai to bring me a letter.¡±


    ¡°Okay, where do I send these goods to you?¡±


    ¡°Deliver it to Zhouji Bag Shop on East Street.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± The boss called for someone to carry the wool out and send it to Li Yu and Zhou Jia¡¯s bag shop.


    Li Yu and Zhou Jia went to the cksmith¡¯s shop again and customized more than ten needlebs made of thin iron nails, as well as ten pullers made of thick iron nails. There were also a few spinning wheels that were prepared to be used tob and weave wool into balls of thread.


    After Zhou Jia apanied Li Yu to order the things, the two of them pulled the bag of wool back.


    Once they reached home, Li Yu asked Ji Xiang to soak the wool in the stream along with the sack. She took out some rapeseed from the space and hammered it before slowly boiling it with a small fire. Then, she used nt ash to boil the nt ash and deposited it there as a backup.


    Li Yu went to the back of the house and saw that there was still a hundred feet away from the forest behind the house. Uncle Zhou had nted some bamboo, persimmon trees, and a few goldenurels and gardenias outside the forest.


    Li Yu handed the oil-damaged child seed to Uncle Zhou. ¡°Uncle Zhou, do you think this rapeseed can be nted?¡±


    Uncle Zhou took a look. ¡°It can be nted. Just leave it to me.¡±


    ¡°That would be best. Also, do you know bluegrass and madder, and any other nts used for dyeing?¡±


    ¡°I do. There are also gardenias, purple grass, and fragrant trees. In the past, Old Master had nothing to do and liked to make notes on them. I learned some from him.¡± Uncle Zhou thought for a moment. ¡°Miss, I realized that the vige chief¡¯s wife has been wandering around us a few times in the past few days. I think there¡¯s something wrong with her. Xiao An also said that a young man has been wandering around the vige a few times these days. Will there be trouble?¡±


    When Li Yu heard this, she thought to herself that she had never interacted with Madam Liu. Apart from teaching the two hooligans a lesson on the mountainst time, she had not formed any grudges with anyone!


    ...


    ¡°Uncle Zhou, let¡¯s be careful. As for Madam Liu, ignore her. Help me find some dyed herbs. I have a use for them.¡±


    Seeing that Li Yu had noted it, Uncle Zhou was relieved. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go after I put the seeds away.¡±


    Li Yu went to the stream to untie the sack. Ji Xiang and Li Qing helped wash the wool until there was no sand in it. Then, they carried it home and ced it in a wooden bucket.

 Chapter 92

    92 Karma


    Li Yu asked Auntie He to boil a few pots of water and add cold water to it. She poured some rapeseed juice and grass ash lye into the warm water and ced the wool in to soak.


    After the oil was soaked, Li Qing and Ji Xiang rubbed the wool clean and refilled it with the juice of the grass and ash lye. They removed the impurities and oil again and washed it in warm water. Then, they took it to the stream and washed it again.


    They worked for a few days before washing out dozens of bags of wool and spreading them out to dry in the sun pads.


    Li Qing looked at the wool that was as white as cotton after being washed. He took some and smelled it. ¡°Yes! Not bad. It doesn¡¯t smell like sheep after being washed.¡±


    Auntie He looked at the white wool and nodded with a smile. ¡°We¡¯ve spent so much effort. How can it not be clean?!¡±


    Uncle Zhou nodded and said, ¡°That¡¯s right! After spending so much effort, how can it not be good?!¡±


    ¡°Ah Qing, you and Ji Xiang can sun thesest ones at Aunt¡¯s house. Try to spread them out a little in the sun. Only by spreading them thin and sunning them will they dry quickly.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Li Qing and Ji Xiang carried the wool towards Li Mei¡¯s house.


    Madam Liu saw Li Qing and Ji Xiang carrying the things to Li Mei¡¯s house from afar. She slowly walked over and pretended to pass by the Zhou family. She pricked up her ears and heard Li Yu¡¯s voiceing from the courtyard.


    Madam Liu stood in the corner and thought for a while. She still didn¡¯t dare to go in and call Li Yu. She looked around and turned around to walk back.


    When Madam Liu arrived home, Chen Baozhen hurriedly looked behind Madam Liu. She didn¡¯t see Li Yu and asked anxiously, ¡°How is it? Did you call her?¡±


    Madam Liu shook her head and said with a bitter expression, ¡°I didn¡¯t dare to call her here. Baozhen, I think we should forget it! If she finds out, that girl won¡¯t be easy to deal with.¡±


    Chen Baozhen¡¯s desire to take revenge on Zhou Jia did not decrease at all. When she thought about how Zhou Jia had been so attentive toward Li Yu that day, the jealousy in her heart grew like weeds.


    Chen Baozhen thought hatefully, You treat her so well, but you trample on my heart at will. When she bes a slut, will you still treat her as a treasure?


    Chen Baozhen felt her blood boil. She couldn¡¯t wait to see Zhou Jia and Li Yu cry. She suddenly stood up. ¡°It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t dare to go. I¡¯ll go myself!¡±


    When Madam Liu saw Chen Baozhen leave in a hurry, she hurriedly ran out of the courtyard and whispered to Chen Baozhen, ¡°Baozhen, Li Yu is at the Zhou family residence. Hurry up before your father returns from burning charcoal.¡±


    Chen Baozhen nodded and put on the velvet flower before walking towards the Zhou family.


    Chen Baozhen walked to Li Yu¡¯s door and looked at her. She smiled and said, ¡°Xiaoyu, my father went to burn charcoal. I want to ask you to go to my house to help carry the cab. That cab is too heavy for my mother and me to move.¡±


    Li Yu nced at Chen Baozhen and remembered Uncle Zhou¡¯s words. She thought to herself, ¡°One cannot guard against a thief for a thousand years. I might as well go and see what she wants to do.¡±


    Li Yu stared at Chen Baozhen. ¡°Move what? How heavy is it that even you and your mother can¡¯t move it?¡±


    Chen Baozhen said shamelessly, ¡°It¡¯s a big and heavy cab. Sorry to trouble you, Xiaoyu.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Li Yu dried the wool in her hand and followed Chen Baozhen towards the vige chief¡¯s house.


    Ye Lianggong saw Chen Baozhen and Li Yu walking out from afar and hurriedly hid in the bamboo forest.


    When Li Yu arrived at the vige chief¡¯s house, Chen Baozhen pointed at the cab beside the bed. ¡°There seems to be a rat under the cab that bit something bad. Sorry to trouble you, Xiaoyu.¡± Then, she said to Madam Liu, ¡°Mother, move it with Xiaoyu. I¡¯ll go get a ss of water.¡±


    Madam Liu smiled at Li Yu awkwardly. ¡°Xiaoyu, sorry to trouble you.¡±


    Li Yu looked at Mdm Liu¡¯s smile that was uglier than crying and sneered in her heart. ¡°I¡¯m not afraid. I¡¯m strong.¡±


    As Li Yu spoke, she pulled the leg of the cab and easily pulled it to the center of the room.


    Chen Baozhen carried a teacup from the central room and handed it to Li Yu. ¡°Xiaoyu, sorry to trouble you. Let me treat you to some sugar water.¡±


    Li Yu nced at the sugar water in Chen Baozhen¡¯s bowl and thought to herself that something must be amiss with this bowl of water.


    Seeing that Li Yu didn¡¯t take the teacup, Chen Baozhen pretended to be apologetic and said to Li Yu, ¡°Xiaoyu, I didn¡¯t have a good temper in the past. Now, I really want to thank you. I don¡¯t have anything good at home except a bowl of sugar water. Please don¡¯t mind it.¡±


    Li Yu looked coldly at Chen Baozhen¡¯s pretense and smiled evilly. She took the teacup and ced it to her mouth.


    When Chen Baozhen saw Li Yu put the bowl to her lips, she kept shouting in her heart, Drink! Hurry up and drink!


    Li Yu looked at Chen Baozhen¡¯s anxious expression and suddenly lost the mood to tease her. She pulled Chen Baozhen over and grabbed the back of her neck. ¡°I think you¡¯re worried that I won¡¯t drink this bowl of water. Let me guess what¡¯s strange inside.¡±


    Chen Baozhen raised her head and blushed. She argued, ¡°If you don¡¯t like my things, just say so. Why are you finding these excuses?¡±


    Madam Liu went forward to snatch the tea bowl from Li Yu¡¯s hand. ¡°Xiaoyu, it¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t drink it, but you can¡¯t spout nonsense and ruin our intentions!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll know if it¡¯s ruined or not after you try.¡± Li Yu pushed Madam Liu away and pressed Chen Baozhen against the wall. She pinched Chen Baozhen¡¯s mouth open and poured the sugar water into her mouth.


    Chen Baozhen began to struggle desperately, but she couldn¡¯t escape Li Yu¡¯s hold. Madam Liu was so frightened that she went forward to help. She wanted to pull Li Yu away, but she was knocked to the ground by Li Yu.


    Madam Liuy on the ground and kept shouting, ¡°Xiaoyu, how can you do this! Let go of Baozhen quickly. You can¡¯t let Baozhen drink it.¡±


    ¡°If your Chen Baozhen can¡¯t drink it, why should I drink it? I want to see what¡¯s in it.¡± Li Yu covered Chen Baozhen¡¯s mouth and watched her swallow it.


    Zhou Jia returned from town and saw Auntie He at home alone. ¡°Auntie He, did Xiaoyu go up the mountain?¡±


    Auntie He smiled. ¡°No, Miss was still here just now. She was called by the vige chief¡¯s daughter to help move things.¡±


    When Zhou Jia heard this, he turned around and ran towards the vige chief¡¯s house. When he was about to reach the vige chief¡¯s house, he saw a man sneaking into the house. Zhou Jia hurriedly followed him in.


    When Auntie He saw that Zhou Jia¡¯s expression had changed on hearing that Li Yu had gone to the vige chief¡¯s house, she hurriedly ran to Li Mei¡¯s house and shouted at Ji Xiang, ¡°Ji Xiang, Young Master went to the vige chief¡¯s house. Hurry up and go to the vige chief¡¯s house to take a look.¡±


    When Ji Xiang and Li Qing heard this, they ran towards the vige chief¡¯s house. When the women making bags in the house heard Auntie He¡¯s words, they put down their needles and followed.


    Zhou Jia followed the man into the courtyard and saw that the door of the central room was wide open. Madam Liu¡¯s cries came from the room. ¡°Xiaoyu, how can you treat Baozhen like this? Baozhen, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Li Yu looked at Chen Baozhen, who was choking and trying to get the sugar water out. She shouted coldly, ¡°Didn¡¯t you and Chen Baozhen want me to drink it? If I can drink it, why can¡¯t she? Auntie Liu, tell me honestly, what¡¯s in this bowl?¡±


    When Ye Lianggong reached the door of the central room, he heard that something was wrong and turned to run. Only then did he see Zhou Jia following behind.


    Zhou Jia stopped Ye Lianggong and shouted in a low voice, ¡°Who are you? Why are you at the vige chief¡¯s house?¡±


    Ye Lianggong did not make a sound. He reached out and wanted to push Zhou Jia away. Zhou Jia pressed his hand down and pinched his fingers to break them. However, he did not use enough strength, allowing Ye Lianggong to break free. Zhou Jia grabbed Ye Lianggong and the two of them started fighting.


    At this moment, Ji Xiang arrived. Seeing Zhou Jia fighting with a man, he stepped forward and kicked Ye Lianggong to the ground.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let him go,¡± Zhou Jia shouted at Ji Xiang. ¡°Xiaoyu, are you okay?¡± He ran into the anxious royal court.


    ¡°Don¡¯te in. I¡¯m fine,¡± Li Yu replied loudly.


    Li Yu watched as Chen Baozhen became confused. Her face was flushed, and she let out a blush-inducing moan. She even kept tearing off her clothes and twisting her body. Chen Baozhen felt that she might have drunk something like an aphrodisiac.


    ...

 Chapter 93

    93 Mr. Zhou¡¯s Love Tribtion


    ¡°You can go against the heavens, but you can¡¯t live with your sins.¡± Li Yu looked at Madam Liu and Chen Baozhen mockingly. ¡°Are you still human? How did I offend you for you to do such a vicious and shameless thing?¡±


    Madam Liu knelt in front of Li Yu with a bang and begged, ¡°Xiaoyu, we¡¯ve let you down. Aren¡¯t you still fine?! My Baozhen still has to get married! Let us go! I¡¯ll kowtow to you.¡± As Madam Liu spoke, she kept kowtowing to Li Yu.


    Li Yu walked up to Madam Liu and looked down at her. ¡°Let you off? I was fine at home when you and your daughter called me over to help. So you deliberately tricked me here to drug me. You¡¯re really the guilty party.¡±


    Madam Li, Li Mei, and the women rushed to the vige chief¡¯s house. Li Mei saw Madam Liu kowtowing to Li Yu non-stop, and Chen Baozhen looking ghastly. Li Yu was also saying that Madam Liu and her daughter had drugged her.


    Li Mei was scared out of her wits. She rushed in and hugged Li Yu to check around. ¡°Yu¡¯er, are you alright? Why did the Liu family drug you?¡±


    Li Yu¡¯s heart warmed when she saw Li Mei¡¯s worried expression. She told Li Mei what had happened andforted her. ¡°Aunt, I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s Chen Baozhen who¡¯s in trouble. I don¡¯t know why they wanted to drug me.¡±


    Li Mei was relieved and turned around to scold Madam Liu and her daughter. Only then did she see Chen Baozhen, who was lying there in a daze with a flushed face and groaning. She gasped. ¡°Heavens! What sin did you twomit?¡±


    Madam Ma and Madam Li blushed and apologized to Li Yu. ¡°Xiaoyu, the Chen family has let you down. When Father-inwes back, we will give you an exnation.¡±


    Li Yu looked at the two upright and kind women and went forward to support them. ¡°Auntie Li, Auntie Ma, that¡¯s a different matter. You¡¯re not on the same side as them.¡±


    Madam Li was furious. ¡°They¡¯re also from the Chen family!¡±


    After apologizing, Madam Ma went out to call the vige chief.


    Madam Li looked at Chen Baozhen and her mother in disgust. ¡°Xiaoyu, what¡¯s wrong with Baozhen? Can she still be treated?¡±


    Li Yu shook her head. ¡°Auntie Li, I don¡¯t know about that either. I might have to ask the person Ji Xiang captured.¡±


    When everyone arrived at the courtyard, the vige chief and Chen Yaohui returned. Chen Yaohui went forward and kicked Ye Lianggong a few times.


    The vige chief bowed to Zhou Jia and Li Yu in embarrassment. ¡°Xiaoyu, Mr. Zhou, I¡¯ve lived for decades for nothing. I can¡¯t even teach my daughter well and now she¡¯s done such a vicious and shameless thing.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at the vige chief¡¯s tottering appearance and hurriedly supported him tofort him. ¡°Grandpa Vige Chief, don¡¯t me yourself. What they did has nothing to do with your upbringing.¡±


    An old granny also persuaded, ¡°As the old saying goes, a dragon has nine sons. The nine sons are not like their mother. When the child is born, we can teach the person, but we can¡¯t teach the heart.¡±


    The vige chief sobbed and said, ¡°I¡¯m useless. I didn¡¯t discipline her strictly since she¡¯s the youngest in the family. I¡¯ll give Xiaoyu justice.¡±


    Chen Yaohui pointed at Ye Lianggong and asked Madam Li, ¡°Who is he? Why is he at Father¡¯s house?¡±


    Madam Li shook her head. ¡°When we came in, we saw that he had been captured by Ji Xiang.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Ye Lianggong. ¡°As soon as I arrived at the door, I saw him sneak into the courtyard and follow him to the door of the central room. For some reason, he turned around and walked out. I went forward and asked him who he was. He didn¡¯t say anything. I stopped him and didn¡¯t let him go, so I fought him. Later, Ji Xiang came and subdued him.¡±


    Li Yu lowered her head to take a closer look and recognized that it was the hooligan she had met on the mountain path that day. She pointed at him and said, ¡°This person is not a good person. I taught him a lesson... ¡± Li Yu went on to rte why she taught Ye Lianggong a lesson.


    Zhou Jia and Li Qing were so angry that they rushed up and beat Ye Lianggong up. Li Qing shouted at Ye Lianggong, ¡°Throw this bastard up the mountain to feed the wolves.¡±


    Ye Lianggong screamed miserably. Chen Yaohui walked over and said to the vige chief, ¡°Father, I think we should call Second Mother out and ask why this person came to our house.¡±


    The vige chief nodded weakly. Madam Li stopped Chen Yaohui and whispered, ¡°Ah Hui, let me call her! I don¡¯t know what Baozhen ate that she can¡¯t see anyone. I have to ask what medicine this person gave her.¡±


    Chen Yaohui was so angry that he almost gritted his teeth to pieces. Seeing that his father had aged a lot in the blink of an eye, he persuaded the vige chief with heartache, ¡°Father, don¡¯t be angry. Go sit and rest first.¡±


    The vige chief waved his hand. ¡°I¡¯ll wait for her toe out and ask before leaving.¡±


    Madam Liu walked out of the house trembling. She knelt in front of the vige chief and begged, ¡°Baozhen¡¯s father, quickly save Baozhen. I don¡¯t know what medicine this man gave her, but she¡¯s still unconscious.¡±


    The vige chief looked at Madam Liu and panted angrily. ¡°Who do you think this man is? Where did hee from? Why did hee to our house?¡±


    ¡°He said that he lives in Phoenix Town and is called Ye Lianggong. He said that Xiaoyu has a grudge against him and he wants to take revenge on Xiaoyu. That girl, Baozhen, is obsessed and wants... wants...¡± Madam Liu stammered and could not continue.


    The vige chief shouted, ¡°You still want to protect her? Tell me, why?¡±


    Madam Liu was so frightened that she trembled. ¡°Baozhen said that Mr. Zhou humiliated her. She said that she stayed upte to make embroidery and sincerely congratted him on his housewarming. It would have been fine if Mr. Zhou doesn¡¯t like embroidery and threw it away. But he even asked someone to send it back to you and embarrassed her. She wanted to take revenge on Mr. Zhou. That day, she was convinced by this man by the stream, so she agreed to join forces with him to teach Xiaoyu and Mr. Zhou a lesson. Who knew that Xiaoyu found out and fed the medicine to Baozhen? Father, we know our mistake. Please save Baozhen!¡± Madam Liu kept kowtowing and begging for mercy.


    Li Yu rolled her eyes at Zhou Jia. What a kid. He actually attracted admirers and even provoked a love cmity.


    Zhou Jia did not expect a disaster to happen because of him. He looked at Madam Liu and said angrily, Your girl didn¡¯t abide by the societal rules and didn¡¯t know how to discipline herself. You even allowed the girl to take revenge and almost harmed Xiaoyu. Fortunately, my Xiaoyu is capable. If it were another weak woman, wouldn¡¯t you have seeded? You¡¯re too shameless.¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, my family...¡± The vige chief fell to the ground, clutching his chest.


    ¡°Father, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Madam Liu, Chen Yaohui, and Madam Li pounced forward, wanting to help the vige chief up. Li Yu hurriedly stopped them. ¡°Hurry up and help him lie down.¡±


    After Chen Yaohui helped the vige chief to lie down, Zhou Jia went forward to take his pulse. ¡°The vige chief is angry. When he recovers, we¡¯ll carry him into the house to recuperate. He can¡¯t be agitated anymore.¡±


    After a while, the vige chief slowly recovered. He pointed at Ye Lianggong weakly and said to Chen Yaohui and his brother, ¡°Lock your second mother and Baozhen up and get someone to go to Phoenix Town to find his nsmen. Let them give us an exnation before sending that dog to the government office.¡±


    ¡°Got it, Father.¡± Chen Yaohui carried the vige chief to his house, and Madam Liu stumbled after him.


    Li Yu looked at Chen Yaozu and reminded him, ¡°Uncle Chen, let him write down his confession, and have him sign it before going to town to look for their nsmen.¡±

 Chapter 94

    94 Evil


    Chen Yaozu brought a basin of cold water and sshed it on Ye Lianggong to wake him up. He pointed the machete at him and shouted, ¡°Tell me, what medicine did you give Baozhen? What exactly do you want?¡±


    Ye Lianggong was so cold that he was trembling. Seeing Chen Yaozu waving the machete in front of him, he gritted his teeth and said fiercely, ¡°Kill me if you dare. You won¡¯t be able to escape responsibility then.¡±


    Chen Yaozu raised his machete with bloodshot eyes and was about to sh when Li Yu hurriedly pulled him back. Li Yu sneered and looked at Ye Lianggong. ¡°Isn¡¯t it too easy on you to kill you? Uncle Chen, drag him to the Phoenix Mountain to feed the wolves.¡±


    Ye Lianggong trembled in fear. Feeding the wolves again? Why are the siblings the same?


    ¡°Okay.¡± Chen Yaohui went forward and dragged Ye Lianggong away. Only then did Ye Lianggong be afraid. ¡°I¡¯ll talk, I¡¯ll talk.¡±


    ¡°You better not lie to me.¡± Chen Yaohui threw him to the ground and bowed to Zhou Jia. ¡°Mr. Zhou, please record this.¡±


    Zhou Jia nodded and took the pen and paper from Madam Li. Chen Yaohui looked at Ye Lianggong sinisterly. ¡°You better tell me honestly.¡±


    Ye Lianggong licked the blood at the corner of his mouth and gritted his teeth in pain. ¡°After I was beaten up by that girl, I wanted to take revenge.... That aphrodisiac is called Sounding Beauty. I went to the Spring Breeze Brothel to buy it from the old procuress. I was afraid that she was skilled and added some knockout medicine. I wanted to sell her to the Spring Breeze Brothel after I seeded.¡±


    When Zhou Jia heard this, he was so angry that he kicked Ye Lianggong in the crotch. Ye Lianggong screamed and fainted. Chen Yaohui grabbed Ye Lianggong¡¯s handprint and was about to leave with his confession.


    Zhou Jia reached out to stop him. ¡°Uncle Chen, don¡¯t go to the Ye n. Go and report to the town magistrate. I¡¯ll get Ji Xiang to inform the Ye n. The others can just wait here.¡±


    Chen Yaohui nodded and went out with Ji Xiang to get the cart. Chen Yaozu asked Zhou Jia awkwardly, ¡°Mr. Zhou, is there any way to cure Baozhen¡¯s poison?¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu. After seeing Li Yu nod in agreement, he said to Chen Yaohui, ¡°The only way to cure that poison is to soak her in cold water.¡±


    Madam Li and Madam Ma hurriedly went to get a few buckets of well water and poured them into the bathtub. They ced Chen Baozhen, who was moaning non-stop, into the cold water. The early winter water was bone-chilling, and Chen Baozhen shivered in the bucket in a daze.


    Madam Ma looked at the pitiful and hateful Chen Baozhen. ¡°Baozhen has been led astray by Madam Liu. She has beenpetitive since she was young and is as petty as a needle. No one will dare to want her now.¡±


    Madam Li curled her lips. ¡°You¡¯ve always been sarcastic since you were young. Now that you¡¯ve done such a sinister thing, it¡¯s time to teach you a lesson.¡±


    After the two of them changed the cold water twice and saw that Chen Baozhen was no longer humming, they dragged her out of the bucket and changed her clothes. Madam Li saw that Chen Baozhen was lying there in a daze. Her eyes were not moving and she did not know where to look. Her saliva was flowing out of the corner of her mouth and she did not know how to wipe it. She looked at Madam Ma worriedly. ¡°Sister-inw, do you think Baozhen has be stupid?¡±


    Madam Ma walked up to Chen Baozhen and shook her. ¡°Baozhen, are you feeling better?¡±


    Chen Baozhen still stared nkly ahead and did not react.


    ¡°Oh no, I¡¯m afraid she¡¯s really be stupid. I¡¯ll go out and tell your brother,¡± Madam Ma said.


    Outside the house, Zhou Jia looked at Chen Yaozu worriedly. ¡°We still don¡¯t know the character of the Ye family. It¡¯s best to call all the men in the vige over just in case.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll call them now.¡± Chen Yaozu called for someone.


    Zhou Jia turned to look at Li Yu. ¡°Yu¡¯er, go home with Ah Qing and call Ruyi over. Leave this to me. If anything happens, I¡¯ll get someone to call you.¡±


    Li Yu nced at Zhou Jia and nodded. She left with Li Qing and Zhaodi.


    When Chen Yaozu returned with the men from the vige, Madam Ma ran up to Chen Yaozu. ¡°Father, Baozhen seems to have gone silly. She doesn¡¯t even know how to wipe her saliva.¡±


    When Chen Yaozu heard this, he asked Zhou Jia, ¡°Mr. Zhou, will people be stupid after taking that medicine?¡±


    When Zhou Jia heard this, he recalled that Ye Lianggong had added knockout drops. ¡°That thief added knockout drops to the aphrodisiac. If the dosage is too high, it will hurt her brain.¡±


    ¡°Wretched man.¡± Chen Yaozu angrily carried Ye Lianggong and tied him to the pir. He hit him a few times and only stopped when he saw that he had fainted. He waited for Madam Ye and the town magistrate toe to the Chen family to deal with him.


    After more than an hour, Ji Xiang returned. He nced at Chen Yaozu and said to Zhou Jia, ¡°Young Master, I don¡¯t think the Ye family is easy to deal with.¡±


    Zhou Jia nodded. ¡°Go pick up Uncle Yaohui.¡±


    Not long after Ji Xiang left, more than a dozen Ye nsmen arrived. Leading them was a thin, tall, and thin old man, as well as an old woman with a round face. Behind her were more than a dozen young men.


    As soon as the old woman arrived at the vige chief¡¯s house, she saw Ye Lianggong tied to the porch pir. Seeing that his face was bruised and the corners of his mouth were cracked, she screamed, ¡°Third Uncle, look, the goddamn outsiders beat my son up like this. My son!...¡±


    The old woman cried and rushed forward to untie the rope. The men from the vige blocked her way.


    Chen Yaozu saw the fire in her eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t touch, old woman. We can only let him go when the government officialse.¡±


    Ye Lianggong woke up and cried when he saw the old woman. ¡°Mother, ask them to let me go back.¡±


    The old womanforted her gently. ¡°Okay, okay. Mother and Third Uncle are here to take you back.¡±


    The head of the Ye family looked at Chen Yaozu arrogantly and rudely. ¡°Who in your vige is in charge?¡±


    Chen Yaozu crossed his arms and looked at him. ¡°And who are you?¡±


    A man at the side stepped forward and shouted, ¡°This is Ye Rongtian, Patriarch Ye.¡±


    Chen Yaozu looked at him disdainfully and pointed at Zhou Jia beside him. ¡°This is the person in charge of our vige, Schr Zhou.¡±


    When the people from the Ye family saw that the manager of Phoenix Vige was a schr, their attitude instantly improved. Ye Rongtian cupped his hands at Zhou Jia. ¡°Mr. Zhou, may I ask what my nephew has done for you to treat him like this?¡±


    Zhou Jia also cupped his hands at Ye Rongtian. ¡°Patriarch Ye, I have Ye Lianggong¡¯s confession here. You¡¯ll understand after I read it to you.¡±


    Ye Rongtian frowned and thought to himself, These outsiders have already recorded their confessions. This is going to be difficult.


    Zhou Jia saw Ye Rongtian lowering his head and looking at the Ye family¡¯s patriarch. ¡°Patriarch Ye, do you want to hear it?¡±


    Ye Rongtian raised his head. ¡°Yes, why not?¡± Zhou Jia read Ye Lianggong¡¯s confession. Some of the Ye family members looked shocked.


    ¡°Nonsense. My son is filial and kind. He won¡¯t do such a thing.¡± The old woman rushed in front of Zhou Jia and snatched the confession from his hand.


    Ruyi went forward to stop her. Zhou Jia looked at her and said, ¡°Your son first did something wrong. After being taught a lesson, he didn¡¯t repent and even looked for an opportunity to take revenge. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can ask a young man called Good Soldier in your vige.¡±


    The people from the Ye family discussed softly, ¡°A few days ago, Lianggong and Liangbing went hunting and came back not long after. I saw that Liangbing¡¯s bow was also broken. They even said that Liangbing identally injured his hand and couldn¡¯t do anything for a few days. The two of them haven¡¯t interacted since then. So that¡¯s what happened!¡±


    ¡°No wonder Liangbing was unwilling to help today. So that¡¯s what happened!¡±


    ¡°Old Madam Ye isn¡¯t strict with her son. It¡¯s not the first time her Lianggong has flirted with the daughter of a foreign family in the vige. He must have kicked an iron te this time!¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Ye Rongtian. ¡°Patriarch Ye, we informed you toe because we don¡¯t want people to think that the vigers of our Phoenix Vige are unreasonable people.¡± Zhou Jia looked at the man behind him and said loudly, ¡°Although we don¡¯t cause trouble, we¡¯re not afraid of trouble.¡±


    Chen Gui, Butcher He, and a group of men echoed loudly, ¡°Yes, we don¡¯t cause trouble, but we¡¯re not afraid of trouble.¡±


    Ye Rongtian looked at the man from Phoenix Vige with a ruthless gaze. He turned around and saw that the vigers behind him looked at Ye Lianggong with disdain. He lowered his body and bowed to Zhou Jia. ¡°Mr. Zhou, we didn¡¯t teach him well. Please don¡¯t report him to the authorities first. His mother is a widow. We raised him painstakingly and still have to rely on him to take care of her!¡±


    Seeing that the Patriarch had also humbled himself to plead, Old Madam Ye also cried and pleaded, ¡°Uncles, the child is still young. Give him a chance to change. Please.¡±


    ...


    Zhou Jia looked at Ye Rongtian and refused tly. ¡°We can¡¯t let him go. His methods are so vicious. If we let him go, wouldn¡¯t we be letting him harm others? We caught him today. If he had seeded, the woman he harmed will be consigned to eternal damnation.¡±


    Ye Rongtian was about to speak when Chen Yaohui and Ji Xiang returned with Zhu Zhencheng and an official.

 Chapter 95

    95 Captured


    Zhu Zhencheng looked at the group of people from the Ye family in the courtyard and the dozens of men from Phoenix Vige and frowned. He hoped these people wouldn¡¯t cause trouble.


    Ye Rongtian hurriedly went up to him and bowed obsequiously. ¡°Lord Town Mayor, have I rmed you?¡±


    Zhu Zhencheng looked at Ye Rongtian and smiled faintly. ¡°Patriarch Ye is also here! The Chen family came to report that someone had broken in and drugged a good woman to sell. This is an incredible matter, so they rushed over.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not as serious as they say!¡± Ye Rongtian replied with an embarrassed smile. Old Madam Ye pounced in front of the town magistrate and kowtowed to quibble. ¡°Lord, my son is kind by nature. He won¡¯t do such an unforgivable thing. They must have beaten him up so badly that he was afraid.¡±


    Zhu Zhencheng looked at Old Madam Ye and frowned. ¡°Then why did he appear in the Chen family? They only settled down not long ago.¡±


    ¡°This, this...¡± Granny Ye was momentarily at a loss for words.


    Zhou Jia went forward and bowed to Zhu Zhencheng. He handed over Ye Lianggong¡¯s confession. ¡°Lord Zhu, this is the criminal¡¯s confession.¡±


    After taking a look, Zhu Zhencheng said to Zhou Jia and the people from the Ye family, ¡°What a shameless person. How dare you do such a vicious and shameless thing? Ye Lianggong, I¡¯ll take you to the county office first. You¡¯re all dismissed. You¡¯re not allowed to cause trouble. Otherwise, you¡¯ll all be arrested and brought back to the government office.¡±


    The people from the Ye family and Phoenix Vige agreed. Zhu Zhencheng asked the magistrate to untie Ye Lianggong from the pir and tied him up again before bringing it out. When Old Madam Ye saw this, her eyes rolled back and she fainted.


    The people from the Ye family hurriedly carried Old Madam Ye to the ox cart outside and rushed back to town. Zhu Zhencheng said to Zhou Jia and Chen Yaohui, who had sent him out, ¡°The facts are clear. I¡¯ll take him away first and inform you after the trial.¡±


    Zhou Jia and Chen Yaohui cupped their hands and thanked him. ¡°Thank you, City Governor.¡± Chen Yaozu took the opportunity to send him off politely.


    As soon as Zhu Zhencheng returned to town, the head of the Ye family brought money to plead with Zhu Zhencheng on behalf of Old Madam Ye.


    Zhu Zhencheng looked at Ye Rongtian with a troubled expression. ¡°Brother Ye, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to help you, but the evidence is really conclusive. I can¡¯t y favorites! I think you should go to the Tongzhou government office and see if the punishment can be lightened.¡±


    Ye Rongtian looked at Zhu Zhencheng and begged, ¡°Can¡¯t you make an exception for High Schr Ye?¡±


    Zhu Zhencheng said in a low voice, ¡°No, it¡¯s not the first time Ye Lianggong has flirted with a good woman. Even if High Schr Ye knows, he won¡¯t let him off. To be honest, I¡¯ve heard about it in the past. Thinking about our many years of friendship, I didn¡¯t pursue it. Now that he actually dared tomit such a vicious and shameless thing, he should be drowned as a warning to others, logistically speaking.¡±


    Seeing that Zhu Zhencheng was unwilling to make an exception, Ye Rongtian could only bid farewell and return unhappily. Zhu Zhencheng looked at his back. He really didn¡¯t know what to do. To think he even came to plead for such a thing.


    In the courtyard of the Chen family, Chen Yaohui and his brother bowed to everyone. ¡°Thank you, everyone. I¡¯ll invite everyone to gather when my father is better.¡±


    Butcher He smiled brightly and said, ¡°Why are you being so polite? Besides, we¡¯re all from the same vige. We¡¯ll only be bullied in this unfamiliar ce if we don¡¯t help one another.¡±


    The Zhou family smiled and agreed. ¡°That¡¯s right. We have to work together to help each other.¡±


    The Chen Yaozu brothers looked at Zhou Jia in shame. ¡°Mr. Zhou, when my father recovers, we give Xiaoyu an exnation.¡±


    ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll go back then. Let the vige chief rest well,¡± Zhou Jia said indifferently.


    The Chen brothers sent everyone back into the house. Madam Ma looked at them with a frown. ¡°Hmph, she¡¯s not snorting anymore. She¡¯s just unconscious.¡±


    Chen Yaozu flicked his sleeve angrily. ¡°Who can she me? I¡¯ll go to Ah Hui¡¯s ce to see my father first.¡±


    Li Yu carried the dried wool upstairs and ced it on the mat.


    Auntie He sighed. ¡°It¡¯s difficult for women to live in this world. It¡¯s even harder to live without self-respect.¡±


    Laidi wrinkled her nose. ¡°Yes! You don¡¯t even feel sorry for yourself, yet you want others to treat you well. Dream on.¡±


    Zhaodi patted Laidi. ¡°You silly girl. You know everything.¡±


    Laidi looked at Zhaodi. ¡°I knew it. I¡¯m going to have to support myself like my cousin. I won¡¯t take anyone¡¯s anger.¡±


    Zhaodi looked at her and smiled. ¡°You make it sound so nice now, but you¡¯ll forget it when the dayes.¡±


    Zhou Jia brought Ji Xiang and Ruyi home. After telling Li Yu what happenedter, he also told her about Chen Baozhen stopping him twice to give him things.


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu and said guiltily, ¡°Yu¡¯er, I felt that it was inappropriate for Miss Chen to give me something so I asked Ruyi to return it to the vige chief and ask him to discipline Miss. Who knew that she would be such a vicious person and implicate you?¡±


    Li Yu smiled and knocked on Zhou Jia. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault. She¡¯s the one who¡¯s narrow-minded and vicious.¡± Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia¡¯s handsome face and smiled again. ¡°It¡¯s also your fault for being so attractive. Sigh! What a problem!¡±


    Zhou Jia held Li Yu¡¯s hand and looked at her. He said affectionately, ¡°I just want to attract your attention. I don¡¯t care about anyone else.¡±


    Li Yu¡¯s heart melted at Zhou Jia¡¯s words. She almost couldn¡¯t help but pounce on him and kiss him. She pushed him out with a red face. ¡°Don¡¯t exercise your charms here. Hurry up and dry my wool.¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled and went to the courtyard. He looked at Li Qing in the courtyard and said, ¡°Ah Qing, I used the move your sister taught me today. It¡¯s just that I wasn¡¯t strong enough and he broke free. Looks like we have to work hard!¡±


    Li Qing rolled his eyes. ¡°You have to work hard. I¡¯m small, but I¡¯m stronger than you. When I¡¯m as old as you, I¡¯ll be as good as Brother Ji Xiang.¡±


    Zhou Jia patted Li Qing¡¯s butt. ¡°Little brat, youin that your teacher is old every day. Your teacher is in his prime, do you understand?¡±


    Everyone watched the two of them bicker and was overjoyed.


    The next day, Zhao Cai sent back the needleb, hairb, and spinning wheel that Li Yu had ordered.


    Zhaodi looked at the needleb and hairbrush and asked Li Yu, ¡°Cousin, how do I use it? Is it like spinning cotton thread?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll demonstrate it to youter. First, spread the wool with a needleb. After theb is loose, straighten and lengthen it.¡±


    Li Yu first fixed the pull rack to the wooden frame and grabbed a handful of wool. Afterbing it loose with a needle, she took it to the pull rack with a row of thick iron nails and stretched the wool.


    The Zhaodi sisters watched as the wool grew longer and longer in Li Yu¡¯s hand. They smiled and said, ¡°This thing is better than cotton.¡±


    Li Yu separated a strand of the elongated wool and twisted it into a thin thread before handing it to Zhaodi. ¡°Cousin, the thread is only this thick. Spinning it out and taking a look first. I¡¯ll get a few more people to do it togetherter.¡±


    Zhaodi took the wool. ¡°Alright, Laidi will go brush the thread. I¡¯ll spin it.¡± After Li Yu and Laidibed some of the wool out, Zhaodi also spun a circle of wool thread.


    Zhaodi held the spun thread and ced it in front of Li Yu. ¡°Cousin, take a look at this thickness.¡±


    Li Yu picked it up and looked at it. ¡°This thickness is suitable. A thick one like this is called a medium-thin thread. Our batch will spin it to this thickness. Next time, we¡¯ll spin a thicker medium-thick thread than this.¡±


    Seeing that Li Yu was satisfied, Zhaodi smiled happily. ¡°Got it. Cousin, go ahead!¡±


    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll get someone to help spin the thread, then get someone to weave those cattails.¡±


    Li Yu returned to the house to get the drawing of the cattail weaving. She went to more than ten families in the vige with elderly people. She nned to hire them to use cattail to weave bowl cushions, fans, straw mats, slippers, and cold hats. When she sold them in the grocery store in the summer next year, she could earn some money for them.


    The elders were all willing. They felt that they had nothing to do at home when the weather was cold. With a manual job, they could earn more than ten copper coins a day.


    Li Yu asked Ji Xiang and Ruyi to send the cattails to more than ten elders¡¯ houses. The elderly also came to the house to help spin the thread. Although the elders worked slowly, they were careful. The wool they spun was symmetrical and tight.


    Li Yu tied the thread up in a wicker basket. She nned to dye it together when there were more.


    ...

 Chapter 96

    96 Reap What One Sows


    Two dayster, Zhu Zhencheng sent someone to invite Chen Yaozu and Zhou Jia to Tongzhou. Before Zhou Jia left, he took Li Qing away and prepared to find an academy in Qingzhou for Li Qing. He began to prepare for the exam in peace.


    Two dayster, Chen Yaohui returned from Tongzhou and told Li Yu that the government office had sentenced Ye Lianggong to 50 strokes of beating and 50 taels of silver. He was also exiled.


    After the vige chief recovered, he brought the hunched and trembling Madam Liu and the dazed Chen Baozhen to Li Yu¡¯s house to apologize.


    Madam Liu pulled Chen Baozhen to kneel in front of Li Yu. She begged with tears in her eyes, ¡°Xiaoyu, I didn¡¯t teach my daughter well. Please let her off on ount that Baozhen has already suffered retribution!¡±


    Li Yu looked at the vige chief and Madam Liu, who had aged a lot in just a few days. She then looked at Chen Baozhen, who was kneeling behind Madam Liu. ¡°Grandpa Vige Chief, let them get up! The matter has already passed. Don¡¯t take it to heart.¡±


    The vige chief nced at Li Yu and cried. ¡°Xiaoyu! I¡¯ve let you down. I originally relied on your support to flee all the way here to have such a stable life. Everyone should have worked together to live a good life. Who knew that that evil creature would make such a huge mistake? I¡¯m too ashamed to see you!¡±


    The vige chief panted and continued, ¡°I¡¯m not as energetic as before. Can you talk to Mr. Zhou and see if he¡¯s willing to take care of the vige?¡±


    Li Yu shook her head. ¡°Grandpa Vige Chief, Zhou Jia is preparing to participate in the examination next year. I think your Uncle Yaohui and Uncle Yao are good people and fair. No matter who bes the vige chief, it¡¯s the best thing for our vige.¡±


    The vige chief thought for a moment. ¡°If Mr. Zhou wants to take the imperial examination, it¡¯s a big matter that our entire vige has to fully support. Let¡¯s let him prepare for the examination in peace. As for the candidate for the vige chief, your Uncle Yaohui is a little indecisive. I¡¯ll n it with the other families.¡±


    Li Yu nodded and smiled. ¡°I think the most important quality of the chief is to be righteous and fair.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll make a note of what you said. I¡¯ll go back and work with the old ones. Thank you for your magnanimity.¡±


    After Li Yu sent the vige chief away, she carried a basket of wool thread to the Zhou family. Uncle Zhou took out the madder, bluegrass, and purple grass that he had dug up for Li Yu.. ¡°Miss, these can all be dyed. What color do you want to dye?¡±


    Li Yu asked curiously, ¡°Uncle Zhou, I only know that blue grass and madder can be dyed. I¡¯ve also seen someone dye it after boiling water. I don¡¯t know how it was done exactly. How do you dye the colors?¡±


    Uncle Zhou smiled and took out the madder from the box. He pointed at the roots of the madder and said to Li Yu, ¡°Dyeing with Madder is done with the roots of the madder. After cutting it, we boil it with vinegar and put it in a jar. After covering it and fermenting it for a few days, you can use it to dye things red. The color will be different if the medium is used. You have to add salt appropriately to ensure that the colorsts and doesn¡¯t fade easily.


    With bluegrass, the dye is made from the leaves and roots of bluegrass. It¡¯s soaked in water in a vat and pressed down with stones. After soaking for a few days, it¡¯s added to the lime powder in a ratio of one to five... It¡¯s recorded in these top techniques.¡±


    Li Yu did not expect the ancient people to have such good knowledge of nt dyeing. She raised her thumb and praised, ¡°Uncle Zhou, you¡¯re still the best. I¡¯ll leave the dyeing to you.¡±


    Uncle Zhou smiled until his face was full of wrinkles. ¡°Alright, don¡¯t worry, Miss. I¡¯ll do it well.¡±


    Li Yu left the Zhou family¡¯s house in relief and went to the pond. She saw that the workers had already tidied up the pond and poured the mud into the wastnd.


    Ruyi, who was supervising the workers, came out of the field and said to Li Yu, ¡°Miss, the wheat field has already been covered with winter soil. There are still more than 100 acres of wastnd left. The short-term worker said that he wants to finish plowing before the winter solstice.¡±


    ¡°Alright, if you¡¯re done early, ask them to dig the septic tank and cistern. I think that¡¯s fine. Go and hire more people to fix them all at once to avoid trouble next year. Keep an eye out for short-term workers who are sincere and dutiful. Ask them if they¡¯re willing to sign a contract with our family and work for us. Those who are willing to work can wait until the farm is fixed next year. We¡¯ll provide them with amodation and the family cane to work and get their sry.¡±


    ¡°Okay. A few of the short-term workers have already asked me. They said they want toe to our house to work as long-term workers or tenants. But I haven¡¯t noticed the rest. From today onwards, I¡¯ll pay attention.¡±


    Li Yu smiled in relief. ¡°Alright, go ahead! I¡¯m going back.¡±


    Ruyi bowed to Li Yu. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go back and talk to those short-term workers and get them to call more people to work.¡±


    Li Yu nodded and turned around to walk back. She nned to go to the vige entrance to cut a few bamboos and go home to shave them and knit sweaters.


    Li Yu chose three thick pieces of bamboo and cut them down. She picked up the clean bamboo branches and carried the bamboo back. At this point, Zhou Jia and Li Qing had just rushed back from Tongzhou and saw Li Yu. They chased after her.


    ¡°Sister, let me carry the bamboo.¡± Li Qing jumped out of the car and took the bamboo Li Yu was carrying, letting Li Yu take the cart home.


    After Li Yu got into the cart, Zhou Jia smiled and said, ¡°Xiaoyu, I found a private school called Xiushan for Ah Qing. The teacher is a schr in his forties. His character is upright and not pedantic. His knowledge is also not bad.¡± Zhou Jia smiled. ¡°It¡¯s just that he doesn¡¯t have good luck in the exams. Every time he goes, he either has diarrhea or ruins the paper.¡±


    ¡°You can arrange these things. Are you going to the academy or are you going to prepare for the exam at home?¡±


    Zhou Jia said in a low voice, ¡°It¡¯s better to prepare for the exam at home! I saw more and more people escaping to Tongzhou this time. I heard that the drought and locust gue in Qingzhou are still ongoing. The victims even peeled off and ate tree bark.¡±


    When Li Yu heard this, she felt extremely indignant against the bureaucrats. ¡°These dogs. They¡¯re already in such a state, yet they¡¯re not helping with the disaster relief. When the timees, we¡¯ll cause chaos and kill them all.¡±


    Zhou Jia mocked, ¡°They only want money as officials. Do you think they will care about the lives of themoners if they treat them as tools to umte wealth?¡±


    Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia and smiled. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to be an angry youth.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu in confusion.


    ¡°It means young men who are dissatisfied with the present and somewhat cynical.¡±


    ¡°I see. This description is appropriate, but I¡¯m not cynical. I just hate those corrupt officials,¡± Zhou Jia said.


    Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia and said meaningfully, ¡°I heard from Master that as time passes, most people will live to be cynical and hateful after being tortured by life. Don¡¯t be someone you hate in the future.¡±


    Zhou Jia held Li Yu¡¯s hand. ¡°Yu¡¯er, as long as you¡¯re around, no matter how difficult it is, I¡¯ll protect my heart. No matter how long it takes, my heart will be the same.¡±


    Li Qing stood at the door. When he turned around and saw Zhou Jia holding Li Yu¡¯s hand again, he shouted unhappily at Zhou Jia, ¡°Xiao Xi, it¡¯s so cold outside! Let my sister in!¡±


    ¡°Little brat, you¡¯re getting bolder.¡± Zhou Jia looked at Li Qing resentfully.


    Li Yu smiled and jumped out of the cart to follow Li Qing home.


    The women working in the rooms began to get off work. Seeing Li Qing return from Tongzhou, they asked, ¡°Ah Qing, how¡¯s the business in Tongzhou?¡±


    Li Qing frowned. ¡°Business is still good. I heard that more and more people are fleeing here. The drought in Qingzhou is still so serious.¡±


    When everyone heard this, they were a little sad and d that they had escaped early and had a stable life.

 Chapter 97

    97 Knitwear


    Zhou Jia brought Li Qing back to pack his luggage. The next morning, he sent him to school at Xiushan Private School in Tongzhou.


    Li Yu went to look at the yarn that Uncle Zhou had dyed and realized that most of the yarn in Uncle Zhou¡¯s batch was brown. After looking at it, Li Yu felt that they were just right for men¡¯s sweaters.


    After the wool threads dried, Li Yu looked at the threads that were dyed with natural dye. Although the color was not as bright as in modern times, the color was uniform. It still exceeded Li Yu¡¯s expectations.


    Li Yu wrapped the ball of thread and thought to herself that it was impossible to wear the sweater outside here. She started by knitting a sweater with two stitches on the top and two on the bottom.


    Laidi watched curiously as Li Yu wrapped the yarn around the bamboo stick. After wrapping it around, she knitted it with the bamboo stick. Only an hour had passed, but it was already as long as her middle finger.


    Laidi tugged at Zhaodi. ¡°Sister, look at what Cousin knitted with bamboo sticks. It¡¯s like a bucket.¡±


    Zhaodi stood up and looked at Li Yu¡¯s sweater. ¡°Cousin, is this the wool coat you mentioned? How do I wear it?¡±


    Li Yuughed. ¡°This is just the beginning! Why don¡¯t you stop the spinning and I¡¯ll teach you how to knit socks? Socks are quite fast to make.¡±


    Laidi was even more curious. ¡°Cousin, what are socks?¡±


    Only then did Li Yu remember that this wasn¡¯t called socks here. ¡°Socks are footwear. When it¡¯s cold, wool socks are warmer than footwear. I¡¯ll start teaching you now.¡±


    Laidi ran to get the knitting needles. Li Yu taught the sisters to knit socks. ¡°Start, add the needles, and lift them up after you¡¯re done...¡±


    One sock was quickly knitted. When Li Yu continued to knit the other sock, the sisters had already learned it. Laidi smiled sweetly. ¡°I¡¯ll knit a pair for my mother first, then for Father. Then, Cousin...¡±


    Li Yu and Zhaodiughed when they heard that. ¡°Laidi, you¡¯ve forgotten yourself.¡±


    Laidi looked at the two of them strangely. ¡°I¡¯ve knitted it for you. Aren¡¯t you going to knit it for me?¡±


    ¡°Hehe!¡± Li Yu and Zhaodiughed. ¡°So that¡¯s what you¡¯re thinking! We won¡¯t gift you!¡±


    The three cousinsughed for a while. Li Yu simply knitted a pair of gloves. After teaching the two sisters, Li Yu continued to knit.


    In the afternoon, after the female workers finished work, Li Yu and Zhaodi brought the socks and gloves to Li Mei. After Li Mei saw them, she said in surprise, ¡°Yu¡¯er, is this what you used those wools to make? How did youe up with such a good idea?¡±


    ¡°Aunt, I want to knit this to sell. Do you think anyone will buy it?¡± Li Yu was a little smug and sad. In her previous life, her grandmother and mother liked to knit these things and knew all kinds of styles. There were also a few sweaters in her dormitory cab.


    Li Mei put on the socks that Laidi had knitted and stood up happily to take a few steps. ¡°Yes, why not? This footwear, oh! These socks are much better than the footwear we made.¡±


    Seeing that even Li Mei could ept socks, Li Yu became confident. ¡°Alright, Cousin and I will start teaching you. Get Uncle to cut out more knitting needles ording to the thickness and length of the knitting needles I cut.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that simple? I¡¯ll get your uncle to make them.¡± Li Mei left in a huff.


    When Zhou Jia returned to Phoenix Vige from Tongzhou, Li Yu had already knitted a set of sweaters, fur pants, hats, scarves, gloves, and socks.


    Li Yu handed the socks, gloves, and sweater she had personally knitted for Zhou Jia to him. ¡°Go and see if they¡¯re suitable.¡±


    ¡°These are what the wool was woven into? Not bad, Yu¡¯er. The things you made are so good that they surprised me.¡± Zhou Jia hugged it in surprise and turned to run into the room.


    Li Yu smiled and pulled him to open the sweater. She pointed at the sweater and taught him, ¡°Wear the low cor in front. Don¡¯t wear it inside out.¡±


    Soon, Zhou Jia walked out in a sweater and socks. He looked at Li Yu happily. ¡°I like it a lot. Yu¡¯er, thank you.¡±


    Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia¡¯s handsome smile and walked over to hold his chin. She teased, ¡°Yes! Where did such a good-looking brothere from? Come, give me a smile.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu¡¯s red lips and couldn¡¯t resist the urge. He picked Li Yu up and kissed her forehead hard. He said in a hoarse voice, ¡°Good Yu¡¯er, don¡¯t smile like this outside.¡±


    Li Yu wrapped her arms around his neck and looked at him. ¡°Can I do it in the house?¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu and sighed. ¡°Little vixen.¡± He suddenly bit Li Yu¡¯s cherry-red lips. Li Yu pushed Zhou Jia away and touched her lips with a intive expression. ¡°You¡¯re hurting me.¡±


    Zhou Jia saw looked at Li Yu¡¯s lips and was stunned. Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia¡¯s silly expression and couldn¡¯t help but smile as she pushed Zhou Jia into the house. ¡°Hurry up and put on your outerwear. We¡¯ll look at the other things and discuss how to sell them.¡±


    Zhou Jia entered the house with a red face and put on his outerwear. When he came out, he looked at Li Yu¡¯s broken lips with heartache. ¡°Yu¡¯er, does it still hurt?¡±


    Li Yu shook her head and the two of them went to the workshop. Zhou Jia looked at the yarn and was surprised. ¡°Yu¡¯er, where did your mastere from? These clothes are really amazing.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know either. It¡¯s probably a demon in the mountains!¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled and nced at Li Yu. ¡°You¡¯re a little demon.¡±


    Li Yu bared her fangs and brandished her ws at Zhou Jia. ¡°Are you afraid? Demons want to eat humans.¡±


    ¡°Then hurry up and eat me!¡± Zhou Jia grabbed Li Yu¡¯s hand and said with a smile.


    The two of them yed for a while and discussed the price of those clothes. After half a month, Ji Xiang sent the clothes that Li Yu had knitted for Li Qing, the bags that Li Mei and the female workers had processed, and the wool fabric to Tongzhou. He also included the precautions to wash the wool fabric. He instructed Ji Xiang to get Zhao Cai to ask every shop assistant to exin theundry instructions clearly to every customer.


    After the sweater and socks and scarf were hung up, no one cared for a few days. Finally, Ji Xiang thought of a way to get Li Qing to wear gloves, a hat, and a scarf to the private school.


    When Li Qing¡¯s ssmates saw his outfit, they were all envious. When they returned home, they asked their parents to go to Zhouji to buy it. The adults realized that there were other things and bought them to use at home. Business began to pick up.


    The weather was getting colder. Heavy snow was frequent in Tongzhou. The locals were saying that the snow was heavier this year than any other year. Everyone was discussing if the heavens had brought the rain from Qingzhou to Tongzhou.


    When Li Yu found out, she was a little worried that the snow on the mountain would melt and the stream in the vige would flood.


    Li Yu found Vige Chief Chen Yaohui. ¡°Uncle Vige Chief, the snow is so heavy this year. Will there be a lot of water at the mountain stream after spring turns into snow?¡±


    Chen Yaohui nodded and said, ¡°I¡¯m also worried about that. When the weather gets warmer, I¡¯ll gather everyone to widen the mountain stream and dig deeper.¡±


    Seeing that Chen Yaohui already had a n, Li Yu was relieved. ¡°Alright, let me know when the timees.¡±


    ¡°Xiaoyu, just take good care of your workshop. You can have a prosperous New Year with your workshop!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Uncle Yaohui. I¡¯ll take good care of it.¡± Li Yu smiled.


    Ever since the weather turned cold, Zhou Ji¡¯s wool fabrics were in short supply. Zhao Cai went to Ganzhou¡¯s fur shop and bought another batch of wool. Li Yu brought the men, women, and children in the vige to work overtime to weave the items and send them to the shop. Only then did the shop not run out of goods.


    In the blink of an eye, it was the 23rd of December. It had been almost four months since Li Yu and the others arrived in Tongzhou. Li Yu was also preparing to give everyone a break to go home and prepare the New Year¡¯s goods.

 Chapter 98

    98 nning


    The next morning, Li Yu asked Butcher He to help her buy two big fat pigs and dozens of fish. She also bought cloth and brown sugar from Tongzhou.


    Li Yu smiled and said to everyone, ¡°We¡¯ll start the holidays from today onwards. I¡¯ve given out the sry and prepared some New Year goods for everyone. The people of Phoenix Vige will have a good year this year.¡±


    Everyone looked at the fish, the big fat pig on the chopping board, and the cloth and sugar. They all smiled. ¡°Thanks to Xiaoyu and Mr. Zhou, everyone will have a prosperous fat year.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll give everyone their wages and New Year goods.¡±


    The highest wage received 15 taels of silver given to Chen Yaohui¡¯s family. The lowest was seven to eight taels of silver. Li Yu even distributed meat, fish, two pieces of cloth, and two packets of brown sugar to every family.


    The big guy carried the meat and New Year goods and thought about his life in the next year happily. Li Qing helped sell the goods in the shop and only returned to Phoenix Vige with Zhao Cai on the 28th.


    As soon as Li Qing arrived home, Zhou Jia pulled him over to go through his homework with him. After the revision, he praised, ¡°Ah Qing, you¡¯re not bad. You¡¯ve improved greatly. Brother-inw will reward you with a set of brushes and ink. Keep up the good work.¡±


    Li Qing stood up and looked at Zhou Jia. He smiled and said, ¡°Future brother-inw, you¡¯ve passed me. Now, it¡¯s my turn to test you.¡±


    Zhou Jia knocked on Li Qing. ¡°Little brat, how dare your add a ¡®future¡¯ in front of brother-inw. What do you want to test me for?¡±


    Li Qing curled his lips. ¡°You haven¡¯t married my sister yet! Of course, you¡¯re my future brother-inw. Let me tell you, I also wake up every morning in Tongzhou to practice the moves my sister taught me. I¡¯ve been practicing non-stop! Today, let¡¯s spar!¡±


    Zhou Jia rolled up his sleeves. ¡°Come on! Let¡¯s see who worked harder.¡±


    Li Qing pulled Zhou Jia upstairs and started gesturing. The two of them fought until Li Qing was pped to the ground by Zhou Jia.


    Only then did Li Qing admit defeat. He stood up and patted the dust off his body. He smiled at Zhou Jia and said, ¡°Brother-inw, you¡¯re too good at learning things. But when I reach your age, I¡¯ll definitely catch up to you. I¡¯ll be even better than you.¡±


    Li Yu stood at the door and looked at Li Qing¡¯s confident expression. She walked over happily and smiled at the two of them. ¡°Uncle Zhou said that the two of you werepeting. What was the oue?¡±


    Li Qing pouted and red at Zhou Jia indignantly. ¡°Brother-inw was slightly better.¡±


    Li Yu smiled when she saw Li Qing¡¯s unconvinced expression. ¡°Let¡¯s go! After the venison is marinated, we¡¯ll go down and eat roasted venison. Aunt even brewed glutinous rice wine.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu and asked curiously, ¡°When did you go hunting in the mountains again? Why didn¡¯t I know?¡±


    Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia and smiled to hide it. ¡°I was lucky to meet one as soon as I went up the mountain. Let¡¯s go quickly! We were waiting for the two of you.¡± Li Yu dragged Li Qing downstairs, leaving Zhou Jia shaking his head.


    Everyone ate barbecue and hotpot around the charcoal basin. Li Yu drank two bowls of glutinous rice wine and sat there leaning against Li Mei.


    Liu Changmin sat there and sighed. ¡°Humans! We¡¯re too unpredictable. We were still in Qingzhoust year today. At that time, we didn¡¯t expect toe to Tongzhou this year.¡±


    Zhou Jia nodded emotionally. ¡°Yes, Uncle. Life is unpredictable. No one can predict what will happen tomorrow. However, I think it¡¯s best as long as the family is safe and sound.¡±


    After Zhou Jia finished speaking, he took out a banknote and handed it to Li Mei. ¡°Aunt, this is a dividend for your family. Please ept it.¡±


    Li Mei hurriedly pushed the banknotes back to Zhou Jia and refused firmly, ¡°Why are you giving dividends to me when Yu¡¯er has given us our sry? Take it back quickly. If we take more money, Aunt¡¯s family will be greedy.¡±


    Liu Changmin also waved his hand and rejected, ¡°Zhou Jia, we can¡¯t take this money anymore. The sry Xiaoyu gave is enough.¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled and looked at Li Yu. Only then did he realize that Li Yu had already fallen asleep leaning against Li Mei. He hurriedly said to Li Mei, ¡°Aunt, Xiaoyu is asleep. Hurry up and help her rest in the room. Otherwise, she¡¯ll catch a cold.¡±


    Li Mei smiled and helped Li Yu up. ¡°This child has liked glutinous rice wine since she was young, but she gets sleepy every time she drinks it.¡±


    Li Mei and Zhaodi helped Li Yu into the house and let her lie down. They went out to tidy up the courtyard. Li Mei thought about it and stayed at Li Yu¡¯s house to rest.


    On the thirtieth night, a crescent moon shone on the Nine Provinces. Every family in the vige set off firecrackers. Everyone congratted one another with a smile and wished each other a better year.


    The moon¡¯s curves illuminated the Nine Provinces. Some families were happy, while others were sad. In a dpidated alley in the west of Tongzhou City, there were two straw sheds in the corner. Two families who had escaped from Green Mountain lived there. They were the Zhang family and the Zhu family.


    Chen Zhaodi looked at the burnt brown rice and scolded Zhu Qiaoyu with a livid expression, ¡°Why is my Old Zhang¡¯s family so unlucky?! It wasn¡¯t easy for us to obtain some food after marrying a useless pillow like you. Tsk, tsk, look at how it was cooked. Today is New Year¡¯s Eve, and you¡¯re not giving us any decent food to eat. It¡¯s been more than a year...¡±


    Zhu Qiaoyu lowered her head and stood by the stove, silently letting Chen Zhaodi scold her. Zhang Guisheng frowned and sat on the stool, looking like his soul had left his body.


    Zhang Defa squatted at the entrance of the straw shed and looked at the dark alley. He thought to himself, ¡°Could it be that the heavens can really see what the people below have done? Otherwise, why is life getting harder and harder?!¡±


    Early on the morning of the first day of the new year, Li Yu had just opened the courtyard door when the children arrived at Li Yu¡¯s house. Li Yu saw that the children were all wearing red woolen aviator hats with ears. They even had a braid hanging down one side.


    Little Bean and herpanions bowed to Li Yu. ¡°Sister Xiaoyu, let¡¯s make a fortune in the new year. Sister Xiaoyu is getting prettier.¡±


    ¡°Little Bean, you forgot to ask for the red packet,¡± a child shouted anxiously.


    Li Yu smiled and took out the red paper bag. She took out the red packets inside and distributed them to the children. She pointed at the cakes on the table and said with a smile, ¡°There are stir-fries and cakes on the table. Take whatever you want.¡±


    Little Bean took the red packet and put it in his pocket. He looked at Li Yu and blushed. ¡°Sister Xiaoyu, I don¡¯t want to marry you anymore. My mother said that you¡¯re Mr. Zhou¡¯s wife. My mother said that I can¡¯t marry someone else¡¯s wife and that she¡¯ll find me another one when I grow up.¡±


    Li Yu wrinkled her nose and looked sad. She looked at Little Bean and covered her eyes. ¡°Little Bean doesn¡¯t want me. I¡¯m going to be sad.¡±


    Little Bean replied without hesitation, ¡°I don¡¯t want to be sad either. Mother said that you¡¯re Mr. Zhou¡¯s wife.¡±


    ¡°Little Bean, let¡¯s go. Let¡¯s go to Mr. Zhou¡¯s house to pay our New Year greetings.¡± The children pulled Little Bean and ran away.


    Li Qing came out of the kitchen and looked at Li Yu with a helpless expression. ¡°Sister, you get confused when you drink. You must not drink outside in the future.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I understand.¡± Li Yu smiled when she saw Li Qing rolling up his sleeves. ¡°You¡¯re up so early?¡±


    ¡°Yes! I cooked glutinous rice balls. When the hot water is scooped up, we¡¯ll eat glutinous rice balls.¡±


    After the siblings ate the glutinous rice balls, Li Qing went out to pay his respects. Li Yu had just packed up the stove when Zhou Jia came with a box.


    Zhou Jia smiled at Li Yu and said, ¡°Xiaoyu, guess how much money we¡¯ve earned in the past few months?¡±


    Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia and raised two fingers. Zhou Jia shook his head and smiled. ¡°There¡¯s a dividend of 180 taels of wood from the carpenter¡¯s shop in the box. We earned a total of 45,150 taels of silver from our bags and wool fabric. We¡¯ve sold the rest of the goods for about 50,000 taels.¡±


    Li Yu was also shocked. She widened her eyes at Zhou Jia. ¡°It¡¯s a little beyond my expectations.¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled and shook his head. ¡°You were too busy to notice. Think about it, the sweater and pants are all 158 copper coins. The shawl and scarf are 120 copper coins, the socks are 12 to 20 copper coins, and there are those hats and gloves. Our profits from these are quite considerable. There should be more people following the trend this year, but we also gained the upper hand.¡±


    Li Yu smiled indifferently. ¡°Since there are more people following the trend, we¡¯ll do less retail and more wholesale to those small merchants. If we sell inrge quantities, we might earn more than selling ourselves. After spring, we¡¯ll build the pig farm and farm as soon as possible. We¡¯ll also hire people to take care of those ponds.¡±


    Zhou Jia held Li Yu¡¯s hand. ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll do as you say. We¡¯ll reduce the retail sales and sell them wholesale. Also, I¡¯ve thought about it. I¡¯m prepared to hand over all my businesses to Zhao Cai and Ji Xiang this year and let them be the shopkeepers. After the festival, I¡¯ll go to Tongzhou to see if I can hire craftsmen who know how to weave. I¡¯ll also order dozens of spinning carts. I¡¯ll also hire people to do housework and needlework. I¡¯ll take care of the fields and ponds. The stalls will expand my status as a schr, but it won¡¯t be able to protect our family businesses. After making the arrangements, I¡¯ll prepare for the exam in peace.¡±


    When Li Yu heard this, she smiled and agreed. ¡°Alright, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll take care of the family during your examination preparation. Isn¡¯t Ruyi going to Tongzhou?¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu with a smile. ¡°Ruyi doesn¡¯t like to do business and is willing to take care of the farmstead and the family. Uncle Zhou is old, so I¡¯m letting him follow Uncle Zhou. In the future, let him take care of the family and the farmstead. Take care of these banknotes first. I¡¯ll leave some spares and change the rest to silver for you.¡±


    ¡°Sure!¡± Li Yu carried the box into the house like a hamster and secretly ced it in the space.


    ...

 Chapter 99

    99 Dangerous Yuan Night


    In the blink of an eye, it was the third day of the new year. Chen Yaohui led everyone to start clearing and widening the stream. Everyone started digging from the pool at the foot of the mountain. They first dug the pool deeper and widened it. Then, they followed the downstream of the pool all the way down to the vige entrance. They also used stones to build steps at the entrance of every house and expanded the stream until it reached the pool.


    Just as they dug the stream ditch, Li Yu began to prepare to pave the way. Li Yu went to the stonemason and bought arge stone to roll back. She asked the supervisor to pick up the river sand and yellow mud.


    Li Yu brought the long workman to let them step on the yellow mud until it was sticky. They stirred it with five stones of yellow mud, three stones of river sand and two stones of cooked lime, beforeying it on the road. They ttened it with a shovel and pulled the stone roller topact the road.


    When the vigers saw Li Yu leading people to pave the way, they all took the initiative to help. A wide road that was made of three kinds of soil was paved from the entrance of the vige to the entrance of every house. When the road was paved, everyone looked at the neat and clean vige on the road and felt that their lives were toofortable.


    On the day of the Lantern Festival, Zhou Jia, Li Yu, and Li Mei went to Tongzhou City to celebrate the Lantern Festival. As soon as Zhou Jia arrived in Tongzhou City, he brought Zhao Cai and Ji Xiang to busy themselves.


    Li Yu brought Li Mei and her family to the house Zhou Jia had bought in Tongzhou City. The house was located in Osmanthus Alley in the East City.


    When she arrived at the entrance of the residence, Li Yu saw that the door had already been painted. The date-red door looked simple and elegant. There wereyers of brick carvings on the lintel that symbolized auspiciousness. Even the cracks in the bricks were cleaned until they were bright.


    Li Yu looked up and admired the brick carvings before being pulled into the open door by Laidi. Laidi looked at the furnishings in the main room and smiled. ¡°Cousin-inw cleaned this up like my cousin¡¯s house. This sofa is still the mostfortable. When no one is around, you can sit whenever you want. It¡¯s alsofortable to lie down for a while.¡±


    Zhaodi tugged at Laidi. ¡°Look, you¡¯ve grown another year. You¡¯re not as mature as Ah Qing.¡±


    Li Mei smiled in disdain. ¡°She was reincarnated from a monkey. There¡¯s no rest.¡±


    Liu Changmin looked at his two daughters lovingly and chuckled. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. It¡¯s good to have a child that is energetic and one that is quiet at home.¡±


    Li Mei rolled her eyes at him. ¡°Go ahead and spoil her!¡±


    After everyone finished eating, Li Qing pulled Li Mei and Liu Changmin along. ¡°Uncle, Aunt, let¡¯s go take a stroll on the street.¡±


    Li Mei nodded and smiled. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go.¡±


    When the group reached the street, they saw that there were already a lot of people on the street. Both sides of the street were already hung with all kinds ofnterns. Li Yu realized that there was arge water vat behind everymp rack and felt that it might be used to prevent misfiring.


    Laidi looked at thenterns and kept muttering, ¡°This is an eaglemp, an old oxmp, and there are two big snakes here...¡±


    A youth at the side retorted in disdain, ¡°This is a two-dragon operamp. A country girl wouldn¡¯t recognize it!¡±


    Laidi ced her hands on her hips and red at the young man. ¡°It¡¯s none of your business. If I want to, I¡¯ll say it¡¯ls two big snakes. Hmph!¡±


    The young man turned away angrily and shouted, ¡°I won¡¯t lower myself to your level, country girl.¡±


    Laidi shouted at his back, ¡°You¡¯re the country girl.¡± Li Mei knocked on Laidi. ¡°You¡¯re the busybody.¡±


    Everyoneughed and continued forward. Up ahead, they saw the three-headed lion dancing. In the middle was a man wearing a smiling monk¡¯s head mask. He was waving a horsetail whisk freely to tease the lion. The lion rolled up and down with the smiling monk¡¯s movements, jumping, reaching high, and picking at the offerings.


    Everyone watched for a while before scattering a few copper coins and walking towards the back. Thenterns at the back were even more exciting. Five Blessings for Spring, Treasure Basin, Hundred Birds Pay Homage to the Phoenix, Copper Lamp, Tiger, Lion... All kinds ofnterns dazzled everyone.


    When they walked to the back, the streets were filled with all kinds of snacks. The fragrance assaulted their noses and the sound of shouting and selling could be heard. Li Yu brought everyone to sit at a stall selling wontons. There were also people selling fried wontons beside them. Li Qing ran to buy a few skewers and Laidi¡¯s mouth was soon filled with food.


    After shopping for a long time, everyone felt tired. When they were walking back, Li Yu bought a safety buckle for Zhou Jia and nned to give it to him as a birthday gift.


    When they returned home, Zhou Jia was still not back. Li Yu and Zhaodi went to the house to sleep and woke up to hear Zhou Jia and Li Qing talking.


    Li Yu walked to the central room and saw Zhou Jia holding a stack of exam-like books. He and Li Qing were reading intently and discussed from time to time.


    Li Yu did not disturb the two of them as they went out quietly. She went to the kitchen and cooked dinner with the kitchen maid. After eating, everyone set off to look at thenterns on the street.


    After walking out of Osmanthus Lane, they saw that the streets were brightly lit and filled with people. Zhou Jia turned to Li Yu and the others and instructed, ¡°Everyone, hold hands and don¡¯t get separated. If you get separated, return to Osmanthus Lane.¡±


    Li Mei looked at the people on the street and kept shaking her head. ¡°It¡¯s too crowded. I¡¯d better rest at home. You guys go!¡±


    Zhaodi also shook her head and stopped walking. Liu Changmin looked at Li Mei. ¡°Ah Mei, I¡¯ll bring Di to take a look and be back soon.¡±


    Li Mei waved her hand and brought Zhaodi back. Li Yu and everyone squeezed into the crowd hand in hand. Thenterns at night were even more gorgeous and resplendent. Everyone was dazzled as they walked and followed the crowd to the ce with the mostnterns during the day.


    There were too many people to squeeze through. Li Qing pulled Zhou Jia and Liu Changmin to stand in front of a shop to guess thentern riddle.


    Li Yu was holding Laidi¡¯s hand and looking at antern. She turned around and saw that the tall youth in the forest was also watching thentern with that young master. Li Yu¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She had a feeling that nothing good would happen if she bumped into these two.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Li Yu pulled Laidi towards Zhou Jia. Just as the few of them gathered, a miserable scream suddenly sounded. Li Yu turned around and saw blood spurting out. A man dressed as a performer was holding a short knife in his hand and his chest had been pierced by the guard.


    The young master was instantly surrounded by guards. The people watching thentern panicked and fled in all directions. Some fell to the ground identally and were trampled over by the panicked crowd. Theyy on the ground and let out tragic cries. The ck-clothed people who had appeared out of nowhere rushed towards the young master.


    The young master pulled back the guards who were retreating into the crowd. The group of people was exposed in the open space. The merchants were busy scooping water to extinguish thenterns. The originally colorful street instantly became dark.


    Li Yu, Zhou Jia, and Liu Changmin protected Li Qing and Lai Di as they retreated behind themp rack. Li Yu shouted at them, ¡°Everyone, stand against the wall and don¡¯t move. You might be trampled to death if you go out.¡±


    Li Qing and Laidi nodded nervously. The sound of weapons colliding became more and more intense. The shouts and sounds of killing mixed together. Li Yu realized that Young Master had already retreated to a wide ce with his men to prevent more people from dying because of him.


    More and more men in ck appeared in front of the young master and guards. The tall youth and guards were struggling to protect him. Li Yu¡¯s heart was in turmoil. After seeing the tall youth get stabbed, Li Yu couldn¡¯t help but shout at Zhou Jia, ¡°Don¡¯t move. I¡¯ll go help the young master in the forest.¡±


    Before Zhou Jia could react, he saw Li Yu take out the long saber from somewhere. She ran a few steps and jumped onto amp rack. The saber swept down and past the men in ck at the periphery with an overwhelming force. Wherever the de passed, the men in ck immediately fell to the ground.


    When the tall youth saw Li Yu, he shouted happily, ¡°Young Master, look, it¡¯s a girl from the forest.¡±


    Young Master looked at the valiant Li Yu and nodded excitedly.


    Li Yu kicked one of them over and cut the throat of a man in ck. Seeing that there was strong help, the young man¡¯s guard raised his confidence and protected the young man in the middle, resisting with his life.

 Chapter 100

    100 Ebony Sword


    A man in ck raised his sword and stabbed toward Li Yu. Li Yu blocked the sword with her saber and kicked at the man in ck at lightning speed. Seeing this, the man in ck hurriedly tightened his hips and mped his legs. However, he was sent flying by Li Yu¡¯s kick and collided with the few men in ck who were besieging the youth. Li Yu spun on the spot and cut off one of their arms with her saber. A dart shot toward Li Yu. Li Yu raised her saber to block the dart. The man in ck behind him stabbed Li Yu¡¯s arm with his sword. Li Yu turned her toe and cut his throat with a backhand sh. Dark red blood sprayed out.


    Li Yu barged into the encirclement of the men in ck and fought with the guards. A man in ck killed a guard and shed at the youth¡¯s head. Li Yu blocked it with her saber and slit the attacker¡¯s neck. The tall youth and the two guards retreated and protected the young master with Li Yu.


    The sound of urgent running filled the street. The tall youth smiledfortably. ¡°Young Master, reinforcements are here.¡±


    The young master nodded and the men in ck began to fight to the death. Li Yu¡¯s shoulders and arms were injured, and more guards rushed up. The youth¡¯s side became more numerous. A man in ck was surrounded and beaten up by five or six guards. Soon, the men in ck were quickly surrounded!


    ¡°Xiaoyu!¡± ¡°Sister!¡± Zhou Jia and Li Qing shouted anxiously and ran towards Li Yu. Before they could get close, they were stopped by the guards. The youth shouted at the guards, ¡°Let theme over.¡±


    The guard let the two of them through. When the officers and soldiers controlled the street and she saw that the Young Master was safe, Li Yu smiled at him. ¡°You¡¯re safe now. My family is still waiting for me. I hope that the next time I see you, it won¡¯t be so thrilling.¡±


    The young man smiled bitterly. ¡°I¡¯ve let you suffer. Your family is alreadying this way. You¡¯re still bleeding. Please follow me back to the residence and let the physician take a look at you.¡±


    ¡°No need. I have medicine at home.¡± Li Yu waved her hand and walked toward Zhou Jia and the others.


    ¡°Sister.¡± Li Qing and Laidi pounced on Li Yu¡¯s side. Seeing Li Yu¡¯s injuries, they cried. Zhou Jia took the long saber from Li Yu¡¯s hand with trembling hands and asked in a hoarse voice, ¡°How are you? Are you alright?¡±


    Li Yu raised her hand and smiled. ¡°It¡¯s nothing serious. I was stabbed in a few ces.¡±


    Liu Changmin kept muttering, ¡°Does it hurt? You¡¯re too bold. How painful is it to lose so much blood?¡±


    The few of them argued as they protected Li Yu and walked home.


    The youth was escorted back to the general¡¯s residence by the guards. The tall youth bowed to Shen Yu and reported, ¡°General, it¡¯s all thanks to that girl in the forest today. Otherwise, they would have seeded today.¡±


    ¡°Yuhao, you should make up your mind. You shouldn¡¯t have any good intentions anymore,¡± Shen Yu said bitterly. ¡°Have you thought about it? That vicious woman actually dared to send someone to Tongzhou to kill you. With your status, once you don¡¯t ascend to that position, your mother, the Shen family behind you, Shen Zhong, their families, and the other nobles and ministers who support you will all die.¡±


    Yu Hao lowered his head and was silent for a moment. Then, he raised his head and said proudly, ¡°Let¡¯s go. Shen Zhong, send a message to my mother!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master.¡± Shen Zhong agreed excitedly and bowed to leave.


    Shen Yu looked at Yu Hao and smiled in relief. He pped his hands excitedly. ¡°I¡¯ll get someone to send the news out to cooperate with your people.¡±


    After Shen Yu made the arrangements, he asked, ¡°Yuhao, do you need someone to send a thank-you gift to Schr Zhou and that girl?¡±


    ¡°No need. If those people find out, they will be killed.¡± Yu Hao didn¡¯t want that girl and those people to be implicated.


    Shen Yu looked at Yu Hao and nodded. ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll do as you say.¡±


    Zhou Jia escorted Li Yu back to Osmanthus Lane and took out some strong wine to wash Li Yu¡¯s wound. Seeing Li Yu grimace in pain, his heart ached as he blew on Li Yu¡¯s wound. ¡°Let¡¯s see if you¡¯ll still be so rash next time.¡±


    Seeing Zhou Jia¡¯s heartache, Li Yu smiled lovingly. ¡°I just feel that everyone knows him. He¡¯s still so young. We only went to help because we were helped by them.¡±


    Li Mei and Zhaodi were woken up by Laidi to tell them what had happened when they were observing the lights. Li Mei looked at Laidi and said, ¡°Looks like this city isn¡¯t as quiet as our countryside. Let¡¯s see if you dare toe again in the future. Are your cousins alright?¡±


    Laidi nced at Li Mei. ¡°Cousin went to help and was stabbed.¡± Li Mei red at Laidi in shock. ¡°Child, why didn¡¯t you say so?¡±


    As she spoke, she hurriedly got out of bed and walked out. When she reached the central room, she saw the sword wound on Li Yu¡¯s arm. She shook her head andined, ¡°Child, you¡¯re not allowed to be so rash in the future. We can¡¯t afford to provoke those people.¡±


    Li Qing added fuel to the fire. ¡°That¡¯s right. There were so many people in ck surrounding him. It¡¯s that young master from the forest again. How dangerous!¡±


    Li Yu red at Li Qing and said, ¡°Brat, you¡¯ve be bolder!¡±


    Li Qing¡¯s eyes turned red. ¡°I¡¯m afraid. There were so many people. What if...¡±


    Li Mei hurriedly covered Li Qing¡¯s mouth. ¡°Tsk, tsk, tsk! There¡¯s no what if. Your parents are protecting us!¡±


    Seeing their actions, Li Yu was both amused and touched. ¡°I¡¯ll remember. It won¡¯t happen again.¡±


    Zhou Jia saw that Li Yu¡¯s face was a little pale and asked her to wipe her face with hot water. ¡°Go and rest. I¡¯ll get the kitchen maid to stew some nourishing food for you.¡±


    Li Yu also felt a little dizzy. She nodded and walked into the room. After lying down, she fell asleep.


    After the kitchen maid made the nourishing soup, Li Mei carried it into the house to wake Li Yu up. Seeing her in a daze, she fed her and watched as she closed her eyes and fell asleep again.


    The next morning, Shen Wu found Osmanthus Lane and handed a small ebony sword to Zhou Jia. He said to Zhou Jia, ¡°Mr. Zhou, Young Master asked me to tell you that he can¡¯t thank you enough. This small sword was given to him by his mother as a token. In the future, if you encounter any problems that you can¡¯t resolve, you can use this to look for the shopkeeper at the Four Seas Bank. We will definitely help.¡±


    Zhou Jia bowed and took the small sword. He bowed and thanked, ¡°Thank you, Little General.¡±


    Shen Wu took out another medicine jar and handed it to Zhou Jia. ¡°This is the Golden Creation Medicine that General Shen asked me to give to Miss Li.¡±


    After Zhou Jia took it, Shen Wu cupped his fists at Zhou Jia. ¡°Mr. Zhou, please thank Miss Li on our behalf. I¡¯ll take my leave.¡±


    Zhou Jia walked Shen Wu back to the inner courtyard. Seeing Li Mei, Li Qing, and the others sitting at the door, he looked at Li Yu¡¯s room worriedly and frowned. ¡°Is Xiaoyu still not awake?¡±


    Li Qing nodded sadly. ¡°She¡¯s still asleep! Aunt went in to see if she had a fever. She¡¯s just sleeping soundly.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go in and take her pulse.¡± Zhou Jia and Li Mei entered the room. Li Yu was sleeping soundly and breathing evenly; she didn¡¯t seem to be in trouble. He sat gently by the bed and picked up Li Yu¡¯s hand to take her pulse. Only then did he rx and walk out of the house with Li Mei. He said to them, ¡°She¡¯s fine. Perhaps she¡¯s too tired and her wound is bleeding a little too much. Sleeping is also a kind of repair. She¡¯ll be fine when she wakes up.¡±

 Chapter 101

    101 Rice Machine


    Li Yu slept for a day and two nights. Zhou Jia took Li Yu¡¯s pulse every two hours. Only when he felt Li Yu¡¯s stable and strong pulse did he feel slightly at ease.


    The next morning, everyone waited uneasily outside Li Yu¡¯s room, worried that she would continue to sleep.


    When Li Yu woke up, she had never felt so refreshed. She dressed and walked out of the house. When she saw everyone sitting at the door, she smiled strangely and said, ¡°Eh! Aunt, Xiao Xi, why are you guarding the door?¡±


    Li Mei heaved a sigh of relief and pped her hands with a smile. ¡°Aiyo! You¡¯re finally awake. I¡¯ll get someone to heat up your meal.¡±


    Li Qing pushed Zhou Jia aside and stood in front of Li Yu. He looked at Li Yu happily. ¡°Sister, you almost scared us to death. You slept for two nights and one day. Look, Sir¡¯s eyes are bloodshot.¡±


    Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia¡¯s tired appearance and said guiltily, ¡°I made you guys worry. Did I really sleep for so long? No wonder I¡¯m so hungry!¡±


    ¡°Go wash up and eat something,¡± Zhou Jia said gently to Li Yu.


    Li Yu ate two bowls of lean meat porridge and looked at Zhou Jia, who was eating porridge, with a smile. ¡°You¡¯ve been watching over me and didn¡¯t go anywhere, right?¡±


    Zhou Jia swallowed thest mouthful of porridge and watched as Li Yu sat beside him and held her hand. ¡°Yu¡¯er, promise me that you won¡¯t be so rash next time. What if the reinforcements hadn¡¯te?¡±


    Li Yu looked at the bloodshot eyes and exhausted look in Zhou Jia¡¯s eyes and nodded. ¡°Alright! I won¡¯t act rashly again in the future. Go and rest first.¡±


    Zhou Jia kissed Li Yu¡¯s forehead and took out the ebony sword to tell Li Yu what Shen Wu had said.


    Li Yu took the ebony sword and saw that there was a golden lotus engraved on one side of the hilt and a sun on the other. Li Yu yed with the small sword and looked at Zhou Jia. ¡°I decided to save him at that time because I saw that he stopped the guards from retreating with the crowd and reduced the casualties of the innocent people. I felt that he was a kind person and decided to save him. Xiao Xi, you¡¯re tired too. Go and rest for a while!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s worth saving, butpared to your safety, I¡¯m still unwilling to let you take the risk.¡± Zhou Jia paused for a moment. ¡°Have a good rest. I¡¯ll bring Ah Qing to the private school first. I still have to talk to Su Quanyou about the price of wool this year. After that, I n to go to the East City to hire two weavers. Rest at home. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡±


    Li Yu nodded. ¡°Alright, it¡¯s safer for you to bring Ji Xiang along.¡±


    Zhou Jia nodded and returned to the house to change his clothes before bringing Li Qing out. Laidi moved the rocking chair to the courtyard and smiled eagerly. ¡°Cousin,e and bask in the sun.¡±


    Li Yu smiled at Laidi. ¡°Why are you so obedient? Did you do something bad?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve always been so obedient.¡± Laidi looked at Li Yu holding her hand. ¡°Cousin, don¡¯t sleep so long in the future. I was so worried.¡±


    ¡°Okay! I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯ve made Little Laidi worry.¡±


    The sisters sat together and chatted for a while before Laidi couldn¡¯t sit still and ran away. Li Yu smiled and shook her head as she looked for a charcoal pencil. As she recalled the structure of the small pedicab threshing machine at home, she painted on the paper until Zhou Jia returned.


    Zhou Jia brought three men who looked to be in their forties and three women of about the same age. There were also two seven or eight-year-old girls and three eleven or twelve-year-old boys. All of them were sallow and thin, and their clothes were tattered. They stood there uneasily and shivered from the cold.


    Zhou Jia pointed at them and said to Li Yu, ¡°They all fled here from Qingzhou. Three of the families know how to weave and dye. One family knows how to nt lotus roots. The women are very good at weaving, so I bought them all.¡±


    Li Yu saw that they were trembling from the cold. ¡°Get something for them to eat first. Let them wash up before getting them a cotton shirt.¡±


    The families stood there with their heads lowered when they heard Li Yu¡¯s words. They all looked up in surprise. Zhou Jia turned to them and said, ¡°Did you hear what Boss said? As long as you know your ce and work well, you will be fed and clothed.¡±


    Everyone knelt when they heard this. ¡°It¡¯s the owner. We¡¯ll work hard.¡±


    Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia ufortably. ¡°Let them go first! I have something to show you.¡± Zhou Jia nodded and let Ji Xiang bring those people down.


    Li Yu took out the blueprint and handed it to Zhou Jia. ¡°Take a look. This is the rice grinder that my master drew for me. I want to find someone to make it and try it. We¡¯ve nted so muchnd this year. If we can¡¯t find short-term workers during the harvest, we¡¯ll have to dy the harvest.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at the threshing machine on the blueprint and was indescribably surprised. He pointed at the hook on the roller and asked curiously, ¡°Is this made of iron?¡±


    Li Yu pointed at theponents on the blueprint and exined to Zhou Jia, ¡°This is a barb made of wire. This is a rack. The pedals, the connecting rods, the big gears, the small gears, the surrounds, the rollers, and so on are formed. This is only the approximate size. You can discuss the exact size with the craftsman.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at it for a while but still did not understand. ¡°Then how does it knock the rice grains down?¡±


    ¡°Look, this is the barn. These are the pedals. The rice beater holds the rice straw tightly and pushes the pedals hard, causing the pedals to rotate. The rocker that connects the pedals rotates to drive the connecting rods. The connecting rods push the big gears, causing the small mr wheels that bite with the big mrs to rotate at high speed, thus driving the roller shaft to turn quickly. At this time, the rice beater puts the rice straw on the roller, and the barbs on the roller will knock the grains into the barn.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu with starry eyes and secretly held her hand. ¡°Yu¡¯er, your master is too magical. I even suspect that your master is a god.¡±


    Li Yu nodded guiltily. ¡°Maybe! Otherwise, why would it suddenly appear every time?¡±


    ¡°Yes! It might be some otherworldly expert. This is also your good fortune. I¡¯ll go with youter to find a craftsman to make the rice grinder. I also have to buy rice seeds.¡±


    ¡°There are still a lot of seeds to buy! Beans, green beans, chili, and various vegetable seeds,¡± Li Yu said as she counted on her fingers.


    The two of them were discussing when Ji Xiang brought the three families out. They said to Zhou Jia, ¡°Young Master, they¡¯ve all eaten. Auntie Li and Uncle Liu went to buy cotton clothes.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at them and said in a low voice, ¡°Come over and meet your boss.¡±


    More than ten people hurriedly knelt on the ground and kowtowed to Li Yu. ¡°Greetings, Boss.¡±


    Li Yu looked at the person kneeling on the ground in difort. She hesitated for a moment and said, ¡°Come one by one and tell me your names and what you¡¯re good at.¡±


    A loyal and honest man knelt in front with his wife and two children. He said to Li Yu, ¡°Greetings, Master. I¡¯m good at mixing dyes. I know how to dye cloth and nt dye grass.¡±


    The delicate-looking woman nced at Li Yu and hurriedly lowered her head. ¡°Greetings, Master. I know how to weave and dye. I know some housework and needlework.¡±


    The heavyset youth said, ¡°I, He Tiezhu, can dye cloth and grow grass.¡±


    The round-faced, big-eyed girl said in a clear voice, ¡°Greetings, Master. I know how to weave and embroider.¡±


    The next man was called She Fu, and the woman was called Liu Yuezhen, who knew how to spin and weave. The two of them had two sons, the older one was called She Chun, and the younger one was called She Dong. They both looked honest and dutiful.


    There was also a man called Jin Jiu who knew how to raise fish and nt lotus roots. He was thin and honest. His wife was called Zou Xishui, and her voice was loud and clear. There was also a daughter called Jin Cuicui, and she was thin and small like his father.


    Seeing that they were done, Li Yu looked at them and said, ¡°We are just an ordinary farming family. There¡¯s no problem as long as you know your ce and eat well. No one will beat you up casually. However, there are two rules in my family. You have to remember that firstly, you have to keep your job and not gamble or fight. Secondly, you are not allowed to spread the news of the main family. If you vite the above two rules, you will be sold.¡±


    In this world, one could eat their fill and not be beaten up. They could do as much work as they wanted. Everyone thought to themselves and knelt down with a thud to kowtow to Li Yu. ¡°Boss, we¡¯ll remember.¡±


    ¡°All of you, get up! Go down and wash up and change your clothes.¡±


    Ji Xiang led them towards the bathroom. Li Mei said to Li Yu, ¡°Yu¡¯er, your uncle and I will bring those people back to the vige. Buy the seeds here ande back.¡±


    ¡°Sounds good. I¡¯ll be back when I¡¯ve bought the seeds.¡±


    After everyone agreed, Li Mei went to pack up and prepare to go home. Li Yu and Zhou Jia went out to the cksmith shop.

 Chapter 102

    102 Chapter 100 : Rice Seeds


    Li Yu and Zhou Jia went to the cksmith shop where the spinning cart was custom-madest time. Zhou Jia handed the blueprint to the cksmith. ¡°Master Xu, can you forge this?¡±


    cksmith Xu looked at the blueprint and pondered for a while. ¡°Yes, but you have to give me some time to think about it. Also, Mr. Zhou, if you only make one such thing, the price will be a little expensive.¡±


    ¡°Just do it before the harvest. Make ten first. Calcte how much silver it costs,¡± said Zhou Jia.


    cksmith Xu lowered his head and estimated for a moment. ¡°I¡¯ll charge you at least 340 taels for ten.¡±


    Zhou Jia nodded. ¡°Sure. Master Xu, it¡¯s best if we sign a contract. You have to promise not to leak these things without our agreement.¡±


    cksmith Xu patted his chest and promised, ¡°Mr. Zhou, don¡¯t worry. We have our rules. Anything thates to us will not be leaked without the consent of the owner. If you¡¯re worried, we¡¯ll sign a contract.¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s sign the contract.¡±


    ¡°Then please write the contract. I¡¯ll sign it.¡± cksmith Xu smiled.


    The two of them signed the contract and silver exchanged hands. They also customized the needleb, frame, and cart. cksmith Xu happily sent Zhou Jia and Li Yu out of the cksmith shop.


    Zhang Defa walked past the Xu family¡¯s cksmith shop with a basket of goods on his shoulder. He put down the goods and came out with the copper coins. When he saw Li Yu and Zhou Jiaing out of the cksmith shop, he hurriedly hid in a corner and stole a nce at the two of them. He saw Li Yu wearing a lotus-red cored dress and Zhou Jia wearing a dark long robe. The two of them chatted as they walked towards the mule cart at the door.


    Zhang Defa looked at Li Yu and Zhou Jia with jealousy and thought to himself, They seem to be doing well in Tongzhou. Zhang Defa watched Li Yu and Zhou Jia get into the mule cart and drive away. He hurriedly came out from the corner and looked at the distant mule cart. He walked into the cksmith shop and asked, ¡°Boss, let me ask if those two people came from Qingzhou? Where are they staying now?¡±


    cksmith Xu looked at Zhang Defa coldly. ¡°Who are you? Why are you asking about them?¡±


    Zhang Defa smiled and said, ¡°I also escaped from the Qingzhou Prefecture. I saw that that girl seemed to be the daughter of one of my rtives, but I didn¡¯t dare to rashly go forward to acknowledge her, so I came to ask you.¡±


    cksmith Xu pondered for a moment. ¡°I can only tell you that they dide from Qingzhou, but I can¡¯t tell you where they live!¡±


    Zhang Defa looked at the boss¡¯s expression and knew that he could not find out anything. He could only leave resentfully.


    Zhou Jia brought Li Yu to the seed shop and pointed at the shop in front. ¡°Yu¡¯er, this is thergest seed shop in Tongzhou. Let¡¯s go in to take a look.¡±


    Li Yu looked up and saw that the signboard said Wang Ji¡¯s Seed Encyclopedia. She walked into the shop and saw that the wooden box in the middle of the shop was filled with all kinds of seeds.


    The waiter greeted them politely and asked them with a smile, ¡°What seeds do you need?¡±


    Li Yu walked to the wooden boxes and pointed at a few seeds. ¡°Valley seeds, bean seeds, and vegetable seeds.¡±


    The shop assistant pointed at the rice seed and introduced it solicitously. ¡°These are the seeds that have just arrived. Look, the granules must be full of seedlings.¡±


    Seeing that there was only one type of rice seed, Li Yu asked in confusion, ¡°Is this the only rice seed?¡±


    The clerk smiled and nodded. ¡°The rice seed has always been the same except for the glutinous rice grain. There are no other varieties.¡±


    Li Yu grabbed a handful of grain seeds and looked at them for a while. ¡°How much for a catty?¡±


    ¡°Fifteen cents a catty,¡± the clerk said with a smile.


    Li Yu said to the shop assistant, ¡°Go and ask your shopkeeper how much discount we will get for a bigger volume.¡±


    ¡°Alright, please wait a moment.¡± A momentter, the shop assistant followed a thin old man over. The old man nced at Li Yu and asked with a smile, ¡°May I ask how many seeds you need?¡±


    Li Yu calcted silently. ¡°100 stones.¡±


    The old man was stunned. ¡°That many? Are you raising them in the wastnd?¡±


    ¡°Yes, if the price is right, I¡¯ll buy the grains and other seeds from you,¡± Li Yu said with a smile.


    The old man thought for a moment. ¡°Miss, you know that the rice seeds are all carefully selected. The price is higher, but the amount you bought isrge. It can¡¯t be less than 13 copper coins per catty.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll pay you the deposit first. Help me send the seeds to Phoenix Town and Phoenix Vige. After checking the goods, we¡¯ll pay the remaining money.¡±


    ¡°Alright, choose the other seeds first and I will send them to you.¡±


    Li Yu bought all kinds of seeds. She paid 10 taels of silver, left the address, and took the receipt. The two of them walked out of the seed shop and into the shop.


    Along the way, she saw some ragged children begging along the way with broken bowls. Li Yu asked Zhou Jia in a low voice, ¡°Are there many children begging outside like this?¡±


    Zhou Jia nodded. ¡°Also, in front of the temple outside the city, the good-looking ones have been bought to be servants or something. These beggars are all controlled by the beggars. Yu¡¯er, do you want to take these children in?¡±


    Li Yu shook her head. ¡°These people have mixed characters. If they attract trouble, we¡¯ll be in trouble. Let¡¯s go to the brokerage house and buy some old and weak people with clean backgrounds.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu in admiration. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go to the broker shop now.¡±


    When the two of them arrived at the brokerage, the broker smiled when she saw Zhou Jia. ¡°Aiyo! Young Master Zhou, pleasee in.¡±


    The broker weed the two of them into the courtyard with a smile. ¡°Young Master Zhou, what do you want to do this time?¡±


    ¡°We want to buy a few servants. It doesn¡¯t matter how old they are. They have to be honest,¡± Zhou Jia said to the broker.


    The broker couldn¡¯t stop smiling. ¡°Okay, let me call it out and show it to you two.¡±


    The broker returned to the house and brought out more than ten people. Li Yu saw that all the men, women, and children looked pale and dazed. The potter shouted at them, ¡°Stand properly and let Young Master take a look.¡±


    At this moment, an old man pulled a stout girl to the ground and kowtowed to Zhou Jia. ¡°Young Master, please do me a favor and buy my granddaughter! She¡¯s strong and efficient. She doesn¡¯t ask for anything else as long as she can eat.¡±


    The girl retreated behind the old man. ¡°I¡¯m not going, Grandfather. I want to be with you.¡±


    Li Yu walked forward and squatted down to look at her. ¡°Follow me. I¡¯ll give you a full meal.¡±


    When the girl heard that there was a full meal, her eyes lit up as she looked at Li Yu. She still shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m not leaving. I want to be with Grandfather.¡±


    When the broker heard this, she shouted, ¡°Er Ya, it¡¯s not easy to find someone who doesn¡¯t mind you eating too much. If you¡¯re still unwilling, I shall let you go. I can¡¯t afford to raise you.¡±


    Er Ya looked at the broker and begged, ¡°Madam, Grandpa will starve to death without me.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not up to you to choose. You and your grandfather have been here for more than two months, and no one wants you. I¡¯m not running a charity.¡±


    Li Yu stood up and said to the broker, ¡°I want both of them.¡±


    ¡°Really, that¡¯s good. Er Ya, hurry up and thank this girl.¡± The broker smiled happily.


    Er Ya and her grandfather were so happy that they wanted to kowtow again. Li Yu reached out to stop them. ¡°There¡¯s no need to kowtow. Just do your best in the future.¡±


    Li Yu chose a few healthy old and young people from those people. There were two skinny boys, three old women, and an old man. After calcting the money, the ten or so old and weak people only cost 40 to 50 taels of silver. Li Yu sighed in her heart. In this world, humans are not as valuable as a cow.


    ...


    Zhou Jia and the midwife went to settle the contract. The two of them brought a few people back and bought cotton clothes and shoes for them on the way before bringing them back to Osmanthus Alley.


    The cook made some food for them to eat. She brought them to the bathroom to wash up and change into cotton clothes. She brought them over and said to Li Yu, ¡°Miss, let them change.¡±


    More than ten people looked at Li Yu with tears in their eyes.


    Li Yu nodded and looked at Zhou Jia. ¡°Let¡¯s go back now! The seed shop still has to send the seeds back.¡±


    Zhou Jia nodded and went out to get the car. The two of them brought Er Ya and the others back to Phoenix Vige.

 Chapter 103

    103 Farm


    Li Mei saw that Li Yu had bought so many people again andined softly, ¡°Why are they all old and weak? Is it a waste of food to buy them?¡±


    Seeing Li Mei¡¯s disdainful look, they wished they could hide, afraid that Li Mei would chase them away.


    Li Yu pulled Li Mei and whispered to her, ¡°Aunt, these people are very pitiful. They can¡¯t even be sold to the brothel. Look, my ce is big. I n to buy some chickens, ducks, and geese, as well as pigs and cows to feed. We can get the elders and young children to feed the animals.¡±


    Li Mei turned around and saw the frightened expressions of the elders and children. She sighed. ¡°Alright! Do as you see fit! The threads spun by the women from the two families we brought backst time were really good. They were spun evenly and well. Grandma Chen and the others put in more effort when they saw the threads.¡±


    When the two old women heard this, they hurriedly said to Li Yu, ¡°Miss, we also know how to spin. Arrange work for us. We¡¯ll work well and not eat for free.¡±


    Li Yu nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll arrange for you to live. Let¡¯s go in first. I still don¡¯t know your names.¡±


    Everyone followed Li Yu into the central room and was about to kneel again when Li Yu raised her hand to stop them. ¡°You don¡¯t have to kneel. Tell me what your names are and what you know how to do.¡±


    Er Ya¡¯s grandfather stood in front. ¡°Miss, I, Zhao Zijian, injured my left leg during the war. I walk with a limp. In the past, people in the vige called me Zhao Laizi. I know how to feed livestock.¡±


    ¡°Miss, my name is Zhao Er Ya. I¡¯m strong enough to work in the fields. Just assign me to those heavy work.¡± Er Ya stood up and said loudly.


    The two thin boys looked at Li Yu. The slightly taller one said softly, ¡°Miss, my name is Yang Ah Gou. His name is Yang Ah Lei. We know how to cut grass and herd cows.¡±


    The white-haired old man said in a low voice, ¡°I, Yang Tiezhu, know how to farm and weave bamboo.¡±


    Of the two old women who knew how to spin, one was surnamed Yang and the other was surnamed Peng. The other was surnamed Liu and used to be a cook.


    Li Yu looked at them. ¡°You have to follow the rules here. My family¡¯s rules are to behave yourself and not gamble or fight. You can¡¯t leak anything about the main family to outsiders. If you vite them, they will be sold no matter who it is. Do you understand?¡±


    Everyone agreed in unison. ¡°Got it.¡±


    Li Yu watched as they began to make arrangements. ¡°Old Madam Liu, help Auntie He cook. Old Madam Yang and Old Madam Peng will spin the thread. Ah Gou and Ah Lei will herd the cows and cut the grass. Er Ya, Uncle Yang, and Uncle Zhao will help us weed the wheat fields first.¡± All of them agreed happily.


    Li Yu arranged the work and brought them to their respective ces of work. She then found Ruyi and handed him the list of these people.


    Ruyi took the list. ¡°Miss, the pond has been sprinkled with lime and exposed to the sun. We can fill it with water tomorrow. I handed the seeds of the lotus root to Jin Jiu to nt. After Young Master and you left, the Xu brothers came. I gave them the location of the pig farm. They have already started work.¡±


    ¡°Alright, Ruyi, get someone to chop some bamboo and wood and build some chicken sheds on the hillside in the east. Take my uncle and Zhao Zijian to a few towns and buy some chickens, ducks, geese, pigs, and cows to raise.¡±


    Ruyi remembered and went out. Zhou Jia came back from the shop in town and said to Li Yu, ¡°Ah Gen said that he asked a few ces, but he didn¡¯t hear anyone selling fish seedlings. Are we still going to raise fish?¡±


    ¡°There are no fish seedlings for sale. I can only trouble someone to fish for fish seedlings in the river! Leave these to me and prepare for the exam!¡± Li Yu said indifferently.


    Seeing that Li Yu handle things like nothing was a problem, Zhou Jia also smiled. ¡°Yes! Then I¡¯ll rely on you to support me in the future. You can¡¯t abuse me.¡±


    ¡°I promise to raise you to be as beautiful as a flower.¡± Li Yu smiled and touched Zhou Jia¡¯s face before turning to run.


    ¡°I wonder where this girl learned such crazy words.¡± Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu¡¯s back with a smile and kept shaking his head.


    Li Yu went to the ce where the pig farm was built. She saw that the craftsmen had already built a wall half the height of a person and there were still people digging the manure pit. Seeing that they were all reliable, she was relieved and went to look at the pond again. Seeing that Jin Jiu was packing up, she turned around and went to the hillside in the east.


    The hillside was filled with bushes. Ruyi had already brought people to cut and dig bushes on the slope. Li Yu climbed up the slope and pointed at the bushes. ¡°Ruyi, dig up these bushes and surround the slope in two segments before finding some fruit trees to nt. Tell Xu Chun to build another row of cattle pens on the t ground below and build the chicken coop behind the pens.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go tell him now. Tomorrow is the market day. Uncle Liu and I will go to the market to buy livestock and chickens, ducks, and geese,¡± Ruyi said to Li Yu with a smile.


    ¡°Make your own arrangements.¡±


    Ruyi bowed and ran down the slope.


    Seeing that Zhao Er Ya had dug out a shrub without much effort with the hoe, Li Yu gave her a thumbs up. ¡°Er Ya, you¡¯re a good person.¡±


    Zhao Er Ya blushed. ¡°Miss, I¡¯ve eaten so much food. If I don¡¯t work hard, I¡¯ll be letting you down!¡±


    ¡°Okay, work hard. I promise to feed you.¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡± Er Ya waved her hoe even harder. The otherborers also secretly worked harder when they saw this.


    Li Yu strolled around the slope. After nning the slope, she went down the mountain and walked towards the wheat field. She saw that the wheat seedlings had already slowly turned green. He Tiezhu and He Hua were unblocking the ditch. When they saw Li Yu, they hurriedly put down their hoes and wanted to bow. Li Yu waved her hand and said with a smile, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about me.¡±


    ¡°Aye!¡± The two men picked up hoes to remove the weeds when they heard this and hugged the dirt that had fallen into the gutter.


    Li Yu looked around and returned to the house. Li Mei came to look for Li Yu with a new hat. ¡°Yu¡¯er, look, this is the tiger hat that Zhaodi knitted for a child. There¡¯s even a thinyer of cotton inside.¡±


    Li Yu¡¯s heart skipped a beat when she saw Li Mei¡¯s gentle gaze when she held the hat. She looked at Li Mei¡¯s stomach. ¡°Aunt, are you pregnant?¡±


    Li Mei nodded and blushed. ¡°I only felt it when I came back from Tongzhou. It¡¯s still early days, so I¡¯m not sure. I¡¯ll ask Master to take my pulse in a few days.¡±


    When Li Yu heard this, she looked at Li Mei happily and instructed, ¡°Then you have to be careful. I¡¯ll get you anything you want to eat.¡±


    Li Mei looked at Li Yu reproachfully. ¡°It¡¯s still too early! I¡¯ll tell you when I have something I want to eat. I¡¯ll get someone to make more of these hats.¡±


    Li Yu was happy for Li Mei when she saw her leave briskly. This was how the world was. A family without a son had the lowest status in the n. Although Liu Changmin had already left the Liu n, Li Mei was still obsessed with having a son.


    The next day, Li Yu asked Jin Jiu to bring people to the river to fish. She went to town to buy some and reared them in the pond.


    In the blink of an eye, another half a month passed. Li Yu¡¯s pig farm and breeding ground were alsopleted. There were more than 200 chickens and more than ten yellow cattle on the slope. Two sows and dozens of piglets were fed in the pigpen. The pond at the foot of the hill became lively.


    Ruyi got someone to scatter the valerian seeds that Li Yu had bought into a few acres of wastnd to feed the piglets. She also brought people to the mountains to dig up some peppercorn trees. She took the date trees, persimmon trees, and chestnut trees back and nted them on the slope, turning the wastnd into an orchard.

 Chapter 104

    104 Hybrid


    In the blink of an eye, it was early spring. The spring was bright and beautiful. Not a single cloud could be seen in the azure sky. The wheat fields had also turned from dark green to emerald green. A breeze blew through the emerald green wheat seedlings and created emerald waves.


    With people working in the fields and farms, Li Yu focused on taking care of the wool weave. She sorted out the weaving methods from her previous life and taught them to Madam Liu and Madam Lin. Those female workers also created other weaving methods and styles.


    Inte March, Li Mei was already three months pregnant. On the day of the diagnosis, Liu Changmin was so happy that he cried andughed. Ever since then, Liu Changmin had almost worshiped Li Mei.


    When the Zhaodi sisters saw this, they were secretly worried. The sisters said to Li Yu, who was sitting on a rocking chair and drawing blueprints while watching the rain, ¡°Cousin, my father keeps saying that my mother is pregnant with a younger brother. I¡¯m afraid that if my mother is pregnant with a younger sister, something might happen.¡±


    Li Yu looked at the drizzling rain. ¡°That¡¯s right! Uncle and Aunt want a son. In this case, let¡¯s not invite trouble. We can only pray that the heavens will be merciful and give your parents a son.¡±


    When the sisters heard this, they pressed their palms together and begged the heavens, ¡°Please bless my parents with a son.¡±


    After the sisters finished praying, Laidi looked at Li Yu and said firmly, ¡°Cousin, I won¡¯t get married in the future. I want to be like Brother Ji Xiang and be the shopkeeper for you and Cousin-inw.¡±


    Li Yu looked at her and smiled. ¡°Alright! Then learn how to n with Ji Xiang first. Oh! And learn how to write.¡±


    Laidi pouted. ¡°But writing is so difficult! Ah Qing always despises me. He said that the words look like they had copsed on the ground and can¡¯t be helped up.¡±


    ¡°To think you still want to be the head shopkeeper. Look, your handwriting is like an earthworm. You don¡¯t know how to write books and n. You need to stop dreaming if you can¡¯t do a single thing well,¡± Zhaodi teased her.


    ¡°Hmph! I¡¯ll go look for Uncle Zhou and ask him to teach me how to n.¡± After saying that, Laidi ran off with the umbre. Zhaodi told Li Yu and ran out.


    After the sisters left, Li Yu fell back onto the recliner and thought about how to choose the seeds to breed with wild rice and home rice.


    Li Yu¡¯s head ached at the thought of it. Only then did she remember that her father had chosen the seeds with salt water in her previous life. After choosing them, he soaked them in lime water.


    Using salt to soak the seeds? Seeds and salt were so expensive. Was there a more economical way to choose? Li Yu fell into deep thought.


    Zhou Jia carried the food box from next door and saw Li Yu lying on the rocking chair. He stared nkly at how she was frowning without moving. He was shocked and quickly walked to Li Yu¡¯s side. He asked repeatedly, ¡°Yu¡¯er, what¡¯s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?¡±


    Li Yu looked up at Zhou Jia¡¯s worried expression and smiled as she pulled him to sit on the stool. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I was thinking about a problem just now.¡±


    ¡°Oh! You scared me.¡± Zhou Jia opened the food box and handed it to Li Yu. ¡°Auntie He cooked this. Try it.¡±


    ¡°It smells so good!¡± Li Yu opened the food box and the fragrance assaulted her nose.


    Zhou Jia went to the kitchen to get two bowls and handed the wontons to Li Yu. ¡°Yu¡¯er, tell me what you¡¯re worried about.¡±


    Li Yu took the bowl. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you after eating lest it affects your appetite.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Zhou Jia smiled and sat beside Li Yu. The two of them held their bowls and watched the drizzle as they ate.


    ¡°Auntie He¡¯s wontons are delicious,¡± Li Yu praised.


    Zhou Jia nodded and took the bowl back to the kitchen. When he returned, he looked at Li Yu seriously. ¡°Tell me! Let me hear what problem is making you worry?¡±


    Li Yu exined to Zhou Jia the method of soaking the rice seeds in salt water. She looked at him and spread out her hands. ¡°Right! Salt is so expensive, and we have so many seeds. Let¡¯s use the wind to choose the grain for the time being! I¡¯ll find Carpenter Chen to make a few Wind Grain Machinester.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu and said gently, ¡°I¡¯ve seen those long-term workers soak seeds in water before. They were just soaked in water for a while before being scattered. Your method is already very good. When we are able to umte salt in the shop in the future, we¡¯ll save them for you to soak the seeds in.¡±


    ¡°Forget it! That salt is enough to buy rice.¡± Li Yu smiled and picked up the drawing. ¡°I¡¯ve already drawn the blueprint for the Wind Grain Machine. Let¡¯s go find Carpenter Chen to make it.¡±


    Zhou Jia took the blueprint and looked at it. ¡°The Wind Grain Machine you drew is different from the one at home in the East Vige. Yours should be more useful.¡±


    Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia in surprise. ¡°Did your family already have a Wind Valley Machine in the East Vige? Why haven¡¯t I seen anyone use it in the West Vige?¡±


    Zhou Jia opened the umbre and hugged Li Yu as he walked out. ¡°I call it a fan cart. There are blueprints avable. Besides, these things are not cheap. How can those farmers and tenants bear to spend money to make them?!¡±


    Li Yu nodded in agreement. ¡°Yes! That¡¯s true. Then let¡¯s make a few more.¡±


    The two of them walked out of the house and looked at therge patch of emerald under the drizzle. Looking at the clouds lingering in the distant verdant forest, Li Yu took a deep breath. ¡°Yes! The air in the rain has a sweet taste.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu¡¯s charming appearance when she was intoxicated. Seeing that no one was around and Li Yu was covered with an umbre, he secretly kissed her cheek. ¡°Yu¡¯er, you¡¯re so beautiful!¡±


    Li Yu pinched Zhou Jia with a red face. ¡°Aren¡¯t you embarrassed? How embarrassing would it be if someone saw you!¡±


    Zhou Jia held the umbre up ingratiatingly. ¡°Yu¡¯er, I was wrong, but I also noticed that there was no one.¡±


    Li Yu pursed her lips and smiled. ¡°Seeing that you¡¯ve admitted your mistake, I¡¯ll forgive you this time.¡±


    When the two of them arrived at Carpenter Chen¡¯s house, Zhou Jia handed the blueprint to him. After seeing it, Carpenter Chen smiled and said, ¡°When I just finished my apprenticeship, I helped Minister Huang¡¯s family make two. They look a little different from Mr. Zhou¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°Uncle Chen, can you make it?¡± Li Yu looked at Craftsman Chen and asked.


    ¡°I can do it. I¡¯ll make one for you before the end of the month. I¡¯ll make the rest before I collect the wheat.¡±


    ¡°Okay, we¡¯ll settle the bill together when it¡¯s done.¡± The two of them left Carpenter Chen¡¯s house and went home to work separately.


    In mid-March, Li Yu asked the long-term workman to fertilize the wheat field. In early April, the wheat began to enter the harvesting stage. Li Yu brought the long-term workman and began to level more than 30 acres of straw fields. After preparing the straw bed and sprinkling ayer of rotten ripe manure into the ditch, she mixed the soil and fertilizer evenly. It was not untilte April that she sorted out the straw fields and ced them in the water of the field. She also opened up a separate piece to sow the wild rice.


    Inte April, the wheat was ready to be harvested. Li Yu¡¯s farmstead was also built. It was a two-in-one residence with arge drying field when one walked in. There was also a row of warehouses and a row of houses where long-term workers lived. After passing through the door, they entered the inner courtyard. There was a row of five main rooms in the inner courtyard, three in the east and west rooms, and a cer was dug under the kitchen.


    At the beginning of May, Li Yu brought Zhao Er Ya and a few women to sun the rice seeds for a few days. She used the wind to blow out a portion of the corn and soaked it in water to wash it out. Madam Liu looked at the corn and sighed at the Lin family. ¡°Sister-inw Lin, look at how the wind blew. There¡¯s still so much corn after soaking. No wonder our seedlings are not good.¡±


    Madam Lin looked at the grains in the wicker basket. ¡°We only thought that the grains had been chosen in advance. Who knew that there would be such grains? Miss, your farming is much more meticulous than ours.¡±


    ¡°There won¡¯t be a good harvest if I¡¯m not meticulous.¡± Li Yu smiled at the two of them. ¡°Put the lime into the gauze bag and I¡¯ll mix it with water.¡±


    After Li Yu weighed the lime Mrs. Liu had filled, she mixed it with water at a ratio of one to ten. After the lime dissolved and filtered, she poured the seeds into a bucket and began to soak them.

 Chapter 105

    105 Picking Cattail and Harvesting Wheat


    Li Yu dried the few catties of wild rice alone and sifted through them with a straw. She chose the straw grains and soaked them in a wooden bucket filled with lime water. She then soaked them alone and urged them to sprout.


    After soaking the rice seeds for two days, Li Yu led people to pick the rice seeds to the side of the mountain stream. She washed the rice seeds and soaked them in the stream. She soaked them for six hours before picking them home. She spread the disinfected bup bag on the ground and poured the rice seeds on the bup bag. Then, she spread the rice seeds evenly on the bup bag and covered it with a bup bag to speed up the sprouting.


    Er Ya looked at the sacks covering the rice and asked Li Yu curiously, ¡°Miss, are you afraid that it will be cold?¡±


    Li Yu taught her patiently, ¡°This is to speed up the sprouting. When you¡¯re on night watch, you have to touch it often. If the temperature of the rice is too high, remember to gently flip the rice with a bamboo pole. If it¡¯s cold, you have to sprinkle some warm water on it.¡±


    ¡°Lady, this is the first time I¡¯ve seen someone serve rice seeds like this. In the past, they would soak them in water and put them in bup bags. After they hung them on the beam, they would take them to the fields to scatter them the next day.


    Li Yu smiled. ¡°Every family has a different farming method. It¡¯s never wrong to work hard.¡±


    Er Ya looked at Li Yu in admiration. ¡°Miss, you¡¯re right. Look at how hardworking you and Mr. Zhou are.¡±


    Seeing that Er Ya didn¡¯t understand at all, Li Yu was worried that she would ruin the rice seed. ¡°I¡¯ll guard the rice seed with you tonight. You have to remember how I do it, understand? I¡¯ll leave it to you in the future.¡±


    ¡°Got it. I¡¯ll keep it in mind,¡± said Er Ya seriously.


    Li Yu brought Er Ya to flip the rice seeds once at almost dawn. At the end of the next afternoon, Li Yu sprinkled water again. After the rice seeds were exposed and sprouted, Li Yu brought people to spread the seeds and refine them for four hours. They handed the rice seeds to the long-term workers. The long-term workers carried the rice seeds to the edge of the field and scattered them on the roof. Then, they sprinkled ayer of rice husk dust on them.


    Li Yu carried the exposed wild rice seeds to the field and scattered them alone.


    After sowing the rice, Li Yu was free. She suddenly remembered that she still had the cattails. She patted her head in frustration and hurriedly went to the pond to take a look at the lotus roots and cattails.


    When Li Yu arrived at the pond, Jin Jiu was scattering weeds to feed the fish. When he saw Li Yu, he went forward and bowed cautiously. ¡°Miss, are you done?¡±


    Li Yu nodded and smiled. ¡°How are the fish in the pond? Are there many dead?¡±


    ¡°Not much. I only found two dead fish when I put them in. I haven¡¯t seen them since.¡± Jin Jiu smiled and pointed at the pond. ¡°Miss, look, three or four leaves have grown from the lotus roots.¡±


    Li Yu saw that tender green lotus leaves had indeed grown on the grooves in the pond. She smiled and praised Jin Jiu. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s been hard on you.¡±


    Jin Jiu¡¯s dark face was red. ¡°It¡¯s not hard. I have food and clothes here. I haven¡¯t been beaten or scolded.¡±


    Seeing his reserved look, Li Yu smiled and pointed ahead. ¡°Can I go see if the cattails can be harvested?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Jin Jiu bowed and retreated to the side, watching Li Yu walk towards the shallow water on the other side of the pond.


    When Li Yu arrived at the shallow depression filled with cattails, she saw that the depressions were already covered with cattails. The cattail flowers had already begun to bloom. It was time to pick cattails.


    Li Yu went home and gathered the women and girls. She asked them to put some vegetables in the backpack and bamboo basket and carried the bamboo basket to the pond.


    Er Ta held the bamboo basket and pointed at Puhuang as she told Li Yu, ¡°Miss, this yellow thing is called a water candle. We can pick that thing at home to dispel the mosquitoes. Also, we can pick the white rod at the bottom to eat.¡±


    ¡°The correct name is cattail,¡± Li Yu said to the women. ¡°Pick some cattails and the water candle Er Ya mentioned. When you pick them, take off the piece of bulrush on top and put it in the bamboo basket.¡±


    Jin Cuicui asked Li Yu in a soft voice, ¡°Miss, what¡¯s that for? How do you want it?¡±


    Li Yu nced at Jin Cuicui. ¡°It is a medicinal herb. I¡¯ll show it to you. Watch carefully and use your hands to wrap around the section on the water candle. Just peel off the cattails.¡±


    Everyone looked at Li Yu and understood. ¡°Miss, we¡¯ve learned. Go ahead,¡± Er Ya said to Li Yu.


    Li Yu handed the bamboo basket to Er Ya. ¡°It¡¯s toote to pick cattails now. Don¡¯t pick too much. Come back tomorrow morning. Also, remember to spread out the cattails you picked and dry them in the sun mat. Be careful not to get wet from the rain.¡±


    ¡°Miss, don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ll take them back and dry them,¡± Er Ya replied crisply.


    Li Yu nodded and turned to go to the farm. Zhao Junzi had juste down the hill with a basket of eggs on his back. When he saw Li Yu, he smiled and pointed at the backpack behind him. ¡°Miss, the weather has warmed up. The chickens and ducks have alsoid more eggs. The duck eggs and eggs that we picked up early this morning at the pond were all sent away by Brother Ruyi. We picked up another hundred or so here. When Ah Gou and Ah Lei were cutting the grass, they even touched some ms and snails in the ditch and came back to feed the chickens and ducks.¡±


    Li Yu looked at the eggs in the basket. ¡°Alright, let Auntie Liu cook eggs for them. Remember to sprinkle lime under the chicken shed every half a month to prevent chickens and ducks from getting sick.¡±


    ¡± We¡¯ve noted it, we just scattered it a few days ago. It¡¯ll be a few more days.¡±


    Li Yu returned home from the farm and saw cksmith Xu and Zhao Cai sending the threshing machine back to the vige. Zhou Jia was installing it with them.


    When Zhou Jia saw Li Yu return, he pointed at a well-equipped threshing machine and smiled. ¡°Xiaoyu, take a look!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll try.¡± Li Yu smiled and stepped on the pedal. Perhaps it was because she was strong, but she felt that she didn¡¯t use much force before the roller started to turn.


    cksmith Xu pointed at the basket at the side and said to Zhou Jia, ¡°Mr. Zhou, I¡¯ve also prepared some easy-to-wear parts for you. You have to touch some oil on those connecting spots often to save energy.¡±


    Zhou Jia and Li Yu looked at it and said to cksmith Xu, ¡°Alright, you¡¯re still the most thorough.¡±


    ¡°Since I craft all your things, I have to do a good job so we can work together for a long time. There¡¯s another thing. After you and Miss Li leftst time, an old man came to ask if you came from Qingzhou. He said that Miss Li looks like his niece and asked where you lived. I didn¡¯t tell him.¡±


    Li Yu shook her head and said, ¡°I don¡¯t have any uncles or rtives in my family. He might have mistaken me for someone else.¡±


    ¡°Good. I saw the twinkle in his eye and decided he wasn¡¯t reliable, so I let him go.¡±


    Everyone was busy for more than an hour. They loaded all ten threshers and pulled them to the farm to put them in the warehouse.


    In the blink of an eye, more than half a month had passed. After cattails were plucked, Phoenix Vige turned golden. The golden wheat ears swayed in the wind, stirring up golden waves.


    Li Yu¡¯s workshop also stopped work; she let the female workers go home to harvest wheat.


    Taking advantage of the good weather, all the men, women, old, and young in the vige went in stages. They hurriedly collected the wheat at home.


    Li Yu¡¯s ox cart pulled wheat into the farm one by one. Ah Gou, Ah Lei, and the other children were also busy drying the wheat in the field. They helped the adults unload the wheat from the ox cart and spread it out in rows to dry in the field. They also had to pay attention to the change in the weather at all times. As soon as they realized that the weather wasn¡¯t good, they had to collect the wheat in time to prevent it from being damaged by the rain.

 Chapter 106

    106 nting, Breeding


    The seedlings in the field had already grown to a green color. The rice seeds had already grown first leaves, and so had the wild rice that Li Yu had scattered. However, those wild rice leaves were clearly half an inch taller than the home rice. They looked to be growing well.


    After working for more than half a month, the wheat was finally all taken back home, leaving some women to dry the wheat in the field. Ruyi led the long-termborers to plow and level the fields to prepare for the next nting.


    Li Yu plucked a wild seedling. Seeing that the seedlings were not as oily green as the home seedling and that they were also longer, she turned around and plucked a seedling from the field. Seeing that the seedlings were thick, had many white roots, and had good green leaves, she said happily to Zhou Jia, ¡°I¡¯m finally relieved. This batch of seedlings is still very good.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good. Otherwise, you¡¯ll have worked for nothing.¡± Zhou Jia smiled and pointed at the wild ducks. ¡°How do you n to nt these wild seedlings?¡±


    Li Yu gave the seedlings to Er Ya and pointed to the field at the edge. ¡°I n to nt them in those two fields. I n to try breeding it.¡±


    ¡°Breeding.¡± Zhou Jia thought for a while and didn¡¯t know what breeding was. He looked at Li Yu in confusion. ¡°What¡¯s breeding? Is it to nt wild rice in the future?¡±


    Li Yu thought for a moment and organized her words. ¡°Breeding is a way for wild rice to be nted in a row or two rows of domestic rice. When the rice blooms, we use a bamboo pole or a rope to drive the pollen of the wild rice towards the domestic rice. I¡¯m not sure if the wild rice and the domestic rice can bloom at the same time, but that has to happen for pollination to be sessful. This will allow them to interbreed and change their varieties.¡±


    Zhou Jia listened to Li Yu talk about wild rice and domestic rice, but he was still confused and felt a little discouraged. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect farming to involve so much knowledge.¡±


    Li Yu nodded. ¡°If you want a high yield, you have to pay attention to the method of farming.¡±


    Zhou Jia agreed readily. ¡°Yes! Just like how we study, we have to pay attention to the method. As long as we find a suitable method, we will get twice the results with half the effort.¡±


    Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia¡¯s thin face and felt a little sorry for him. ¡°Look, you¡¯ve lost weight. You¡¯re close to the Fall Quarter Examinations. It¡¯s fine if you rx a little. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s good to be too tense. We have to let nature take its course. In short, your health is more important.¡±


    Zhou Jia¡¯s heart warmed when he heard that. He smiled at Li Yu. ¡°Yu¡¯er, don¡¯t worry. I know my limits.¡± The two of them looked at each other and smiled.


    At this moment, Er Ya ran over. ¡°Miss, the field seedlings are ready. Uncle Kim is asking you how to nt them.¡±


    Li Yu said to Zhou Jia, ¡°Go back to the house first. I¡¯ll go and watch them nt a few lines beforeing back.¡±


    Zhou Jia nodded and watched Li Yu walk away with Er Ya.


    After the seedlings were nted, the wheat was also dried up. Before entering the warehouse, Li Yu calcted that the yield of more than 200 acres of wheat was less than 500 catties per acre. In her previous life, there were at least 800 to 900 catties per acre!


    However, the long-term workers and servants were all amazed. Zhao Junzi looked at the wheat with an excited expression. ¡°In the past, our best harvest was only about 200 catties. This yield has doubled.¡±


    Er Ya looked at Zhao Laizi and said with a smile, ¡°Grandpa, don¡¯t you see how meticulous Miss was in choosing the seeds? Just like how the seedlings this time have been screened a few times from the beginning. There¡¯s also the catalysis and training of buds. I¡¯ve never heard of these before.¡±


    A footman said, ¡°That¡¯s right. It seems that we still have to learn how to farm from you. There are still many ways to study.¡±


    Er Ya contradicted him. ¡°Sir knows nothing about farming. Miss arranged it.¡±


    At this moment, Jin Jiu hurriedly ran into the manor. A corner of his mouth was bleeding. ¡°Miss, are you there? Someone insisted on going down to the lotus pond to fish. We couldn¡¯t persuade him and he even injured me.¡±


    ¡°Everyone, quickly go to the pond to take a look. I¡¯ll call the Miss.¡± Er Ya turned around and ran towards Li Yu¡¯s house.


    Jin Jiu, Zhao Laizi, and a few other long-term workers hurriedly ran towards the lotus pond. When they arrived, they saw a man in embroidered clothes sitting on a wooden boat with a flirtatious woman. The boat was filled with lotus flowers.


    A man was still fishing in the water with a. Jin Jiu¡¯s heart ached when he saw the lotus flowers. He shouted, ¡°Look! They were about to form lotus seeds. They¡¯ve ruined them.¡±


    Everyone looked at the men in embroidered clothes and was at a loss. At this moment, Li Yu and Zhou Jia arrived. The two of them saw a carriage parked by the pond. One of the men was sitting with his legs crossed and looking at Jin Jiu and the others arrogantly.


    Li Yu saw that the lotus pond with the most lotus flowers had been ruined by those people. The fish had also been scooped up from the pond by that man and poured back.


    As Li Yu looked coldly at the two men in embroidered clothes who were fearless, the anger in her heart surged.


    Zhou Jia said to Li Yu, ¡°Yu¡¯er, don¡¯t be rash. These people are probably here to cause trouble on purpose. Otherwise, how would they find us in such a remote ce?¡±


    ¡°I see. Tell Ruyi to find out more from the coachman.¡±


    When Ruyi heard this, he turned around and walked toward the coachman. He smiled at the horse-faced coachman and said, ¡°Brother, may I ask which family you¡¯re from?¡±


    The horse-faced man looked up at Ruyi arrogantly. ¡°From High Schr Ye¡¯s residence.¡±


    When Ruyi heard this, he understood that Madam Ye hade to cause trouble. Ruyi cupped his fists and thanked the coachman. He turned around and said to the two of them, ¡°Young Master, Miss, he said that they are from High Schr Ye¡¯s residence.¡±


    Zhou Jia and Li Yu were enlightened when they heard that. ¡°So they¡¯re from Madam Ye. Looks like they¡¯re here to cause trouble on purpose.¡±


    ¡°Since they¡¯re deliberately looking for trouble, there¡¯s no need to be polite,¡± Li Yu said coldly.


    Zhou Jia shouted at the few people in the lotus pond, ¡°Young masters on the boat, listen up. My family bought this pond. The lotus flowers in the pond were nted by my family. Also, the fish is raised by my family. Pleasee up and don¡¯t ruin anything. On ount that this is your first time here, we won¡¯t ask you topensate for the losses.¡±


    The man on the boat with the smiled and said to the three people sitting on the deck, ¡°Did you hear that? They bought it and told us to go back quickly!¡±


    The man in purple clothes kissed the woman beside him and smiled wretchedly. ¡°Tell him that I haven¡¯t had enough fun. When I¡¯mfortable, I¡¯ll naturally go up.¡±


    The man in the turned around and looked at the lotus pond. He shouted proudly, ¡°Our Young Master Ye said that he hasn¡¯t had a good time yet. When he has had a good time, he will go up.¡±


    After shouting, he suddenly saw Li Yu standing by the pond. He pointed at Li Yu and said to Young Master Ye, ¡°Brother Ye, look, there¡¯s a beauty standing by the pond.¡±


    Young Master Ye narrowed his eyes and turned around to take a look. He smiled lecherously. ¡°I can¡¯t see it clearly.¡±


    Li Yu looked coldly at the few people in the pond. ¡°Since they don¡¯t want toe up, we won¡¯t let them up. Use a bamboo pole to poke them into the middle of the lotus pond. Let¡¯s see how long they canst. When he can¡¯t take it anymore, let himpensate and admit his mistake.¡±


    ¡°Your idea is still the best. I¡¯ll waste time with them here today.¡± Zhou Jia smiled.


    When everyone heard this, theyughed and prepared to watch the young master embarrass himself.

 Chapter 107

    107 Ye San


    Young Master Ye instructed another man to steer the boat towards Li Yu and the others.


    Jin Jiu carried a bundle of bamboo poles over. Li Yu and Zhou Jia each took one. Seeing this, everyone picked up the bamboo poles and secretly waited for the boat toe over.


    When the boat was about two meters away from the lotus pond, Young Master Ye leaned over the bow and saw Li Yu clearly. He smiled roguishly. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect there to be a beauty hidden in this mountain nest. Little beauty,e forward and let me take a good look.¡±


    When Zhou Jia and the people by the pond heard Third Young Master Ye¡¯s words, they were so angry that they raised their bamboo poles and poked the boat, causing it to sway in the pond.


    Seeing this, the horse-faced coachman hurriedly got out of the carriage and walked to the side of the lotus pond. As he snatched the bamboo pole, he threatened fiercely, ¡°You country bumpkins are quite bold. That¡¯s the third young master of High Schr Ye. Hurry up and let my young master up.¡±


    The coachman was shouting, but he did not see that the horse had been driven away by Er Ya.


    Zhou Jia looked at him and mocked, ¡°We¡¯re vigers and don¡¯t know any Third Young Master Ye. We only know that a thief ran to my lotus pond and stole fish and lotus flowers. The entire vige can testify for me.¡±


    The man with the on the boat lost his bnce and swayed a few times before falling onto Young Master Ye. The boat shook violently.


    The woman on the ship screamed in fear. Third Young Master Ye hurriedly stabilized He Cheng. ¡°Don¡¯t move. If you move again, the ship will capsize. He Cheng, swim back first and get someone to chase these murks away.¡±


    He Cheng leaned on Third Young Master Ye and cried, ¡°Third Young Master, I don¡¯t know how to float.¡±


    ¡°Neither do I.¡± Ye San looked at He Cheng in frustration. He pushed him away, got up, and hurriedly rocked the boat to the center of the lotus pond.


    Zhou Jia smiled and said, ¡°Little thief, listen up. Since you cherish this pond and can¡¯t bear to leave, y to your heart¡¯s content.¡±


    Young Master Ye shouted at Zhou Jia, ¡°Dog, just you wait.¡±


    Li Yu sneered and raised the bamboo pole in her hand. ¡°Your entire family are dogs. Let¡¯s see who won¡¯t spare the other. Stay on the boat!¡±


    At this moment, Chen Yaohui and a few vigers also came to the lotus pond. They looked at Third Young Master Ye and the others on the boat. ¡°Mr. Zhou, Xiaoyu, where did these peoplee from? Why did theye to the foot of the mountain to ruin things?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re from the Ye family. They might be here to cause trouble,¡± said a footman.


    Chen Yaohui was so angry that he spat at Third Young Master Ye. ¡°Pfft! What a scumbag.¡±


    When the coachman saw Third Young Master Ye stuck on the boat, he said in exasperation, ¡°Wait for me. I¡¯ll go back and call my master over.¡±


    ¡°Go! We¡¯re waiting here! Let your High Schr see how his young master injured my servants and destroyed my property. We¡¯ll be in the right even if we report it to the government office.¡± Zhou Jia poked him with his bamboo pole, scaring the coachman so much that he covered his head and ran.


    The coachman ran to the front of the carriage to drive it. When he realized that the carriage was there but the horse was gone, he shouted anxiously, ¡°You horse thieves, return my horse.¡±


    Zhao Laiziughed and pointed at the foot of the mountain. ¡°Are you blind? Your horse is walking up the mountain!¡±


    The coachman followed Zhao Laizi¡¯s hand and saw that the horse had run to the foot of the mountain for some reason. He was so frightened that his soul flew away. He ran after the horse.


    Zhou Jia saw that Li Yu was sweating profusely and her face was flushed red, making her look even more beautiful. His heart ached and he didn¡¯t want anyone to see Li Yu¡¯s beauty. ¡°Yu¡¯er, the sun is too hot. Go home first and leave it to me.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go back then.¡± Li Yu thought that with so many people here, Zhou Jia wouldn¡¯t be at a disadvantage and left in relief.


    After a while, Er Ya carried a bucket of cold tea to the lotus pond with a parasol and shouted at everyone, ¡°Miss instructed me to bring everyone mint tea to quench their thirst.¡±


    Er Ya put down the herbal tea and tied the umbre handle to the bench. She smiled at Third Young Master Ye and the others in the pond and said to Zhou Jia, ¡°Sir, thedy asked me to bring you the umbre.¡±


    Zhou Jia nodded and sat under the umbre with the herbal tea. The group of people drank the herbal tea and took turns guarding the lotus pond. No matter where Third Young Master Ye wanted to go ashore, he would be poked to the center of the lotus pond.


    For the entire day, Zhou Jia and the others had been guarding the shore of the pond, not letting Ye San off the boat.


    On the boat, Third Young Master Ye saw Zhou Jia and the others by the lotus pond. They were drinking herbal tea and waiting for him leisurely under the umbre. He looked at Zhou Jia and the others hatefully. He wanted to hit them but could not reach them. He was so angry that his teeth itched.


    The hot sun made one¡¯s skin burn. The people on the boat were hot, thirsty, and anxious. The feeling was really unbearable.


    On the boat, Third Young Master Ye and the woman blushed. ¡°Third Young Master, just say something good to them! I-I¡¯m really in a hurry to relieve myself.¡±


    Third Young Master Ye gritted his teeth and looked at the two women. ¡°I¡¯m also in a hurry. He Cheng, tell these bumpkins I promise topensate them with silver. I¡¯ll deal with them after I¡¯ve gone down to relieve myself.¡±


    Afraid that Third Young Master Ye would go back on his word, He Cheng hurriedly shouted at the edge of the pond, ¡°People above, listen up. Third Young Master Ye said that he willpensate you with silver. Let us off the boat quickly.¡±


    ¡°Of course, he has topensate. Let him write a letter of repentance first, and we¡¯ll let him off the boat,¡± Zhou Jia said loudly.


    He Cheng looked back at Third Young Master Ye. ¡°Third Young Master Ye, what do you think we should do?¡±


    Third Young Master Ye mped his legs together and gritted his teeth. ¡°Ask him to bring me a pen and paper to write it down for him.¡±


    When He Cheng heard this, he shouted again, ¡°Get a pen and paper. How can we write without a pen and paper?¡±


    Zhou Jia got Ruyi to bring a pen and paper, tied it to a bamboo pole, and handed it to the boat. ¡°Get Third Young Master Ye to write clearly. He injured the servants of the Li family in Phoenix Vige for no reason and even destroyed the Li family¡¯s lotus pond. Write clearly that he¡¯s willing topensate ording to the price. When we¡¯re satisfied, we¡¯ll let you off the boat immediately.¡±


    Third Young Master Ye gritted his teeth and wrote a letter of repentance. He tied it to the bamboo pole and handed it to Zhou Jia. Zhou Jia saw that it said: Ye Liangcheng damaged the Li family¡¯s lotus pond for no reason. Behind it was a signature.


    Zhou Jia asked everyone to let Third Young Master Ye and the others off the boat. After they got off the boat, Third Young Master Ye mped his legs together and looked around. He didn¡¯t forget to say ruthlessly, ¡°Just you wait. When I¡¯ve relieved myself, I¡¯ll deal with you.¡±


    Zhou Jia nced at Third Young Master Ye and waved the apology letter in his hand. ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you toe. Let¡¯s see who will deal with whom.¡±


    After the horse-faced coachman found the horse, he hurriedly drove the carriage back to High Schr Ye¡¯s house in Phoenix Cry Town and ran to the study in the outer courtyard.


    In the study, a clean-shaven, shrewd-looking middle-aged man was writing something at the table.


    The horse-faced man stood at the door and reported to High Schr Ye, ¡°Master, Third Young Master is trapped in the lotus pond by the people of Phoenix Vige and is not allowed to go ashore.¡±


    High Schr Ye looked at the horse-faced coachman and said with a dark expression, ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? When did Third Brother return to Phoenix Vige? How did he get trapped in the lotus pond? Tell me honestly from the beginning to the end.¡±


    The horse-faced coachman knelt down with a bang. ¡°Master, Young Master Lianggong from Old Madam Ye¡¯s family was sued by the Chen and Zhou families of Phoenix Vige and exiled a few days ago. Third Young Master didn¡¯t know about it either. As soon as he returned today, he went to y with Young Master Lianggong. He was urged by Old Madam Ye to go to Phoenix Vige to cause trouble. He injured the person guarding the lotus pond and made a mess of their lotus pond. Those people stopped Young Master on the boat.¡±


    High Schr Ye¡¯s face darkened. ¡°How dare you ask my son to avenge you?¡± He kicked the horse-faced coachman and shouted, ¡°What are you waiting for? Lead the way.¡±


    ¡°Yes, my lord.¡± The coachman scrambled to his feet and followed High Schr Ye outside.

 Chapter 108

    108 Compensation


    Third Young Master Ye found a corner to relieve himself and walked out proudly. When he saw Zhou Jia sitting leisurely on a chair by the lotus pond, he was furious. He rolled up his sleeves and rushed towards Zhou Jia. ¡°You dog, how dare you block me in the lotus pond? I¡¯ll beat you to death.¡±


    Zhou Jia watched as he rolled his eyes like Li Yu and sneered at him. ¡°If you want to die,e over. I¡¯ll fulfill your wish.¡±


    Third Young Master Ye raised his fist and rushed toward Zhou Jia but was blocked by Ruyi raising his leg. She reached out and grabbed Third Young Master Ye¡¯s raised hand and squeezed it hard. ¡°Ahhh.¡± Third Young Master Ye shouted in pain, ¡°Let go, let go. My wrist is broken.¡±


    Ruyi looked at Third Young Master Ye coldly. ¡°If you stand here obediently, I¡¯ll spare you.¡±


    Third Young Master Ye looked at Ruyi and said, ¡°No, no.¡±


    When He Cheng and the woman saw that Third Young Master Ye was restrained, they stopped in their tracks and did not dare to go forward.


    Zhou Jia looked at Third Young Master Ye and smiled. ¡°Ye Liangcheng, Young Master Ye, it¡¯s time for us to talk aboutpensation. Do you think we should talk to your father, High Schr Ye? Or should we talk here?¡±


    Third Young Master Ye looked at the apology letter in Zhou Jia¡¯s hand and sneered arrogantly. ¡°Let¡¯s talk here. Aren¡¯t you just trying to extort a sum of money from me?! Name a price.¡±


    Zhou Jia waved the apology letter in front of him. ¡°You already said that I wanted to beat you up. If I don¡¯t beat you up, wouldn¡¯t I be letting you down? You injured my servant and made him unable to take care of the lotus pond while he is recuperating...¡±


    Before Zhou Jia could finish speaking, Third Young Master Ye jumped up. ¡°I¡¯ve alreadypensated him with medicine and silver. Why do I have topensate you? You might as well go and rob.¡±


    Just as Third Young Master Ye finished shouting, someone knocked on his head. ¡°You dog, I...¡±


    Third Young Master Ye turned around and was so frightened that he knelt on the ground and begged for mercy. ¡°Father, why are you here? I didn¡¯t scold you. I didn¡¯t know it was you.¡±


    High Schr Ye looked at Third Young Master Ye and shouted, ¡°You¡¯re still embarrassing yourself here. Hurry up and get lost.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, Father.¡± Ye San got up awkwardly, bowed, took a few steps back, turned around, and ran.


    Zhou Jia looked at High Schr Ye and bowed. ¡°Greetings, High Schr Ye.¡±


    Seeing that Zhou Jia was handsome and elegant, High Schr Ye thought to himself, Ye Rongtian said that a schr hade down from Phoenix Mountain. At that time, he didn¡¯t pay attention to him. He didn¡¯t expect him to be such a handsome person. It seemed that the days of Ye Family Vige in Phoenix Town were about to pass.


    Zhou Jia looked at High Schr Ye¡¯s pretentious appearance. Old man, stop pretending. You two are the same.


    High Schr Ye looked up at the dpidated lotus leaves and the lotus flowers on the wooden boat. He turned to look at Zhou Jia and said apologetically, ¡°I didn¡¯t teach my son well. I¡¯llpensate you for the damage.¡±


    Er Ya interrupted, ¡°Your son even injured Uncle Jin. My master asked him toe out of the lotus pond and said that he would not pursue the matter since it was his first offense. He even scolded him after deliberately rocking the boat and barging around the lotus pond. He didn¡¯t want to lose money and even tried to hit him.¡±


    After Er Ya finished speaking, Zhou Jia nced at her. ¡°No manners. Go back and serve your Miss.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the truth! I¡¯m not spouting nonsense.¡± Er Ya muttered as she retreated.


    Zhou Jia nced at the flushed High Schr Ye. ¡°I¡¯ve embarrassed myself in front of you. My family spent a lot of effort to make this lotus pond. Seeing that there¡¯s going to be a harvest, the girl watched helplessly as it was damaged, and her heart ached for me.¡±


    High Schr Ye suppressed the unhappiness in his heart and smiled dryly. ¡°It¡¯s fine. It was the child who was rude first.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at High Schr Ye with a sneer. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to be so fair.¡±


    High Schr Ye smiled awkwardly and pointed at the lotus pond and the paddy fields. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect this! It only took you half a year to turn these wastnds into fertile fields.¡±


    Zhou Jia cupped his hands. ¡°Thank you for your praise. Back then, I and my fellow vigers fled from Qingzhou to this ce. It was all thanks to General Shen¡¯s benevolence that we were able to settle down here. We didn¡¯t disappoint General Shen¡¯s good intentions by managing this wastnd to this state.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! General Shen is righteous and loyal. Tongzhou City is also protected by General Shen¡¯s men. That¡¯s why we can live and work in peace.¡± High Schr Yeughed dryly.


    Zhou Jia said indifferently, ¡°High Schr Ye is right.¡±


    Seeing that Zhou Jia still looked indifferent, High Schr Ye cupped his hands at Zhou Jia unhappily. ¡°I left in a hurry today. As for thepensation, I¡¯ll get the butler to negotiate with your family.¡±


    Zhou Jia cupped his hands and said, ¡°Sure, sure. Take care.¡±


    High Schr Ye flicked his sleeve and got into the carriage. Chen Yaohui came over and said to Zhou Jia, ¡°What kind of a man is he? No wonder he raised such a son.¡±


    ¡°No wonder the Ye family is so arrogant. So it¡¯s because there¡¯s a High Schr in the n!¡± Chen Gui also said.


    Ah Gou looked up at Chen Gui. ¡°Uncle Chen, what¡¯s so rare about a High Schr? My master even knows how to be a high official!¡±


    ¡°Hey! This child said it well.¡± Chen Gui stroked Ah Gou¡¯s head. ¡°Ah Gou has grown taller and fatter.¡±


    Ah Gou smiled proudly. ¡°Miss asked Grandma Liu to cook eggs for us. How can we not grow taller?¡±


    Chen Gui patted Ah Gou. ¡°Your girl is the best. Go! Go cut grass with Ah Lei.¡±


    The two children held hands and skipped away. Jin Jiu got on the boat and took the lotus flowers that Third Young Master Ye and the others had picked. He handed them to Zhou Jia with heartache. ¡°Sir, it¡¯s a pity that it¡¯s wasted.¡±


    Zhou Jia patted him. ¡°Clean it up! I¡¯ll make him pay.¡±


    After everyone packed their things and walked back, Chen Yaohui said to Zhou Jia, ¡°Mr. Zhou, I don¡¯t think High Schr Ye is a kind person. We should be careful.¡±


    Zhou Jia recalled High Schr Ye¡¯s attitude aftering. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, General Shen arranged for us to settle down here. He won¡¯t deal with us rashly.¡±


    Chen Yaohui was relieved. He looked at Li Yu¡¯s two acres of farnd and frowned. ¡°Why did Xiaoyu farm wild rice?¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at the green rice in the field and said with a smile, ¡°She said that she wants to try improving the variety of rice. I don¡¯t know much about farming, so it¡¯s fine as long as she likes it.¡±


    ¡°You young people are so bold and have so many ideas. It¡¯s not like there are any elders controlling you. If we dare to try using thend, my father will definitely beat me to death.¡± Chen Yaohui chuckled.


    ¡°That¡¯s true. Old people love their fields. They¡¯re afraid we¡¯ll ruin things.¡±


    High Schr Ye returned home angrily. He pointed at Ye San¡¯s nose and scolded, ¡°Why did I raise a prodigal son like you? You¡¯re being used by an old woman. Kneel in the central room.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Ye San lowered his head and knelt down in the central room.


    High Schr Ye returned to the study and sat there thinking about the paddy fields he had seen in Phoenix Vige. He touched his chin and thought of bad ideas.


    High Schr Ye called the butler, Ye Gui, over and told him what he had seen in Phoenix Cry Vige. He said to Ye Gui regretfully, ¡°Ah Gui, I never dreamed that those people who fled the wastnd took more than half a year to manage that wastnd so well. If only I had used some connections to buy that piece ofnd.¡±


    Ye Gui bowed and said, ¡°Master, why don¡¯t we get someone to get that piece ofnd?¡±


    High Schr Ye shook his head. ¡°No, don¡¯t you realize that even that old thing, Xu Kuan, is protecting them now? We have to think of a way to make them feel uneasy living there and sell theirnd willingly to move away.¡±


    Ye Gui ttered, ¡°That¡¯s true. Xu Zhencheng¡¯s nose is very sharp! Master¡¯s method is still the best. This way, it won¡¯t attract any trouble.¡±


    High Schr Ye smiled proudly. ¡°Alright, prepare some gifts tomorrow and pay them 50 taels of silver. We¡¯ll arrange the rest slowly.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master.¡± Ye Gui bowed and left.


    ...

 Chapter 109

    109 Rice Seed


    Time passed like an arrow. In the blink of an eye, the rice in the paddy field began to bloom. Li Yu brought Er Ya to the two acres of farnd with a straw hat and a rope.


    Li Yu picked up a grain of rice and saw that there was already a lot of pollen. She looked up and realized that there were more than ten grains of rice per stalk in the two acres of farnd. They were thicker and taller than the other grains.


    Li Yu took note of it and took out a rope to hand to Erya. ¡°Er Ya, lead one up the field opposite and pull the rope with me to chase the pollen powder.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Miss.¡± Er Ya took one end of the rope and ran across to the field. When they reached the opposite side, they each held one end of the rope and stood facing each other on the two fields.


    Together, they pulled the rope and slid past the rice seedlings to help the wild rice family hybridize and pollinate the rice flowers. When they were done, Li Yu looked at the two acres of rice hopefully, hoping that she could nurture different varieties as she wished.


    The rice field was irrigated in mid tote July. Li Yu took the red line to the side of the rice field and nted the seeds. The dozen or so rice stalks and rice ears were clearly thicker and longer than the other rice stalks. The grains of the rice were also fuller than the other rice stalks and were tied with red lines.


    Li Yu turned around and instructed Er Ya, ¡°Er Ya, you must remember that if I¡¯m not at home during the harvest, you have to collect these stalks of rice alone and store them well.¡±


    Er Ya looked at the rice nts with red strings and said to Li Yu, ¡°Miss, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll remember.¡±


    Li Yu had just reached home when Uncle Zhou came over with a worried expression. ¡°Miss, take some time to see Young Master. He¡¯s been a little uneasy these days and hasn¡¯t even eaten much.¡±


    Li Yu was a little anxious when she heard that. ¡°Alright, go back first. I¡¯ll go wash my face and go over.¡± Uncle Zhou bowed and left.


    Li Yu rushed to the entrance of the courtyard and saw Zhou Jia standing under the eaves with a frown. He looked at the pink Chinese roses blooming at the corner of the courtyard wall. Uncle Zhou stood in the corner and looked at Zhou Jia worriedly.


    Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia¡¯s tightly furrowed brows and walked over to hold his tightly clenched hand. She leaned her head gently on his shoulder.


    Zhou Jia returned to hold Li Yu¡¯s hand and kissed it. His tone was a little low. ¡°Yu¡¯er, Chinese rose is my mother¡¯s favorite flower. She said that she liked how it blooms in a lively and festive manner. It makes me feel good just looking at it.¡±


    Li Yu looked up at Zhou Jia and said in a soothing tone, ¡°Xiao Xi, if your mother finds out that you¡¯re still sad about her, she¡¯ll be uneasy. She hopes that her Xiao Xi will have a smooth life and not be depressed because of her.¡±


    When Zhou Jia heard this, he looked up at the distant sky silently. After a while, he looked down at Li Yu and said, ¡°Yu¡¯er, I want to eat your handmade noodles.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and hugged him gently. ¡°I¡¯ll make it for you now. Go outside and pick some coriander. Also,e back with onions and chili.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Zhou Jia walked out of the courtyard. Uncle Zhou came out from the corner and looked at Li Yu worriedly. ¡°Miss, where is Young Master going?¡±


    Li Yu looked at Uncle Zhou and smiled briskly. ¡°Xiao Xi said that he wanted to eat handmade noodles. I asked him to pick onions.¡±


    Uncle Zhou grinned when he heard that. ¡°Oh! Oh! I¡¯ll send him a vegetable basket.¡±


    Li Yu went to the kitchen to see Uncle Zhou happily leave with the bamboo basket. She lifted the gauze covering the pottery basin and cut the instant noodles. She sprinkled some flour on the chopping board and began to knead the noodles. After kneading, she rolled them into thin skin. She sprinkled some flour and stacked the noodles into thin strips. She sprinkled some flour into the noodles and shook it out to the side. Then, she cut a piece of pork and began to chop it into pieces.


    Auntie He returned with a few dishes and looked at Li Yu happily. ¡°Miss, I¡¯ll start the fire. Young Master finally has something he wants to eat.¡±


    Li Yu chopped the meat a few times. ¡°He doesn¡¯t even eat properly. No wonder he¡¯s getting thinner these days.¡±


    Auntie He sighed when she heard that. ¡°Young Master feels terrible every time before the August countryside examination. He¡¯s much better now that you¡¯re here. A few years ago, he would lock himself up in the small ancestral hall for half a month every time. When he came out, he was so thin that he was only skin and bones.¡±


    Zhou Jia returned with the vegetable basket and handed it to Li Yu with a smile. ¡°Yu¡¯er, don¡¯t put too much chili. It¡¯s a little hot these days.¡±


    Auntie He took the vegetable basket and said with a smile, ¡°Young Master, give me the vegetable basket. I¡¯ll wash the vegetables before giving them to Miss.¡±


    Zhou Jia handed the vegetable basket to Auntie He and walked to Li Yu¡¯s side with a smile. ¡°Yu¡¯er, thank you. I¡¯m already much better.¡±


    ¡°Why are you thanking me? You¡¯re the one who¡¯s at a disadvantage if you don¡¯t cherish your body.¡± Li Yu turned around and looked at Zhou Jia with red eyes. ¡°Look at how thin you are. How will you sustain yourself when you¡¯re taking the countryside examination? Have you forgotten that you promised mest time that you wouldn¡¯t suffer anymore?¡±


    Zhou Jia had never seen Li Yu cry sadly. No matter how difficult it was, he would always see her smiling at him. Seeing her red eyes filled with tears, his heart ached as he went forward to hug her. ¡°Yu¡¯er, it¡¯s my fault. I will punish myself by eating a few more chili peppers and growing a big blister at the corner of my mouth.¡±


    Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia and said solemnly, ¡°Xiao Xi, I said that we¡¯ll face everything together. As long as you have the confidence to work hard, I¡¯m not afraid no matter how difficult it is. I don¡¯t like you hurting yourself like this.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu and raised his hand. He said seriously, ¡°I promise this is thest time.¡±


    Li Yu nodded. ¡°Alright, aren¡¯t you hungry? Sit and I¡¯ll make you some noodles.¡±


    Zhou Jia let go of Li Yu and smiled roguishly. ¡°I¡¯ll watch you do it here.¡±


    Seeing that Auntie He had ced the vegetable basin at the door, and ncing at her and Zhou Jia before leaving happily, she pushed him with a red face. ¡°Alright, watch me cook. Go and bring the vegetable basin at the door in.¡±


    Zhou Jia carried the vegetable basin away. Li Yu scooped up a spoonful of bean paste, cut up a strand of red chili, and chopped it up. She scooped arge spoonful of oil into the pot. After stir-frying the bean paste with hot oil, she poured in the minced meat with small powder. After the minced meat was stir-fried, she ced ginger, garlic, and chopped green onion on the te.


    She mixed the base in a noodle bow. She then scooped a spoonful of chicken soup into it and ced the noodles and vegetable moss into the noodle bowl. With the minced meat piled on top, the dish looked very appetizing


    Zhou Jia picked up the noodles and swallowed. He smiled and said, ¡°It smells so good. I can eat two big bowls.¡±


    Li Yu smiled angrily. ¡°You can only eat one bowl. Otherwise, you won¡¯t be able to eat dinner.¡±


    Zhou Jia walked to Li Yu¡¯s side with the bowl of noodles. ¡°I understand.¡±


    Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia and tapped his forehead with a smile. ¡°You¡¯re not shy.¡±


    The two of them sat at the table. Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia¡¯s ravenous expression and smiled. ¡°Eat slowly. Be careful not to choke on the chili.¡±


    Zhou Jia said without looking up, ¡°It¡¯s too delicious.¡±


    Li Yu waited for him to finish eating and asked, ¡°Xiao Xi, when do you n to go to Tongzhou to take the exam?¡±


    ¡°Ji Xiang came back and said that he will enter on the eighth night of August. It¡¯s July 20th today, and I n to go in a few days. Yu¡¯er, can youe with me?¡±


    Li Yu hesitated for a moment. ¡°The rice seeds are about to be harvested. I¡¯m worried that Ruyi and Er Ya won¡¯t know what to do.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ll know how to do it. Tell them the steps. Besides, there¡¯s still Uncle Zhao and the other old farmers. They¡¯ll know after you tell them.¡± Zhou Jia held Li Yu¡¯s hand and ced it on his chest. He said seriously, ¡°Yu¡¯er, I need you to apany me and give me courage.¡±


    Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia and nodded. ¡°Alright! I¡¯ll bring Ruyi to the breeding field and teach him.¡±


    Zhou Jia held Li Yu¡¯s hand and walked out. ¡°Let¡¯s go! We¡¯ll go find Ruyi now.¡±


    The two of them found the manor and saw Xiaoyu and Ruyi standing at the entrance from afar. When they approached and saw Xiaoyu smiling and talking to Ruyi, Li Yu thought to herself, Hehe! When did these two be so familiar?

 Chapter 110

    110 Xiaoyu


    When Xiaoyu saw Li Yu and Zhou Jia, she looked at Li Yu with a red face. ¡°Sister Xiaoyu, aren¡¯t you busy today?¡±


    Li Yu smiled at her. ¡°I¡¯m not busy. Aren¡¯t you working today?¡±


    Xiaoyu pinched the corner of her clothes with both hands and whispered, ¡°I passed by and saw Ruyi at the door. We greeted each other. I-I¡¯m going back.¡± With that, she turned around and ran.


    Li Yu looked at Xiaoyu¡¯s back and shook her head with a smile. ¡°This girl, I didn¡¯t say anything about you. Why are you running?¡±


    Ruyi nced at Zhou Jia and Li Yu and said timidly, ¡°Young Master, Miss, Miss He was just passing by.¡±


    ¡°You have to know your limits and not make a fool of yourself. If you¡¯ve thought it through, I¡¯lle to propose marriage when I return,¡± Zhou Jia said.


    ¡°Yes, Young Master. Why are you and Miss looking for me?¡±


    Li Yu smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯m going to apany your young master to Tongzhou for the exam. I¡¯m here to tell you how to harvest those two acres of farnd.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good! No wonder Uncle Zhou is so happy today. It¡¯s best to have you apany Young Master.¡±


    The few of them reached the side of the breeding field and looked at the heavy rice in the rice field. Their hearts were filled with the joy of the harvest.


    Li Yu pointed at the rice tied with a red string and said to Ruyi, ¡°When you harvest, put away these dozen or so rice stalks and store them separately. Then, you can harvest those wild rice stalks. After the wild rice stalks are harvested, you have to personally watch over these rice stalks and dry them separately before storing them. Also, you have to remember to demonstrate to them personally when you first use them so that no one will be injured.¡±


    Ruyi noted it down seriously and repeated it to Li Yu. After seeing Li Yu nod in confirmation, she said to Li Yu, ¡°Miss, go to the Tongzhou Medicine Hall and ask them how much they charge for a catty of cattail. The cattail at home hasn¡¯t been sold yet!¡±


    Li Yu nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll sell it at the Tongzhou Medicine Hall this time. After we leave, you and Uncle Zhou will take care of the family.¡±


    Ruyi bowed and replied, ¡°Of course. Don¡¯t worry and apany Young Master to the exam.¡±


    After Li Yu returned home, she went to Li Mei¡¯s house. She saw that Li Mei¡¯s stomach was getting bigger and bigger. Even her legs were swollen. Li Mei supported her waist and looked at Li Yu. ¡°Yu¡¯er, Mr. Zhou said that he was going to take the county examination. Are you going with him? If you go, you can visit Ah Qing. Aunt misses him.¡±


    ¡°Aunt, you¡¯re biased. Ah Qing just came back for the Zhongyuan Festival. How long has it been?! You¡¯re already missing him,¡± Li Yu said, pretending to be jealous.


    Li Mei pulled Li Yu andughed. ¡°You¡¯re getting more and more mischievous.¡±


    The aunt and niece sat on a stool. Li Yu told Li Mei about apanying Zhou Jia to Tongzhou for the exam. Li Mei nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Your uncle and I are at home. Your uncle has been following Ruyi for a few days and has also gained experience. We will take care of the workshop with Uncle Zhou and the others.¡±


    When Li Yu saw Li Mei¡¯s blissful smile, she also felt that Liu Changmin had be more responsible aftering out to see the world. If the heavens could give them a son, their lives would really be perfect.


    Li Yu instructed Li Mei, ¡°Aunt, you¡¯re pregnant, so you have to walk slowly. Don¡¯t be in a hurry. You have to be careful.¡±


    Li Mei touched her stomach and smiled at Li Yu. ¡°Got it. I¡¯ve already given birth to two children! Go back and pack your luggage!¡±


    Li Yu came out of Li Mei¡¯s house. He Xiaoyu arrived shortly after. She stood at the door of the central room and looked at Li Yu. ¡°Sister Xiaoyu, I, I...¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?! You¡¯re stuttering. You¡¯re not the Xiaoyu I know!¡± Li Yu pulled her to the sofa. Seeing her sweating profusely, he poured her a cup of cold tea and said gently, ¡°Come, have a ss of water to quench your thirst.¡±


    He Xiaoyu drank more than half of the cup in one go. She put down the cup and turned to look at Li Yu. ¡°Sister Xiaoyu, I like Ruyi, but my mother doesn¡¯t want him to be a ve. Sister Xiaoyu, can you tell Mr. Zhou about letting Ruyi go?¡±


    ¡°You and Ruyi? When did this happen?¡± Li Yu looked at He Xiaoyu. ¡°Also! Your mother despises Ruyi for being a ve. What about you? Do you think Ruyi is a ve?¡±


    ¡°Ruyi helped me a few times when I was escaping. It was only two days ago that my mother asked Grandma Chen to talk to me about marriage. I realized that I... I liked Ruyi. I went to look for him and told him my thoughts, but he said that he hadn¡¯t considered starting a family.¡± He Xiaoyu lowered her head and pinched the corner of her shirt helplessly. She said in a low voice, ¡°But I like him and don¡¯t care if he¡¯s a ve. Sister Xiaoyu, do you think I¡¯m a shameless woman?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with liking someone. You didn¡¯t ruin someone¡¯s family. You didn¡¯t forced others to like you too. How can you be shameless?¡± Li Yu said.


    ¡°But my mother said that I¡¯m shameless to like a boy out of so many other boys in the vige.¡± He Xiaoyu looked up at Li Yu and begged, ¡°Sister Xiaoyu, please talk to Mr. Zhou and ask him to release Ruyi, okay?¡±


    Li Yu looked at He Xiaoyu sincerely. ¡°Xiaoyu, I think you should tell Ruyi your feelings and figure out if he likes you before discussing the issue of very.¡±


    He Xiaoyu lowered her head under Li Yu¡¯s gaze and said timidly, ¡°I¡¯ve never said these words to Ruyi. I don¡¯t dare to say them to him.¡±


    ¡°Xiaoyu, there are some things that you should say in person,¡± Li Yu said calmly.


    He Xiaoyu looked at Li Yu and stood up unhappily. ¡°Oh! Sister Xiaoyu, I¡¯ll go back first.¡±


    Li Yu nodded and watched He Xiaoyu leave with her head lowered. She sighed and thought to herself, People in love always think that their thoughts and intentions are right. They think that they are thinking for the other party, but they did not consider that the other party might not be on the same page.


    A few dayster, Zhou Jia and Li Yu set off for Tongzhou. The vigers went to the vige entrance to send them off. Chen Yaohui smiled at Zhou Jia and said, ¡°Mr. Zhou, Xiaoyu, we¡¯ll wait for your good news at home.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and said, ¡°Uncle Chen, Mr. Zhou will do his best, but everyone has to be calm!¡±


    Li Mei patted Li Yu angrily. ¡°Girl, you should say that Mr. Zhou wille back as the top schr.¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled at Li Mei and exined, ¡°Aunt, the top schr is appointed at the imperial examination in the capital. The top scorer of the township examination is the Top Scorer.¡±


    ¡°So there¡¯s such a thing! You can be the Top Scorer then!¡± Li Mei said with a smile.


    ¡°Aunt, do you think the imperial examination is a dish on your te for your choosing?¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled and cupped his hands at Li Mei and Liu Changmin. ¡°Aunt, Uncle, please take care of the family.¡±


    Liu Changmin waved his hand happily. ¡°Don¡¯t worry! Your aunt and I will take care of them.¡±


    The two of them got into the carriage and rushed to Tongzhou City. The next day, they arrived at Tongzhou City at noon. Uncle Liu, who had just arrived at Osmanthus Lane, said to Zhou Jia, ¡°Young Master, Mr. Lin¡¯s eldest son came early this morning to ask if you had arrived. He asked you to go to his ce when you have arrived.¡±


    ¡°Alright, Uncle Liu.¡± Zhou Jia entered the house to wash up and change his clothes. He greeted Li Yu and went out.

 Chapter 111

    111 Examination


    After Li Yu washed up, the cook, Mrs. Zhao, came and said to Li Yu, ¡°Miss, Mr. Zhao Cai bought meat and vegetables early in the morning. I¡¯ll hang them up and see what you and Young Master want to eat.¡±


    Li Yu thought for a moment. ¡°Make a pot of porridge and two light and appetizing dishes.¡±


    ¡°Alright, go and rest for a while. I¡¯ll call you when I¡¯m done.¡± Mrs. Zhao bowed and left.


    After Zhou Jia went out, he came back at the end of the hour. He found Li Yu and said, ¡°Yu¡¯er, Young Master Lin asked me to discuss the questions that I can probably get this year. He also said that when he took the exam three years ago, the room was very narrow and there were only two wooden nks inside. The wooden nk above is used as the chair under the writing table. When you sleep, the two nks are pieced together as a bed. There¡¯s a charcoal basin and a candle inside. The rest have to be resolved by yourself. There are a total of three rounds of examination. On the eighth, tenth, and fourteenth day, the candidates enter. As soon as they enter the room, they will lock the door and the examinees will eat, drink, and pee in the same ce three days in a row.¡±


    Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia in surprise. ¡°Eating, drinking, and clearing of bowels in the same ce? How smelly would that be?¡±


    Zhou Jia spread his hands. ¡°What can they do? They only did that because they were afraid that the candidates would cheat.¡±


    Li Yu frowned. ¡°Then we can only think of a solution. Go wash up and eat something to rest first.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Zhou Jia rubbed his eyebrows tiredly and walked towards the dining hall.


    Li Yu returned to her room and opened her travel bag. She took out a bag of dried mint leaves and a bag of dried chrysanthemums and ced them aside, nning to let Zhou Jia bring them to the examination hall.


    The next morning, Li Yu carried some cattails to a few pharmacies in a row. After asking, she felt that the prices were not ideal. Some were for 40 copper coins a catty, while others were only for 20 to 30 copper coins.


    In the end, Li Yu went to a pharmacy called Shenji Medicine Hall. A shop assistant with delicate features and a very smart countenance stood at the door and asked with a smile, ¡°Miss, are you buying medicine? Can you take a look at the prescription?¡±


    Li Yu pointed at the oilcloth bag in her hand. ¡°I¡¯m here to sell cattail. Do you ept it?¡±


    The shop assistant pointed at the old shopkeeper behind the cab. ¡°I ept it. Take it to Shopkeeper Shen and see if it¡¯s fine powder or coarse powder.¡±


    Li Yu saw a thin old man with white hair standing behind the counter. She nodded at the shop assistant and smiled. ¡°Alright, thank you, brother.¡±


    Li Yu approached the counter and ced the bag on the cab. She opened the bag and asked the old shopkeeper, who was fiddling with his abacus, ¡°Old shopkeeper, what do you think of my cattail? How much can it be sold for?¡±


    The old shopkeeper looked up at Li Yu. He put down the pen in his hand and pinched a handful of the powder. He ced it under his nose and smelled it. Then, he pinched it with two fingers and rubbed it back and forth. He nodded. ¡°Fortunately, it¡¯s all fine cattail powder. How much of such goods do you have?¡±


    Li Yu smiled. ¡°I only dried more than 2,000 catties of cattail in a hundred acres ofnd. How much does your family pay per catty?¡±


    The old shopkeeper pointed at the bulrush in the bag. ¡°If all your goods are like this, I¡¯ll pay 50 copper coins a catty. If you¡¯re not satisfied, you can go to another shop to take a look.¡±


    Li Yu was satisfied when she heard that. She smiled and said, ¡°Your shop it is. Get someone to go to Osmanthus Lane with me to get the goods and recognize the door. If you want more next year, you can go and tell them to send it to your shop.¡±


    Shopkeeper Shen smiled. ¡°Then you have to make sure that your goods next year will be the same as this year¡¯s. If the quality is bad, it won¡¯t be worth this price.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. We can discuss the price based on the goods. If it¡¯s better than this, you¡¯ll have to increase the price too!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. I can tell you¡¯re a straightforward person. I¡¯ll go with you to haul the goods.¡±


    Li Yu suddenly remembered that Zhou Jia had said that he had to eat and stay in the same room for a few days. She asked, ¡°Shopkeeper, do you have the odor-proof incense bag that can be used in the examination room?¡±


    ¡°You can buy some ice chips, camphor, good ginger, cinnamon, and bring it to him after you crush it. You can also bring him some mint grass to soak in water.¡±


    ¡°Alright, please match me a few sets.¡±


    ¡°Alright, just wait a moment.¡± The old shopkeeper stood up and pulled open the medicine cab behind him. He grabbed the medicine and asked the medicine boy to crush it and put it into the medicine bag. He handed it to Li Yu. ¡°Miss, the sachet is ready. Shall we haul the cattail over now?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go now. Please.¡± Shopkeeper Shen boarded the mule cart and went to Osmanthus Lane with Li Yu.


    When they arrived at Osmanthus Alley, Li Yu took out cattail to have its quality checked.


    ¡°Alright, it¡¯s about the same as what you brought.¡±


    Shopkeeper Shen asked the coachman to bring over arge scale. One to two hundred acres of cattails were picked. After drying them, the scale was only 2,600 catties in total. In total, these were sold for 130 taels of silver.


    After Li Yu sent Shopkeeper Shen off, she took the banknotes and medicine pouch to look for Zhou Jia. She saw that he was still studying hard.


    She waved the banknotes in front of him. ¡°Xiao Xi, apany me for a walk. These banknotes are all yours.¡±


    Zhou Jia grabbed Li Yu¡¯s hand and smiled. ¡°Where did this beautiful girle from? Aren¡¯t you afraid that I¡¯ll coax you into selling yourself?¡±


    Li Yu patted his hand. ¡°Xiao Xi, look, this is the silver earned from selling the cattails. I even got you sachets to clear your mind.¡±


    ¡°Silly, you can¡¯t bring the sachet in. The examiner is afraid that the candidates will write the answer in the sachet.¡± Zhou Jia smiled and went to get the banknotes on the table. ¡°Let me see how much money Little Yu¡¯er has earned.¡±


    Li Yu pped his ws away. ¡°Just open the sachet and bring the contents in. Those cattails were sold for 130 taels! We¡¯re about to enter the examination hall. Let¡¯s go out for a walk and rx. It¡¯s better to strike a bnce between work and rest.¡±


    Zhou Jia stood up and held Li Yu¡¯s hand. He smiled dotingly and said, ¡°Alright, we¡¯ve been in Tongzhou for a year and haven¡¯t gone shopping properly. Let¡¯s walk around today.¡±


    After Li Yu left, He Xiaoyu went to Li Yu¡¯s manor. She saw Ruyi walking to the door with the mule cart. He Xiaoyu walked to the mule cart and nced at Ruyi. She lowered her head and twisted her clothes, not knowing what to say.


    Seeing her stop in front of the cart, he lowered his head and said to her, ¡°Miss He, why are you looking for me? If there¡¯s nothing else, please make way. I¡¯m busy sending fresh eggs to the grocery store and restaurant in town.¡±


    ¡°Ruyi, I have something to tell you.¡± He Xiaoyu looked up at Ruyi and stammered, ¡°Ruyi, I went to Sister Xiaoyu the day before yesterday to ask her to talk to Mr. Zhou and release you from your contract. Sister Xiaoyu asked me to talk to you first.¡±


    Ruyi frowned at He Xiaoyu. ¡°Miss He, how can you take the initiative to look for my Miss? I told you that I won¡¯t leave the Zhou family, let alone my young master. You should find a family of equal status!¡±


    He Xiaoyu looked up at Ruyi with red eyes. ¡°Ruyi, how can you say such a thing? You know that I care about you.¡±


    Ruyi looked at He Xiaoyu expressionlessly and said firmly, ¡°I won¡¯t leave the Zhou family no matter what. Xiaoyu, you don¡¯t know that without the Zhou family, there won¡¯t be me. What your mother said is true. We¡¯re really not suitable.¡±


    Ruyi turned around and left. He Xiaoyu took a few steps forward and pulled Ruyi¡¯s sleeve. ¡°I don¡¯t want to find anyone else. I...¡±


    Ruyi pulled out her sleeve and looked at He Xiaoyu coldly. ¡°That¡¯s your business.¡± With that, he drove away.


    ¡°You jerk.¡± He Xiaoyu was so angry that she picked up a stone and threw it at Ruyi. She went home angrily and threw herself on the bed and cried aggrievedly.

 Chapter 112

    112 Court


    Madam Huang saw He Xiaoyu rush home with red eyes, return to her room and close the door with a bang. She was furious and roared at Butcher He, ¡°Look, it¡¯s all because you¡¯ve spoiled her. Isn¡¯t it up to her parents to find a girl? She doesn¡¯t want so many good people, but she wants a servant.¡±


    Butcher He looked at Madam Huang angrily. ¡°I haven¡¯t scolded you yet! Didn¡¯t you like that Chen Baozhen in the past? You jumped around from day to night and were only short of getting the engagement. Why aren¡¯t you saying anything now? If you despise him for being a servant, he might not even take a fancy to your family.¡±


    ¡°How dare a servant like him despise my family? You must be crazy!¡± Madam Huang rushed in front of Butcher He. Butcher He widened his eyes and looked at Madam Huang. Seeing that the two of them were about to fight, He Tiezhu stood at the side and threw the wicker basket in his hand to the ground with a bang. ¡°Can¡¯t the two of you stop arguing and talk nicely? You¡¯re causing trouble in the house every day.¡±


    ¡°Little brat, your wings have hardened! You dare to shout at your father and mother?¡± Butcher He rolled up his sleeves and walked towards his son. As he walked, he winked. When He Tiezhu saw this, he turned around and walked out. ¡°If you want to hit me,e and chase me!¡±


    The father and son left one after another. Butcher He chuckled and said to He Tiezhu, ¡°Isn¡¯t your father afraid of your mother? Let¡¯s not stoop to the level of women.¡±


    He Tiezhu rolled his eyes. ¡°Mind your own business. Don¡¯t think about causing trouble.¡±


    Butcher He pped He Tiezhu¡¯s back. ¡°Oh! You¡¯re still so energetic.¡± He Tiezhu was hit. He turned around and made a face at Butcher He before running away.


    Seeing that the two of them had slipped away, Madam Huang walked to He Xiaoyu¡¯s door and said, ¡°Wretched girl, let me tell you, you better give up on that thought to marry that servant of the Zhou family as soon as possible. If you want him, you¡¯ll have to die.¡±


    He Xiaoyu shouted from inside the house, ¡°Save your breath! I¡¯ve asked him and he doesn¡¯t like me. Are you happy now?!¡±


    Madam Huang pursed her lips. ¡°It¡¯s good that he doesn¡¯t like you! Hurry up and get to work. Zhaodi came to look for you and said that she wanted to rush the goods.¡±


    ¡°Ruyi, just you wait. Let¡¯s see how long you can avoid me.¡± He Xiaoyu wiped her tears and got up. She dragged her shoes out and washed her face.


    Li Yu and Zhou Jia strolled around the city. They found a restaurant, ate a meal, and went to the Teacher Temple to burn incense. Then, they went to the Gong Courtyard to take a look before slowly returning home.


    In the blink of an eye, it was the eighth day of the new year. Just after noon, Li Yu packed the things she had prepared into the examination basket. There were spices, chrysanthemum mint tea, and a set of thin sweater pants. There were two oil cloths, dried meat, tea oil noodles, noodles, charcoal, a small mud stove, and a small copper basin.


    Zhou Jia smiled as he watched Li Yu pack the things one by one. When he brought them to the cart, Ji Xiang drove the cart with Li Yu to send Zhou Jia to the Teacher Temple. The cart couldn¡¯t enter, so the two of them got out of the cart and asked Ji Xiang to wait in the alley. They then strolled towards the tribute courtyard.


    Zhang Guisheng stared at the smiling woman who squeezed past him. His eyes widened as he muttered to himself, ¡°Li Yu, she¡¯s also here in Tongzhou?¡±


    ¡°Guisheng, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Zhang Defa, who was carrying a test basket on his back, turned around and asked.


    Zhang Guisheng pointed at Li Yu and Zhou Jia in the crowd. ¡°Li Yu and the others are also here in Tongzhou. They seem to be doing well.¡±


    Zhang Defa pretended not to care and said, ¡°Who cares! Your exam is more important.¡±


    Li Yu and Zhou Jia squeezed toward the entrance of the tribute courtyard. Li Yu advised Zhou Jia, ¡°Rx and don¡¯t give yourself pressure. I¡¯ll wait for you outside.¡±


    Zhou Jia shook Li Yu¡¯s hand. ¡°Got it. Wait for me outside without worry.¡±


    Li Yu nodded. She watched as Zhou Jia carried the examination basket and entered the courtyard. He waited in line to be checked and searched before entering the courtyard.


    When Li Yu saw Zhou Jia entering the courtyard, she suddenly felt a little sore in her abdomen. Thinking that her period wasing, she hurriedly turned around to walk back.


    Zhang Defa hid behind the notice wall outside the courtyard and secretly followed. He saw Li Yu rush to the alley beside the Teacher Temple. A momentter, a mule cart came out and Li Yu got into it and left.


    Zhang Defa hurriedly followed behind the mule cart. Fortunately, there were many vehicles escorting the examination. After leaving the main street outside the Teacher Temple, there were fewer carts. Seeing that Ji Xiang had increased his speed, Zhang Defa hurriedly jumped onto a mule cart and followed the one in front.


    ¡°Alright, sit tight.¡± The coachman followed Ji Xiang to the shop on East Main Street and saw him stop the cart. Li Yu got out of the car and entered Zhou Ji¡¯s tailor shop.


    Zhang Defa watched Li Yu enter the shop and turned to ask the coachman, ¡°How much?¡±


    The coachman faced Zhang Defa. ¡°Brother, ten copper coins.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that expensive.¡± The coachman rolled up his sleeves as soon as Zhang Defa finished speaking. Seeing his eyes widen, Zhang Defa could only take out the only money left in his pocket. After counting ten copper coins and handing them to the coachman, he walked forward.


    Zhang Defa nced sideways at Zhou Ji¡¯s boutique. When he didn¡¯t see Li Yu, he turned around and walked towards the alley beside the shop.


    Li Yu came out of the shop and went to the shop next door to buy some cotton and fine cotton cloth. She hurried towards Osmanthus Lane.


    Zhang Defa came out of the alley and chased after Li Yu.


    When Li Yu was about to reach Osmanthus Lane, she suddenly felt that someone was following her. She suddenly stopped in her tracks and turned around. She felt that she seemed to have seen Zhang Defa. Li Yu looked carefully, shook her head, and turned to enter Osmanthus Lane.


    Zhang Defa hid behind two pedestrians. When he saw Li Yu enter the alley, he hurriedly followed her, but he couldn¡¯t find her.


    Zhang Defa looked around in frustration and saw that the courtyard door was closed. He could only turn around and walk back.


    When he returned to the corner of the West City, he looked at his dpidated straw shed and thought about the high walls and green tiles in Osmanthus Alley. His heart felt like it was scratched by a cat¡¯s w. That bitch had actually gotten better and better after the engagement was annulled. She had also fled to Tongzhou, but she still had the money to open a shop on East Street and even lived in Osmanthus Alley in the East City. Ever since they chased her away for Zhu Qiaoyu¡¯s sake, his family had been declining. Could Zhu Qiaoyu be a prodigal jinx?


    Chen Zhaodi returned with a basin of clothes. Seeing Zhang Defa standing at the door in a daze, she nced at him and began to dry the clothes.


    Zhang Defa said to Chen Zhaodi, ¡°Come over. I have something to tell you.¡±


    Chen Zhaodi put down the wooden basin and followed Zhang Defa into the house. Chen Zhaodi covered her nose and frowned. ¡°It stinks. There¡¯s a toilet here. What can¡¯t you say at home? Why did you call me here?¡±


    Zhang Defa looked at Chen Zhaodi and said, ¡°Have you realized that ever since Zhu Qiaoyu married into our family, our family has been declining steadily? Nothing has gone ording to our wishes. Could it be that there¡¯s something wrong with Zhu Qiao Yu¡¯s eight characters?¡±


    When Chen Zhaodi heard this, she felt that Zhang Defa¡¯s words coincided with what she had thought. She pped her hands and said, ¡°I¡¯ve long suspected that. I think our son has probably married a jinx. Also! She¡¯s been married for two years, but she hasn¡¯t given birth yet. I think our family¡¯s lineage is going to end in her hands.¡±


    Zhang Defa¡¯s face darkened. ¡°If Guisheng can get promoted this time, I¡¯ll definitely get him to divorce her.¡±


    Chen Zhaodi pursed her lips. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about it when he gets it! We¡¯re still relying on her father to support us now. He¡¯s also a teacher at the academy now and we¡¯re still holed up in this straw shed.¡±


    Zhang Defa looked at the house in front of him gloomily. ¡°Then let¡¯s talk about it after the examination.¡±


    The couple left one after another. Zhu Qiaoyu came out of the toilet with tears on her face and walked unsteadily towards her mother¡¯s house.

 Chapter 113

    113 Life


    Zhu Qiaoyu went to her family¡¯s rented courtyard. Seeing her pale and tear-stained face, Madam Liu¡¯s heart ached as she led her into the house. ¡°Qiaoyu, did your old woman scold you again?¡±


    ¡°Mother.¡± Zhu Qiaoyu threw herself into Madam Liu¡¯s arms and cried her heart out.


    Madam Liu hugged her daughter and patted her back sadly. Sheforted her gently, ¡°Sigh! Why don¡¯t you stay here for a few days and go back after Young Master finishes his exam?¡±


    Zhu Qiaoyu looked up at Madam Liu and said sadly, ¡°Mother, Guisheng¡¯s parents said that there¡¯s something wrong with my birth characters. Theyined that I¡¯m a jinx and that I¡¯m going to end the Zhang family¡¯s lineage. They even said that they¡¯ll let Guisheng divorce me when he has passed his examinations. Mother, what should I do?¡±


    When Madam Liu heard this, she wiped her tears and said sadly, ¡°Back then, your father and I said that the Zhang family deceived us and even broke off an engagement. That¡¯s not something a good person can do. We didn¡¯t want to be inws with them but you threatened us with your life. You were the one who chose the path. What should we do? We¡¯ve already given them a lot of money. Sigh! With your father¡¯s temper, he won¡¯t allow you to return home and ruin the family¡¯s reputation. What do you think you should do in the future?¡±


    Zhu Qiaoyu lowered her head and her heart turned cold. Her maiden home was no longer a ce for her to be sheltered from the wind and rain. It was better not to drag others down with her.


    Zhu Qiaoyu stood up and walked out. Madam Liu chased after her and persuaded her gently, ¡°Qiaoyu, just stay here for a few days and go back when Guishenges back, okay?¡±


    Zhu Qiaoyu turned around and nced at Madam Liu. She took her cor out of Madam Liu¡¯s hand and said indifferently, ¡°I have to go back sooner orter. Let me go!¡±


    Madam Liu watched as Zhu Qiaoyu left without looking back. She wiped her tears and shouted, ¡± Qiaoyu, don¡¯t me me. That¡¯s your life!¡± When Zhu Qiaoyu heard this, she covered her mouth and ran away.


    Li Yu went home and washed a piece of thin cloth. She scalded it with boiling water, burned some charcoal, and ced it in a furnace. After drying it with a furnace, she cut it out and made some sanitary pads before sleeping peacefully.


    Zhou Jia entered the examination hall and got to the examination room. When he saw his examination room, Zhou Jia realized that it was indeed as Young Master Lin had said. Zhou Jia opened the examination room and put down the examination basket. He took out a piece of cloth and wiped it clean before picking up the items from the examination basket and setting them up. He sat down.


    An hourter, a bailiff shouted, ¡°The exam papers are being distributed. Everyone, please sit properly and don¡¯t move.¡± After half an hour, Zhou Jia received the exam papers. The examiner locked the door with a bang.


    Zhou Jia opened the test paper and looked at it. He put the test paper into the test basket,id out the wooden board,y on it, closed his eyes, and began to rest.


    Li Yu woke up early in the morning and went to the courtyard. She said to Ji Xiang, who was guarding outside, ¡°Ji Xiang, I¡¯ll guard here. Go eat something and rest beforeing back.¡±


    Ji Xiang bowed and smiled. ¡°Miss, you should go back! I just arrived and said that nothing will happen on the first day of the first round.¡±


    Li Yu nodded. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go back and exchange for you before noon.¡±


    The next day, at the end of the day, the bell in the examination hall began to ring to indicate the collection of the papers. The examiner opened the door of the No. 1 room and informed the students to start handing in their papers. Zhou Jia carried the examination basket on his back and handed in his papers. He walked towards the door and waited for the bailiff to open it.


    Li Yu and Ji Xiang were waiting outside the tribute courtyard. Zhang Defa rushed over and stood behind the crowd, looking forward to seeing his son.


    Ji Xiang saw Zhou Jia standing in the crowd. He pointed at Zhou Jia and said to Li Yu, ¡°Miss, Young Master is out.¡±


    Li Yu stood on her tiptoes and saw the exhausted Zhou Jia. Ji Xiang waved at Zhou Jia and shouted, ¡°Young Master, we¡¯re here.¡±


    When Zhou Jia heard the voice, he saw Li Yu and Ji Xiang standing in the front row walking toward him with smiles.


    Li Yu smiled and went up to him. ¡°You¡¯re tired, right? Give me the exam basket.¡± Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu and shook his head.


    ¡°Let me, let me.¡± Ji Xiang hurriedly took the test basket from Zhou Jia¡¯s back and pushed through the crowd to protect Zhou Jia.


    When Zhang Defa saw Li Yu and the other twoe out, he hurriedly squeezed towards the entrance of the tribute courtyard. Just as he squeezed to the front, he saw Zhang Guishenging out with a pale face.


    Zhang Defa was shocked and hurriedly went up to take the examination basket. ¡°Guisheng, what¡¯s wrong? You look so terrible.¡±


    Zhang Guisheng said weakly, ¡°I vomited twice. It was too unbearable in the room.¡±


    ¡°Lean on me.¡± Zhang Defa walked out of the courtyard with Zhang Guisheng.


    Li Yu and the other two went to the alley beside the Teacher Temple and got on the mule cart. Zhou Jia smiled and said to Li Yu, ¡°I can¡¯t smell anything anymore. Can you smell if I stink?¡±


    Li Yu pursed her lips and smiled. ¡°I¡¯m not afraid. It¡¯s fine if you stink a little more.¡±


    Zhou Jia leaned against Li Yu and said softly, ¡°Yu¡¯er, I don¡¯t think the questions are difficult after this exam. It¡¯s just that the room is too small and not soundproof. I can even hear the person next door snoring and grinding his teeth.¡±


    ¡°In the next round, I¡¯ll prepare some cotton for you. At night, you won¡¯t be afraid of noise if you stuff your ears with cotton.¡± Li Yu waited for a while and didn¡¯t hear any reply. She looked down and realized that Zhou Jia had already fallen asleep.


    It was not until August 14th that thest round was over. Li Yu and Ji Xiang picked up the exhausted Zhou Jia, who sat in the car and leaned against Li Yu before falling asleep.


    When he reached home, he ate a bowl of meat porridge in a daze andy on the bed to sleep. He slept until the next morning when he was awakened by hunger.


    When Li Yu saw Zhou Jiae out, she asked happily, ¡°You¡¯re awake? You¡¯re hungry, right?¡±


    Zhou Jia touched his stomach and smiled exaggeratedly. ¡°Yes! I think I can eat a cow.¡±


    Li Yu smiled at Zhou Jia. ¡°Sure! As long as you can eat it. But you should eat something digestible first to take care of your stomach. I asked Mrs. Zhao to make some porridge and steamed buns. Go and eat some first.¡±


    After the two of them finished eating, Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu with confidence. ¡°Yu¡¯er, I think I should be able to get on the rankings. Do you think we should wait here before leaving or go back first?¡±


    Li Yu thought for a moment. ¡°I think you can wait here and see how Ah Qing¡¯s studies are going. We have only started harvesting rice these two days. I n to go back and see how the harvest of the two breeding fields is?¡±


    Zhou Jia nodded. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll get Zhao Cai to send you back. I¡¯ll go look for Young Master Lin to check the questions first.¡±


    The two of them split up after dinner. Zhou Jia went to check the answers. Zhao Cai rushed to send Li Yu back to Phoenix Vige. Phoenix Vige was filled with busy scenes.


    ¡°Cousin, I have a brother.¡± When Laidi saw Li Yu, she shouted and rushed over. She pounced on Li Yu and hugged her. Tears of joy flowed down her face.


    Li Yu hugged Laidi happily. ¡°That¡¯s great. Aunt and Uncle got what they wanted.¡±


    Laidi chattered. ¡°My mother had an attack just after she sent you and my cousin-inw away. She didn¡¯t give birth until it was dark. She scared my father so much that he paced around the house. My sister even cried.¡±


    Li Yu looked at Laidi and smiled. ¡°Only you, the silly sister, didn¡¯t cry, right?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not stupid. I cried too.¡±


    ¡°Yes! You know how to cry. You¡¯re not stupid.¡±


    Li Yu washed up and went to Li Mei¡¯s house.

 Chapter 114

    114 Thieves at Phoenix Vige


    Li Mei wore a hat and smiled happily at Li Yu. ¡°Come and see your little cousin.¡±


    Li Yu walked over andy by the bed. She looked at the chubby baby in front of her. ¡°So cute! He¡¯s sleeping like a little pig.¡±


    Li Mei gently stroked his little face. ¡°Children are all like this. They sleep more and wake up less. When Mr. Zhoues back, ask him to give me a name for my child.¡± Li Mei looked up at Li Yu. ¡°I forgot to ask you how Mr. Zhou did. Is there any news?¡±


    ¡°The exam has just ended. The rankings will only be released on the fifth of September.¡± Li Yu took out the silver cor and bracelet she had bought in Tongzhou and handed them to Li Mei with a smile. ¡°Aunt, this is for Little Cousin. Rest well. I¡¯ll go see how the rice harvest is.¡±


    Li Mei took the silver cor and bracelet and nodded with a smile. ¡°Go! I heard from your uncle that the harvest is not bad. An acre ofnd yielded more grains than the ones of the vige chief and the others. The vige chief and the others all said that they will nt them ording to your method next year. Also, your uncle said that the vige is not very peaceful these days. People often lose things. Granny Chen even quarreled with Butcher He¡¯s wife about this.¡±


    ¡°I understand. Rest well and I¡¯ll go to the manor to take a look.¡± Li Mei nodded and watched Li Yu leave.


    Li Yu walked along the road and realized that half of the rice had been harvested. The workers and servants were still busy in the fields.


    When she went to the breeding field and saw that it had been harvested, Li Yu walked straight to the farmstead. In front of the farmstead, she saw two mening from the hillside. The two of them were looking around along the way.


    Li Yu snorted in her heart. They were here to check on her! It looked like they were about to attack!


    Li Yu entered the manor and stood at the corner of the door. She saw that the two of them were as thin as quails and their eyes were as bright as radar as they scanned around.


    Li Yu thought to herself, Looking at their behavior, they¡¯re not ordinary thieves. Could they be targeting the cows in the cowshed?


    Li Yu watched them walk away and turned around to push open the door to enter the manor. She saw seven or eight people drying grains in the drying field. Everyone bowed when they saw Li Yu.


    When Ah Gou saw Li Yu, he shouted happily, ¡°Sister Er Ya, Miss is back.¡±


    Er Ya poured a basket of grains into the Wind Grain Machine and turned to run to Li Yu. She grinned. ¡°Miss, you¡¯re back!¡±


    Li Yu looked at Er Ya¡¯s flushed face and thought she seemed to have grown taller. She smiled and said, ¡°Why have you grown taller again? If this continues, ordinary men won¡¯t be able to catch up to you.¡±


    Er Ya looked down at her tall and strong figure with a bitter expression. ¡°I don¡¯t want to grow up either. I want to look like you!¡±


    Li Yu smiled and patted Erya. ¡°Where¡¯s Ruyi? Where are those seeds?¡±


    Er Ya led Li Yu to the Wind Grain Machine and pointed at arge pile of grains in front of them. ¡°Miss, these are all the grains harvested by us. The ones on the Wind Grain Machine are the same. The small pile at the side was collected by those wild rice.¡±


    Li Yu grabbed a handful of grains and realized that they were golden and full. She turned to look at Er Ya. ¡°You haven¡¯t weighed them yet, right?¡±


    ¡°Brother Ruyi said that we should weigh it when it¡¯s clean. However, when we took it back, we collected an extra basket of rice. Also, the dozen or so rice stalks have already been dried. Brother Ruyi put them all into a cloth bag.¡±


    ¡°I heard the vige isn¡¯t peaceful these days. What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Ah Gou threw down the broom and ran to Li Yu¡¯s side. ¡°Miss, I know about this. Grandma Chen¡¯s chicken and a big goose are missing. Grandma Chen was so angry that she cursed. Butcher He¡¯s aunt happened to pass by. I don¡¯t know why, but the two of them quarreled.¡±


    Li Yu looked at Ah Gou and smiled. ¡°Sure! I didn¡¯t expect Ah Gou to be so nosy!¡±


    Holding a broom, Ah Lei walked over slowly and said, ¡°Miss, Ah Gou is just an inquirer. He knows why everyone in the vige is arguing.¡±


    Li Yu looked at Ah Gou. ¡°You have to remember to keep the gossip you heard in your stomach. You can¡¯t talk too much and learn to spread gossip to others. Remember?¡±


    Ah Gou looked at Li Yu and replied loudly, ¡°I¡¯ll remember. We can¡¯t talk too much.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and patted Ah Gou and Ah Lei¡¯s heads. ¡°You two are good children. Let Auntie Liu steam egg soup for you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Miss.¡± The two of them smiled at Li Yu.


    Li Yu looked around the drying field. From time to time, workers would drive an ox cart back with rice. They said to Er Ya and the others, ¡°I¡¯ll go to the slope to look for Ruyi. You guys have to be careful not to fall off the Wind Grain Machine.¡± They agreed in unison and watched Li Yu walk out of the manor.


    Li Yu had just left the manor when she saw Ruyi and Uncle Zhouing over from the slope. When Uncle Zhou saw Li Yu, he bowed happily. ¡°Miss, you¡¯re back! How did Young Master do?¡±


    ¡°Zhou Jia said that he should be able to make it onto the rankings. I asked him to wait for the rankings to be released in Tongzhou beforeing back. I came back to take a look first.¡±


    Ruyi and Uncle Zhouughed happily when they heard that. Uncle Zhou bowed to the sky and said, ¡°Old Master, Madam, when Young Master is on the list, you will be at ease in heaven.¡±


    Seeing Uncle Zhou¡¯s agitated expression, Li Yu hurriedly helped him up. ¡°Uncle Zhou, why are you going to the slope?¡±


    Ruyi took a step forward. ¡°Uncle Zhou heard that the vige hasn¡¯t been peaceful these past few days. People are either losing their chicken or their duck. He¡¯s worried so he decided toe to the cowshed to take a look. These days, everyone has been busy harvesting rice during the day and sleeping through the night. They don¡¯t even know that something has been lost. I waited until it was almost dark the day before yesterday before I realized that there were a few suspicious people. There were four tall men holding machetes and pretending to being back from hunting in the mountains. After they left, two thin outer vige men were wandering on the slope.¡±


    Li Yu saw that Ruyi¡¯s eyes were bloodshot. Perhaps it was because he had been on guard for the past few days. ¡°The pigs in the pigpen are still young. I think they are targetting the cows in the cowshed. Guard the vige entrance tonight. If you find anyoneing, let them in. I¡¯ll wait at the cowshed. Go back and sleep now to recuperate. Leave the drying field to Erya.¡±


    Ruyi listened to Li Yu¡¯s arrangements and felt relieved. He bowed and said, ¡°Yes, Miss.¡± With that, he turned around and walked into the manor.


    Li Yu and Uncle Zhou walked back together. They went home to wash up and rest.


    Li Yu slept until midnight. She woke up and went to Zhou Jia¡¯s ce to eat before walking toward the slope. The six cowsheds were built on t ground at the bottom of the slope. Two cows were tied to each cowshed. At this moment, the cowshed was still empty. Li Yu guessed that Uncle Zhao had yet to return.


    Li Yu walked along the cowshed and checked her surroundings. She realized that there were a few footsteps behind the house where Uncle Zhao was guarding at night. The footprints did not seem to have been left behind by Uncle Zhao. It seemed that someone had alreadye to check the terrain.


    Li Yu walked up the slope and saw Jin Jiu picking up eggs in front of the chicken coop with a bamboo basket. Uncle Zhao led a cow and followed a group of people towards the cowshed.


    Li Yu went to the chicken shed. When Jin Jiu saw Li Yu, he bowed happily. ¡°Miss, you¡¯re back! How did Master do?¡±


    ¡°The rankings won¡¯t be released until next month. We won¡¯t know until then. Are there still many chickensying eggs these days?¡± Li Yu smiled.


    Jin Jiu kept nodding. ¡°Many. They can pick up more than a hundred a day!¡±


    ¡®You¡¯ve checked the surrounding hedgerows. Have they been damaged anywhere?¡¯


    ¡°No. Brother Ruyi came to check. The two of us looked along the chicken shed and saw that the hedges and walls were all intact. The roses nted in the four circles were all growing quite well. They blocked the holes left behind.¡±


    When Li Yu heard this, she was even more certain that those thieves were here for the cows in the cowshed.

 Chapter 115

    115 Catching Thieves


    Li Yu turned around and went to the slope where the cows were. She looked around and saw that the fence was also intact.


    Li Yu returned to the chicken shed and said to Jin Jiu, ¡°Brother Jin, it hasn¡¯t been peaceful these days. You have to be more vignt when you guard the pigpen at night. If you encounter thieves, shout loudly. Don¡¯t fight head-on. Safety is more important.¡±


    When Jin Jiu heard Li Yu tell him not to fight head-on, his eyes couldn¡¯t help but turn red. His previous bosses had all said, ¡°You can¡¯t afford to pay with your lives if something is stolen,¡± But Miss said that safety is more important. He felt he really met a benevolent master this time.


    Jin Jiu bowed excitedly to Li Yu. ¡°Miss, thank you for buying my family. Ever since we arrived, our family feels that we still have some hope.¡±


    When Li Yu heard this, her heart ached. She said gently, ¡°When youe to my house, you¡¯re members of the Li family and the Zhou family. As long as you don¡¯t do anything to let us down, I won¡¯t treat you badly.¡±


    Jin Jiu swore, ¡°Miss, believe me, my family will never do anything to let the Li and Zhou families down.¡±


    ¡°I believe you.¡± After saying that, Li Yu strode down the slope. When she arrived at the cowshed, she saw that the cows were already tied to it. The door of the cowshed was already locked. Li Yu guessed that Uncle Zhao had gone to the farm to eat.


    Li Yu went to the pigpen before the sky turned dark. She walked around the pigpen and didn¡¯t find anything unusual before turning around and going home.


    When darkness enveloped thend, the people in the vige who had been busy for the entire day rested. Li Yu changed into a ck shirt and tied the dagger under her short skirt. She walked out with the crossbow. Just as she opened the courtyard door, she saw Ruyi holding a bow and a rope hanging from his shoulder. When he saw Li Yu, he smiled and asked, ¡°Miss, are you going to the cowshed now?¡±


    Li Yu nodded. ¡°Yes! Let¡¯s split up.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Ruyi replied and strode toward the vige entrance.


    Li Yu had just walked to the cowshed when he heard Uncle Zhao call out and light the oilmp.


    Li Yu walked to his window and said to Uncle Zhao, ¡°Uncle Zhao, it¡¯s me. Stay inside tonight and don¡¯t make a sound if you hear anything. Don¡¯te out either.¡±


    Uncle Zhao walked to the window. ¡°Got it, Miss. You have to be careful.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Li Yu turned around and hid behind a big tree beside the house.


    Around midnight, six people came from outside the vige. There were four burly men and two thin men that Li Yu had seen during the day. Several of them had ropes hanging on their shoulders and were holding sharp knives.


    When they reached the entrance of the vige, the burly man stopped. The two thin men beside him walked lightly towards the vige. After entering the vige, they looked in the direction of the vige and did not see a trace of light. The row of houses was shrouded in darkness. They could only hear the sound of insects in the paddy field.


    A thin man ran quickly to the entrance of the vige and whispered to the people hiding in the darkness, ¡°Second Brother Hu, the vige is dead asleep.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. When we reach the cowshed, let¡¯s move quickly,¡± Second Brother Hu said.


    ¡°Got it.¡± They quickly walked towards the cowshed. Ruyi shed out of the bamboo forest and silently followed them.


    The big men were moving fast ahead. The two short, thin men kept shuffling their feet behind them, panting as they followed.


    After a few minutes, they arrived at the cowshed. They looked around and deliberately stepped on a branch to break it. Seeing that there was still no sound in Uncle Zhao¡¯s house, the tall man said, ¡°He¡¯s sleeping like a log. Go and put some knockout incense on him so that he won¡¯t wake upter.¡±


    One of the thieves clipped the knife to the belt of his waistband. He took out the knockout incense and lit it. He picked a hole in the window paper and stuck the incense through the window.


    The others split up and walked towards the cowshed. Li Yu came out from the corner and gently walked behind the thief holding the incense. She pped the thief at the back of his neck to knock him out. Li Yu gently ced him on the ground and walked toward the other thieves.


    Ruyi walked over and stood beside a thief who was poking at the lock. The thief asked without looking back, ¡°Fifth, is the knockout powder ready?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Ruyi grabbed the rope on his shoulder. The thief asked in a low voice, ¡°Fifth Brother, why did you snatch my rope?¡±


    Ruyi pped the thief and he fell silent. One of them turned around and shouted, ¡°Brother, let¡¯s go. Someone ising.¡±


    Li Yu pulled the crossbow and shot at him. The arrow hit his leg and he squatted down in pain, hugging his leg and screaming.


    The others fled in all directions. Li Yu moved quickly with the crossbow. After a few sounds, they all fell to the ground and hugged their legs, screaming.


    Ruyi walked over and kicked each of them before tying them up. Li Yu knocked on Uncle Zhao¡¯s door. ¡°Uncle Zhao, bring out a torch.¡±


    ¡°Sigh!¡± Uncle Zhao lit the oilmp, opened the door, and walked out with a torch. After lighting it, he handed it to Li Yu.


    Li Yu held a torch and looked at the thieves tied up in a row by Ruyi. The thieves raised their heads and red at Li Yu.


    Li Yu sneered. ¡°Tsk, tsk. You¡¯re quite bold! Don¡¯t you know how thew deals with cattle thieves?¡±


    Second Brother Hu defended himself. ¡°You¡¯re ndering us. We passed by here. We were going up the mountain to hunt.¡±


    Li Yu shook the incense in her hand at him and kicked the thin sharp knife on the ground. ¡°Oh, are you nning to use such a sharp knife to hunt? You¡¯ve also brought an incense for drugging the beast, right?¡±


    ¡°Why do you care what we use to hunt? If you know what¡¯s good for you, let us go and pull out the arrows for us. Otherwise, you¡¯ll know that the people of Hu Vige are not to be trifled with.¡±


    ¡°Alright! I like to provoke people who are not to be trifled with. Then I¡¯ll see how difficult it is to provoke your Hu Vige.¡±


    Li Yu said to Ruyi, ¡°Block their mouths and tie them up before throwing them into the house. Drag them out and hang them on the cowshed before dawn.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡± Ruyi dragged a thief towards Uncle Zhao¡¯s house. The two of them locked the thief in Uncle Zhao¡¯s house and tied them up with ropes.


    Ruyi said to Uncle Zhao, ¡°Uncle Zhao, I¡¯ll send Miss back ande over to deal with the rest for the night.¡±


    Li Yu waved her hand. ¡°No need. I¡¯ll go back myself after you rest.¡±


    ¡°Then be careful on the way.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Li Yu walked home in a rage. Just as she reached the door, Uncle Zhou and Liu Changmin opened the courtyard and asked in unison, ¡°Xiaoyu, did you catch the thief?¡±


    Li Yu smiled. ¡°I caught them. One of themsaid that they were from Hu Vige. From the looks of it, their Hu Vige is not to be trifled with.¡±


    Liu Changmin nodded. ¡°I know that Hu Vige is more than four hours away from us. I heard that the harvest from their slope is not good. Most of the vigers steal for a living. The vigers are very shameless.¡±


    When Li Yu heard this, she felt that there was probably going to be a tough battle tomorrow. She said to the two of them, ¡°Uncle, Uncle Zhou, I understand. Go and rest first. We¡¯ll talk about it at dawn.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go tell Yaohui after dawn. You should rest early too.¡± Liu Changmin nodded and said.


    The two of them came out and went back. When Li Yu returned home, Old Madam Liu had already gotten hot water and brought it to Li Yu. ¡°Miss, wash up first. Do you want to eat something?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯ll rest after I wash. Go rest too!¡±


    Li Yu woke up early in the morning. After washing up and eating, she was about to leave when Chen Yaohui arrived.

 Chapter 116

    116 Chaotic Battle


    Li Yu invited Chen Yaohui into the house. Chen Yaohui smiled and asked Li Yu, ¡°Xiaoyu, how did Mr. Zhou do?¡±


    Li Yu smiled. ¡°We won¡¯t know until the fifth of next month. Uncle Yaohui, how¡¯s your family¡¯s harvest this year?¡±


    Chen Yaohui shook his head. ¡°No matter how good the harvest is, we can¡¯t catch up to your family. Had I known earlier, I would have listened to your aunt ande to learn from you. I heard that you set up a breeding field and got some wild rice to breed. At that time, I even thought that you were ruining the field. I went to take a look before the harvest and realized that those rice grains were fuller than ours. The rice grains were also a little longer.¡± Chen Yaohui rubbed his hands and looked at Li Yu. ¡°Xiaoyu, can you get me some of your rice seeds next year?¡±


    Li Yu shook her head. ¡°Uncle, not next year. I don¡¯t know if the modification was sessful. I can only give it to you a year after I try it next year.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll be waiting for you.¡±


    ¡°Uncle, you came to me about the cattle thieves, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! Your uncle came to look for me early in the morning and said that you caught a few ox thieves from Hu Vige. In my opinion, they were the ones who came to steal from the vige a few days ago. I want to ask what you n to do with them?¡±


    ¡°Uncle, how did the people in the vige deal with the attempted theft in the past?¡±


    ¡°The petty thieves will be released after being caught and beaten up. If we report this kind of cattle thief to the authorities, they¡¯ll be sentenced to caning for attempted theft. Moreover, stealing cattle is the most important. It seems that they¡¯ll have to be whipped at least a hundred times. However, there¡¯s another thing. They haven¡¯t stolen it yet. If they refuse to admit it and find someone to smooth things over, the higher-ups will still be in charge of the judgment. Also, our two viges aren¡¯t far away. I don¡¯t think we need to report it to the officials. Let the two viges form a grudge and give them a taste of our strength. Let them know that our Phoenix Vige isn¡¯t to be trifled with. What do you think?¡±


    When Li Yu heard this, she recalled that the thiefst night had lied and refused to admit it. The two viges were not far apart. She was not afraid of the revenge of the people from Hu Vige, but she wanted to deter them. She should go and teach them a lesson so that they would not dare to provoke her again.


    ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll do as you say. As long as they¡¯re willing to admit their mistakes, we¡¯ll teach them a lesson. If they¡¯re still ruthless and unreasonable, we¡¯ll send them to the government office.¡±


    ¡°Alright, Uncle will call for more people.¡±


    Just as the two of them were about to go out, Ah Gou ran in and shouted at Li Yu in panic, ¡°Miss, go and take a look. Many people from Hu Vige havee. They¡¯re surrounding the cowshed and want us to let them go topensate for the medicine.¡±


    Chen Yaohui said angrily, ¡°Xiaoyu, go quickly. I¡¯ll call all the men in the vige.¡±


    Li Yu nodded and ran towards the cowshed with Ah Gou.


    When they arrived at the cowshed, they saw that the thieves were still hanging from it. There were 20 to 30 men from Hu Vige, as well as some women and elders. Ruyi, Uncle Zhao, and the servants were all blocking them, not letting them go through.


    Ah Gou crawled in and said to Ruyi, ¡°Brother Ruyi, Miss is here.¡±


    Li Yu separated the crowd and looked at Er Ya, Ah Gou, and the children. ¡°Go and watch the drying field. Theborers are going to pull the grains back.¡±


    ¡°Oh! We¡¯re off.¡± Er Ya left with the children.


    When the people from Hu Vige saw the others bowing to Li Yu, they knew that the main family had arrived. The white-haired old man saw that Li Yu was just a girl and was not old. He nced at a wife in the crowd.


    The wife of a thief walked out of the crowd in Hu Vige and pounced in front of Li Yu. She cried pitifully, ¡°Miss, I beg you. Please let me go! We really can¡¯t live anymore.¡±


    Li Yu saw that she was wearing a green thin cloth dress and there were two flowers embroidered on the shoes under her feet. She looked down at her. ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯re dressed like a poor family. You¡¯re wearing clothes made of 10 to 20 copper coins a foot of thin cloth and embroidered shoes. If you¡¯re so poor, can you still wear thin cloth that costs more than 10 copper coins a foot?¡±


    The thief¡¯s wife looked up at Li Yu and could not reply. She could only lower her head and beg for mercy.


    Li Yu looked at them and said coldly, ¡°You even dare to steal cows. We have to report it to the authorities.¡±


    A white-haired old man walked out and looked at Li Yu with a dark expression. ¡°Miss, I¡¯m the head of the Hu family. Listen to my advice. Spare people when you can. They were already injured by you, but you still hung them there. You¡¯re a girl at such a young age. You should leave some leeway.¡±


    Li Yu took a step forward and looked at him coldly. ¡°ording to you, if theye to steal something, I should let them steal it. If they steal it, I should entertain them with good wine and food. I should beg them to return it to me and stop stealing in the future. Do you think I¡¯m a fool? Don¡¯t you think we fled from the wilderness and want to step on us because we¡¯re easy to bully?!¡±


    The old man choked. He pointed at Li Yu. ¡°Since you¡¯re stubborn, I¡¯ll tell you that they told mest night that they wanted to go up the mountain to hunt. The government office gave you thisnd. They didn¡¯t give you Phoenix Mountain, right? However, when I passed by, you shot them and hung them up. I¡¯m going to the government office to sue you for being domineering.¡±


    A man came out of the crowd and shouted, ¡°Second Great Uncle, don¡¯t waste your breath on her. Wretched girl, let them go quickly. You¡¯ve been guarding there for a long time, waiting for them to catch them when they pass. This is all your trap.¡±


    Li Yu looked at him. ¡°In the middle of the night, you were holding incense and putting smoke under the window of my night watchman. All of you were holding sharp knives in your hands. There was also arge bunch of keys and ropes. Were you just passing by my cowshed? Are you kidding me?! Also, it takes at least four hours to walk from Hu Vige to here. It¡¯s only dawn. Do you have irvoyance and iraudient ears to know that we¡¯ve caught them before dawn?¡±


    ¡°When we found out it has nothing to do with you!¡± A tall man walked up to Li Yu and pointed at her as he shouted, ¡°Damn girl, are you going to let them go? If you don¡¯t, I¡¯ll kill you.¡±


    ¡°Kill me? That depends on whether you have the ability.¡± Before Li Yu finished speaking, she had already taken a step forward. Her hand reached out like lightning and grabbed his pulse. She pped his chest and grabbed his belt. She raised him up. The people in Hu Vige widened their mouths and looked at Li Yu nkly.


    Li Yu¡¯s servants gasped and immediately cheered. ¡°Miss, you have divine power! Miss, you¡¯re mighty!¡±


    The people from Hu Vige watched helplessly as Li Yu threw the man in front of the few fierce men from Hu Vige. They were all dumbfounded.


    Li Yu looked at them and pped her hands. ¡°Whoever still wants to kill me,e up.¡±


    The men in Hu Vige collectively stopped. A few women started to go to the front again and pounced at Li Yu¡¯s feet.

 Chapter 117

    117 Mistake


    A sharp-tongued woman from Hu Vige pounced at Li Yu¡¯s feet and begged, ¡°Miss, please let him go. Our entire family relies on him to earn money. If you give him to the officials, my family will have no food. Miss, you¡¯re beautiful and kind. You definitely won¡¯t watch my family starve to death. Just take it as a good deed and let them go! Please, Miss.¡±


    Li Yu watched coldly as her tears and snot flowed together. She said firmly, ¡°No, if I¡¯ll let you go today. My family can forget about living a peaceful life in the future. Let¡¯s go. We have to report this to the authorities.¡±


    The old man walked out again and used Li Yu shakily, ¡°Miss, are you made of iron? So many people are begging you. Can¡¯t you be lenient?¡±


    Li Yu was unmoved and reprimanded, ¡°Don¡¯t stand there and talk nonsense. It¡¯s because they didn¡¯t steal from your house!¡±


    A man from Hu Vige whispered, ¡°This woman is not easy to fool. In my opinion, let¡¯s not waste our breath. We¡¯ll rush over and snatch them away.¡±


    The man beside him nced at the man sitting on the ground and said fearfully, ¡°She¡¯s so strong. Can we even fight someone who defeated Brother Sheng?¡±


    The man nced at him. ¡°Ah Gui, have you forgotten that thest time you were captured, you relied on Fifth Brother and the others to snatch you back? You can¡¯t be disloyal. No matter how strong she is, she¡¯s only one person. She¡¯s outnumbered. Let¡¯s see who she captures. Let¡¯s go and snatch them home first.¡±


    Ah Gui could only nod. ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll listen to you. Let¡¯s see who she stops.¡±


    The other twenty or so men nodded in agreement.


    The man who suggested rushing over to snatch the person led the men from Hu Vige towards the cowshed.


    Li Yu shouted, ¡°Ruyi, get ready. They¡¯re going to snatch them away.¡±


    As she spoke, Li Yu jumped over and grabbed the leader. She pulled him over her shoulder and threw him to the ground. Then, Li Yu kicked him. The man heard the sound of his bones cracking. He hugged his feet and howled like a pig being ughtered.


    Ruyi went forward and kicked a man away. With one hand on the ground, he spun on the spot and swept another leg down. Uncle Zhao rushed up with a stick and hit the person on the ground.


    The other servants, armed with clubs, joined the melee.


    Chen Yaohui had also arrived with the men from the vige. Seeing that they were fighting, he waved his hand and shouted, ¡°Hurry up, they¡¯re fighting. Everyone, go and help. Kill these thieves.¡± Everyone shouted and rushed up.


    In a moment, everyone from Hu Vige was knocked to the ground and beaten up.


    Chen Gui shouted as he fought, ¡°You came to our vige to steal and were caught on the spot. How dare you bring people to rob us? I¡¯m not even afraid of the bandits of the Clear Wind Ridge.¡±


    ¡°Yes, we have a right to kill them. They must have stolen my chickens and sun-dried clothes,¡± someone shouted.


    Seeing that the situation was not good, the old man from Hu Vige hurriedly bent down and cupped his fists. He bowed to the men from Phoenix Cry Vige and begged for mercy. ¡°Everyone, stop fighting. It¡¯s our fault. We¡¯llpensate you no matter how much we should pay.¡±


    The women kept kowtowing and begging for mercy. ¡°Stop fighting, stop fighting. We won¡¯t dare to cause trouble in your vige again. Please stop fighting.¡±


    Chen Yaohui felt that this beating must have scared the people of Hu Vige. He winked at Li Yu and walked to the middle to raise his hand. ¡°On ount of this old man and these women pleading for them, I think they know their mistake. Everyone, stop!¡±


    Seeing that Chen Yaohui was helping, Old Hu hurriedly said, ¡°Yes, yes, we know our mistake. Please stop fighting. If you continue, someone will die.¡±


    Seeing that everyone had stopped, Chen Yaohui said to Li Yu, ¡°Xiaoyu, Old Hu said that they were wrong and are willing topensate your family for the loss. What do you think?¡±


    Old Hu bowed and walked up to Li Yu. He begged humbly, ¡°Miss, it¡¯s wrong for them to steal. It¡¯s our fault foring to snatch them. Please be magnanimous and let us off this time. Please.¡±


    Li Yu raised her head. ¡°No, as the old saying goes, you can only be a thief for a thousand years. Without a thousand years to guard against thieves, my family will be busy catching thieves every day after I let you go. Then how am I going to live?¡±


    The man who was lifted up and thrown to the ground by Li Yuy on the ground and shouted, ¡°Uncle, don¡¯t beg them. At most, they¡¯ll be imprisoned for two days. It¡¯s not like they haven¡¯t been imprisoned before.¡±


    Old Hu looked at them with heartache. The men who were suppressed by Ruyi and the others on the ground hesitated.


    Li Yu said to Ruyi, ¡°Ruyi, go and get two carts over. Send those cattle thieves and these people who came to snatch people to the government office.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Miss,¡± Ruyi replied with a bow. He turned and went to rig the car.


    ¡°You can¡¯t send them to the government office.¡± A few women crawled in front of Li Yu and cried non-stop. ¡°Miss, it¡¯s our fault. We shouldn¡¯t havee to steal your cows and even caused trouble. I know that the reputation of our Hu Vige isn¡¯t good. You all despise us, but we really don¡¯t have a choice! In the past, we worked obediently at home. After a year, we didn¡¯t even have enough to eat. The children were so hungry that they woke up in the middle of the night and scooped water from the vats to drink. Every year, more than ten children in the vige would die. Everyone really had no choice but to do this shady business. However, we¡¯ve never harmed anyone.¡±


    Li Yu felt upset when she saw the women crying their hearts out. However, these were not reasons for them to steal!


    Seeing this, the men all shouted, ¡°Sanniang, don¡¯t beg her. These rich people never treat us as humans.¡±


    When Chen Yaohui saw this, he said, ¡°Old Hu, your vige¡¯s people stole cows. We only need to report it to the officials. Once they¡¯re arrested and brought to the government office, they will be whipped at least 100 times per cow. There are more than a dozen cows locked in this cowshed. Even if those men are made of iron, they won¡¯t be able tost. Old Hu, we all came from poor backgrounds. We all know that unless it¡¯s absolutely necessary, no one is willing to do such a shameful thing. Since your vige men insist on not admitting their mistake, I can only let my niece report it to the officials.¡±


    When Old Hu saw Li Yu¡¯s expression, he understood that she really wanted to report to the authorities. He thought that if she continued to bite and not let go, he would only be sued. At that time, these men from his family would still be the ones to suffer. The Ye family would definitely not stand up to help. It was better to betray the Ye family and exchange for that girl¡¯s release.


    After Old Hu bowed to Li Yu, he said, ¡°Miss, as long as you let go of my Hu Vige, I, Hu Dashan, swear that from now on, no one from my Hu Vige wille to Phoenix Vige to take a piece of straw. Besides, we didn¡¯te to you to steal cows for no reason.¡±


    Li Yu was stunned when she heard that. They didn¡¯te to steal cows for no reason. Could it be that someone had instructed them toe? Could it be that the Ye family was causing trouble again?

 Chapter 118

    118 Reason for Stealing


    Li Yu looked at Old Hu. ¡°Then please tell me, what¡¯s the reason? Why do you keep stealing from our vige?¡±


    Old Man Hu looked at Li Yu, then at the men still hanging at the shed, and the men on the ground who had been beaten ck and blue. He gritted his teeth and made up his mind. He pointed at the few people hanging on the cowshed. ¡°As long as you promise to let them down and not pursue their theft, help us pull out the arrows and let us help them apply some medication and bandage them, I¡¯ll tell you the reason.¡±


    Li Yu thought for a moment. ¡°I promise you to let them down first. I¡¯ll decide whether to pursue the matter after I hear your reason. Also, I hope you¡¯re not just saying this to fool me.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t fool you,¡± Old Hu said.


    Li Yu asked Ruyi, who was waiting at the side, to put those people down from the wooden stakes in front of the cowshed. The men were in pain after hanging in front of the cowshed for a few hours. They were already extremely weak. When they saw Li Yu and Ruyi, they still had a lingering fear. Li Yu and Ruyi separately pulled the arrows out of the legs of those people, causing them to cry out in pain.


    The women from Hu Vige rushed up and were about to wipe the wound with the handkerchief in their hands.


    Li Yu sighed in her heart. After thinking for a moment, she stopped them and said to them, ¡°You can¡¯t wipe your wounds like this. Wait a moment.¡±


    The women were stunned for a moment and turned to look at Old Hu. ¡°Uncle, look...¡±


    Old Hu thought to himself, They even have bows and arrows. They must know how to deal with wounds. He nodded at the women. ¡°Listen to this girl.¡±


    Li Yu instructed Ruyi, ¡°Ruyi, go home and bring over a pot of wine.¡±


    After Ruyi heard this, he drove the mule cart to get the wine. Li Yu looked at Old Hu and said, ¡°Old man, it¡¯s time for you to fulfill your promise.¡±


    Old Hu took a step forward and said in a low voice, ¡°Miss, it was High Schr Ye who hired us to steal from your vige. Originally, he wanted us toe at night and waste the food in your fields. We knew how difficult it was to grow some food, so I didn¡¯t agree. That¡¯s why he asked us toe to your vige to steal again. After Monkey and the others came to check the ce out, they said that you had raised more than ten cows and some livestock. He asked us to steal the cows out and he would buy them with silver. Otherwise, how would we dare to steal cows? We wouldn¡¯t have anywhere to sell them!¡±


    ¡°Damn it.¡± Chen Yaohui stomped his feet in anger. ¡°It¡¯s the Ye¡¯s again. I knew that he was not a good person. So he was waiting for us here!¡±


    Li Yu thought to herself, No wonder High Schr Ye sent someone topensate them when the Third Young Master Ye ruined the lotus pond. He felt that they wouldn¡¯t guard against him if he apologized and admitted his mistake. However, he definitely didn¡¯t go through so much trouble to take revenge on them.


    Li Yu looked at Old Hu. ¡°I don¡¯t think he would do that just to take revenge on us, right?¡±


    Old Hu sighed. ¡°I guess he has his eyes on your fields. It¡¯s your fault for tidying up the vige too well. Even we are envious of it. The rice and livestock in your fields are so enviable! If we had half of your harvest back then, we wouldn¡¯t have done such a despicable thing.¡±


    Li Yu looked at Old Hu and thought to herself, It¡¯s better to have one more friend than one more enemy. If the vigers of Hu Vige really didn¡¯t steal because they werezy, let them go.


    ¡°I can release them immediately. You don¡¯t have topensate me.¡±


    Old Hu looked at Li Yu and was about to bow and thank her when Li Yu raised her hand to stop him. ¡°Don¡¯t thank me first. I won¡¯t be happy if I don¡¯t speak my mind.¡±


    Old Hu looked at Li Yu in confusion. ¡°Miss, please speak. I¡¯m all ears.¡±


    Li Yu looked at the people from Hu Vige and said loudly, ¡°No matter what you say, I don¡¯t think it can be a reason for you to steal. Have you ever thought about your future generations? Are you going to steal like this for generations? Why don¡¯t you think of a way to change your mind and change the way you farm? Natural selection is the survival of the fittest. Since those fields are already like that, you can¡¯t wait for them to change for you. You should think of a way to make them more suitable for farming and produce more valuable things to make you live better instead of stealing and snatching.¡±


    After the vigers of Hu Vige and Fengming Vige heard Li Yu¡¯s words, they all thought to themselves, We can only change them. We can¡¯t wait for them to change for us. That¡¯s right! Those things are dead, but people are alive! How can we just wait for them to change for us?


    Tears welled up in Old Hu¡¯s eyes when he heard that. He knelt in front of Li Yu with a thud. Li Yu was shocked and hurriedly helped him up. ¡°Old man, please get up. You¡¯re killing me.¡±


    Old Hu looked at Li Yu and said in a choked voice, ¡°Miss, our Hu Vige used to be a good ce in Phoenix Town.Ever since it rained heavily for a few days in a row that year, the sh flood destroyed all the fertile fields. Only those hillsidends were left in the vige. The hillsidends could not store water and we could only nt some sorghum chestnut rice. It was difficult to even survive in a year and they had to pay taxes to the government office.


    Everyone really couldn¡¯t survive anymore, and they didn¡¯t have any other abilities, so they embarked on the path of theft.


    As long as there¡¯s food to eat, who would be willing to do such an immoral thing? Now, the children in the vige can¡¯t even get a wife. The girls who get married can¡¯t even raise their heads in their inws¡¯ families. The daughters-inw who got married in the past don¡¯t even dare to return to their mothers.¡±


    When Chen Yaohui, Chen Gui, and the others heard this, they sighed. Farmers rely on their fields. If the heavens were good, the heavens would reward them with food. If the heavens are bad, they could only beg for food.


    The people from Hu Vige all looked at Li Yu eagerly. The man who shouted the most fiercelyy on the ground and looked up at Li Yu. ¡°Miss, pleasee to our ce and help us think of a way. We won¡¯t me you even if it doesn¡¯t work.¡±


    Chen Yaohui looked at Li Yu and said hesitantly, ¡°Xiaoyu, why don¡¯t you help them see if there¡¯s any other way?¡±


    Li Yu thought for a moment and nodded. ¡°I can help you see if there¡¯s any other way. If there is, it¡¯s definitely not something that can be done overnight. You still have to rely on your hard work to gain something. Furthermore, some of you must be used to your current way of life. It¡¯s up to you whether you¡¯re willing to change this way of life.¡±


    Old Hu sighed and said, ¡°Miss, it¡¯s not that easy to be a thief. To be honest, we¡¯ve long regretted it. It¡¯s just that our reputation has already been ruined, so we can¡¯t do anything about it.¡±


    At this moment, Ruyi had already helped the men clean their wounds and apply medication. He came over and said to Li Yu, ¡°Miss, I¡¯ve already treated their wounds.¡±


    ¡°Alright, take a statement and let them sign it. Then let them go!¡±


    Li Yu then said to Old Hu, ¡°Old man, if High Schr Ye goes to find you for information, just say that we let you go because we were afraid of you. I¡¯ll wait for you at home during the Tianchen Festival. Call someone over. I¡¯ll go to your ce to take a look and help you think of a way.¡±


    Old Hu bowed gratefully. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll reply to him as you said. Thank you for your magnanimity.¡±

 Chapter 119

    119 Taking Revenge


    The people from Hu Vige helped their injured onto the handcart and were pushed back by the women.


    Chen Yaohui, the vigers, and Li Yu¡¯s family also hurriedly went back to harvest the rice. Ruyi said to Li Yu, ¡°Miss, are we just going to let it go?¡±


    Li Yu snorted. ¡°How can it be that easy? He keepsing to look for trouble. Doesn¡¯t he like to y dirty? Let¡¯s y with him. Ruyi, don¡¯t you know how to catch snakes and insects? Go catch some poisonous snakes and insects. Let¡¯s go to Ye Ju¡¯s house to y tonight.¡±


    Ruyiughed at that. ¡°You mean to scare them with snakes and insects?¡±


    Li Yu smiled and said, ¡°Just wait and see!¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll go up the mountain to catch snakes and insects and harvest them while Uncle Zhou watches,¡± Ruyi replied with a smile.


    ¡°Okay, go ahead! I¡¯ll go to town and see where his house is exactly?¡±


    ¡°Miss, I went to take a look the previous time. His family lives in the alley near our shop. When wee out of the back door of our shop, we can see it after turning left for about 15 minutes. The one with the highest green bricks, tiles, and courtyard walls is the Ye residence.¡±


    ¡°Okay, get busy! Be careful.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Ruyi took a few steps back and turned to drive the mule cart into the manor.


    Li Yu drove the mule cart home. She took a sum of money and handed it to Old Madam Liu. She said to Old Madam Liu, ¡°Grandma Liu,e to town with me. Go to town and buy a few sets of pig lungs and pig liver. Don¡¯t tell anyone that you live in Phoenix Vige.¡±


    Granny Liu took the money. ¡°Got it, Miss.¡±


    Li Yu changed her clothes and drove the car to town with Old Madam Liu. When they were about to reach the town, Li Yu saw that there was no one around and said to Old Madam Liu, ¡°Get out of the car here and walk straight to the river. The meat and vegetables sellers are all there. When youe back, find a ce to wait for me.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Miss.¡± Granny Liu got out of the car with her backpack.


    Li Yu drove the mule cart to the shop. The shop assistant, Chen Shuisheng, weed her and looked at Li Yu. ¡°Sister Xiaoyu, when did youe back? Is Mr. Zhou back?¡±


    Li Yu smiled and said, ¡°I arrived yesterday. Shui Sheng, how¡¯s business in town these days?¡±


    ¡°Business is alright. The things made up of cattails are almost sold out. This year, we have to make more straw hats and mats. These two are easy to sell. We can make fewer bowl cushions.¡±


    Li Yu nodded. ¡°Alright! I didn¡¯t think it through. Make a list of everything that sells well and hand it to Ruyi to arrange for me to drive the car into the livestock shed.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Chen Shuisheng turned around and entered the shop. After Li Yu tied up the livestock, she entered the house and changed into men¡¯s clothes. She put on a straw hat and went out. She turned left and walked towards the alley.


    After walking for fifteen minutes, Li Yu saw the house Ruyi had mentioned. At a nce, she saw that the bright red courtyard door was polished. Li Yu walked under the courtyard wall and estimated that the courtyard wall was six feet tall. From the beginning to the end, she walked 50 steps before finishing the house. Li Yu walked around and saw that this was a house with two entrances. When she walked to the back door of the Ye family, she saw asional servants walking inside.


    Li Yu pretended to look around casually as she passed by. She turned back and walked around. She turned back to the back of the shop from another alley. She pushed open the back door and shed into the courtyard to change into the dress she had worn. She drove the mule cart slowly out of town.


    Old Madam Liu bought the pig¡¯s lungs and liver. When she left the town, she saw the mule cart at home driving slowly in front. Old Madam Liu sped up and passed Li Yu to wait in front.


    When the two of them returned home, Li Yu asked Old Madam Liu to cut up the pig¡¯s lungs and liver and put them in a basin to cover them. She ced them in front of the stove. Old Madam Liu saw that she was puzzled and did not ask further.


    Ruyi carried a sack down the mountain at noon. Just as she reached the mountain stream, He Xiaoyu stopped him. Ruyi stood there and looked at He Xiaoyu indifferently. ¡°Miss He, what¡¯s the matter?¡±


    He Xiaoyu looked at Ruyi and bit her lip for a long time before asking, ¡°Ruyi, if I don¡¯t ask you to leave the Zhou family, will you marry me?¡±


    Ruyi nced at He Xiaoyu. ¡°Xiaoyu, this isn¡¯t about whether I¡¯m willing or not. It¡¯s mainly about whether your parents will agree.¡±


    He Xiaoyu was a little happy to hear that. ¡°If Father and Mother don¡¯t agree, I¡¯ll elope with you.¡±


    Ruyi was shocked. ¡°That won¡¯t do. Xiaoyu, go back and think about it carefully. I won¡¯t leave the Zhou family for the rest of my life. I¡¯ll be a member of the Zhou family until I die. If you don¡¯t despise me and are willing to marry me, I¡¯ll beg your parents to agree to our marriage with you.¡±


    He Xiaoyu was overjoyed when she heard that. She ran to Ruyi and looked at him with a smile. ¡°Ruyi, I knew you had me in your heart. I¡¯ve long figured things out. As long as it¡¯s you, I¡¯ll do anything.¡±


    Ruyi was overjoyed when he heard Xiaoyu¡¯s words. How could he have met such a good girl? Ruyi looked at He Xiaoyu gratefully. ¡°Thank you, Xiaoyu. Before Young Master left, he said that if your family doesn¡¯t object to our marriage, and we really like each other, he will personallye to propose marriage.¡±


    He Xiaoyu nodded happily. ¡°Alright, Ruyi, wait for me. I¡¯ll convince my parents.¡± With that, He Xiaoyu turned around and ran.


    As Ruyi watched her run merrily, his joy was surging like a spring tide.


    Ruyi walked back happily and went to Li Yu¡¯s house. She said to Li Yu, ¡°Miss, I caught more than ten snakes and a few scorpions. What do you n to do?¡±


    ¡°Put them away first. Don¡¯t let them out to bite anyone. When we kill two snakes at night, wipe the snake blood on Ye Ju¡¯s door and throw the snakes on his roof. Let¡¯s eat melon seeds and wait for a good show!¡±


    ¡°Miss, what do you mean by eating melon seeds?¡±


    When Li Yu heard that, she realized that she had forgotten that there were no melon seeds here. She could only make up a story. Li Yu smiled dryly. ¡°The pumpkin I used to stir-fry is the best to eat when I have nothing to do.¡±


    Ruyi couldn¡¯t help but be curious. He couldn¡¯t wait to see what kind of show it was. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll take the snakes and insects and put them away before going to the farm.¡±


    Li Yu nodded and watched Ruyi leave before going to the rice field. She realized that there were still children from the other vige. They came to the vige to pick up the rice that had fallen to the ground. Uncle Zhou carried a tray of herbal tea over and ced it on the field. He smiled at Li Yu and said, ¡°Miss, that grain thresher was really too convenient. The work was done quickly and cleanly.¡±


    ¡°Tell them to be careful not to hurt their hands. Uncle Zhou, how many fields do we have left to harvest?¡±


    Uncle Zhou calcted. ¡°There are about 120 acres left after we finish collecting today. We¡¯ll be done in another three or four days.¡±


    ¡°Alright, Jinjiu and the others are here. Don¡¯t tire yourself out.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your concern, Miss. I¡¯m still very strong!¡± Uncle Zhou chuckled.


    Li Yu was also d to see him happy. ¡°Alright, take it easy.¡±

 Chapter 120

    120 Sweet Revenge


    After dark, Li Yu covered the pig¡¯s lungs and pig¡¯s liver in the basin. She endured the disgust and stuffed them into two jars and secured them with wooden stoppers. She took out the knockout incense she had found on the few ox thieves from the Hu family and tied it with hemp thread. She put on a dark shirt and pants and carried the jars out of the vige with Ruyi.


    An hourter, the two of them arrived in town and went straight to High Schr Ye¡¯s house. When they reached the courtyard wall, Li Yu and Ruyi ran a few steps quickly and jumped onto the wall.


    Li Yu followed the wall and went up to the roof with light footsteps. She scattered the pig intestines on the roof. Li Yu stood on it and looked at theyout of the house. She walked to the main roof and lifted the tiles. Under the dim yellow light in the house, she saw High Schr Ye sleeping soundly with his arm around a woman.


    Li Yu took out the incense and ignited it. She carried the hemp thread and ced it in the house to cover the tiles. After a while, Li Yu retracted the hemp thread and got off the roof. She covered her mouth and nose and entered the room. She saw that High Schr Ye and the woman had already fainted.


    Li Yu took out a dagger and grabbed High Schr Ye¡¯s hair, shaving his head and eyebrows clean. Li Yu looked at High Schr Ye¡¯s fair and smooth head, which was like a pig¡¯s head with its fur removed. She nodded in satisfaction and held back herughter as she turned around and jumped over the wall to jump out of High Schr Ye¡¯s house.


    Ruyi went straight to the central room of Ye Ju¡¯s house and poured the snake and scorpion onto the roof of the front courtyard. After scattering the pig guts, she climbed over the wall and smeared the snake blood on the front and back doors of Ye Ju¡¯s house.


    After Li Yu and Ruyi met up, she carried the jar and returned to Phoenix Vige at night.


    Not long after Li Yu and Ruyi left, the old man guarding Ye Ju¡¯s house heard a knock on the door. He asked, ¡°Who is it? It¡¯ste at night.¡±


    Again, there was no response. The knocking continued.


    The old man got up and opened the door with thentern, but there was no one in sight. ¡°What the hell? Which dog is staying up in the middle of the night and knocking on the door?¡±


    The old man cursed and turned around to enter the courtyard. Just as hey down, there was another knock on the door. The old man carried thentern to the courtyard door and shouted, ¡°Which brat is it? Don¡¯t let me catch you.¡±


    As he spoke, he opened the door again and went out. There was still no one in sight. After running twice, the old man became afraid. Could it be that the residence was haunted? The more he thought about it, the more afraid he became. He broke out in a cold sweat.


    The old man was so afraid that he did not dare to make a sound. He covered his head with the nket and stuffed it into his ears. No matter how hard the knocks were from the outside, he did not go out anymore.


    The same scene was yed out by the old woman guarding the door in the backyard. The old woman was trembling in fear and kept muttering, ¡°Every injustice has its perpetrator and every debt has its debtor. I didn¡¯t harm you. I didn¡¯t harm you.¡±


    The next day, at dawn, a servant came to look for the old barn owner and the old woman guarding the door. The girl looked at the old woman and said, ¡°Old Madam Ye, who was it who kept knocking at the door in the middle of the nightst night? Why did¡¯t you go and see who was or catch that person?¡±


    The old woman looked at the girl and kept shaking her head. She thought to herself, ¡°You¡¯re the girl in Madam¡¯s room. If you have the ability,e and chase her away! Why are you showing off in front of me?¡±


    ¡°Aiyo, Miss Xiaotao, you heard it too. Why don¡¯t you scold me? I don¡¯t have the guts.¡±


    Xiaotao pursed her lips and looked at the old woman. ¡°Look at how scared you are. Did you see a ghost?¡±


    The old woman was shocked and quickly shook her head. ¡°I didn¡¯t say that. Don¡¯t drag me into this.¡±


    At this moment, Xiaotao suddenly pointed at the roof. ¡°Old Madam Ye, look. Why are there so many crows and birds on the roof?¡±


    Old Madam Ye looked up and saw that there were indeed flocks of crows and birds circling on the roof. They were also pecking at the roof with their mouths. Old Madam Ye was so frightened that she hurriedly knelt on the ground and kowtowed.


    The neighbors around Ye Ju saw the crows and birds on the roof of the Ye family¡¯s house. For a moment, the news of Ye Ju¡¯s house being haunted spread.


    Seeing this, the butler, Ye Gui, hurriedly reported to High Schr Ye. Butler Ye stood outside the door and knocked anxiously. ¡°Master, Master, for some reason, the roof is filled with crows and birds. The gatekeeper said that he heard someone knocking on the doorst night. After opening the door, he didn¡¯t see anyone. After closing the door, there was another knock.¡±


    When High Schr Ye heard this, he was shocked. He turned around and sat up. Madam Ye also turned around and sat up in a daze. ¡°Master, why are there crows and sparrows for no reason? I can go to the Three Pure Temples to invite a Taoist priest to take a look.¡±


    Madam Ye turned to look at High Schr Ye. She screamed and fainted on the bed.


    ¡°Madam, Madam.¡± High Schr Ye hurriedly shook Madam Ye awake. A momentter, Madam Ye slowly woke up and cried, ¡°Master, our house is really haunted. Your hair and eyebrows are all gone.¡±


    High Schr Ye felt his head with his hand and touched a bare head. High Schr Ye hurriedly got out of bed and staggered to pick up the bronze mirror. When he saw a bald head, he cried out in fear, ¡°Madam, there¡¯s really a ghost. My hair and eyebrows are gone. How can I go out and see anyone?¡±


    ¡°You stay in the house. I¡¯ll go out and take a look.¡±


    Madam Ye put on her clothes and ran to the courtyard. When she saw the crows and birds circling the roof, she shouted in fear, ¡°Ye Gui, Ye Gui, hurry up and go to the Three Pure Temples. Invite Taoist Wei to see who is causing trouble.¡±


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am. I¡¯ll go and get the car.¡±


    Ruyi arrived in town early in the morning, wanting to see the good show Li Yu had mentioned. He stood outside High Schr Ye¡¯s courtyard with a group of onlookers and looked at the roofs full of crows and birds. He felt a little creeped out and wondered to himself where Li Yu had learned these methods. They were so sinister that the Ye family couldn¡¯t even figure out the way.


    Ye Gui hurriedly got on the carriage and rushed towards the Three Pure Monastery. Everyone saw that Ye Gui no longer had his usual arrogance and domineeringness. He had be like a lost dog as he drove the carriage away.


    The news that the Ye family was haunted instantly spread throughout the streets.


    As the news spread, someone said, ¡°I saw a woman in white knocking on the Ye family¡¯s door with her hair down. After knocking, she went to the roof to dance.¡±


    Someone else said that High Schr Ye had offended a ghost god and had his hair and eyebrows shaved off. Of course, this news was spread by Ruyi in town.


    Ruyi returned to Phoenix Vige in satisfaction and told Li Yu the news. He asked Li Yu strangely, ¡°Miss, why did so many crows fly to the roof of the Ye family¡¯s house? What was the thing knocking on the door? Was it also due to the crows and birds?¡±


    Li Yu smiled and said, ¡°Crows like to eat rotten meat with a strong smell. I ced the pig¡¯s lungs and pig¡¯s liver in front of the stove. I covered them with the lid for most of the day and they were already smelly and fishy by the time I ced them on the roof. It was actually a bat that knocked on the door. When the bat smelled snake blood, it flew to peck at the door. The gatekeeper carried antern to open the door. When the bat saw the light, it flew away. Of course, he couldn¡¯t see anyone!¡±


    Ruyi was enlightened. ¡°I see. I¡¯ll go to town tomorrow to find out what Butler Ye¡¯s Taoist priest says.¡±


    ¡°If that Taoist priest is an expert, he will see through the profundity inside. If he¡¯s a quack, then High Schr Ye will have to spend some money.¡±


    ¡°Miss, if he can¡¯t see through it, do you still want to go again in a few days?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to go again. If he has a guilty conscience, we¡¯ve already scared him enough. It¡¯s useless to go again if he has a clear conscience.¡±

 Chapter 121

    121 Which Mischief Ghost


    Li Yu had been busy catching thieves when she returned and had forgotten to find Ruyi to get the dozen or so stalks of rice.


    Li Yu said to Ruyi, ¡°Ruyi, bring me those dozen or so stalks of rice. Remember to take a look at the yield of those two acres of farnd and those wild rice when you go to the farm.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll remember that, Miss. Please wait a moment. I¡¯ll go get the rice grains now.¡±


    Li Yu nodded and recalled when she picked those wild ricest year. She thought to herself that the wild rice in the mountains should be ripe and she should go up the mountain again to pick more wild rice for breeding.


    Ruyi brought over the rice grains and handed them to Li Yu. After Li Yu took the rice grains, she opened them and counted them. There were two stalks with more than 110 grains. The rest were between 90 to 100 grains.


    Li Yu returned to the house and ced the two stalks with 110-odd grains separately in the bag before hiding them in the space. Then, she changed her clothes and carried the cloth bag and backpack up the mountain.


    At the end of the afternoon, Butler Ye invited Taoist Wei from Clear Wind Temple.


    The Ye family¡¯s neighbor saw that this Taoist Priest Wei had white hair and a beard. He was wearing a green Taoist robe and holding a horsetail whisk. He looked like a sage. He said to the women who were watching themotion, ¡°This old immortal looks like he¡¯s capable. He should be able to drive away the evil. Otherwise, it would be a little scary to live next door to the Ye family.¡±


    A woman curled her lips. ¡°His family is sinister and must have received retribution for their sins. His family won¡¯t be at peace.¡±


    The neighbor lowered his voice. ¡°Who asked them to have the ability to obtain an academic title? It¡¯s better for usmoners not to provoke these people.¡±


    Butler Ye pointed at the door and said to Priest Wei, ¡°Taoist, look. There was knocking on this door all nightst night and only calmed down at dawn. I wonder what evil creature it provoked.¡±


    Priest Wei looked at the door. ¡°Householder Ye, please bring me into the residence first.¡±


    Butler Ye bowed and invited Priest Wei into the Ye residence. He pointed at the crows circling on the roof. ¡°Taoist Priest, please take a look. Those crows have been circling the roof since this morning.¡±


    Priest Wei walked around the courtyard, calcted with his fingers, waved his whisk, and sang, ¡°Supreme Grand Unity Heavenly Venerate, High Schr Ye has provoked a malicious ghost for revenge. It¡¯s extremely dangerous. If I want to open the altar immediately, I have to erect a Tao Field for 49 days to expel it.¡±


    Butler Ye felt a chill on the back of his neck when he heard that. He hurriedly bowed to Taoist Wei. ¡°Daoist, please wait for a moment. I¡¯ll report it to Master.¡±


    Priest Wei nodded and smiled. ¡°Go!¡±


    After Ye Gui left, Priest Wei looked at the roof and smiled. He walked to the door and wiped his finger on it. He ced it under his nose and smelled it. He thought to himself, ¡°Which mischievous person did this? He thought of such a secret method to teach the Ye family a lesson. However, it really fits the saying that he who has never done anything wrong in his life is not afraid of ghosts knocking on the door in the middle of the night. It seems that the Ye family has done a lot of dastardly deeds.¡±


    Butler Ye walked into the main room and bowed. ¡°Master, the Taoist priest said that you provoked a malicious ghost and it¡¯s extremely dangerous. You need to do 49 days of ritual to get rid of it.¡±


    Madam Ye looked at High Schr Ye with red and swollen eyes. High Schr Ye hid on the bed and gritted his teeth. ¡°Tell, tell the Taoist priest that it¡¯s best to destroy its soul.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master.¡± Butler Ye bowed and left, telling Priest Wei about High Schr Ye¡¯s decision.


    Taoist Wei walked out after hearing this. ¡°There¡¯s no time to lose. Follow me back to the temple to obtain my Dharma artifact.¡± The two of them went out and got into the carriage to rush towards Clear Wind Temple.


    After Li Yu went up the mountain, she hunted a few pheasants and went to the warthog¡¯s nest at the foot of the slope. She saw that the warthogs were indeed sunbathing there again.


    Li Yu looked at the silly-looking warthogs and realized that there were more and more warthogs. She thought to herself, Heh! The family is getting stronger and stronger! Too many members fighting for food will easily affect the principle of harmony. I¡¯ll help you resolve the hidden danger.


    Li Yu raised her bow and shot five warthogs in a row. The others roared and crawled into the hole.


    Li Yu put the warthog into her space and climbed up the mountain to the pine forest. She went downhill to the pond to see that the group of wild ducks was still there. Thinking that her family was busy farming, she wanted to catch a few more to improve their lives. If only she could encounter wild boars.


    Li Yu took out a crossbow from her space and walked to the side of the pond from the back of the forest. She shot more than ten in one go before stopping. She walked over and picked up the wild ducks and ced them in her space. She then picked up some wild duck eggs before walking along the ditch to the ce where she picked the wild ricest time.


    On the way, she hunted a few hares and pheasants and arrived at the ravine. Seeing that the wild rice was still growing sparsely, Li Yu put down the backpack and took out the cloth bag. She plucked the ripe wild rice and ced it in the cloth bag. It took more than an hour to finish picking all the ripe wild rice before she turned around and walked back with the backpack on her back. Halfway there, she took out the prey and ced it in the backpack before carrying it home.


    Li Yu carried the prey to the Zhou family¡¯s kitchen. Auntie He saw that Li Yu was carrying a warthog in each hand, and her backpack was filled with prey. She hurriedly helped put down the backpack. ¡°So many things again! Miss, those warthogs in the mountains have be your pets!¡±


    Li Yu smiled and said to Auntie He, ¡°Auntie He, there are five warthogs this time. Pack up the warthogs and send one to my aunt¡¯s house. Then, take two wild ducks and pheasants. Pack up the rest and add these to the food for the servants and the long-term workers.¡±


    Auntie He saw that Li Yu was sweating profusely and handed her a cup of herbal tea. Her heart ached as she said, ¡°Hurry up and wash up and change into a thinner dress. It¡¯ll cool you down.¡±


    Li Yu also felt that her clothes were stuck to her body and she was covered in sweat. She took the herbal tea. ¡°Alright, just make the arrangements! Don¡¯t tire yourself out.¡±


    ¡°I know. You take care too.¡± Auntie He sent Li Yu back to the kitchen and chose two fat wild ducks and a pheasant to put aside. She began to pack up the warthogs and send them to Li Mei¡¯s house.


    Old Madam Liu counted. ¡°Yo! There are seventeen wild ducks and so many pheasants and hares. This food is better than thendlord¡¯s!¡±


    Old Madam Pengughed. ¡°We eat good food every day now. It¡¯s really better than the food of those smallndlords in the vige.¡±


    Old Madam Yang smiled and sighed. ¡°That¡¯s right! Who knew that I would have a good life when I am old?¡±


    Auntie He looked at the old women. ¡°Miss and Young Master are kind to us, so we have to cherish them. Don¡¯t take it for granted. Let me tell you, Miss and Young Master can¡¯t be trifled with. Once youmit a crime, you can only be sold .¡±


    Old Madam Liu and the others said to Auntie He, ¡°Auntie He, don¡¯t worry. We know very well that Miss bought us back out of kindness. I won¡¯t let anyone who dares to do anything to Miss and Young Master off.¡±


    Li Yu didn¡¯t know that after she left, Auntie He gave the old women a political lesson. It seemed to be very effective.

 Chapter 122

    122 Retribution


    Li Yu went home to take a shower and change her clothes before going to the drying field. Jin Cuicui, the She family, and the He family¡¯s children were all drying grains in the drying field. When they saw Li Yu, they smiled and went forward to greet her.


    Li Yu looked at their tanned faces and sweat-soaked hair and clothes. ¡°You must be tired these few days. I came back from hunting wild animals in the mountain today. There¡¯s delicious food tonight.¡±


    She Chun and Ah Gou jumped up. ¡°Oh! Oh! There¡¯s wild meat to eat today!¡±


    He Tiezhu looked at Li Yu with starry eyes. ¡°Miss, can you bring me to hunt next time? I want to hunt too.¡±


    ¡°I want to go too,¡± Jin Cuicui said softly. Ah Gou poked her and made a face. ¡°Sister Cuicui, forget it! Don¡¯t let the prey get taken away by the wild creatures before you can catch it.¡±


    With that, he turned around and ran. Jin Cuicui took the broom and chased after him. ¡°Stupid Ah Gou, rotten Ah Gou, you¡¯re asking for a beating!¡±


    Li Yu looked at the other children. ¡°Have a good time drying the grains. When I¡¯m free, I¡¯ll bring you to the mountain to take a look.¡±


    ¡°Got it. Let¡¯s get to work.¡± He Tiezhu raised his bamboo pole and left with the children.


    Li Yu looked at the grains on the drying field and thought about how she would start nting winter wheat again after cutting them. Thinking of the rapeseed seeds in her space, Li Yu decided to use 100 acres to nt rapeseed.


    Er Ya came out of the barn and saw Li Yu. She walked up to Li Yu and said, ¡°Miss, we¡¯ve measured the grains in those two acres of farnd. There are twelve stones! We also collected one stone of wild rice.¡±


    When Li Yu heard this, she thought to herself, Two acres of twelve stones. Including the wild rice, there are thirteen stones. In her previous life, there were some high-yielding fields that could yield much more per acre. The difference is too great.


    ¡°How many stones can be collected per acre in the other fields? Have they been calcted?¡±


    Seeing Li Yu frown, Er Ya hurriedly said, ¡°Brother Ruyi has said that there might be five grains per acre ofnd. My grandfather said that this year is already a huge harvest. In the past, the good fields in the vige only collected three to four grains.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I understand. I¡¯ll get Ruyi to pull all the grains from the breeding field to the house in the vige for storage.¡±


    ¡°Got it, Miss. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll keep an eye on the drying field.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and patted Er Ya¡¯s head. ¡°Yes! I won¡¯t worry, since our Er Ya is a capable girl.¡±


    Er Ya pouted. ¡°Miss, you¡¯re still a little girl too. Why don¡¯t I dare to make you angry?¡±


    Li Yu smiled. ¡°Because I¡¯m your Miss! Work hard. There¡¯s good food at night.¡± Li Yu patted Er Ya and turned to leave.


    After dinner, Li Yu, Zhaodi, and Old Madam Liu were enjoying the shade in the courtyard. Ruyi drove the mule cart back from town and looked at Li Yu with a smile. ¡°Miss, I just came back from town. Do you know what High Schr Ye is doing?¡±


    Li Yu looked at Ruyi. ¡°I saw you while eating. When did you go to town?¡±


    Ruyi rubbed his head and chuckled. ¡°I want to see what kind of expert his family invited back.¡±


    ¡°And? What did you see?¡±


    Ruyi held back hisughter. ¡°Ah Sheng said that, ording to town gossip, that Master Ye is being pestered by malicious ghosts. He has to erect a Tao Field for 49 days to exorcise the evil spirits to bring peace to his family.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! Let him exorcise it slowly!¡±


    Zhaodi and her sister were confused. Laidi looked at Ruyi and said, ¡°Ruyi, tell us what happened. What happened to Ye Ju?¡±


    Ruyi pretended to be mysterious. ¡°Miss Laidi, I want to go to the manor to take a look. Ask Miss. Miss knows.¡±


    Li Yu hid what she and Ruyi had done and told her about High Schr Ye¡¯s haunted house and his shaved head and eyebrows.


    ¡°Alright, he¡¯s done too many wicked things. He¡¯s suffered bad karma! I¡¯ll go back and tell Mother so that she¡¯ll be happy too.¡± Laidi pped her hands and stopped chatting. She turned around and ran home.


    On the next day, Old Hu and a man came to Phoenix Vige and waited in front of Li Yu¡¯s house.


    Old Madam Liu opened the door and saw an old man and a young man waiting at the door. She asked curiously, ¡°Brother, what are you doing at my door early in the morning?¡±


    Old Hu looked at Old Madam Liu and cupped his hands at her with a red face. ¡°Sister, we¡¯re from Hu Vige. We¡¯re waiting for Miss Li.¡±


    ¡°Hu Vige.¡± Old Madam Liu looked at Old Hu with wide eyes. ¡°Oh! It¡¯s the Hu Vige that my girl captured.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sigh!¡± Old Hu was ashamed and conflicted.


    Old Madam Liu looked at Old Hu and said mysteriously, ¡°Brother, let me give you a piece of advice. Control your nsmen well. Otherwise, they¡¯ll suffer retribution. High Schr Ye in town is much more glorious than you! But look, he¡¯s done too many bad things, and retribution came. Someone knocked on his door all night and even shaved High Schr Ye¡¯s hair and eyebrows. In my opinion, that ghost didn¡¯t want to harm him. He just wanted to teach him a lesson. Otherwise, his head wouldn¡¯t even be here!¡±


    Old Hu and the man were dumbfounded. Did retributione too quickly? Could there really be ghosts?


    After Li Yu washed up, she came out of the house and heard Old Madam Liu talking to someone at the door. She said to Old Madam Liu, ¡°Old Madam Liu, who¡¯s at the door? Why don¡¯t you invite him in to sit for a while?¡±


    Old Hu hurriedly rushed to the door and cupped his hands at Li Yu. ¡°Miss Li, we¡¯re here to pick you up!¡±


    Seeing that it was Old Hu, Li Yu nodded. ¡°Alright, wait a moment. I¡¯ll get someone to bring a ride.¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay, go ahead.¡± Seeing that Li Yu didn¡¯t make things difficult for him at all, Old Hu thought to himself, This girl is really kind. No wonder she was able to buy so many fields and lives in such a beautiful house.


    Li Yu took the water bag and went to the backyard to install the mule cart. She led the mule out of the back door. Uncle Zhou came with Er Ya with a food box and said to Li Yu, ¡°Miss, let Er Ya apany you.¡±


    Er Ya looked at Li Yu. ¡°Miss, take me there! I know how to drive.¡±


    ¡°Fine! I¡¯ll take you.¡±


    Er Ya took the reins and climbed into the mule cart. ¡°Get in, Miss!¡±


    Li Yu got into the car and drove out of the vige with Old Hu.


    After leaving the vige, Old Hu nced at Er Ya. ¡°Miss, you¡¯re not familiar with the road. Can you pass the cart to Hu Gui?¡±


    Er Ya looked back at Li Yu, who was sitting in the carriage. Seeing that Li Yu nodded in agreement, she moved to the carriage and handed the reins in her hand to Hu Gui. ¡°Alright, you can hurry!¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Miss!¡± Hu Gui took the reins and drove the mule to the left, following the mountain path towards Hu Vige.


    Li Yu saw many small hills along the way. The road was also rugged. After an hour, they arrived at the river.


    Old Hu pointed at the river bank in front of him and said to Erya, ¡°The river bank in front was washed away by the flood ten years ago. It turned out that it was called Xujiaping. A vige with more than a hundred families disappeared overnight. Our vige houses were all built on the slope. That night, a sh flood washed away several families and the fields and crops.¡± Old Hu rubbed his face with lingering fear. ¡°That¡¯s what¡¯s called tragic. Everyone searched for a long time but couldn¡¯t find those families. Sigh! I don¡¯t know where they were washed away to.¡±

 Chapter 123

    123 Hu Vige


    Er Ya looked at Old Hu. ¡°My family suffered a drought, so Grandpa brought me to Tongzhou. Along the way, we used up all our money and food. Peopleined that I ate too much. Grandpa¡¯s legs are not good, so no one is willing to use us.¡±


    Er Ya said dejectedly, ¡°I was hungry for a few days. I was so hungry that I couldn¡¯t take it anymore. Grandpa took me to the broker¡¯s house to sell myself. No one wanted us even after we lived at the broker¡¯s house for a few months. Later, my Miss bought me and Grandpa home and fed us. She even treated my grandpa¡¯s feet. My grandpa said that people should remember the kindness they received and not lose their conscience. You did something wrong and my Miss didn¡¯t send you to the government office. She even went to help you. If you¡¯re not sessful after this, you can¡¯t me my Miss.¡±


    When Old Hu heard this, he was extremely ashamed. He blushed and said, ¡°If we me her, would we still be human? We just want to ask your Miss to help us take a look. If not, we n to go to other ces to make a living.¡±


    ¡°Hard for you, too,¡± Er Ya said and looked silently at the river and the hills ahead.


    The mule cart turned down the river and into a mountain road that was just wide enough for a mule cart to pass. They came down the road to a level ce.


    Old Hu pointed at the puddle in front of him with a nostalgic look. ¡°Miss Li, look, this is our vige¡¯s field. It has be like this.¡±


    When Li Yu heard that, she stopped the car and got out of the car. She realized that it was a t piece ofnd in a col. It was about two to three hundred acres big and was filled with stones and bushes. Li Yu turned around and saw low straw huts built on a mountain beam behind her.


    Li Yu nced at Old Hu. ¡°Let¡¯s go! Let¡¯s take a look at your hillside first.¡±


    The few of them walked up the mountain beam. Li Yu saw that the roadside was filled with tall beams, hoes, and soybeans. When they reached the mountain beam, children and vigers surrounded them and looked at Li Yu and Er Ya curiously.


    Li Yu saw that those people were wearing patched clothes. Li Yu nced at Old Hu and thought to herself, It seems that stealing didn¡¯t allow the vigers of Hu Vige to live a good life. Instead, it ruined their reputation.


    Old Hu said politely to Li Yu, ¡°Miss Li, you must be tired! Please go in and rest for a while.¡±


    Li Yu shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m not tired. Let¡¯s look at the ground first!¡±


    ¡°Hu Gui, feed the mule some grass,¡± Old Hu said to Hu Gui as he led Li Yu and Er Ya through the vige and up the mountain beam.


    Li Yu saw that there were only 30 families in the vige. After walking for a while, a long string of vigers followed.


    Old Hu brought Li Yu up a hill and pointed at the sorghum nted on the hill. ¡°There are more than a hundred acres in this mountain area. It¡¯s a good harvest. There¡¯s another piece over there that¡¯s much worse.¡±


    Li Yu stood on it and looked around. She estimated that the tnd on the hill was at most 30 to 40 acres. Looking down, she saw some sorghum nted sparsely on the slope.


    Li Yu bent down and picked up a piece of soil. She rubbed it and felt that it was still considered soft. Standing on the hill and looking down, the entire hill was about five to six stories tall. Li Yu thought that if there was a water source, it could be used to develop terraces. However, she had only seen terraces and had never developed them. She was not 100% confident that she could sessfully transform them. She would see if the others could.


    Li Yu looked up at her surroundings and saw that most of the hills in front of her were like this. Some were nted with sorghum, while others were abandoned there. After more than ten hills, there were endless mountains.


    Seeing that Li Yu was silent as she looked at the slope, Old Hu¡¯s heart seemed to be hanging in midair. The vigers behind also looked at Li Yu eagerly, hoping that she would say something.


    Li Yu looked around and turned to ask Old Hu, ¡°Old man, where does the water you watered the ground withe from?¡±


    Old Hu smiled bitterly and pointed to arge mountain to the east. ¡°There¡¯s a dark ravine halfway up that mountain. We¡¯ll carry water from there to water the ground.¡±


    Li Yu¡¯s eyes lit up when she heard that. It was much easier with a water source. ¡°Bring me over to take a look.¡±


    Seeing that Li Yu wanted to see the water source, Old Hu felt a trace of hope. He looked at Li Yu excitedly. ¡°Alright, follow me.¡±


    Old Man Hu brought Li Yu to the east of the hill and went down to a man-made step path.


    ¡°That cave was still filled with yellow mud water after the sh flood that year. Everyone couldn¡¯t find any water to drink and looked around for water. A child saw water flowing down from above and found the source,¡± Old Hu said to Li Yu.


    It took an hour to walk up and down the nearby mountain path.


    Halfway up the mountain opposite, Old Hu pointed at the cave in front of him. ¡°Miss Li, there¡¯s a dark ditch inside. The water in the ditch moves very slowly. As long as it rains for a few days, the water will flood out of the cave. Even if it¡¯s dry, there¡¯s still a lot of water in it. I don¡¯t know where ites from.¡±


    Li Yu nodded and climbed to the entrance of the cave to see a cave as big as the mouth of the cave. Old Hu led the way into the cave and lit the torch stuck in the entrance. The cave became bright. Old Hu smiled and said, ¡°We oftene to fetch water, so we ced a torch and flint here for everyone to use more conveniently.¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡± Li Yu smiled and looked into the cave. She realized that the cave was more than ten square meters wide. After entering the cave and taking more than ten steps, she saw the dark ravine that Old Hu had mentioned. The dark raviney against the cliff in the cave. It was as wide as a wooden table and there was no hole at both ends. The water looked very deep and it was dark. There was no sign of water flowing.


    Li Yu looked at the entrance of the cave and looked at the hill opposite. She thought to herself, ¡°Leading the water over will solve the problem of irrigation.¡± After Li Yu took a look, she felt that the distance between them was at most 100 meters.


    Li Yu remained silent. Old Hu looked at Li Yu uneasily.


    Li Yu looked back at Old Hu. ¡°I¡¯ve thought of a way. Let¡¯s go back first and I¡¯ll tell you guys.¡±


    When Old Hu heard this, his hands trembled in excitement. He could only nod and agree.


    The three of them walked out of the cave and saw dozens of vigers following outside. After bowing to Li Yu, they looked at Old Hu eagerly. Old Hu waved at them. ¡°Go back first. Miss Li said that she has a way and will tell us when we head back.¡±


    The group returned to the hill excitedly and was about to walk down when Li Yu stopped Old Hu. ¡°Have you heard of terraces?¡±


    ¡°Terraces? I¡¯ve never heard of it. What kind?¡± Old Hu shook his head and asked.


    Li Yu organized her words and exined, ¡°Terraces are built ording to the terrain of the hill. Just like the mountain path you built, they go downyer byyer. After they are repaired, they will be called terraces like stairs.¡±


    Old Hu and the other vigers widened their eyes and looked at Li Yu in surprise.


    Old Hu asked hesitantly, ¡°Have you seen them before?¡±


    Li Yu looked at Old Hu and said sincerely, ¡°I¡¯ve only seen them in books and know the general method. However, I¡¯ve never actually developed them, so I¡¯m not 100% sure that I can seed. If you¡¯re not afraid of failure, I¡¯ll tell you the general situation.¡±

 Chapter 124

    124 Developing the Field


    Old Hu thought to himself, Miss Li doesn¡¯t look like she¡¯s talking nonsense. It¡¯s just that she hasn¡¯t seen that terraced field with her own eyes. This is thest chance for the Hu family to make aeback.


    Seeing Old Hu¡¯s hesitation, Li Yu said to him, ¡°Old man, discuss with everyone. If you decide to develop a terraced field, look for me at my house.¡±


    ¡°Miss Li, can you stay in the vige for a moment? I¡¯ll reply to you after discussing it with everyone.¡± Old Hu begged.


    Li Yu nodded. ¡°Alright, go discuss it! I¡¯ll look around here.¡±


    Er Ya brought the food container up the hill. ¡°Are you hungry, Miss?¡±


    Li Yu nodded. ¡°I¡¯m a little hungry. You¡¯re hungry, right? Let¡¯s eat first.¡±


    Er Ya chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m a little hungry. I don¡¯t think they know we¡¯re going to have lunch, so I brought the lunch box up.¡±


    Er Ya opened the food box and the two of them ate the dry food prepared by Auntie He. There were pancakes with pickled vegetables and pumpkin buns. The food box was filled.


    Old Hu walked to the vigers waiting at the side and told them what Li Yu had said. He looked at them and asked, ¡°Miss Li has already thought of a way for us. She also said that she does not have full confidence we can seed. What are your thoughts? Share them.¡±


    Everyone discussed animatedly. Most of them said, ¡°Just give it a try! It¡¯s a Hail Mary effort, to begin with. It¡¯s just a bit of effort. If it works, everyone won¡¯t have to leave their hometown.¡±


    Some were unwilling to waste their energy. ¡°If we work for nothing and still have to worry, it¡¯s better to sleep at home.¡±


    Old Hu took a look and realized that most of the vigers were willing to give it a try. The ones who were unwilling were those who usually liked to y tricks.


    Old Hu looked at them and said earnestly, ¡°The opportunity is right in front of us. Our Hu Vige can¡¯t just sneak around and live a hungry life. Our descendants will look down on us. Even if we die, we won¡¯t have the face to meet our ancestors. I¡¯ve decided to learn from Miss Li, those who agree can stand on my left and those who disagree, on my right.¡±


    More than twenty families stood on the left, and only three stood on the right. Old Hu looked at the men from the three families and said, ¡°Hu Chun, your brothers don¡¯t n to develop thend, right?¡±


    Hu Chun cupped his hands. ¡°Great-uncle, we n to take a look at Tongzhou City and make a living there.¡±


    Old Hu nodded. ¡°Alright, since you¡¯ve thought it through, I won¡¯t keep you. If you can¡¯t survive, remember toe back.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Uncle. We¡¯re leaving.¡± The three Hu brothers turned and walked down the hill to the vige.


    Old Hu said to the twenty or so families who stayed behind, ¡°Have you all thought it through? Even if we don¡¯t seed, we won¡¯t me Miss Li. I¡¯ll tell Miss Li.¡±


    Everyone replied in unison, ¡°Uncle, don¡¯t worry. At most, we¡¯ll spend some effort.¡±


    Old Hu looked at them and nodded in relief. He turned around and walked toward Li Yu.


    Li Yu looked at Old Hu and waited for his reply. Old Hu bowed to Li Yu and said, ¡°Miss Li, we¡¯re willing to try. Even if we don¡¯t seed, we won¡¯t me you.¡±


    Li Yu looked at Old Hu. ¡°Alright, then let¡¯s drive on the hill that you¡¯re on first. We have to choose a ce with a gentle slope and build it. After choosing, we have to follow the terrain. Just like thedder path you dug, we¡¯ll drive from the top to the bottom.¡±


    Seeing that Li Yu had immediately made the arrangements, Old Hu was confident. ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll go down now. We¡¯ll take the hoe and weapons to that hill.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Li Yu smiled and agreed. She brought Er Ya and Old Hu down the hill. When the vigers brought hoes and machetes and walked towards the barren hill, the bruised men from Hu Vige also came. Those who could work came to the hill.


    When the women saw Li Yu, they bowed with a red face before turning around and running toward the deste hill. Everyone held hoes and sickles and started fighting with their machetes.


    Li Yu and Old Hu walked to the hill and looked around. Old Hu pointed at the hill in front of them. ¡°Miss Li, these used to be nted with sorghum and beans. They were abandoned in the past two years.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and said, ¡°If you open up all thesends, won¡¯t everyone have food to eat?¡±


    When Old Hu heard this, he began to worry again. ¡°Miss, we need water to grow rice and wheat. Once the river changes, we won¡¯t be able to survive without water and crops nearby!¡±


    Li Yu pointed at the hill with the hidden ravine and smiled. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry. As long as you draw the water from the hidden ravine over, the irrigation problem will be solved.¡±


    When Old Hu heard this, he looked at the hill with the dark ditch and then at the hill in front of him. He looked at Li Yu in confusion and couldn¡¯t understand how water could be led from that hill to this hill. ¡°Do you mean to cut open that dark ditch? Even if you cut open the dark ditch, it will only lead to the bottom!¡±


    Li Yu smiled. ¡°There¡¯s no need to dig a dark ditch. You can get someone to cut some bamboo or big trees. It¡¯s better to use bamboo! Open up the bamboo and build a water bridge to draw the water here. Find a low-lying area at the top of the hill and dig a pond to store the water. You can also bring the water to the vige. It¡¯ll be much more convenient for you to consume water in the future.¡±


    Old Hu thought for a while and understood the mystery. He happily bowed to Li Yu. Li Yu hurriedly dodged. ¡°Old man, you can¡¯t...¡±


    Old Hu wiped his face and said solemnly to Li Yu, ¡°Miss Li, you¡¯re the benefactor of my Hu family. In the future, if you need my Hu family, I won¡¯t hesitate to go through fire and water for you.¡±


    Li Yu blushed and said, ¡°Old man, you¡¯re being too serious. I just know a little more than you. Besides, I only provided a way. You have to implement the details yourself.¡±


    Old Hu looked at Li Yu in shame. ¡°Miss, you changed the fate of our Hu family with a word, and it was after we did something wrong to you. If you hadn¡¯t asked me that day if I should let my descendants steal, I would have continued to be confused. Miss Li, thank you!¡±


    Li Yu blushed as she recalled that she just couldn¡¯t stand them back then. All of them were tall and strong, but they did those sneaky things. She only said a few words. She didn¡¯t expect Old Hu to wake up. She had done a good deed!


    A hundred people worked hard on the slope. They cut down the bushes and uprooted them. The vines and weeds burned on the slope. The older vigers were all veterans. They followed Li Yu¡¯s instructions and dug along the terrain. It didn¡¯t take long for them to open up ayer. Li Yu asked them to build a field with stones and y and continue to build a secondyer.


    After doing one level, everyone understood. The more they worked, the morefortable it became. Li Yu stayed in Hu Vige until the end of the day before bidding farewell to the vigers and going home.

 Chapter 125

    125 Irrigation


    Old Hu said to Li Yu, ¡°Miss Li, everyone knows what to do. Rest at home for two days. We¡¯ll pick you up when the water bridge is built.¡±


    Seeing that it was gettingte, Li Yu said, ¡°Alright, you¡¯d better get someone to dig up more rotten soil in the forest and scatter it in the ground. That rotten soil is good for fertilizing the fields. After scattering the rotten soil in the ground, dig deep into the ground and rake it carefully. Then, scatter ayer of rotten soil. When the ground is ready, I¡¯ll tell you how to fertilize it.¡±


    Old Hu and the vigers listened attentively and remembered it in their hearts. ¡°We¡¯ll remember it. I¡¯ll get Hu Gui to send you and Miss Er Ya back.¡±


    ¡°Alright, look for me when you¡¯re done. Make sure the soil is yey or it won¡¯t be able to hold water.¡± Li Yu instructed Old Hu.


    Old Hu cupped his hands at Li Yu. ¡°Miss, we¡¯ll remember. Sorry to trouble you to make a trip without even serving tea.¡±


    Li Yu waved her hand and hurriedly got into the cart. The vigers of Hu Vige followed behind the cart until they reached the entrance of the vige before stopping.


    Hu Gui insisted on sending Li Yu to the entrance of Phoenix Vige before turning around and going back. Er Ya looked at Li Yu. ¡°Miss, I walked around their vige. They¡¯re really poor! They¡¯re even poorer than before my family fled.¡±


    Li Yu pondered for a moment. ¡°We¡¯ll have to see whether they can drive the terraces out on solid ground this time.¡±


    In the blink of an eye, it was the end of the month again. All the rice in the fields of Phoenix Vige had been stored in the granary. Two hills had also been opened up in the terraced fields of Hu Vige.


    Old Hu brought people to the forest and cut down more than ten big trees. He asked the vigers to dig a hole in the middle of the trees and carry them to the cave. After everything was ready, he went to Phoenix Vige to ask Li Yu for help.


    When Li Yu arrived at Hu Vige, she went to the cave with the vigers. She stood at the entrance of the cave and looked at the hill opposite. After looking at the position, she took out a charcoal pencil and drew a line from the entrance to the dark ditch inside. She said to Old Hu, ¡°Get someone to dig from the hole to the side of the dark ditch and create a ditch that can amodate the size of this tree trunk. Then, set up the hollowed tree trunk until it connects to the pool at the top of the opposite mountain.¡±


    When Old Hu heard this, he pointed at the young man at the entrance of the cave and said, ¡°Miss Li, to be honest, this child also thought of this method. I thought you had another way.¡±


    Li Yu nced at the young man and praised, ¡°He¡¯s very smart. You should listen to everyone¡¯s opinions. What I say might not be right. Let¡¯s dig! Let¡¯s try to spread this season¡¯s winter wheat.¡±


    Old Hu shouted happily at the vigers, ¡°Everyone, move faster. Whether we can eat white flour buns next year will depend on everyone.¡±


    ¡°Alright, the white steamed buns are here.¡± A few men took chisels and started to chisel at the hole. The others rushed to the nailed wooden shelves.


    Li Yu went down the mountain and turned to the side of the terraced field. She looked up at the terraced field that was risingyer byyer like a heavenly staircase. She grabbed a handful of soil and felt it in her palm. Seeing that the soil had been scattered with rotten soil as she had said, she nodded in satisfaction. ¡°Old man, get someone to dig a few deep pits in the corner of the back shadow. After cutting off those leaves, soil, and weeds, pour them into the pits. Then, pour in the vegetation ash and slush. After a few days of digging, the crops will have fertile soil.¡±


    Old Hu was enlightened when he heard that. ¡°So those pits in your field are used to fertilize?¡±


    Li Yu nodded. Old Hu smiled in embarrassment and said, ¡°I saw those small sheds at the corner of your vige that day. I thought you were raising something. When I got closer, I saw that they were all pits. I wondered what they were used for!¡±


    ¡°Now you understand!¡± Li Yu smiled at him. Old Hu nodded. ¡°Thank you, Miss Li.¡±


    Li Yu stayed in Hu Vige for more than two hours. Seeing that they could do it themselves, she drove the mule cart home. Just as she reached home, Chen Yaohui and a few vigers came looking for her. It turned out that a grain merchant hade to the vige to buy food.


    Chen Yaohui asked Li Yu, ¡°Xiaoyu, your family bought so much food. Are you selling it or saving it?¡±


    Li Yu looked at everyone¡¯s excited expressions. ¡°Uncle Yaohui, the grain merchants are here to collect food. How much are we getting for a catty?¡±


    Chen Yaohui smiled and gestured. ¡°Six copper coins a catty. What do you think? Are you selling?¡±


    When Li Yu heard this, she shook her head and said, ¡°I n to let it go for a while. I heard that the drought in Qingzhou hasn¡¯t subsided yet. Who knows if it will be fine next year?¡±


    Chen Zhongughed when he heard that. ¡°Xiaoyu, you¡¯re worrying too much. We¡¯ll have to sell it as old grain next year. By then, it won¡¯t be at this price. Besides, you won¡¯t be able to finish your food in ten years.¡±


    Li Yu smiled. ¡°Uncle Zhong, I still have such a big family! I think it¡¯s not toote to sell the rice after the new year.¡±


    Seeing that Li Yu didn¡¯t intend to sell, Chen Yaohui decided not to sell too. ¡°I¡¯ll think about it slowly. Food is our lifeblood. Everyone, go back and prepare to plow thend and nt winter wheat.¡±


    When the grain merchant arrived at the vige, he realized that no one was selling food. He asked Granny Chen, who was passing by, ¡°Olddy, why aren¡¯t you selling so much food? If you keep it until next year, it will be old food. The price of old food is much cheaper. Besides, if you don¡¯t sell it, you¡¯ll get worms in the grains.¡±


    Grandma Chen nced at him and pouted. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about anything. If you¡¯re not afraid of worms with the food you collect, what am I afraid of?¡±


    ¡°Olddy, I¡¯m just asking out of goodwill. Why are you so angry?¡± The grain merchant looked at her and smiled.


    Grandma Chen rolled her eyes at him and left. ¡°I can¡¯t be bothered to grind my teeth with you. I¡¯m busy!¡±


    On the fourth day of September, Old Hu of Hu Vige brought Hu Gui to Li Yu¡¯s house early in the morning. When Li Yu returned from refining, she saw two people standing at the door from afar. She thought that something had happened. When she ran closer, she asked Old Hu strangely, ¡°Old man, is the water connected?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s connected. We¡¯ll start running water today. We want you to take a look and make you happy.¡±


    Li Yu was happy for them when she saw Old Hu. ¡°Come in and have a drink. I¡¯ll wash up and go with you.¡±


    Old Hu kept shaking his head. ¡°No, no. We¡¯ll wait for you at the door.¡±


    Seeing that the two of them were unwilling to enter the house, Li Yu could only quickly pack up and go to Hu Vige with them after dinner.


    The men, women, and children of Hu Vige were all waiting at the entrance of the vige. After Li Yu and Old Hu arrived, they walked up the mountain together.


    Li Yu stood on the mountain and saw that the tree trunk was like a long dragon. It had already been ced in front of the cave opposite. The pond on the mountain had also been dug.


    Li Yu followed Old Hu to the cave opposite and saw water flowing out of the cave. She followed Old Hu into the cave. Seeing the hollowed tree trunk ced at the side, Old Hu bowed to Li Yu and said, ¡°Miss Li, please put the tree trunk in the ditch.¡±


    After Li Yu bowed in return, she raised the tree trunk and gently ced it down. She watched as the water flowed into the hollowed tree trunk and slowly flowed towards the opposite hill. Li Yu was so touched that her eyes turned red when she saw Old Hu and the vigers¡¯ eyes flickering with tears of excitement.


    After a while, the people on the opposite hill waved their arms at Old Hu and shouted, ¡°The water is here. The water ising.¡±

 Chapter 126

    126 Happiness


    Everyone went to the hill opposite excitedly. When they saw that the water had already flowed into the pond, the vigers of Hu Vige bowed excitedly when they saw Li Yu. ¡°Thank you, Miss Li.¡±


    Li Yu looked at the tired and thin vigers and said with a smile, ¡°You should not be thanking me but yourselves. It¡¯s because you really want to change and are willing to work hard to achieve your current achievements. Everyone, don¡¯t thank me. I¡¯ll tell everyone about my experience growing winter wheat. Remember it well. If you don¡¯t understand, you can look for me at my house.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Miss Li,¡± the vigers of Hu Vige shouted in unison.


    Li Yu was also a little excited when she saw their happy expressions. She smiled and told them what to pay attention to when nting the winter wheat. She also told them the method for selecting the seeds. Only when they remembered it seriously did she bid farewell to everyone. Old Hu stopped Li Yu and said, ¡°Miss, please have a meal here before leaving!¡±


    ¡°Thank you, but there¡¯s no need for that this time. I still have something to do at home. When you nt food next year, I¡¯lle and try your new food.¡± Li Yu looked at them and smiled.


    Old Hu bowed excitedly. ¡°Okay, you muste then.¡±


    Li Yu bade farewell to the vigers and drove the mule cart back. The vigers of Hu Vige went home and gathered their money together. They pulled the cart towards the seed shop that Li Yu had mentioned.


    Li Yu rushed home and saw Li Mei standing at the door with Brother Pig in her arms. She stopped the car and smiled at Li Mei. ¡°Aunt, you¡¯re out of confinement!¡±


    Li Mei said worriedly, ¡°It¡¯s already the fourth day of the new month. Why isn¡¯t there any news from Mr. Zhou? Look, you¡¯re not anxious at all.¡±


    ¡°The rankings will only be released on the next day. This is the rule of the government office.¡± Li Yuforted Li Mei.


    Li Mei walked up to Li Yu and said in a low voice, ¡°Yu¡¯er, you shouldn¡¯t havee back earlier. Look at Mr. Zhou. He¡¯s young and handsome. Aunt is worried that Mr. Zhou will be snatched away by those youngdies.¡±


    Li Yu shrugged and whispered into Li Mei¡¯s ear, ¡°Aunt, don¡¯t worry. If Mr. Zhou is snatched away, I¡¯ll find a better one. It¡¯s not easy to find a three-legged toad. Are you afraid of missing a two-legged man?¡±


    When Li Mei heard this, she pped Li Yu and said angrily, ¡°Crazy girl, you can only say this between us. Don¡¯t let outsiders hear it.¡±


    Li Yu hurriedly nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not stupid.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m d you know. I¡¯ll go to the workshop and take a look. Zhao Cai brought back a few more carts of wool. I¡¯ll see how they¡¯re doing.¡±


    Li Mei was interrupted by Li Yu and stopped thinking about Zhou Jia. She carried Brother Pig and walked towards the workshop.


    After Li Yu put the mule cart away, she returned to the house and saw the grain seeds sent over from the farmstead. She closed the door and stored the grain seeds in the space. She took out the rapeseed and went to Zhou Jia¡¯s workshop.


    Zhao Cai and Uncle Zhou had just put the wool into the warehouse when Li Yu arrived. Zhao Cai bowed to Li Yu and said with a smile, ¡°Miss, Young Master asked me to tell you not to sell the food at home first. The food in the Tongzhou Prefecture has to be transferred to the Qingzhou Prefecture. There will be an increase in the price of food in a few days. Young Master said that the most important thing is that the few provinces adjacent to the Qingzhou Prefecture have suffered a decrease in production because of the drought. I heard that the Qingzhou Prefecture is starving and the government office was almost broken through by the refugees. I¡¯m afraid life will be even more difficult in the future.¡±


    ¡°Alright, go and rest first. You can leave tomorrow morning,¡± Li Yu said with a smile.


    The clerk nodded. ¡°Thank you, Miss. I have to rush back now. There are many people on the street tomorrow, and the bag shops are all short of goods.¡±


    After Li Yu and Uncle Zhou sent Zhao Cai away, Uncle Zhou looked at Li Yu worriedly. ¡°Miss, don¡¯t tell me we¡¯ll be having trouble again?¡±


    Li Yu thought for a moment and said to Uncle Zhou, ¡°We have to make preparations first. It¡¯s best if we can prepare some arrows at home. However, since Xiao Xi sent the letter back, he should be prepared.¡±


    While Zhou Jia was waiting for news in Tongzhou City, he picked Li Qing up from the private school and brought him home to stay. After school, he still had to write articles and practice. Li Qing looked at Zhou Jia resentfully. ¡°Sir, if you abuse me like this, I¡¯llin when I get back.¡±


    Zhou Jia nced at him. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to surpass me? You areining about just this bit of hardship. Write another article on the question.¡±


    ¡°Just you wait. I¡¯ll definitely surpass you.¡± Li Qing gritted his teeth and started writing.


    The next day, at the beginning of September, the entrance of the Five Gong Courtyard was surrounded by people waiting for news. Ji Xiang was already under the Rankings Wall on the west side of the courtyard and had upied the best position to wait for the rankings to be released.


    When dawn broke, the door of the tribute court opened. When the bailiff and officials came out with the list, everyone looked up at the bailiff who posted the list. The people who had been waiting there rushed forward and almost squeezed Ji Xiang¡¯s shoes off.


    Ji Xiang looked up and saw the words Zhou Jia below the first ce. Ji Xiang rubbed his eyes and looked at it carefully again. He jumped up in joy. ¡°Ah! Ha, ha, ha. My young master came in the first ce.¡±


    Ji Xiang cheered and squeezed out of the crowd under the envious and jealous gazes of the onlookers. He ran all the way to the alley of the Teacher Temple and ran over to hug Zhao Cai. ¡°Zhao Cai, Young Master¡¯s first ce. He is a Top Scorer. Hahaha...¡±


    The clerk looked at Ji Xiang with glowing eyes. ¡°That¡¯s great. Young Master got it. Young Master got promoted.¡±


    Zhao Cai wiped his tears. ¡°Let¡¯s go back and tell Young Master.¡±


    Ji Xiang and Zhao Cai grinned from ear to ear and rushed back to Osmanthus Lane with silly smiles. Just as Ji Xiang reached the door, he jumped out of the cart and shouted as he ran, ¡°Young Master, Young Master, you¡¯ve gotten first in... ¡±


    Zhou Jia heard Ji Xiang¡¯s happy voice in the study and walked out excitedly. He stood at the door of the central room and smiled as he watched Ji Xiang rush into the room. When Ji Xiang saw him, his eyes turned red. ¡°Young Master, you won. You¡¯ve clinched first ce.¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled and looked at Ji Xiang with reddened eyes. ¡°Got it. Go back and tell the Miss the good news!¡±


    Lucky wiped away tears of joy. ¡°Okay, okay, I¡¯ll go back now.¡±


    Zhang Guisheng looked at the crowd in front of the rankings and waited anxiously for Zhang Defa¡¯s news.


    Zhang Defa stood in front of the list and looked at it several times. He did not see Zhang Guisheng¡¯s name, but he saw Zhou Jia¡¯s name below the first ce.


    ¡°If he got first ce, how could my Guisheng not rank?¡± Zhang Defa muttered to himself. ¡°How did this happen? No, my Guisheng is so outstanding. Did the examiner miss out on my Guisheng¡¯s name?¡±


    The man standing beside Zhang Defa looked at him and shook his head with pity. ¡°Sigh! Another person who went crazy thinking about the Central Election.¡±


    The dazed Zhang Defa was squeezed out of the crowd. He subconsciously walked up to Zhang Guisheng and looked at him nkly.


    When Zhang Guisheng saw his expression, he knew that there was no hope. He nced at Zhang Defa and called out miserably, ¡°Father.¡± Then, he lowered his head and walked back.


    Zhang Defa came back to his senses and chased after him. ¡°Guisheng, didn¡¯t you say that you got everything right? Why isn¡¯t your name on the list? Did the examiner make a mistake?¡±


    Zhang Guisheng saw that the pedestrians on the road were looking at the father and son and pointing at them. Their expressions were as if they had seen a lunatic.

 Chapter 127

    127 Karma Came Too Quickly?


    Zhang Guisheng looked at his father¡¯s disappointed gaze and roared angrily, ¡°Who should I ask?¡± With that, he turned around and ran.


    Zhang Guisheng kept running, trying to escape Zhang Defa¡¯s disappointed gaze. Just as he ran out of the Teacher Temple alley, he turned around with a nk expression and watched nkly as a mule cart drove over quickly. Zhang Guisheng was knocked to the ground and the wheels rolled over his legs. He heard a crack and fainted after a scream.


    Zhang Defa caught up from behind. When he saw Zhang Guisheng on the ground, he was stunned for a moment before he reacted. He rushed up in a daze and hugged Zhang Guisheng as he cried, ¡°Guisheng, Guisheng, my son! What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Zhang Guisheng was still unconscious. The coachman also reacted and hurriedly got out of the cart to carry Zhang Guisheng to the cart. He pulled the father and son to the medical center. ¡°Doctor, quickly take a look at my son.¡± Zhang Defa cried as he carried Zhang Guisheng into the medical center with the coachman.


    The physician shouted to them, ¡°Carry them into the inner hall and put them on the bed.¡±


    ¡°Doctor, please take a look at why my son is unconscious,¡± Zhang Defa said with a crying face.


    The two of them carried Zhang Guisheng into the inner hall and ced him on the bed. The doctor touched Zhang Guisheng¡¯s head. ¡°His head isn¡¯t injured.¡± He began to carefully examine the other parts.


    Seeing that Zhang Defa was focused on watching the doctor examine Zhang Guisheng, the coachman quietly slipped away.


    Zhang Defa watched nervously as the doctor examined Zhang Guisheng¡¯s injuries on the bed. He kept regretting in his heart. Why didn¡¯t I wait until I got home before questioning him? What should I do now? Why are there so many unlucky things?


    After the doctor took a look at Zhang Guisheng, he said to Zhang Defa, ¡°Your son¡¯s other injuries are not serious. It¡¯s just that the bones in his left calf are shattered. It will be difficult for him to walk after treatment.¡±


    Zhang Defa pulled the doctor. ¡°Doctor, what do you mean by inconvenient to walk? My son is a schr. He still has to take the imperial examination.¡±


    The doctor looked at Zhang Defa¡¯s slightly deranged expression and sighed. ¡°After your son recovers, his leg will be crippled. Don¡¯t even think about taking the imperial examination!¡±


    ¡°What should I do? What should I do?¡± Zhang Defa muttered as he sat on the ground and looked at Zhang Guisheng, who was unconscious on the bed.


    The doctor shook his head and went to prescribe the medicine. He handed it to Zhang Defa. ¡°Old man, go to the front hall and pay for the medicine first so that I can apply it on your son.¡±


    ¡°Ask the coachman to pay. He was the one who injured my son. My son is a schr who is going to be an official. I want him topensate me.¡± Zhang Defa roared as he got up from the ground and looked around for the coachman. ¡°Where is he? Damn it,pensate my son.¡±


    The doctor watched as he kept shaking his head. Zhang Defa searched everywhere in the medical hall and finally found the front hall. The shopkeeper stopped him and said, ¡°Brother, the coachman who came with you has long left. He said that he saw that your son was injured and kindly sent you and your son here. You should pay for the medicine first so that we can drug your son.¡±


    When Zhang Defa heard this, he shouted, ¡°Damn bastard, he was the one who injured my son. Why didn¡¯t you stop him? Where can I find money to pay for the medicine now?¡±


    When the shopkeeper heard Zhang Defa say that he had no money to pay for the medicine, he looked at Zhang Defa with a dark expression and said, ¡°If you don¡¯t have money, then I¡¯m sorry. Men, bring out his son.¡±


    When the shop assistant heard this, he walked towards the inner hall. Zhang Defa hurriedly pulled the shop assistant back and begged the shopkeeper, ¡°Shopkeeper, please do me a favor and let me go home to gather the money.¡±


    The shopkeeper sighed when he heard that. ¡°Go back and gather the money! If you don¡¯t hand over the money for the medicine before dark, I¡¯ll have to carry him outside.¡±


    Zhang Defa kept nodding. ¡°Okay, okay. I¡¯ll go back and gather the money.¡± With that, he stumbled home.


    Zhang Guisheng woke up and realized that he was lying on the bed. Just as he was about to get up, he was pressed down by the medicine boy. ¡°You can¡¯t move. If you move again, you won¡¯t be able to leave.¡±


    Zhang Guisheng looked at the medicine boy in confusion. ¡°What happened to me? Why am I lying here? Where am I?¡±


    The medicine boy looked at Zhang Guisheng and said expressionlessly, ¡°Your father sent you here. Your calf bone was shattered by the mule cart, and the coachman who injured you ran away. Your father went back to gather the money for the medicine.¡±


    ¡°Broken calf bone?¡± Zhang fell onto the bed and looked at the medicine boy. ¡°Is it serious? Can it be cured?¡±


    ¡°Yes, you can walk with a cane in the future.¡±


    When Zhang Guisheng heard this, he roared, ¡°No, I¡¯m a schr. If my leg is crippled, what¡¯s the use of studying?¡±


    The medicine boy shook his head and turned away.


    Zhang Defa ran home with a pale face. Chen Zhaodi and Zhang Guixiang looked at him excitedly. ¡°Did he pass? What¡¯s his ranking?¡±


    Zhang Defa squatted down, hugged his head, and cried, ¡°Guisheng¡¯s leg was broken by a mule cart. He¡¯s unconscious and waiting for treatment at the medical center.¡±


    ¡°Ah! What did you say? What¡¯s wrong with my Guisheng?¡± Chen Zhaodi shook Zhang Defa. ¡°I don¡¯t believe you. You¡¯re lying to me.¡±


    Zhang Guixiang stood there in a daze. Zhu Qiaoyu stood at the door and looked at Zhang Defa and his mother-inw. She felt relieved and subconsciouslyughed out loud. ¡°Ha, ha, he¡¯sme! It¡¯s good that he¡¯sme! It¡¯s good that he¡¯sme!¡±


    Zhang Guixiang looked at Zhu Qiaoyu and cursed at her, ¡°Bitch, how can you stillugh? What¡¯s in it for you if my brother is crippled?¡±


    Zhu Qiaoyu looked at Zhang Guixiang with a sneer. ¡°It¡¯s not good for me that he¡¯s not crippled. It¡¯s good that he¡¯s crippled. The heavens have eyes. Your family¡¯s retribution has arrived.¡±


    Chen Zhaodi looked at Zhu Qiaoyu and rushed over with a crazy howl. She grabbed Zhu Qiaoyu¡¯s hair and started fighting. ¡°It¡¯s all your fault. I¡¯ll beat you to death. You¡¯re just a jinx. Ever since you entered my house, my house has never been peaceful.¡±


    Zhu Qiaoyu screamed, ¡°Is it my fault? It was clearly your Zhang family who cheated me into marriage and harmed me. Now, you¡¯re even ming me. You don¡¯t know how to repay kindness and still want to harm the Li family. Retribution is here!


    After Zhu Qiaoyu was grabbed and beaten a few times, her scalp hurt so much that cold sweat broke out. Evil rose from her guts. She reached out and grabbed Chen Zhaodi¡¯s hair, mming her head back hard. Chen Zhaodi was in so much pain that she saw stars. Seeing this, Zhang Guixiang hurriedly rushed over to help. The three of them fought.


    Zhang Defa watched the few of them fight and did not persuade them to stop. He staggered into the house and opened Zhu Qiaoyu¡¯s box. He found two pieces of jewelry in the bottompartment of the box and picked out two sets of clothes. He carried them to the pawnshop and pawned them for four taels of silver before going to the medical center.


    Seeing that Zhang De had arrived, the shopkeeper said to him coldly, ¡°If you didn¡¯te, I would have gotten someone to carry your son out.¡±


    Zhang De trembled and paid for the medicine. ¡°Shopkeeper, how¡¯s my son? Is he awake?¡±


    The shopkeeper fiddled with his abacus and looked up at him. ¡°He¡¯s awake. He¡¯s lying there motionless. Try to coax him!¡±


    Zhang Defa took the remaining three taels of silver and went to the inner hall. He stood in front of the bed and looked at Zhang Guisheng, who was staring nkly at the roof. He sat in front of the bed with tears in his eyes andforted him. ¡°Son! Rest well. After you recover, we can open a private school and carry on with life.¡±


    Zhang Guisheng looked at the roof. Two streams of tears flowed down his face.


    Zhang Defa looked at the disheartened Zhang Guisheng and for some reason, he recalled Zhu Qiaoyu¡¯s words. Were the heavens really looking down on the people below? Was there really retribution? If there was, why did ite so quickly?

 Chapter 128

    128 Warmth


    Before Ji Xiang arrived at Phoenix Vige, an official rode a fast horse to Phoenix Town. When he reached the entrance of the vige, he raised his voice and shouted the good news, ¡°The top schr of Phoenix Vige, Zhou Jia, is a Top Scorer...¡±


    When the people plowing the fields heard this, they wiped the mud off their legs and ran towards Li Yu¡¯s house. They shouted, ¡°Xiaoyu, Mr. Zhou is the top scorer.¡±


    Li Yu and Li Mei¡¯s family all ran out of the house and towards the Zhou family.


    The bailiff shouted all the way and was led to the entrance of the Zhou family. He shouted, ¡°Congrattions, congrattions, Top Scorer. The Zhou family has received the good news!


    Li Yu took the good news with a smile and handed a piece of silver to the bailiff. She smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s been hard on you.¡±


    The bailiff took it and saw that it was silver. He was so happy that his mouth could not close. ¡°It¡¯s not hard, not hard.¡± With that, he turned around and mounted his horse.


    Ruyi lit the firecrackers. The festive sound of the firecrackers sounded.


    Li Yu looked at Uncle Zhou and Ruyi, who were wiping their tears. ¡°Uncle Zhou, when Zhou Jiaes back, we¡¯ll hold a banquet to celebrate.¡±


    Uncle Zhou wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes and smiled. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll listen to you and celebrate.¡±


    After saying that, Uncle Zhou looked up at the sky and prayed, ¡°Old Master, Madam, Young Master has passed the imperial examination. It¡¯s the first ce, Top Scorer. Rest in peace! ¡±


    The day after the rankings were released, Zhou Jia attended the banquet hosted by the governor. He rejected the invitation to go on a trip to celebrate and set off for Phoenix Vige early in the morning.


    As soon as he arrived at the vige, he was surrounded by the vigers. Everyone asked excitedly. Some asked, ¡°Is the Deer Dinner all about deer meat?¡±


    Some asked, ¡°Does the governor look the same as he does on the stage?¡±


    After Zhou Jia answered patiently, he smiled and said to everyone, ¡°Uncles, aunties, the Zhou family will hold a banquet tomorrow. Everyone,e and eat.¡±


    Chen Yaohui and the othersughed happily. ¡°That¡¯s good! We¡¯ll starve tonight and wait for your banquet tomorrow.¡±


    Everyoneughed when they heard that.


    After Zhou Jia and Li Yu sent the vigers away, Zhou Jia bowed to Li Mei and her husband. ¡°Congrattions on having a son.¡±


    Li Mei looked at Zhou Jia with a smile. ¡°Mr. Zhou, I¡¯m still waiting for you to name my son!¡±


    Liu Changmin smiled and nced at Li Mei. ¡°We can¡¯t call you Mr. Zhou anymore. It¡¯s Top Scorer now.¡±


    Li Mei rolled her eyes at him. ¡°The Top Scorer is also my niece¡¯s husband.¡±


    Liu Changming nodded with a smile. ¡°Yes, yes.¡± Everyone smiled and watched the two of them bicker.


    Zhou Jia stole a nce at Li Yu, who was standing at the side with a smile. He saw that her long, ck hair was as thick as clouds. Her skin was fair and pink, and she had dark eyebrows, cherry lips, long eyshes, and lively eyes. Zhou Jia couldn¡¯t take his eyes off her.


    Zhaodi saw that Zhou Jia kept stealing nces at Li Yu. She smiled and said to Li Mei, ¡°Mother, Brother Pig is going to cry at home. Let¡¯s go home! Let Cousin talk to Mr. Zhou.¡±


    Li Mei pushed Li Yu to Zhou Jia. ¡°Yes, yes. Let¡¯s talk. We¡¯ll go back first.¡±


    After sending Li Mei and the others off, Li Yu looked at the even more elegant and handsome Zhou Jia and teased him with a smile, ¡°Do you think it¡¯s better for me to call you Xiao Xi or Top Scorer in the future?¡±


    ¡°You can call me whatever you want. I¡¯m all yours.¡± Zhou Jia couldn¡¯t help but hold Li Yu¡¯s hand and say gently, ¡°Yu¡¯er, I missed you so much.¡±


    Li Yu felt as if she had drunk a bowl of honey water. She looked at Zhou Jia with a smile. ¡°Go back next door first. Uncle Zhou has been waiting for you toe back and offer incense to your grandfather and mother.¡±


    Zhou Jia held Li Yu¡¯s hand. ¡°Alright,e with me. I still have something to say to you.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± The two of them looked at each other and smiled. They went to the Zhou family. Uncle Zhou, Auntie He, and Ruyi looked at Zhou Jia and bowed happily. ¡°Congrattions, Young Master.¡±


    After Zhou Jia helped them up and went to the small ancestral hall to light incense and pay respects, he bowed to Uncle Zhou and said, ¡°Uncle Zhou, thank you. Without you, I wouldn¡¯t be who I am today.¡±


    Uncle Zhou quickly retreated to the side excitedly. ¡°Young Master, you can¡¯t. We¡¯re just doing our best.¡±


    At this moment, Ruyi came over and reported from outside, ¡°Young Master, Town Mayor Zhu and some country officials are here to congratte you on your promotion.¡±


    When Zhou Jia arrived at the door, he saw Zhu Zhencheng and High Schr Ye¡¯s butler. There were also a few unfamiliar country squires who came to congratte him.


    When Zhu Zhencheng saw Zhou Jia, he smiled and cupped his hands. ¡°Ha! Ha! I didn¡¯t judge wrongly. Congrattions, Mr. Zhou!¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled and cupped his hands in thanks. ¡°Thank you, Town Mayor. Thank you, vigers.¡±


    For a moment, the Zhou family was filled with guests. Those who knew each other came with gifts. Zhou Jia smiled until his face froze. He only sent the guests away in the evening. After hurriedly washing up, he went to Li Yu¡¯s house. The two of them held hands and stood by the window upstairs. Looking at the resplendent starry sky, their hearts were filled with the joy of reuniting after a short separation.


    Zhou Jia kissed Li Yu¡¯s temple and couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°Yu¡¯er, I heard from Zhao Cai that you brought Ruyi to teach High Schr Ye a lesson. You scared his family so much that they¡¯re still doing the Tao Field until today. You even ced those snakes and insects in the central room and scared Madam Ye half to death and shaved High Schr Ye¡¯s head and eyebrows?¡±


    Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia from the corner of her eye and smiled roguishly. ¡°Hmph! Who asked him to y tricks on us? It won¡¯t kill him!¡±


    Zhou Jia thought about High Schr Ye¡¯s pale and beardless face. Then, he thought about how Li Yu had shaved him naked and felt that it was too interesting.


    ¡°Naughty.¡± Zhou Jia couldn¡¯t help but hug Li Yu andugh.


    Afterughing, Li Yu recalled what Zhao Cai had brought back and asked Zhou Jia, ¡°Xiao Xi, where did you find out that the Qingzhou government was almost broken through by the refugees? The drought in Qingzhou didn¡¯t ease at all?¡±


    Zhou Jia frowned and said, ¡°Shen Wu told me the news. He said that the rioters had snatched up the government office¡¯s granary. There are also a few ces near Qingzhou that didn¡¯t have much harvest. I heard from Shen Wu that the Imperial Court has ordered Tongzhou to transfer food over.¡±


    ¡°If the Imperial Court doesn¡¯t help the victims, the riot won¡¯t be far away. Can Qingzhou City still defend itself without food?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! If we don¡¯t help them, and with Great Qi watching from the side, Qingzhou will probably be in trouble.¡± Zhou Jia pondered for a moment. ¡°Yu¡¯er, how¡¯s our wheat and rice harvest this year?¡±


    Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia and smiled proudly. ¡°After screening the wheat for nting, there are still more than 600 stones left. There are a lot of grains this year. The average acreage is five stones. Think about it, how much food did we collect?¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu in surprise. ¡°Yu¡¯er, you¡¯re too capable! You didn¡¯t know this but I heard from the refugees from Qingzhou that those locusts nted their eggs in the soil. As soon as the weather warmed up, the locusts broke out of the ground. The crops that they painstakingly nted were eaten up again. The refugees had to peel off the bark from trees to eat.¡±


    Li Yu thought for a moment. ¡°Let¡¯s raise more geese, ducks, and chickens. These poultry all like to eat insects. Especially ducks, they like to eat in the soil. If they don¡¯tck water, put some water in the field and put the ducks in. The locust eggs andrvae will be eaten by the ducks.¡±


    ¡°Yes! Your idea is good, but I wonder if those officials care about the lives of the victims? If they really care, they should ask a farmer. There¡¯s no silver in the Imperial Court at the moment. The officials everywhere either only want to fish silver for their pockets, or they only want to protect their political achievements or get promoted. How many of them will care about the lives of the people?¡±

 Chapter 129

    129 Banquet


    When Li Yu heard this, she also felt that it was true. The people in the Imperial court had not been thinking for themoners. In the end, themoners, who had been forced into a corner by this disaster, could only take the risk.


    Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia and smiled. ¡°That¡¯s why you have to learn more about farming. You have to be an official in the future too! If you can¡¯t even differentiate between wheat seedlings and leeks, how can you work for the people?¡±


    ¡°Yu¡¯er, it¡¯s fine as long as I have you.¡± Zhou Jia hugged Li Yu and pecked her red lips. He smiled like a cat stealing fish.


    Li Yu tapped Zhou Jia¡¯s forehead and bared her teeth at him. ¡°Xiao Xi, you¡¯re a lecher.¡±


    Zhou Jia hugged Li Yu and smiled proudly. ¡°Little Yu¡¯er, you¡¯re my wife. I¡¯m only interested in you.¡±


    Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia¡¯s glowing eyes and hurriedly pushed him away. ¡°It¡¯ste. We still have a banquet tomorrow morning. Go back and rest.¡±


    Zhou Jia nodded reluctantly. ¡°Yes! You should rest too!¡±


    Li Yu sent Zhou Jia to the door and watched him go home before closing the courtyard door to rest.


    The next day, Town Mayor Zhu, a few squires, and the vigers came to town. Even Old Hu received the news from somewhere and came to the vige to congratte them.


    When Old Hu saw the handsome Zhou Jia, he nodded to himself. As expected of Miss Li¡¯s fianc¨¦, they were really a match made in heaven.


    The Zhou and Li families and the vigers who were helping out in the vige finally ended the banquet after a busy day. Zhou Jia sent off thest guests and the vigers to sit in the courtyard and chat.


    The old vige chief said happily to Zhou Jia, ¡°Mr. Zhou, when are you leaving for the capital to participate in the Spring Quarter Examination?¡±


    Everyone looked at Zhou Jia hopefully, thinking that a schr was about to appear in Phoenix Vige.


    ¡°I want to make sufficient preparations before going to the capital. Besides, the world hasn¡¯t been very peaceful in the past two years. Let¡¯s wait for the next Spring Quarter Examination!¡± Zhou Jia said to the old vige chief.


    ¡°Is the drought in Qingzhou not over yet?¡±


    ¡°Not yet!...¡± Zhou Jia told everyone what he had heard in Tongzhou.


    Everyone was relieved when they heard that. They thanked Li Yu and Zhou Jia. ¡°Mr. Zhou, Xiaoyu, fortunately, we followed the two of you out back then and managed to lead a good life here. Our days are much better than when we were in West Mountain Vige.¡±


    They both smiled politely. ¡°You can¡¯t say that. That¡¯s all your decision.¡±


    Everyone exchanged pleasantries before bidding farewell and returning home to rest.


    When Butcher He reached home, he said to Madam Huang, ¡°Mr. Zhou is now a Top Scorer. I think we should agree to Xiaoyu and Ruyi¡¯s marriage! Good citizens can¡¯t evenpare to the servants of officials. Besides, Xiaoyu and Mr. Zhou are kind and won¡¯t mistreat our Xiaoyu. Xiaoyu will be the wife of a butler if she marries Ruyi.¡±


    Madam Huang looked at Butcher He stubbornly. ¡°But when I think of our daughter marrying Xiaoyu¡¯s servant, I feel ufortable. Back then...¡±


    Butcher He mmed the table in anger. ¡°Back then, you looked down on her! Look at her ability. Even a man can¡¯tpare to her. Let me ask you, is your dignity more important than your child¡¯s life? Why are you so stupid?¡±


    Seeing that Butcher He was really angry, Madam Huang said, ¡°Can you let me think about it?¡±


    Butcher He stood up and looked at Madam Huang. ¡°Hmph! I¡¯ll give you a few days. You better think carefully. Otherwise, I¡¯ll ask someone to propose marriage.¡±


    After the rapeseed and winter wheat were nted, the weather became colder. Li Yu and Zhou Jia began to busy themselves with hiring people to make wool products.


    After the wholesale business was added to the shop, all the vigers were involved in the production. Even the men took over the work of making cloth shells and washing the wool. The women in the vige still could not catch up with the speed of rushing the goods.


    Li Yu renovated the alley next to the Zhou family¡¯s house into a processing site and gathered the women and girls from Hu Vige. After the unified training, she handed over simple items like wool pants, scarves, and socks to them. She brought Zhaodi and the others and began to try making some female bags to sell.


    The women and girls in Hu Vige cherished this opportunity to earn money. The men in the vige took care of all the work at home so that their wives and daughters could work and earn money in the Li family without worry.


    Shopkeeper Su¡¯s wool was sent to Phoenix Vige every few days, and the goods were constantly transported away. The business was so popr that many people were jealous. In addition, Zhou Jia was the new Top Scorer, and he was handsome and tall. Many people were tempted, and the invitation cards were sent to Phoenix Vige.


    Before the Winter Solstice Festival, Zhou Jia received another invitation from Tongzhou. Zhou Jia took the invitation and found the workshop. He looked at the new bags that Li Yu was making. Some of the bags looked like semicircles, some were not much bigger than the palm of his hand, there were two carrying bags with thin round handles, and some were embroidered with a rabbit that looked a little like a puppy. It had curved eyes and was even wrapped in a red scarf. It looked interesting no matter how one looked at it.


    Some of the fabric was cut into the shape of flowers and sewn onto the bags. Li Yu looked up and saw Zhou Jia standing in front of her with a smile. He smiled and said, ¡°You¡¯re here! Has Ji Xiang bought the fabric I wanted?¡±


    ¡± We bought it back.¡± Zhou Jia pointed at the bag on the table. ¡°Is this your new bag? It looks so unique.¡±


    Li Yu picked one up and held it in her hand. ¡°Does it look good?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re beautiful. Thosedies will definitely like them.¡±


    Only then did Li Yu say to Zhaodi, ¡°Cousin, do these ording to the drawings I drew for you. Zhou Jia and I will take a look at the fabric.¡±


    Zhaodi nced at the two of them and pursed her lips in a smile. ¡°Go ahead, Cousin! I¡¯ll do it well.¡±


    Zhou Jia held Li Yu¡¯s hand and said with a smile, ¡°Ji Xiang brought back a letter and said that he has already signed a contract with the cloth merchant. In the future, these coarse cloth, fine cloth, and jacquard fabric will be cheaper by one to two hundred copper coins.¡±


    ¡°That can save us a lot of money.¡± Li Yu smiled.


    The two of them chatted until they reached the storeroom. Li Yu saw the fabric and was very satisfied with the colors. She sent a few to the workshop and handed them to Zhaodi before returning home.


    Zhou Jia took out an invitation. ¡°This is an invitation from Governor Xia of the Tongzhou Prefecture. He invited me to his house to attend a banquet and admire the chrysanthemums. Although the governor is only a ninth-grade official, I¡¯m afraid he¡¯ll find trouble with us if I don¡¯t go.¡±


    Li Yu looked at him and smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me he wants to snag you as his son-inw?¡±


    Zhou Jia pulled Li Yu. ¡°Yu¡¯er,e with me! He can¡¯t snatch me away when he sees that I have a wife!¡±


    Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia¡¯s arrogant expression and patted him. She smiled and said, ¡°Not this time. It¡¯s about to snow and the wheat has to cover the soil. The workshop is also busy. Let¡¯s go together in the future. Go to Tongzhou and bring a few winter clothes for Ah Qing and some gifts for Shen Wu. If anything really happens, we¡¯ll be more informed.¡±


    Zhou Jia could only agree. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go pack up and set off. Don¡¯t tire yourself out at home. It¡¯s not safe to go up the mountain so cut down on your trips.¡±


    Li Yu sent Zhou Jia off. She looked at the sky and felt that the weather this year was even colder thanst year. She was secretly worried.

 Chapter 130

    130 Chaos


    When Zhou Jia arrived at Tongzhou, he had just returned to Osmanthus Alley when Lin Yuxuan came looking for him. Zhou Jia weed him to the central room and sat down.


    Young Master Lin looked at Zhou Jia and smiled. ¡°Brother Zhou, you¡¯re too disloyal. You slipped away too quickly. If you didn¡¯t know, I would have been in trouble. I was pulled out to drink every day by them. I drank so much that I almost vomited.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at the troubled Lin Yuxuan and cupped his hands at him. ¡°Brother Yuxuan, you know that something happened at home and that my fianc¨¦e is managing such a big family alone. I have to go back and take a look! Sigh! How did you know that I came to Tongzhou?¡±


    Lin Yuxuan waved the invitation in his hand proudly and looked at Zhou Jia. ¡°I guess you also received Governor Xia¡¯s invitation, so I stopped you! Do you know why his family invited schrs to the banquet?¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled and shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m really not sure. Do you know? Tell me.¡±


    Lin Yuxuan looked over. ¡°His family used to be considered a big family in Tongzhou, but they¡¯ve been declining in recent years. I heard that he still has a legitimate daughter who¡¯s not married yet. There are also many illegitimate daughters in his family, and all of them are good-looking. I guess he wants to choose a son-inw among us.¡±


    Zhou Jia pped his hands and said with a smile, ¡°I have a wife now. You should choose one properly.¡±


    ¡°Me.¡± Lin Yuxuan pointed at himself andughed out loud. ¡°I was still thinking of waiting for some high official from the Imperial Court to find a son-inw after Spring Quarter High! However, we have to be careful tomorrow.¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled and nodded. ¡°I know what to do. Thank you, Brother Lin!¡±


    Lin Yuxuan stood up. ¡°Alright, look at me. I smell of alcohol. I¡¯ll go back and rest for a while before washing up. I¡¯ll see you at the Xia residence tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll send you off.¡± Zhou Jia sent Lin Yuxuan home to freshen up and went to Shen Wu¡¯s house, which was behind the garrison office.


    When he arrived at Shen Wu¡¯s house, his old housekeeper took the gift box and bowed to Zhou Jia. ¡°Mr. Zhou, you¡¯re too polite. My young master has something on and went out. I¡¯ll report to him when hees back.¡±


    ¡°Old man, I¡¯ll be in Tongzhou for the next few days. Please tell Brother Shen when hees back.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mr. Zhou,¡± the old man replied with a bow.


    In the evening, Shen Wu came to Osmanthus Lane. He handed over the congrattory gift and smiled. ¡°Congrattions, Top Scorer. I heard that you can¡¯t even be found after the release of the results.¡±


    Zhou Jia also cupped his hands and said with a smile, ¡°Brother Shen, don¡¯t you know me?! I¡¯m most afraid of drinking and socializing. This time, I only came to Tongzhou because Governor Xia sent out an invitation. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t havee out when I was hiding in the countryside.¡±


    Shen Wu nced at Zhou Jia and whispered to him, ¡°Qingzhou is already in chaos. Someone gathered the refugees to cause trouble and burned down the government office with the mob. Even the magistrate didn¡¯t escape.¡±


    Zhou Jia was stunned for a moment before sighing. ¡°How could this be? Didn¡¯t the Imperial Court use the food transported from Tongzhou for disaster relief?¡±


    Shen Wu sneered. ¡°Relief? What can we use to help? The food was intercepted before it reached Qingzhou. The mob has robbed all the families and shops that haven¡¯t left the city. Great Qi is restless at the border. The tip-off says that arge number of refugees areing this way. Tongzhou might not be safe before the new year. The city will no longer let the refugees enter the city. You have to be careful when you live in the countryside.¡±


    Zhou Jia was shocked when he heard that. As expected, his peaceful days were over. ¡°Thank you, Brother Shen. Be careful too. If you need help, look for me in Phoenix Vige.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I still have work to do. I¡¯ll go back first. Let¡¯s meet again after the New Year,¡± Shen Wu replied readily.


    After Zhou Jia sent Shen Wu off, he felt a heavy weight in his heart. He turned around and went out to the medicine shop to buy some Golden Injury Medicine and medicinal herbs for cold and cough. He also went to cksmith Xu¡¯s shop to buy some ck market arrows and short arrows for crossbows. After setting them up, he went to the shop to ask Ji Xiang and Zhao Cai to send the goods out as soon as possible and not ept new orders.


    Zhao Cai looked at Zhou Jia in confusion. ¡°Young Master, business is getting more and more popr now. Why should we stop?¡±


    Zhou Jia told the two of them the news. When they heard it, they were also stunned. Ji Xiang said unhappily, ¡°It looks good, but there¡¯s trouble again. Why can¡¯t there be a moment of peace?¡±


    Zhou Jiaforted them gently. ¡°There will always be a silver lining. Ji Xiang, bring all the medicine home and get someone to drive out the goods and deliver them.¡±


    Ji Xiang bowed. ¡°Yes, Young Master. I¡¯ll set off now.¡±


    After noon the next day, Zhou Jia went to the Xia residence and saw that the entrance was filled with carriages. Governor Xia and Young Master Xia stood at the door to wee the guests.


    Zhou Jia entered the Xia residence. When Lin Yuxuan saw Zhou Jia in the pavilion, he waved at him. ¡°Come, Brother Zhou, I¡¯m here!¡±


    When Zhou Jia entered the pavilion, High Schr Xu Tong, who was sitting at the side, saw how familiar the two of them were and said sarcastically, ¡°It¡¯s really difficult to invite Top Scorer Zhou! I sent a few invitations, but your servants all said that you weren¡¯t around. Why are you here again today?¡±


    Zhou Jia nced at him and said indifferently, ¡°Brother Xu, please forgive me. I was in the countryside and couldn¡¯te to the appointment.¡±


    Lin Yuxuan patted Xu Tong and said with a smile, ¡°I know that he¡¯s indeed not in Tongzhou. He has long returned to his hometown.¡±


    At this moment, Governor Xia walked in and said to them with a smile, ¡°Why are you all sitting here? Young people, don¡¯t just sit here. Go to the garden and admire the flowers!¡±


    Lin Yuxuan said loudly, ¡°Sir, we¡¯ll go now.¡±


    As he spoke, he pulled Zhou Jia into the garden. Along the way, he saw that the garden was filled with colorful chrysanthemums.


    Lin Yuxuan pointed at the pots of ink chrysanthemums and praised, ¡°Brother Zhou, look at these pots of ink chrysanthemums in the Xia family. The flower tes are huge, the stamens are thick, the petals are like silk, and the flowers are as ck as ink. They¡¯re really top-grade chrysanthemums. Yes! Not bad, not bad!¡±


    Zhou Jia pointed at the wild chrysanthemums on the flower rack and said with a smile, ¡°I still like these wild chrysanthemums. Look how festive they are. At a nce, they give off a lively feeling.¡±


    At this moment, the two of them heard a coquettishugh. A girl walked out gracefully from behind the flower rack and bowed to the two of them. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect the Top Scorer¡¯s exnation of the flowers to be so unique.¡±


    Zhou Jia nced at her, frowned, took a few steps back, and turned to leave.


    Lin Yuxuan looked at the girl and said with a faint smile, ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were here. Sorry for disturbing you.¡± With that, he chased after Zhou Jia.


    The maidservant behind the girl watched unhappily as the two of them walked away. ¡°Miss, this Top Scorer is really rude. He left without even saying goodbye.¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t say much.¡± The girl looked at Zhou Jia and Lin Yuxuan¡¯s backs and thought to herself, What a pity. These two are not people who can be controlled by others.


    The girl turned around and said to the maidservant, ¡°Xiao Cui, let¡¯s go!


    Zhou Jia and Lin Yuxuan were not in the mood to admire the flowers, so they simply went back to sit in the pavilion. They sat for a while until the banquet ended before going home separately.


    When Zhou Jia left the city the next morning, he realized that there were a few more guards at the city gate. They also interrogated the people entering and exiting the city even more tightly. As long as they did not have a travel pass, they were not allowed to enter the city. There were also many people waiting to enter the city outside the city.


    When Zhou Jia returned to Phoenix Vige, he frowned and said to Li Yu, ¡°Yu¡¯er, when I left the city this time, I realized that the number of guards at the city gate has increased. Shen Wu said that he would only close the city gate before the new year. I¡¯m afraid we have to think of a countermeasure.¡±


    Li Yu thought for a moment. ¡°When the timees, someone will really rob us. The only way is to stop them outside the vige. I¡¯ll go find Uncle Chen and tell him about it. I¡¯ll get him to block a few entrances and build two walls at the main road at the vige entrance to seal the vige.¡±

 Chapter 131

    131 Refugees


    Zhou Jia thought about it and could only do so. The refugees were all hungry and had tasted the sweetness of robbery. Who knew what they would do?


    ¡°Okay. Go get Uncle Chen to build a wall. I¡¯ll take some men to cut wood down the mountain.¡±


    The two of them went out and split up. Li Yu went to Chen Yaohui¡¯s house to tell him the news and asked him to build a wall.


    Chen Yaohui frowned and said, ¡°Xiaoyu, we can only do as you say. I¡¯ll bring people to build the wall now.¡±


    Chen Yaohui went out with a frown. After Li Yu returned home, she went to the workshop and said to the woman from Hu Vige, ¡°If the days are not peaceful, the workshop will have to stop working. I¡¯ll settle the sry into food for you. Take the home! When you go back, it¡¯s best if Patriarch Hu closes up the vige. Otherwise, I really don¡¯t know what will happen.¡±


    The women and girls in Hu Vige were stunned when they heard that. Hu Gui¡¯s wife, Madam He, eximed, ¡°Miss, are those people reallying?¡±


    Li Yu nodded. ¡°Pack up. I¡¯ll get Ruyi to prepare food for you before sending you back. You have to eat sparingly when you get home. You should be able to eat ripe wheat in spring.¡±


    Madam He nodded. ¡°Miss, we¡¯ll remember. Thank you. We¡¯ll pack up and go back.¡±


    Li Yu calcted their wages and asked Ruyi to exchange them for food before sending them back to Hu Vige.


    Zhou Jia brought people to the mountains to cut wood and send it back to the vige. Chen Yaohui brought everyone to build walls at a few holes in the vige.


    Carpenter Chen and his men connected the wooden rods and boards and used iron nails to make simple wooden doors. They prepared to set them up at the vige entrance.


    Min County, which was still more than ten days away from Tongzhou City, was already besieged by the mob. When the news reached Tongzhou City, Tongzhou City closed its gates and only allowed people to go out. The people were in a panic, and the refugees outside Tongzhou City became bolder. A group of people gathered at the city gate and waved their fists at the city and shouted, ¡°Let us in! Let us in!¡±


    One of the men rushed forward and snatched the spear from the city guard¡¯s hand. He pierced his chest with it. The others rushed forward.


    ¡°Are you trying to rebel? If you barge in again, we will kill without mercy,¡± one of the officers shouted.


    ¡°Let us in.¡± The refugees still rushed into the city without care. The officials waved their weapons and stabbed the man at the front in the chest. After killing a few people in session, the refugees retreated.


    Ji Xiang and Zhao Cai brought Li Qing out of the city before the city gate closed. When they arrived outside the city, they realized that the refugees outside Tongzhou City were looking at them like hungry wolves. Ji Xiang took out a machete and held it in his hand. He shouted at Li Qing, ¡°Ah Qing, sit tight.¡±


    When the refugees saw their mule carting out of the city, they rushed up. However, when they saw that Ji Xiang was holding a machete in his hand, they did not dare to climb into the cart. They surrounded the mule cart and begged, ¡°Brother, do me a favor and give us something to eat.¡±


    Two men grabbed the handle of the cart and started crawling towards it. Zhao Cai waved its whip and drove the mule away. The mule let go of its four hooves and dashed. Zhao Cai whipped the man who was holding the left handle of the cart. The man let go of the handle in pain and fell down.


    The man on the right held onto the cart tightly and refused to let go. Ji Xiang raised the machete and ced it in his hand. He shouted, ¡°Let go quickly. Otherwise, don¡¯t me me for being too ruthless.¡±


    Seeing Ji Xiang holding the machete with a murderous expression, the man let go resentfully and rolled twice on the ground with the cart. Hey on the ground and watched helplessly as the cart drive away.


    The two of them got up and returned to the fire. They said to a tall man with thick eyebrows and a long scar on his face, ¡°Brother Yang, we can¡¯t get anything to eat now. We don¡¯t dare to fight those people openly outside the city. Let¡¯s just walk further away and look for food in a more remote town.¡±


    Brother Yang tightened the grass rope on his body and sniffed. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go!¡±


    The group gathered dozens of disaster victims. There were more than a hundred of them in total. They walked towards the viges and towns around Tongzhou City with clubs and machetes.


    When it was dark, they arrived at Sanming Town and knocked on the door of an inn. The innkeeper replied loudly from inside, ¡°Guest, go elsewhere and take a look. My house has run out of food.¡±


    Before he could finish his sentence, he heard the sound of a door being mmed open. In the blink of an eye, the door was knocked open. The innkeeper saw a group of people in ragged clothes rushing into the inn. Just as he was about to reprimand them, someone rushed up and knocked him on the head. He fell to the ground and died.


    Like vicious wolves, the group picked up whatever was by the stove and ate it.


    Brother Yang led his men towards the guest room in the inn. He turned his head and said to a man, ¡°Yang Cheng, bring your men to that house. Yang Yong and I will go to this house.¡±


    ¡°Alright! Brother Yang.¡± Yang Cheng carried a wooden stick and brought the two of them into the house to collect it.


    Yang Cheng took out two old cotton robes from the cab and put them on. He kept muttering, ¡°He¡¯s so damn poor he doesn¡¯t have anything good.¡±


    Brother Yang brought Yang Yong to the boss¡¯s house and found a few taels of silver and a few thick clothes. He threw them to Yang Yong and said, ¡°Take them and wear them to warm up.¡±


    The others got the food from the inn and said to Brother Yang, ¡°Brother Yang, it¡¯s starting to snow outside. Can we stay here tonight?¡±


    Brother Yang red at him. ¡°Rest my ass. Hurry up and eat. We¡¯ll rob a rich family while it¡¯s dark.¡±


    Yang Cheng¡¯s eyes lit up and he chuckled. ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. We can always find a rich family and get some money to spend.¡±


    The group of people left the inn after eating and drinking. They looked around the town with shifty eyes. When they found a house with high walls and green tiles,Brother Yang¡¯s eyes lit up.


    He pointed at the door and said softly to a thin man beside him, ¡°Yang Chun, go and pry open the door.¡±


    Yang Chun nodded and took out a thin-ded knife. He reached into the door and slowly fiddled with it. Thetch slowly opened and a group of people entered.


    Theplicated footsteps rmed the half-awake gatekeeper. He opened the door and saw a group of people in tattered clothes barging in. He shouted, ¡°Someone,e quickly!¡±


    With a puff, the door was knocked to the ground by Yang Cheng.


    Someone in the residence was woken up and rang a gong. A servant rushed out with a knife and stick. Brother Yang rushed up with a machete and shouted with red eyes, ¡°Kill, kill, kill these men.¡±


    As he shouted, the machete in his hand mercilessly shed at a servant. These servants were no match for these vicious refugees. In a short while, they were either dead or injured. Brother Yang pointed at those people covered in blood and sneered, ¡°In for a penny, in for a pound. Kill them all.¡±


    An injured servant begged for mercy with a trembling voice, ¡°Sir, the master is resting inside! We¡¯re also guarding the house. Please spare us!¡±


    A group of people had long turned into evil spirits after being tortured by their long lives of ridicule and homelessness. They could not hear the servants begging for mercy at all.


    The servant who begged for mercy was stabbed to death by Brother Yang without hesitation. The others held their knives and killed the remaining servants without even blinking.


    Brother Yang and the others, who had turned red-eyed from killing, raised their weapons and rushed into the house. Regardless of whether they were men, women, old, or young, they killed anyone they saw. The group of people quickly massacred the residence.

 Chapter 132

    132 Preparing


    The group of evil viins were so excited that their eyes turned red when they saw the food they had found in the house.


    Brother Yang said to Yang Chun smugly, ¡°Bring more nkets. We¡¯ll go out and find a forest to hide inter. Tomorrow morning, return to the entrance of Tongzhou City and bring everyone who stayed there.¡±


    Yang Chun¡¯s face flushed with excitement. ¡°Yes, Brother Yang. Bring them all here. Let¡¯s get rich together.¡±


    This group of people felt even more courageous with the food and gold and silver on their shoulders. After leaving the town, they found a forest to hide in.


    Brother Yang and the other refugees found a cave in the forest and hid all the things they had snatched inside. They stayed in the cave during the day to recuperate and went out to plunder at night. They were ruthless and never left anyone alive. Only then did the people from the nearby towns start to organize their people to guard against them.


    When Yang Chun brought the refugees left at the city gate and the main group gathered, Brother Yang led a group of men, women, old, and young to travel overnight. In the middle of the night two dayster, they arrived at Phoenix Town.


    Brother Yang asked those women to go to the town during the day to find out where all the big families in the town lived.


    After investigating, he brought a group of people to Zhu Zhencheng¡¯s house at night. Zhu Zhencheng¡¯s family had long lived in a residence in the city.


    There were only a few old families left in the town to guard the house. When the refugees broke into the house, they also raised their butcher knives at the old families. Before they could even grunt, they were killed by these bandits.


    They stripped the house of everything and, taking advantage of the night, headed into the woods outside the town.


    The people of Phoenix Vige were busy for half a month before the wall at the vige entrance waspleted. They installed a door made of logs and isted the vige from the outside. Only then did everyone feel more at ease.


    Ji Xiang and Zhao Cai returned to Phoenix Vige and saw that arge wooden door was closed at the entrance. There was also a small house behind the door. Li Qing shouted from outside, ¡°Open the door. We¡¯re back.¡±


    Chen Gui walked out of the house and saw the two of them. He smiled and opened the door. ¡°Ah Qing, Brother Ji Xiang, Mr. Zhou came here yesterday to take a look. He said that the two of you will be back in two days. Were there many refugees on the way?¡±


    Ji Xiang nodded. ¡°Brother Chen, you have to guard the door well. Those refugees are very fierce.¡±


    ¡°Of course. If we let them in, will we still have a good life?¡± Chen Gui nodded and replied.


    The few of them went home separately. Zhao Cai said to Zhou Jia, ¡°Young Master, those refugees are already different from when we were fleeing. When they saw our mule cart, they wanted to climb up. If not for Ji Xiang raising his machete, they would have snatched it from us.¡±


    Zhou Jia frowned and said, ¡°It seems that they also know that the rioters in Qingzhou burned down the government office. With these examples, they will only be bolder. I¡¯ll go to your Miss and see what she can do.¡±


    When Li Qing returned home, he saw Li Yu in the room. He stood at the door and looked at Li Yu with a smile. Li Yu looked up and saw Li Qing. She smiled and waved at him. ¡°Are you stupid? You didn¡¯t even greet me when you came in.¡±


    Li Qing walked in andined to Li Yu, ¡°You don¡¯t even go to the city to see me. You don¡¯t know that Sir often bullies me. I can¡¯t finish the homework he left behind until midnight.¡±


    Li Yu pulled Li Qing¡¯s hand. ¡°The older you get, the more delicate you be. You said it yourself that you wanted to surpass your teacher. If you can¡¯t even endure a little hardship, what can you use to surpass him? He¡¯s a Top Scorer!¡±


    When Li Qing heard this, he said dejectedly, ¡°Sister, I can only do my best. I wonder if I can be as outstanding as Sir.¡±


    Li Yu stroked Li Qing¡¯s head. ¡°I know that as long as you work hard, there will be hope. If you give up on yourself, there will definitely be no possibility of surpassing him.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll remember. I¡¯ll do my best to do what I have to do and not let Sir¡¯s results affect my learning attitude anymore.¡±


    ¡°Aye, that¡¯s what you should be doing. Go and see our young cousin at your aunt¡¯s. I left his gift in your room.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go see what my cousin looks like.¡± Li Qing returned to the house to get his gift and went to Li Mei¡¯s house.


    Zhou Jia went to Li Yu and told her everything that Ji Xiang and the others had encountered on the way. He looked at Li Yu worriedly. ¡°Xiaoyu, how do you think we should deal with it?¡±


    Li Yu rubbed her forehead and walked around the house twice. She said to Zhou Jia, ¡°Arrange for people to patrol at night. Let Ruyi, the vige chief, and the others lead a group of four and split into four groups. Each person can lead a group. If anyonees, those on patrol should ring the vige chief¡¯s gong to warn everyone to be vignt at night.¡±


    ¡°Okay, we¡¯ll go discuss it with everyone and put this matter into action.¡±


    Chen Yaohui and the old vige chief were also talking about the vige. The old vige chief sighed at everyone and said, ¡°You have to be grateful! Mr. Zhou is now a High Schr. Mr. Zhou and Xiaoyu could have brought Li Mei and her family to live in the city. They only stayed in the vige because of us. You have to take the initiative and not push everything to them.¡±


    Chen Yaohui and his brother nodded and said, ¡°We know that without Xiaoyu and Mr. Zhou, we wouldn¡¯t have led such a good life. Let¡¯s go look for Xiaoyu and the others to discuss what to do next.¡±


    The old vige chief waved his hand. ¡°Go!¡±


    Chen Yaohui and his brother walked toward Li Yu¡¯s house. Just as they reached the door of the Qian family¡¯s house, they saw Li Yu and Zhou Jia walking toward them.


    Chen Yaohui called out to the two of them, ¡°Xiaoyu, Mr. Zhou, where are you two going?¡±


    Li Yu smiled and said, ¡°We were nning to look for you. Are you looking for us too?¡±


    Chen Yaohui touched his head and chuckled. ¡°That¡¯s right. My father said that the two of you stayed in the vige because of us. He asked us to take the initiative and not push everything on the two of you, so I called your Uncle Yao over.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re here to look for you guys. Uncle Hu, Uncle Chen Gui, and thest time we barged into Clear Wind Ridge, we learned archery and gathered a few people who know martial arts. Everyone, train well with Ruyi and the others. We¡¯ll start patrolling in groups at night,¡± Li Yu said to them.


    ¡°Yes! The two of you have made the appropriate arrangements. I¡¯ll gather the people now and train the juniors in the vige so that they can learn some skills from Ruyi and the others.¡±


    The two of them looked at Chen Yaohui and his brother and hurriedly went to call for help. Li Yu turned to look at Zhou Jia. ¡°Xiao Xi, how¡¯s your training in martial arts? Did you practiced with Ah Qing in Tongzhou?¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled dryly and said, ¡°Your family is really made to be generals. Even Ah Qing is much stronger than ordinary children. He could also train faster than me.¡±


    ¡°Making excuses.¡± Li Yu rolled her eyes at him.


    The two of them returned home. Li Yu walked around Zhou Jia and looked at him. ¡°You were busy with the countryside examination. Now that the countryside examination is over, you can practice with Uncle He and the others.¡±


    Zhou Jia pulled Li Yu¡¯s hand and smiled handsomely. ¡°Yu¡¯er, I want you to teach me. I¡¯ll definitely learn well.¡±


    When Li Yu saw Zhou Jia¡¯s expression, she patted his hand. ¡°You! No one will believe you¡¯re a Top Scorer if they see you like this.¡±


    Li Qing stood at the entrance of the courtyard and rolled his eyes at Zhou Jia. ¡°Sir, is this still you? Am I seeing things?! Why are you acting like a spoiled child like Brother Pig?¡±


    Zhou Jia walked up to Li Qing. ¡°Ah Qing, are you very free now? There are questions for the county and school exams that I¡¯ve sorted out for you in the house. You can only go out to y after you finish them.¡±


    Li Yu looked at the two of them in disdain and turned to walk into the house.

 Chapter 133

    133 Find a Good ce


    Li Qing ran over and pulled Li Yu back. He looked at Li Yu with a bitter expression. ¡°Sister, look, Brother-inw abused me again. He¡¯s a different person in front of you and me.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t say much about the two of you. The two of you can settle it yourselves.¡± Li Yu continued to walk into the house. ¡°It¡¯s too cold, so I won¡¯t apany you outside. You have to show me the fist technique I taught youter.¡±


    The two of them could only resign themselves to fate and practice in the courtyard.


    Chen Yaohui brought Butcher He and more than ten vigers to the farm. When they saw that Ruyi, Ji Xiang, and Zhao Cai were already waiting there, everyone took their weapons and practiced with the three of them.


    Ruyi looked at Butcher He and thought to himself, Should I take this opportunity to mention my matter with Xiaoyu to him? Ruyi kept struggling in his heart to find a way to speak. He corrected Butcher He¡¯s movements and said carefully, ¡°Uncle He, you should stab upwards. That way, the power will be greater.¡±


    Butcher He looked at Ruyi and thought to himself, Brat, why aren¡¯t you finding someone to propose marriage? Do you still want my daughter to beg you?


    Seeing how careful Ruyi was, Zhao Cai nudged Ji Xiang. ¡°Look, Ruyi, don¡¯t you think you¡¯re a little different with Uncle He?¡±


    Ji Xiang stroked his chin and narrowed his eyes. He whispered into Zhao Cai¡¯s ear, ¡°His behavior is like the way Young Master used to treat Miss¡¯ aunt. That little thought is obvious at a nce. Sigh! This piece of wood is also in love?¡±


    Zhao Cai rolled its eyes at Ji Xiang. ¡°If Young Master finds out, he¡¯ll definitely sew up your narrow eyes.¡± Ji Xiang kicked Zhao Cai¡¯s butt.


    The vigers of Phoenix Vige were making preparations. After those refugees snatched Zhu Zhencheng¡¯s house, they began to prepare to snatch Ye Ju¡¯s house the next night.


    It had started to snow at night. The town was so cold that there was no one to be seen.


    Brother Yang led forty to fifty people out of the forest outside the town and walked towards Ye Ju¡¯s house with a machete.


    Ever since High Schr Ye was shaved by Li Yust time, he had been hiding at home and did not go out. At this moment, his family had also gone to Tongzhou City to seek refuge. Only the old man and the old woman were left at home.


    Ever since they were frightenedst time, they didn¡¯t even go out to check when they heard the sound. Instead, they hid.


    The refugee pried open the door and sneaked into the courtyard. He saw that it was dark and quiet inside.


    Yang Chun spat and said in a low voice with a face full of hatred, ¡°These old men are usually arrogant and domineering. Now, they¡¯re all like cowards. Let¡¯s see how I deal with them if I catch them.¡±


    The group entered the inner courtyard and began to search the house. They hugged the valuables they had found into their bags and walked toward the other houses.


    The refugees were so excited that they took a silver candlestick and bit it. They smiled excitedly and said, ¡°These dogs are really rich. They even used silver to light themps.¡±


    ¡°Brother Kang, these are all ours. We¡¯ll be rich in the future.¡±


    The group searched Ye Ju¡¯s house for more than two hours before each of them carried a bag out of the door and left the town into the forest.


    Brother Yang looked at the food and treasures piled up in the cave and smiled at them. ¡°Now that we have food, we have to find a mountain to hide. Otherwise, we will be captured and surrounded by the officials.¡±


    A man shrank his neck and looked at Brother Yang viciously. ¡°The mountains are filled with snow and it¡¯s freezing. In my opinion, we should find a vige in the mountains and kill those people. We¡¯ll live there.¡±


    When Brother Yang heard this, heughed out loud. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you, Old Turtle Yang, to be so ruthless!¡±


    Old Turtle Yang ttered Brother Yang, ¡°Brother Yang, you¡¯re the most knowledgeable person in our Yang Family Vige. It¡¯s all thanks to your help that we could get here. Now that you¡¯ve led everyone to eat our fill, you¡¯ll be our leader in the future.¡±


    The others also echoed loudly, ¡°Brother Yang, although we¡¯re not from the same vige, we¡¯re all relying on you to take care of us along the way. We¡¯re also willing to let you be our leader.¡±


    Brother Yang nodded in satisfaction. ¡°Not bad. Yang Chun, Old Turtle Yang, tomorrow morning, bring your wives out to see if there are any suitable mountain viges nearby. Remember, find a richer one.¡±


    Yang Chun and Old Turtle Yang hunched over. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go as soon as it¡¯s dawn.¡±


    At dawn the next day, the two guards of the Ye family came out of the woodshed. When they saw that the house had been ransacked, they opened the door and cried in the alley, ¡°The refugees were here. My master has been robbed.¡±


    Everyone opened the door and rushed into Ye Ju¡¯s house. When they saw the mess, they were terrified. Everyone went home and hid the food and money. Phoenix Town fell into panic.


    Li Yu was watching Li Qing and Zhou Jia train in the courtyard. Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia and said, ¡°Xiao Xi, it¡¯s too weak to swing your fist like this. You still have to train well.¡±


    Li Qing looked at Zhou Jia proudly. ¡°See! I knew your fists were soft like a big girl¡¯s.¡±


    Seeing his smug look, Zhou Jia swept Li Qing to the ground while he was unprepared. He pointed at him and smiled. ¡°What¡¯s the use of having brute force? You have to use your brain.¡±


    Li Qing pointed at Zhou Jia and shouted, ¡°Sir, you¡¯re too cunning. You secretly attacked me when I wasn¡¯t paying attention.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Qing, who was lying on the ground, with a sinister smile. Little guy, you snatched my wife the moment you came back.


    ¡°When you¡¯re fighting someone, they won¡¯t tell you to attack again!¡±


    At this moment, Ruyi returned from outside. Li Yu stopped him and said, ¡°Ruyi, tell the vige chief and the others that no one can be let into the vige. Get someone to guard the entrances.¡±


    Ruyi bowed. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll tell them now.¡±


    Li Yu watched Ruyi leave and said to Zhou Jia, ¡°I felt a little uneasy when I woke up this morning. I¡¯m afraid something will happen.¡±


    Zhou Jiaforted Li Yu gently, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯re all prepared. If anything really happens, we¡¯ll deal with it together.¡±


    Old Turtle Yang brought Madam Huang and Madam Ma out of the forest. Madam Huang and Madam Ma were both thin and small. The two couples looked honest and not aggressive at all.


    The two couples split up after leaving the forest.


    The couple walked towards the mountain and saw that the vige along the way was filled with thatched houses. Every door was closed, and there was no one in the vige.


    Madam Ma muttered softly, ¡°I think these ces are simr to our Qingzhou.¡±


    Yang Chun red at her. ¡°Almost. What do you know? There¡¯s food to eat in this ce even when it¡¯s dry.¡± Yang Chun¡¯s eyes turned red. ¡± I finally understand that people have to be ruthless to survive in this world.¡±


    Madam Ma raised her head and wiped her tears. ¡°We¡¯re rich now. When we find a ce to settle down, we¡¯ll have a few children and let them eat and wear warm clothes.¡±

 Chapter 134

    134 There¡¯s a Good ce


    The two of them walked to a hidden spot. Yang Chun took a few golden leaves from thepartment of the mule and handed them to Ma. ¡°Hide these gold on you. I hid themst night. It¡¯s not safe to leave them with me.¡±


    Madam Ma took it and looked around in panic. ¡°Be careful. You¡¯ll die if Brother Yang catches you.¡±


    ¡°I know, I¡¯m being careful! Do you think I¡¯m the only one hiding? I saw that Yang Yong also hid a jade pendant.¡±


    ¡°I knew you wouldn¡¯t be at a disadvantage.¡± Madam Ma hid the golden leaf happily and pointed to the foot of the mountain to the east. ¡°Master, let¡¯s go take a look! I think that side is closer to the mountain.¡±


    ¡°Then hurry.¡± Yang Chun started toward the foot of the mountain to the south.


    The couple walked to the foot of the mountain and near Li Yu¡¯s vige. They turned around and saw the mouth of the mountain. The two of them saw the big round wooden door.


    Yang Chun pulled Madam Ma to the side and stuck her head out to look inside. She saw that it was t inside. Yang Chun lowered his voice and whispered into Madam Ma¡¯s ear, ¡°I¡¯ll go and take a look around. How about you go to the vige entrance and beg?¡±


    Madam Ma nodded and pretended to tremble as she walked to the door. She leaned against the door and saw the t and wide vige road. The fields on both sides seemed to be nted with crops. They were all well taken care of. There were houses on the side blocked by the bamboo forest. There was also a farm at the foot of the mountain in the distance. Madam Ma thought to herself that this was a good ce.


    Ruyi stood at the window and looked around with glowing eyes.


    Madam Ma shouted inside, ¡°Is anyone there? Give us something to eat!¡±


    Ruyi and Chen Zhong walked out. When Chen Zhong saw Madam Ma¡¯s pitiful look, he was about to speak when Ruyi bumped into him and looked at Madam Ma. ¡°Sister, go somewhere else. We don¡¯t have food for you.¡±


    Madam Ma looked at Ruyi and begged, ¡°Little brother, please do me a favor. I escaped from Qingzhou and have been hungry for a few days.¡±


    Ruyi looked at her coldly. ¡°No, really. Leave now! If you don¡¯t, I won¡¯t be polite.¡±


    Madam Ma red at Ruyi. ¡°Little brother, you¡¯re so ruthless.¡± With that, she turned around and left.


    Chen Zhong looked at Ruyi and asked in confusion, ¡°Brother Ruyi, that¡¯s just a thin and small woman. Why don¡¯t you give her a steamed bun to eat?¡±


    Ruyi looked at Madam Ma¡¯s back and said, ¡°Brother Chen Zhong, didn¡¯t you see that when she was talking to us, her eyes were still wandering around? Her clothes outside are tattered, but the clothes that are revealed on the inside are of good material. I think that woman is up to no good.¡±


    Ruyi opened the door and looked out. Seeing that Madam Ma had already turned the foot of the mountain, Ruyi thought to himself, Why are you walking so fast?


    Ruyi hurriedly chased after them and saw Madam Ma and Yang Chun¡¯s backs. When he realized that these two were here to scout, he sped to inform his Young Master and Miss.


    After Madam Ma and Yang Chun ran for a while, Madam Ma couldn¡¯t help but say to Yang Chun, ¡°Husband, it¡¯s really a good ce inside! The ground is t and even the road is firm. A bamboo forest blocks the houses from view, but I saw a manor.¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s a good ce too. It¡¯s surrounded by mountains on three sides. If we block the entrance, no one can enter.¡± Yang Chun quickened his pace. ¡°Let¡¯s go back and tell Brother Yang the news.¡±


    The two of them returned to the forest where they were hiding. Old Turtle Yang and his wife had already returned to the forest and were sitting there with disappointed expressions.


    Yang Chun looked at Brother Yang happily. ¡°Brother Yang, Madam Ma and I found an excellent ce. From here, we¡¯ll go east... It¡¯s just that those vigers are already on guard and made a big wooden door to block the intersection. With the intersection surrounded by mountains on three sides of the vige, it won¡¯t be easy for outsiders to enter.¡±


    Brother Yang smiled casually. ¡°It¡¯s not easy for others to enter, but can¡¯t we enter? Didn¡¯t we also enter the residences of those foreign gentries? What¡¯s there to be afraid of? Just ssh some oil and burn the door. Everyone, rest well. When it gets dark, we¡¯ll take action. After taking down that ce, we¡¯ll have a base.¡±


    Ruyi returned to the vige and said to Chen Zhong, ¡°Brother Chen Zhong, something¡¯s wrong. That woman and the two men who came have already run away. I¡¯ll go back and tell Miss and Young Master the news.¡±


    Chen Zhong was filled with regret when he heard that. ¡°Hurry up and go! Sigh! I should have captured her and locked her in the vige.¡±


    Ruyi quickly ran towards the vige and met Chen Yaohui on the way. After telling him the situation, Chen Yaohui followed him to Li Yu¡¯s house.


    After Ruyi told Li Yu and Zhou Jia what had happened, Li Yu said, ¡°Uncle Yaohui, get everyone to rest and recuperate. Ruyi, quickly bring people to the vige entrance with me. Also, dig a few deep pits at a few low spots and insert the spikes that were cut two days ago.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Ruyi turned and ran toward the backyard, driving the mule cart toward the farmstead with the spikes. He called the footman and servants and walked out of the vige together.


    Li Yu also followed them to the vige entrance and instructed the long workers and vigers to dig the trap six feet away from the door. They would nt spikes in it and cover it with branches. Then, they would cover it with ayer of dry soil.


    Li Yu looked at the dark sky and thought to herself that it was probably going to snow heavily. She wondered if those people would stille.


    It took a hundred people four hours toplete the traps. Li Yu called them to rest and asked He Tiezhu and a few other workers to guard the door before going back to rest.


    The sky slowly darkened. Li Yu tied the dagger to her leg and walked out of the house with the crossbow and machete. She saw Li Qing also carrying a bow and waiting in the courtyard with a machete. Zhou Jia also stood at the door and looked at Li Yu.


    Li Qing said to Li Yu, ¡°Sister, I want to go too.¡±


    ¡°You and your teacher will stay at home tonight. After I¡¯ve gone out to check the situation and seen how many of them there are, you can go tomorrow night,¡± Li Yu said to them.


    Zhou Jia raised the bow in his hand. ¡°Yu¡¯er, my archery is not bad. Let me go with you.¡±


    Li Yu looked at the two of them steadily. ¡°Not tonight. If the two of you go, you¡¯ll distract me. I won¡¯t stop you tomorrow night.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu and hated himself for being a useless schr in this chaotic world. He couldn¡¯t fight alongside the person he loved.


    Zhou Jia suppressed his frustration and pulled Li Qing along as he walked to Li Yu. He said gently, ¡°Alright, you must be careful. We¡¯ll wait for you at home.¡±


    Li Qing looked at Li Yu and nodded. When Li Yu walked out of the courtyard, Liu Changmin, Li Mei, and Zhaodi were already waiting there. Liu Changmin held a machete and said to Li Yu, ¡°Xiaoyu, let¡¯s go! Uncle will go with you.¡±


    Li Mei also looked at Li Yu. ¡°Yu¡¯er, all the men in the vige have gone to your uncle¡¯s house. Be careful.¡±


    ¡°Alright, be careful at home.¡± Li Yu strode away with Liu Changmin.

 Chapter 135

    135 Encountering a Strong Enemy


    When they arrived at the vige entrance, Li Yu said to Ruyi and the others, ¡°Ji Xiang, bring your men and guard the entrance of the vige with me. Ruyi, bring Uncle Liu and a team of people to guard the low ground on the left. Zhao Cai will bring Uncle He and a team to guard the foot of the mountain. The others are all here. Everyone has to be careful.¡±


    ¡°We understand.¡± Ruyi and Moneymaker bowed and left with their bows.


    Snow drifted down, covering the dirt bit by bit. Everyone sat in the wooden shed behind the ossuary wall and waited quietly.


    Brother Yang brought thirty to forty men, some with machetes, and some with spears. Yang Chun carried an oil can in his hand. The group walked towards Phoenix Vige through the snow.


    Li Yu heard footstepsing from the mountain path. She looked at Zhao Cai and Chen Yaohui. ¡°Let¡¯s go out. Don¡¯t panicter. Wait for my order.¡±


    Everyone agreed softly and came out of the shed separately, hiding behind the earth wall.


    Brother Yang walked in with his people. He waved his hand and stopped walking more than ten steps away from the trap. He looked at the flickering fire behind the round wooden door and saw two people walking back and forth inside.


    Brother Yang nced at the oil can in Yang Chun¡¯s hand and looked at the person standing behind him. ¡°Yang Yong, take a few people up to scout the way.¡±


    Yang Yongughed loudly. ¡°Brother Yang, you¡¯re too careful. They don¡¯t know that we¡¯reing. Watch me.¡±


    After saying that, Yang Yong swaggered over with a few people and strode towards the mud wall. Not long after, Brother Yang and the others heard a bang and watched helplessly as the few of them fell into the huge pit. A heart-wrenching scream came from the pit.


    When the vigers heard the scream, they were about to stand up to take a look when they saw Li Yu hiding there quietly. They thought of Li Yu¡¯s words and shrank back.


    There was a lucky person standing at the edge of the pit outside the trap. He trembled as he looked at the people in the trap. Brother Yang took the oil can from Yang Chun¡¯s hand and shouted angrily at Yang Chun and the others, ¡°Go, see if anyone is still alive?¡±


    Yang Chun and the others ran to the pit and blew on the fire. Under the dim light, they saw that the people below were covered in sharpened wooden sticks. Everyone inside had no chance of survival.


    Li Yu saw the faint light from the fire and saw the crowd standing outside. She estimated in her heart that there were at least 20 to 30 bandits. The leader of these people should not be an ordinary refugee.


    Yang Chun and the others retreated to Brother Yang¡¯s side and looked at him with a sad expression. ¡°Brother Yang, the pit is at least ten feet deep and filled with sharpened wooden sticks. Do we still want to fight?¡±


    Brother Yang looked at Yang Chun fiercely. ¡°Bring people to the forest to cut some wood and vines.¡±


    Brother Yang raised the jar in his hand and threw it at the wooden door with all his might. With a bang, the oil jar hit the wooden door and pottery pieces scattered. Li Yu sniffed and said, ¡°It¡¯s the smell ofmp oil. Looks like they originally nned to burn the wooden door.¡±


    Brother Yang watched as the oil can cracked open. He raised the torch in his hand and lit it before turning to the wooden door. Li Yu shouted at Ji Xiang, ¡°Ji Xiang, shoot it down.¡±


    Ji Xiang quickly drew his bow and nocked an arrow. The arrow flew toward the torch, which fell into the pit after being struck by the arrow.


    Old Turtle Yang eximed, ¡°Brother Yang, they have arrows.¡±


    Brother Yang looked inside the wooden door. ¡°The families who live at the foot of the mountain might have hunters. Traps and arrows are their necessary weapons.¡±


    Old Turtle Yang looked at Brother Yang and asked carefully, ¡°Then are we still going to fight?¡±


    Brother Yang looked calmly into the wooden door. ¡°Fight. They won¡¯t have many arrows. We¡¯ll cross when Yang Chun and the others pull wood and tie a wooden bridge. Find another branch for me to sweep away the arrows.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go now.¡± Old Turtle Yang ran to find a branch.


    Yang Chun arrived with more than a dozen logs and vines. Brother Yang began to cut down the wooden stick and pointed at the trap. ¡°Tie the wooden stick with vines and set it on the trap.¡±


    The group moved quickly to cut off the branches and use vines to connect the wood to make a wooden bridge. They carried it to the trap and set it up.


    Brother Yang found a convenient branch and raised it before walking towards the trap. Li Yu looked at Brother Yang and said to Ji Xiang and the others, ¡°Ji Xiang, Uncle Yao Hui, he¡¯s carrying the branch to deal with our arrows. Go to the mud wall and shoot from above.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Chen Yaohui and Ji Xiang climbed up the mud wall and watched as the refugees passed the trap and walked towards the wooden door. Ji Xiang counted and gestured to Li Yu before saying to Chen Yaohui, ¡°Shoot.¡±


    The arrows shot down from above and towards the bandits behind Brother Yang, emitting waves of screams after being shot. Brother Yang waved his branches and rushed behind the earth wall. He raised a spear and stabbed at Ji Xiang. Ji Xiang responded by taking out a machete and shing it at Brother Yang. Li Yu raised her crossbow and the arrows tore through the air. The people who crossed the bridge behind also fell into the trap.


    Seeing that the situation was bad, Brother Yang raised his branch to block the arrowz and shouted, ¡°Everyone, retreat quickly.¡±


    Li Yu had already understood that only this person with the branch was capable. The others were all a motley crowd. Li Yu stepped on the beam of the wooden door and jumped onto the mud wall. She held the crossbow and shot it down at the refugees.


    After the sound of the arrows, more than ten people fell in the blink of an eye. Brother Yang swung the tree branch around and knocked down some arrows. Then, he quickly fled with the remaining people.


    Chen Yaohui looked at Li Yu and Chen Yaozu. ¡°What about the dead people outside?¡±


    Chen Yaozu said fearfully, ¡°What should we do? If they don¡¯t die, we¡¯ll die. If they can escape, we¡¯ll let them escape. If they deserve to die, they can only die. If someonees to collect the corpses tomorrow, let them collect them. If not, we¡¯ll dig a hole far away and bury them.¡±


    Chen Yaohui sighed. ¡°I hope they will back off. Xiaoyu, the snow is so heavy. Bring some people back and rest. We¡¯ll guard here.¡±


    Li Yu looked at the sky and realized that the snow was getting heavier. ¡°It¡¯s hard to say if they will back off. From the looks of it, they won¡¯te again tonight. Ji Xiang will bring people outside to retrieve the arrows. Uncle Yao,e back with me. I¡¯lle back tomorrow morning to take your shift.¡±


    Brother Yang brought the remaining people back to the forest. The people who remained there surrounded him happily. ¡°Brother Yang has seeded, right? Are we moving now?¡±


    One of them looked around curiously. ¡°Eh! Why are there only so few people back? Where are Yang Yong and the others?¡±


    Yang Chun nced at Brother Yang who lowered his head. ¡°They¡¯re all dead.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Yang Yong¡¯s mother pulled Yang Chun back. ¡°Tell me more clearly. What do you mean they¡¯re all dead?¡±


    ¡®It means they have been killed by everyone there.¡¯


    ¡°Nonsense. My son won¡¯t die. Oh... God...¡± Yang Yong¡¯s mother wailed.


    ¡°Stop arguing. Do you want to lure people here to wipe us out?¡± Brother Yang suddenly roared, ¡°Do you think robbing houses is a game where no one will die? Are the people we killed not dead? We¡¯re living a life of bloodshed now and we might die at any time. Do you still need me to tell you such a simple logic? Those who are afraid of death will pack up and leave tomorrow morning. Those who aren¡¯t afraid will follow me into the cave and discuss how to deal with those people at the foot of the mountain.¡±


    Brother Yang led the way into the cave. Yang Chun nced at the others and followed. The others slowly entered.

 Chapter 136

    136 Rogues


    Seeing that those people had followed in and realizing that none of them had retreated, Brother Yang nodded in satisfaction. He looked at the people in front of him and sat down against the cliff. ¡°Go find a ce to dig a hole and get those women to go to the foot of the mountain tomorrow morning to retrieve the corpses of Yang Yong and the others for burial. We¡¯ve encountered a powerful enemy now. I want to bring Yang Chun to Tongzhou and find someone to buy a few bows. What do you think?¡±


    The remaining people looked at each other and looked at Brother Yang. Yang Chun looked at these people with a fierce expression. ¡°Brother Yang, we¡¯ll listen to you and buy some bows and arrows. We¡¯ll kill those dogs in the mountains to avenge Yang Yong and the others.¡±


    The others shouted after him. ¡°Yes, we¡¯ll buy bows ande back to avenge them.¡±


    Brother Yang stood up and said loudly, ¡°Alright, don¡¯t worry, those brothers won¡¯t have died in vain. Train your skills in the forest these days. When I buy the bow back, we¡¯ll take revenge for them.¡±


    ¡°Alright, avenge our dead brothers,¡± Yang Chun shouted.


    Brother Yang looked at the shouting crowd in satisfaction and said to Yang Chun, ¡°Yang Chun, we¡¯ll leave immediately. Go and pack some dry food and water.¡±


    Yang Chun turned around and ran out. Old Turtle Yang¡¯s wife cried and pulled him back. ¡°Yang Chun, is my husband dead too?¡±


    Yang Chun¡¯s eyes turned red. ¡°Yes! He was killed by an arrow. Tomorrow morning, you guys go bring the corpse back and bury it. Wait for us toe back and avenge them.¡±


    ¡°How did he die?...¡± Old Turtle Yang¡¯s wife sat on the ground, crying and muttering.


    Brother Yang left with Yang Chun. The men listened to the suppressed cries outside and were no longer as happy and excited as when they returned from plundering.


    When Li Yu returned home, Zhou Jia and Li Qing rushed out of the house. Li Qing pulled Li Yu and smiled happily. ¡°Sister, you must be tired! Go wash up and rest.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and said to Zhou Jia and Li Qing, ¡°There were 30 to 40 refugees who came tonight. We¡¯ve probably killed more than half of them. No one in the vige is injured yet. I think the leader is still quite capable. I think he might think that we¡¯re hunters. He even guessed that we would set a trap. I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll give up. They are likely toe again.¡±


    Zhou Jia consoled Li Yu, ¡°Don¡¯t think too much. Go wash up and sleep first.¡± Li Yu nodded and walked toward the bathroom.


    The next morning, the snow that had been falling all night stopped. The blood and bodies at the vige entrance were covered in snow. Everything was white, as if the killingst night had been just a nightmare. A group of women and an old man appeared at the vige entrance with a handcart.


    Ruyi stood with his men behind the earthen wall and watched them in silence as they carried the bodies in the snow onto the handcart.


    The old man and the women nced at the wooden door with hatred on their faces. They spat at the door and walked to the trap. They slowly went down into the trap and tied the bodies inside to the rope to pull them out. They carried them onto the handcart and slowly pulled it away.


    After they left, Ruyi brought his people out to restore the trap. After Ruyi returned to the vige, he said to Chen Yaohui, ¡°Uncle Chen, look at the hatred in their eyes when they looked at us. Their gazes are as vicious as poisonous snakes. I think they won¡¯t back off and will definitelye again.¡±


    Chen Yaohui muttered, ¡°That¡¯s right! After all, a living person is lying there coldly after just one night. They will definitely hate us. Sigh! They can¡¯t me us! We have to live our lives too. If we have to me someone, we can only me the world.¡±


    Butcher He patted Chen Yaohui. ¡°Vige Chief, don¡¯t pity those people. They¡¯ve alreadye knocking on our door. You can¡¯t just stand there and not fight back. Besides, we didn¡¯t provoke them first.¡±


    The other vigers also echoed Butcher He excitedly, ¡°What Old He said makes sense. Even if they want to escape the drought, they can¡¯t kill others, right? Could it be that only their lives are important, so others should make way for them?¡±


    At this moment, Ji Xiang and Chen Yaozu brought the vigers who had returnedst night to change guards. When they saw them gathered together and talking excitedly, Ji Xiang walked up to Ruyi and patted him on the back. ¡°What are you guys talking about? Aren¡¯t you tired?¡±


    Ruyi told Ji Xiang about the bandits¡¯ womening to pull the corpses at dawn and what everyone was talking about. Ji Xiang said indifferently, ¡°Who cares if they¡¯re vicious or not? Let¡¯s hit them freely. If we beat them up, they won¡¯t dare to have any ideas about our vige anymore. Everyone, go back and rest!¡±


    ¡°Yes! We¡¯ll beat them until they¡¯re afraid toe again,¡± everyone agreed.


    Butcher He smiled and pulled Chen Yaohui up. ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯m so tired. Let¡¯s go back and sleep first.¡±


    The refugees pulled the corpses back into the forest and found a ce to dig a hole to bury them. Yang Yong¡¯s mother cried, ¡°Son! I¡¯ve let you down! I couldn¡¯t even give you a coffin before burying you in this wilderness...¡±


    The refugees standing there looked at the grave and swore, ¡°Brothers, stay here for a few days. We¡¯ll find a good ce for you after we get that ce.¡±


    Ruyi went back and told Li Yu and Zhou Jia about the situation at the vige entrance. ¡°Young Master, Miss, I have the same thoughts as Zhao Cai. We have to beat them up until they¡¯re afraid of us before our lives will be stable.¡±


    Li Yu nodded in approval. ¡°You two are right. I think it depends on the situation. They¡¯re not ordinary refugees. They¡¯re a group of vicious bandits. If we show mercy to them, we¡¯ll be doomed.¡±


    Zhou Jia also said, ¡°This situation isn¡¯t the time to be kind. If you¡¯re kind, you¡¯ll be digging your own grave. Go eat breakfast before sleeping and rest well.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Ruyi agreed and left.


    Li Yu thought for a while and said to Zhou Jia, ¡°Xiao Xi, we¡¯re trapped in the vige now and don¡¯t even know what¡¯s going on outside. If more refugees gather, I¡¯m worried that we won¡¯t be able to defend the vige with our weapons and strength. We have to think of other ways.¡±


    Zhou Jia thought for a while and said to Li Yu, who was walking around the house with a frown, ¡°I¡¯ll go and gather all the workers in the manor. They¡¯re protected by the vige here, so they can¡¯t stay out of this. Everyone has to work together to survive in this chaotic world.¡±


    Li Yu suddenly thought of the cold weapons that the instructor had mentioned in her previous life. When he talked about catapults, everyone found it interesting and she even made a simple catapult.


    Li Yu felt that it might not be very effective to fight sophisticated enemies, but it should not be a problem to deal with those refugees.


    ¡°Okay. Gather the longborers and ask them to find some stones to pull to the vige entrance. Move them to the low mountain pass. Then I¡¯ll ask Uncle Carpenter to make something.¡±


    Seeing Li Yu smile, Zhou Jia also felt relieved. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m leaving.¡±


    After Zhou Jia left, Li Yu took out a pen and paper and drew a simple catapult. She went to Carpenter Chen¡¯s house. When Carpenter Chen¡¯s wife saw Li Yu, she hurriedly greeted her with a smile. ¡°Xiaoyu, you¡¯re here to look for your uncle, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, is Uncle around?¡± Li Yu smiled.


    Carpenter Chen¡¯s wife politely pointed into the house. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll call him for you now.¡±


    Carpenter Chen walked out of the house when he heard Li Yu¡¯s voice. ¡°Xiaoyu, why are you looking for me?¡±

 Chapter 137

    137 Preparing


    Li Yu smiled and said, ¡°Uncle, I¡¯m here to get you to make something.¡± As she spoke, she took out the blueprint and handed it to Carpenter Chen. ¡°This is called a catapult. I want to ce it at the entrance of the vige and the low mountain to deal with those bandits. I¡¯ll have to trouble you to help me make it quickly.¡±


    ¡°Let me see.¡± Carpenter Chen took the blueprint and looked at it for a while before pointing at it and asking, ¡°Xiaoyu, what are these two things and what is this long one for?¡±


    Li Yu pointed at the blueprint and exined, ¡°The long one is a lever long arm. The small yoke at the top of the long arm is used to carry stones and shoot them out. The short one is called a lever short arm. Therge yoke at the top of the short arm is filled with stones to act as a sink.¡±


    After hearing this, Carpenter Chen thought for a moment. ¡°I understand. It¡¯s not difficult to make this thing. Hardwood and iron sheet. My family has bull tendons, rhododendrons, and wood. Go back and prepare a few long ropes that are stronger. Then, look for the old vige chief and ask him to make a few cauldrons ording to your instructions.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go now.¡± Li Yu turned around and went to the old vige chief to get him to weave a few round felts the size of dustpans. The old vige chief nodded. ¡°Got it. Go busy yourself. I¡¯ll make the bamboo felt at your Uncle Carpenter¡¯s house.¡±


    When Zhou Jia arrived at the vige, he told the long-term workers about the situationst night and said to them, ¡°The government has already closed the city gates and doesn¡¯t care about our lives anymore. If the bandits gather more people, they will definitely kill us all once the vige is broken. Only by working together can we survive.¡±


    Foreman Lin Dashan bowed to Zhou Jia and said, ¡°Mr. Zhou, feel free to instruct us. We would not have a stable life without you taking us in.¡±


    The other dozen or so workers also said, ¡°That¡¯s right! Mr. Zhou, just instruct us. We know what¡¯s good for us.¡±


    Zhou Jia cupped his hands at them. ¡°Thank you, everyone. Thene with me to pick up the stones and transport them to the vige entrance and the two short mountain passes.¡±


    ¡°Okay, we¡¯re on our way.¡±


    Zhou Jia brought the workers down the mountain and carried the stones to the vige entrance. When Chen Yaozu saw this, he said to Zhou Jia, ¡°Mr. Zhou, you¡¯re a schr. How can I let you do these things? Just go back and rest and leave it to me.¡± As Chen Yaozu spoke, he pushed Zhou Jia back.


    Zhou Jia smiled. ¡°Uncle Chen, these things are not difficult. I can¡¯t just watch everyone be busy and not do anything!¡±


    Seeing that Zhou Jia insisted on going, Chen Yaohui could only let go. ¡°You have to be careful not to hurt yourself.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll take note. Thank you.¡±


    Brother Yang led Yang Chun through the cold for five to six days and arrived at a forest called Wild Boar Ridge a hundred miles away from Tongzhou City. He entered the mountain and found a group of bandits gathered there.


    Brother Yang found the bandit boss of Wild Boar Ridge. The boss was actually the third-in-charge of Clear Wind Ridge, Lone Wolf.


    Lone Wolf looked at Brother Yang with mockery in his eyes. ¡°Didn¡¯t you build another stronghold? Why do you have the time to see me?¡±


    Brother Yang bowed to Lone Wolf and said, ¡°Brother, many of my brothers died when I encountered a powerful enemy. Please help me by selling me a few bows.¡±


    Lone Wolf looked at Brother Yang and thought to himself, What an ungrateful dog. He was unwilling to be my second-inmand. Now that he¡¯s here to beg me, I have to extort him.


    Lone Wolf made up his mind and said slowly, ¡°The bow is not cheap. As long as you can afford it, I will sell it!¡±


    When Brother Yang saw Lone Wolf¡¯s eyes darting around, he knew that he wouldn¡¯t be able to buy the bow without paying a high price today. He bowed to Brother Yang and said, ¡°Big Brother, as long as you sell the bow to me, give me a number. I¡¯ll pay even if I have to sell everything.¡±


    Lone Wolf smiled sinisterly at Brother Yang and raised three fingers. ¡°I¡¯ll give you four bows for this number.¡±


    Brother Yang chuckled. ¡°Big Brother, do you mean thirty taels?¡±


    ¡°Pfft,¡± Lone Wolf spat at him. ¡°You¡¯re so shameless. You can¡¯t even buy one for thirty taels of silver during the Taiping Era. A bow is three hundred taels of silver, and an arrow is twenty taels of silver. I¡¯ll give you fifty at most.¡±


    Brother Yang estimated the money in his bag and smiled. ¡°Yes, why not? I want four bows. Brother, prepare 50 arrows for me.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll get someone to get it for you.¡± Lone Wolf touched his chin and looked at Brother Yang, thinking to himself that it had only been two months, and Brother Yang had already gotten so much money. It seemed that there were many rich people in Tongzhou.


    ¡°Yang Changkun, Tongzhou looks good! You¡¯ve only been there for a few days! You¡¯ve already earned so much money?¡±


    Seeing Lone Wolf¡¯s sarcastic look, Brother Yang handed over the silver and said with a smile, ¡°Big Brother, it¡¯s all the silver that everyone gathered. They took out their life savings just to take revenge.¡±


    Lone Wolf counted the silver andughed out loud. ¡°Revenge? You¡¯re still looking for revenge? Then I¡¯m afraid there are countless people looking for you to take revenge!


    ¡°This... this...¡± Brother Yang smiled awkwardly. At this moment, Lone Wolf¡¯s subordinate took out the bow and arrows. Lone Wolf waved at Brother Yang and said, ¡°Take them and leave! Don¡¯te again. My eyes hurt when I see you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Big Brother. I¡¯ll take my leave.¡± Brother Yang did not care about Lone Wolf¡¯s disdainful expression at all. He picked up his bow and arrows and went down the mountain with Yang Chun.


    Li Yu brought Carpenter Chen to make three catapults. Therger one was ced at the vige entrance.


    The people of the vige had all arrived. Someone pulled down the lever and put the lid on the big stone in the kiln. Then he sealed the stone in the kiln with a rope. Next, he pulled down the lever and put the stone into the sling with his long arms. He let go of the sinking of the rope and the stone in the sling at the top of his long arms flew out like a cannonball and hit the open ground outside the vige.


    ¡°It did fly out,¡± everyone cheered.


    ¡°Sister, you¡¯re really amazing.¡± Li Qing looked at Li Yu proudly. Li Yu blushed and said awkwardly, ¡°It¡¯s not that I¡¯m amazing, but the person who taught me is amazing.¡±


    When everything was ready, the vigers felt much more at ease. After a few days, they did not see any banditsing to harass the vige. The vigers¡¯ tense hearts also rxed. Some vigers even let down their guard.


    That evening, when Li Yu arrived at the vige entrance, she saw Chun Sheng and He Tiezhu, who were supposed to be patrolling in front of the vige entrance, sleeping by the fire in the shed. Li Yu woke them up. ¡°Chun Sheng, Tiezhu, weren¡¯t you patrolling? Why are you asleep?¡±


    He Tiezhu lowered his head and did not dare to look at Li Yu. Chun Sheng nced at Li Yu and smiled indifferently. ¡°Xiaoyu, look, they haven¡¯t been here for so many days. I don¡¯t think they dare toe. Even if theye, Brother Zhao Cai and the others are still guarding the vige!¡±


    Seeing that he didn¡¯t care, Li Yu turned around and left. She returned to the vige and found Chen Yaohui. She said to Chen Yaohui worriedly, ¡°Uncle, you have to tell everyone not to let their guard down. Otherwise, something big will happen.¡±


    Chen Yaohuiforted Li Yu. ¡°Xiaoyu, don¡¯t worry too much. Half a month has passed. They suffered so many casualtiesst time. I think they must be afraid of us and don¡¯t dare toe.¡±


    When Li Yu heard this, she felt that Chen Yaohui was still the same as before. He was too carefree and didn¡¯t know the viciousness of the human heart.

 Chapter 138

    138 Fight Again


    Li Yu looked at Chen Yaohui seriously. ¡°Uncle, it¡¯s not that I¡¯m too worried, but those people are definitely not ordinary refugees; they are a group of bandits. Everyone, it¡¯s best not to let your guard down. Otherwise, the consequences are not something you can bear.¡±


    Seeing Li Yu¡¯s serious expression, Chen Yaohui also took it seriously. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll tell them know.¡±


    When Li Yu returned home, Zhou Jia and Li Qing saw Li Yu¡¯s solemn expression and asked worriedly, ¡°Yu¡¯er, what happened?¡±


    Li Yu told Zhou Jia what she had seen at the vige entrance. She frowned and looked at Zhou Jia and Li Qing. ¡°How long has it been? They actually dared to sleep soundly on duty. They even said that Brother Zhao Cai and the others are guarding anyway.¡±


    When Li Qing heard this, he said angrily, ¡°Sister, you and Sir have helped them shoulder too much. They feel that it¡¯s only right. After this matter is over, don¡¯t interfere too much in the vige!¡±


    Zhou Jia also said slowly, ¡°The older generation still knows the severity of the matter. The younger ones won¡¯t know in the future. Xiaoyu, I think Ah Qing is right. We should stop interfering in the vige¡¯s matters in the future, lest they feel that it¡¯s only right for us to help the vige.¡±


    Li Yu nodded and rubbed her brows. ¡°I¡¯m going to sleep for a while. Call me if anything happens.¡±


    Brother Yang and Yang Chun returned to the forest with their bows and arrows. They selected a few people and began to teach them archery.


    The group practiced in the forest for a few days. Brother Yang brought Yang Chun quietly to the foot of the mountain outside Phoenix Vige. After looking around, they found that there were two more entrances to the west of the vige, but those two entrances had been blocked by the vigers with earth walls. To enter the vige, they could only enter from the vige entrance or the two low mountain entrances.


    Brother Yang said to Yang Chun, ¡°This ce is really good, but it¡¯s not easy for us to snatch it.¡±


    Yang Chun looked at Brother Yang and probed, ¡°Brother Yang, why don¡¯t we forget about it!¡±


    Brother Yang said in a low voice, ¡°Forget it! Our people died for nothing. Who will still follow us in the future? Go back and prepare. We have to snatch this ce.¡±


    Yang Chun could only follow Brother Yang back to the forest.


    Brother Yang returned to the forest and asked someone to chop some wooden sticks and sharpen them with a machete. He chose ten men with good arm strength and said to them, ¡°Take the wooden sticks and stab the mound at the back. You have to practice hard.


    ¡°Alright.¡± More than ten men went to practice stabbing the mound with wooden sticks.


    After two more days of preparation, it was almost midnight. Brother Yang gathered everyone and said to the bandits who were practicing chiseling the soil, ¡°There are two entrances to the west of that vige. They are now blocked by the earth wall. When we go up and fight them, you¡¯ll quietly go over and chisel open the earth wall at the foot of the mountain.¡±


    A dozen roving bandits answered loudly, ¡°We¡¯ll remember.¡±


    Brother Yang divided the remaining hundred or so people into two groups and said to the bandits on the left, ¡°Remember, the people on the left, follow me to the outside of the vigeter. We¡¯ll enter the vige first and stall the people at the entrance. Yang Chun, take the people on the right and follow behind Big Mountain and the others. After they open the mud wall, we¡¯ll enter the vige together. We¡¯ll attack from both sides and take revenge for our dead brothers.¡±


    Spring Yang took the lead. ¡°Kill them all and avenge our brothers.¡± The others joined in.


    Brother Yang raised his hand and said, ¡°Alright, everyone, take your things and let¡¯s go.¡±


    There were more than a hundred bandits carrying machetes, a few carrying bows and arrows, and more than ten carrying wooden sticks as they walked towards Phoenix Cry Vige.


    Ji Xiang and Zhao Cai brought a few long-term workers. Chen Yaohui brought Chen Zhong and a total of 30 or so people to guard the vige entrance.


    Brother Yang led his men to the entrance of the vige and got someone to find a few rocks to carry. The group walked towards the entrance.


    Ji Xiang was sitting in the shed behind the earthen wall, his eyes closed and his legs crossed. Suddenly, he heard faint footsteps and jumped up. ¡°The bandits are here.¡±


    When the footman heard this, he rang the gong and ran in the direction of the vige.


    Zhao Cai and Chen Yaohui also stood up and looked down from the low mountain. Zhao Cai shouted at Chen Yaohui, ¡°Looks like Ji Xiang has already discovered the bandits.¡±


    When the vigers heard the gong, they picked up their machetes and ran towards the vige entrance.


    Li Yu got up, picked up the crossbow and quiver by the bed, and ran towards the vige entrance. When Li Qing saw Li Yu leave, he also followed with a machete.


    When Li Yu arrived at the vige entrance, she saw the bandits hugging rocks and throwing them on the ground. After the rocks rolled past, they didn¡¯t see the trap and walked forward. As they walked, they rolled. In the end, the rocks rolled out and revealed all the traps.


    When Brother Yang saw that the traps had been broken, he waved his hand happily and said with a smile, ¡°Put up the wooden nks. Let¡¯s rush over.¡±


    The bandit carrying the wooden board hurriedlyid it on the trap and shouted excitedly, ¡°Brother Yang, your idea is good.¡±


    When Li Yu saw that the bandits had rushed through the trap, she waved her hand. ¡°Catapults, start fighting.¡±


    Chen Zhong let go of the rope and the stone bullets flew toward the bandits and hit a few of them. Brother Yang looked at the stone bullets and shouted, ¡°Catapults, everyone, retreat quickly.¡±


    The bandit, Zhang Huang, retreated. After retreating to the back, Brother Yang shouted at a few people with bows, ¡°The few of you, spread out and shoot arrows into the door.¡±


    When the four bandits with bows heard this, they raised their bows and shot at Li Yu and the others.


    Ji Xiang waved his long saber and knocked the arrows to the ground. Brother Yang looked at the catapult behind the wooden door and thought to himself that the people living in the vige should not be ordinary and it would definitely be impossible to fight them head-on. They could only wait for the mud wall to break in and catch them off guard.¡±


    The bandit looked at Brother Yang and said worriedly, ¡°Brother Yang, what if we can¡¯t enter?¡±


    Brother Yang smiled sinisterly and said, ¡°Let them be smug for a while longer. We¡¯ll stall them here and go in to deal with them after the earth wall is dug open.¡±


    The dozen or so men held machetes. When the wooden sticks reached the mud wall, most of them raised their machetes and sticks and poked at the mud wall. Only one bandit used the tip of the wooden stick to dig into the mud wall. After digging in, he pried open the soil with the wooden stick, pulled out the stick, and dug in again. He kept digging hard at a spot.


    Seeing that the bandits were neither advancing nor retreating, Li Yu suddenly thought of the earthen wall. She looked at Ji Xiang and asked, ¡°Is there anyone guarding the earthen wall?¡±


    Ji Xiang paused. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ll check.¡±


    ¡°Go quickly. I¡¯lleter.¡± Li Yu turned to look at Li Qing. ¡°Ah Qing, call Ruyi over to guard here.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Li Qing ran towards the low mountain where Ruyi was guarding.


    Zhou Jia had already reached Ruyi with the bow on his back. He said to Ruyi, ¡°Ruyi, I¡¯ll guard here. Go and help Miss.¡±


    Ruyi nced at Zhou Jia and nodded. ¡°Young Master, you have to be careful.¡± With that, he ran away.


    Ruyi met Li Qing halfway and eximed, ¡°Ah Qing, why are you here? Go home quickly.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to. I want to stay with you guys. Brother Ruyi, Brother Ji Xiang went to the earthen wall. My sister wants you to go over and guard the door.¡±


    ¡°I went to the vige entrance,¡± Ruyi said as she ran. ¡°Didn¡¯t anyone stay behind the earth wall?¡± Li Qing chased Ruyi. ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡±


    When the two of them arrived at the wooden door at the vige entrance, Li Yu said to Ruyi, ¡°Stay here and I¡¯ll go take a look.¡±


    ¡°Got it. Be careful.¡± Ruyi waited for Li Yu to leave before taking the bow and climbing up the mud wall. He looked at the bandits in the distance and felt that something was wrong.

 Chapter 139

    139 Intense Battle


    The bandit who was seriously chiseling at the wall finally dug a hole the size of a bowl. Looking at the hole, the bandit excitedly poked a bandit standing at the side and said in a low voice, ¡°Mountain, look, I¡¯ve dug a hole. Quickly call them over. Let¡¯s dig at the wall along the hole.¡±


    The bandit looked over and covered his mouth to suppress hisughter. He tapped the bandit beside him and pointed at the hole in the mud wall for him to see. ¡°Haha! It¡¯s really dug through. Quickly take the knife and dig at the hole. Everyone, exert your strength here.¡±


    The few of them cut down the wood and pried it open with sticks. Soon, a big hole was opened in the mud wall. Two bandits said to the others, ¡°Someone, go and call Yang Chun and the others over. The two of us will go in and push them out.¡±


    As the two of them spoke, they crawled in. The bandit called Big Mountain saw a straw shed on the side of the mud wall. There was a charcoal fire burning in the straw shed that was as warm as spring. There was also a person lying on a wooden bed and sleeping soundly.


    ¡°Damn it, you¡¯re still living a beautiful life!¡± Mountain picked up his knife and walked gently into the straw shed with a sinister smile. He raised his knife and stabbed it into the viger¡¯s chest. The viger died without even grunting.


    When Ji Xiang arrived at the mud wall, he saw a hole the size of a wooden basin. There were also two bandits desperately digging the soil out. The person guarding the mud wall were covered in blood and lying in the straw shed.


    Ji Xiang pulled out an arrow and nocked it on the string, killing one of the bandits. The other saw his partner fall to the ground and shouted, ¡°Not good. Someone¡¯sing.¡±


    Before he could finish speaking, Ji Xiang shot through his chest. Ji Xiang narrowed his eyes and looked around. He did not find any more bandits. The digging outside the wall stopped. An instantter, there was the sound of an earth wall being pushed.


    Yang Chun had already arrived outside the mud wall with his men. He held a machete and shouted, ¡°Everyone, line up and hit it together. Brother Yang will be here soon.¡±


    A group of people was lined up, side-on, using their shoulders to bang hard against the earthen wall. The wall was crumbling.


    Seeing that the wall was going to be knocked down, Ji Xiang jumped onto a big rock and pivoted towards the mud wall. He watched as dozens of bandits stood in line outside and mmed into the mud wall. He hurriedly took out an arrow, pulled the bowstring, and shot. After the bandits were shot, they screamed and fell to the ground.


    The other bandits were stunned for a moment before fleeing in all directions. Ji Xiang shot down more than ten bandits in a row. Yang Chun raised his knife and shouted at the bandits, ¡°Go back quickly and poke him down with your spear. The others, continue to push.¡±


    The bandit bent down and leaned against the foot of the mountain as he slipped back under the mud wall. He raised his spear and wooden stick and stabbed at Ji Xiang, but no matter how hard he poked, he could not reach him. As more and more bandits fell to the ground, fewer people were able to push the mud wall.


    At this moment, the arrows on Ji Xiang¡¯s were also used up and he prepared to go down the wall and continue killing bandits.


    Yang Chun shouted angrily, ¡°Brothers, what are you waiting for? He¡¯s exhausted his arrows. Everyone, quickly knock down the wall and kill that bastard.¡±


    A group of rogues lined up and Yang Chun shouted, ¡°Brothers, bang, brothers, bang.¡±


    The bandits held back their strength and rushed towards the mud wall. With a bang, the mud wall copsed.


    Yang Chun and the banditsughed wildly. ¡°Hahaha, quickly inform Brother Yang and the others toe over. The rest, follow me.¡±


    The bandits squeezed into the vige from the copse of the wall. Ji Xiang flipped over and jumped down the mud wall. He raised his saber and swept it at the bandits. Blood sprayed out and sttered Yang Chun¡¯s face.


    Yang Chun reached for his face and wiped away the blood. He raised his machete in fear and shouted at the remaining people, ¡°Brothers, attack and kill him.¡±


    The bandits surrounded Ji Xiang. Ji Xiang raised his saber and shed left and right. The bandits who were swept by the de kept falling. The bandits kept attacking Ji Xiang. Soon, Ji Xiang¡¯s shoulders, legs, and back were pierced by the bandits¡¯ long spears. Ji Xiang gritted his teeth and fought hard. He thought to himself, Looks like I¡¯ll have to die here today. If I had known earlier, I would have asked Young Master to marry me a wife.


    Ji Xiang¡¯s movements became slower and slower. He was about to copse. Yang Chun pointed at Ji Xiang and shouted, ¡°Brothers, hurry. He¡¯s running out of energy.¡±


    When Li Yu rushed to the mud wall and saw that Ji Xiang was surrounded by bandits, her movements slowed down. She shouted at Ji Xiang, ¡°Ji Xiang, retreat. I¡¯ming.¡±


    When Ji Xiang heard Li Yu¡¯s voice, he perked up and shed a bandit to death.


    Li Yu held the crossbow and shot at the bandits. After a few gunshots, a few of the bandits surrounding Ji Xiang fell to the ground. A hole was torn open in the encirclement, and Li Yu retreated from the encirclement with Ji Xiang.


    Li Yu held the crossbow and continued to shoot at the bandits. She asked Ji Xiang worriedly, ¡°Ji Xiang, are you alright?¡±


    Ji Xiang leaned against arge rock to steady his breathing. ¡°Miss, I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m just a little injured.¡± Ji Xiang took out the Golden Injury Medicine and poured it on his wounds. He leaned against the huge rock to regte his breathing.


    Yang Chun led his men towards Li Yu. Li Yu raised her saber and shed at Yang Chun, splitting his chest open. Yang Chun held the de and fell to the ground.


    Li Yu spun around and kicked a bandit away. She raised her saber and swept it over. Two of the bandits were swept to the ground by the fierce de.


    When Ji Xiang recovered, he rushed forward to join the battle.


    At this moment, the bandits who had informed Brother Yang rushed outside the vige and shouted at him, ¡°Brother Yang, leave quickly. The earth wall has opened.¡±


    Brother Yang perked up when he heard that and said to the people guarding the surroundings, ¡°Yang Laoqi, take 30 people to stall them here. The rest of you, follow me to the earth wall in the west.¡±


    Seventh Brother Yang nodded. ¡°Got it, Brother Yang.¡±


    Brother Yang led the bandits behind him and ran towards the west wall.


    After Brother Yang left, Ruyi jumped down from the mud wall and said to Butcher He, ¡°Uncle He, I¡¯ll bring people to help Miss. Call Zhao Cai and the others over and get him to open the door and go out to kill those bandits. Uncle Chen Gui, you guys follow me.¡±


    Ruyi led Chen Gui and dozens of people towards the earth wall.


    Butcher He rang the gong and looked angrily at the bandits outside the door. ¡°Dogs, don¡¯t be caught by Grandpa.¡±


    When Zhao Cai and the others heard the summoning gong, they said to Liu Changmin, ¡°Uncle Liu, something happened over there. Take two people and guard here. The rest, follow me.¡±


    Zhou Jia also rushed towards the vige entrance with Chen Zhong and more than ten people.


    Ruyi led her people to the earth wall and saw Li Yu and Ji Xiang fighting a few bandits. The ground was filled with the corpses of the bandits.


    Ruyi sped up and rushed over. Brother Yang also arrived with his men and saw the bandits lying on the ground. He shouted angrily, ¡°Kill.¡±


    The bandits raised their knives and rushed toward Li Yu and the others. The two groups of people fought. For a moment, the sound of weapons shing could be heard, and shouts of killing sounded.


    Ruyi raised her saber and shed at Brother Yang. Brother Yang raised his saber and blocked Ruyi¡¯s saber. He kicked Ruyi, but Ruyi shed his leg. Brother Yang endured the pain and hurriedly retracted his saber. He raised his saber and shed horizontally. Ruyi dodged Brother Yang¡¯s saber and pressed forward.


    A bandit rushed behind Ruyi and raised his saber to sh at Ruyi. Seeing that Ruyi was surrounded by enemies, Li Yu, who had just finished off a bandit, pulled her sleeve arrow. The sleeve arrow shot out and pierced through the bandit¡¯s neck. He fell to the ground.


    Li Yu kicked away the bandits who were charging at Ruyi and stabbed at Brother Yang with her saber. Brother Yang dodged to the side. Li Yu¡¯s saber pierced through Brother Yang¡¯s shoulder de and she grabbed the hilt and twisted it hard. Brother Yang endured the pain and grabbed Li Yu¡¯s long saber. He raised the saber with one hand and stabbed at Li Yu with all his might. Li Yu dodged to the side and held the saber inserted in Brother Yang¡¯s shoulder de to suppress Brother Yang. With the other hand, she pulled out the dagger tied to her leg and jumped up. She swung her dagger and cut Brother Yang¡¯s throat. Blood sprayed out. Brother Yang looked at Li Yu in disbelief and clutched his throat as he fell to the ground.

 Chapter 140

    140 Hurting Others and Oneself


    Li Yu raised her saber and rushed in front of a bandit who was still fighting. She held the saber to his neck and shouted, ¡°Stop, all of you. Your leader is dead. Do you still want to fight?¡±


    The remaining bandits were stunned when they heard Li Yu¡¯s shout. The machetes in their hands fell to the ground with a ng.


    Zhao Cai led its men and rushed towards the bandits outside the vige. Zhou Jia and Li Qing were also mixed in the crowd. The bandits also rushed towards Zhao Cai and the other team with their knives and started fighting.


    The bandit raised his spear and stabbed at Zhao Cai. Zhao Cai cut the spear in half and kicked him. Butcher He shed down with his butcher knife. The bandit died without even grunting.


    A bandit raised his saber and shed at Li Qing. Li Qing was stunned. Zhou Jia rushed over and cut off the bandit¡¯s arm. He raised his saber and stabbed the bandit to death. He leaned against Li Qing¡¯s back and shouted, ¡°Ah Qing, what are you doing?¡±


    Li Qing came back to his senses. He gritted his teeth and shed at a bandit, cutting off his arm. Blood sprayed on Li Qing¡¯s face. Li Qing endured his disgust and raised his knife to kill.


    It didn¡¯t take much effort for everyone to deal with those bandits. They rushed towards the mud wall with their men. When they reached the mud wall, they saw Li Yu raising her saber and ending the battle.


    Ruyi and her men were tying up the surrendered bandits. The ground was filled with their corpses.


    Zhou Jia and Li Qing rushed to Li Yu¡¯s side and asked worriedly, ¡°Sister, are you injured?¡±


    Li Yu looked at the two of them and said to Zhou Jia weakly, ¡°Xiao Xi, Ji Xiang is injured. Look at the others and see if they¡¯re injured.¡±


    Ji Xiang walked out from behind while covering his arm. He looked at Li Yu and Zhou Jia and smiled weakly. ¡°Miss, Young Master, I¡¯m fine.¡± With that, he cked out.


    Zhou Jia hugged Ji Xiang and felt his pulse before heaving a sigh of relief. He smiled at Li Yu and the others. ¡°He¡¯s fine. He fainted from exhaustion.¡±


    Zhou Jia took out a pill from his pocket and fed it to Ji Xiang. He gave Li Yu a pill and said to Li Qing, ¡°Ah Qing, help Sister back. Zhao Cai and Ruyi, bring people to check on the injured.¡±


    Seeing Li Qing¡¯s pale face, Li Yu asked worriedly, ¡°Ah Qing, what¡¯s wrong? Why do you look so pale?¡±


    Li Qing held Li Yu and smiled shyly. ¡°Sister, I feel ufortable and a little disgusted.¡±


    Li Yu patted Li Qing. ¡°This is normal, but you have to know that if you retreat in this chaotic world, you will fall into eternal damnation.¡±


    ¡°Sister, I¡¯ll remember. I just feel that I¡¯m a man of the Li family. I¡¯m too useless to have to rely on you for everything.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense. You¡¯re still young. When you grow up, you¡¯ll definitely be an indomitable man.¡± Li Qing looked at Li Yu with tears in his eyes.


    Zhou Jia handed Ji Xiang to Butcher He and a viger to carry back to recuperate.


    When Zhao Cai and Ruyi checked, they found that two vigers had died in Phoenix Vige. One of the long-termborers was dead, and the servant, She Fu, was seriously injured. There were also a few vigers and longborers who were seriously injured. The others were all light and minor injuries. Ruyi and Zhao Cai fed a few seriously injured vigers pills and sprinkled some Golden Injury Medicine on their wounds. Zhao Cai brought the injured back to the vige.


    Ruyi looked at Zhou Jia and asked, ¡°Young Master, what about the dead vigers and workers?¡±


    Zhou Jia thought for a moment and made a decision. ¡°Go and tell the vige chief that the vige will be in charge of discussing the aftermath of the deaths and injuries of the vigers. We will be in charge of the aftermath of the long-term workers and servants. In the future, let¡¯s not interfere with the vige¡¯s matters and let them settle it themselves.¡±


    Ruyi nodded and said, ¡°Yes, and what about the dead bandits and the captured bandits?¡±


    Zhou Jia frowned. ¡°Carry the dead bandits out and ce them outside the vige. If no onees to collect the corpses before noon tomorrow, find a ce to bury them. Send the captured ones to the authorities.¡±


    Ruyi led the vigers to move the dead bandits outside the mud wall. At this moment, Chen Zhong saw the vigers who had died in the straw shed and eximed, ¡°Isn¡¯t this Chun Sheng¡¯s father? Why is he on duty here?¡±


    Zhou Jia walked in and looked at Father Chen, who was lying in a pool of blood. He sighed. ¡°A few days ago, Xiaoyu told them to be vignt lest something happens. Look, he even brought wine and came to guard the mud wall drunk. Fortunately, Xiaoyu felt that something was wrong and asked Ji Xiang toe over to take a look. Otherwise, something big would have happened. Let¡¯s carry him back and let the vige chief deal with it.¡±


    When Zhou Jia saw Father Chen¡¯s corpse, he was even more determined not to interfere in the vige¡¯s matters.


    Chen Zhong sent the dead Father Chen and the other dead people back to the vige. Chen Yaohui led his men to prepare the mourning hall. When he saw the four corpses, he eximed, ¡°Didn¡¯t they say that two died in the vige while another one died on the farm? Why is there another one?¡±


    Chen Zhong took a few steps forward to Chen Yaohui¡¯s side and whispered, ¡°It¡¯s Chun Sheng¡¯s night of duty at the mud wall tonight, right? Father Chen was the one who went instead of Chun Sheng. Father Chen was drunk and didn¡¯t even know that the bandits were chiseling the wall outside. If Xiaoyu hadn¡¯t felt that something was wrong and got Ji Xiang to take a look, the consequences would have been unimaginable.¡±


    Chen Yaohui broke out in cold sweat when he heard that. He said angrily, ¡°That day, Xiaoyu reminded me and I had just scolded them. He¡¯s treating my words like fart!¡±


    Chen Zhong patted Chen Yaohui and advised, ¡°It¡¯s already happened. Chunsheng¡¯s father also lost his life. Let¡¯s talk about him after this matter is over!¡±


    At this moment, the vigers who had lost their families all received the news. They pounced on their loved ones and were heartbroken. Chun Sheng cried at Chen Yaohui, ¡°Vige Chief, kill the remaining bandits and avenge my father.¡±


    Chen Yaohui shook his head. ¡°Those bandits have to be handed over to the government. Otherwise, the vige will also be in trouble. Don¡¯t worry, the vige willpensate you.¡±


    Chun Sheng cried and rushed to Chen Yaohui. He waved his fists and shouted, ¡°I don¡¯t wantpensation. I want to kill them and avenge my father.¡±


    The rtives of the other two families also shouted. Chen Yaohui grabbed Chun Sheng¡¯s cor and dragged him to the side to p him in the face. He shouted angrily, ¡°You still have the cheek to make a fuss. I still want to ask you. Weren¡¯t you supposed to be on duty at the mud wall in the middle of the night? Why didn¡¯t you warn about the bandits when they arrived? Also, everyone was fighting for their lives outside just now. Where were you?¡±


    ¡°I, I...¡± Chun Sheng covered his face and looked at Chen Yaohui, who was stammering and unable to speak.


    Chen Yaohui stared at him and shouted, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you roaring anymore? You asked your father to help you on duty, but your father was lying in the straw shed drunk. He didn¡¯t even know that the bandits were chiseling the wall outside. Do you know that you and your father almost killed the entire vige?¡±


    Chun Sheng slumped to the ground. ¡°I thought they wouldn¡¯t daree. I waszy and didn¡¯t want to go. My father said he would go in my ce, so I agreed. Boohoo... I¡¯m not human...¡±


    Chun Sheng sat on the ground and pped himself. Chen Yaohui turned around tofort the other vigers.


    Ruyi and Zhou Jia sent Liu Dachun¡¯s corpse outside the manor. Auntie He brought Liu Dachun¡¯s wife, Madam Xu, and three children out of the manor. The mother and son pounced on Liu Dachun and cried.


    Zhou Jia went forward and bowed. ¡°Sister-inw Liu, don¡¯t worry. When Brother Liu¡¯s funeral ispleted, we wille up with a way to support you and the children. Of course, you can also tell me your request. I¡¯ll try my best to satisfy you.¡±


    Madam Xu looked up at Zhou Jia and cried, ¡°Mr. Zhou, my family is no longer around. We were hired to work in the farm after escaping from the wastnd. My children are still young. I only beg you not to chase us out of the farm.¡±


    Zhou Jia cupped his hands and said, ¡°Auntie Liu, don¡¯t worry. You can stay in the house in the manor for as long as you want. We will also give you a sum of money.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Madam Xu heaved a sigh of relief when she heard that. She looked at her husband¡¯s corpse and started crying again.

 Chapter 141

    141 Confrontation


    The women and old people left in the forest looked at the children sleeping soundly in the cave. They did not feel sleepy at all and waited anxiously for news from Brother Yang and the others.


    Madam Ma, Yang Chun¡¯s wife, said to Old Turtle Yang¡¯s wife, ¡°Sister-inw, why do I feel so flustered? Did something happen to them?¡±


    Old Turtle Yang¡¯s wife spat a few times. ¡°Can¡¯t you think of something better? I¡¯m still counting on them to avenge me!¡±


    ¡°Yes! Perhaps I was too worried,¡± Madam Ma said as she walked out of the cave. ¡°It¡¯s almost ten in the morning. Snow is starting to fall again today. I want to go to the vige entrance to take a look.¡±


    Yang Yong¡¯s mother stood up. ¡°It¡¯s almost dawn. Logically speaking, it should already be done. Leave a few people to watch the children. Let¡¯s go take a look.¡±


    When Old Turtle Yang¡¯s wife heard this, she sat back down and said, ¡°You guys go ahead! Third Sister-inw and I will stay here to watch the children.¡±


    Old Madam Yang nodded and led the group towards Phoenix Vige with a torch.


    Butcher He and Ruyi sat in front of the fire with their men and guarded the gap in the copsed earth wall. Suddenly, he saw a faint me approaching the vige entrance from afar.


    Butcher He picked up the butcher knife and shouted, ¡°Everyone, be careful. Someone ising from ahead.¡±


    Ruyi opened his eyes and looked around. He stood up and jumped onto the broken wall. She saw that someone was indeeding with a torch in the distance.


    Ruyi looked at Butcher He and said, ¡°Uncle He, judging from their speed, they shouldn¡¯t be bandits. Could they be the people who came to collect the corpsesst time?¡±


    Butcher He sat back when he heard this. ¡°Then don¡¯t worry about them. Just let them move the bodies.¡±


    Madam Ma and her group led the way with torches. As soon as they reached the clearing outside the vige, they saw the bodies piled there.


    The torch in Madam Ma¡¯s hand fell to the ground and she stood there in a daze. There was only one thought in her mind. She was begging the gods to let the head of her family be fine.


    Old Madam Yang and the others had also arrived. Looking at the corpses piled there, Old Madam Yang pounced on them and cried, ¡°Aren¡¯t you here for revenge? Why are you all dead? Who will avenge me if you die?¡±


    Madam Ma came back to her senses and started searching. She pulled Yang Chun in her arms and cried.


    The other women also cried and searched the corpses. Suddenly, a woman shouted, ¡°Brother Yang, this is Brother Yang. They¡¯re all dead. Ah...¡±


    The group of women guarded the corpses and cried out in pain.


    Li Yu brought Zhao Cai and more than ten vigers to the mud wall to change shifts with Butcher He and the others. They heard cries outside the vige.


    Zhao Cai asked Ruyi with a heavy heart, ¡°Those people are here to collect the corpses?¡±


    Ruyi nodded. ¡°I think so. We¡¯ll leaveter.¡±


    Granny Yang cried and stood up. She looked around with tears in her eyes and saw the fire behind the broken wall. She shouted to the women, ¡°Madam Ma, let¡¯s go. We¡¯ll fight them.¡±


    Madam Ma raised her head and set Yang Chun down. She picked up a rock and rushed toward the fire with Granny Yang.


    Ruyi saw the two of them rushing over and asked Li Yu, ¡°Miss, what do you think we should do? Two women areing.¡±


    Li Yu waved her hand and stood there calmly as she watched the two women rush over.


    Madam Ma threw the stone at Ruyi and shouted through gritted teeth, ¡°Goddamn dog trash, I¡¯ll kill you. I¡¯ll beat you to death.¡±


    Ruyi ducked to the side and dodged the stone. In the blink of an eye, Old Madam Yang was crying and pouncing at Li Yu. ¡°Damn it, return my son¡¯s life.¡±


    Ruyi rushed over and stood in front of Li Yu. Li Yu pulled Ruyi away and looked at Old Madam Yang coldly. ¡°We¡¯re in our own house. Your son brought people to kill our vigers. We just protected ourselves and resisted. If you want to me someone, me your son and the others for being inferior.


    Your son and the rest were killed by us, and you came to us to exact vengeance for your son¡¯s life. Then if we were the ones killed today, would you let your son return our lives?¡¯


    The knife is in your heart. You know the pain, don¡¯t you? What about those innocent people your son killed? Their families woulde for you too. How many lives do you have with which to pay them back?¡±


    Old Madam Yang and Madam Ma looked at Li Yu and the others and cursed bitterly, ¡°You evil ghosts will go to the 18 levels of hell even if you die. God will not let you off.¡±


    Butcher He was so angry that he rushed in front of the two of them. He stood there and pointed at Old Madam Yang¡¯s nose as he scolded, ¡°Old woman, only those who have died outside will go to hell. The heavens have opened their eyes and guided you to our vige. If it were any other vige, they would have long been ughtered by you. The heavens are fair and retribution is not good. You¡¯ve killed too many people. Even the heavens can¡¯t stand it. They were killed by us today. It¡¯s payback.¡±


    Chen Gui walked over with his machete and pointed at the two of them. He shouted, ¡°Get lost. I don¡¯t think the two of you are good people either. If you don¡¯t get lost, I¡¯ll kill the two of you.¡±


    Seeing Chen Gui raise his machete, Old Madam Yang and Madam Ma were so frightened that they turned around and ran. Seeing that no one was chasing after them, they stood there and cursed again.


    Li Yu couldn¡¯t be bothered with them. She said to Ruyi and Butcher He, ¡°Uncle He, go back and have a good sleep. We still have a funeral in the vige. Later, Zhao Cai will bring people to town to buy coffins and incense paper money.¡±


    Butcher He sighed and said gratefully to Li Yu, ¡°Xiaoyu, thank goodness Uncle¡¯s family met you, Mr. Zhou, Ruyi, and the others. Otherwise, I don¡¯t know what would have happened!¡±


    Li Yu looked at Butcher He and smiled. ¡°Uncle He, it¡¯s not up to us. We¡¯re all helping one another. If you think Ruyi is good, recruit him as your son-inw!¡±


    Butcher He agreed readily. ¡°Alright, after the matter in the vige is over, let him hire someone to propose marriage!¡±


    Zhao Cai patted Ruyi and said with a smile, ¡°Kid, hurry up and kowtow to your father-inw.¡±


    Everyone started to jeer. ¡°That¡¯s right! Hurry up and bow. Secure your wife.¡±


    Ruyi blushed and bowed to Butcher He. ¡°Thank you, Uncle He. When the matter in the vige is over, I¡¯ll hire someone to propose marriage.¡±


    ¡°Good, good.¡± Butcher He patted Ruyi and smiled happily.


    Li Yu waited for Carpenter Chen and the others to pull over the wood and repair the copsed earth wall before returning home.


    Zhao Cai and Chen Yaohui brought their people to the coffin shop in town to buy coffins. The boss said to Zhao Cai, ¡°Shopkeeper Zhou, it¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t live in town. A few days ago, Zhu Zhencheng¡¯s family, High Schr Ye¡¯s family, and the rich Hu family were all robbed by refugees. A few of Zhu Zhencheng¡¯s old family members were killed without anyone knowing for several days. Also, the entire Hu family was killed. These damn bandits, it¡¯s fine if they snatched things, but why did they kill their entire family?¡±


    Zhao Cai was about to tell the owner of the coffin shop about the bandits when a gong suddenly sounded. The official rode his horse and shouted, ¡°People in town, listen up. The emperor has died. From today onwards, we can¡¯t hold weddings, drink, or invite guests.¡±


    The officer shouted a round and galloped off.


    Zhao Cai looked at the boss. ¡°Boss Liu, I have to go back and prepare something. Let¡¯s talkter.¡±


    Boss Liu sent Zhao Cai away and muttered to himself, ¡°No wonder the world is not peaceful. So the old emperor was about to die. When the new emperor takes over, the Heavenly Tao will change!¡±

 Chapter 142

    142 Gratitude


    Zhao Cai said to Chen Yaohui, ¡°Uncle Vige Chief, get them to send the coffin and paper money back. The emperor has died. Let¡¯s hurry up and buy white linen. It¡¯ll be troublesome if we¡¯rete.¡±


    ¡°Thanks to your warning, I hadn¡¯t thought of it. I¡¯ll let them go first!¡±


    Zhao Cai and Chen Yaohui hurriedly rushed to the cloth shop. Seeing that there were already more than ten people buying linen, the two of them waited for a while and bought a few bolts of white linen before rushing home.


    When Zhao Cai and Chen Yaohui returned to the vige, Chen Zhong and the others had already told the vige about the emperor¡¯s death. For a moment, every family in the vige hung up white linen that reflected the snow on the ground. The entire Phoenix Vige was covered in white.


    After Zhou Jia hung up the white cloth, he turned around and went to Li Yu¡¯s house. Li Yu leaned against the milling bed and looked at a ledger. After Zhou Jia sat down beside Li Yu, he said, ¡°Yu¡¯er, do you think that Young Master has taken over?¡±


    Li Yu lowered her head and thought for a while. ¡°Xiao Xi, look at how the refugees are causing trouble. There are no soldiers suppressing them. If Young Master takes over, General Shen will definitely send troops to suppress the rioters. If other princes take over, Great Yong will probably be consigned to eternal damnation.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Shen Wu said that Great Qi¡¯s army is pressing on the border, and Qingzhou is also in turmoil. However, there¡¯s no sign of the Shen family¡¯s army. Let¡¯s see if the officials will step forward to appease the refugees at the city gate before the new year.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu¡¯s lowered head and pondered. He couldn¡¯t help but hold Li Yu¡¯s hand and say emotionally, ¡°Yu¡¯er, let¡¯s get married!¡±


    Li Yu rolled her eyes at him. ¡°It¡¯s still white outside! You just want to get married and don¡¯t want the title! Besides, we agreed that we would get married when I was 18.¡±


    Zhou Jia held Li Yu¡¯s hand and sighed. ¡°Sigh! I still have to wait for almost two years! I want to see you every morning when I wake up.¡±


    Li Yu smiled at Zhou Jia. ¡°We¡¯re just next door. You can see me when you wake up in the morning!¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu bitterly. ¡°It¡¯s different. As long as Ah Qing sees me, he¡¯ll guard against me like he¡¯s guarding against a thief. If you don¡¯t believe me, look. At most, he¡¯ll be here in a few breaths.¡± Zhou Jia held Li Yu¡¯s hand and smiled sinisterly. ¡°If I marry you, you¡¯ll be my wife. Let¡¯s see if he¡¯ll still guard against me every day.¡±


    Seeing Zhou Jia acting shamelessly like a child, Li Yu couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°You should find a day to settle Ruyi and Xiaoyu¡¯s marriage first! I don¡¯t want to see Xiaoyu¡¯s resentful gaze anymore.¡±


    Zhou Jia calcted for a moment. ¡°It¡¯ll be fine in three months. Yu¡¯er, Ruyi, Ji Xiang, and Zhao Cai are my servants in name. They grew up with me, but they¡¯re actually closer than brothers. Their marriage is also a big matter in my family. I¡¯ll personally go to propose marriage.¡±


    Li Yu thought of their rtionship with Zhou Jia and nodded with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s what I should do...¡±


    Before she could finish speaking, Li Qing ran in. He pushed Zhou Jia away and sat beside Li Yu. He smiled at Li Yu. ¡°Sister, are you hungry? I¡¯ve roasted taro and it¡¯s almost cooked. I¡¯ll go get a few for you.¡±


    Zhou Jia pushed Li Qing away again. ¡°You brat, why didn¡¯t you just bring it in?¡±


    Li Qing twisted his head and looked at Zhou Jia. ¡°No, I¡¯ll go to school after the new year. You can see my sister at home every day, so I¡¯ll only be at home these days.¡±


    Li Yu said to the two of them in amusement, ¡°Stop arguing. Let¡¯s all go roast some taro.¡±


    Li Qing looked at Zhou Jia proudly and thought to himself, Hmph! This is my sister. You still want to snatch her from me.


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Qing. Brat, I¡¯ll let you be smug for two years.


    In the blink of an eye, it was New Year¡¯s Eve. This year was cold and cheerless. The only thing thatforted Li Yu was that the city gate of Tongzhou City was opened. The officials came forward and settled the refugees in a temple outside the city. They even distributed relief food, cotton clothes, and quilts.


    The officials began to mobilize to eliminate the bandits. The area around Tongzhou quickly settled down.


    Zhou Jia brought Zhao Cai and sent the dozen or so bandits to the city. When they reached the city gate, they saw a notice that thete emperor¡¯s legitimate son had ascended the throne and pardoned the world. The heinous people were pardoned.


    Although Zhou Jia had already expected the Third Prince to take over, he was still relieved to see the notice.


    Zhou Jia went home and told Li Yu the news. ¡°Yu¡¯er, your analysis is right. We¡¯re relieved.¡±


    Li Yu also smiled happily when she heard that. ¡°That¡¯s right! Everyone will have a stable life now. You should prepare to participate in the next Spring Quarter Examination!¡±


    Time passed quickly. After spring, the winter wheat nted in Hu Vige began to turn green.


    When the people of Hu Vige saw that the barren mountains of the past had turned into lush farnd, they were so excited that tears fell.


    In the blink of an eye, they began to breed rice. Old Hu brought the vigers to Phoenix Vige to learn how to breed rice from Li Yu.


    Old Hu saw the wild rice that Li Yu had dried in the courtyard and asked curiously, ¡°Miss, is it useful for you to collect some wild rice?¡±


    Li Yu smiled. ¡°I just like to collect these things and want to try all kinds of things.¡±


    Old Hu listened thoughtfully.


    After harvesting the winter wheat, Old Hu brought the men, women, and children in the vige to thank Li Yu with freshly ground white flour on their backs.


    When the vigers saw this, they said, ¡°Hu Vige originally relied on thievery to survive. Look, now that we¡¯ve nted food, we¡¯re all thanking Xiaoyu with white flour on our backs.¡±


    While some of the people from Phoenix Vige wondered if they should have given tokens of gratitude to Li Yu, those were only fleeting thoughts.


    When it was time to harvest new rice, Li Yu brought Zhou Jia to the dozen or so acres of farnd left behind this year.


    The two of them walked around the breeding field twice. Li Yu looked at the new rice she had cultivated. Golden and heavy rice ears hung from the rice stalks.


    Li Yu pulled Zhou Jia back excitedly. ¡°Xiao Xi, look. That box ofnd was nted with the best rice seeds. They grow longer than the rest. There are only a few shriveled grains on each ear. This piece here is the rice that was cultivated after crossbreeding with the wild rice. It¡¯s even longer than ordinary rice ears.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu¡¯s excited smile and took out a handkerchief to wipe the sweat on her forehead. He looked at Li Yu excitedly. ¡°Yu¡¯er, I estimate that these fields will have at least seven to eight grains per acre. The difference is hugepared to ordinary rice.¡±


    ¡°Looks like there¡¯s no problem with the seven-picul rice. The yield should be higher after optimizing it next year.¡± Li Yu suddenly thought that if he specially cultivated rice seeds to sell, that would be a huge profit!


    Li Yu pulled Zhou Jia. ¡°Xiao Xi, I have an idea. Let¡¯s go back and tell you.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu and smiled gleefully. ¡°Alright, I want to hear what good ideas you have.¡±


    When the two of them reached home, Li Yu was sweating profusely. Zhou Jia hurriedly took a fan and fanned Li Yu.


    Li Yu said to Zhou Jia, ¡°Xiao Xi, when the rice seeds are selected for another year, those fields will all be nted with new seeds. In the future, we¡¯ll specially cultivate rice seeds. We can also earn a lot by selling rice seeds.¡±

 Chapter 143

    143 Great Backer


    ¡°That¡¯s right! Why didn¡¯t I think of that?! Who wouldn¡¯t want rice with such a high yield?¡± Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu. ¡°You just have to select it once, right?¡±


    ¡°In addition to that box of good rice, the other ten or so acres of rice seeds are also good rice seeds that I chose by hybridizing wild rice with domestic rice. They were nted after hybridizing again this year.


    I think if we want to maintain a good variety, we need to find some wild rice. After spending more effort to crossbreed it well, there should be a better yield.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu and felt that he was really very lucky to have met Li Yu. Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu with surging emotions. ¡°Yu¡¯er, you¡¯re already very outstanding to be able to nurture such excellent rice seeds. I, Zhou Jia, am very lucky to have such an outstanding wife like you.¡±


    Li Yu looked at him and smiled reproachfully. ¡°Who praises their wife like you?¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu and thought to himself, There¡¯s still a higher yield. If this news spreads, it will definitely attract countless people.


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu and said worriedly, ¡°Yu¡¯er, it¡¯s a good thing that you¡¯ve cultivated a high-yielding grain seed. If those high-ranking officials find out, they will definitelye and snatch it. I¡¯m afraid my status as a Top Scorer won¡¯t be able to protect these industries. I want to go to the capital to take the exam after we get married next year. When I achieve better results, we can sell the grain seed.¡±


    When Li Yu heard this, she also understood that Zhou Jia was right. In this world where the strong preyed on the weak, the most outstanding things were the targets of those high-ranking officials and nobles, unless you had a stronger backer.


    Li Yu suddenly thought of the owner of the small wooden sword. He was now the most powerful person in Great Yong. Putting aside the desire to save him, in this era where there was only one food variety, would she be afraid of not having a backer if she handed him high-yielding grain seeds?


    Li Yu got up and entered the house to take out the small wooden sword. She handed it to Zhou Jia and smiled slyly. ¡°Xiao Xi, have you forgotten that we have the greatest backer now? When the rice is harvested and we know the exact acreage, send the acreage yield of the new rice seeds and the method of cultivation to the Four Seas Bank. Ask them to give the rice seeds to Young Master and tell him that we nted high-yielding grains. Just say that we want to partner with him in the seed business. Who doesn¡¯t like good things thate knocking on their door?¡±


    Zhou Jia took the little wooden sword and thought to himself, That¡¯s right! How could I have forgotten! Is there a bigger backer than him?! This is all thanks to the good karma formed by the Yu¡¯er.


    ¡°Yu¡¯er. You can¡¯t send rice. You have to send rice ears. That makes more sense.¡±


    Li Yu thought for a moment and understood the reason. The production could be hidden, but the rice ears could not be hidden. It was better to give them away.


    ¡°That¡¯s very thoughtful of you. I¡¯ll go and cut some rice ears to dry before the harvest.¡±


    Before the rice was harvested, Li Yu went to the field and chose ten medium-sized grains of rice. She took them home and dried them under the eaves.


    After a few days, after more than ten acres of rice were harvested, Li Yu found that the yield was more than seven stones per acre.


    Li Yu knew that there was still a huge gap between the production of foodpared to her previous life, but it was already very goodpared to the average production of four catties of food in the vige.


    Li Yu handed the dried rice ears to Zhou Jia and told him the method of cultivating rice seeds, as well as the method of choosing salt water, soaking the seeds in lime, and fertilizing them. ¡°These are all medium-grade rice ears selected from the field. They¡¯ve already been dried. Put them in a box and send them to the Four Seas Bank.¡±


    Zhou Jia took the golden rice ears and carefully put them into the wooden box padded with cattails. He entered the house and wrote a note. ¡°Yu¡¯er, I¡¯ll go to Tongzhou then. Don¡¯t tire yourself out at home.¡±


    Li Yu saw that Zhou Jia was sweating profusely. ¡°I know. Don¡¯t be in a hurry. Just wait for Zhao Cai to haul those bags next time!¡±


    Seeing Li Yu¡¯s heartache, Zhou Jia felt a tinge of sweetness in his heart. ¡°I¡¯m driving the car, not pulling it. Don¡¯t worry. I know what to do. Don¡¯t tire yourself out at home.¡±


    After the two of them said goodbye, Zhou Jia drove the mule cart to Tongzhou. After pulling the goods to the shop and handing them to Zhao Cai, he went home to wash up and change his clothes to go to the Four Seas Bank.


    Zhou Jia realized that the business of the Four Seas Bank was getting more and more prosperous. There were carriages parked in front of the two-story building, and people wereing and going into the shop. It was a prosperous scene.


    The shop assistant went forward and asked politely, ¡°May I ask if you¡¯re saving money or exchanging it?¡±


    Zhou Jia said to the shop assistant, ¡°Brother, please inform the shopkeeper that I want to see him.¡±


    Seeing that Zhou Jia was not ordinary, the shop assistant did not dare to be negligent. He bowed and said, ¡°Young Master, follow me to sit there for a moment.¡±


    Zhou Jia nodded and followed the shop assistant to the inner room to sit down. A momentter, the shop assistant and an ordinary-looking middle-aged man walked out of the inner hall.


    The shop assistant pointed at Zhou Jia and said, ¡°Shopkeeper Chu, this young master wants to see you.¡±


    Shopkeeper Chu looked at Zhou Jia and cupped his hands politely. ¡°May I ask what instructions you have for me?¡±


    Zhou Jia cupped his hands and handed the small wooden sword to the shopkeeper. He smiled and said, ¡°Shopkeeper, I have a few stalks of rice. Please give them to the owner of this small wooden sword.¡±


    Shopkeeper Chu took the small wooden sword and thought to himself, Master saidst time that he gave the ebony sword to an engaged couple. The woman¡¯s surname was Li, and the man¡¯s surname was Zhou Jia. He should be this person.


    Shopkeeper Chu returned the small wooden sword to Zhou Jia warmly and respectfully bowed. ¡°Mr. Zhou, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll definitely deliver it as soon as possible.¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled and handed the box to Shopkeeper Chu. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Shopkeeper Chu took the box from Zhou Jia¡¯s hand respectfully and said to him, ¡°Mr. Zhou, my surname is Chu and my name is Si Hai. If there¡¯s anything in the future, just inform me.¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled and cupped his hands. ¡°Alright, sorry to trouble you, Shopkeeper Chu.¡±


    Zhou Jia came out of the Four Seas Bank and went to Shen Wu¡¯s house. An old family member told Zhou Jia that Shen Wu had gone to Qingzhoust year and had yet to return.


    Zhou Jia thought to himself, Shen Wu has been gone for so long. Could it be that Great Qi had attacked? Zhou Jia shook his head and went back.


    After the rice was harvested, Li Yu went to the mountains to pick some wild rice. Just as she returned to the vige, Old Hu brought people over.


    Old Hu brought people to carry chickens, ducks, a bag of white rice, and half a bag of wild rice. He handed it to Li Yu and said in embarrassment, ¡°Miss, you taught us how to breed and even arranged work for the women in the vige. I and the vigers don¡¯t have anything good to thank you for. We raised the chickens and ducks ourselves, and the food from what we collected this year. Also, in this bag is the wild rice that everyone found. The wild rice was picked in a few ces and packed in separate bags.¡±


    Li Yu took the wild rice and felt a little emotional. She had just casually said that she liked to collect these things, but he had actually remembered it.


    ¡°Old man, wait for me for a while.¡± Li Yu went to the warehouse to get a bag of this year¡¯s rice seeds and handed it to Old Hu. ¡°Take these rice seeds back and take good care of them. Next year, nt these rice seeds ording to the method I taught you.¡±

 Chapter 144

    144 Just Do It


    Old Hu took the grain seed and hugged it gently as if it was a rare treasure. His joy was obvious. ¡°Miss, have you figured out a new way to grow grain?¡±


    Li Yu smiled at Old Hu. ¡°Yes, this is a new grain seed. Take good care of it.¡±


    Old Hu smiled until his face was full of wrinkles. ¡°Got it. I¡¯ll take good care of it. Miss, we¡¯ll go back and visit you when we¡¯re free.¡±


    Li Yu looked at Old Hu¡¯s happy smile and also smiled happily. ¡°Alright,e and y when you¡¯re free. Thank you for the things you sent.¡±


    When Old Hu heard this, he felt asfortable as if he had drunk ice water on a hot summer day. He couldn¡¯t stop smiling. ¡°It¡¯s great that you like it. I¡¯ll get them to send it to you in the future.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and nodded. ¡°You don¡¯t have to trouble anyone to especially look for it. Just pick it if you encounter it.¡±


    Old Hu quickly said, ¡°I just picked it in passing. It¡¯s not troublesome at all.¡±


    Li Yu asked Ruyi to drive the carriage to send Old Hu and the others away. She returned to the house and opened the bag. She saw that there were four small bags in the bag. They were all filled with wild rice. The wild rice varieties in the four bags looked simr. They might have picked them back at different ces and carefully dried them before sending them over.


    Li Yu sighed at Zhou Jia. ¡°Xiao Xi, I only helped them out back then and told them what I knew. I only gave them a hint. They were the ones who figured out their achievements today. They actually remembered all of this and repaid me as a favor.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu. ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯re open-minded and don¡¯t care about gains and losses. You should know that those who went to be apprentices would have to work hard for their masters for several years, and their masters still had to be wary of their disciples. They wouldn¡¯t teach their true abilities to their disciples. But you taught them everything you know and taught them the ability to live peacefully. Of course, they respect you as their benefactor.¡±


    When Li Yu heard this, she thought to herself, No wonder many skills were lost in the future. It was all caused by selfish people.


    Zhou Jia took a piece of red paper and handed it to Li Yu. He smiled at Li Yu. ¡°Yu¡¯er, look at this day I chose. Which one are you happy with?¡±


    Li Yu took a look and pointed at it. She smiled. ¡°This is the day you chose? The eighth, ninth, and seventeenth of August are only a few days apart.¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled roguishly. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to marry you tomorrow. These few days, I¡¯ve carefully chosen a good day to marry in August. Isn¡¯t it good to have a good day?¡±


    Li Yu rolled her eyes. ¡°Aunt said yesterday that September 8th is not bad. What do you think?¡±


    When Zhou Jia heard this, his face turned bitter. ¡°Alright! Aunt has spoken. What else can I do?¡±


    Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia and was a little speechless. ¡°I don¡¯t even know what you and Aunt are panicking about. It¡¯s only September. There¡¯s still a year to prepare. It¡¯s still early!¡±


    Zhou Jia hugged Li Yu and kissed her lovingly. ¡°Hehe! How could I not get busy if I¡¯m marrying my wife? Wait for me! I still have to design a few phoenix crowns for you. Pick them carefully. I¡¯ll take them to the city to customize.¡±


    Li Yu leaned against Zhou Jia, her heart filled with sweetness. ¡°Alright! Draw a few simple ones. Don¡¯t make them tooplicated and gorgeous.¡±


    ¡°Yes! I understand!¡±


    In the blink of an eye, it was the end of the year. Li Mei was embroidering aplicated wedding dress at home. Laidi carried Brother Pig in from outside the house.


    ¡°Mother, hug.¡± Brother Pig reached out to Li Mei. Li Mei looked up at the siblings with a smile. ¡°You¡¯re so naughty. Mother wants to embroider a wedding dress for Cousin. I can¡¯t hug you. Go y with Sister.¡±


    Laidi looked at Li Mei and pouted. ¡°Mother, you¡¯ve been embroidering for more than half a year. Why haven¡¯t you finished yet?¡±


    Li Mei looked at Laidi strangely. ¡°Do you think the wedding dress is the same as the clothes you usually wear?¡± Li Mei suddenly smiled as she thought about it. ¡°Your cousin¡¯s needlework is even worse than yours. If I let her embroider the wedding dress, I¡¯m afraid she¡¯ll go straight to the shop to buy one!¡±


    Laidiughed when she heard that. ¡°I¡¯ll buy a set in the future. Wouldn¡¯t it be faster to save the trouble!¡±


    Li Mei red at her and patted her. ¡°Shameless girl, leave quickly. Don¡¯t dy me.¡±


    Laidi carried Brother Pig out. Li Mei touched the silk dress on the embroidery rack and muttered to herself, ¡°Yu¡¯er, you¡¯ve done so much for my family. I don¡¯t have any other ability but to embroider a wedding dress for you. I hope you and Master will be harmonious.¡±


    In the blink of an eye, it was the end of the year again. At the end of the afternoon after the Winter Solstice Festival, Shopkeeper Chu of the Four Seas Bank arrived at Phoenix Vige. After the carriage entered the vige, Shopkeeper Chu saw the fields on both sides of the vige road.


    The vige was clean and tidy. It did not look like a vige in the mountains at all. Instead, it looked like a courtyard.


    Shopkeeper Chu saw a row of houses in the vige and didn¡¯t see any pedestrians on the way. There was also a manor not far ahead. He thought to himself, Mr. Zhou is now a High Schr. He might be living in the manor in front.


    When Shopkeeper Chu arrived at the manor, Ruyi happened to be carrying a basket of eggs. She walked from the chicken farm to the manor. Shopkeeper Chu stopped Ruyi and said with a smile, ¡°Brother, may I ask if Mr. Zhou lives in this manor?¡±


    Ruyi put down the bamboo basket and bowed. She pointed at the house in the vige and said, ¡°You must be looking for my young master. My young master lives at the end of the vige.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Brother.¡± Shopkeeper Chu got into the car. His follower changed directions and drove the carriage to the Zhou family.


    When the two of them arrived at the entrance of the Zhou residence, Shopkeeper Chu got out of the car with an engraved sandalwood box. He turned around and handed the box to the attendant. He went forward and knocked on the door. ¡°Is Mr. Zhou at home?¡±


    Zhou Jia happened toe out of Li Yu¡¯s house at this time. When he saw Shopkeeper Chu standing at the door, he thought to himself, ¡°Is there news so soon?¡±


    Zhou Jia hurriedly walked over, cupped his hands, and said with a smile, ¡°Shopkeeper Chu, a rare guest. Please sit in the house.¡±


    Shopkeeper Chu also smiled and cupped his hands. ¡°Greetings, sir. This ce is not bad. It¡¯s a good ce with mountains and water.¡±


    Zhou Jia said politely, ¡°It¡¯s just a countryside ce. Thank you for your praise, Shopkeeper Chu.¡±


    The two of them entered the central room and sat down. After Auntie He served tea, she added some charcoal to the brazier before leaving.


    Shopkeeper Chu looked at the wooden sofa in the central room and smiled. ¡°So Mr. Zhou also likes this new thing. I also bought two sets of chairs and coffee tables. I think they¡¯re not bad.¡±


    Zhou Jia pointed at the sofa and coffee table and said with a smile, ¡°We just moved here. When we were repairing the house, my fianc¨¦e designed them ording to what her master had drawn. After the woodcutter helped make them, he felt that they were rare and sold them. There have been dividends sent over for the past two years.¡±


    Shopkeeper Chu cupped his hands and smiled. ¡°Miss Li is really blessed to have such a master.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your praise, Shopkeeper Chu.¡±


    Shopkeeper Chu took the sandalwood box from his attendant and ced it on the coffee table. He bowed to Zhou Jia and said, ¡°Mr. Zhou, this is my master¡¯s congrattory gift to you and the additional box gift from Master¡¯s mother to Miss Li. Master said that Miss Li has done a great job. He asked Miss Li to do whatever she wants and leave the other matters to Four Seas Bank to contact you.¡±

 Chapter 145

    145 Adding Boxes


    Zhou Jia was stunned for a moment when he heard this. He hurriedly bowed and said, ¡°Shopkeeper Chu, we don¡¯t dare to take credit. Thank you for your reward.¡±


    Shopkeeper Chu also bowed and said, ¡°Mr. Zhou, my master said that the seeds nted by Miss Li will be handed over to the Four Seas Bank to be distributed to various ces. The other matters will be discussed with you.¡±


    ¡°Shopkeeper Chu, we don¡¯t have to be so polite. Please sit down and talk.¡± Zhou Jia smiled and invited Shopkeeper Chu to sit down. ¡°Shopkeeper Chu, to be honest with you. My fianc¨¦e said that the rice seeds have already been selected again this year. When we plow all the rice fields on the farm next year, we¡¯ll nt all the newly cultivated rice seeds. The remaining seeds can be sold.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Zhou, if we nt Miss Li¡¯s new rice seeds all over Great Yong, we still need to cultivate more rice seeds. With the current fields on your farmstead, the rice seeds nted are not even enough to sell in Tongzhou. We have to use more farmsteads to breed.¡±


    Chu Sihai paused for a moment and continued, ¡°There are two ways to cooperate. One is for you to sell the rice to me directly. You don¡¯t have to worry about anything else. The other is for you to send someone to manage the other farms with us. We¡¯ll split it ording to the shares. You can also make other requests.¡±


    When Zhou Jia heard this, he smiled and said, ¡°Shopkeeper Chu, I don¡¯t know if my fianc¨¦e has any other requests. Please wait a moment. I¡¯ll invite my fianc¨¦e over so that she can talk to you personally.¡±


    Shopkeeper Chu smiled and cupped his hands. ¡°Please.¡±


    Shopkeeper Chu watched Zhou Jia walk out of the central room and thought to himself, I didn¡¯t expect High Schr Zhou to be so open-minded as to let his fianc¨¦ee forward to discuss these important matters. Mr. Zhou is really a magnanimous gentleman.


    After a quarter of an hour, Shopkeeper Chu saw Zhou Jia and an extremely beautiful woman walk in.


    Zhou Jia brought Li Yu into the central room. Before he could introduce himself to Li Yu, Shopkeeper Chu stood up and bowed respectfully to Li Yu. ¡°I¡¯m Chu Sihai from the Four Seas Bank. Greetings, Miss Li.¡±


    Li Yu also bowed. ¡°Greetings, Shopkeeper Chu.¡±


    ¡°Shopkeeper Chu, let¡¯s not stand on ceremony. Sit down and talk,¡± Zhou Jia said with a smile.


    After the three of them sat down, Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu. ¡°Xiaoyu, I¡¯ve already told you what Shopkeeper Chu thinks. Tell us what you think.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and looked at Shopkeeper Chu. ¡°Mr. Zhou and I have decided to choose the first cooperation n. I only have two requests. When we sell the seeds to the Four Seas Bank, the margin will be 10% ording to the market price. We hope that Shopkeeper Chu can try your best to sell the new seeds to poor farmers at a rtively favorable price.¡±


    Shopkeeper Chu did not expect Li Yu and Zhou Jia to make such a request. From the looks of it, their families did not seem to be rich. He did not expect them to be willing to sacrifice their interests for poor farmers.


    Shopkeeper Chu stood up excitedly and bowed to Zhou Jia and Li Yu. ¡°On behalf of those poor citizens, I thank Mr. Zhou and Miss Li for your kindness. Please rest assured that I will definitely sell the seeds to the farmers at a discount ording to your request.¡±


    Li Yu nodded in satisfaction. ¡°Then we don¡¯t have any other requests. Also, I¡¯ve asked Mr. Zhou to write down the method to cultivate seeds and fertilize them. If you still don¡¯t understand, you can send someone to the farm to learn from me next year.¡±


    Shopkeeper Chu bowed again. ¡°Thank you, Sir and Miss Li. You¡¯re too thoughtful.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and said, ¡°Shopkeeper Chu, you¡¯re too polite. The seeds are rted to a year¡¯s harvest. It¡¯s only right to be careful.¡±


    ¡°Thedy is right. It should be.¡±


    Shopkeeper Chu smiled and took out the contract he had prepared in advance from his bag. He wrote down Li Yu¡¯s request that only increased by 10% ording to the market price. He said to Li Yu and Zhou Jia, ¡°Mr. Zhou, Miss Li, this is the first cooperation n you chose. Please take a look at the contract.¡±


    Zhou Jia took the contract and saw that it said that the price of the rice seeds provided by Madam Li¡¯s farmstead was to be sold to the Four Seas Bank ording to the price of 10% of the rice seeds on the market back then. Payment would take ce with the provision of goods.


    Zhou Jia looked at the contract in his hand and thought to himself that this was too convenient that Shopkeeper Chu didn¡¯t have any requirements for the manor.


    When Shopkeeper Chu saw Zhou Jia looking at the contract in a daze, his heart skipped a beat. This contract was the most beneficial to Miss Li¡¯s manor. Was Mr. Zhou dissatisfied with the price?


    Zhou Jia looked at Chu Sihai uneasily. ¡°Shopkeeper Chu, it¡¯s not good to write like this, right? This contract is too unfair to you.¡±


    Shopkeeper Chu heaved a sigh of relief and smiled deeply. ¡°Mr. Zhou, you and Miss Li are willing to give the method to cultivate rice seeds to my master selflessly. This small matter is nothingpared to Miss Li¡¯s righteousness!¡±


    Zhou Jia didn¡¯t hesitate anymore. After signing and signing the contract, he handed it to Li Yu.


    After taking a look, Li Yu said to Chu Sihai, ¡°Shopkeeper Chu, my maidservant, Er Ya, has been learning how to cultivate rice seeds from me. If there¡¯s anything you don¡¯t understand in your manor, I can get Er Ya to teach you.¡±


    Zhou Jia thought about how after he married Li Yu next year, he would set off for the capital to take the exam. He said to Shopkeeper Chu, ¡°Shopkeeper Chu, there¡¯s one more thing. We¡¯re going to get married next year. After we get married, we¡¯ll set off for the capital to take the exam. At that time, I¡¯ll hand over all the matters in the manor to my butler, Uncle Zhou, to take care of. If there¡¯s anything, you can discuss it with him.¡±


    ¡°Congrattions, I¡¯ll definitelye to give you my well wishes when the timees. I have faith in how you and Miss Li will arrange the matters at the farmstead.¡± Shopkeeper Chu took the contract, signed it, and handed a copy to Zhou Jia. He stood up and said with a smile, ¡°Mr. Zhou, Miss Li, the shop¡¯s matters are still waiting for me to go back and settle. I won¡¯t disturb the two of you.¡±


    When Zhou Jia and Li Yu heard this, they did not stay any longer. ¡°Alright, Shopkeeper Chu is not busy anymore. Let¡¯s gather again.¡±


    The two of them walked Chu Sihai outside and watched him leave.


    Chu Sihai sat in the carriage and looked at the contract in his hand. He thought about how his master had said at that time that Mr. Zhou and Miss Li would definitely choose the first contract to sign. He did not expect his master to be right. Logically speaking, Mr. Zhou and Miss Li were not familiar with his master! How did his master understand their personalities so well?


    Shopkeeper Chu thought for a while but could not figure it out. He simply put the contract away and leaned against the wall of the car to rest.


    After sending Shopkeeper Chu and Li Yu back to the central room, Li Yu pointed at the box on the coffee table and asked with a smile, ¡°Xiao Xi, where did you find such a noble-looking box?¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled. ¡°Young Master asked someone to send it to us. He said it was a congrattory gift for me and there is an additional gift from his mother to you.¡±


    Zhou Jia ced the box on the bed and took out the contract. ¡°Yu¡¯er, take it and put it away. At that time, I felt that this contract was too simple. Do you feel that way?¡±

 Chapter 146

    146 Xiao Xi¡¯s Wife Is the Best-Looking


    Li Yu pointed at the contract. ¡°Because he knows that even if he doesn¡¯t write anything, we won¡¯t sell the seeds to others. He might as well be more generous and let us feel that he is magnanimous.¡±


    When Zhou Jia heard this, he patted his head and came to a realization. ¡°Yu¡¯er, you¡¯re the perceptive one who sees through everything. Just now, I felt that the contract only had restrictions on the Four Seas Bank and didn¡¯t have any requirements for us. I still felt uneasy.¡±


    Li Yu knew that Zhou Jia was a little terrified and uneasy because the person he had signed a contract with was the current emperor. She did not have much respect for the Imperial Power in her heart. She just felt that doing business with that young master was only a mutually beneficial rtionship.


    Zhou Jia pointed at the box with a smile. ¡°Yu¡¯er,e and see what gifts are in the box!¡±


    Zhou Jia opened the sandalwood box and saw four boxes inside. The two boxes at the top were opened. One contained two boxes of Huizhou ink, and the other contained two inkstones, and twoke pens.


    Zhou Jia picked up a piece of ink and exined to Li Yu in surprise, ¡°These two boxes are Insignia Ink. I heard that Insignia Ink doesn¡¯t fade when it¡¯s on paper. It¡¯s not gluey when it¡¯s licked, and its color is dark and enduring. It¡¯s top-grade ink. This inkstone is a Duan inkstone. It¡¯s very expensive.¡±


    Li Yu smiled at Zhou Jia¡¯s loving expression and said gently, ¡°If you like it, we¡¯ll buy more after you¡¯re done using it.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu and smiled. ¡°I want to keep one for Ah Qing. I¡¯ll keep one for our son.¡±


    Li Yu rolled her eyes at him. Zhou Jia chuckled and ced the brush, ink, and inkstone aside. ¡°Let¡¯s see what kind of gift you¡¯ve received.¡±


    Li Yu also waited curiously for Zhou Jia to open it. Zhou Jia took out the carved box from the wooden box. When he opened it, he saw a set of blood-red rubies the size of lotus seeds lying quietly in the box.


    Zhou Jia took out another box. Inside was a set of pearl jewelry; each pearl was the size of lotus seeds. The pearls were of the same size, round and glowing faintly.


    Li Yu praised, ¡°This is too expensive! If we sell these essories, we can definitely sell them for a lot of money.¡±


    Zhou Jia tapped Li Yu¡¯s nose and smiled dotingly. ¡°Little fool, you can¡¯t sell this thing casually. If the higher-ups find out, they¡¯ll punish you.¡±


    Li Yu curled her lips in disdain and said, ¡°They gave it to me, but I¡¯m not allowed to sell it?¡±


    ¡°Selling it is disrespectful to the higher-ups. What¡¯s the point of selling such a good thing? Many people can¡¯t even get it!¡± Zhou Jia took out a pearl ne and put it on Li Yu¡¯s fair neck. He looked at Li Yu with glowing eyes. ¡°Yu¡¯er, you look so beautiful wearing this pearl ne.¡±


    Li Yu touched the ne on her neck and looked at it in the dim bronze mirror. ¡°It¡¯s quite good-looking, but I don¡¯t like to wear jewelry. It¡¯s cumbersome.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll buy you two simple sets of jewelry when we get married.¡± Zhou Jia took the ne from Li Yu and ced it in the jewelry box. ¡°Take it and put it awayter. When we get married, the rubies will definitely look good. Those who don¡¯t know better will think that a fairy has descended to the mortal world.¡±


    When Li Yu heard this, she leaned on Zhou Jia¡¯s shoulder with a smile. ¡°You! Aren¡¯t you afraid that others willugh at you? Every time I wear something, you say that it looks good.¡±


    Zhou Jia kissed Li Yu and smiled. ¡°Xiao Xi¡¯s wife is good-looking no matter what. I¡¯m not lying.¡±


    Suddenly, Laidi stuck her head out of the door with Brother Pig in her arms. ¡°Aiya! Brother Pig, listen, Second Sister¡¯s teeth are going to be sore from the sweetness! Cousin, aren¡¯t your teeth sore? Hehe...¡± After saying that, Laidi turned around and ran with Brother Pig in her arms. The faces of Zhou Jia and Li Yu instantly turned as red as braised prawns.


    Li Yu was stunned for a moment and pushed Zhou Jia. ¡°Sigh! It¡¯s all your fault. Laidi heard everything.¡±


    Zhou Jia quickly smiled andforted her. ¡°I¡¯ll get Auntie He to make something delicious for herter. She won¡¯tugh at you after I stuff her mouth.¡±


    The two of them chatted in the house for a while more before Old Madam Liu reported, ¡°Miss, a few families in the vige said that they have something to tell you.¡±


    ¡°Bring them to the central room. I¡¯ll be thereter.¡± Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia strangely. ¡°Why are they looking for me? Has anything happened in the vige recently?¡±


    Zhou Jia pretended to be mysterious and looked at Li Yu. ¡°Let Immortal Zhou predict with my fingers. They want to buy new rice seeds from you. Everyone in the vige knows that the rice in yournd this year is growing well.¡±


    Li Yu frowned. ¡°I¡¯ll go take a look first. I don¡¯t want to sell rice seeds to unsuitable families casually.¡±


    Zhou Jia stood up and looked at Li Yu. ¡°We should not feel bad about rejecting. Their lives are already good enough. Their achievements in the fields and their annual sry have yielded them quite a lot of silver in a year.¡± Zhou Jia was a little angry. ¡°I think some people in the vige are bing more and more greedy.¡±


    When Li Yu heard this, she also felt that Zhou Jia was right. Ever since thest time the bandits came, Li Yu felt that the people in the vige were different from before. Li Yu knew that this was how the world was. Some people could share hardships, but they could not share the wealth.


    ¡°I know what I¡¯m doing. Lie down and rest for a while. I¡¯ll go see which families havee to approach us.¡±


    Zhou Jia nodded and went back to lean against the pillow to rest.


    Li Yu went to the central room and saw five to six women from the vige. One of them was Old Madam Chen¡¯s daughter-inw, Madam Jin, and the other was Liu Chang¡¯s wife, Chen Shi. Li Yu was more familiar with these two women, but not so with the other four women.


    The few of them sat on the sofa and were muttering something. When they saw Li Yu at the door of the central room, Madam Jin, Granny Chen¡¯s daughter-inw, hurriedly stood up and smiled. ¡°Xiaoyu, Auntie, and the others came to disturb you today.¡±


    Li Yu looked at them politely and distantly. ¡°May I know why you¡¯re looking for me?¡±


    Seeing Li Yu¡¯s cold smile, Madam Jin couldn¡¯t help but feel uneasy. She could only bite the bullet and say, ¡°Xiaoyu, we came to ask you if you want to sell your new rice seeds?¡±


    The Chen family also looked at Li Yu eagerly. Li Yu smiled faintly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, those seeds can¡¯t even fill my manor¡¯s fields. I haven¡¯t thought of selling them.¡±


    Madam Jin looked a little embarrassed. ¡°I see! Then we¡¯ll go back first. Sorry to disturb you, Xiaoyu.¡±


    The others seemed to want to say something. ¡°Let¡¯s go! Let¡¯s not dy Xiaoyu.¡± The Jin and Chen families hurriedly pulled them away.


    When the few of them walked out of the house, the sharp-faced woman muttered unhappily, ¡°Xiaoyu is indeed the fianc¨¦e of the High Schr now! Her expression is really terrifying.¡±


    ¡°Cui Xiang, stop talking nonsense. Xiaoyu isn¡¯t such a person.¡± Madam Chen looked at Cui Xiang unhappily. ¡°My husband had said that I¡¯m not allowed to buy rice seeds from Xiaoyu. Don¡¯t let it slip when you go back. Otherwise, my family will argue.¡±


    Cui Xiang looked at Madam Chen and sneered. ¡°Madam Chen, you¡¯re the grandaunt of West Mountain Vige. If Liu Chang didn¡¯t escape here with your family and us back then, how could he have these peaceful days?¡±


    Madam Chen was a little unhappy when she heard that. She looked at the woman with a dark expression. ¡°Cui Xiang, don¡¯t make sarcastic remarks. Without Xiaoyu and Mr. Zhou, even if we were lucky enough to get here, we would have been ughtered by bandits before the new year. Pfft! I was bewitched and followed you here.¡±


    After saying that, Madam Chen left with regret. Madam Jin family also hurriedly followed her.

 Chapter 147

    147 Changing Hearts


    Li Yu stood under the eaves and looked up at the green mountain opposite her under the cover of the snow. The originally verdant forest had turned into a vast expanse of white.


    Li Yu sighed. She felt that many things had changed as time passed. On second thoughts, she felt that many things had not changed. What had changed was the human heart.


    A few dayster, the news of the Chen family going to Li Yu¡¯s house to buy rice seeds spread in the vige.


    When Chen Yaohui found out, he said angrily to Madam Li, ¡°I told them not to buy rice from Xiaoyu, but they still went. Go and ask Chen Xiuqing which women went?¡±


    Madam Li nced at Chen Yaohui and felt a little annoyed. ¡°Ah Hui, I know Xiaoyu¡¯s temper. If she was willing to give it to you, she would have done so long ago. If she wasn¡¯t willing, she wouldn¡¯t have agreed even if you put a knife to her neck. I think Xiaoyu is just too good toward them. Thest time Cuixiang wanted to secretly take the wool thread in the workshop home, I found out about it and scolded her. Do you know what she said? She said that Xiaoyu¡¯s workshop earns so much money in a year. She only took a bundle of yarn. It¡¯s not like Xiaoyu can¡¯t afford to lose money. I was furious at that time.¡±


    Chen Yaohui frowned and looked at Madam Li. ¡°Did you tell Xiaoyu about this?¡±


    Madam Li nodded. ¡°I told Brother Ruyi who deducted her sry for a month. He said that if this happens again, she shouldn¡¯t go to work.¡±


    Madam Chen looked at Chen Yaohui. ¡°Ah Hui, I think several families in the vige are different from before. They¡¯re privately discussing how it¡¯s easy for Xiaoyu¡¯s family to earn money. It¡¯s not worth it for them to earn some hard money. I¡¯m worried that something will happen sooner orter. They¡¯re just greedy! Ah Hui, at this rate, how are we different from Zhang Defa?¡±


    Chen Yaohui was furious when he heard that. ¡°They¡¯re getting more and more ambitious after living a good life. Go and find out which families these women came from.¡±


    Madam Li nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll ask Xiuqing.¡±


    Madam Li found Chen Xiuqing¡¯s house and told her the purpose of her visit. Liu Gu shouted at Madam Chen, ¡°You guys don¡¯t know what¡¯s good for you! How can you be so greedy when we¡¯re having such good days? Why don¡¯t you think about the days in your hometown? You can¡¯t even fill your stomachs with two meals a day with coarse rice and mixed grains. Now, you guys have three meals a day with white rice and meat. You¡¯ll only be satisfied if your good days are gone.¡±


    Madam Chen regretted it so much that her intestines turned green. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to go. Cuixiang said to ask and nothing else. I thought I¡¯d just ask and followed.¡±


    Madam Li looked at Madam Chen. ¡°Xiuqing, think before doing in the future. Tell me about the others!¡±


    Madam Chen said in a low voice, ¡°The second daughter-inw of the granny¡¯s family, Madam Jin, Cuixiang, and the wives of Chen Changsheng, Chen Changjiu, and Chen Changyin.¡±


    Madam Li wrote it down and went home to tell Chen Yaohui who went to the few houses angrily.


    Chen Yaohui called Liu Chang and the men from the Chen family together and said to them with a livid expression, ¡°What are you all thinking? Do you all think that Xiaoyu should sell us the rice seeds?¡±


    Chen Changsheng looked at Chen Yaohui unhappily. ¡°Who said that Xiaoyu should sell things to us? I never said that.¡±


    Chen Yaohui turned to look at Chen Changsheng. ¡°Then did you know that your wife¡¯s sry was deducted for stealing wool from Xiaoyu¡¯s workshop?¡±


    Chen Changsheng looked at Chen Yaohui in confusion. ¡°When she came back, she said that her sry was deducted for a month because she ruined the yarn. She didn¡¯t tell me that she was deducted for stealing the yarn.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know? Don¡¯t you know what kind of person your wife was in the vige in the past? You¡¯re not busy these days. Go outside and take a look! See what kind of days those people who fled here had?¡±


    When Chen Changjiu heard this, he whispered, ¡°Those who can¡¯t survive have just escaped, right?¡±


    With a bang, Chen Yaohui threw the teacup at Chen Changjiu¡¯s feet. ¡°Did you just flee here? How did we manage to live in the vige? I think you¡¯ve forgotten, haven¡¯t you? Go to Tongzhou City and ask around. Without Xiaoyu and Mr. Zhou¡¯s protection, do you think you can live in peace in this area? You really don¡¯t know the immensity of heaven and earth.¡±


    When the few of them heard this, they fell silent. Chen Yaohui panted and said, ¡°Tell me! Do you also feel that it is unfair that Xiaoyu¡¯s family earns more than you? Do you all think that Xiaoyu should give you some money? Let you sit and earn money?¡±


    Liu Gu looked up at them. ¡°I think we are already very lucky to have such a life. I still want to be like before. When I¡¯m not busy with farming and have nothing to do, I¡¯ll go to Xiaoyu¡¯s workshop to work and earn some money. In a year, I¡¯ll earn more than what I earned from working hard at home for a few years. When I go back, I¡¯ll let Xiuqing kneel in the ancestral hall. You can discuss what you think.¡±


    When Liu Chang said this, the others echoed, ¡°Vige Chief, let¡¯s get our wives to kneel in the ancestral hall when we get back.¡±


    Chen Yaohui stood up and looked at them. ¡°The women will kneel in the ancestral hall. After you go back and eat, go out with me and see how the people outside of our vige are doing.¡±


    Liu Chang took the lead and replied, ¡°Got it, Vige Chief.¡± The others could only agree.


    When Madam Jin returned home after work, she saw Granny Chen standing at the door of the central room. She frowned at her angrily. Madam Jin stepped forward uneasily. ¡°Mother, it¡¯s cold. Why are you standing here?¡±


    Seeing Madam Jin¡¯s uneasy expression, Granny Chen sighed. ¡± Did you and Cuixiang go to buy rice seeds from Xiaoyu?¡±


    Madam Jin looked at Granny Chen and lowered her head. ¡°Mother, that was a few days ago. I know that I was wrong. I shouldn¡¯t have gone to look for Xiaoyu.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re good at everything, but your ears are too soft. You don¡¯t have your own opinions when you encounter problems.¡± Granny Chen patted Madam Jin and sighed. ¡°Ah Hui said that the few of you who have gone to look for Xiaoyu should kneel at the entrance of the ancestral hall. You should go too!¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Madam Jin wiped her tears and walked towards the ancestral hall. When she arrived, she saw that Madam Chen, Cuixiang, and the others were already kneeling in front of the ancestral hall. Madam Jin walked over and knelt silently.


    Chen Yaohui drove the ox cart against the cold wind and led Liu Chang, Chen Changjiu, and the others out of the vige towards Tongzhou.


    Li Mei learned about what had happened in the vige from Liu Changmin. She instructed Laidi and Zhaodi, ¡°Don¡¯t tell your cousin about these terrible things, lest she gets upset.¡±


    Laidi said to Li Mei in a clear voice, ¡°Mother, I¡¯ve long disliked Chen Changsheng¡¯s Cuixiang. Last time, Aunt Li caught her stealing wool from home, and she even quibbled. In my opinion, Ruyi should have chased her out of the workshop.¡±


    Li Mei knocked on Laidi. ¡°You girl, you¡¯re already a big girl, but you¡¯re still so rude.¡±


    Laidi touched her head and looked at Li Mei aggrievedly. ¡°Mother, they don¡¯t know what¡¯s good for them. The women and girls in Hu Vige are so serious about their work. The things they weave are well-proportioned and stacked neatly in the bamboo basket. However, Cuixiang and the other two have had to redo their work several times this month. They wasted a few catties of wool, and every time, they just put their clothes in the basket.¡±


    Li Mei panicked when she heard that. ¡°Alright, I understand. I¡¯ll go take a lookter. If that¡¯s really the case, tell them not toe to work. I¡¯m not afraid of offending them. They really think my Yu¡¯er is running a charity.¡±

 Chapter 148

    148 Learning to Farm


    Chen Yaohui and the others looked around outside and saw that most of the victims were sallow and thin. They were wearing thin clothes on a cold day and had to fight for a few copper coins to carry bags. Only then did they know how beautiful their lives were.


    After this episode, Li Yu felt that the people in the vige were a little strange these days. Every time they saw her and Zhou Jia, they were respectful. Even the few people who have been shoddy had changed.


    The days in Phoenix Vige returned to peace. In the blink of an eye, it was spring again. Shopkeeper Chu sent a few farmers to Li Yu¡¯s manor to study.


    After those farmers saw Li Yu, they all felt that it was too embarrassing for them to learn farming from a young girl. Most of them looked disapproving.


    Li Yu didn¡¯t care about the attitude of those farmers at all. She was happy to see that Shopkeeper Chu had also brought a cart of salt for choosing rice seeds.


    Li Yu brought Er Ya and Ruyi to the manor with Shopkeeper Chu.


    Li Yu smiled and said to Shopkeeper Chu, ¡°I¡¯ve long wanted to try the salt solution that Master mentioned, but I gave up because the salt was too expensive.¡±


    Shopkeeper Chu smiled. ¡°Miss Li, this salt has just arrived. Try it. If it¡¯s indeed effective, we¡¯ll provide salt for your farm in the future.¡±


    Li Yu waved her hand. ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. It¡¯s not worth it to use salt to choose the species. I just want to try.¡±


    When the farmers saw that Li Yu still wanted to soak the soil in salt water, they stood at the side and muttered, ¡°We¡¯ve been farming for most of our lives and have toe to learn farming from a young girl.¡±


    An old man advised, ¡°Old Wang, stop muttering. Since we¡¯re already here, let¡¯s take a good look.¡±


    ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll listen to Brother He and see if she can grow a flower.¡±


    Ruyi and Er Ya filled arge vat with water. Li Yu weighed the salt and mixed it ording to the ratio. She took an egg and ced it on it to test the buoyancy of the salt water. Seeing that half of the egg had sunk, she added some salt to the water. She only stopped when only the size of a copper coin was revealed.


    Li Yu asked Ruyi to bring over the rice seeds that had been exposed to the sun and dried. Master He grabbed a handful of rice seeds and looked surprised.


    He turned to Old Wang and the other farmers and said, ¡°Come and take a look at the rice seeds on their farm.¡±


    Old Wang and the farmers surrounded the wicker basket. After grabbing a handful of rice seeds and looking at them, they said in a sour tone, ¡°These rice seeds are really plump! Do we still need to choose such seeds?¡±


    Er Ya looked at their sour gazes and thought to herself, Weren¡¯t you muttering just now that my Miss is just a little girl? You must be envious and jealous now!


    Li Yu looked at Old He and smiled. ¡°Master He, you have to choose the seed before nting. After I do it and show it to you, you can try it.¡±


    Master He was already somewhat convinced by Li Yu. He cupped his hands and smiled. ¡°Thank you, Miss Li. I¡¯ll remember it well.¡±


    Li Yu poured the rice seeds into the vat with salt water and stirred the rice seeds forcefully. She scooped out the shriveled seeds floating on the water. After the basket of rice seeds was soaked in salt water, she scooped out more than a catty of shriveled seeds.


    Li Yu lifted the wicker basket out of the vat and said to Ruyi, ¡°Hurry up and pour the rice seeds into clear water to wash them clean. Then, pour them into the prepared lime water to soak them.¡±


    ¡°Yes, girl.¡± Ruyi and Erya carried the rice seeds to be washed and soaked.


    Old Wang asked Li Yu in confusion, ¡°Miss Li, your rice seeds are already very full. Why are there still so many shriveled seeds? We didn¡¯t have so many shriveled seeds when we were nting in the past.¡±


    Li Yu looked at Old Wang. ¡°It¡¯s not enough to choose a seed with ordinary clear water. The buoyancy of salt water is even greater. No shriveled seeds or hazelnuts can escape salt water. Do you remember what I did just now?¡±


    Master He cupped his hands respectfully at Li Yu. ¡°Miss Li, as the old saying goes, you¡¯ll learn as you age. I didn¡¯t expect to have to learn from scratch.¡±


    Only then did Shopkeeper Chu say to them, ¡°Old He, you¡¯re all old men. This is a rare opportunity. Learn from Miss Li and see how she farms.¡±


    The few of them cupped their hands and said, ¡°We¡¯ll remember, Head Shopkeeper.¡± Shopkeeper Chu handed a few vige heads to Li Yu and returned to Tongzhou.


    Li Yu got them to do it in the wooden basin using the salt water selection method. When she was satisfied, she handed them to Ruyi.


    Er Ya came back after soaking the seeds. Looking at the salt, she said with heartache, ¡°Miss, choosing with salt water is better than choosing with water. There are a more shriveled seeds, but I think we can buy a lot of food if we exchange these salt for silver.¡±


    Seeing Erya¡¯s pained expression, Li Yu smiled. ¡°Seeing your heartache, remember to let them screen a few more timester. We¡¯ll still use clear water to choose the seeds next time.¡±


    Enya kept nodding. ¡°Got it. Next time, I¡¯ll watch them personally and screen them together.¡±


    The few farmers sent by Shopkeeper Chu stayed in Phoenix Vige for a few days. They learned from Li Yu to use salt water to choose seeds and soak them in lime water to stimte growth. Li Yu handed them to Ruyi and Erya.


    They also learned how to fertilize the rice and pollinate the flowers. Only when Shopkeeper Chu came to pull the rice seeds after the autumn harvest did they follow him back to the manor.


    After the autumn harvest, it was alreadyte August. The Zhou and Li families began to busy themselves with the wedding banquet.


    At the beginning of September, Zhou Jia went to Tongzhou to retrieve the custom-made phoenix crown and jewelry. On the way, he went to the school to bring Li Qing back to the residence in Osmanthus Alley.


    When they arrived home, Li Qing bowed to Zhou Jia and said, ¡°Sir, my sister has suffered a lot. I hope that you will cherish her after getting married. Don¡¯t make her sad. Otherwise, no matter how difficult it is, Ah Qing will definitely bring her home.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Qing and replied solemnly, ¡°Ah Qing, don¡¯t worry. Your brother-inw will definitely love Xiaoyu and not let her down. He won¡¯t let you down.¡±


    Li Qing nodded and looked at Zhou Jia with a sense of loss. ¡°Sir, after you and my sister get married, when are you going to the capital?¡±


    Zhou Jia walked up to Li Qing and looked at him. He patted his shoulder. ¡°Ah Qing, we¡¯ll set off at the beginning of winter. It¡¯s more than two months away from Tongzhou to the capital. I got someone to buy a few military horses that the Shen family¡¯s army used to pull supplies. It should be faster.¡±


    Li Qing lowered his head and tears fell unconsciously. He thought sadly, I don¡¯t know when I¡¯ll see my sister and Sir again.


    Seeing that Li Qing was hanging his head in silence, Zhou Jia couldn¡¯t bear to see him like this. He went forward and hugged him tofort him. ¡°Ah Qing, Mr. Lin said that you can go down next year. If you can achieve schr status next year, you can go to the countryside to take the test. Brother-inw has written down by memory all the previous questions and ced them in the bookcase in your room. You¡¯re the head of the Li family. You can¡¯t cry and make your sister worry.¡±


    Li Qing wiped his tears and looked up at Zhou Jia. ¡°Brother-inw, don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t let my sister worry. Please wait for me in the capital with my sister.¡±


    After the master and disciplemunicated, they returned to the house, packed up the cart, and rushed back to Phoenix Vige.

 Chapter 149

    149 Heartwarming Aunt


    Li Mei carefully ced the bedding, clothes, and embroidered nkets that Liu Changmin had pulled back onto the bed. She felt uneasy and counted them again to make sure that there were twelve sets of nkets before looking at the stacked nkets on the bed. Some were embroidered with dragons and phoenixes, some were embroidered with dragonflies ying in the water, some were embroidered with a hundred children, and there were also pomegranate flowers...


    Li Mei touched the nket and the wedding dress, then touched the row of embroidered shoes on the bed and muttered to herself, ¡°Ah Shan, Sister-inw, don¡¯t worry! Yu¡¯er has found a good husband who is a Top Scorer. Our lives are getting better and better. If you¡¯re in heaven, bless the children to be safe and sound.¡±


    Zhaodi entered the house and saw Li Mei sitting there in a daze, muttering to herself. She walked over worriedly and sat beside Li Mei before seeing her face filled with tears. Her heart ached as she asked, ¡°Mother, what¡¯s wrong? Who made you angry again?¡±


    Li Mei touched her face and realized that it was covered in tears. She smiled at Zhaodi in embarrassment. ¡°I¡¯m just happy! I¡¯m happy that your cousin found such a good husband. I¡¯ll have the cheek to see your uncle and aunt when I die in the future.¡±


    Zhaodi heaved a sigh of relief and smiled reproachfully. ¡°Mother, you¡¯re really something. You¡¯re talking about dying on such a good day! Didn¡¯t you consider that Cousin¡¯s big day wasing? How inauspicious!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. I shouldn¡¯t be talking about such inauspicious things. I¡¯m just too happy.¡± Li Mei looked at Zhaodi¡¯s beautiful face and smiled in relief. ¡°My Zhaodi has also grown up. Two days ago, Little Bean¡¯s mother even asked someone to propose marriage. She wanted me to agree to betroth you to his eldest son, Chen Xu. I thought to myself that your Uncle Chen is famous for doting on his wife. The brothers in the family are also harmonious and have good family manners. What do you think?¡±


    Zhaodi blushed shyly and whispered, ¡°Mother, I¡¯m not talking to you anymore. How can you ask me? You and Father can decide on the marriage.¡±


    When Li Mei saw her daughter¡¯s expression, she knew that she was willing. She was a little happy and disappointed. ¡°Sigh! No wonder everyone wants to raise a son. It wasn¡¯t easy for me to nurture this daughter. She looks like a flower and in the blink of an eye, she¡¯s someone else¡¯s family.¡±


    Zhaodi was also a little sad when she heard this. She leaned on Li Mei¡¯s shoulder affectionately and hugged her arm. ¡°Mother, Cousin and Mr. Zhou are leaving after they get married. I don¡¯t know when we¡¯ll see each other again. Mother, I can¡¯t bear to see Cousin leave.¡±


    Li Mei touched Zhaodi¡¯s hand and said faintly, ¡°I can¡¯t bear to part with your cousin, but we can¡¯t keep her forever!¡±


    Liu Changmin came back from outside with Brother Pig and shouted in the courtyard, ¡°Aren¡¯t you two going to cook? Our Brother Pig is hungry.¡±


    Brother Pig lifted his red top and patted his stomach. He shouted in a childish voice, ¡°Mother, Brother Pig¡¯s stomach is t. I want to eat meat.¡±


    Li Mei and Zhaodi came out of the house. Zhaodi picked up Brother Pig and gently bit his chubby little face. ¡°I want to eat meat too.¡±


    Piggy also bit Zhaodi¡¯s face and saliva smeared her face. Piggy looked at the saliva on Zhaodi¡¯s face and giggled. Laidi pressed her head against Piggy¡¯s and the siblings bothughed.


    Li Mei and Liu Changmin also smiled happily when they saw the siblings.


    After dinner, Li Mei and Liu Changmin carried the bedding items to Li Yu¡¯s house and ced them on the bed. The two of them made a few trips before they finished moving the things.


    When Li Yu returned home from the farm, she looked at the pile of nkets, covers, pillowcases and the wedding dress hanging on the hanger. There were pairs of embroidered shoes neatly arranged on the bed. Li Yu touched the lifelike patterns on the wedding dress and felt poignance in her heart. How much time and effort did it take to embroider so many things?!


    Li Yu¡¯s eyes were wet. She looked at Li Mei, who hade in from outside, and said in a choked voice, ¡°Aunt, when did you start embroidering? You have to manage the workshop and bring Brother Pig along. It¡¯s so tiring to embroider so many things!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not tired.¡± Li Mei looked at Li Yu¡¯s beautiful face and walked over to wipe the tears off Li Yu¡¯s face. She looked at Li Yu with red eyes. ¡°My Yu¡¯er is about to get married. Zhou Jia is really lucky to have such a good girl as his wife.¡±


    Li Mei sniffed and endured the reluctance in her heart. She instructed Li Yu solemnly, ¡°Yu¡¯er, remember, it¡¯s fine if Young Master treats you well after you get married. If he doesn¡¯t treat you well, don¡¯t make yourself suffer. Remember to bring a letter to Aunt to pick you up.¡±


    Li Yu hugged Li Mei gratefully and sniffed. ¡°Aunt, don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t make myself suffer. If Zhou Jia dares to let me down, I¡¯ll divorce him and let him leave with nothing.¡±


    Li Mei hugged Li Yu andughed. ¡°Crazy girl, how can a woman divorce her husband? Do you still want him to leave with nothing? Where did you learn such crazy words?! Alright, you¡¯ll be someone¡¯s wife in the future. You can¡¯t act ording to your whims anymore. Aunt and Uncle will take care of Ah Qing when he goes to school at home. You can get married without worry and live a peaceful life. Let your parents be at ease.¡±


    ¡°Yes! I¡¯ll remember,¡± Li Yu replied solemnly.


    ¡°Come, let¡¯s see if the wedding dress fits.¡± Li Mei opened the wedding dress for Li Yu to try it on. Her eyes lit up as she looked at Li Yu. ¡°My Yu¡¯er is as beautiful as a flower. That kid Zhou Jia got lucky.¡±


    Li Yu giggled and raised her head proudly. ¡°He got lucky.¡±


    Before noon the next day, Li Qing and Zhou Jia rushed back to Phoenix Vige. As soon as Li Qing arrived at his house, he jumped off the carriage and shouted, ¡°Sister, I¡¯m back.¡± He ran into the house.


    ¡°Hey! I¡¯m in the kitchen,¡± Li Yu replied loudly. She raised her hands which were filled with flour and came out of the kitchen. She looked at Li Qing and smiled. ¡°Ah Qing has grown tall and handsome again. Go wash your face. I¡¯m steaming pumpkin buns.¡±


    ¡°Sister, I bought you a gift. I¡¯ll give it to you when I¡¯m done bathing.¡± Li Qing looked at Li Yu¡¯s smile and felt sorrowful and ufortable. He held back his tears and turned to walk toward the bathroom.


    Li Yu watched as Li Qing quickly walked to the bathroom and smiled in relief. ¡°Brat, you even know how to buy a gift for your sister.¡±


    Li Qing sat in the bathtub with tears rolling down his face. He secretly med himself for being useless. He was clearly prepared to let his sister get married in peace like a man, but the moment he saw his sister, he could not bear to let her leave him.


    Zhou Jia drove the carriage into the livestock shed and tied it up. He carried the phoenix crown box to the kitchen and smiled at Li Yu. ¡°Yu¡¯er, the phoenix crown is ready. See if you like it.¡±


    Li Yu red at him. ¡°I¡¯ll itter. Look, my hands are covered in flour.¡±


    Old Madam Liu looked at the two of them and smiled. ¡°Miss, leave the rest of the steamed buns to me. You should go and try it.¡±


    ¡°Try it!¡± Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu with a smile.


    Li Yu looked at the smiling Zhou Jia and smiled. ¡°Alright! I¡¯ll try it.¡±


    The two of them went into the house together and Zhou Jia opened the box. He took out a pure gold hollowed-out phoenix crown. The petals on the phoenix crown wereyered, and the stamen was even embedded with red gems the size of rice grains. A row of tassels hung down from where the forehead would be, forming the veil.


    Zhou Jia put the phoenix crown on Li Yu¡¯s thick ck hair. Looking at Li Yu, who had pink lips, Zhou Jia¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°Yu¡¯er, you¡¯re so beautiful.¡±


    Li Yu nced at Zhou Jia and took off the phoenix crown. ¡°I like it very much. Why isn¡¯t Ah Qing out of the shower yet? I saw that he seemed to be feeling a little unwell just now. Go and see why he hasn¡¯te out of the bathroom.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Zhou Jia put the phoenix crown in the box. ¡°Let¡¯s go! I¡¯ll see if Ah Qing is done washing.¡±


    Just as the two of them reached the door, they saw Li Qinging out of the bathroom. Li Yu saw that Li Qing¡¯s eyes were red and asked worriedly, ¡°Ah Qing, what¡¯s wrong with your eyes?¡±


    Li Qing rubbed his eyes hard to hide the traces of his crying. ¡°Sister, I got soapberry oil in my eyes when I washed my hair. It stung. I had to wash my eyes with water a few times before I felt better.¡±

 Chapter 150

    150 Ah Qing


    Li Yu was worried and went forward to lift Li Qing¡¯s eyelids to take a look. She saw that they were a little red and smiled reproachfully. ¡°Does it still hurt? Why are you so careless?¡±


    Li Qing almost cried again when he heard that. He hurriedly turned to look at the kitchen and touched his stomach. ¡°Sister, I¡¯m hungry. Are the pumpkin buns steamed?¡±


    Li Yu felt that something was wrong with Li Qing. She thought that he had not done his homework well and got scolded by Zhou Jia. She turned around and red at Zhou Jia. She said gently, ¡°It¡¯s cooked. Go to the kitchen and get Old Madam Liu to get it for you.¡±


    After Li Qing left, Li Yu said to Zhou Jia, ¡°Xiao Xi, I think Ah Qing has cried. Did you scold him because he didn¡¯t do his homework well?¡±


    ¡°No, Ah Qing is very good at his work. Mr. Lin has taken a fancy to him and is even letting him take the exam next year!¡±


    Zhou Jia knew that Li Qing must have hidden in the bathroom and cried. However, he felt that getting a wife was more important than his brother-inw crying twice over it. He touched his nose and pretended not to know.


    After dinner, Li Qing took out a jade hairpin with flowers carved on it from his bag and handed it to Li Yu. ¡°Sister, I chose it for you in the shop. It¡¯s for you. I wish you and Brother-inw a happy marriage.¡±


    Li Yu¡¯s heart warmed when she heard that. She looked at Li Qing with a smile. ¡°Stupid child, you speak in the same tone as Aunt at such a young age. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    Li Qing looked at Li Yu. ¡°Sister, after you and Brother-inw get married, don¡¯t worry and apany Brother-inw to the capital for the exam. I¡¯ll look for you in two years.¡± As he spoke, tears were about to fall again. Li Qing hurriedly stood up. ¡°Sister, I¡¯m tired from the cart, so I¡¯ll go to sleep first. You should rest early too.¡±


    ¡°Go! Rest early.¡± Li Yu looked at Li Qing¡¯s back and sighed with emotion. That thin and small child back then had already be a handsome youth. He would be taking the schrly examination in two years.


    The next morning, Li Mei brought Madam Li and a few women to pack Li Yu¡¯s dowry into boxes. Every box was filled to the brim. Including the betrothal gifts sent by Zhou Jia, there were a total of 68 boxes. Everyone looked at the dowry with envy. Someone pointed at the dowry and said to Li Mei, ¡°Ah Mei, are those fields on the farm Xiaoyu¡¯s dowry?¡±


    Li Mei smiled happily. ¡°Thosends are all betrothal gifts from Young Master. There are also some shops and properties that Young Master arranged to give her.¡±


    When the women heard this, their mouths widened in surprise. ¡°Yo! Mr. Zhou really dotes on his wife. He bought so many farm shops to give her as betrothal gifts. Xiaoyu is a lucky person.¡±


    Madam Li smiled and said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you guys discuss how capable Xiaoyu is? A man who can marry such a wife is blessed!¡±


    Everyone felt that it made sense. The women nimbly packed the dowry and began to decorate the house. Li Mei, with the help of the vige women and Li Yu¡¯s servants, pasted the word ¡°Happiness¡± and various window flowers and paper cutouts that symbolized auspiciousness everywhere in the house. They decorated the Zhou and Li family residences withnterns and decorations, livening up the atmosphere.


    On the morning of the seventh day of the new year, Ruyi and Ji Xiang went to the mountain to hunt some wild animals. Old Zhao and Jin Jiu chose the fattest chickens, ducks, and fish from the farm and sent them home.


    From the seventh night of the new year, the vigers began to eat dinner at the Zhou family¡¯s house. Li Yu called Li Qing into the house and took out all the ounts at home to hand them to Li Qing. Seeing that Li Yu refused to take the ounts, Li Qing forced a smile and said, ¡°Sister, I¡¯ll leave the ounts with you. When I get married, you can hand them to my wife.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and teased him. ¡°Yo! I didn¡¯t expect my Ah Qing to dote on his wife too. However, I still have to hand these things to you. You¡¯re the head of the Li family, so how can you not know what assets your family has?¡± Li Yu handed thend deeds and house deeds of the vige, as well as the shop and house deeds that Zhou Jia had bought for Li Qing in Tongzhou, to Li Qing. ¡°Ah Qing, you have to put them away well. These are the house deeds of the family, thend deeds, and the house deeds of the shop in Tongzhou. Your brother-inw has 50% of the factory at home. As for the remaining 50%, 20% is for you, and 20% is for me. The rest of the 10% is for Aunt. Study in peace. Uncle Zhou, Uncle, and Aunt will take care of it.¡±


    Li Qing could no longer control the reluctance in his heart. He hugged Li Yu and cried loudly. Li Yu hugged Li Qing, who was almost as tall as her. Thinking that the siblings would only see each other after a few years, she also cried reluctantly.


    Li Yu wiped her tears and gently patted Li Qing¡¯s back. Li Qing cried for a while and wiped his tears. He looked up at Li Yu and said shyly, ¡°Sister, I¡¯m not afraid. I just feel terrible. Don¡¯t worry and go to the capital with Brother-inw to take the exam. I¡¯ll work hard to study and try to meet you in the capital as soon as possible.¡± Li Qing paused. ¡°Sister, you have to be good after you get married. Don¡¯t make yourself suffer. It¡¯s fine if Brother-inw treats you well. If not, I¡¯ll definitely knock on your door and bring you back.¡±


    Li Yuughed when she heard that. ¡°Our Ah Qing and Aunt are indeed aunt and nephew. The two of you say the same thing. Don¡¯t worry, your brother-inw won¡¯t treat me badly. Besides, your sister isn¡¯t the type to suffer.¡±


    Li Qing looked at the smiling Li Yu and thought to himself, I¡¯m just afraid that you¡¯ll be coaxed by Brother-inw¡¯s sweet words.


    On the eighth day of September, just as the sky turned bright, Zhou Jia began to worship the ancestors of the world and tell them that he was going to get married. He begged them to protect the bride and bless them with children as soon as possible.


    The auspicious time arrived. Zhou Jia was wearing a red wedding robe with golden patterns embroidered on it. His ck hair was tied up and fixed with a golden crown. He looked even more handsome. The eight young men in the vige who helped to escort the bride were all stunned by his looks. Uncle Zhou coughed dryly. Only then did theye back to their senses and follow Zhou Jia, who was riding a horse, to escort the bride.


    Before dawn, Li Yu was woken up by Li Mei. ¡°Yu¡¯er, go take a shower and wash up. I¡¯ve invited Auntie Li to help you with the customary rites.¡±


    After Li Yu got up to wash up, Madam Li pulled Li Yu to sit in front of the bronze mirror and smiled. ¡°Xiaoyu, this is my first time doing this. I¡¯m not familiar with it. If it hurts, bear with it!¡±


    Li Yu bowed to Madam Li. ¡°Auntie Li, sorry to trouble you.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the trouble?¡± Madam Li smiled and took out the string. She hummed a festive song and clumsily cleaned Li Yu¡¯s face. After opening it, she applied ayer of egg white on Li Yu¡¯s face. Madam Li looked at Li Yu and praised, ¡°Xiaoyu is beautiful to begin with. Look at her face. It¡¯s really as fair and delicate as a peeled egg.¡±


    Li Yu¡¯s face was tightened from the egg white. Laidi smiled and said to Li Yu, ¡°Cousin, don¡¯t forget that you promised to make me your head shopkeeper.¡±


    Li Yu looked at Li Qing, Li Mei, and the others, who were standing at the side and looking at her nkly. She reached out to pull Laidi and smiled. Li Mei and Zhaodi patted Laidi with red eyes. ¡°Stupid girl, you¡¯re heartless.¡±


    Laidi looked at them aggrievedly. ¡°Why is it my fault again?¡±


    Li Yu washed her face again. Madam Libed Li Yu¡¯s hair and helped her put on her wedding clothes with Li Mei. Madam Li looked at Li Yu¡¯s lips. ¡°Xiaoyu is born with good looks. I think you should just purse your lips and put some lip gloss on them. You don¡¯t have to put on anything else.¡±


    Li Mei picked up a lip balm and handed it to Li Yu. ¡°Alright, just purse your lips.¡±


    Li Yu pursed her lips and looked at her face in the bronze mirror. She was suddenly a little absent-minded. After two lifetimes, she had only put on the wedding dress today. However, the person she wanted to witness her getting married was no longer around.


    Madam Li picked up the phoenix crown and said to Li Mei, ¡°Ah Mei, you¡¯ll put the phoenix crown on Xiaoyu!¡±


    Li Mei took the phoenix crown with moist eyes and gently ced it on Li Yu¡¯s head. Madam Li ced the fan in Li Yu¡¯s hand and asked her to cover her face. Er Ya called out from the door, ¡°Miss, Young Master is here to wee the bride.¡±

 Chapter 151

    151 Marrying


    Zhou Jia walked around the vige and arrived at the Li family¡¯s house under the sound of the firecrackers. The Li family¡¯s house was already surrounded by vigers watching themotion. Old Hu had also brought his vigers to congratte them.


    The Li family¡¯s courtyard door was tightly shut. Zhou Jia dismounted and stood in front of the door. He said loudly, ¡°The thief must be beaten up. The guest must be seen. Reporting to Aunt-inw. Come out and take a look.¡±


    The vigers who were watching themotionughed. Li Qing in the courtyard replied loudly, ¡°Which gentleman? Which talent? Tell me your name. Why are you here?¡±


    After Zhou Jia answered, he shouted, ¡°Ah Qing, it¡¯s Brother-inw. Open the door quickly.¡±


    Li Qingughed and said, ¡°If you want to be my Brother-inw, you have to show some sincerity.¡±


    Chen Xu hurriedly stuffed a few red packets in and said with a smile, ¡°Ah Qing, the sincerity you want is here. Can you open the door now?¡±


    Laidiughed. ¡°There¡¯s still us! After you get past us, I¡¯ll open the door for you.¡±


    Chen Xu and the others smiled happily and said, ¡°If you have any requests, report them. Our groom is a Top Scorer. It¡¯s not a problem for him to recite poems.¡±


    Laidi and Xiaoyu chuckled behind the door. ¡°We know that the groom is a Top Scorer. It¡¯s not like we understand poetry. We want to hear a short song. Sing a short song and we¡¯ll open the door.¡±


    ¡°Can you change the task to something else? Why don¡¯t I give you a few more red packets?¡± Zhou Jia was so anxious that he was sweating profusely. He hurriedly stuffed a few red packets in.


    Xiaoyu smiled and took the red packet. ¡°We¡¯ll keep the red packet. You still have to sing.¡±


    Chen Xu went forward and looked at Zhou Jia. ¡°Mr. Zhou, just sing a song and they¡¯ll open the door.¡±


    Laughter sounded from inside the door. Laidiughed loudly. ¡°That¡¯s right! We¡¯ll open the door after you sing a song.¡±


    Zhou Jia thought for a moment and chanted, ¡°The peach is beautiful and dazzling. The son returns, suitable for his wife¡¯s family.¡±


    Everyone listened to Zhou Jia¡¯s clear chanting and apuded. ¡°Good! Good! The groom sang well. Open the door, open the door...¡±


    He Xiaoyu pulled open the door. Li Yu was helped out of the room by Laidi and Zhaodi. Li Qing ced his parents¡¯ memorial tablets in the high hall. Zhou Jia went to the front of the central room and worshiped Li Yu¡¯s parents¡¯ memorial tablets with Li Yu.


    Li Mei looked at the energetic Zhou Jia and handed Li Yu¡¯s hand to Zhou Jia. She instructed Zhou Jia gently, ¡°Master Zhou, Yu¡¯er¡¯s is sometimes a little short-tempered. You have to bear with her. If she gets anxious and angry, don¡¯t argue with her. She¡¯ll forget once her temper passes.¡±


    Zhou Jia bowed and said, ¡°Aunt, you¡¯re overthinking. Yu¡¯er is open-minded and has a good temper. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t make her angry.¡±


    Someone shouted, ¡°Master Top Scorer, you have to listen to your wife in the future.¡± The vigers watching the ceremonyughed when they heard this.


    Li Qing walked in front of Li Yu and squatted down. He said to Li Yu, ¡°Sister, I¡¯ll carry you out.¡± Li Yuy on Li Qing¡¯s back and he carried Li Yu onto the sedan chair. He then turned to look at Zhou Jia and said in a low voice, ¡°Brother-inw, I¡¯ll leave my sister to you. You can¡¯t bully her.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Qing and promised solemnly, ¡°Ah Qing, don¡¯t worry. Brother-inw will never let your sister down.¡±


    Li Qing nodded and the sound of a cannon rang out. Zhou Jia got on his horse and happily weed Li Yu back to the Zhou family.


    When they reached the entrance, Zhou Jia kicked the door of the sedan chair. Madam Li helped Li Yu down from the sedan chair and ced the red ribbon in Li Yu¡¯s hand so that Zhou Jia and Li Yu each held one end of the wedding ribbon. Madam Li helped Li Yu cross the brazier and entered the central room. Under the guidance of the concierge, they bowed to the heavens and earth. Zhou Jia held Li Yu¡¯s hand and entered the new room.


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu in her wedding dress and helped her sit down on the bed in a daze. He gazed at Li Yu and smiled foolishly. He thought about how Yu¡¯er had always dressed inly. He didn¡¯t expect her to be so beautiful in a wedding dress!


    Madam Li looked at Zhou Jia¡¯s silly smile and smiled as she brought a bowl of dumplings to Li Yu. She let Zhou Jia sit beside Li Yu and picked up a dumpling. She handed it to Li Yu¡¯s mouth and smiled. ¡°Xiaoyu, have a bite of the dumpling.¡±


    Li Yu took a bite and frowned. Madam Li smiled and asked, ¡°Is it raw?¡±. There was a double entendre in her question where the underlying meaning was to ask if she would have children.


    Li Yu nced at Madam Li and paused for a moment. ¡°Yes!¡±


    Madam Li smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s good to have children.¡± As she spoke, she brought the wine to the two of them on a tray. ¡°Mr. Zhou, Xiaoyu, drink the bridal toast.¡±


    Li Yu realized that the cups were wooden. There was a red string tied to both cups.


    Madam Li brought the tray to Zhou Jia and asked him to take one cup. Li Yu took the other. Madam Li smiled and said to the two of them, ¡°The two of you have to drink it in one gulp. From now on, you¡¯re husband and wife. In the future, the two of you will be together happily, through thick and thin, and for a hundred years!¡±


    Li Yu and Zhou Jia smiled at each other and drank the wine in their hands in one gulp. Madam Li took the cups and threw them to the ground. The two cups rolled on the ground and slid to the bed.


    Madam Li smiled when she saw this. ¡°It¡¯s a blessing. Congrattions, Mr. Zhou. Congrattions, Xiaoyu!¡±


    Zhou Jia handed over the red envelope and bowed to Madam Li. ¡°Auntie Li, sorry to have troubled you.¡±


    Madam Li happily took the red envelope. ¡°I wish the two of you a happy marriage.¡±


    Zhou Jia sent Madam Li out. Ruyi went to the door and reported to Zhou Jia, ¡°Young Master, the banquet has begun. You shoulde out and entertain the guests.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ming.¡± Zhou Jia went back to look at Li Yu and kissed her cheek. ¡°Yu¡¯er, it¡¯s too hot to wear the phoenix crown. I¡¯ll take it off for you first.¡±


    Zhou Jia took off the phoenix crown on Li Yu¡¯s head and said gently, ¡°Yu¡¯er, I¡¯m going to the front to entertain the guests. Go wash up and change into a lighter dress.¡±


    After the phoenix crown was taken down, Li Yu immediately felt much more rxed. She smiled and nodded. ¡°Go! Don¡¯t get drunk.¡±


    Zhou Jia chuckled and said, ¡°Yu¡¯er, don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t get drunk. I still have to consummate the marriage!¡±


    Li Yu rolled her eyes at him. ¡°Hurry up and go. They¡¯re going tough at us.¡±


    Zhou Jia quickly kissed Li Yu before quickly going to entertain the guests.


    When Zhou Jia arrived outside the wedding room, Uncle Zhou came over and reported to Zhou Jia, ¡°Young Master, General Shen also sent someone to deliver a congrattory gift.¡±


    Zhou Jia nodded. ¡°Please receive them well.¡±


    Shopkeeper Chu, Town Deputy Zhu, and some county officials had also arrived. Everyone sat there and chatted. Seeing Zhou Jiae out, Town Deputy Zhu gave him a thumbs up and smiled. ¡°What a handsome groom.¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled and cupped his hands to thank him. He saw that the old vige chief, Shopkeeper Chu, Town Mayor Zhu, and some country squires were sitting at the two tables in the middle. He went over to meet and toast. He thanked everyone for their congrattions and went to other tables to toast. Chen Yaohui and a few vigers teased, ¡°Mr. Zhou, today is your big day. Drink a few more sses. You¡¯re happy.¡±


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s enjoy ourselves.¡± Zhou Jia smiled.


    Li Yu took a look at the new room. The wedding bed was a shelf bed made of rosewood with an auspicious pattern carved on it. The bed was covered in a red dragon and phoenix quilt and hung with a big red silk canopy. There was a wooden chaise carved with branches and patterns by the window. There was a red cushion on it with a pomegranate pattern embroidered on it.


    Er Ya and Jin Cuicui carried the bathtub into the new room. They looked at Li Yu, who was standing in the room, and eximed, ¡°Miss is so beautiful. She¡¯s as beautiful as a fairy.¡±


    Auntie He came in from outside and said with a smile, ¡°You can¡¯t call her Miss today. You have to call me Young Madam.¡±


    After Er Ya and Jin Cuicui ced the bathtub, they smiled and called out, ¡°Young Madam, the bathtub is ready.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and waved at the two of them. ¡°Go! Go to the banquet. You don¡¯t have to do this.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Young Madam.¡± Er Ya and Jin Cuicui smiled and left.


    ...

 Chapter 152

    152 Sess


    Auntie He bowed to Li Yu. ¡°Young Madam, you must be hungry! Shall I send you some food?¡±


    Li Yu smiled and waved at Auntie He. ¡°Auntie He, I¡¯m not hungry now. I just feel too hot. You can send it over after I take a shower. Just send some light food.¡±


    Auntie He looked at Li Yu¡¯s flushed cheeks and smiled. ¡°The wedding dress is a little stuffy. I¡¯ll send it to you in an hour.¡±


    Li Yu nodded and watched Auntie He leave. After she closed the door and left, Li Yu took off the heavy wedding dress and went to the bathtub to take a bath. Only then did she feel that the heat was gone. She wiped the water stains off her body and put on the red dress. She pushed open the window and the wind blew in from the window, scattering the coolness into the house and blowing away the heat in the house. Li Yu instantly felt cool.


    Auntie He brought the food over and looked at Li Yu lovingly. She smiled and said, ¡°Young Madam, I picked up some of your favorite food and brought it over. Eat a little.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and sat down. ¡°Alright, you must be tired today! Have you eaten?¡±


    Auntie He looked at Li Yu and smiled. ¡°I¡¯m not tired. I¡¯m happy! I feel energetic all over.¡±


    Li Yu watched as she ate shyly before letting Er Ya take away the food.


    Zhou Jia toasted everyone and fled back to his room.


    Seeing that Zhou Jia had returned, Auntie He pursed her lips and smiled. ¡°Young Madam, Young Master is back. Rest early.¡± With that, she left.


    Li Yu sat at the table and looked at Zhou Jia with a smile. Zhou Jia closed the door and walked over to hug Li Yu. He kissed Li Yu¡¯s temples and looked at her. ¡°Yu¡¯er, I¡¯ve finally married you. I¡¯m so happy!¡±


    Li Yu also felt overjoyed. She replied shyly, ¡°Look at you. You smell like alcohol.¡±


    Zhou Jia raised his hand and sniffed his sleeve. He smiled. ¡°Wait a moment. I¡¯ll go wash up first.¡±


    While Zhou Jia went to take a bath, Li Yu found a te and swept the red dates, cinnamon peanuts, and other things on the bed onto it. She listened to the sound of watering from Zhou Jia¡¯s bath and sat in front of the dressing table with a burning face.


    Zhou Jia washed up and came out. He looked at Li Yu, who was sitting in front of the dressing table. Zhou Jia walked over and bent down to hug Li Yu. His head leaned against Li Yu¡¯s neck. Zhou Jia¡¯s hot breath sprayed on Li Yu¡¯s neck, and Li Yu¡¯s nervous heart skipped a beat.


    Zhou Jia¡¯s heart beat faster in excitement as he suddenly picked Li Yu up. Li Yu felt dizzy and subconsciously hugged Zhou Jia¡¯s neck.


    When Li Yu woke up again, the sky was already bright. Zhou Jia returned from outside the house and looked at Li Yu gently. ¡°Are you hungry? Auntie He made porridge. After eating, we¡¯ll go to the ancestral hall to pay respects to our ancestors.¡±


    Li Yu rolled her eyes at Zhou Jia and endured the pain in her body as she searched for her clothes on the bed. Zhou Jia walked to the cab and took Li Yu¡¯s underwear. He picked a wide-sleeved dress with a red background and dark patterns. He walked to Li Yu¡¯s side and ced his face in front of Li Yu. He smiled mischievously. ¡°Yu¡¯er, don¡¯t be angry. Why don¡¯t you hit me a few times? The hot water has been prepared. Go wash up and eat. My heart will ache if you¡¯re hungry.¡±


    Li Yu nced outside and saw that the sun was up. She snuggled back into the nket shyly and covered her head with the nket. ¡°I¡¯m ignoring you. You¡¯re the one who embarrassed me.¡±


    Zhou Jia reached out to hold her. ¡°My good Yu¡¯er. I¡¯m in the wrong. You should punish Xiao Xi to put on clothes for his wife.¡±


    Li Yu was dug out of the bed by Zhou Jia. He watched as she went to wash up and came back. Afterbing her hair, she nimbly tied her hair into a bun. She took out the hairpin Li Qing had bought from the box and ced it in her bun. He then went forward and led Li Yu out of the house.


    When Auntie He saw the two of theme out, she looked at them with a smile. ¡°Young Master, Young Madam, breakfast is ready.¡±


    Li Yu looked at Auntie He¡¯s smiling face and nodded with a red face. She walked towards the dining room with Zhou Jia.


    After dinner, Zhou Jia brought Li Yu to the small ancestral hall. Uncle Zhou stood at the entrance of the ancestral hall and bowed to the two of them. ¡°Greetings, Young Master and Young Madam.¡±


    Li Yu hurriedly went forward and bowed. ¡°Uncle Zhou, there¡¯s no need to be so polite.¡±


    Zhou Jia brought Li Yu into the small ancestral hall. Uncle Zhou looked at the couple and thought to himself, Young Master and Young Madam are really a match made in heaven. Old Master, Madam, did you see that?


    After entering the small ancestral hall, Zhou Jia took three incense sticks and lit them before handing them to Li Yu. He pulled Li Yu to kneel on the meditation cushion. After paying respects to his grandfather, he paid respects to his mother.

 Chapter 153

    153 Every Family Has Its Own Troubles


    The two of them returned to the front courtyard. Uncle Zhou, Auntie He, Ruyi, Zhao Cai, Ji Xiang, and the other servants were waiting in front of the central room. When they saw the two of them return, they bowed. ¡°Greetings, Young Master and Young Madam.¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled and said to Li Yu, ¡°Madam, you know them all. I won¡¯t reintroduce them.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and nodded. Uncle Zhou led a few people and bowed. ¡°Yes, Young Madam.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and looked at Uncle Zhou, Auntie He, and Ruyi. ¡°Everyone, there¡¯s no need to be so polite. Just be as casual as before.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Young Madam,¡± they said respectfully.


    Li Yu looked at Ruyi. ¡°Ruyi, your wedding with Xiaoyu is in a month. Is everything ready?¡±


    Ruyi took a step forward and bowed. ¡°Young Madam, it¡¯s all done.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Zhao Cai and Ji Xiang and smiled. ¡°The two of you should work harder too. Hurry up and find a wife. I¡¯ll get the three of you married.¡±


    Zhao Cai and Ji Xiang nced at Ruyi with resentment on their faces. They took a step forward and bowed. ¡°Young Master, we¡¯re still young. There¡¯s no hurry.¡±


    After Zhou Jia got married, he felt that having a wife and having a fianc¨¦e were really two different things. To think these two fools do not appreciate having a wife and were not anxious at all. ¡°The two of you are not young anymore. Find a good wife quickly while you¡¯re young. Otherwise, your good wives will be taken away.¡±


    Ji Xiang and Zhao Caiined in their hearts, ¡°Young Master, don¡¯t try to cage us all the moment you get married!¡±


    Li Yu looked at their bitter gazes in amusement and smiled. ¡°Alright, everyone, get busy!¡±


    Zhao Cai and Ji XIang acted as if they had been pardoned. After bowing, they hurriedly left, afraid that Zhou Jia would catch them.


    The two of them returned to the room. Zhou Jia was busy preparing Li Qing¡¯s exam questions. Li Yuy on the chaise longue and fell asleep.


    Zhou Jia wrote for a while but didn¡¯t hear Li Yu¡¯s voice. He turned around and saw Li Yu lying on the chaise lounge, her face red from sleep. Zhou Jia walked over and pecked Li Yu¡¯s cherry red lips happily. Li Yu woke up and gazed into Zhou Jia¡¯s smile. She remembered that Zhou Jia had sung a tune yesterday. She raised Zhou Jia¡¯s chin and looked at himzily with a smile. ¡°Xiao Xi, I heard that you know how to sing. Sing a tune for me.¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled and shook his head. ¡°Yu¡¯er, how can I sing? I was just forced by Laidi and the others to sing randomly.¡±


    Li Yu pulled Zhou Jia¡¯s hand. ¡°I want to hear you sing randomly. Xiao Xi, sing...¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu and hugged her with a doting smile. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll sing it for you. Don¡¯tugh at me if it¡¯s not nice.¡±


    ¡°I promise I won¡¯tugh at you.¡± Li Yu leaned against Zhou Jia and promised with a smile.


    Zhou Jia¡¯s clear chanting came from above. ¡°Peach Blossom...¡±


    Li Yu listened to Zhou Jia¡¯s chanting and felt the love in Zhou Jia¡¯s heart. She was touched. She looked up at Zhou Jia affectionately and kissed his chin. ¡°Xiao Xi, thank you.¡±


    Zhou Jia hugged Li Yu tightly. ¡°Thank you, Yu¡¯er, my wife!¡± The two of them looked at each other lovingly.


    He Xiaoyu calcted in her heart. September and October woulde soon, and her wedding date was approaching. She folded the wedding clothes one by one and put them into the box sweetly.


    Madam Huang looked at her daughter¡¯s happy expression and curled her lips in disdain. ¡°Wretched girl, what¡¯s there to be happy about finding a servant? Just you wait! When the dayes that you regret it, don¡¯te back and cry to me.¡±


    He Xiaoyu looked at Madam Huang angrily and said sadly, ¡°Mother, I don¡¯t understand. Other mothers expect their daughters to live a peaceful and happy life after getting married. Don¡¯t you want your daughter to live a good life too?¡±


    Madam Huang cowered slightly but looked at Xiaoyu confidently. She sneered, ¡°That depends on what kind of family you¡¯re married to. Don¡¯t tell me so much. Don¡¯t think I¡¯ll think highly of that ve mule you found.¡±


    He Xiaoyu looked at Madam Huang in disappointment. Tears rolled down her face as she said in a trembling voice, ¡°I know. You¡¯re ming me for not following your instructions and choosing a son-inw that you¡¯re satisfied with. Don¡¯t worry, I chose my own path. I¡¯ll walk it even if it¡¯s full of thorns. Since you¡¯re unwilling to help me prepare, I won¡¯t trouble you. I¡¯ll do it myself!¡±


    ¡°If your father didn¡¯t force me toe, do you think I would like to help you?¡± Madam Huang threw her clothes on the bed. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll wait for the day you regret it.¡± With that, she mmed the door and left angrily.


    Butcher He and his son pulled a cart of dowry furniture into the courtyard. When they saw Madam Huanging out of her daughter¡¯s house with an angry expression, they were secretly angry. She was getting more and more out of hand. She did not care about the severity of the situation. They could not let her do whatever she wanted anymore. They had to think of a way to calm her down.


    Butcher He suppressed his anger and unloaded the furniture from the car with He Tiezhu. He said to He Tiezhu, ¡°Take your little sister and bring the rest back. I¡¯m a little tired. I¡¯ll rest at home.¡±


    He Tiezhu looked at Butcher He worriedly. ¡°Father, are the things heavy? Are you feeling unwell?¡±


    Butcher He kicked his son gently. ¡°Brat, I want to ck off for a while. Can¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°Alright, you can ck off! I¡¯ll ask Sister to go with you.¡± He Tiezhu dodged and jumped into He Xiaoyu¡¯s room in a few steps. Seeing He Xiaoyu hanging her head and crying, he looked at He Xiaoyu with heartache. ¡°Sister, Mother was probably just nagging at you again! Mother has that kind of personality. Just don¡¯t take it to heart. Don¡¯t be sad. It won¡¯t be beautiful if your eyes are swollen from crying. Come, let¡¯s go and pull the furniture together.¡±


    He Xiaoyu looked up at He Tiezhu. ¡°I¡¯m not sad! I¡¯ll go with you.¡±


    He Tiezhu pulled He Xiaoyu out of the door. Butcher He closed the courtyard door and went to his room. He nced at Madam Huang, who was lying on the bed and throwing a tantrum. He took out a bag and threw it on the bed. He pointed at Madam Huang and said coldly, ¡°I know that it¡¯s been hard on you when your mother married you to an orphan like me. All these years, no matter how you threw a tantrum, I¡¯d give in to you. However, I won¡¯t let you ruin the child¡¯s marriage. Leave!¡±


    Madam Huang rolled over and sat up. She pointed at Butcher He and shouted, ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you let me go in the past? Oh! I understand. Now that you think I¡¯m old, which vixen do you like...¡±


    Butcher He looked at Madam Huang mockingly. ¡°You still know that you¡¯re old? Then know your limits!¡±


    ¡°You...¡±


    ¡°Let me finish,¡± Butcher He interrupted Madam Huang. ¡°You¡¯re already dozens of years old. Don¡¯t you understand the principle of peace in the family? All these years, as long as you¡¯re not pleased, you can do whatever you want. In the past, I thought that you didn¡¯t know the severity of the matter because you were young. I thought that you would change when you were old. Who knew that you would also use your son and daughter¡¯s marriage to torture them? Leave! I¡¯ve packed the silver at home. It¡¯s enough for you.¡±


    Madam Huang looked at Butcher He and couldn¡¯t understand why this man, who had doted on her for more than ten years, became so stubborn. On second thought, he was just scaring her. He wouldn¡¯t really let her go.


    Madam Huang nced at Butcher He calmly and got out of bed to take the clothes out of the box. She stuffed them into her bag and said to Butcher He in an imposing manner, ¡°Give me the silver.¡±


    Butcher He handed the small bag to Madam Huang. ¡°I kept a few taels of silver for the banquet. The rest is inside. Hurry up. Don¡¯t wait for the children toe back. It won¡¯t look good when you cry.¡±

 Chapter 154

    154 Butcher He Expelled His Wife


    Madam Huang pulled the small bag over and opened it. Seeing that all the money in the house was indeed inside, she believed that Butcher He was determined to let her go.


    Madam Huang looked at the money in her bag and felt a little afraid. Where else could she go at this age? Besides, she had never thought of leaving!


    Madam Huang held the small bag and suppressed her guilt. She still looked at Butcher He domineeringly. ¡°You really want me to leave? Think about it. Xiaoyu¡¯s wedding date is only two days away. What will you say when people ask about me? I¡¯m not the only one who will be embarrassed.¡±


    ¡°Do you still care about embarrassment?¡± Butcher He smiled bitterly. ¡°Sigh! Forget it! You don¡¯t have to worry about those things. Without you kicking a fuss at home all day, we can live a little more rxed.¡±


    Butcher He recalled how Madam Huang had caused trouble all these years. The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. He pulled Madam Huang over. ¡°Leave! I¡¯ve had enough of this kind of life. I¡¯m not afraid of losing face.¡±


    Seeing that Butcher He was serious, Madam Huang panicked. ¡°Xiaoyu¡¯s father, why don¡¯t I wait for Xiaoyu¡¯s wedding to pass?¡± Madam Huang pulled the door frame and looked at Butcher He. ¡°I promise not to lose my temper. Xiaoyu is also my daughter. Can you wait for me to send Xiaoyu out before leaving?¡±


    Butcher He stopped and hesitated for a moment before shaking his head. ¡°Forget it. I don¡¯t believe you¡¯ll change. If you make a fuss again on your daughter¡¯s good day, that will kill her. You should leave!¡±


    Madam Huang was flustered. She looked at Butcher He and sped her hands together. ¡°Husband, I swear that I won¡¯t make a fuss again. Believe me, I will change in the future and never throw a tantrum again.¡±


    Butcher He was delighted. He looked at Madam Huang without a change in expression and said solemnly, ¡°Since you¡¯ve said so, for the sake of my daughter, I¡¯ll keep you for now. If you still make a fuss, don¡¯t me me for chasing you out on the spot.¡±


    Madam Huang pulled Butcher He¡¯s cor. ¡°Yes! I promise not to make a fuss.¡±


    When He Xiaoyu and her brother returned with the furniture and saw that Madam Huang had already started cooking, He Tiezhu patted his head and looked at He Xiaoyu. He whispered, ¡°Eh! Did the sun rise from the west today?¡±


    ¡°The sun hasn¡¯t even risen today.¡± He Xiaoyu rolled her eyes at him. ¡°Brother, go and get Father to carry the things in.¡±


    ¡°Alright, hold on to the car first!¡± He Tiezhu ran into the central room and looked at Butcher He, who was tying the red rope to the furniture, with a smile. ¡°Father, your ability has improved? Why are you done coaxing her so quickly today?¡±


    Butcher He knocked on his son proudly. ¡°Your father has a lot of skills! Learn from him!¡±


    After Li Yu returned home, Zhou Jia handed his notes and notes to Li Qing.


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Qing and said, ¡°Ah Qing, here are Brother-inw¡¯s insights over the years, as well as the questions I wrote down after a few exams and the summary after the exams. Take a good look and integrate the knowledge you learned from Mr. Lin. Brother-inw believes that you can do it. After we leave, bring Ah Lei to Tongzhou to run errands for you. He¡¯ll be yours in the future.¡±


    Li Qing looked at the notes in the box and bowed gratefully to Zhou Jia. ¡°I understand, Brother-inw. Ah Qing will definitely not let you down. Just wait for my good news!¡±


    Seeing Li Qing¡¯s confident expression, Li Yu was a little worried. After all, in her previous life, she knew that famous people in history had also experienced difficult examinations.


    When the siblings sat together and chatted at night, Li Yu said to Li Qing, ¡°Ah Qing, I want you to promise me something.¡±


    Li Qing looked at Li Yu seriously. ¡°Sister, I¡¯ll definitely do it.¡±


    ¡°I know you want to be on the rankings in one go so you can look for us in the capital, but you have to know that the examination isn¡¯t something that can be done overnight. I want you to promise me that you won¡¯t take your gains and losses too seriously and save yourself from suffering.¡±


    Li Qing thought for a while when he heard that. He looked at Li Yu and said seriously, ¡°Sister, I know you¡¯re worried that I won¡¯t do well and won¡¯t be able to take the blow. Don¡¯t worry, I never thought that I would be able to be the Top Scorer on my first try like Brother-inw. What you¡¯re worried about won¡¯t happen.¡±


    Li Yu looked at Li Qing in relief. ¡°Yes! Sister, don¡¯t worry. Our Ah Qing is a responsible man.¡±


    Li Qing smiled shyly. ¡°Sister, don¡¯t praise me.¡±


    The next day, Zhou Jia, Li Qing, and Ah Lei went to Tongzhou together. He sent Li Qing to the private school and entrusted him to Mr. Lin. Then he went to Shen Wu¡¯s house alone. When he reached Shen Wu¡¯s house, he saw that the door was closed and even his old family had disappeared. Zhou Jia was a little worried. He turned around and went to the garrison office to find Secretary Xu to ask for information.


    When Secretary Xu saw Zhou Jia, he smiled and cupped his hands. ¡°Congrattions, Top Scorer. I¡¯ve long felt that Mr. Zhou¡¯s talent is extraordinary. As expected.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for thepliment. I was just lucky. I want to ask you, why hasn¡¯t General Shen returned to Tongzhou?¡±


    ¡°High Official Zhou, General Shen Wu has yet to return from Qingzhou. His family is worried and has gone to serve his young master with the people here.¡±


    When Zhou Jia heard this, he frowned and said, ¡°Mr. Xu, is there still no peace in Qingzhou?¡±


    Secretary Xu pulled Zhou Jia to the side and lowered his voice. ¡°The rioters have been suppressed, but the border isn¡¯t very peaceful yet. However, it¡¯s nothing serious. The drought in Great Qi is much worse than ours. They won¡¯t dare to act rashly.¡±


    Zhou Jia cupped his hands in thanks. ¡°Oh! I see. Thank you, Secretary Xu.¡±


    Zhou Jia came out of the garrison office and went to the shop. Zhao Cai wanted to follow the two of them to the capital and was handing over the ounts with Ji Xiang.


    When the two of them saw Zhou Jia, they put down the work in their hands and reported to Zhou Jia, ¡°Young Master, the custom-made carriage has been sent over. Shopkeeper Chu sent two strong horses over and thanked Young Madam for sending Er Ya to help.¡±


    ¡°I understand. Have you two done the handover?¡±


    Zhao Cai replied, ¡°Alright, those shopkeepers are familiar with each other.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Ji Xiang and instructed, ¡°Ji Xiang, you¡¯ve be much more mature now. In the future, you¡¯ll be in charge of the shop here. The burden on your shoulders is different from before. The few junior stewards in the shop who are promising can slowly be promoted. Remember to know how to use people well and take things one step at a time. Don¡¯t be rash, understand?¡±


    Ji Xiang looked at Zhou Jia reluctantly with red eyes. ¡°Young Master, I¡¯ll remember.¡±


    Zhao Cai patted Ji Xiang and teased, ¡°Shopkeeper Ji Xiang, don¡¯t cry! When Young Master and Young Madam arrive in the capital and settle down, you still have to deliver the goods!¡±


    Lucky pped Zhao Cai¡¯s hand away. ¡°Who¡¯s crying? I¡¯m just being sentimental.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at the two people ying andughed. ¡°Ji Xiang, it¡¯s not embarrassing to cry. As a man, it¡¯s embarrassing to be sentimental.¡±


    Ji Xiang twisted around and picked up the ount book. ¡°Young Master, you¡¯re bullying me too. I¡¯ll ignore you.¡±


    In the blink of an eye, it was October. From then on, Madam Huang had obediently stopped causing trouble. After Li Yu and his wife settled Ruyi¡¯s marriage, they prepared to go to the capital to take the exam.


    Zhou Jia was afraid that the road would be slippery after the weather turned cold. After discussing with Li Yu, the two of them decided to set off early.

 Chapter 155

    155 Thank You Gift


    The two of them handed the matter of the workshop to Li Mei and her husband to take care of. The farmstead was handed over to Old Zhao and Jin Jiu. Er Ya was in charge of cultivating the rice seeds, and Uncle Zhou was overall in charge.


    Just as the couple settled the matter, Madam Qian, Jiang Xiao¡¯an, Chen Gui, and his brother arrived.


    Madam Qian took out a few pairs of shoes and a dress and ced them on the table. She smiled at Zhou Jia and Li Yu and said, ¡°Xiaoyu, Mr. Zhou, thank you for taking care of us all these years. When we arrived here, you lent us money to repair the house and opened a workshop for us to earn money. That¡¯s why we¡¯re living a good life. These shoes and this dress are a token of our appreciation. Please ept them.¡±


    Li Yu looked at Madam Qian and Jiang Xiao¡¯an and smiled. ¡°Auntie Qian, Xiao¡¯an, thank you for your gifts. You¡¯ve already returned the silver, so don¡¯t take it to heart. Auntie Qian, Xiao¡¯an, after we leave, please help my aunt take care of the workshop.¡±


    The Qian mother and son hurriedly said, ¡°Xiaoyu, you¡¯re too polite. This is what we should do.¡±


    The Chen brothers bowed to the two of them and said, ¡°Mr. Zhou, Xiaoyu, you¡¯re leaving. We don¡¯t have much to give you, so we asked your aunt to make a few pairs of shoes and socks for each of you. I wish you a safe journey.¡±


    The couple thanked them politely again. After Chen Gui and his brothers left with Madam Qian and her son, Old Hu brought the vigers over again. After this day, the couple was busy receiving the grateful vigers.


    Zhou Jia sighed with emotion. Most of the vigers were still very simple. They had remembered their friendship.


    After everything was arranged, the couple set off with Zhao Cai, Ruyi, He Tiezhu and Ah Gou on October 19.


    The vigers sent the group to the vige entrance. Li Mei and her daughters were crying, scaring Brother Pig so much that he hugged Li Mei¡¯s legs and cried.


    Li Mei hurriedly picked up Brother Pig and looked at Li Yu with tears in her eyes. ¡°Brother Pig, your cousin is leaving. I¡¯m afraid Brother Pig will be studying by the time we meet again.¡±


    Zhaodi pulled Li Yu¡¯s hand and Lidi pulled Li Yu¡¯s cor. ¡°Cousin, remember toe back and see us.¡±


    Li Yu also hugged Laidi and Zhaodi reluctantly. ¡°Take good care of Aunt. I¡¯ll leave Ah Qing to you. When I¡¯ve settled down,e and find us with the delivery cart.¡± The sisters nodded and agreed.


    Butcher He and his wife were also filled with reluctance when they saw their daughter and son-inw leave slowly. Madam Huang cried sadly, ¡°Stupid girl, you just want your husband. You don¡¯t want me anymore.¡±


    Everyone arrived at Tongzhou and stayed for the night. Li Qing, Ji Xiang, and Shopkeeper Chu sent Zhou Jia and the others to the city gate.


    Li Qing pulled Li Yu and pretended to be strong as he instructed, ¡°Be careful on the way. Have a safe trip with Brother-inw.¡±


    Li Yu wiped her tears and looked at Li Qing. ¡°I know. You have to remember to put on more clothes at home and not catch a cold. I bought some pills and ced them in your room. If you feel ufortable, remember to take one first...¡±


    Seeing Li Yu¡¯s mixed instructions, Li Qing looked at Li Yu and nodded. Zhou Jia smiled and said, ¡°Yu¡¯er, don¡¯t worry. Ah Qing has been studying in Tongzhou for a while. He will take good care of himself.¡±


    ¡°Sister, don¡¯t worry! I¡¯ll take care of myself,¡± Li Qing said with a smile.


    Shopkeeper Chu said to Zhou Jia and Li Yu, ¡°Mr. Zhou, Madam Li, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll help you take care of your brother. There will also be someone guarding the farmstead. No one dares to cause trouble. If you encounter any difficulties along the way, you can look for branches of the Four Seas Bank in various ces to help.¡±


    Zhou Jia cupped his hands and thanked him. ¡°Thank you, Shopkeeper Chu. Let¡¯s meet again next year.¡±


    Zhou Jia turned to look at Ji Xiang¡¯s red nose and small eyes. ¡°Ji Xiang, stop crying. If you cry anymore, you won¡¯t be able to see the way back to the cityter.¡±


    Ji Xiang paused. ¡°Young Master, I¡¯m already heartbroken, yet you¡¯re stillughing at me.¡±


    Zhao Cai and Ruyi stepped forward and hugged Ji Xiang. ¡°Good brother, we¡¯ll wait for you in the capital when we¡¯re settled.¡±


    Ji Xiang kept nodding. Everyone looked at Ji Xiang¡¯s red nose andughed.


    Zhou Jia got into the carriage first and waved goodbye to everyone. ¡°We¡¯re leaving. Let¡¯s go back!¡±


    Everyone waved reluctantly. Li Qing and Ji Xiang watched the carriage walk away before returning to the city with Shopkeeper Chu.


    The group sat in the car and staggered forward. Li Yu looked at the scenery along the way and leaned against the car with a smile. ¡°After a round, we¡¯re on the way to the capital again.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at the red leaves that kept falling from the tree and sighed. ¡°That¡¯s right! After taking a detour, we¡¯re on the way to the capital.¡±


    The group walked to the end of the afternoon and stopped at an inn. The shop assistant went forward and asked solicitously, ¡°Sir, are you staying or taking a break?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re taking a break and feeding the livestock.¡±


    The shopkeeper stood at the door and looked at the group of people. The men and the women were handsome. They did not look like ordinary families. He hurriedly instructed the shop assistant, ¡°Treat them well and don¡¯t neglect them.¡±


    The clerk nodded. ¡°Got it, shopkeeper.¡±


    Ruyi and Zhao Cai handed the livestock to the clerk and the group entered the inn.


    He Xiaoyu climbed out of a carriage behind them with Ah Gou. Neither of them looked as fresh when they first got on.


    Zhou Jia and Li Yu looked at their dejected expressions. Zhou Jia smiled andforted them. ¡°It¡¯s still a few months away. You¡¯ll slowly get used to it.¡±


    He Xiaoyu walked over and pulled Li Yu. ¡°Young Madam, it was sofortable to take the ox cart when we were fleeingpared to taking the carriage. I was about to faint.¡±


    Ruyi smiled. ¡°How can itpare to when you fled? At that time, everyone walked until their legs were cramped and the soles of their feet were callused. You were raised as a spoiled child.¡±


    He Tiezhu nodded and said with a smile, ¡°That¡¯s right! The more we raise them, the more delicate they be. When they fled, they carried their luggage and walked for a few months before they reached Tongzhou. They seem to have forgotten the fatigue they suffered. They only remember their difort when they were hungry.¡±


    The shopkeeper went forward eagerly and asked, ¡°Sir, what do you want to eat?¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled and said, ¡°Some light dishes and two pots of boiling water for us to use.¡±


    The shopkeeper smiled politely. ¡°Yes, please wait a moment.¡±


    Everyone sat and rested for a while before the shopkeeper brought the waiter up to serve the food. Li Yu saw eggs stir-fried with chives, cold eggnt, salted duck eggs... They were all home-cooked dishes that went with the meal.


    After eating, the group began to travel again. Before dark, they arrived at the foot of the mountain in front of the Wild Boar Ridge.


    Zhao Cai caught up from behind and said to Zhou Jia, ¡°Young Master, there¡¯s an inn at the bend in front. We¡¯ll stay there tonight and cross Wild Boar Ridge tomorrow morning. Before the new year, the passing merchants said that the wilderness is not peaceful.¡±


    Zhou Jia nodded. ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll miss a ce to stay if we continue walking. Let¡¯s stay in the inn in front.¡±


    After the group arrived at the inn and checked in, Zhao Cai asked the inn owner, ¡°Shopkeeper, let me ask you, is ck Ridge peaceful now?¡±


    The innkeeper chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s been peaceful. General Shen sent troops to eliminate that group of bandits before the new year. Otherwise, my inn wouldn¡¯t have dared to open for business.¡±


    Zhao Cai agreed. ¡°Of course. Who would dare to do business if it¡¯s not stable? Thank you, shopkeeper.¡±


    After everyone stayed at the inn for the night, everyone set off early in the morning. The journey that took them more than half a month was smooth. They were almost in Qi County.


    On this day, halfway through the journey, the cold wind blew on their faces like knives. Everyone wore hats that only revealed their eyes. Li Yu watched as the dark clouds in the sky became thicker and thicker. Thunder sounded at the top of the mountain, and the wind blew harder and harder. Soon, it started to rain heavily. The rain fell noisily and floated into the carriage along the roof.

 Chapter 156

    156 Night Stay


    The mountain road became more and more difficult to walk on. Zhou Jia wore a raincoat and drove the carriage halfway up the mountain. He walked with difficulty against the rain.


    When they went down the mountain, they had no choice but to get out of the cart to stabilize it and slowly go down the mountain.


    When they finally reached the foot of the mountain, Zhao Cai pointed at the depression in the mountain and said to Zhou Jia, ¡°Young Master, there¡¯s a house in the depression in the mountain ahead. Shall we go there to shelter ourselves from the rain?


    Zhou Jia looked up and vaguely saw the house in the depression. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go there to seek refuge from the rain.¡± He turned to Li Yu and said loudly, ¡°Madam, there¡¯s a ce to hide from the rain in front.¡±


    ¡°Alright, be careful. Don¡¯t be too anxious,¡± Li Yu replied loudly.


    The group walked for another hour before reaching the house. When they got closer, they saw that it was a dpidated Taoist temple. Everyone drove the carriage into the temple and saw a few healthy horses tied up in the temple and a few mule carts filled with goods.


    Li Yu and Xiaoyu got out of the car. Zhou Jia led Ruyi and the others out of the car and pulled the car to a spacious eaves porch. They walked into the hall and saw that there were already people sheltering from the rain inside.


    Li Yu looked at the three tall men and four merchants. Zhou Jia looked around and pointed at the seat on the right near the door. ¡°Young Madam, let¡¯s sit there for a while!¡±


    Li Yu took a look. The position behind the door could block the wind and also allow her to look outside, so she nodded and brought He Xiaoyu to the corner of the wall. He Xiaoyu took out an oilcloth mat andid it on the ground. Ah Gou removed the cloth mat and called out to Li Yu and Zhou Jia, ¡°Young Master, Young Madam, the cloth mat is ready. Sit down and rest.¡±


    ¡°Alright, you should rest too.¡± After Li Yu agreed, she ced her bag in the corner and said to Zhou Jia, ¡°Xiao Xi, your shoes are drenched. I¡¯ll go get a pair for you to change into.¡±


    Ah Gou stood up quickly. ¡°I know where the young master¡¯s boots are. I¡¯ll get them.¡±


    Li Yu nodded. After a while, Ah Gou walked in with Zhao Cai and Ruyi, who were carrying firewood.


    Ruyi saw that they had already sat down behind the door. He took off her raincoat and said to Zhou Jia, ¡°Young Master, it looks like the rain won¡¯t stop for a while. I¡¯ll go get the mud stove and boil some hot water for everyone to wash up.¡±


    Li Yu looked at He Xiaoyu. ¡°Xiaoyu, go with Ruyi. Bring a pot in and grab a handful of ginger powder from the basket. Make some ginger tea to drive away the cold.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Young Madam.¡± He Xiaoyu agreed and walked to the entrance of the Taoist temple with Ruyi. Ruyi asked He Tiezhu, ¡°Tiezhu, are you cold?¡±


    He Tiezhu smiled honestly. ¡°Brother Ruyi, I¡¯m not cold. I just feel that the gloominess opposite is a little terrifying.¡±


    When the two of them heard this, they looked across the hall and realized that the dpidated walls and rain fog gave off a sinister and terrifying feeling.


    He Xiaoyu suddenly shivered. Ruyi held Xiaoyu¡¯s hand and said to Tie Zhu with a smile, ¡°Tie Zhu, don¡¯t be timid when you go out. Come in with us. There¡¯s no need to stand guard in the rain.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just worried.¡± He Tiezhu smiled honestly and followed the two of them to the hall.


    He Xiaoyu went in and began to heat up the fire to boil ginger tea. The other two groups sat in front of their fires and took out dry food to warm up before eating.


    A skinny middle-aged merchant observed Li Yu and the others for a while. Seeing that they had boiled the ginger tea and were almost done drinking, he walked to Li Yu and the others with a wooden bowl. He smiled and cupped his hands at Zhou Jia. ¡°Sir, I want to ask you for a bowl of ginger tea to drink.¡±


    Zhou Jia saw that the old man¡¯s hair was white and his face was full of fatigue. He nodded and said, ¡°Alright.¡± Ruyi picked up a spoon and scooped a bowl of ginger tea for the traveling merchant.


    The traveling merchant bowed and took the bowl with a grateful smile. ¡°Thank you, sir.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at the traveling merchant and smiled. ¡°It¡¯s fate that we met. It¡¯s just a bowl of ginger tea.¡± Zhou Jia turned to look at the others. ¡°Everyone, you can also have some ginger tea. Don¡¯t stand on ceremony if you need it.¡±


    When the other three merchants heard Zhou Jia¡¯s words, they all came over with wooden bowls and asked for a bowl of ginger tea. After bowing and thanking him, they went back to slowly drink the ginger tea in the bowls.


    After the older traveling merchant finished drinking, he smiled and said to Zhou Jia, ¡°Thank you for the tea, sir. It¡¯s much warmer after drinking it.¡±


    ¡°Old Sir, you¡¯re too polite. It¡¯s just a bowl of ginger tea.¡± Zhou Jia smiled politely.


    Li Yu and the others made a bowl of oil tea noodles around the fire. Li Yu held the oil tea noodles and used the edge of the bowl to take a quick look at the three tall men opposite her. She saw that they were looking down and sitting opposite her casually. Li Yu lowered her head and finished the oil tea noodles. She whispered to Zhou Jia, ¡°Xiao Xi, you and Ruyi have been driving for the entire day. Spread this out a little. Take Ruyi and the others to sleep. We still have to drive tomorrow morning!¡±


    Although Zhou Jia also felt a little tired, he felt that his body was much stronger than before. Thinking that they still had to travel, he nodded and replied, ¡°Alright, the few of us will rest for a while. We will take turns to rest.¡±


    Zhao Cai had already brought in a wide oilcloth mat and opened it toy it on the clearing. The few of themy down and quickly fell asleep.


    Li Yu and Xiaoyu guarded the few of them and watched as the sky gradually darkened. The other people in the hall who were hiding from the rain were also sleepy. Other than the breathing of the people hiding from the rain, only the sound of raindrops falling on the roof could be heard.


    It took another hour for the rain to stop. A traveling merchant kicked the others. ¡°Fourth, the rain has stopped. Let¡¯s go out and guard it.¡±


    The traveling merchant called Fourth rubbed his eyes, picked up his bag, and walked out. The other two traveling merchants also took their luggage and went out to guard the cart.


    Li Yu stood up and looked at the horses and luggage rack tied at the door. The elderly traveling merchant smiled and said to Li Yu, ¡°Madam, don¡¯t worry about the luggage. The few of us often settle down in this Taoist temple. This ce is quite stable.¡±


    Li Yu bowed. ¡°Thank you for telling me.¡±


    Li Yu returned to the Taoist temple. Just as she reached the door, it suddenly became noisy. Li Yu wrapped her cloak around her and walked to the door. She saw a group of people arriving in front of the hall. There were more than ten carriages in total. The first carriage had a g on it. On the red g with ck words were the words Wuwei Escort Agency.


    When the group reached the main hall, they pulled away the tarp covering the car and cursed. ¡°This damn weather almost drenched me to death.¡±


    Li Yu saw that more than ten carriages were loaded with wooden boxes with brass nails on them. From the looks of it, they were hauling expensive items.


    Li Yu had been in this alternate world for a few years, but this was the first time she had seen an escort agency with her own eyes. She stood at the door and sized it up before returning to the hall. Seeing that Zhou Jia, Ruyi, and the others had already woken up, Xiaoyu and Ah Gou looked at them sleepily. Li Yu said to them, ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s a convoy called the Wuwei Escort Agency.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu and nodded. He covered his mouth and coughed a few times.


    ¡°Xiao Xi, you caught a cold?¡± Seeing that Zhou Jia¡¯s face was a little red, Li Yu hurriedly squatted down and touched Zhou Jia¡¯s forehead. She felt that it was a little hot. ¡°Xiao Xi, you¡¯re a little hot. Take some pills.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu and smiled in embarrassment. ¡°Madam, I¡¯m really a weak schr. I¡¯m too useless.¡±


    ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? You¡¯ve caught a cold from the rain.¡±


    As she spoke, Ruyi had already brought the medicine bag in. Li Yu poured a cup of water from the hanging pot and handed it to Zhou Jia. ¡°Hurry up and take the medicine. You¡¯ll be fine after a nap.¡±

 Chapter 157

    157 Bamboo Tube


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll listen to Madam.¡± Zhou Jia raised his head and took the pill. Zhao Cai came in from outside and squatted beside Zhou Jia. It reported in a low voice, ¡°Young Master, I saw Shen Wu. He was in the escort team. When he saw me, he immediately turned his head away and pretended not to see me.¡±


    ¡°In that case, he might be carrying out official business. He Xiaoyu has also seen Shen Wu. Tell her not to greet him.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Zhao Cai remembered that he had seen He Xiaoyu beside the car just now and hurriedly walked out.


    Zhou Jia whispered into Li Yu¡¯s ear and told her about Zhao Cai seeing Shen Wu. Before he could finish speaking, Li Yu saw Shen Wu and a few people who looked like escorts walk into the hall.


    Shen Wu casually nced at Zhou Jia and the others before leaving with the escorts.


    Li Yu saw that the bodyguards seemed to be unintentional but were actually cautious and thought to herself, Could this Wuwei Escort Agency be an enemy spy? Li Yu secretlyined. They couldn¡¯t be so unlucky, right? Why they encounter bad things every time we went out?


    Zhou Jia leaned against Li Yu and asked softly, ¡°Yu¡¯er, did you notice anything unusual?¡±


    Li Yu sighed softly. ¡°Those people look rxed, but they¡¯re actually very careful. We¡¯ve already encountered Shen Wu. I don¡¯t think anything good will happen.¡±


    Zhou Jia consoled, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we can only take it one step at a time.¡±


    Li Yu thought for a moment and looked at Zhou Jia. She whispered, ¡°Let Ruyi test him and see if he will make a move.¡±


    Zhou Jia nodded. Li Yu went out to exin to Ruyi.


    In the escort team, Shen Wu secretly rejoiced. To think he could even meet Mr. Zhou and Miss Li in this damn ce. His luck was too good! He would have to find a chance to send them a message.


    Shen Wu secretly looked around for an opportunity. Suddenly, he saw Ruyi walking towards the corner. He was delighted and said to the escort beside him, ¡°Shou-er Mei, is it convenient for you to go?¡±


    Escort Mei looked at Shen Wu. ¡°Kid, why are you dragging me along?¡± As he spoke, he pointed at Shen Wu and said jokingly, ¡°You¡¯re not afraid, are you?¡±


    ¡°What a joke. As a man, I¡¯m afraid!¡± Shen Wu patted his chest and ran into the corner with a smile.


    Escort Mei gestured at the escort beside him. That person understood and followed behind Shen Wu to keep tabs on him. He saw that he was indeed relieving himself in the dark.


    Ruyi hummed a tune and hid in the corner. Shen Wu walked behind him and stuffed a bamboo tube into Ruyi¡¯s hand. He stood at the side to relieve himself and muttered, ¡°Damn ce. There¡¯s no ce to exchange banknotes.¡±


    Ruyi stuffed the tube into his pants and turned to walk out. When he reached the corner of the corridor, he saw someone secretly staring at Shen Wu. Ruyi pretended not to see him and walked past him.


    The man saw Ruyi walking past and Shen Wuing over with his pants up. He quickly retreated to the fire and whispered to Escort Mei, ¡°He just peed. He didn¡¯t talk to that person or see any movement.¡±


    Escort Mei saw Shen Wue out and nodded. The escort stopped talking.


    Ruyi returned to the hall with the bamboo tube and sat down beside Zhou Jia. He stuffed the bamboo tube into Zhou Jia¡¯s pocket. Zhou Jia noticed Ruyi¡¯s actions and nced at Ruyi in his heart, ignoring the bamboo tube in the pocket.


    The bodyguard, who was secretly spying on Ruyi, saw that Ruyi and Zhou Jia did not do anything unusual and went back to report.


    Seeing that the people peeping outside had left, Zhou Jia handed the bamboo tube in his pocket to Li Yu and said in her ear, ¡°Yu¡¯er, I¡¯ll leave this to you. Keep it.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Li Yu agreed in a low voice. She pinched the bamboo tube in her hand and thought to herself that there was indeed something fishy.


    Li Yu ced the bamboo tube into her space when no one was looking.


    After a while, the cold medicine that Zhou Jia had taken took effect. He leaned against Li Yu and fell asleep. Li Yu covered Zhou Jia with the cloak. Two hourster, she touched Zhou Jia¡¯s forehead and only fell asleep after noting that the heat had subsided.


    Ruyi, Zhao Cai, and He Tiezhu guarded carefully for half the night until dawn appeared on the horizon. The people who stayed overnight in the Taoist temple set off one after another. The team of escorts also drove the carriage away. Nothing else happened.


    Xiaoyu cooked some porridge with the mud stove. After everyone ate briefly, Li Yu and Zhou Jia packed their luggage and drove off.


    Ruyi walked up to Zhou Jia and reported to him, ¡°Young Master, after Shen Wu handed the bamboo tube to me, he said that there¡¯s no ce to exchange silver in this godforsaken ce. Do you think he has other intentions?¡±


    Zhou Jia and Li Yu looked at each other and thought of the Four Seas Bank at the same time. Zhou Jia said to Ruyi, ¡°I understand. Let¡¯s go!¡±


    Shen Wu, Escort Mei, and the others set off for the capital before dawn. Shen Wu was secretly worried that Ruyi did not understand what he meant. However, it was not easy for him to meet a suitable person to send the item away. He would not be willing to give up if he did not gamble!


    Li Yu and the others arrived at Qitong County the next afternoon. After checking at the city gate, they entered the city. Zhou Jia said to Li Yu, ¡°Yu¡¯er, let¡¯s go to the Four Seas Bank first.¡±


    Li Yu took the reins from Zhou Jia¡¯s hand. ¡°Alright, get out of the car and ask someone which street the Four Seas Bank is on.¡±


    The carriage slowly stopped. Zhou Jia jumped out of the carriage and asked a man for the location of the Four Seas Bank. After getting into the carriage, he said to Li Yu, ¡°That big brother said that the Four Seas Bank has branches on the east and west sides of the city. If we enter the east city gate, we¡¯ll go straight to the east street.¡±


    Li Yu nodded and looked at the clothes of the pedestrians on the street. They looked better and more prosperous than the people in Tongzhou City. Li Yu said to Zhou Jia, ¡°Xiao Xi, Qitong County looks better than Tongzhou City. Will the cities get better the nearer we get to the capital?¡±


    When Zhou Jia heard this, he thought for a moment and said, ¡°That¡¯s not necessarily true. County Qitong is mainly located in a good location. When you leave the capital and go to Tongzhou, Qingzhou or Liangzhou, you¡¯ll have to pass through here. There are many merchantsing and going, and ces with many merchants are more prosperous.¡±


    Li Yu nodded. ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±


    After walking for another quarter of an hour, Li Yu saw the Four Seas Bank on the left street. The Four Seas Bank here was also a two-story building. There were peopleing and going at the entrance of the bank. Its business was even more prosperous than Tongzhou City.


    Zhou Jia stopped the cart. Li Yu handed the small wooden sword and bamboo tube to Zhou Jia. ¡°Be careful.¡±


    Zhou Jia nodded. Ruyi stopped the cart behind and walked to Zhou Jia. He said to Zhou Jia, ¡°Young Master, I¡¯ll apany you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea.¡± The master and servant walked into the bank. The shop assistant asked solicitously, ¡°May I ask if you want to deposit silver or exchange notes?¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at the shop assistant and said, ¡°I¡¯m a friend of Chu Sihai from the Four Seas Bank in Tongzhou. Shopkeeper Chu asked me to help him bring something to your shopkeeper.¡±


    When the shop assistant heard that Zhou Jia was Chu Sihai¡¯s friend, he hurriedly bowed and said, ¡°So you¡¯re the shopkeeper¡¯s friend. Please sit in the inner hall. I¡¯ll report to the shopkeeper now.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Zhou Jia brought Ruyi into the inner hall with the shop assistant. After the shop assistant poured the tea, the shopkeeper followed the shop assistant into the hall.

 Chapter 158

    158 Lodging in the Snow


    When the shopkeeper heard from the shop assistant that Shopkeeper Chu¡¯s friend had brought something over, he felt a little strange. They were all using messenger pigeons, so no one would help carry letters. However, this person said that he was Shopkeeper Chu¡¯s friend, so he still followed the shop assistant to the ce where he met guests.


    When the shopkeeper saw Zhou Jia, he smiled and cupped his hands. ¡°Greetings, sir. I¡¯m the shopkeeper of the Four Seas Bank, Chu Zhong.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Ruyi and he left. Zhou Jia said to the shopkeeper, ¡°Shopkeeper Chu asked me to bring you a message.¡±


    Seeing Ruyi leave, Chu Zhong also instructed the shop assistant to leave. Zhou Jia took out a small wooden sword and bamboo tube and handed them to Chu Zhong. ¡°When we were sheltering from the rain in the Taoist temple on the mountain the day before yesterday, General Shen Wu entrusted it to me. He hinted that we should send it to the bank.¡±


    After Chu Zhong took the small wooden sword and bamboo tube and looked at them, he returned the small wooden sword to Zhou Jia and hurriedly bowed to Zhou Jia. ¡°I didn¡¯t know it was you, sir. Thank you for the news.¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled and took the small wooden sword. ¡°Shopkeeper Chu, go ahead. My family is still waiting for me outside the bank, so I won¡¯t disturb you.¡±


    Chu Zhong also had to get busy delivering the news. He did not ask Zhou Jia to stay. After sending Zhou Jia to the door, he turned around and went back to send the message.


    Zhou Jia brought Ruyi out of the bank. The group found an inn called Shuntong Inn to stay in.


    Li Yu took a shower andy on the bed to stretch. She thought to herself, It¡¯s still morefortable to sleep in a bed. Thinking about the journey of two months, she felt a headache. Transportation in her previous life was better. It was only a few hours by ne from the provincial capital to the capital.


    Xiaoyu knocked on the door with a water bag. ¡°Young Madam, Young Master wants you to go down for dinner.¡±


    Li Yu opened the door and smiled at Xiaoyu. ¡°Xiaoyu, are you done bathing? You¡¯re exhausted, right?¡±


    Xiaoyu narrowed her eyes and smiled happily. ¡°I¡¯m not tired. I got used to it after sitting for a few days. I even learned how to drive from Ruyi. It¡¯s good for him to rest when we go on the t road.¡±


    Seeing Xiaoyu¡¯s blissful expression, Li Yu was also d for the two of them. ¡°Seeing how happy you are, your parents should be relieved.¡±


    He Xiaoyu lowered her head. ¡°Sister Xiaoyu, I just miss my parents a little. I find them naggy at home and I miss them after I leave. I wonder how they are.¡±


    Li Yu was a little sad when she heard that. That¡¯s right! Humans are such creatures. They never know how to cherish what they have in front of them. They are all thinking about what would happen in the future. In the future, they would only be able to miss the past.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ll write to them when we reach the capital.¡± Li Yuforted Xiaoyu.


    The few of them rested for a day in Qitong County and bought some necessary items before setting off again.


    After walking out of the city for more than an hour, snow began to fall. The cars and pedestrians on the road struggled to move forward against the cold wind and the snow.


    When the group reached the beginning of the hour, they realized that there were fewer and fewer pedestrians on the road. Zhou Jia pulled down the brim of his hat and looked at the flying snowkes worriedly.


    Li Yu lifted the car curtain and realized that the snow was getting heavier. Looking at the gray sky, she couldn¡¯t even see the road a little further away. Li Yu thought to herself, No one is familiar with the roads in this area. It would be troublesome if the cart flipped into a ravine.


    ¡°Xiao Xi, it¡¯s getting dark. The snow seems to be getting heavier. I think we have to find a ce to stay. It¡¯ll be troublesome if the cart skids.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked up at his surroundings and realized that there seemed to be a house in front of him. He said loudly to Li Yu, ¡°There seems to be a vige in front. Let¡¯s go over and take a look.¡±


    Li Yu shouted to Zhao Cai behind her, ¡°Everyone, follow closely. Don¡¯t get separated.¡±


    Zhao Cai flicked its whip to signal to Li Yu he had heard it. The cart drove forward for another half an hour. Zhou Jia saw a few thatched houses by the roadside clearly. Zhou Jia parked the car in front of a thatched house and walked over to knock on the door. A man¡¯s voice sounded from inside. ¡°Who is it?¡±


    Zhou Jia said, ¡°Big Brother, we passed by here.¡±


    A middle-aged man opened the door and asked Zhou Jia, ¡°Who are you looking for?¡±


    Zhou Jia cupped his hands and bowed to the man. ¡°Brother, we¡¯re going to the capital to take the exam. We want to stay here for the night. We¡¯ll pay you, alright?¡±


    The middle-aged man stuck his head out and looked out. Seeing four carriages parked outside, he nodded and pointed at the house in the west wing. ¡°That house is not leaking so you can stay in there, but I don¡¯t have any extra beds in my house. Sir, if you don¡¯t mind that our humble abod, you can stay!¡±


    Zhou Jia cupped his hands and said with a smile, ¡°Thank you, Big Brother. We¡¯re already very grateful that you let us stay. How can we despise you? May I know your name?¡±


    The man nced at Zhou Jia. ¡°My surname is Yu. You can call me Yu San.¡± The man came out of the house and pointed at the room in the west wing. ¡°I¡¯ll open up the room for you to stay in.¡±


    Zhou Jia cupped his hands and thanked him. ¡°Alright, thank you.¡±


    Li Yu leaned against the wooden box in the car and lifted the curtain to look at the few thatched houses in front of her. The low houses had tofu-like windows. Li Yu looked at the houses and was secretly worried that if the snow was too heavy, the houses would probably copse.


    After Zhou Jia finished talking to the man, he returned to the car and said to Li Yu, ¡°Madam,e down quickly. The owner of the house promised us to stay at his house for the night.¡±


    ¡°Alright, everyone,e down and stay here for the night,¡± Zhou Jia shouted at Ruyi and the others.


    When they heard this, they all got out of the car and started to carry their luggage into the house. Ruyi and Zhao Cai fed the horses. Li Yu brought He Xiaoyu to raise the fire and the house quickly warmed up.


    Yu San carried a load of water to the door and said to Zhou Jia, ¡°Sir, these two buckets of water are for you to use.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Brother Yu.¡± Ruyi walked over and looked at Yu San. ¡°Brother Yu, I don¡¯t want to trouble you about fetching water to stay here. Tell me where the well is. I¡¯ll get it myself.¡±


    Yu San smiled honestly. ¡°How can there be a well in a poor ce? We all fetch water from the ditch in the forest over there.¡±


    After saying that, Yu San put down the bucket and turned around to leave. Li Yu and the others cooked the meal in a lively manner. They chatted by the fire for a while and calcted their itinerary. Zhou Jia said to them, ¡°After we reach Qi Tong County, we¡¯ll reach Anyun County. Going through Anyun County, we¡¯ll have to cross a mountain called the Immortal Peak. The mountain path is a little like the Cloud Stream Peak, but it¡¯s not as steep as the Cloud Stream Peak. However, some ces are even narrower than the path at Cloud Stream Peak. I hope that it won¡¯t snow so heavily when we reach Immortal Peak. Otherwise, it won¡¯t be easy to cross.¡±


    Li Yu smiled andforted them. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. We used to carry so many things when we passed the Cloud Stream Peak. Are we still afraid of the Immortal Peak?¡±


    He Xiaoyu also smiled and nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right! We¡¯re not afraid.¡±


    ¡°Yes, we¡¯re not afraid.¡± They all nodded in agreement.


    Ruyi brought Zhao Cai out to look at the livestock. Ah Gou and He Tiezhu followed the two of them to the toilet. Everyone returned to the house and set up the tent. Ruyi said to Zhou Jia, ¡°Young Master, Young Madam, you guys rest. Zhao Cai, Iron Pole, and I will take turns guarding the night.¡±


    Zhou Jia nodded. ¡°Alright, everyone is tired. Let¡¯s sleep separately!¡± Li Yu and Xiaoyu entered the tent and rested.


    At dawn, Li Yu woke up and saw Xiaoyu burying her face in the nket and sleeping soundly. She thought to herself that the girl must be tired.


    Li Yu put on her clothes and skirt and came out of the tent. He Tie Zhu was about to walk out with the grass and hurriedly bowed to Li Yu.

 Chapter 159

    159 Ten Families Alley


    Li Yu smiled. ¡°Go ahead. You don¡¯t have to be so polite when you¡¯re outside.¡±


    ¡°Aye! Young Madam,¡± He Tiezhu agreed with a smile and went out with the fodder.


    Li Yu walked to the courtyard and saw that the sky was still gray. There were no signs of sunny weather. It was already white outside the house. Under the eaves and on the treetops behind the house, they were hung with crystal clear ice.


    On the way out of the courtyard, Li Yu stepped on the snow until it reached the back of her feet. She looked up and saw no traces of anyone walking on the road. The world seemed to have lost other colors and turned into a vast expanse of white.


    Li Yu watched from outside for a while. When she returned to the house, she realized that everyone had woken up. Xiaoyu and Ah Gou had already started cooking.


    When Xiaoyu saw Li Yu return, she pointed at the copper pot on the mud stove. ¡°Young Madam, have you washed up? There¡¯s hot water in the pot.¡±


    ¡°Not yet!¡± After Li Yu poured water and washed up, she said to Zhou Jia, ¡°Xiao Xi, the snow has just passed the instep. I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s going to snow again. I wonder if there¡¯s a town ahead?¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu with a smile. ¡°Yes, there¡¯s a town not far away. Let¡¯s eat something and pack our luggage before setting off. If it snows again, we¡¯ll stay in the town ahead.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and said, ¡°That¡¯s the only way.¡±


    Zhou Jia instructed Ruyi and Zhao Cai, ¡°Ruyi, you, Zhao Cai, and Tiezhu, pack your luggage first. We¡¯ll set off after dinner.¡±


    Ruyi took a broom. ¡°Okay, young master. Let¡¯s sweep the snow off the shed before we move the luggage.¡±


    After cleaning up, they began to move the luggage to the car. Zhou Jia went to the master¡¯s main room to take a look. Seeing that the door was closed, he thought to himself, It seems that the master hasn¡¯t woken up yet.


    After dinner, Zhou Jia took two boxes of pastries and a piece of silver to the main room. He saw Yu San, a woman, and two half-grown boys eating. There was a pot of coarse rice porridge with soup in it. At a nce, it was more soup than rice. It seemed that life was quite difficult.


    Zhou Jia exchanged the silver pieces in his pocket for one or two taels of silver. He ced the silver and the pastries on the table and smiled at Yu San. ¡°Brother Yu, thank you for allowing us to stay the night. We¡¯ll set off now.¡±


    Yu San and his wife looked at the silver and pastries on the table and said btedly with a red face. ¡°Sir, you¡¯re too polite. The house is empty, to begin with. How can I ept your money?¡±


    ¡°You should. Thank you.¡± Zhou Jia turned around and left. Yu San and his wife followed him out. Seeing them get into the cart, they waved gratefully. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Zhou.¡±


    Zhou Jia waved at Yu San and his wife and drove the car forward. Along the way, although the sky was gloomy, it did not snow. The group walked for a few days and safely passed Immortal Peak.


    They set off from the end of October and traveled until the middle of the 29th day of the new year. The group finally arrived at the capital of Great Yong. In front of the majestic city gate, there was a row of carts waiting to enter the city.


    Zhou Jia looked at the towering city gate and thought to himself, Grandfather, Mother, Xiao Xi is back.


    Zhou Jia whispered to Li Yu, ¡°Yu¡¯er, this is the north city gate. That family lives in the south city. After we enter the city, we¡¯ll go to the house my grandfather left for me to stay in. Sigh! No one has lived there for so many years. I wonder what that house has be. I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s dpidated.¡±


    Li Yu smiled. ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s fine as long as there¡¯s a ce to stay. We¡¯ll slowly repair it after staying.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll listen to you.¡± Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu and felt a little sorry for her. After more than three months of long travel, she was tired and thin. Her face was also a little pale. When she settled down, he had to nourish her.


    When it was Li Yu and the others¡¯ turn, Zhou Jia took out his identifications. After the guards checked the cart, they waved their hands and let it go.


    After entering the city, Zhou Jia drove the cart south. After walking for more than an hour, he entered an alley and smiled at Li Yu. ¡°This alley is called Ten Families Alley. You¡¯ll reach it after entering the third house.¡±


    As they spoke, they arrived at the third residence. Zhou Jia stopped the car and said with a smile, ¡°We¡¯re finally here.¡±


    The two of them got out of the car and saw that the paint on the door was mottled and the lock on the door was rusty. Li Yu looked at the lock and smiled. ¡°I¡¯m afraid the lock is useless.¡±


    Ruyi walked over from behind with the key and said to Zhou Jia, ¡°Young Master, can you try to open it first?¡±


    Zhou Jia took the key and inserted it into the lock. He smiled. ¡°It¡¯s alright. It¡¯s open.¡± Zhou Jia pushed open the courtyard door and the few of them saw that it was already overgrown with weeds.


    Li Yu suddenly felt that someone was watching her. She turned around and saw that the courtyard door opposite was closed. Since she didn¡¯t find anything amiss, she didn¡¯t pay attention to it.


    Seeing Zhou Jia standing at the door, she nudged him and said with a smile, ¡°What are you hesitating for? It¡¯s already like this inside. You still have to clean it!¡±


    ¡°Alright, Ruyi and Zhao Cai, quickly move your luggage into the house.¡± Zhou Jia waved at them.


    Li Yu and Zhou Jia entered the courtyard and realized that it was a house with two entrances. The courtyard was 30 to 40 square meters big. There were five main rooms in the outer courtyard, three in the east and west rooms. One of the rooms was built to pass through the hall. They walked over and arrived at the inner courtyard. The inner courtyard was the same size as the front courtyard. Although the house was a little old, it was still not bad overall.


    Ruyi and Zhao Cai had already moved their things into the courtyard and started cleaning.


    Just as Zhou Jia and the others entered the house and closed the courtyard door, a thin old woman with dark red skin came out of the house opposite. She quietly stood in front of the door and looked in. She went out of the alley and hired a cart. She said to the coachman, ¡°Go to South City¡¯s Baoping Street, the Zhou residence.¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± The coachman drove the mule cart toward the south city.


    It took them more than two hours to sweep up the weeds in the yard and the dust and cobwebs in the house.


    Li Yu and Zhou Jia lived in the inner courtyard. Ruyi and the others chose rooms in the outer courtyard. Tie Zhu said to Ah Gou, ¡°Ah Gou, are you afraid of living alone? Do you want Brother Tie Zhu to apany you?¡±


    Ah Gou shook his head like a rattle. ¡°I¡¯m going to live in my own room. I¡¯ve never lived alone in all my life!¡±


    He Tie Zhu looked at Ah Gou with a sad expression. Why did Young Master have so many rooms?


    Li Yu looked at the two of them and smiled. ¡°Ah Gou, go out with Brother Ruyi and buy some rice and vegetables. We¡¯ll cook something delicious.¡±


    ¡°Aye!¡± Ah Gou replied cheerfully. Ruyi looked at him. ¡°Then you¡¯ll have to stay closeter. Don¡¯t get lost.¡±


    Ah Gou smiled at Ruyi. ¡°I¡¯m pulling your sleeve. I can¡¯t get lost !¡±


    When Li Yu returned to the inner courtyard, Zhou Jia said to Li Yu, ¡°Yu¡¯er, let¡¯s pay our respects to Grandfather and my mother tomorrow morning.¡±


    Li Yu held the broom. ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll go tomorrow morning.¡±


    The old woman took a car to South City¡¯s Baoping Street. She got out of the car in front of arge residence and went to the alley beside the residence. She stopped in front of a small door and knocked a few times. A gray-haired old woman opened the door. When she saw the old woman, she smiled exaggeratedly and said, ¡°Aiyo! Isn¡¯t this Old Granny Ren! What wind blew you here today!¡±


    Granny Ren stered a smile on her face. ¡°Sister Lin, I¡¯m looking for the Old Madam. I have something to report.¡±


    ¡°Please.¡± Old Granny Lin stepped aside to let Granny Ren enter the courtyard. She walked past the small garden and crossed the veranda. Old Madam Ren looked at the courtyard and thought to herself that the garden didn¡¯t look as good as it used to. It looked much more dpidated.


    Old Granny Lin led her to the olddy¡¯s courtyard and said to the maidservant at the door, ¡°Qiu Ju, Old Granny Ren wants to see Old Madam.¡±


    Qiu Ju nced at Granny Ren and turned into the courtyard. Soon, she came out and said to Granny Ren, ¡°Granny Ren, Old Madam wants you to go in.¡±

 Chapter 160

    160 Do Him In


    Granny Ren followed Qiu Ju into the courtyard. Old Madam Zhou leaned against the Nanmu armchair and looked at Granny Ren. She said indifferently, ¡°You said you have something to tell me?¡±


    Granny Ren looked at Madam Zhou. Although her hair was grayer than before, her face was still rosy and lustrous. She was looking at her indifferently.


    Granny Ren bowed and said, ¡°Old Madam, you instructed me to help look after the residence opposite and report to you if anyonees. Four carriages came today. A handsome couple brought a few family members and entered the residence to stay.¡±


    Old Madam Zhou sat up straight and looked at Old Granny Ren. ¡°Did you see it clearly?¡±


    Old Granny Ren nced at Old Madam Zhou. ¡°Old Madam Zhou, I saw everything. They arrived at the end of the day and haven¡¯te out since they entered.¡±


    When Old Madam Zhou heard this, she turned to look at the old woman standing behind her. ¡°Old Madam Ma, give her two taels of silver and go to the north city with her to take a look.¡±


    Old Ma curtsied. ¡°Yes, olddy.¡±


    Old Madam Ma handed a pouch to Granny Ren and smiled at her. ¡°Old Madam Ren, let¡¯s go!¡±


    Granny Ren pinched the silver in her purse and happily followed Old Madam Ma out.


    The two of them got into the carriage. Old Granny Ren nced at Old Granny Ma and smiled obsequiously. ¡°Old Sister, is that young master a rtive of the Zhou family?¡±


    Old Granny Ma nced at Old Granny Ren and scolded coldly, ¡°Don¡¯t pry into matters that have nothing to do with you.¡±


    Granny Ren nced at Granny Ma and pursed her lips secretly. She thought to herself that Granny Ma was just a servant. What was there to be proud of?


    Old Granny Ma sat in the cart and was secretly worried. The olddy was bing more and more confused. The old master had been gone for so many years, and the children of the two wives were all descendants of the Zhou family. How could they be close or distant? If they chased out the capable ones and left the two useless wastrels behind, the Zhou family would not be able tost long.


    When the two of them arrived at Old Madam Ren¡¯s house in the north city, they stood at the door and saw that the courtyard opposite had indeed been cleaned. There was evenughtering from the house from time to time. Old Madam Ma thought to herself, ¡°Looks like Eldest Young Master is indeed back.¡±


    After Old Granny Ma found out, she got into the cart and returned to South City. She went back and reported to Madam Zhou, ¡°Old Madam, Old Granny Ren didn¡¯t lie. Eldest Young Master has already returned.¡±


    A teacup shattered in front of Old Granny Ma¡¯s feet. ¡°I think you¡¯re getting senile. Your eldest young master is studying hard in the academy!¡±


    Old Madam Ma pped herself and hurriedly knelt down to beg for mercy. ¡°I was really stupid. Please forgive me.¡±


    Grandma Zhou looked at her and said coldly, ¡°I¡¯ll let you off this time. There won¡¯t be a next time.¡±


    At this moment, a woman walked in. She was wearing a dark purple brocade jacket embroidered with butterflies, a green pleated skirt, and an ingot hairpin on her head. She had a round face and a pleasing appearance. She had a pair of dimples on her cheeks that resembled Old Madam Zhou.


    The woman nced at the kneeling Old Granny Ma and walked to Old Madam Zhou¡¯s side. She leaned against Old Madam Zhou affectionately. ¡°Aunt, what¡¯s wrong? Why are you angry with the servants?¡±


    Old Madam Zhou nced at the woman who held her hand lovingly. ¡°Aunt, don¡¯t be angry. Let her go!¡±


    The woman turned to look at the Old Madam Ma. ¡± Didn¡¯t you hear me? I told you to go!¡±


    ¡°Yes, thank you, olddy. Thank you, madam.¡±


    After Old Madam Ma left, Old Madam Zhou pulled the woman to sit down beside her and said, ¡°Yujiao, that brat is back.¡±


    Yu Jiao was stunned. ¡°Who did you say came back? Didn¡¯t you say that Qingzhou was dry and burned by bandits?¡±


    Old Madam Zhou patted the armrest of the chair. ¡°That brat is back. I asked Old Granny Ma to take a look. He¡¯s already staying in the house in the north of the city. I think he even got a wife and brought her here.¡±


    Yu Jiao looked at Old Madam Zhou and stirred the handkerchief in her hand with a vicious expression. ¡°Aunt, we shouldn¡¯t have let him off back then. Let¡¯s find someone to kill him.¡±


    Old Madam Zhou looked at her niece and said weakly, ¡°We don¡¯t have any money to hire people anymore. The business in the workshop is getting worse and worse. Many old customers have run away. I wonder how your father manages it.¡±


    Yu Jiao looked at Old Madam Zhou and said coquettishly, ¡°Aunt, my father is your younger brother. Besides, I don¡¯t dare to control him. How can I manage the workshop? Ask him!¡±


    Grandma Zhou muttered to herself, ¡°That¡¯s right? I have to ask him tomorrow.¡±


    Yu Jiao stomped her feet relentlessly. ¡°Then tell me, how should we deal with that brat? He will definitelye back to participate in the autumn examination. Hurry up and find a way to stop him!¡±


    Grandma Zhou said indifferently, ¡°It¡¯s useless to find any connections. Even if he passes his inheritance to his third brother, I¡¯m still his grandmother. When the timees, I¡¯ll get someone to say that I¡¯m sick and let him tend to me.¡±


    Yu Jiao looked at Old Madam Zhou and didn¡¯t say anything. She thought to herself, It seems like you can¡¯t bear to part with him! Do you think I can¡¯t do anything if you¡¯re unwilling?


    Yu Jiao¡¯s eyes darted around as she looked at Old Madam Zhou. ¡°Aunt, Xin¡¯er should be back. I¡¯ll go take a look before apanying you.¡±


    Grandma Zhou waved her hand tiredly. ¡°Go! Get the kitchen to make a few dishes that he likes.¡±


    Yu Jiao looked at Old Madam Zhou. ¡°I understand, Aunt. Xin¡¯er is my son after all.¡±


    Old Madam Zhou watched Yu Jiao leave and rubbed her brows. This wolf cub had still returned after so many years. She shouldn¡¯t have been so soft-hearted back then and let him off to be adopted, causing this situation.


    Yu Jiao quickly returned to her courtyard and said to Qiu Xiang, who was following behind her, ¡°Qiu Xiang, go back and ask your brother to meet me tomorrow morning. I have something to instruct him to do.¡±


    Qiu Xiang looked at Yu Jiao. ¡°Madam, ever since you released my parents and my brother, my brother has been mixing with those shady people. My parents were almost angered to death.¡±


    ¡°Do you think I don¡¯t know what your brother is like?¡± Yu Jiao looked at Qiu Xiang and said coldly, ¡°If I tell you to go, you go. Do I still need you to teach me how to do things?¡±


    Qiu Xiang hurriedly knelt down and kept kowtowing to beg for mercy. ¡°Madam, I don¡¯t dare. I¡¯ll go now.¡±


    Zhou Jia and Li Yu were busy after returning.


    Zhao Cai and He Tiezhu went to buy a cart of firewood to boil hot water. After washing up, they waited for Ruyi to buy rice, vegetables, and meat.


    Li Yu saw a jar of sorghum wine, a jar of glutinous rice wine, pork, chicken, fish, and mutton. With He Xiaoyu s help, she made spicy chicken, sweet and sour fish, mutton stewed with radish, stir-fried meat, salt-fried meat, and stir-fried bean sprouts.


    Li Yu asked Xiaoyu to ce the food on a table and said to Zhou Jia, ¡°Let¡¯s not eat separately tonight. Let¡¯s sit together and have fun.¡±


    Zhou Jia waved his hand. ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll listen to Madam. Let¡¯s all sit together and eat.¡±


    Ah Gou looked at the table full of meat dishes and was so happy that he didn¡¯t know which one to eat. He held his chopsticks and smiled at Li Yu. ¡°Young Madam, these dishes look delicious. You and Madam He can open a restaurant.¡±


    Li Yu smiled. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s open a restaurant in the future. Let¡¯s eat! If you like it, eat more. Everyone has been tired after so long.¡±

 Chapter 161

    161 The Networth of Zhou Jia and His Wife


    Zhou Jia took out the glutinous rice wine and poured a bowl for Li Yu. He smiled and handed it to Li Yu. ¡°Madam, this is your favorite glutinous rice wine. Drink some to relieve your fatigue.¡±


    Li Yu picked up the wine bowl and said to Ruyi, ¡°Ruyi, pour a bowl for Xiaoyu too. Drink it to relieve your fatigue and have a good sleep.¡±


    He Xiaoyu kicked Ruyi happily. ¡°Hurry up. Madam has instructed me to drink a bowl too.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the hurry? I¡¯ll give it to you now.¡± Ruyi smiled and poured a bowl for He Xiaoyu. Everyone sat together and ate their first meal in the capital. They sat there and chatted to digest their food.


    He Xiaoyu looked at Ah Gou. ¡°Ah Gou, this is the capital. You can¡¯t call yourself Ah Gou anymore. You have to ask Young Master to give you a new name.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Ah Gou looked at Zhou Jia and bowed with a smile. ¡°Young Master, please give me a better name.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Ah Gou, who had a garlic-shaped nose and small eyes. ¡°What is your favorite feature?¡±


    Ah Gou frowned and thought for a moment. ¡°I¡¯m not good-looking, to begin with. My eyes are like Brother Ji Xiang¡¯s. I have narrowed eyes, and a nose like Zhao Cai¡¯s. Just this mouth is still a little interesting. It should be more impressive!¡±


    Zhao Cai smiled and knocked on Ah Gou. ¡°Kid, don¡¯t despise me. My nose is the nose of the God of Wealth.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Ah Gou and said with a smile, ¡°You like something more impressive. Then you¡¯ll be called Ah Wei in the future!¡±


    ¡°Ah Wei sounds good. Thank you, Young Master.¡± Ah Gou stuck out his chest and looked at Ruyi and the others. He instructed, ¡°My name will be Ah Wei from now on. Brother Ruyi, don¡¯t forget.¡±


    Zhao Cai smiled. ¡°I can¡¯t forget. I¡¯ll call you Ah Wei from now on.¡±


    Zhou Jia saw Li Yu sitting there with her head lowered and looking sleepy. He stood up and looked at them. ¡°Your Madam and I will go to rest. Everyone has been tired for a few months. Close the door after you¡¯ve had enough fun. Rest early!¡±


    Zhao Cai nodded and smiled. ¡°Got it, Young Master.¡±


    Zhou Jia led Li Yu back to the inner courtyard. After pouring hot water for Li Yu to wash up, he helped Li Yu to the bed. ¡°Yu¡¯er, you¡¯ve finally settled down. You must be tired after so long. You have to nourish yourself well.¡±


    Li Yu nodded and fell asleep on the bed.


    Zhou Jia smiled and shook his head when he saw Li Yu sleeping. He turned her around and pulled the nket over her. He sat on the bed and watched Li Yu sleep.


    He wondered if the people at the old residence knew that he and Yu¡¯er had returned to the capital. If they knew, he wondered what methods they would use to deal with him. Also, how should he take revenge for his mother who was framed? As he thought about it, he leaned against Li Yu and fell asleep.


    The next morning, Zhou Jia brought Li Yu to the Zhou family¡¯s graveyard with the offerings.


    Zhao Cai drove the cart out of the south city gate. Seeing that Zhou Jia was troubled, Li Yu gently held his hand. ¡°Xiao Xi, is there something on your mind? Or are you worried about something?¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu¡¯s concerned gaze and felt warmth in his heart. But he didn¡¯t want to let Li Yu worry.


    Zhou Jia suppressed the frustration in his heart and smiled at Li Yu. ¡°I don¡¯t have anything on my mind. I just miss them a little.¡±


    ¡°Oh! If there¡¯s anything difficult, you have to say it.¡± Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia and smiled. ¡°We¡¯re husband and wife. If we encounter anything difficult, we¡¯ll think of a way to resolve it together.¡±


    Zhou Jia held Li Yu¡¯s hand and ced it on his chest. He said gently, ¡°I know. My Yu¡¯er is the most capable wife.¡± The couple looked at each other and smiled.


    In the Zhou family¡¯s old residence, Mrs. Zhou¡¯s maidservant, Qiu Xiang, and a young man in his twenties walked towards the main courtyard. The man was wearing a green cotton robe and a half-worn hat. His eyes were swollen and he did not look like a good person.


    Qiu Xiang pulled the man¡¯s sleeve and kept reminding him in a low voice along the way, ¡°Brother, you have to be careful when you work for Madam. Madam is temperamental. She can¡¯t do anything to you since your contract is annulled, but I¡¯m unlucky. Remember that!¡±


    The man pulled his sleeve out of Qiu Xiang¡¯s hand and looked at her with a roguish smile. ¡°Great Aunt, I¡¯ll remember why you¡¯re nagging like a gossipy woman.¡±


    The man nced at Qiu Xiang and thought to himself, It¡¯s her who asked me to do something, not me. Can¡¯t I earn some money?


    When the two of them arrived at the main courtyard, a middle-aged man who looked simr to Zhou Jia came out of the house angrily. He took two steps before turning around and cursing, ¡°Huang Jiaoyu, you¡¯re an unreasonable jealous woman. When Ie back, I¡¯ll definitely divorce you.¡±


    With a bang, a teacup was thrown into the courtyard from the house. A furious shout came from the house. ¡°Zhou Rongxian, you¡¯re a bastard. Unfortunately, the bitch you¡¯re thinking about would rather have an affair with a servant than look for you.¡±


    Oh no, Qiu Xiang thought to herself. She hurriedly pulled her brother to the corner of the courtyard wall and listened to the angry footsteps walk away. After a while, she pulled her brother out of the corner and entered the main courtyard.


    Qiu Xiang stood at the door uneasily and reported, ¡°Madam, I brought my brother here.¡±


    After a moment, Huang¡¯s sharp voice came out. ¡°Bring him in.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Qiu Xiang and her brother entered the house. Qiu Xiang looked up and saw Huang Jiao Yu alone in the house, staring at her with a vicious expression. Qiu Xiang bowed in fear and retreated behind Huang Jiao Yu.


    Brother Qiu Xiang took two steps forward and bowed. He smiled obsequiously. ¡°Madam, what instructions do you have for me?¡±


    Huang Yujiao looked at the man¡¯s roguish appearance and frowned in disdain. She pursed her lips and said, ¡°Chang Gui, I have something for you to do. I wonder if you can do it well?¡±


    Chang Gui knelt in front of Huang Yujiao with a bang and revealed a loyal expression. ¡°Madam, don¡¯t worry. As long as you order it, I won¡¯t hesitate to go through fire and water.¡±


    Huang Yujiao rubbed the jade bracelet on her wrist and looked at Chang Gui for a long time. ¡°I have something for you to do. If you do it, I¡¯ll reward you with Qiu Yue.¡±


    Chang Gui lost interest when he heard that. Qiu Yue had long been yed by her two sons. Did she think the Zhou family was still the Zhou family of the past?! Did she want him to drink someone else¡¯s bathwater? No way.


    ¡°Madam, Miss Qiuyue is not worthy of me.¡± Chang Gui sat on the ground. ¡°You should reward me with some silver. It¡¯s easier for me to raise a countryside girl.¡±


    Huang Jiaoyu looked at Chang Gui¡¯s shameless appearance and sneered. ¡°Alright, as long as you do it well, I¡¯ll reward you with some silver and let you marry a wife.¡±


    Hearing that there was money, Chang Gui got up and knelt down with a smile. ¡°Please instruct me, Madam.¡±


    Huang Jiaoyu nced at Qiu Xiang. ¡°Qiu Xiang, go out.¡±


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡± Qiu Xiang nced at Chang Gui as he left.


    Huang Jiaoyu waved at Chang Gui. Chang Gui walked up to Huang Jiaoyu. Huang Jiayu said in a low voice, ¡°The third house on the left of the ten alleys in the north of the city. You know the new family who moved in. I don¡¯t care what method you use, find someone to destroy his wife in front of him before killing him. I¡¯ll give you a hundred taels of silver and give you the house in the north of the city.¡±


    Chang Gui took two steps back and sat on the ground. He looked at Huang Jiaoyu roguishly. ¡°Madam, don¡¯t lie to me. Old Master has already given the mansion in the north city to that person. It¡¯s fine if you want me to do something.¡± Chang Gui raised his palms. ¡°I¡¯ll get someone to do it if you give me this amount. Otherwise, you should find someone else!¡±


    Huang Jiaoyu looked at Chang Gui and sneered. ¡°A thousand taels. That bastard isn¡¯t worth that much.¡±

 Chapter 162

    162 Vicious Woman


    Chang Gui got up from the ground and cupped his hands at Huang Yujiao. ¡°Madam, you want to ruin that man¡¯s wife in front of him before killing him. Each of these will cause me to lose my head. Besides, if this matter is done, my friend and I will need to have the money to escape! Forget it, why should I talk to you so much? I¡¯ll take my leave.¡±


    Seeing that Chang Gui was about to turn around and leave, Huang Jiaoyu shouted sternly, ¡°Stop, can you really do it?¡±


    Chang Gui turned around and bowed to her. ¡°Madam, to be honest, I¡¯m a little afraid. Why don¡¯t you listen to my advice? Forget it! If I¡¯m caught by the government office, I won¡¯t be able to spend any money. Sigh! I¡¯ll just live a stable life.¡±


    Huang Jiaoyu recalled Zhou Rongxian¡¯s appearance just now and thought to herself, The dead are haunting me, and the living are jumping around in front of me again. Do you really think I can¡¯t do anything to you?!


    ¡°Just you wait.¡± Huang Jiaoyu stood up decisively and walked into the room. A momentter, she walked out with a few banknotes and looked at Chang Gui arrogantly. ¡°This is 300 taels. After this is done,e and get the remaining 700 taels.¡±


    Chang Gui suppressed the excitement in his heart and looked at the banknotes in Huang Jiayu¡¯s hand with a bitter expression. ¡°Madam, you have to pay me at least half of the silver first! That servant of theirs also has some martial arts. I have to find a friend with some ability to do it.¡±


    Huang Jiaoyu nced at Chang Gui and added a hundred taels to it. She handed it to Chang Gui. ¡°Four hundred taels. If you seed, you cane and take the remaining silver and run. If not, forget it.¡±


    Seeing this, Chang Gui took the banknotes with a bitter expression. ¡°Alright, Madam treats me well. I¡¯ll settle it for Madam. Just wait for my good news.¡±


    Huang Jiaoyu looked at Chang Gui with a dark expression. ¡°You have to hurry up and do it. I don¡¯t want to see that bastard strutting around.¡±


    Chang Gui bowed and said, ¡°Madam, don¡¯t worry. It¡¯ll take at most half a month.¡±


    Huang Jiaoyu waved her hand in satisfaction. ¡°Alright, hurry up and do it.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am.¡± Chang Gui withdrew.


    Huang Jiaoyu leaned back in her chair and rubbed the jade bracelet with narrowed eyes. Yang Lianxin, you bitch. You like to snatch other people¡¯s men so much. Just wait to see your daughter-inw being yed by other men! Bitch, wait for your son and daughter-inw to join you.


    Zhou Jia brought Li Yu to the Zhou family¡¯s graveyard. After paying their respects at their grandfather¡¯s grave, they went to Madam Yang¡¯s grave. They saw weeds growing on the grave. It was obvious that no one had paid their respects for many years.


    Zhou Jia pulled Li Yu to kneel in front of the grave and said sadly, ¡°Mother, I¡¯m married. This is your daughter-inw, Li Yu. I¡¯m unfilial...¡±


    After Li Yu kowtowed to Madam Yang¡¯s tomb, she pulled Zhou Jia up. ¡°Xiao Xi, don¡¯t be sad. Look, we¡¯ve already returned to the capital. In the future, we¡¯lle to pay our respects to Mother during Qingming. Let¡¯s clean up the weeds on Mother¡¯s tomb first!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Zhou Jia got up and cleaned up the weeds on the grave with Li Yu. After paying their respects, the two of them turned around and got into the cart by the roadside.


    Chang Gui came out of the Zhou family with the banknotes in his pocket and cursed in his heart. As the old saying went, the needle in a wasp¡¯s tail was the most vicious. Huang Yujiao was a vicious woman.


    Chang Gui pulled on his shoes and sauntered to the casino on the west side of the city. The casino thug looked at Chang Gui. ¡°Chang Gui, if you don¡¯t settle the bill, you won¡¯t be able to keep your ws.¡±


    Chang Gui waved the banknote in front of him. ¡°Isn¡¯t it just a few dozen taels of silver? I¡¯ll pay it back today.¡± As he spoke, he took the banknote into the casino and pped it in front of the shopkeeper. ¡°Shopkeeper, I, Chang Gui, am here to pay back the money.¡±


    The casino manager nced at the silver notes and smiled. ¡°Yo-ho! Do you actually have the money? Why don¡¯t you y two rounds today?¡±


    Chang Gui took the banknotes that he had found. ¡°No, I still have something to do! I¡¯lle back when I¡¯m done.¡±


    ¡°Alright,e back when it¡¯s done.¡± The shopkeeper watched Chang Gui¡¯s back and said to the thug beside him, ¡°I wonder where this kid found another source of wealth.¡±


    The thug smiled and said, ¡°Who cares where he found the money? As long as he has money to repay his debts, it¡¯s fine.¡±


    When Chang Gui came out of the casino, he secretly nned in his heart that when he met that group of people, he would say that Mrs. Zhou had given him a total of 600 taels of silver and had already paid 200 taels of silver. The remaining silver would be settled.


    After Chang Gui had nned it, he went to buy two jars of wine and some meat and vegetables from the deli. Humming a tune, he walked through two alleys to a small house with a unique courtyard. He pushed open the door and walked in. Two young men were sitting in the courtyard, leaning against a bamboo chair and basking in the sun.


    The few of them looked at the dishes and wine in Chang Gui¡¯s hand and chuckled. ¡°Ah Gui, have you be rich? You even have money to buy wine and dishes?¡±


    Chang Gui ced the dishes and wine on the table beside the tall man¡¯s chair and smiled. ¡°Brother Qi Hu, I found a way to make money and came to find a few brothers to make a fortune together.¡±


    Qi Hu removed the handkerchief from his eyes. He had a pair of hazelnut eyes, an aquiline nose, and a long cheekbone. One would feel a chill in his heart looking at him.


    Qi Hu patted the chair beside him and looked at Chang Gui. ¡°Tell me, what opportunity did you find?¡±


    After Chang Gui carefully sat down, he said to Qi Hu, ¡°Brother Hu, you know that I used to be a servant of the Zhou family in South City¡¯s Aquarius Street. In the past few years, the Zhou family has not been as good as before. A few days ago, they even sold a group of servants. My mother is the wet nurse of the Zhou family¡¯s patriarch, so Mrs. Zhou returned our family¡¯s contract and kept my younger sister to serve the Zhou family. Yesterday afternoon, my younger sister came back to look for me because Mrs. Zhou wanted me to help her with something. I went over early this morning... She gave us 200 taels of silver as a deposit first. The remaining 400 taels will be settled after the matter is over.¡±


    Qi Hu nced at Chang Gui. ¡°Then who is the schr living in North City to the Zhou family? Why does Mrs. Zhou want to harm him?¡±


    Chang Gui smiled apologetically and said, ¡°Brother Hu, this is all the private affairs of a rich family. The eldest young master of the Zhou family lives in North City. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard that Old Master Zhou and Old Madam Zhou each married a wife for Master Zhou. Old Madam Zhou and Madam Zhou have been unwilling to let go all these years. This is why they looked for us?¡±


    Qi Hu thought for a moment and said to the two men sitting around him, ¡°Haozi, Jiang Shuncai, tell me, are you going to do it or not?¡±


    The man called Haozi had a sharp mouth and a monkey¡¯s face. His eyes darted around, and he had a mouthful of buck teeth. The man called Jiang Shuncai was not tall. He was very sturdy. He had a round face with short, thick eyebrows and thick lips. He looked honest. They rubbed their hands and nodded.


    Haozi rubbed his hands and smiled. ¡°Brother, why not? There¡¯s nothing left in my pockets now. A few hundred taels of silver are enough for us brothers to live freely for a few days.¡±


    Seeing that everyone had agreed, Qi Hu turned to look at Chang Gui. ¡°Give me the money for buying things.¡±


    Chang Gui took out 200 taels of silver from the kiln and ced them in Qi Hu¡¯s hand. ¡°Brother Hu, I¡¯ll hand the banknotes to you.¡±


    Qi Hu looked at the banknotes in his hand and nodded in satisfaction. He smiled and patted Chang Gui. ¡°Kid, you¡¯re good. After this matter is done, we won¡¯t forget your share. Haozi, go find Blind Wei and buy a handful of incense. Shuncai and Chang Gui, go to the Ten Families Alley in North City together and take a good look at the ce before taking action.¡±

 Chapter 163

    163 Scouting


    Li Yu and Zhou Jia returned to Ten Families Alley. Zhou Jia said to Li Yu, ¡°Yu¡¯er, would you like t to walk around the streets? I¡¯ll apany you.¡±


    Li Yu shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t want to go. I¡¯ll rest at home.¡±


    ¡°Alright, then rest at home. I¡¯ll go to the Tongzhou Courier Station to look for Young Master Lin.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. Go see them and exchange knowledge.¡±


    Li Yu sent Zhou Jia to the door and Zhao Cai drove away. He Xiaoyu and Ah Wei returned with snacks and pastries.


    When He Xiaoyu saw Li Yu, her eyes curved into crescents. ¡°Young Madam, Ruyi and I just came back from the streets. The streets in the capital are even more lively than Tongzhou City. There are all kinds of things sold on the streets. There are even monkeys singing songs.¡±


    Seeing Xiaoyu¡¯s happy expression, Li Yu also smiled. ¡°If it¡¯s so fun, why don¡¯t you guys y for a while longer?¡±


    Xiaoyu nced at Ruyi andined, ¡°Ruyi and Tiezhu said that their legs were sore. When I wanted to see the shops, Ah Wei will just eat. It¡¯s too boring to shop with them.¡±


    Ah Wei looked at Xiaoyu and shook his head. ¡°Sister-inw Xiaoyu, you want to touch everything on the streets. I won¡¯t apany you to shop next time.¡±


    Xiaoyu raised the paper bag in her hand and threatened, ¡°Then I won¡¯t give you this delicious food.¡±


    Li Yu smiled as she watched the two of them y. She entered the house and closed the courtyard door. The feeling of someone spying on her came again. Li Yu pulled the door open and saw an old woman opposite her. She had a guilty look and hurriedly closed the door.


    Li Yu knew what was going on. It seemed that she was the one who had peeked at her house yesterday. Could it be that the Zhou family had sent people to monitor the house? If they knew that Zhou Jia had returned to the capital, they would probably have already begun to n to deal with her family.


    Li Yu immediately became vignt and began to pay attention to the external environment.


    Chang Gui, Jiang Shuncai, Qi Hu, and the others carried the firewood into the alley and shouted, ¡°Selling firewood! Selling firewood...¡±


    After shouting a few times, no one from the Zhou family came out. Qi Hu said to Jiang Shuncai, ¡°Go knock on the door and ask.¡±


    Jiang Shuncai picked up the firewood and walked to the Zhou family¡¯s door. He knocked and said, ¡°Do you want to buy firewood? Crisp firewood.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± A child¡¯s voice came from inside. Jiang Shuncai picked up the firewood and turned to look for Chang Gui and Qi Hu. ¡°Brother, I knocked on the door and asked. Only a child said that he wasn¡¯t buying. He didn¡¯t even open the door.¡±


    Qi Hu thought for a moment and said to Chang Gui and Jiang Shuncai, ¡°Give me the firewood. I¡¯ll pick it back. The two of you take turns guarding here and see how many people enter and leave that house.¡±


    Jiang Shuncai and Chang Gui looked at Qi Hu and replied in unison, ¡°Brother Hu, don¡¯t worry. Even a mosquito can¡¯t escape my eyes.¡±


    Li Yu listened to the voice peddling firewood; the peddler appeared to circle around the house as he shouted. She thought to herself, It¡¯s already past midnight. Which firewood seller woulde sote to sell firewood? There must be something wrong.


    Li Yu took a few copper coins and handed them to Ah Wei. ¡°Ah Wei, pretend to go out to buy candied fruits and walk around outside to see if anyone is peeping at our house.¡±


    ¡°Got it, Missus.¡± Ah Wei opened the yard door and skipped toward the alley.


    Jiang Shuncai saw a child with small eyes and a garlic-shaped nose at the entrance of the alley. He opened the courtyard door and came out. He skipped over and walked across Ah Wei. When he walked past the Zhou family residence, he saw that no one was paying attention to him. He hurriedly took a few steps back and looked into the courtyard. He saw that there was no one in the courtyard.


    Ah Wei ran to the alley entrance and looked at the man who had barged in opposite him. He kept looking furtively into his courtyard and wrinkled his nose. ¡°Ugly freak, my young madam knows that you¡¯re peeping at my house.¡±


    Ah Wei looked around the alley and skipped back. He entered the courtyard and closed the door. He returned to the house and returned the copper coins to Li Yu. ¡°Young Madam, I just ate candied hawthorn. I¡¯ll buy it again in the future. When I went out just now, a man with two eyebrows that looked like two caterpirs had barged in opposite me. I hid in the alley and saw him walk over. He then retreated and hid there to peek at our house. I watched for a while before leaving.¡±


    Li Yu looked at Ah Wei¡¯s smart appearance and rubbed his head. ¡°Yes! Ah Wei is very capable. When you have nothing to do, learn from Brother Ruyi and help Young Master in the future.¡±


    Ah Wei looked at Li Yu happily. ¡°Young Madam, I still want to learn martial arts from Brother Zhao Cai and protect you and Young Master when I grow up.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and said, ¡°Alright, if you want to learn, I¡¯ll get Brother Ruyi and the others to teach you. Go and y first.¡±


    Jiang Shuncai looked around and didn¡¯t see anything. He went back resentfully. Chang Gui squatted at the entrance of the alley. Ruyi and He Tiezhu drove the car back from the street. When Chang Gui saw Ruyi, he hurriedly buried his head. Ruyi nced at Chang Gui and didn¡¯t pay attention to him as he drove the car back to the courtyard.


    Ah Wei ran to Ruyi and whispered to him, ¡°Brother Ruyi, someone peeped at our house just now. Young Madam also knows.¡±


    Ruyi¡¯s eyes widened when he heard this. He looked at Ah Wei in shock. ¡°Ah Wei, what kind of person is peeping at our house?¡±


    Ah Wei told Ruyi about Jiang Shuncai¡¯s eyebrows and asked, ¡°Brother Ruyi, is it the same as in Phoenix Vige? Is someone trying to steal from our house?¡±


    It seemed that the people from the old residence had not given up! Young Master and Young Madam had just returned and they had already gotten someone to watch over them. Did they know that Young Master had already been promoted?


    Ruyi nodded. ¡°It¡¯s possible. Don¡¯t run around at home. If you see anything wrong, remember to tell Young Master and Young Madam, or the few of us.¡±


    Ah Wei nodded smartly. ¡°Got it. I¡¯ll go y outside.¡±


    At the entrance of the alley, Chang Gui saw Ah Weie out of the house and y with a top in the alley. He thought to himself the child couldn¡¯t be from Eldest Young Master¡¯s family.


    Ah Wei pumped the top and walked towards the alley. Seeing this, Chang Gui could only hide in the opposite street.


    Haozi went to buy a handful of incense from Blind Wei and spent two taels of silver. He took it back to Qi Hu¡¯s courtyard and looked at the things in his hand. His eyes ached as he rolled them around. ¡°Brother Tiger, Blind Wei¡¯s prices are getting steeper. I spent more than two taels of silver on such a small thing. Can¡¯t we buy it elsewhere?¡±


    Qi Hu patted his head andughed. ¡°You¡¯re stingy. Blind Wei¡¯s things are publicly acknowledged to be good. Think about it. If we buy those that don¡¯t have good medicinal effects in order to save those two small sums of money, we won¡¯t be able to keep our lives!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Brother Hu is right.¡± Haozi smiled obsequiously. ¡°Brother Tiger, I wonder how Shuncai and Chang Gui are doing.¡±


    Qi Hu rubbed his chin and walked back and forth in the courtyard. Haozi followed behind Qi Hu eagerly and listened to his n. ¡°It¡¯s such a small family. We¡¯ll figure it out in a day. Not many people know that they¡¯re back and they wouldn¡¯t expect to be targeted. Let¡¯s attack tonight.¡±

 Chapter 164

    164 Discovery


    Haozi looked at Qi Hu with admiration and gave him a thumbs up. ¡°Brother Tiger, not many people canpare to you when ites to aability. I¡¯ve never been hungry after following you.¡±


    Qi Hu chuckled proudly. ¡°This is nothing. When you¡¯ve suffered enough, you¡¯ll naturally have the ability. It¡¯s about time. Go and swap with them.¡±


    Seeing that Qi Hu¡¯s analysis was reasonable, Haozi cupped his fists confidently and said, ¡°I knew it. I¡¯ll listen to Brother Hu¡¯s every mistake. I¡¯ll go now.¡±


    Haozi staggered to the Ten Families Alley in the north of the city and found Chang Gui across the street. He walked over and patted Chang Gui¡¯s shoulder. Smiling, he said to Chang Gui, ¡°You chose a good spot. You can see the other side without being discovered.¡±


    Chang Gui quickly pointed at Ah Wei at the alley opposite and instructed, ¡°Do you see that child? He¡¯s from his family. He¡¯s been ying there for more than an hour. I don¡¯t dare to go over. Two of the servants know me!¡±


    Mouse¡¯s lips twitched into a smile. ¡°Okay, then go back. I¡¯ll stay here.¡±


    Zhou Jia and Zhao Cai only returned at midnight. Zhao Cai drove the cart and saw Ah Wei ying at the alley. It shouted, ¡°Ah Wei, are your Brother Ruyi and the others back?¡±


    Haozi was at the entrance of the alley opposite. When he saw Ah Wei following a carriage home, he hurriedly ran to the opposite side and stuck his head out to look into the alley. When he saw Zhou Jia dismount and enter the courtyard, Haozi thought to himself, Damn, if he was younger, he could sell him to a small brothel for a sum of money. Yes! This man is so good-looking. His wife should be good too.


    Zhou Jia entered the house and saw that Li Yu and Xiaoyu were busy cooking dinner together. Seeing that Li Yu was busy, he thought to himself, I have to go to the brokerage tomorrow to buy a cook. This will let Yu¡¯er live a few days of leisure.


    After the meal, He Xiaoyu quickly cleaned up the dishes and went to wash them. Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia and said indifferently, ¡°Xiao Xi, we¡¯ve already been targeted by the old residence. When I came back to send you out today, I realized that someone opposite was spying on us.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu and sighed. He held Li Yu¡¯s hand and said in a low voice, ¡°I was still wonderingst night if the old residence knew that we were back. I even wondered what methods they would use to deal with us.¡± Zhou Jia hugged Li Yu guiltily. ¡°Yu¡¯er, I¡¯ve dragged you down.¡±


    Li Yu patted Zhou Jia¡¯s back and smiled reproachfully. ¡°I¡¯ve told you that we¡¯re husband and wife. There¡¯s no such thing as a burden. Could it be that you also feel that I would be a burden if anything happens to me?!¡±


    Zhou Jia looked up at Li Yu. ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to say such things. My Yu¡¯er will always have a smooth-sailing life.¡±


    Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia and pointed at him with a coquettish smile. ¡°You! Let¡¯s not talk about it anymore. I¡¯ll talk to Ruyi and Zhao Cai. From tonight onwards, we¡¯ll set up a trap and wait for them.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at the calm Li Yu and the depression in his heart suddenly dissipated. He felt proud. ¡°Alright, we¡¯ve even killed bandits. Are we still afraid of a few thieves?¡±


    The couple returned to the front yard and realized that Ruyi and Zhao Cai had not rested. They were talking about the stakeout.


    Zhou Jia said to the two of them, ¡°The two of you already know that the old residence has people watching us!¡±


    Zhao Cai looked at Zhou Jia with heartache and anger. ¡°I understand, Young Master. As the saying goes, we can¡¯t spend a thousand years guarding against a thief. In my opinion, we might as well go all out and kill that vicious woman and old woman. Let¡¯s see if she¡¯ll still cause trouble after we have taken revenge for Madam.¡±


    Li Yu looked at Zhao Cai and Ruyi, who both looked angry. He said to the two of them, ¡°The old woman and woman in the old residence are not like the bandits who vited Phoenix Vige. If you kill them, the government will definitely investigate us. Your young master and I don¡¯t want you to suffer in prison because of two vicious women like them.¡±


    Ruyi looked at Li Yu and said, ¡°Young Madam, no one will know even if we do it quietly. The officials won¡¯t find out about us no matter what.¡±


    Li Yu looked at Ruyi and said, ¡°Ruyi, this is the capital. Once a murder happens, the government will immediately intervene. Logically speaking, the first lead the government will investigate is revenge and killing for love. Then, there will be other reasons. When we returned, someone already knew. If the two women in the old residence died, the government will definitely suspect us first. How can there be a perfect n? Since they attacked and harmed others first, we just have to wait for evidence. As long as we catch evidence of them harming others, that evidence will be their death warrant.¡±


    After hearing Li Yu¡¯s analysis, Zhou Jia wondered why Yu¡¯er knew so much about the government¡¯s investigation. Could her master be an official?


    Zhou Jia looked at Ruyi and Moneymaker and said sincerely, ¡°The four of us grew up together. We call ourselves master and servant, but in fact, we¡¯re like brothers. I won¡¯t let you be imprisoned. We have to do it openly and make those two evil women unable to fight back. We have to make them admit that they framed my mother and let them watch helplessly as they throw away what they had fought for their entire lives. Wouldn¡¯t it be too easy for them if you let them die for no reason? These days, I¡¯ve been thinking that the person who sent food to my mother on the day of the ident might be my father¡¯s wet nurse, Granny Yun. Because only the food she gave me would be unguarded. Let¡¯s find Granny Yun and ask her.¡±


    Zhao Cai wiped his tears. ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll go to the old residence tomorrow and interrogate that old woman.¡±


    Zhou Jia patted their shoulders and said, ¡°The two of you, listen to Young Madam¡¯s instructions and don¡¯t act rashly.¡±


    Seeing that the two of them were no longer rash, Li Yu said to them, ¡°I think those thieves love to use knockout incense and knockout pills the most. We have to be careful of the food at home these few days. We have to leave someone on night duty when we sleep at night. If nothing goes wrong, they¡¯ll take action in the next two days. From tonight onwards, we¡¯ll take turns on night duty. The two of you, talk to Xiaoyu and the others. Tell them not toe out even if there¡¯s any noise at night.¡±


    The two of them bowed and said, ¡°Yes, Young Madam. We¡¯ll talk to them. Only the two of us are on duty tonight. Go and rest first.¡±


    Li Yu looked at the two of them and smiled. ¡°The three of us will guard for four hours each. This way, we won¡¯t feel sleepy easily...¡±


    Before Li Yu could finish speaking, she was pushed towards the inner courtyard by Zhou Jia. ¡°Madam, go and rest. Ruyi, Zhao Cai, and I will guard it. Tie Zhu will take over when it¡¯s almost dawn.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s still early. It¡¯s not toote to sleepter.¡± Li Yu suddenly thought of the Zhou family¡¯s engraving workshop and asked, ¡°Xiao Xi, what method did the Zhou family use to print those books?¡±


    ¡°Why do you want to ask about this? If you want to know, I¡¯ll tell you!¡± Zhou Jia held Li Yu¡¯s hand and sat on a chair. He smiled and said, ¡°Before printing the book, you have to first paste the copied manuscript onto a smooth wooden board. The carver will then use a carving knife to cut off the parts without handwriting. When you print, smear ink on the raised font, cover the paper with paper, and gently brush the back of the paper. Then, you¡¯ll be done. It sounds very simple to me, but it¡¯s actually quite troublesome to do. If you¡¯re not careful, you have to do it all over again. The carving master is also very important. It will cost a lot for the workshop to retain a skilled carving master.¡±

 Chapter 165

    165 Delivery


    Li Yu thought to herself, It¡¯s engraving and printing! When she was in school, she learned about the development of printing. The teacher told them about the interesting experience of the North Song Dynasty¡¯s civilian inventor, Bi Sheng, who invented movable type printing. He even taught everyone to use glue to make movable type.


    Seeing that Li Yu had fallen into deep thought, Zhou Jia stood up and said to Li Yu, ¡°Yu¡¯er, rest first. I¡¯ll go to the front yard to take a look.¡±


    Li Yu came out of her memories and said to Zhou Jia with a smile, ¡°Xiao Xi, I remember that my master mentioned the method to print books. It¡¯s not as troublesome as you said. The method he mentioned is much simpler.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu in surprise. ¡°Really? Tell me, how is it simple?¡±


    Li Yu organized her words. ¡°Xiao Xi, my master said that they used glue to make presses of the same specifications... After carving them, they burned them with fire...¡±


    When Zhou Jia heard this, he was overjoyed. He excitedly pulled Li Yu¡¯s hand and kissed it. ¡°Yu¡¯er, is your master immortal? Do you know how much money and time we will save by using this method to print? When the cost of printing is down, those poor students will also have the money to buy books.¡± The more Zhou Jia spoke, the more excited he became. He hugged Li Yu and kissed her. ¡°Yu¡¯er, I must have done a lot of good things in my previous life and umted countless merits to be able to marry you.¡±


    Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia and rolled her eyes. She nced at him and said, ¡°Based on what you said, don¡¯t you have to worship me in the future?¡±


    Zhou Jia hugged Li Yu happily. ¡°That won¡¯t do. You¡¯re my wife. You have to live with me and have children. Yu¡¯er, I¡¯ll start looking for a ce tomorrow to find the masters my grandfather used in the past. I¡¯ll also let them set up a printing workshop.¡±


    ¡°Are you silly!¡± Li Yu pointed above. ¡°If you want all the poor students in the world to benefit, we have the best partner. Record what I said and send it to the Four Seas Bank tomorrow morning. Ask them to submit this method.¡±


    Zhou Jia nodded and praised, ¡°Yu¡¯er, you¡¯re still the one who thinks far ahead. I¡¯m too narrow-minded. I¡¯ll go write it now. You can add on from the side.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± They walked hand in hand toward the study.


    In the west city, in Qi Hu¡¯s house, Chang Gui, Jiang Shuncai, and Haozi told Qi Hu what they had observed at the entrance of the Zhou family¡¯s alley. Chang Gui said to Qi Hu, ¡°Brother Hu, his two servants know kung fu. I¡¯m not sure how good their subordinates are. I think we have to be careful.¡±


    Qi Hu said indifferently, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that. I have my own arrangements.¡±


    Haozi walked forward and said with a drooling face, ¡°Brother Tiger, didn¡¯t you see that Young Master Zhou is extremely handsome? I don¡¯t think his wife is bad-looking either. Brother, I-I want to spare her life and make her my wife.¡±


    Qi Hu waved his hand heroically. ¡°Alright, isn¡¯t she just a woman? Everyone, rest well. We¡¯ll attack at midnight.¡±


    Zhou Jia and Li Yu were in the study, recording the method and steps of printing. Zhou Jia said to Li Yu, ¡°Yu¡¯er, go and rest first. Tomorrow morning, we¡¯ll go to the Four Seas Bank and hand over the things.¡±


    Li Yu yawned and covered her mouth as sheughed. ¡°Alright, rest early too.¡±


    Zhou Jia nodded and wrote down what Li Yu said before putting it into the box. He went to the room to take a look at Li Yu. Seeing that she was already lying down, he turned around and went to the study.


    After Zhou Jia left, Li Yuy t and slowly adjusted her breathing.


    At midnight, Qi Hu woke up Haozi, Chang Gui, and Jiang Shuncai and said to them, ¡°When we reach the Zhou family residence, I¡¯ll go in and open the courtyard door first. Chang Gui and I will go to the front courtyard to take care of the servants. Haozi, you and Shun Cai will take the knockout incense to the inner courtyard. After you knock them out, kill the men and kidnap the women home.¡±


    Qi Hu looked at them fiercely. After they agreed in unison, he left with them.


    Qi Hu led a few people to avoid the patrolling bailiffs. When they reached the entrance of Ten Families Alleys, Qi Hu gestured to Hao Zi. Hao Zi nodded and led Chang Gui towards another alley.


    Haozi and Chang Gui went to the inner courtyard wall and took out a w-shaped iron hook. They swung it up and hung it on the wall. They pulled the rope and climbed up. Chang Gui watched Haozi¡¯s movements from under the wall and thought to himself, These guys must have done a lot of robbing. If we take them down, we can get at least four to five hundred taels of silver. It¡¯s better to find a ce far away after this, take a wife and live a good life.


    Haozi reached the wall and pulled on the rope, indicating that Chang Gui should climb up. Chang Gui grabbed the rope and clumsily climbed up. When he saw Haozi grab the rope and slip over the top of the wall to the bottom of the wall, he copied him and grabbed the rope to slip over the wall. Unexpectedly, he lost his footing and fell on his butt. Chang Gui rubbed his butt and got up. Seeing Haozi looking at him with disdain, he smiled awkwardly and took the incense from Haozi.


    The two of them tiptoed to the window and took out a match to blow on it. They lit the incense and spat some saliva on their fingers to make a hole in the window paper. They reached the incense into the window. Li Yu stood behind the two of them and pped the back of Haozi¡¯s neck, who then fell to the ground. Simrly, Chang Gui was hit unconscious before he could shout.


    Zhou Jia stood at the door of the study and watched as Li Yu took care of the two in the blink of an eye. He raised his thumb and smiled.


    Qi Hu reached the wall in the front courtyard, took out his grappling hook, and swung it up the wall. He nimbly climbed into the courtyard, gently opened the courtyard door to let Jiang Shuncai in. The two of them stood at the corner of the courtyard wall and waited for a moment without hearing any movement before tiptoeing towards the window of the main room.


    Qi Hu and Jiang Shun had just arrived under the window of the main room. Just as they picked up the lighter and lit the incense, they were knocked unconscious by Ruyi and Zhao Cai.


    Li Yu carried the Haozi and Chang Gui, who were tied up by now, to the entrance of the cer. Zhao Cai and Ruyi also carried the other over. When the two of them saw Li Yu, they smiled. ¡°Young Madam, you were disturbed!¡±


    Zhou Jia spread his hands and said with a smile, ¡°Your young master is useless. When I found the two thieves, they had already been knocked unconscious by your young madam.¡±


    Zhou Jia pulled open the lid of the cer and lit the oilmp at the mouth of the cer. Li Yu carried Haozi and Chang Gui into the cer and left them on the ground. Ruyi and Zhao Cai entered the cer and saw Chang Gui on the ground and called out to Zhou Jia in surprise, ¡°Young Master,e and take a look. Isn¡¯t this Granny Yun¡¯s Chang Gui?¡±


    Zhou Jia walked down the cer with the oilmp and looked at Chang Gui on the ground with a dark expression. After a moment of silence, he said, ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s Granny Yun¡¯s precious son, Chang Gui. I was still thinking of a way to make that evil woman speak. Now, I have a way to make that old woman testify against those two vicious women.¡±


    Ruyi kicked Chang Gui and said hatefully, ¡°This guy must have been sent by those two vicious women in the old residence.¡±

 Chapter 166

    166 Trial


    Li Yu looked at the thieves on the ground in frustration and said calmly to Zhou Jia and the others, ¡°Everyone is tired. It¡¯s simple if you want to know what¡¯s going on. We can interrogate them when the sky turns bright and it¡¯s lively outside. Everyone is tired at this time. Go and rest!¡±


    Ruyi looked at Li Yu in confusion. ¡°Young Madam, why wait until dawn? Why don¡¯t we interrogate them now?¡±


    Li Yu smiled at Ruyi. ¡°It¡¯s dawn. When we interrogate, it¡¯s fine even if there¡¯s a bigmotion.¡±


    Zhou Jia nodded and said, ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯ste at night, and the slightest noise will spread far. Go and rest. Let¡¯s talk about it at dawn!¡±


    Ruyi looked at Chang Gui and the others on the ground. He rolled his eyes and took out two incense sticks. He chuckled and said, ¡°Young Master, Young Madam, go up first. I¡¯ll let them have a taste of the incense.¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t overdo it. If they be too foolish, you won¡¯t be able to get anything out of them.¡±


    Ruyi put down a knockout incense. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll light one.¡±


    After Li Yu and Zhou Jia left, Ruyi waved the incense in his hand and smiled at Zhao Cai. ¡°Zhao Cai,st year, Young Madam lit the incense and shaved off High Schr Ye¡¯s eyebrows and hair. Do you want to shave off those two vicious women too?¡±


    Zhao Cai imagined Old Madam Zhou and Huang Jiaoyu¡¯s bald appearance andughed. ¡°Don¡¯t be in a hurry. Let¡¯s go after Young Master is done.¡±


    Ruyi nodded and joined Zhao Cai. They tied Chang Gui and the others to a pir in the cer, lit the incense, and stuck it in the cer. They left the cer, covered it, and locked it.


    The next day, Li Yu asked Zhao Cai to drive Zhou Jia to the Four Seas Bank to hand over the note. She brought Ruyi to the entrance of the cer. After the smoke in the cer had dissipated, the two of them went down.


    Chang Gui and the others in the cery quietly on the ground. Ruyi took adle and sshed water on Chang Gui¡¯s face.


    ¡°Which bastard sshed me?¡± Chang Gui cursed in a daze. In the blink of an eye, he remembered that he had been caught by the Eldest Young Master¡¯s familyst night.


    Chang Gui carefully cracked his eyes. He narrowed his eyes and saw Ruyi and Li Yu standing in front of him. Only then did he ept the fact that he had been captured.


    With a sad face, he begged, ¡°Brother Ruyi, tell Eldest Young Master to spare me this time! I won¡¯t dare to do it again.¡±


    Ruyi looked at him coldly. ¡°This is our Young Madam. Answer her questions honestly. If Young Madam is happy, she might spare your life.¡±


    ¡°I will definitely tell you the truth.¡± Chang Gui couldn¡¯t help but nod. He turned around and saw Young Madam looking at him coldly. Chang Gui subconsciously turned to the side and didn¡¯t dare to look at Li Yu.


    Li Yu knocked Chang Gui with the dagger in her hand. The cold dagger gently brushed past Chang Gui¡¯s neck artery. Chang Gui¡¯s neck hurt.


    Li Yu stared at Chang Gui and said coldly, ¡°You better tell me the truth. If you hide anything, I¡¯ll hang you up and drain your blood.¡±


    Chang Gui¡¯s entire body stiffened. He didn¡¯t dare to move; he felt his neck would be slit open if he moved. He looked at the extremely cold Li Yu in fear and couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°I¡¯ll say it. It was the Madam of the old residence. Yesterday, she called me over and gave me a thousand taels of silver. She asked me to find someone to destroy you in front of Eldest Young Master before killing him. Then, I¡¯ll...¡±


    Chang Gui spilled everything. Li Yu thought to herself, Vicious woman, let¡¯s see who¡¯s destroyed!


    Ruyi endured the anger in his heart and recorded everything Chang Gui said so that he could press his handprint.


    Li Yu asked again, ¡°Do you know the truth about Madam being framed back then?¡±


    Chang Gui shook his head and said, ¡°Young Madam, I¡¯m not sure about this. We have to ask the olddy and madam at the old residence.¡±


    Seeing that she could not get anything else out of him, Li Yu covered Chang Gui¡¯s mouth with a rag and broke his leg. Chang Gui fainted from the pain.


    Li Yu instructed Ruyi, ¡°These few people might still be useful. Don¡¯t injure them. I¡¯ll leave the remaining few to you to interrogate. You have to record them all. Also, when he wakes up, ask him where his family lives now. Invite his mother over to exin what she knows.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Young Madam.¡± Ruyi waited for Li Yu to walk out of the cer and start interrogating Qi Hu, Jiang Shuncai, and Haozi.


    Qi Hu and the others were still very tough at first. But after their arms and legs got dislocated by Ruyi, and their mouths were blocked, they were in so much pain that they could not shout. They trembled in pain and broke out in cold sweat.


    Ruyi looked at them and said, ¡°Are you talking? Chang Gui has already confessed. Tell me honestly, as long as it matches Chang Gui¡¯s confession, I¡¯ll reattach your arms and legs. Otherwise, you¡¯ll be crippled for the rest of your life!¡±


    Qi Hu and the others nodded desperately when they heard that. After Ruyi took out the cloth in their mouths, they obediently confessed.


    Ruyi waited for Chang Gui to wake up. She asked where he lived and went to his house. He knocked on the door and someone quickly opened it.


    Ruyi bared his white teeth and smiled at Granny Yun. ¡°Hello, Granny Yun!¡±


    ¡°Ruyi, you...¡± When Granny Yun saw Ruyi, her face turned pale.


    Ruyi looked at her and said coldly, ¡°Granny Yun, long time no see! Have you been well? Did you sleep well at night? Didn¡¯t Madam stand in front of your bed to ask you why you helped the wicked?¡±


    Granny Cloud tried desperately to close the door. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± she shouted. ¡°Don¡¯t ask me.¡±


    Ruyi whispered in Granny Yun¡¯s ear, ¡°You don¡¯t know about your son, Chang Gui, do you? Let me think. Shall I cut off an ear or a finger and send it to you?¡±


    When Granny Yun heard this, she was terrified. She pounced in front of Ruyi and took a few steps back. She asked with a slight tremble, ¡°What did you do to my son? That has nothing to do with him. Please let him go.¡±


    Ruyi looked at Granny Yun and said, ¡°Let him go? You have toe with me and exin what happened in the past to the Young Master.¡±


    Granny Yun gritted her teeth and said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go with you, as long as you let my son go.¡± Ruyi got into the car with Granny Yun and walked towards Ten Families Alley.


    Zhou Jia and Zhao Cai had already returned from the Four Seas Bank. When they saw Li Yu, they asked, ¡°Yu¡¯er, how¡¯s the interrogation?¡±


    ¡°Take a look!¡± Li Yu handed their confessions to Zhou Jia with a dark expression. Seeing Li Yu¡¯s angry expression, Zhou Jiaforted her. ¡°Yu¡¯er, don¡¯t be angry. I¡¯ve long experienced the viciousness of those two people. It¡¯s not worth it to hate such vicious women.¡±


    Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia with heartache and said, ¡°I¡¯m not angry. I¡¯m worried that you¡¯ll be angry.¡±


    ¡°Let me see.¡± Zhou Jia had long understood that those two people would not show mercy to his family. When he saw what Chang Gui had said about Huang Jiaoyu instructing him to destroy Li Yu, he was so angry that his entire body trembled. ¡°Vicious woman, I¡¯ll go find them.¡±


    In a fit of anger, Zhou Jia rushed out with the confession. Li Yu stopped him and said, ¡°It¡¯s not the time to look for them now. Ruyi has already gone to Chang Gui¡¯s house to look for that woman. It¡¯s not toote to go after getting that woman¡¯s confession.¡±

 Chapter 167

    167 The Truth


    In the Zhou family¡¯s old residence, outside Old Madam Zhou¡¯s courtyard door, Master Zhou had been pacing around for almost an hour. When he saw Old Madam Maing out of the house to wee him, he gritted his teeth and entered the house.


    Grandma Zhou looked at her son and said gently, ¡°Why did you think ofing to see me today?¡±


    Master Zhou lowered his head, not daring to look at Old Madam Zhou. He muttered, ¡°Mother, I want to divorce that vicious woman, Huang Jiaoyu.¡±


    ¡°What did you say?¡± Old Madam Zhou did not believe what she heard and stared at her son.


    Master Zhou looked at his mother and realized that since he had spoken, it didn¡¯t seem difficult to say it again. He raised his voice and said, ¡°I said, I want to divorce that vicious woman, Huang Jiaoyu.¡±


    Madam Zhou shouted sternly, ¡°Don¡¯t you dare. Don¡¯t even think about it unless I¡¯m dead.¡±


    Zhou Rongxian knelt on the ground with a bang. He looked at Madam Zhou and said, ¡°Mother,st night, your good daughter-inw even shouted in her sleep that she wanted to kill Xiao Xi. She even wanted to harm the Zhou family¡¯s descendants in her dreams. Why can¡¯t she stop? Xiao Xi is also your grandson. Why do you treat him as an enemy? Tell me! Why?¡±


    Seeing that her son, whom she had doted on for most of his life, had alsoe to criticize her, Old Madam Zhou pointed at him with a trembling finger. ¡°Don¡¯t use that wolf cub as an excuse. Have you really cared about that mother and son? If you did, would you have onlye today? Don¡¯t think that I don¡¯t know that you raised another family in Sophora Flower Alley. I thought that it would be alright as long as you went home and lived a peaceful life with Jiaoyu. It seems I was too magnanimous!¡±


    Old Madam Zhou¡¯s eyes revealed ruthlessness. ¡°Granny Ma, get someone to set up the carriage. I¡¯ll go and chase that bitch away now. As for you, take back your heart and stay at home.¡±


    Zhou Rongxian took a few steps forward on his knees and grabbed Old Madam Zhou¡¯s cor. He begged, ¡°No, Mother, Qiao Niang is pregnant with my child. You have to help me bring her in and give her status.¡±


    Old Madam Zhou was so angry that she pped her son. ¡°You¡¯re the same as your father. You¡¯re both lecherous. Don¡¯t even think about bringing that bitch in.¡±


    Zhou Rong got up from the ground first and frowned at Old Madam Zhou. He said, ¡°Mother, don¡¯t force me. We both know what happened to Lianxin back then. I know that I¡¯m just a bargaining chip in your fight with Father. I don¡¯t care about Lianxin and her son, but Qiao Niang is my beloved. It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t agree to her entering the family, but I don¡¯t allow you to let anyone harm her. From tonight onwards, I¡¯ll move out and live with Qiao Niang. You can just stay by your precious niece¡¯s side!¡± Zhou Rong leaned over and stared at Old Madam Zhou. He said with a dark expression, ¡°Mother, sometimes I wonder if Huang Jiayu is your biological daughter. You think about her in all matters. I was probably picked up by you off the streets. Otherwise, why would you use me as a bargaining chip to fight with my father for most of your life?¡±


    Old Madam Zhou was so angry that she pointed at Zhou Rongxian and said, ¡°You, you unfilial son...¡±


    Madam Zhou¡¯s heart ached. She clutched her chest and sat on the chair.


    Zhou Rongxian did not even look at her before turning around and leaving. When Granny Ma saw that Zhou Rongxian had left, she hurriedly ran into the house. When she saw Old Madam Zhou sitting on a chair, she hurriedly went over to support her and shouted, ¡°Old Madam, what¡¯s wrong...¡±


    Madam Zhou came back to her senses and looked at Granny Ma. She said tiredly, ¡°I¡¯m fine. There¡¯s no need to call anyone. Go and call Jiaojiao over. I have something to say to her.¡±


    Granny Ma rubbed Old Madam Zhou¡¯s chest andforted her. ¡°Old Madam, you¡¯re not feeling well. You should rest first!¡±


    Old Madam Zhou sat up straight and waved her hand. ¡°Go, I know my own body.¡±


    Old Madam Ma had no choice but to invite Huang Jiaoyu over. Madam Zhou looked at Huang Jiaoyu and said, ¡°Jiaoyu, take someone to Sophora Flower Alley and pick up your man and the other woman he raised there. Don¡¯t make a fuss when you get there. Just quietly pick her up and give her status.¡±


    Huang Jiaoyu looked at Old Madam Zhou as if she had seen a ghost. ¡°Aunt, you¡¯re confused! When did Rongxian raise an outsider in Sophora Flower Alley? Why didn¡¯t I know? Why do I even have to pick her up? I¡¯m not going. I...¡±


    Grandma Zhou shouted sternly, ¡°Don¡¯t call me Aunt. I¡¯m your mother-inw. If you don¡¯t go and fetch them back today, go back to your mother¡¯s house.¡±


    Huang Jiaoyu looked at Old Madam Zhou and trembled with anger. She muttered to herself, ¡°If you want me to bring him and that bitch back, I¡¯ll die.¡± With that, she fainted on the ground.


    Old Madam Zhou looked at the unconscious Huang Jiaoyu and cried, ¡°Jiaoyu! Why are you the same as me? You don¡¯t understand!¡±


    Granny Ma and Qiu Xiang hurriedly went forward to help Huang Jiaoyu up. They grabbed her with one hand and kept shouting, ¡°Madam, wake up...¡±


    Huang Jiaoyu slowly opened her eyes and looked at Madam Zhou. ¡°Aunt, I won¡¯t go even if I die.¡±


    Seeing Huang Jiaoyu¡¯s stubbornness, Old Madam Zhou staggered back to her chair and sighed. ¡°That¡¯s it! Go back and rest!¡±


    Ruyi brought Granny Yun back to the Zhou family in the Ten Families Alley to meet Li Yu and Zhou Jia. When Granny Yun saw Zhou Jia sitting on the chair, she knelt down and kowtowed to beg for mercy. ¡°Young Master, it¡¯s not my Ah Gui¡¯s fault. Please spare him!¡±


    Zhou Jia looked coldly at Granny Yun, who was kneeling on the ground. ¡°If it¡¯s not his fault, who does it have to do with? Tell me.¡±


    Granny Yun looked up at Zhou Jia and threatened, ¡°Let Ah Gui go first. I¡¯ll tell you everything.¡±


    ¡°Hmph!¡± Zhou Jia snorted and instructed indifferently, ¡°Ruyi, chop off one of Chang Gui¡¯s fingers.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Young Master.¡± After Ruyi agreed, she turned around and left. Granny Yun hurriedly pounced on Ruyi¡¯s leg and begged, ¡°Don¡¯t, I¡¯ll talk, I¡¯ll talk.¡±


    Zhou Jia nodded in agreement and stopped in his tracks. Granny Yun pulled Ruyi¡¯s trouser leg and turned to kneel to Zhou Jia. She said, ¡°The day before you came back, Madam Huang called me over and asked me to deliver food to Madam Yang. At that time, I even asked Madam Huang why I was the one delivering food. Usually, it was sent by the kitchen staff. Madam Huang said that since Eldest Young Master wasing back today, you should go and pick up Madam Yang from the small ancestral hall and deliver some good food. I felt that it was strange and rejected saying Master had a task for me. I had something to do. Madam Yang asked Chunyue to stop me. She said that if I didn¡¯t deliver food to Madam Yang, she would sell Ah Gui to the mine and Qiu Xiang would be sold to the brothel. As long as I delivered the food, she would release me and Ah Gui. Qiu Xiang would still stay on to work.¡±


    Granny Yun kowtowed and said, ¡°Eldest Young Master, children are a mother¡¯s flesh and blood! I couldn¡¯t bear for Ah Gui and Qiu Xiang to suffer, so I went against my conscience and agreed to Madam Huang¡¯s request. I sent the food to Madam Yang. After Madam Yang ate it, she felt that something was wrong. Seeing that someone had entered the house and the door was locked from outside, she knocked her head on the corner of the table and died on the spot. The rest was arranged by the olddy. Eldest Young Master, it was I who let Madam and you down, but I...¡±

 Chapter 168

    168 Vicious?


    ¡°Shut up.¡± Zhou Jia rushed to Granny Yun angrily and kicked her to the ground. ¡°Your family is human, but isn¡¯t my mother human? Why didn¡¯t you go to Master and let him seek justice for you? For your own sake, you chose to help the wicked.¡±


    Granny Yun looked at Zhou Jia and covered her sore spot. She smiled bitterly and said, ¡°Eldest Young Master, you¡¯re too naive. Do you think Master doesn¡¯t know how Madam Yang has suffered in the Zhou family?! He knows everything, but he¡¯s just unwilling to worry about you and Madam Yang. If he was willing to worry about you and Mrs. Yang, would you and Madam Yang have ended up like that?! What¡¯s the point of me going to look for him?!¡±


    When Zhou Jia heard this, he clenched his fists and the veins on his forehead bulged. Li Yu went forward and held Zhou Jia¡¯s hand. She patted his back and said, ¡°Xiao Xi, don¡¯t anger yourself. They¡¯re just meaningless people.¡±


    Under Li Yu¡¯sfort, Zhou Jia slowly took a deep breath and said to Zhao Cai, ¡°Zhao Cai, get her to sign the papers and lock her up first.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Young Master.¡± Moneymaker and Ruyi hung their heads and took Granny Yun to the cer.


    Zhou Jia held Li Yu¡¯s hand and said in a low voice, ¡°Yu¡¯er, that vicious woman actually instructed someone toe and use such a sinister method to harm you. She harmed the people I love the most time and time again. I can¡¯t take this lying down. I want to return the favor and let that vicious woman taste the consequences of her own design.¡±


    Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia and said, ¡°If we go to the government office to sue them, what will happen to them?¡±


    ¡°ording to thew, we should cover up the matter. Although I¡¯ve already been adopted, the fact that Old Madam Zhou is my grandmother cannot be changed. If I openly report them, I will be sentenced to exile. I originally nned to send those thieves to the government office and report them for burry. After the government office interrogated them, they would naturally recognize the evil woman in the old residence.¡±


    Li Yu¡¯s eyes widened when she heard that. She shook her head and said, ¡°Then if they kill someone, can¡¯t their rtives report it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, unless they¡¯vemitted a serious crime of treason.¡±


    Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia and thought to herself, ¡°The ancient people ced kinship above thew. No wonder the nsmen of every family are united.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu and said, ¡°I want that vicious woman from the Huang family to have a taste of the Ecstasy Powder and have a taste of being ruined. Yu¡¯er, do you think I¡¯m too vicious?¡±


    Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia and thought to herself, As expected of my man. He won¡¯t swallow his anger.


    Li Yu said indifferently, ¡°An eye for an eye. How are you vicious?! Hmph! I¡¯m not a kind person. Since she dared to deliberately harm others, she must be prepared to suffer a bacsh.¡±


    Zhou Jia held Li Yu¡¯s hand and agreed. ¡°Yes, we¡¯re not the kind of hypocrites who always shout about repaying evil with good.¡±


    ¡°Xiao Xi, what do you want to do?¡±


    Zhou Jia told her the n he had thought of. ¡°I want Chang Gui to look for Madam Huang and say that he has already captured you. He can tell her he wants her to watch us suffer with her own eyes. Isn¡¯t that Jiang Shuncai a pervert? Just send them to a pile! Let them out up a good show.¡±


    Li Yu thought for a moment and shook her head. ¡°No, this method isn¡¯t appropriate. After this matter is over, we still have to kill Chang Gui and the others to silence them. These people are all ouws. If we don¡¯t silence them, they might use this matter to threaten us in the future. In my opinion, it¡¯s best if we do it ourselves. At night, we bring Haozi to the Zhou family¡¯s old residence and into Madam Huang¡¯s house. After knocking her out, we¡¯ll force her and Haozi into a pile.¡±


    Zhou Jia thought for a moment. ¡°Yes, Yu¡¯er, you¡¯ve thought it through. I¡¯ll get Zhou Jia to prepare the things.¡±


    Li Yu nodded in agreement. Zhou Jia strode towards the cer.


    Ruyi and Zhou Jia lowered their heads and sat at the entrance of the cer gloomily. When they saw Zhou Jia, they hurriedly got up and looked at him. ¡°Young Master, are we really going to send them to the government office? Wouldn¡¯t that be letting that vicious woman off too easily?¡±


    ¡°No, I changed my n.¡± Zhou Jia told the two of them the n. The two of them were overjoyed when they heard it. They pressed their palms together and said, ¡°Madam, your grudge is about to be avenged.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at the two of them with a smile and said to Zhao Cai, ¡°Zhao Cai, go find someone to buy the bag of Ecstasy Powder.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Young Master. Just wait and see!¡± Ruyi and Zhao Cai split up.


    The night of early spring still turned dark a little early. In the middle of the day, the sky turned dark, and early night enveloped Jingdu City.


    At a quarter past the hour, Ruyi put Haozi in a sack, carried it out of the cer, and loaded it into the car.


    Li Yu and the others changed into dark clothes and took a car to the vicinity of South City¡¯s Baoping Street.


    When they arrived at the Street, it was already midnight. Zhao Cai drove the car into the inn. Ruyi carried Haozi and Zhou Jia brought Li Yu to the old residence.


    When they arrived at the old residence, the two of them brought Li Yu to a small door in the backyard. Ruyi jumped onto the wall and into the garden. He realized that the small door was locked. He hurriedly climbed up the wall and whispered to the two people outside the courtyard.


    Li Yu carried Haozi and jumped onto the wall. She handed Haozi to Ruyi, who was waiting under the wall. She turned around and brought Zhou Jia into the garden.


    The garden was so dark that not a trace of light could be seen. After a moment, the few of them got used to the darkness. Ruyi led the way. Zhou Jia walked in the middle while Li Yu carried Haozi and followed the two of them.


    The few of them quietly entered Huang Jiaoyu¡¯s courtyard. Under the dim yellow light, the courtyard looked blurry. Ruyi jumped onto the wall, entered the courtyard, opened the courtyard door, and let Li Yu and Zhou Jia in.


    After they went in and closed the courtyard door, Ruyi took out the knockout incense and lit it. He reached into the room of the maidservant and Madam Huang. After a while, he felt that the person inside was sleeping soundly. He extinguished the knockout incense and pried open Madam Huang¡¯s door with a thin de.


    Li Yu carried Haozi into the house and took him out of the sack. She untied the rope wrapped around Haozi. Haozi looked at the three people with their faces covered and thought that he was going to be destroyed. He twisted his body in fear and shook his head pleadingly.


    Ruyi mixed the ecstasy powder in the water, pulled the rag out of Haozi mouth, held his chin, and poured it into his mouth. He covered his mouth and watched him swallow.


    Li Yu held the Ecstasy Powder and looked at Huang Jiaoyu, who was curled up and sleeping soundly on the bed. She looked harmless, Li Yu thought. Seeing that she was only in her thirties and not too old, she wondered why her mentality was so twisted and vicious. Could it be that she was too free and could only have one man in her eyes and heart? Could she do any vicious thing for a man?


    Li Yu sat on the edge of the bed and pinched Huang Jiaoyu¡¯s mouth. Huang Jiaoyu opened her eyes in a daze. When she saw Li Yu, whose face was covered and only her eyes were exposed, her pupils dted in fear. She opened her mouth to shout, but Li Yu suppressed her. Huang Jiaoyu struggled, but it was useless under Li Yu¡¯s strong suppression.

 Chapter 169

    169 The Old Lady Watched a Drama


    Under Huang Jiaoyu¡¯s horrified gaze, Li Yu poured the Ecstasy Powder into her mouth and said sinisterly in her ear, ¡°This is the Ecstasy Powder you gave Madam Yang. Madam Yang feels that you should have a taste of the Ecstasy Powder. Only then will the Heavenly Tao bepleted.¡±


    When Huang Jiaoyu heard this, her body stiffened. Li Yu looked at her coldly. After about fifteen minutes, Huang Jiaoyu let out a blush-inducing moan. Seeing this, Li Yu knew that the drug had taken effect.


    The Ecstasy Powder that Haozi had drunk outside also acted up. His face was flushed, and he kept twisting his body.


    Zhou Jia carried Haozi into the house and untied the rope tied to Haozi¡¯s hands and feet. He threw Haozi onto Huang Jiaojiao¡¯s bed and turned around to leave with hatred in his eyes. Li Yu cleaned up the traces in the house and looked at Huang Jiaoyu. She was already rolling with Haozi. Li Yu clicked her tongue and thought to herself, ¡°Tsk tsk.¡± It¡¯s too harsh on the eyes.


    Li Yu closed the door and turned around to walk out. The few of them tidied up the house and walked out. When Li Yu and Zhou Jia walked out of the courtyard, Ruyi ced a little of the bar on the doortch and climbed out of the courtyard wall. He whispered to Li Yu and Zhou Jia, who were outside the courtyard wall, ¡°Young Master, Young Madam, go back to where you were and wait for me. I¡¯ll invite the olddy over to see the show inside.¡±


    After a moment of silence, Zhou Jia nodded and said, ¡°Be careful. We¡¯ll wait for you there.¡±


    Ruyi nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll be careful.¡±


    Ruyi watched Zhou Jia and Li Yu disappear into the darkness before going to Old Madam Zhou¡¯s courtyard. He walked to the back window of Old Madam Zhou¡¯s room and knocked on the window door. She pinched her throat and shouted like a woman, ¡°Old Madam, Old Madam,e quickly! There¡¯s a thief in Madam¡¯s courtyard.¡±


    A sharp voice cut through the silence of the Zhou family¡¯s old residence.


    Old Madam Zhou rolled over and got up. She pricked up her ears and fell silent again. She asked Granny Ma, ¡°Old Granny Ma, did you hear that? A girl is shouting that there¡¯s a thief in the Jiaoyu¡¯s courtyard?¡±


    Granny Ma replied, ¡°You heard it too? Then it¡¯s true. Old Madam, what should we do?¡±


    Old Madam Zhou berated, ¡°What should we do? I think you¡¯re old and confused! Even if I chided her during the day, she¡¯s still my daughter-inw and my niece. Hurry up and take a look.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Old Madam Ma quickly dressed Madam Zhou and walked towards Huang Jiaoyu¡¯s courtyard with herntern.


    Old Madam Zhou followed thentern in Granny Ma¡¯s hand and looked at the dark garden under the dim yellow light. She recalled the prosperous scene of the Zhou family when Old Master Zhou was still alive. At that time, no matter howte it was, the Zhou family¡¯s courtyard was brightly lit. There were guards and old women on night duty in every corner. Had the Zhou family already declined to this point? Thinking of this, Old Madam Zhou couldn¡¯t help but feel dazed. Old Master Zhou had been gone for almost ten years. She had guarded this ce alone for most of her life. Had she won?


    Ruyi rushed to the small door of the backyard and met up with Zhou Jia and Li Yu.


    Li Yu had already cleaned up the traces in and outside the garden. Seeing that Ruyi was here, the two of them brought Zhou Jia out of the back garden wall and returned to Ten Families Alley under the cover of the night. They looked at each other and smiled before entering the house.


    Old Madam Zhou and Granny Ma carried thenterns to Huang Jiaoyu¡¯s courtyard. Seeing that the courtyard was cold and empty and the courtyard door was closed, they said angrily, ¡°Which bitch tricked us? Grab her and smashed her mouth!¡±


    Granny Ma wrapped herself tightly and looked at Old Madam Zhou. ¡°Old Madam, let¡¯s go back! We might have heard wrongly.¡±


    Old Madam Zhou nodded and turned around to take two steps. She still felt worried and said to Granny Ma, ¡°Go and knock. We¡¯ll go in and take a look.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Old Madam Ma walked to the door and knocked. Just as she was about to shout for the door to be opened, the bar fell to the ground. Old Madam Zhou¡¯s face was ashen as she said angrily, ¡°These bitches should be punished properly. They¡¯re so flustered that they can¡¯t even close the door properly. They¡¯re rushing to be reincarnated!¡±


    The two of them entered the courtyard and walked towards the main house. Granny Ma stepped forward and gently pushed the door open. Old Madam Zhou felt a chill in her heart. Could something have happened?


    A series of blushing and heart-throbbing gasps and the man¡¯s heavy breathing came from the inner room. Old Madam Zhou wanted to turn around and leave, but she felt that her feet were heavier than a thousand catties and could not take a step no matter what.


    Granny Ma looked at Old Madam Zhou in fear. She was in a dilemma and felt uneasy. Why did she bump into such a private matter?


    Old Madam Zhou widened her eyes and clutched her chest as she copsed to the ground. Old Madam Ma shouted in fear, ¡°Old Madam, what¡¯s wrong? Madam, someonee quickly!¡±


    Huang Jiaoyu and Hao Zi heard the shouts outside, but they could not control themselves. They could not help but fight to the death.


    Qiu Yue was woken up by the shouting and ran out of the house in a panic. She saw Old Madam Zhou lying on the ground. Granny Ma pinched Old Madam Zhou¡¯s philtrum. ¡°Madam, Old Madam fainted.¡±


    Qiu Yue called out to Huang Jiaoyu and pushed open her door. When she saw the two entangled white bodies, Qiu Yue screamed and ran out. The Zhou family was in chaos.


    The next day, at dawn, Zhou Jia asked Ruyi to report to the government office that they had caught a few burrs. The government office sent someone to take Qi Hu and the rest away.


    Before noon, Zhao Cai returned home and reported to Zhou Jia and Li Yu, ¡°Young Master, Young Madam, Old Madam Zhou had a stroke and was paralyzed in bed. Haozi¡¯s limbs were broken by Master Zhou and he was thrown out of the city. Madam Huang was divorced by Master Zhou and sent back to the Huang family. Master Zhou¡¯s mistress was brought back to the Zhou familyst night.¡±


    Li Yu saw that Zhao Cai had learned everything that had happened in the Zhou family¡¯s old residence in half a day. She thought to herself that the Zhou family¡¯s old residence was already a sieve.


    When Zhou Jia heard this, he smiled indifferently and said, ¡°Zhao Cai, the old residence is no longer the Zhou family of the past. You don¡¯t have to pay attention to the news of the old residence in the future. From today onwards, I¡¯ll start preparing for the examination.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Young Master.¡± Moneymaker and Ruyi bowed and left.


    In the blink of an eye, it was the eighth of February. The ninth of February was the day of the examination. After Li Yu prepared the things needed for Zhou Jia¡¯s examination, she put them into the examination basket and sent Zhou Jia into the examination hall the next morning.


    On the afternoon of the day after Zhou Jia entered the examination hall, the government office sent someone to inform Li Yu that after the government office interrogated a few thieves, they found out that Mrs Zhou had hired someone to kill someone. The government office sent someone to the Zhou family to summon Mrs Zhou, but they were told that Madam Yang had already died. The other Madam Huang had been divorced and returned to her maternal family because of her disloyal act. The government officials had already arrested Madam Huang. Due to the fact that the Zhou family had caught the thief in time, there were no serious consequences.


    The government officials believed that although Madam Huang did not cause any actual harm to the Zhou family, her subjective behavior was bad. They sentenced her to 80 strokes of the paddle and three years of hardbor.


    When Li Yu heard this, he thanked the magistrate and asked Ruyi to send him away with a red envelope of money.

 Chapter 170

    170 Madam Protector


    Zhou Jia took three consecutive exams until February 15th. On this day, the exhausted Zhou Jia had just left the examination hall when he was brought home by Li Yu and the others.


    After resting at home for two days, the two of them were about to go out to y. Just as they went out, they met the tall youth called Shen Zhong at the door.


    When Shen Zhong saw Li Yu, he bowed and said, ¡°Madam Li, thank you for your help.¡±


    Li Yu smiled politely. ¡°Brother Shen, there¡¯s no need to be so polite. Pleasee in and take a seat.¡±


    Shen Zhong saw that the carriage had already been set up at the door. Li Yu and his wife also looked like they were about to leave. He smiled and said, ¡°Mr. Zhou, Mrs. Li, you¡¯re wee. I¡¯m here on Young Master¡¯s orders to invite the two of you to the Cloud Return Residence for a chat.¡±


    Zhou Jia cupped his hands and said, ¡°Alright, please lead the way, Brother Shen.¡±


    Shen Zhong pointed at the carriage and said with a smile, ¡°Please.¡± The two of them smiled politely and followed Shen Zhong into the carriage. When they reached the East City, they walked towards the Cloud Returning Residence.


    When they arrived at the entrance of the Cloud Return Residence, Li Yu realized that it was not the restaurant she usually saw, but an extremely beautiful garden.


    After entering the Cloud Return Residence, they walked past a forest of green bamboo and entered a small courtyard with the words ¡®An Ning Garden¡¯ written on the lintel. In the middle of the small courtyard, a limestone path pointed to the hall. The door to the hall was open, and there was also a cluster of green bamboo at the corner of the courtyard wall. There were also rattan tables and chairs in front of the eaves corridor.


    The few of them walked to the main hall. Shen Zhong turned around and said, ¡°Mr. Zhou, Madam Li, please. Young Master will be here soon.¡±


    Zhou Jia cupped his hands and smiled at Shen Zhong. ¡°Thank you, Brother Shen.¡± The couple entered the hall and sat down on the chair below.


    A momentter, someone who looked like a servant brought tea and snacks. He bowed before leaving.


    Li Yu turned around and saw the young master wearing a dark-colored brocade robe. He walked in from the entrance of the courtyard with a majestic gait and an imposing aura.


    Li Yu thought to herself, As expected, this young master already has the aura of a king.


    Zhou Jia pulled Li Yu up and knelt down to kowtow. ¡°Greetings, Your Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Zhou, there¡¯s no need for formalities.¡± Chu Yuhao took a step forward and helped the two of them up. He smiled at Li Yu and said, ¡°Madam Li, with your blessings, there aren¡¯t any danger and excitement when we meet again.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and said, ¡°You still remember!¡±


    Chu Yuhao nodded and smiled. He looked at the two of them and said, ¡°Sit, don¡¯t be restrained. I didn¡¯t summon you to the pce because I didn¡¯t want you to restrain yourselves.¡±


    Zhou Jia bowed and said, ¡°Thank you for your understanding, Your Majesty.¡±


    The couple sat down. Chu Yuhao said to Zhou Jia in an approachable manner, ¡°I¡¯ve already received the letter you handed over. A few days ago, I also received the blueprint of the grain-digging machine from the Four Seas Bank, as well as Madam Li¡¯s method of choosing seeds, nting, and farming fertilizer. I didn¡¯t expect that there were so many ways to farm. I heard that you two took the initiative to sell the rice seeds at 10% less. If the people of Great Yong are like you two, Great Yong won¡¯t have to worry about not being able to prosper.¡±


    Zhou Jia stood up and bowed. ¡°Your Majesty, these are all the responsibilities of a citizen of Great Yong. You are wise and valiant, and you are diligent in governing and loving the people. The day when Great Yong prospers is just around the corner.¡±


    Seeing Zhou Jia¡¯s restrained look, Chu Yuhao waved his hand and said, ¡°Mr. Zhou, you don¡¯t have to be so restrained. The movable type printing technique you handed over has already been produced by the supervisor. Also, the threshing machine designed by Madam Li has been produced. During the spring sowing, I¡¯ll get the manager of the Imperial Manor, Chu Fu, to invite Madam Li to the Imperial Manor to teach them how to breed and choose seeds. We¡¯ll strive to nt high-yielding grain seeds all over the country as soon as possible.¡±


    Li Yu and Zhou Jia hurriedly stood up and bowed. ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±


    Chu Yuhao looked at Zhou Jia and Li Yu. ¡°Madam Li, you cultivated such a high-yielding grain seed for Great Yong and even developed such a time-saving andbor-saving threshing machine. I haven¡¯t rewarded you yet. Today, I thank you on behalf of those poor people.¡±


    Seeing that Li Yu was standing still, Zhou Jia hurriedly pulled Li Yu to his knees and kowtowed with Li Yu. ¡°Your Majesty, this is what we should do. Thank you for your reward.¡±


    Seeing this, Chu Yuhao smiled and gestured outside. Shen Zhong walked in with the imperial edict and said to Li Yu, ¡°Madam Zhou, Yu, receive the decree.¡±


    ¡°I, Li Yu, ept the decree,¡± Li Yu said as she knelt.


    Shen Zhong read, ¡°By the will of the heavens, the emperor has decreed that Madam Li of Zhou will be conferred with the title of Madam Protector of the First-grade. She will receive a courtyard in the East City and a hundred taels of gold.¡±


    Li Yu listened to Shen Zhong recite the words ¡°pure, quiet, and virtuous¡±. She thought to herself, ¡°Give me something practical! What¡¯s the use of these?!¡±


    Before the resentment in Li Yu¡¯s heart could pass, she heard Shen Zhong mutter, ¡°Madam Protector of the First-grade with a residence...¡± Li Yu smiled until her eyes curved.


    ¡°Thank you for your reward, Your Majesty.¡± Li Yu took the imperial edict with both hands and kowtowed to thank the emperor.


    Chu Yuhao looked at Li Yu¡¯s smiling face and thought to himself, Madam Li is still honest, unlike those old fellows in the royal court.


    Chu Yuhao stood up and said with a happy smile, ¡°Madam Li, there¡¯s no need to be so polite. I¡¯m going back to the pce.¡±


    Zhou Jia hurriedly pulled Li Yu to her knees and shouted respectfully, ¡°Goodbye, Your Majesty.¡± The couple respectfully sent the emperor away.


    Shen Zhong protected Chu Yuhao and walked out. ¡°Your Majesty, have you really conferred Madam Li as Madam Protector of the First-grade? This is the first woman you¡¯ve bestowed upon, and she¡¯s even a first-grade Protector.¡±


    Chu Yuhao looked at Shen Zhong and smiled. ¡°Ah Zhong, you also know that if not for Madam Li¡¯s help twice, you and I would have long been buried in the soil. Also, the high-yielding rice seeds and the printing technique are all good things for the country and the people. I see that they are both loyal people and should be rewarded.¡±


    Shen Zhong bowed with admiration. ¡°Your Majesty is wise.¡±


    Chu Yuhao patted Shen Zhong¡¯s shoulder and said with a smile, ¡°Alright, we grew up together. Let¡¯s not talk about these formalities. I¡¯ve heard these things from those muddle-headed and ipetent old fellows every day. I¡¯m long tired of hearing them.¡±


    The shopkeeper of the capital shop of the Four Seas Bank, Chu Qing, walked in and bowed respectfully. ¡°Greetings, Madam. Mr. Zhou and His Majesty sent me to discuss the printing workshop with Mr. Zhou.¡±


    Zhou Jia cupped his hands and said, ¡°Thank you, Shopkeeper Chu.¡±


    After the three of them sat down, Chu Qing smiled and said, ¡°We have the residence and shop that are used to set up the workshop. We just want to discuss the allocation with the two of you. Do you have any requests, Mr. Zhou?¡±


    Zhou Jia nced at Li Yu and smiled. ¡°Shopkeeper Chu, we only provided a prescription. We didn¡¯t participate in anything else. The emperor has already rewarded us, so we can¡¯t ask for more from the printing workshop.¡±


    When Shopkeeper Chu heard this, he thought to himself that others can¡¯t wait to fish money out of His Majesty¡¯s pocket. Yet this couple was pushing the money out. No wonder His Majesty said that this couple is open-minded and worth befriending.


    Shopkeeper Chu stood up and bowed. ¡°His Majesty instructed me to discuss it with Sir and Madam. If the two of you don¡¯t want it, I won¡¯t be able to exin!¡±


    Zhou Jia saw that Shopkeeper Chu was in a difficult position and looked at Li Yu. ¡°Madam, we can¡¯t make things difficult for Shopkeeper Chu. I think that¡¯s it! We¡¯ll just shamelessly take half of the shares.¡±


    Li Yu nodded and smiled. ¡°Alright, in that case, we¡¯ll shamelessly ept it.¡±


    When Shopkeeper Chu heard this, he sighed with emotion. ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve seen someone disregarding fame and fortune. I¡¯m ashamed!¡±

 Chapter 171

    171 Here Comes the Troublemaker


    The three of them exchanged pleasantries again. Chu Qing wrote the contract and handed it to Zhou Jia. He smiled and said, ¡°Mr. Zhou, the residence that His Majesty rewarded Madam has just been renovated. The scenery in the residence is very good. Many people in the capital want it!¡±


    Zhou Jia cupped his hands and said, ¡°Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty. Thank you for telling me, Shopkeeper Chu.¡±


    Chu Qing sent Li Yu and his wife back to Ten Families Alley. Just as they entered the house, Xiaoyu and Ah Wei came up to report, ¡°Young Master, Young Madam, an hour ago, two sissy men said that they were sent by the emperor. They even said that they were here to give Madam Protector of the First-grade a gift. Ah Wei and I thought they were liars! Later, we saw them carrying two boxes in and putting them in the courtyard. That¡¯s why we didn¡¯t chase them away.¡±


    Xiaoyu and Ah Wei looked at the two of them in surprise. ¡°Young Master, Young Madam, why would the emperor give something to our family? Who¡¯s the Madam Protector?¡±


    ¡°Fortunately, the two of you didn¡¯t chase them away. Otherwise, you would have been beheaded!¡± After scaring the two of them, Zhou Jia pointed at Li Yu and smiled at them. ¡°Your Young Madam will be the Madam Protector from today onwards. Come and meet her.¡±


    Xiaoyu and Ah Wei looked at Li Yu in a daze. Li Yu pushed Zhou Jia angrily. ¡°Don¡¯t scare them. It¡¯s just a title.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go see what Madam First-grade¡¯s gown looks like first.¡± Zhou Jia held Li Yu¡¯s hand and walked toward the inner courtyard.


    ¡°Zhou Jia, you bastard, how dare you get someone to harm my aunt?¡±


    ¡°Zhou Jia,e out quickly. No wonder Grandmother called you a wolf cub. Come out.¡±


    A series of curses sounded from outside the courtyard. A few people barged in aggressively. The person in the lead was a rough woman and two wretched men. Behind the three of them were a man and a half-grown youth. A few people barged in. ¡°Son of a bitch, your mother didn¡¯t abide by the rules of a wife and stole someone. You found someone to harm my grandaunt. I¡¯ll beat you to death, you bastard.¡± As the woman cursed, she reached out and rushed toward Zhou Jia. She wanted to scratch Zhou Jia, but Zhou Jia dodged and grabbed the woman, pushing her to the ground.


    ¡°I¡¯ll beat you to death.¡± The two men raised the wooden sticks in their hands and hit Zhou Jia. Li Yu rose from the ground and kicked the two men to the door.


    The man and young man following behind were so frightened that they stopped in their tracks. The woman fell to the ground and cursed in the most vicious words, ¡°God struck you down, you¡¯ll die without descendants, bastard...¡±


    ¡°You shrew, your entire family is doomed. Your entire family would have no descendants. Even if you have a son, he¡¯s half a father and half a mother...¡± Xiaoyu rolled up her sleeves and started scolding her. Li Yu stood there and was dumbfounded. Xiaoyu¡¯s lethality was not bad either!


    ¡°Shut up.¡± Li Yu walked up to the woman, picked her up with one hand, and threw her out of the courtyard. She said coldly, ¡°Get lost. I¡¯ll break your legs next time.¡± Then, the two men at the door were also thrown out by Li Yu.


    Zhou Jia walked up to the man behind and grabbed his neck. He shouted, ¡°Zhou Yu, Zhou Xin, you hired these people to cause trouble, right?¡±


    Zhou Yu¡¯s neck turned red as he shouted, ¡°My mother said that you were the one who hired someone to harm her. Why are you so vicious? My mother is a weak woman who lives in the inner courtyard. How did she provoke you? Do you think he will take you back to the old residence just because you harmed my mother? You didn¡¯t get any advantage and even let that bitch from Sophora Flower Alley take advantage of you.¡±


    ¡°I, Zhou Jia, have never thought of returning to the old residence. Hahaha...¡± Zhou Jia stared at Zhou Yu andughed maniacally. ¡°Your mother is a weak woman. What a joke. Let me tell you, your mother is a vicious woman. She deserves everything that happened today.¡± Zhou Jia pushed Zhou Yu away and said coldly, ¡°You better get lost with these people. Otherwise, I won¡¯t be polite.¡±


    Zhou Xin pounced in front of Zhou Jia, clenched his fists, and roared, ¡°You bastard, mother slept with ...¡±


    With a bang, Zhou Xin was kicked out by Zhou Jia. Zhou Jia pointed at Zhou Yu and shouted, ¡°Get lost. If you want to know what kind of person your mother is, go to the government office and ask. If you dare toe again, it won¡¯t be so easy to leave.¡±


    Zhou Xiny on the ground and roared, ¡°Zhou Jia, you¡¯re not human. You...¡±


    Ah Wei sshed a basin of slop on the people on the ground and shouted, ¡°Get lost. If youe again, I¡¯ll beat you to death.¡±


    ¡°Wretches, just you wait. We¡¯lle again.¡± The Zhou brothers and the three people were covered in greasy slop and emitting a foul smell. The few of them were furious and got up to curse as they ran.


    Looking at the few of them fleeing in a sorry state, Xiaoyu looked at Ah Wei and gave him a thumbs up. ¡°Good job, Ah Wei. Why didn¡¯t I think of that?¡±


    Ah Wei carried the bucket and looked up at Xiaoyu with a smug smile. ¡°Sister-inw, I originally wanted to ssh feces. I was afraid that Young Madam would find it disgusting, so I changed to slop.¡±


    Xiaoyu swept the slop at the door and fanned it under her nose with one hand. ¡°Fortunately, you didn¡¯t use feces. Otherwise, I would have fainted from the smell.¡±


    Li Yu looked at the two of them and smiled at Xiaoyu. ¡°Xiaoyu, close the courtyard door. We¡¯ll order more food for Ah Wei tonight.¡±


    Ah Wei rubbed his head in embarrassment and chuckled. ¡°Young Madam, there¡¯s no need to add food. Brother Ruyi and the others willugh at me for being a foodie.¡±


    Li Yu and Zhou Jia returned to the inner courtyard and ced the imperial edict in the small ancestral hall. When they returned to the central room, they saw two bentwood chests in the central room. Zhou Jia opened one of the chests and looked at the luxurious gown inside. He smiled at Li Yu and said, ¡°Yu¡¯er, I originally wanted to earn you an honorary title. I didn¡¯t expect His Majesty to bestow you with an even better one. I¡¯m sorry!¡±


    Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia¡¯s helpless expression and said coquettishly, ¡°Just hand over your sry in the future.¡±


    Zhou Jia hugged Li Yu. The two of them hugged warmly for a while. Zhou Jia rubbed the top of Li Yu¡¯s head lovingly. ¡°Yu¡¯er, I¡¯m so lucky to be able to marry you.¡±


    Li Yu kissed Zhou Jia and said gently, ¡°Me too.¡±


    ¡°Yu¡¯er...¡± Zhou Jia muttered. He carried Li Yu and walked toward the room.


    After dinner, Zhou Jia said to Ruyi and the others, ¡°Ruyi, Zhao Cai, and His Majesty gave us a house and manor. Let¡¯s go and see what it¡¯s like.¡±


    Ruyi and Zhao Cai looked at Zhou Jia with wide eyes and smiled. ¡°Young Master, Young Madam has really been conferred the title of First-grade Protector!¡±


    Zhao Cai rubbed his nose and winked at Zhou Jia. ¡°Young Master, you¡¯re in trouble! When will you catch up to Madam¡¯s level?¡±


    Zhou Jia patted each of their heads. ¡°Two greedy fellows, it¡¯s fine as long as you have a First-grade Madam at home. Do you want to tire your young master to death? Remember to send the letter to Ah Qing and Uncle Zhou tomorrow morning.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master,¡± they replied in unison.

 Chapter 172

    172 Childhood


    The next day, Zhou Jia brought Li Yu and the others to the residence bestowed by the emperor on East Street. When they walked to East Street, they saw that the street was bustling and crowded.


    The few of them walked all the way and found a vermilion mansion with fresh paint. They looked up and saw that the tall lintel was carved with exquisite patterns. The word Zhou Mansion was written on it, and there was a pair of majestic stone lions in front of the door.


    Zhou Jia said to Li Yu, ¡°This is it.¡±


    The few of them went up the steps and walked to the door. A well-dressed man walked up to Zhou Jia and Li Yu and bowed. ¡°May I ask if you¡¯re Mr. Zhou and Madam Protector? I, Xu Lin, was sent by Shopkeeper Chu to wait for Madam Protector.¡±


    Zhou Jia cupped his hands and smiled. ¡°Yes, thank you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s only right.¡± Xu Lin bowed and handed over the house key. He smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯ll take my leave.¡±


    Ruyi handed a pouch to Xu Lin and sent him off.


    He Tiezhu went up and opened the door. Zhou Jia saw a courtyard house with three entrances.


    They entered the front door and saw a screen wall carved with an exquisite pattern. They turned the screen wall, passed the flower gate, and saw a small garden in the middle of the courtyard.


    He Xiaoyu shouted in surprise, ¡°Young Madam, look, there¡¯s a garden here. The flowers inside are really beautiful.¡±


    Li Yu pointed at a rose-red China rose and smiled. ¡°Go pick one and let Ruyi put it on for you.¡±


    Xiaoyu shook her head and said, ¡°It will wither after I pluck it. It looks better on a branch.¡±


    Ah Wei and He Tiezhu looked at the houses in the courtyard. Their eyes widened. ¡°There are so many houses. Even if we call everyone from Phoenix Vi, it won¡¯t be full.¡±


    Li Yu and Zhou Jia walked through the corridor arm in arm and entered the backyard. The backyard was even more exquisite. There was a garden, a rockery, a pond, flowing water, a winding corridor, and a pavilion.


    Li Yu sighed. ¡°The house is really not bad, but there are only a few of us and so many houses. It will take a long time to clean it once. Let¡¯s stay at our original ce!¡±


    ¡°This is the residence bestowed by the emperor. It¡¯s not good not to move in. We¡¯ll stay at the original ce for the time being. After the rankings are released, we¡¯ll move in. Once we enter the courtyard, we¡¯ll lock up the rest.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I don¡¯t understand these things either. Do whatever you think is good. Now that we¡¯ve seen the residence. Let¡¯s go back!¡±


    The few of them strolled around the street and bought some food before returning.


    The next morning, Zhou Jia was called away by Young Master Lin. Li Yu was about to bring Xiaoyu and the others to the Imperial Manor to take a look when the Imperial Manor¡¯s supervisor, Chu Fu, came with chickens, ducks, fish, and some grains and vegetables.


    When Chu Fu saw that Li Yu was only a young and beautiful woman, he thought to himself, Shopkeeper Chu and the others couldn¡¯t have made a mistake, right? Would such a young and beautiful woman know how to farm? I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s someone¡¯s credit! Thinking of this, Chu Fu¡¯s attitude towards Li Yu became more respectful.


    He bowed and said, ¡°I¡¯m Chu Fu, the chief steward of the royal estate. I¡¯m ordered to invite you to the royal estate to guide the tenant farmers in the royal estate in cultivating rice seeds.¡±


    Li Yu saw that Chu Fu had a medium build and was fair and fat. He had an arrogant expression and did not look like a steward. Instead, he looked like a wealthy country bumpkin from Phoenix Town. Li Yu thought about it and realized that he also had the capital to be arrogant. As the saying went, ¡°Official ves are also bigshots. The person in front of him is even a steward of the emperor¡¯s family. How many ranks is he?¡±


    Li Yu looked at the two men who looked like longborers brought by Chu Fu. She carried the things out of the cart and said with a polite smile, ¡°Supervisor Chu, it¡¯s not guidance. We¡¯re justmunicating with each other. I¡¯m also nning to go to the manor. Let¡¯s set off now!¡±


    Chu Fu bowed and said, ¡°Madam, please. I¡¯ll lead the way.¡±


    Li Yu said calmly, ¡°Thank you, Butler Chu.¡±


    The group left the city gate and walked until noon before arriving at the Imperial ntation on the outskirts of the city. Chu Fu pointed at therge piece ofnd and smiled proudly. ¡°Madam, this area is the Imperial ntation. There are thousands of acres of fertilend and thousands of acres of mountains.¡±


    Li Yu saw that the Imperial Manor was surrounded by mountains and fertilend and praised, ¡°Not bad. It¡¯s a good ce to nt crops.¡±


    They walked around the farm. Li Yu saw that the tenants were all busy plowing the fields. The people on the farm seemed to be doing well.


    Chief Chu pointed at the tenant farmers and said with a smile, ¡°Madam, the tenant farmers all want toe to the Imperial ntation to nt crops. There are people fighting to nt crops in the mountains in the Imperial ntation.¡±


    Li Yu asked in confusion,¡±Steward Chu, why are they fighting to nt crops in the mountains?¡±


    Steward Chu cupped his hands in the direction of the Imperial City and said, ¡°Her Majesty is kind-hearted. She instructed us, stewards, not to strip the tenants. The stewards will distribute salt mines to the entire family. In addition, the tenants of the Imperial ntation only pay 40% of the farnd rent and 20% of the mountainnd rent. The other farms have to pay at least 50% of thend rent. Do you think everyone will fight for it?¡±


    When Li Yu heard this, she also felt that the Empress Dowager¡¯s method was really good. Those who had embezzled would cause the entire family to suffer. Those who wanted to be calctive had to consider the consequences.


    ¡°The Empress Dowager is benevolent. The people below will each do their part, and the Imperial Manor will progress.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, that¡¯s the logic. Madam, take a look. This is the fertilizer pool we dug. We taught the tenant farmers how to dig pits and tan them ording to the method you taught. See if there¡¯s anything wrong. We¡¯ll change it.¡±


    Li Yu picked up the hoe and dug open the topyer of the fertilizer pool. She saw that the fertilizer below had already turned ck and gray, and the weeds and leaves inside had also rotted.


    Li Yu put down the hoe and smiled at Chu Fu. ¡°Steward Chu did very well. There¡¯s nothing inappropriate.¡±


    Seeing that Li Yu was efficient and was used to the stench in the fertilizer pool, Chu Fu believed that Li Yu knew how to farm.


    Li Yu walked around the Imperial Manor and felt that Steward Chu was very responsible. The manor was also thriving. After staying in the Imperial Manor for a night, she made an appointment with Steward Chu to go to the Imperial Manor to teach them how to choose the seeds when nting them. Then, she took a cart back to Ten Families Alley.


    In Tongzhou City, Li Qing had already passed the county examination. When he saw that he was ranked second, he still felt a little ufortable. Ji Xiang saw Li Qing hanging his head and standing in the courtyard unhappily. Heforted him and said, ¡°Ah Qing, you¡¯re already a child student. Brother Ji Xiang feels that you¡¯ve already done very well. When you participate in the government examination in April and obtain the schrly title, Brother Ji Xiang will pass the good news to Young Master and Young Madam.¡±


    Li Qing looked up at Ji Xiang with red eyes. ¡°Brother Ji Xiang, I¡¯m not angry that I didn¡¯t get first ce. I¡¯m angry at myself for being arrogant andcent. After I did well in the first few rounds, I started feeling over-confident. I thought that first ce in the county examination was already in my pocket, but this is good. It¡¯s a wake-up call for me. My sister said that arrogance breeds trouble.¡± Li Qing stood up and looked into the distance, clenching his fists. ¡°In the future, I¡¯ll definitely take things slow and steady. I won¡¯t make the same mistake again.¡±


    Ji Xiang raised his thumb and praised, ¡°Ah Qing, you¡¯re good. You found your shorings so quickly, faced them head-on, and bravely corrected your mistakes. Brother Ji Xiang believes that Ah Qing will be able to fulfill your goals in the future.¡±

 Chapter 173

    173 Release of Results


    In the blink of an eye, it was time for the rankings to be released. After studying hard for ten years, he was hoping to be on the Golden Ranking List.


    On the day of the rankings, the students gathered at the entrance of the Gong Academy early in the morning. There was a sea of people at the front of Gong Academy Street. All of them were looking around with expectant and nervous expressions.


    Ruyi and Zhao Cai arrived at the entrance of the tribute academy before dawn. They upied the best seats and waited for the rankings to be released. Zhao Cai shouted, ¡°They¡¯re out, they¡¯re out!¡±


    A cheer sounded behind them. Amid the cheers, guarding officials in dark official robes opened the door to the tribute court. The officials carried the red board and went straight to the stone wall in front of the entrance to the court. They stuck a long red paper on the wall.


    Ruyi and Zhao Cai looked for Zhou Jia¡¯s name among the dense names on the red list. The two of them looked at it twice but could not find Zhou Jia¡¯s name on the list. Listening to the cheers and disappointed sighs of the people on the middle list behind them, Zhao Cai muttered to himself, ¡°This is thest hundred ces. Our young master might be in the front.¡±


    A servant at the side looked at the two of them and sneered. ¡°Do you think this is an order? It¡¯s even more difficultter.¡±


    Ruyi red at him. ¡°What business is it of yours if we talk? It¡¯s none of your business!¡±


    Zhao Cai patted him and said, ¡°Don¡¯t be in a hurry to get angry. Let¡¯s talk after reading it.¡±


    As they spoke, the second Red List was pasted on the stone wall. The two of them looked around but still didn¡¯t see it. The servant also didn¡¯t see the name he wanted to see. The three of them became a little nervous and uneasy. The higher they went, the smaller the chance.


    Looking at the bailiffs who were posting thest red board on the stone wall, Ruyi and Zhao Cai felt their hearts beat faster. The servant nervously grabbed Zhao Cai¡¯spel without realizing it. The three of them looked at the red board with wide eyes and prayed in their hearts. When he saw the name they wanted to see, the servant cheered and grabbed Zhao Cai¡¯s hand and jumped up. ¡°Ah! Haha! Look, my young master also won. He¡¯s ranked eighty-nine.¡± Zhao Cai froze there. The servant blushed and turned to squeeze out of the crowd.


    Immediately after, Ruyi jumped up and pointed at the red rankings. ¡°Ha... Zhao Cai, look, Young Master is there in the ninth ce, Young Master came in at the ninth ce.¡± Zhao Cai looked up and saw Zhou Jia¡¯s name. The two of them hugged and tears welled up in their eyes.


    The person standing beside them looked at the two of them with red eyes and said angrily, ¡°Get out of the way if you¡¯ve found him.¡±


    The two of them were in a good mood and didn¡¯t argue. They squeezed out of the crowd and ran to the parking lot to rush back to report the good news.


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu and then at the entrance of the courtyard. He was a little anxious. It was already sote, but Ruyi and Zhao Cai had not returned yet. There were no bailiffs reporting the good news. Had he failed?


    Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia¡¯s restless expression andforted him gently. ¡°Xiao Xi, don¡¯t be anxious. At most, we¡¯ll take the exam next time. If you can¡¯t sit still, let¡¯s go out and take a look together?¡±


    Suddenly, there was a series of footsteps outside. Then, he heard Ruyi shout happily, ¡°Young Master, you came in ninth ce on the A Rankings.¡±


    Zhou Jia hugged Li Yu happily. ¡°Yu¡¯er, I got it.¡±


    Li Yu hugged Zhou Jia and replied happily, ¡°Yes, you got the ranking. You¡¯re even ninth on the A list!¡±


    ¡°Tongzhou Phoenix Town, Phoenix Vige... Ninth ce.¡± The joyous news at the entrance of the courtyard also spread recently. Zhao Cai and Ruyi hurriedly took the money and went out to reward the announcer. The news that there was a person on the Schr Ranking in the Ten Families Alley spread in the alley.


    After a lively celebration, the pce examination began. Zhou Jia obtained second ce and was promoted to be a seventh-grade official. He was given the title of a schr. When he met the emperor, Chu Yuhao asked Zhou Jia, ¡°Honorary Zhou, have you thought about what you want to do after obtaining your rank?¡±


    Zhou Jia knelt down and replied, ¡°Your Majesty, I¡¯ll go wherever Great Yong needs me.¡±


    ¡°Good, good, good.¡± Chu Yuhao walked up to Zhou Jia and helped him up. He patted his shoulder and said, ¡°Great Yong needs ministers like you.¡±


    Everyone looked at Zhou Jia with envy and jealousy. They all thought to themselves that this second-ranker was really good at talking. He had left a good impression on the emperor. Was he afraid that he could not stay in the capital as an official?!


    Chu Yuhao looked at Zhou Jia and said with a smile, ¡°I know that you came from Qingzhou. The people in Qingzhou are suffering now! I intend to send you back to Qingchuan County, which is under Qingzhou, to be an official. Are you willing to go?¡±


    Zhou Jia knelt down and kowtowed. ¡°Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty. I¡¯m willing.¡±


    The jealous gazes looking at Zhou Jia turned into gloating. He was showing off, but now he had been sent to a remote ce!


    Zhou Jia had been annoyed about having to socialize with those people for the past few days. He couldn¡¯t wait to leave the capital with Li Yu and go elsewhere to take a look. However, the emperor¡¯s decision to send him back to Qingzhou was beyond Zhou Jia¡¯s expectations.


    Aftering out of the pce, Zhou Jia said to Li Yu guiltily, ¡°Yu¡¯er, His Majesty is sending me back to Qingchuan County under Qingzhou to be an official. I¡¯ve let you down. You¡¯ll have to work hard with me again.¡±


    When Li Yu heard this, she pped and smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s go back to Qingzhou. Alright! We can go back to West Mountain Vige to take a look.¡±


    Zhou Jia hugged Li Yu and sighed happily. ¡°Yu¡¯er, why are you so delighted?!¡±


    The two of them looked at each other affectionately. Ah Wei shouted at the entrance of the courtyard, ¡°Young Master, Madam, Young Master Lin is here.¡±


    Zhou Jia kissed Li Yu¡¯s temple. ¡°Yu¡¯er, Yuxuan must have heard the news ande looking for me. I¡¯ll go out and take a look.¡±


    Zhou Jia walked to the front yard. Before he could speak, Lin Yuxuan looked at Zhou Jia worriedly and said, ¡°Brother Zhou, are you really willing to return to Qingzhou and be an official in Qingchuan County? That ce is close to Great Qi and was run over by bandits before the disaster. I¡¯ve heard people talk about it in the past. They said that several county magistrates went to Qingchuan County one after another and fled. I¡¯m afraid that ce is also empty. How can you achieve political achievements after you go there?¡±


    Zhou Jia cupped his hands in thanks. ¡°Thank you for your concern, Brother Lin. I know that it¡¯s definitely difficult in Qingchuan, but no matter how difficult it is, someone has to do it!¡±


    Lin Yuxuan said anxiously, ¡°You don¡¯t know? There are all kinds of rumors saying that you stole the limelight from the top schr. If you want to show your face in front of the emperor, you¡¯ll be asking for trouble. They were all waiting to see you make a fool of yourself! I¡¯m just worried that if the emperor really sends you there, it¡¯ll be difficult for you to return to the capital.¡±


    Seeing Lin Yuxuan¡¯s anxious expression, Zhou Jia was extremely touched. Heforted him and said, ¡°Thank you, Brother Lin. I just think that someone has to do something!¡± Zhou Jia stopped Lin Yuxuan and changed the topic. ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about me. Tell me quickly, which family captured you as their son-inw?¡±


    Lin Yuxuan said shyly, ¡°It¡¯s the daughter of the head of the household. I¡¯ve already sent a letter to my father and invited him to host our wedding. Sigh! However, it looks like you won¡¯t be able to attend my wedding.¡±


    When Zhou Jia heard this, he also sighed. ¡°That¡¯s right! If the emperor really sends me to Qingchuan, I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to attend your wedding. The two of us can only meet in the future.¡±

 Chapter 174

    174 Set Off Again


    In the Zhou family¡¯s old residence, Master Zhou looked at Zhou Yu, who had returned home drunk, with disgust. He scolded, ¡°Do you know that the person from the Ten Families Alley is already on the Golden Ranking List? You still don¡¯t know how to improve. Look at how drunk you are. You entered the school at the same time as him, and he is now a schr. You¡¯re still a student, so what are you still studying for?! From today onwards, you don¡¯t have to go to the academy. Your father doesn¡¯t have the money to pay for your expenses any more.¡±


    Zhou Yu staggered drunkenly and looked at Master Zhou with sleepy eyes. He burped and the scent of alcohol was pungent. Master Zhou hurriedly took a few steps back. ¡°You¡¯re a good person? Yes!¡± Zhou Yu pointed at Old Master Zhou unsteadily. ¡°Do you know that my father raised a mistress... Mother hired someone to harm people. Burp, the family is scattered. Boohoo...¡± Zhou Yu cried and fell to the ground. A momentter, his snores were like thunder.


    ¡°What a useless thing.¡± Old Master Zhou nced at Zhou Yu, who had fallen to the ground and was sleeping soundly. With a flick of his sleeve, he turned around and went to Old Madam Zhou¡¯s courtyard. When he saw that Old Madam Zhou had fallen from the bed and was lying on the ground, he was instantly furious and shouted, ¡°Where did she go? Didn¡¯t you see that Old Madam Zhou fell from the bed?¡±


    Granny Ma came in from outside with the bucket. When she heard Old Master Zhou¡¯s scolding, she lowered her eyes and said to Master Zhou, ¡°Master, I went to wash the bucket just now. You sold Qiuxiang and Qiu Yue. I¡¯m the only one in the courtyard. I can¡¯t take care of them! Master, send one of Aunt Liu¡¯s girls over to take care of the olddy with me!¡±


    With a bang, Master Zhou kicked Granny Ma until she fell to the ground with the bucket. Master Zhou pointed at Granny Ma and shouted, ¡°Old woman, since when is it your turn to make decisions in this house? You can¡¯t even serve a paralyzed old woman. What use do I have for you? Serve her well, or I¡¯ll sell you too.¡± With that, he walked away.


    Granny Ma fell to the ground and looked at Old Madam Zhou, who was lying on the ground with tears in her eyes. She cried, ¡°Old Madam, you¡¯ve beenpetitive your entire life and fought to the death with Old Master, who has always been tolerant of you. Did you think that you would live such a life when you¡¯re old?¡±


    Old Madam Zhou¡¯s mouth twitched as she cried out. She tried her best but could not say a word. She hated him in her heart. He had always thought about his dead fianc¨¦e and had never taken her seriously. She hated everyone he cared about. It would be good if they were all dead!


    ¡°You¡¯re already in such a state, but you still can¡¯t let go.¡± Old Madam Ma looked at Old Madam Zhou¡¯s fierce gaze and sighed inwardly. She silently got up from the ground and moved Old Madam Zhou back to the bed with great effort.


    A few dayster, the emperor indeed issued an order for Zhou Jia to set off for Qingchuan in mid-April to take up his post. He gave him a sixth-grade subordinate and even asked Shen Zhong to bring Zhou Jia a legal assistant named Qian Liang.


    Qian Liang went forward and bowed to Zhou Jia. ¡°Greetings, Senior Zhou.¡±


    ¡°No need for formalities, sir.¡± Zhou Jia saw that although Qian Liang was wearing old clothes and had a thin figure, his eyes were clear when he looked at people. He should be a person with good character.


    Shen Zhong called Zhou Jia to the side and said to him, ¡°Mr. Zhou, Mr. Qian is a schr who has tried and failed every time. He¡¯s good at sentencing, money, and food. In the past, he especially helped people writewsuits in the capital. In the early years, he offended the people of the Imperial Consort. Now, he writes dramas for the opera garden for a living. Because of this, he knows Young Master. Young Master thought that you stillck a private advisor, so he asked me to get Mr. Qian to help you.¡±


    ¡°His Maj...¡± Before Zhou Jia could finish speaking, Shen Zhong stopped him and said, ¡°Mr. Zhou, there¡¯s no need to be so polite. Qian Liang doesn¡¯t know Young Master¡¯s identity. I¡¯ll bring him here. You can spend a few days with him and see if your personalities arepatible.¡±


    Zhou Jia cupped his hands and thanked him. ¡°Alright, thank you, Brother Shen.¡±


    Shen Zhong left Qian Liang behind and Zhou Jia and Qian Liang sat down to chat for a while. He realized that Qian Liang was quick-witted and cheerful. He was satisfied and said to Qian Liang, ¡°What do you think about going to Qingchuan?¡±


    Qian Liang stood up and bowed. ¡°Sir, I¡¯m poor and alone. I¡¯m willing to serve you.¡±


    Zhou Jia cupped his hands and said, ¡°Alright, thank you for your trouble in the future.¡±


    Inte March, Li Yu brought Ruyi and Xiaoyu to the Imperial ntation and taught the farmers how to choose and soak seeds.


    When she went home to rest, she asked Zhou Jia to copy her insights from cultivating the rice seeds and handed them to the printing workshop to print some. She brought them back to the farm and handed them to Chu Fu, asking him to distribute them to the tenants on the farm.


    Chu Fu blushed in shame and bowed to Li Yu to thank her. ¡°Madam, when I first saw you, I suspected that you didn¡¯t know how to farm and must have taken credit for someone. I was petty.¡±


    Li Yu smiled indifferently and said, ¡°It¡¯s fine. That¡¯s because we don¡¯t know each other well. It¡¯s inevitable that there will be misunderstandings. If you have any questions in the future, you can get Shopkeeper Chu to bring a letter to me. I¡¯ll return to the city.¡±


    Chu Fu bowed again and said, ¡°Yes, Madam. Have a safe trip.¡± Chu Fu carried the things he had given Li Yu into the cart and watched He Tiezhu drive away.


    Zhou Jia brought Zhao Cai to the capital and discussed with Shopkeeper Chu Qing of the Four Seas Bank. After Zhao Cai and Shopkeeper Chu opened the workshop in the capital, they would go to Qingchuan to meet Li Yu.


    When Li Yu returned to the city, it was already mid-April. Ruyi brought Tiezhu and loaded the luggage into the car.


    Li Yu stored some valuable things in the space. After packing her luggage, everyone began to set off for Qingchuan.


    Shopkeeper Chu brought two honest-looking young men over to send them off. He pointed at the two of them and said to Zhou Jia, ¡°Mr. Zhou, these two are the guards raised in the bank. The tall one is called Xu Chun, and the shorter one is called Xu Dong. They¡¯re going to the Four Seas Bank in Qingzhou, so let them go with you and Madam. They can also help you drive the cart and do odd jobs.¡±


    Zhou Jia knew that Shopkeeper Chu had asked them to help because he was afraid that he wouldn¡¯t have enough manpower when he saw that Zhao Cai was staying in the capital. He smiled and bowed. ¡°Thank you for your consideration, Shopkeeper Chu. Thank you for your help.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re too polite.¡± Shopkeeper Chu said to the two of them, ¡°The two of you, quicklye and meet Lord Zhou and Madam Protector.¡±


    Xu Chun and Xu Dong hurriedly bowed and said, ¡°Greetings, Senior Zhou and Madam Protector.¡±


    Zhao Cai reluctantly instructed Ruyi, ¡°It¡¯s a long way. Be more careful on the way. When I finish opening the workshop, I¡¯ll go to Qingchuan.¡±


    Ruyi replied reluctantly, ¡°Yes! Don¡¯t worry. I know. You have to be careful in the capital.¡±


    Zhao Cai, Chu Qing, Shen Zhong, and Lin Yuxuan sent Zhou Jia and the others out of the north city gate. After following the cart for a while, Zhou Jia cupped his hands and said, ¡°Please go back after sending him off! Let¡¯s meet again next time.¡±


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s get together again.¡± Everyone waved goodbye and watched the car slowly drive away.


    With the help of the guards Chu Qing sent over, Zhou Jia was freed from his position as the coachman. In the carriage, Zhou Jia held the dossier and read it carefully. Li Yu leaned against the window and smiled at the scenery outside.


    Under the warm spring sun, the mountains along the way were filled with flowers. Farmers worked hard in the fields, and there was lush vitality everywhere. Unknowingly, five years had passed in this world. Li Yu silently thanked the heavens for their gift, allowing her to have family in this world that she missed dearly, a lover whom she liked, and a home of her own.

 Chapter 175

    175 Godforsaken ce


    Zhou Jia flipped through the dossier that Shen Zhong had brought and saw that there were only more than 500 households in the entire county before the Qingchuan disaster. The total poption was less than 30,000. There was only one person in the entire county city. He was an old schr called Tu Chengdong in his forties. He was currently a clerk in the county office and there were four bailiffs. Three years ago, the former county magistrate had just arrived in Qingchuan County for two months when he was ckmailed by the Green Dragon Bandits. He was so frightened that he abandoned his official position and fled.


    In the Daqing Mountain Range to the north of the county city, there was a mountain banditir called the Green Dragon Stronghold. Currently, there were about 200 mountain bandits. On the Da Lou Mountain to the east of the county city, there was another mountain banditir called the Tiger Head Stronghold. Currently, there were about 300 to 400 mountain bandits. There were two mountain bandit nests in a county with 500 households. Zhou Jia frowned when he saw this. Was such a county city still a county city? 30,000 was the poption before the disaster. ording to this calction, it would be fortuitous if half of the poption was left after the disaster! The remaining were probably the old, weak, sick, and disabled!


    Zhou Jia sighed and rubbed the space between his eyebrows. He thought to himself that he could only take it one step at a time.


    When Li Yu heard Zhou Jia sigh, she turned to look at the dossier in Zhou Jia¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Xiao Xi, how¡¯s the situation? Is it very pessimistic?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not just not optimistic. It¡¯s too bad. Look.¡± Zhou Jia pointed at the dossier and smiled bitterly. ¡°There were only 500 households before the disaster... I¡¯m worried that when we reach Qingchuan, there will probably be more bandits thanmoners. I think I can only go to Qingzhou to see if Shen Wu has returned. I¡¯ll ask him to help eliminate the bandits to reassure themoners first.¡±


    Li Yu looked at the dossier and frowned. ¡°Is it still considered a county? I think it¡¯s just a godforsaken ce. What are the previous officials doing? A good county has be like this.¡±


    Seeing Li Yu¡¯s angry look, Zhou Jia smiled andforted her. ¡°Speaking of which, it¡¯s indeed like a godforsaken ce. Fortunately, before we set off, Shen Zhong brought good news. He said that His Majesty will issue a decree to waive Qingchuan¡¯s taxes for five years. As long as the bandits are eliminated and the people are free from the harassment of the bandits, the poption will increase.¡±


    ¡°You and Grandmaster Qian shoulde up with measures to benefit the people. Just preach where there are victims along the way and see if you can attract them to Qingchuan.¡± Li Yu leanedzily against Zhou Jia and narrowed her eyes. ¡°There are still three months to go! Along the way, you can slowly think of a solution with Grandmaster Qian. When you reach Qingchuan, you can adjust ording to the situation.¡±


    Zhou Jia let Li Yu lie down and said softly, ¡°Alright, it¡¯s good to sleep while the road is still t. Otherwise, when the road gets bumpy, it won¡¯t be easy to sleep.¡±


    Li Yuy in Zhou Jia¡¯s arms and narrowed her eyes. ¡°Alright, stop reading. Reading in the car hurts your eyes.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± Zhou Jia smiled and agreed, watching Li Yu fall asleep.


    Qian Liang sat in the car and leaned against the carriage with his eyes narrowed. He watched as Yang Wei held the booklet and muttered to himself. Qian Liang thought to himself, Why didn¡¯t the servant boy and servant girl of Lord Zhou go to the cart behind to serve him? Why are they different from others?


    Qian Liang saw Yang Wei put down the book and asked with a smile, ¡°Your name is Ah Wei, right? What are you reading?¡±


    Yang Wei looked at Qian Liang and replied respectfully, ¡°Mr. Qian, I just learned how to write. My name is Yang Wei. My young master gave me my name. It¡¯s impressive, right?¡±


    Qian Liang looked at Yang Wei trying his best to widen his eyes and felt a little amused. He patted his head and smiled. ¡°Weiwei, Yang Wei, are you the family child of your young master?¡±


    Yang Wei looked at Qian Liang in confusion and said, ¡°What¡¯s a family child?¡±


    ¡°Your parents are also servants of your young master. After giving birth to you, you will be the child of the family.¡±


    When Yang Wei heard this, he shook his head and said, ¡°My parents were gone when they fled. Ah Lei, Er Ya, Uncle Zhao, and I have never been bought in the brokerage house. At that time, my Madam had yet to marry Young Master. Young Master and Madam came to the brokerage house to buy people. Seeing that we were pitiful, they bought us. Madam said that as long as we behave ourselves, we can eat and wear warm clothes. No one will beat or scold us for no reason.¡±


    Qian Liang thought to himself. It seemed like a very low request, but how many people could do it?


    ¡°If someone does something naughty, how will your young master and madam punish him?¡±


    ¡°Unsettled? How could that be?¡± Yang Wei frowned and thought for a moment. ¡°On the day we arrived home, our Madam told us the house rules. Madam said that she didn¡¯t like to beat and scold. Once someone was restless and vited the house rules, she would just sell them. Madam even asked what we were doing in our own house and what we were good at. After asking, she assigned us to work. In the manor, everyone had their own things to do. There were three meals a day. Everyone didn¡¯t have to worry about food and clothes. When we were sick, Madam found a doctor for us. We were better off than when we were at home. Why would we still be restless?¡±


    Qian Liang nodded and said, ¡°That¡¯s right! You don¡¯t have to worry about food and clothes, and your illnesses were treated. Why should you be restless? But how can the human heart really be that simple!¡±


    At the Osmanthus Lane in Tongzhou, Li Qing said to Ji Xiang excitedly, ¡°Brother Ji Xiang, did Shopkeeper Chu really say that my sister was conferred the title of First-grade Madam Protector?¡±


    Ji Xiang was also excited. ¡°Yes, the letter from Young Master and Madam came from the courier station. It¡¯s not as fast as Shopkeeper Chu¡¯s courier. It might take a few more days to receive it. Shopkeeper Chu asked me to hand the letter to the bank to take away, so I handed it to Shopkeeper Chu to take to the capital.¡±


    Li Qing said in a low voice, ¡°At least I didn¡¯t let down Sister and Brother-inw¡¯s teachings and obtained an Elementary Schr status. However,pared to Brother-inw, I¡¯m still inferior.¡±


    Ji Xiang smiled andforted him. ¡°Ah Qing, you studiedte and it¡¯s already not bad that you got second ce. Let¡¯s set off for the vige now. The vige must have already received the news. It¡¯s currently the season for farming. You can help Uncle Zhou manage the spring sowing on the farm.¡±


    Li Qing nodded and said, ¡°Alright, Brother Ji Xiang. Let¡¯s set off now!¡±


    Time passed quickly. Li Yu and the others had already traveled for two months from the blooming season to the zing summer.


    The group arrived at Qitong County exhausted. After resting in the city for a day, they set off and rushed towards Qingzhou.


    At noon, after resting for an hour on the road, the convoy entered a dense forest. Li Yu, who was following behind the convoy, realized that just as Ruyi and the others entered the forest, birds flew up in the forest in front.


    Li Yu said to Zhou Jia, ¡°Xiao Xi, there might be an ambush ahead. Inform Xu Chun and ask him to inform the people in front. Ruyi and the others should be careful.¡±


    Zhou Jia got out of the carriage and told the news to Xu Chun, who was driving. Xu Chun told the news to Xu Dong.


    Tiezhu sent the news to Ruyi. Ruyi instructed Xiaoyu in the car, ¡°Xiaoyu, there might be robbers in front. Don¡¯t sit in the cart but lie t.¡±


    Xiaoyu hurriedlyy on the ground of the carriage and replied loudly, ¡°Got it. Be careful.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡± Ruyi looked around warily, keeping his guard up.

 Chapter 176

    176 Mountain Bandits


    After walking for a while, the convoy arrived at a rocky forest. From the rocky forest, 20 or so men with tattered clothes, sallow skin, and ages stopped Li Yu¡¯s convoy.


    A tall, square-faced man raised his machete and shouted, ¡°We only want what¡¯s in the cart. Put them down and we¡¯ll let you go.¡±


    Li Yu put down the crossbow in her hand and frowned at Zhou Jia. ¡°These people don¡¯t look like mountain bandits. They look like a group of hungry people.¡±


    Zhou Jia nodded and said to Xu Chun, ¡°Show them our identities and scare them away.¡±


    Xu Chun shouted, ¡°We are officials sent by the Imperial Court to Qingchuan. Hurry up and retreat.¡±


    When the two tall and square-faced bandits at the front heard this, they were stunned for a moment. They gripped the machetes in their hands tightly and shouted nervously, ¡°I¡¯m robbing you wretched officials. All the big guys, charge!¡±


    A few men waved the machetes in their hands and rushed towards Li Yu¡¯s carriage. Xu Chun, Xu Dong, and Ruyi jumped out of the carriage with the machetes and rushed toward the bandits. Halfway through, the bandit in front seemed to have tripped on something and fell to the ground with a thud. The machete in his hand flew out of his hand andnded on the heel of the bandit in front. The bandit who rushed over from behind could not stop and fell on him. This time, the bandit running behind was stunned when he saw the two people on the ground.


    Li Yu looked at the mountain bandits and sighed. What a godly operation!


    Yang Wei looked at the two people who had fallen to the ground and were flustered. Heughed and said to Mr. Qian, ¡°Hehe, you¡¯re so stupid, yet you still dare to rob me.¡±


    ¡°Sigh! The people must be suffering!¡± Mr. Qian shook his head and sighed.


    One of the men in front had his machete snatched away by Xu Chun and was kicked to the ground. Two of them were kicked to the ground by Ruyi. The bandits running behind saw that the situation was bad and turned to escape.


    The man whose machete had been snatched by Xu Chuny on the ground and looked at the machete that was shing at him. He hugged his head in fear and shouted, ¡°We won¡¯t rob you anymore. You can leave! We won¡¯t rob you anymore.¡±


    Li Yu didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry as she watched from the cart. She shouted at Xu Chun and Ruyi, ¡°Master Xu, Ruyi, don¡¯t hurt their lives. Just teach them a lesson.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± After they agreed, they said to the bandits lying on the ground, ¡°Madam said that we can just teach you a lesson. Do you think we should give you a broken leg or a broken arm?¡±


    The square-faced man shrank his limbs and shouted, ¡°Master, spare me! If you break my arms and legs, I won¡¯t be able to work or raise my family. The old people and children at home will starve to death.¡±


    The other men kept begging for mercy. Xu Chun looked at Zhou Jia, who was standing in front of the car, and said, ¡°Sir, what should we do?¡±


    Zhou Jia said to them, ¡°You¡¯re already thinking of robbing and harming others. You¡¯ll rob other pedestrians if I don¡¯t teach you a lesson.¡±


    The few of them knelt on the ground and kowtowed as they begged for mercy. ¡°Sir, we were victims of the disaster in Qingzhou. When we fled through the Clear Wind Ridge, our luggage was snatched by the bandits on the mountain. Later, we fled to Qi County and lived in Qi County. The money we earned was just enough to make a living. A few days ago, Qi County started checking the household register and we were chased out of the city as refugees. We really had no way out, so we did this. Sir, please spare us! We won¡¯t dare to do it again. We have our elders and children. We won¡¯t survive if our limbs are broken.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at the few of them with red eyes and tears, looking pitiful. He sighed and said, ¡°Since it¡¯s your first offense, I¡¯ll let you off this time. You can immediately set off for Qingzhou and find the government to apply for new household registration. If the Qingzhou government doesn¡¯t give you a new household registration, you can go to Qingchuan to find me to settle down. You can¡¯t stay here anymore.¡±


    They got up and said, ¡°Thank you, sir. We¡¯ll leave now.¡± They turned around and ran into the forest.


    Zhou Jia looked at the victims who had disappeared into the forest and said to Ruyi and the others, ¡°Fortunately, there¡¯s no danger. Let¡¯s go!¡±


    After Zhou Jia got into the car, he said to Li Yu, ¡°Yu¡¯er, the nearby Qi County has begun to clean up the refugees. There¡¯s still more than a month¡¯s journey to Qingchuan. I wonder how many victims will return to their hometown!¡±


    Li Yu smiled. ¡°The number of victims that will return to Qingchuan depends on how well they live in the ce. If they are epted there, just like those who settled in Phoenix Vige, do you think they would be willing to return to their original hometown?¡±


    Zhou Jia agreed. ¡°That¡¯s right! I¡¯m afraid none of the vigers of Phoenix Vige are willing to return to West Mountain Vige.¡±


    The men ran back to the forest in one go. They ignored that they had escaped and hid behind a pile of rocks. They stuck their heads out and looked at the dozen or so men outside. They ran straight to arge rock. There were dozens of people behind the huge rock.


    The round-faced man panted and sat on the ground with his back against the big rock. Heined to the vigers waiting there, ¡°Aiyo! We almost couldn¡¯te back. Erzhu and the others were too much. When they saw us being captured, they turned around and ran. Fortunately, we were lucky and were released by them.¡±


    The tall and thin manined to the dejected man beside him, ¡°It¡¯s all your fault, Qiang. Why did you fall to the ground and trip me? The child in the car evenughed at us for being stupid.¡±


    Ah Qiang hugged his head and squatted on the ground. ¡°I was so afraid that I tripped over a stone on the ground and fell.¡±


    The white-haired old man sighed and said, ¡°I told you that we can¡¯t rob. The people of our Ma Family Valley have been innocent for generations. Besides, we¡¯re just a group of farmers. How can we do such a murderous business? Call them up and let¡¯s go back to our hometown!¡±


    An old woman sitting at the side pped her leg and cried, ¡°We¡¯ll have to pass by Qingfeng Ridge when we go back. Will those bandits let us off? Our household registration and title deed are gone. How are we going to survive when we go home?¡±


    The square-faced man suddenly remembered what the official said and said to the old man, ¡°Uncle, the official said that we should go back to Qingzhou to apply for a household register. If we can¡¯t do it, we should go to Qingchuan to find him. Is he lying to us?¡±


    The vige chief¡¯s eyes lit up when he heard this. He grabbed the man and asked, ¡°Ah Gui, did he really say that?¡±


    The round-faced man, who was sitting against the rock, touched his head and said, ¡°I remember that the driver said that they were officials sent by the Imperial Court to Qingchuan and asked us to retreat.¡±


    The old man panicked when he heard that. He packed up the luggage on the ground and urged, ¡°Quick, quick, everyone, quickly carry your luggage and follow them. Since they are officials, they won¡¯t be afraid of the bandits of Clear Wind Ridge. We¡¯ll follow behind them and everyone will be safe.¡±


    Everyone picked up their luggage and looked at the old man worriedly. ¡°Uncle Vige Chief, can we catch up? They¡¯re all carriages!¡±


    The old man waved his hand and said, ¡°Hurry up or we won¡¯t be able to make it in time.¡±


    The group of people chased after Li Yu and the others.

 Chapter 177

    177 Travelling Together


    Under the leadership of the vige chief, the people from Majiagou carried their luggage and pulled the children towards Li Yu¡¯s convoy.


    Ah Gui pointed at the carriage moving through the forest and shouted, ¡°Everyone, hurry up and follow them. They¡¯re going out of the forest.¡±


    The group of people ran until they were panting, but they still couldn¡¯t catch up to the carriage. They watched as Li Yu¡¯s convoy passed through the forest and walked forward.


    ¡°Aiyo! I¡¯m so tired.¡± The old woman who had been crying sat on the ground and pped her legs. ¡°How can two legs catch up to four legs!! I can¡¯t run anymore.¡±


    The vige chief looked at the old woman¡¯s roguish appearance and was furious. He pointed at the old woman and shouted, ¡°Old Madam Qin, you can¡¯t even catch up to a child. If you don¡¯t want to leave, fine. Everyone, leave. Let her feed the wolves in this forest.¡±


    The vige chief angrily led the vigers and chased after the carriage. Old Madam Qin got up and carried the pickaxe on her back as she chased after the vige chief like a rabbit.


    When it was almost dark, Li Yu and the others set up tents outside a vige.


    Xiaoyu and Yang Wei ran to the nearby vigers¡¯ houses and bought some fruits and vegetables. Yang Wei ran to Li Yu with a basket of cucumbers, peaches, and plums. He pointed at the fruits in the basket and said happily, ¡°Madam, look, there are your favorite crispy peaches. The granny said that her peaches are crispy and sweet. I climbed up a tree to pick them. Try them.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Ah Wei.¡± Li Yu smiled and took two peaches from the bamboo basket. She said to Yang Wei, ¡°Alright, send the rest to Mr. Qian and the others.¡±


    After everyone ate, they arranged for the people to be on duty at night. After washing up, they went into the tent to rest. Zhou Jia hugged Li Yu and said with some relief, ¡°It seems that the drought has passed. I remember that thest time we passed by here, the road at the vige entrance was blocked. The vigers all looked worried. This time, I feel that the worry on their faces has faded.¡±


    Li Yu said softly, ¡°Actually, themoners¡¯ request is very simple. They just want the government to reduce the exploitation and bullying so that they can steadily support their families. That way, they will be happy.¡±


    Zhou Jia sighed. ¡°Isn¡¯t that so! But some people are just too greedy.¡±


    Ruyi and Tiezhu sat by the fire. Tiezhu pulled a few yams out of the fire and handed them to Ruyi. ¡°Brother Ruyi,e and eat the roasted yam.¡±


    Ruyi pointed ahead and said, ¡°Tiezhu, look. Are those the robbers we encountered in the forest during the day?¡±


    Tiezhu stared at the group of people with their families and pointed at the round-faced man. He said in surprise, ¡°Brother Ruyi, it¡¯s them. Look at the round-faced man in front. He¡¯s the man who blocked the road and tried to rob us during the day. Why do you think they chased after us? Do they still want to rob us?¡±


    Ruyi shook his head. ¡°It looks like they want to follow us.¡±


    The vige chief looked at the tent in front of him and heaved a sigh of relief. He had not led everyone all the way in vain and had finally caught up. The vige chief pointed at the ce where Li Yu¡¯s tent was and said, ¡°Everyone, go over there and stay. We¡¯ll set off tomorrow morning. Ah Qiang,e with me to talk to that young man.¡±


    The round-faced Ah Qiang nced at Ruyi. ¡°Uncle, let Ah Gui apany you! I¡¯m afraid.¡±


    ¡°Useless kid.¡± The vige chief pulled Ah Qiang away. The two of them came to Ruyi¡¯s fire. The vige chief bent down and said with a smile, ¡°Little brother, I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Ruyi nced at Ah Qiang, who was hiding behind the vige chief, before he stood up and bowed. ¡°Old man, what¡¯s the matter?¡±


    The vige chief looked at Ruyi and said in shame, ¡°Little brother, we were in the wrong during the day, but this is really the first time we¡¯ve done such an outrageous thing. I know that no matter how many excuses we find, it¡¯s our fault. I have a presumptuous request. I hope you can tell your master.¡±


    Ruyi looked at the vige chief¡¯s travel-worn appearance and pointed at the stone. ¡°Sir, sit down and let me hear it.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Little Brother.¡± Ah Qiang helped the vige chief sit on a rock. The vige chief looked at Ruyi and sighed. ¡°I¡¯m from Majiagou in Qingzhou City¡¯s Qinghua County. My name is Ma Zecheng, the vige chief of Majiagou. Not long after the drought, we were robbed by bandits. I escaped with more than 20 families in the ditch. It was quite smooth at first, sigh!¡±


    The vige chief wiped his tears. ¡°When we were robbed by the bandits on the mountain, more than ten people died. I brought the rest of the people and begged along the way. When we reached Qi County, we lived in the city. During the day, everyone went out to find work. At night, we stayed in the dpidated temple. I went to the county office a few times to look for the registered residence. I didn¡¯t have the money to pay. It was only a few days ago when we were chased out of the city that everyone started having bad intentions. They found the forest and wanted to rob some money to register. The first time they attacked, they encountered you. Knowing that you were going to cross Clear Wind Ridge, we followed you.¡±


    After hearing what Old Ma said, Ruyi felt that Old Ma and the others must have fled early. Back then, when they fled to Qi County, the city gates were closed.


    Ruyi picked up a yam and handed it to the vige chief. ¡°Grandpa Ma, what are your ns now?¡±


    Vige Chief Ma took the yam and looked at Ruyi with a fawning smile. ¡°I want to bring my vigers to follow your master¡¯s convoy and return home through Clear Wind Ridge.¡±


    Ruyi nodded readily. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll tell my young master tomorrow morning. After he gives the order, I¡¯ll look for you.¡±


    Seeing that Ruyi had agreed readily, Vige Chief Ma heaved a sigh of relief. He stood up and bowed. ¡°Thank you, Little Brother. I won¡¯t disturb you anymore.¡±


    Ruyi watched as Ah Qiang helped Old Ma to the ce where the Ma family lived. He heard Tiezhu sigh and say, ¡°Brother Ruyi, will Young Master and Madam agree to let them follow? When I fled with my parents, some of the people who escaped with them starved to death, some were killed by bandits, and some finally escaped to Tongzhou and died of illness. My father said that our family is considered lucky that we¡¯re still together. There are many orphans like Ah Wei and Ah Lei in the entire Qingzhou Prefecture!¡±


    Ruyi patted the Tiezhu and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll ask Young Master tomorrow morning.¡±


    The next morning, Ruyi told Zhou Jia about Old Maing to find him. After Zhou Jia heard this, he said, ¡°Go and tell them that they can follow behind us. We have to rush to Qingchuan so ask them to walk faster.¡±


    Ruyi smiled and said, ¡°I knew Young Master would agree to them. I¡¯ll tell Old Ma now.¡±


    Half a monthter, Old Ma and the others followed Li Yu¡¯s convoy and safely passed Clear Wind Ridge. They passed by Stream Cloud Peak and arrived at Clearwater Town. Ruyi got out of the car and said to them, ¡°Old man, we¡¯re going to West Mountain Vige to take a look. You can leave first. We¡¯ll chase after you.¡±


    Old Ma smiled and said, ¡°So you escaped from Clearwater Town! You should go back and take a look. Then we¡¯ll leave first.¡±

 Chapter 178

    178 House Destroyed


    Li Yu looked at the dpidated Clearwater Town and said to Zhou Jia, ¡°I wonder how many people are still in the vige. Are the people who stayed behind okay?¡±


    Zhou Jia held Li Yu¡¯s hand and got into the cart. ¡°Let¡¯s go! We¡¯ll know when we go back. Sigh! We have to find time to deal with the property andnd here.¡±


    When they arrived at West Mountain Vige, everyone saw that the rice fields along the way had already been harvested. Ruyi pointed at the Zhou family¡¯s fields and shouted, ¡°Young Master, our fields have also been nted with grains. I wonder who nted them.¡±


    Zhou Jia nodded. ¡°It might be a tenant who fled back to the vige. Let¡¯s go back to the vige and ask.¡±


    When they reached the entrance of the vige, they saw the big banyan tree at the entrance of the vige. It had returned to its former lush state. There was no longer an old man sitting under the banyan tree and chatting.


    Xiaoyu looked at the big banyan tree sadly. ¡°Ruyi, look. It can withstand natural disasters and even grew new branches.¡±


    Ruyi patted Xiaoyu andforted her. ¡°Aren¡¯t we all fine!¡±


    When everyone entered the vige, they realized that it was cold and cheerless. Some of the houses had copsed. When the group arrived at the entrance of the Zhou family¡¯s house in East Mountain Vige, they were all stunned when they saw the burned-down house.


    ¡°Which damned person is so detestable?¡± Ruyi clenched his fists with red eyes and thought of the things in the cer. ¡°Young Master, I¡¯m afraid the things in the cer can¡¯t be used anymore. I¡¯ll go down and take a look.¡±


    Li Yu held Zhou Jia¡¯s hand andforted him silently. Zhou Jia nodded with red eyes and watched Ruyi lead Tiezhu and the others into the ruins. Mr. Qianforted Zhou Jia, ¡°Sir, these are all worldly possessions. It¡¯s fine as long as we¡¯re safe.¡±


    Zhou Jia said sadly, ¡°This house was left to me by my grandfather.¡±


    ¡°Ah! Is this Mr. Zhou and Miss Li?¡± Li Yu turned around and saw Shopkeeper Liu running over from the side path. Li Yu and Zhou Jia went forward and bowed. ¡°Yes, Shopkeeper Liu, how are you?¡±


    Shopkeeper Liu cupped his hands happily and said with a smile, ¡°Alright, I didn¡¯t expect to see you again. Where did you and the Chen family escape to? Are they alright? Mr. Zhou, look, your house has been burned down by those bandits. Come to my house.¡±


    Zhou Jia pulled Shopkeeper Liu back and said, ¡°Shopkeeper Liu, Vige Chief Chen and the others are all doing well. Now that they have settled down in Tongzhou¡¯s Phoenix Town, we still have to rush to Qingchuan. When we passed by Qingshui Town, we came back to take a look. I want to ask you who is farming the fields in my vige?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you sell your family¡¯snd? The rice in the field was nted by the long-term workers hired by that family.¡± Shopkeeper Liu looked at Li Yu. ¡°And Miss Li, tell your uncle that his mother and third brother were killed by bandits. The two children have wandered somewhere. The second son¡¯s leg is crippled. He only returned to the vige with his wife and daughterst year and is living in the old house!¡±


    Zhou Jia said angrily, ¡°My family¡¯s fields were sold? The title deed is still in my hands so how did I sell it?¡±


    ¡°I knew it! You and Miss Li are both capable people, so why would you sell your fields to escape the famine? However, that person took the title deeds of thesends and was unwilling to give them to the tenants who returned. Those families nted thend of Miss Li¡¯s aunt with Miss Li¡¯s family¡¯snd. There wasn¡¯t much harvestst year, so it looks like they should be able to survive this year.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Shopkeeper Liu and said, ¡°Then do you know where that person came from?¡±


    Shopkeeper Liu recalled and said, ¡°It¡¯s said that it¡¯s a family with the surname Hu in Green Mountain County. Last spring, a fierce steward brought people here. We don¡¯t know what exactly happened.¡±


    ¡°How dare he upy the property by force. Shopkeeper Liu, do you know where his butler lives?¡±


    Shopkeeper Liu shook his head. ¡°They probably live in Green Mountain County! Theye to visit every few days. Last year, they only brought people to collect the grains when they were cutting them.¡±


    Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia and smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t be angry. Isn¡¯t it a good thing that someone is helping us work for nothing? Besides, there¡¯s still some time before we harvest the grains. Can¡¯t we juste and collect them then?¡±


    Mr. Qian nodded and smiled. ¡°Lord Zhou, Madam is right. After you take office, it¡¯s just right to send someone back to harvest.¡±


    When Shopkeeper Liu heard Mr. Qian address Zhou Jia as Lord, he looked at Mr. Qian happily. ¡°Lord, has Mr. Zhou be an official?¡±


    Mr. Qian smiled and cupped his hands. ¡°That¡¯s right! My lord is a schr and is about to take up a position in Qingchuan County.¡±


    When Shopkeeper Liu heard this, he pped his hands in joy. No matter what, Mr. Zhou hade from East Mountain Vige. Now that he had been assigned an official position, they would no longer need to be afraid of those bullies who dared toe to the vige.


    ¡°Mr. Zhou, that Hu guy is just a bully. You¡¯re already an official of the Imperial Court, so why are you afraid of him? Go and take up your post first. When youe back, you can just collect the grains. Don¡¯t worry, even if you and Miss Li can¡¯t rush back, I¡¯ll help you find out his home address.¡±


    Zhou Jia cupped his hands and thanked him. ¡°If we¡¯re dyed by something, we¡¯ll have to trouble Shopkeeper Liu.¡±


    As they spoke, the two tenant farmers who nted Li Mei¡¯s family¡¯s wastnd and the two tenant farmers who nted Li Yu¡¯s fields rushed over after hearing the news. When they saw Li Yu, they bowed and apologized, ¡°Miss Li, we nted on your fields without your permission. We willpensate you with the rent.¡±


    Although Li Yu was a little angry that these people stayed in her house without her permission to farm the fields, she thought about it again. If no one lived in the house for a long time, it would be deste.


    Seeing that Li Yu was silent, the families begged, ¡°Miss Li, don¡¯t worry. When we returned to the vigest spring, we found out that Mr. Zhou¡¯s fields had been sold. There was really no way out, so we shamelessly nted on your fields as well as those of your aunt¡¯s. We willpensate you with the rent.¡±


    Li Yu sighed and said, ¡°Your actions are indeed inappropriate, but thinking that everyone has just escaped a cmity, I won¡¯t pursue the matter with you. You should just farm the fields! You can also live in the houses. You can skip the rent for this year. We¡¯ll split it 40-60 next year. You¡¯ll take 60% and I, 40%. I will collect the rent and pay the taxes. You can go and write a contract with Mr. Qian.¡±


    The four families were overjoyed when they heard this and kept bowing. ¡°Thank you for your kindness, Miss Li. You¡¯ve given us a way out!¡±


    Mr. Qian brought the overjoyed few to the cart to write the contract. Ruyi walked out of the ruins with Tiezhu and the others and said to Zhou Jia, ¡°Young Master, the things in the cer have been emptied. I don¡¯t know if it was done by bandits or refugees.¡±


    Zhou Jia waved his hand. ¡°Forget it. They¡¯re all worldly possessions. It¡¯s fine if they¡¯re gone!¡±


    Li Yu rented the fields to the two families. Since they also lived in the house, she didn¡¯t have the mood to go back and take a look. She said to Zhou Jia, ¡°Let¡¯s rush to Qingchuan first. We cane back to collect the grains.¡±


    Everyone covered the cart and bade farewell to the vigers who had rushed over before rushing towards Qingchuan County.

 Chapter 179

    179 The Ruined City Wall


    After leaving West Mountain Vige, they quickly overtook the Ma Family since they had horses. After traveling for half a month, they finally arrived at Qingzhou Prefecture.


    After entering the city, the group sent the Xu brothers to the Four Seas Bank. The shopkeeper of the Four Seas Bank in the Qingzhou Prefecture was called Chu Jiang.


    After greeting them, Shopkeeper Chu said to Zhou Jia, ¡°Senior Zhou, there are many bandits in Qingchuan. You don¡¯t have many people, so let the Xu brothers help you for a few days. When you straighten out the matters in the city, you can send them back.¡±


    The Xu brothers also said, ¡°That¡¯s right! Senior Zhou, there are many bandits over there, and you don¡¯t have many people. Let us help you for a few more days!¡±


    When Zhou Jia heard this, he cupped his hands gratefully and said, ¡°Thank you, Brother Xu! Thank you, Shopkeeper Chu! I¡¯ll ept the help. However, I¡¯ll have to pay the sry of the Xu brothers in the future.¡±


    Chu Jiang smiled and said, ¡°Senior Zhou, you¡¯re too polite. Since you insist, we¡¯ll do as you say. I heard that you and Madam are going to Qingchuan, so I specially asked about Qingchuan¡¯s recent situation. The situation isn¡¯t good. I specially prepared a cart of rice and grains for you to bring to Qingchuan.¡±


    When Zhou Jia heard how thoughtful the Four Seas Bank was, he could only cup his hands and thank them again.


    At this moment, Shen Wu received the news that the two of them had arrived in Qingzhou and rushed over from the government office. When he saw Zhou Jia, he smiled and said, ¡°Mr. Zhou, I haven¡¯t congratted you yet! Congrattions on your ranking!¡±


    Zhou Jia cupped his hands and smiled. ¡°Then you have to express your gratitude. I¡¯m going to Qingchuan to take up my post. I heard that there are many bandits there. When the timees, I¡¯ll have to rely on Brother Shen¡¯s help.¡±


    Shen Wu said seriously, ¡°Brother Zhou, don¡¯t worry. If you need me, just let me know. I¡¯ve ordered food and drinks at the restaurant to wee you.¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled and said, ¡°Thank you, Brother Shen.¡±


    After resting in Qingzhou Prefecture for half a day, Li Yu and Zhou Jia brought their people and set off for Qingchuan the next morning.


    When they were about to reach Qingchuan, the convoy passed by a mountain path. Ruyi, who was in the lead, realized that a startled bird had flown up from the grass in front. Ruyi pulled out her long saber and shouted at Tiezhu, ¡°Tiezhu, tell Xu Chun that there¡¯s something strange in the grass in front.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Tiezhu had just sent the news to Xu Chun and the others behind him. After approaching the rocks by the cliff, a group of ferocious bandits rushed out of the grass. They raised their weapons and pounced at Ruyi, shouting, ¡°Hand over your belongings and women, and I¡¯ll let you pass.¡±


    Ru Yi threw down the reins and jumped up from the carriage, pouncing on the bandits. Before hended, he swept his long saber at three or four bandits holding machetes. The de shed across the bandits¡¯ chests, and three or four bandits clutched their chests and fell to the ground. Li Yu, who was behind, held the crossbow in one hand and shot at the bandits who were pouncing toward the carriage. After shooting down a few bandits, she threw down the crossbow and jumped down from the carriage, cutting the throats of two bandits. Li Yu stepped on the head of one of the bandits and raised her saber to sweep past the bandits rushing towards the carriage. Wherever the saber light passed, the bandits¡¯ lives were reaped.


    The Xu brothers raised their long des, and the sound of the des piercing into the bandit¡¯s bodies and screams resounded throughout the valley.


    The long saber in Li Yu¡¯s hand was like a meat grinder. Wherever she went, the bandits fell to the ground. Seeing that the situation was bad, the bandit leader shouted, ¡°Retreat, retreat, leave quickly.¡±


    Zhou Jia stood on the carriage and aimed his bow at the bandit leader. He shot the bandit in the chest. Li Yu turned around and shouted at the bandit who was fleeing up the mountain, ¡°Where are you going!¡±


    She waved her saber even faster. The remaining bandits were killed by Ruyi and Xu Dong.


    Mr. Qian looked at the corpses on the ground and his face turned pale. He muttered, ¡°Too valiant, too valiant!¡±


    Yang Wei jumped off the carriage and collected the machetes and spears of the bandits on the ground, not even letting go of the money in their pockets. Zhou Jia pointed at Yang Wei and smiled at Li Yu. ¡°This kid¡¯s actions of searching for money are somewhat simr to Madam¡¯s.¡±


    Li Yu looked at Ruyi and the others who were piled together and frowned. ¡°Xiao Xi, we only have five carriages. Why did they send so many people?¡±


    Zhou Jia pondered for a moment and said, ¡°There aren¡¯t any big ns in Qingchuan, right?¡±


    When Xu Gui, the coachman sent by the Four Seas Bank, heard this, he said to Li Yu, ¡°Sir, Madam, I heard about it when I was in Qingzhou. Every time the bandits in this area plunder, they will send out arge number of people. Firstly, it¡¯s easier for them to achieve their goals. Secondly, it is to deal with other bandits.¡±


    Zhou Jia nodded and said, ¡°I see. I thought someone didn¡¯t want us to go to Qingchuan.¡±


    Yang Wei carried a bamboo basket of copper coins, silver pieces, gems, jade artifacts, and a dagger embedded with gems. He ced it in front of Zhou Jia and said, ¡°Young Master, look, they were all found on those bandits.¡±


    Zhou Jia touched Yang Wei¡¯s head and smiled. ¡°Ah Wei, aren¡¯t you afraid?¡±


    Yang Wei puffed out his chest and replied loudly, ¡°No, what¡¯s there to be afraid of?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right. What¡¯s there to be afraid of?¡± Li Yu patted Yang Wei¡¯s shoulder and picked up the gem-studded dagger. ¡°Ah Wei, this dagger is for you. Cultivate well with Brother Ruyi. Only by practicing martial arts can you protect yourself and the people you want to protect.¡±


    Yang Wei took the dagger and looked at Li Yu. ¡°Madam, I¡¯ll cultivate with Brother Ruyi. I¡¯ll protect Young Master and Madam like Brother Ruyi in the future.¡±


    Li Yu touched Yang Wei¡¯s head and smiled. ¡°Thank you, Ah Wei.¡±


    Ruyi, Tiezhu, and the others found a pit and buried the bandits. They reported to Zhou Jia, ¡°Young Master, there are a total of 30 to 40 bandits. Each of them has a Green Dragon tattoo on his shoulder.¡±


    Zhou Jia nodded. ¡°Looks like it¡¯s the bandits from the Green Dragon Stronghold. Since they¡¯re buried, let¡¯s continue on our way.¡±


    After traveling in the mountains for half a month, they finally arrived at Qingchuan County before noon on the second day of August. When they arrived at the city gate, they saw that the city walls of Qingchuan City were dpidated. Looking around, they realized that only a section of each city gate was left intact.


    The group of people was dumbfounded. Not to mention the bailiffs guarding the city, they could not even see anyone entering or leaving the city despite standing at the city gate for a long time.


    Mr. Qian shook his fan and looked at the city gate. He spun around and sighed. ¡°Aiyo! Madam was right. It¡¯s really a godforsaken ce.¡±


    Ruyi, Xiaoyu, and the others looked at Zhou Jia and Li Yu worriedly. Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu and smiled awkwardly. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect it to be so dpidated! Looks like everyone will have to suffer with me in the future.¡±


    Li Yu rolled her eyes and waved her hand. ¡°Let¡¯s go! We can¡¯t abandon our position and escape, right? Let¡¯s enter the city first. There will be a way.¡±


    Ruyi climbed into the carriage and raised his whip. ¡°Go!¡± The horse ran into Qingchuan City.


    After entering the city, they saw dpidated houses on both sides of the street. It was broad daylight, and they only saw an asional pedestrian passing by. When they saw Li Yu¡¯s convoy, they hurriedly ran away.

 Chapter 180

    180 An Even More Ruined County Office


    There were only a few shops on the street that were open. The shops were cold and empty, and there were no customers. The slightly decent shops were a pharmacy and a medical center.


    After walking for 15 minutes, they arrived at the intersection. Li Yu sat in the carriage and saw theyout of the entire county clearly. One could walk through the four dpidated streets in an hour. There was also the smell of pig feces.


    Li Yu and the others observed Qingchuan County. The people of Qingchuan County also leaned in front of the window and looked at the few carriages parked at the intersection. They watched the carriages stop for a while before the passengers slowly walked toward the county office. ¡°Yo! The Imperial Court sent the county magistrate here again. I wonder how long this county magistrate can work for this time!¡±


    Arriving at the Qingchuan County office, everyone looked at the copsed county office and didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry. Zhou Jia sighed and said, ¡°Ruyi, go and see if there¡¯s anyone inside.¡±


    Ruyi jumped out of the carriage and walked into the hall. She saw a thin old man in a shabby robe. His face was pale and he had a goatee. Ruyi cupped her hands and said, ¡°Sir, do you know where to find the people in the county office?¡±


    The old man narrowed his eyes and looked at Ruyi. He said coldly, ¡°Looking for someone? I¡¯m the only one in the entire Qingchuan County office. Young man, who are you looking for?¡±


    ¡°Greetings, old sir. My young master is the new county magistrate of Qingchuan County. May I know where the official residence of the county government is?¡±


    The old man pointed at the dpidated walls outside. ¡°That¡¯s it. It¡¯s already copsed.¡± With that, he ran out and shouted at the carriage, ¡°The county magistrate is here. That¡¯s great! Quickly give me my sry. I can then go home to buy rice.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at the thin old man who ran towards Mr. Qian and thought to himself, This is probably the scribe!


    Zhou Jia jumped off the carriage and walked toward the scribe. He cupped his hands and said, ¡°Why are you looking for me?¡±


    Scribe Tu spread out his hands and said, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Give me a sry! I haven¡¯t received a sry in three years. Since you¡¯ve taken office, give me the sry! I¡¯m still waiting for the rice to go into the pot!¡±


    Zhou Jia spread out his hands. ¡°Look, I¡¯ve only just arrived in the county city. I¡¯m not sure about the situation in the county office either. Besides, haven¡¯t you been in charge of the entire county office for the past few years? Why haven¡¯t you received a sry?¡±


    Scribe Tu looked at Zhou Jia and couldn¡¯t say anything. He thought for a moment and said, ¡°Then Lord Zhou can bring over your que for verification to carry out your duties!¡±


    Zhou Jia nodded. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll get it for you now.¡±


    Li Yu looked at it for a while and thought to herself, ¡°Looks like we¡¯ll have to find a ce to stay.¡±


    Li Yu said to Ruyi, who was standing behind Zhou Jia, ¡°Ruyi, find a nearby courtyard to rent and settle down first.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll go look for it now.¡± When the scribe heard Li Yu asking Ruyi to find a ce to stay, he hurriedly shouted, ¡°Madam, rent my house. I¡¯m the only one in my house. I can stay in the courtyard.¡±


    Li Yu looked at the old man and smiled. ¡°It¡¯s not impossible to rent from you. I have to take a look first.¡±


    Scribe Tu looked at Li Yu and smiled. ¡°I don¡¯t want to rent money. I just want to eat two meals.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and nodded. ¡°As long as we rent your house, two meals are not a big problem.¡±


    Scribe Tu turned around nimbly and pointed at the house opposite. ¡°Madam, look, my house is opposite the county office. It¡¯s very convenient. Let¡¯s go take a look!¡±


    Ruyi looked at Li Yu, who nodded and smiled. ¡°Alright, Ruyi, go take a look with Scribe Tu!¡±


    Zhou Jia and Mr. Qian looked at the county office which was like a dpidated temple and smiled bitterly. ¡°I¡¯m afraid we won¡¯t be able to find another county office as dpidated as this in Great Yong.¡±


    Mr. Qian said with lingering fear, ¡°Sir, the most important thing is still the city wall. Fortunately, Great Qi has not been able to invade in the past few years. If the city wall is not built properly, Great Qi can reach the Qingzhou Prefecture without any effort if they invade.¡±


    ¡°Yes! After I hand over the records, I¡¯ll check if the county office still has any assets.¡±


    Ruyi followed Scribe Tu to the opposite side. Scribe Tu pushed open the door and said to Ruyi, ¡°Little brother, look, my house is spacious, right? It was built by my grandfather when he was alive. It has two courtyards, green bricks, and green tiles. More people can live in it.¡±


    The courtyard was indeed quite spacious. But it was overgrown with weeds and it was dirty everywhere. ¡°The courtyard is so dirty. Don¡¯t you live inside?¡±


    Scribe Tu flung his sleeves and red at him. ¡°I¡¯m an old man. One room is enough for me. To clean such a big ce would tire me out. Go and ask your Madam if she wants to rent it or not.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to ask my Madam. Let¡¯s make it clear first! Two meals are enough to cover the rent.¡±


    Scribe Tu smiled. ¡°Alright, as long as I have hot food to eat.¡±


    Ruyi ran to the opposite side and reported to Li Yu, ¡°Madam, the courtyard looks quite spacious. It just needs to be cleaned.¡±


    ¡°Alright, then bring the livestock in and unload the luggage!¡±


    They drove the carriage to the opposite side. The scribe had already removed the threshold. The cart drove into the courtyard. Everyone unloaded their luggage and moved it into the backyard. They began to clean the weeds in the courtyard and the dust in the house.


    Xiaoyu took the cloth to the kitchen and saw that the pots and pans were still there, but they were already covered in dust. The water vat was covered in dust. The few of them worked for more than an hour before the house was clean.


    Ruyi and Xiaoyu brought Yang Wei to the west side of the city and bought some meat. They found a vegetable seller and bought the remaining pumpkins, winter melons, and vegetables. They even booked vegetables and fruits every day with the old man who set up a stall.


    The old man couldn¡¯t stop smiling. He whispered to the three of them, ¡°From the looks of it, I know you guys just came to Qingchuan. Remember, don¡¯t go out after it gets dark. The mountain bandits oftene down the mountain to enter the city. Those people are unreasonable.¡±


    Ruyi smiled and nodded. ¡°Thank you, Uncle. We¡¯ll be renting rooms with the Tu family opposite the government office. You can just send the dishes over after midnight every day.¡±


    The old man nodded. ¡°Oh! It¡¯s Scribe Tu¡¯s residence, right? I know. Don¡¯t worry, I know him.¡±


    Li Yu and Zhou Jia stood at the entrance of the Tu family¡¯s house and looked at the dpidated walls opposite. Li Yu pointed at the wastnd beside the broken wall of the county office and said, ¡°Xiao Xi, the city wall and the county office can only wait for you to report it. You can build it when you have money. Ask if the wastnd beside it has an owner. If not, we¡¯ll buy it and build houses and shops.¡±


    Zhou Jia frowned. ¡°Yu¡¯er, we have to start building and reorganizing the city wall as soon as possible. Otherwise, when Great Qi recovers from the drought, we will be in trouble. I n to ask the Imperial Censor to understand the exact situation in Qingchuan City. Tomorrow morning, I¡¯ll get Xu Chun and the coachman to bring the letter back to Qingzhou and ask Shen Wu and Shopkeeper Chu for help. We¡¯ll borrow some money and manpower first and ask someone to build the city wall. Also, the autumn harvest will start soon. I have to go to the periphery of the county city and spread the news that the Imperial Court has waived taxes.¡±

 Chapter 181

    181 Collusion With the Bandits?


    Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia¡¯s tightly furrowed brows and said gently, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll ask Xu Chun and Xu Dong to make a trip tomorrow morning and report Qingchuan¡¯s situation. However, I¡¯m afraid we won¡¯t have the time to go back and deal with our fields for the time being. After we settle this ce, you can manage here and I¡¯ll go back to deal with it. What do you think?¡±


    Zhou Jia reached out to hold Li Yu¡¯s hand and looked at her affectionately. ¡°Yu¡¯er, it¡¯s been hard on you to run around with me.¡±


    Li Yu said reproachfully, ¡°We¡¯re husband and wife. This is how it should be. Don¡¯t say such things in the future.¡±


    The leader of the Green Dragon Stronghold, Zuo Qing, waited in their for a few days, but the bandits did not return. Zuo Qing said to his trusted aide, Tu Gang, ¡°Tu Gang, did Third Brother bring anyone back to the vige?¡±


    Tu Gang recalled and said, ¡°Big Brother, I didn¡¯t see anyoneing back. Could Third Master have been betrayed by those people from Tiger Head Stronghold?¡±


    ¡°No, Tiger Head Stronghold won¡¯t know that someone ising.¡± Zuo Qing recalled the situation when he received the news from Huang San. At that time, only Third Brother and his two trusted aides were present. Logically speaking, the news wouldn¡¯t have been leaked to Tiger Head Stronghold. However, he had been out for three to four days and hadn¡¯t returned. Could he have been killed by those people?


    Zuo Qing said to Tu Gang, ¡°Go out of the city and see what¡¯s going on with Third Brother and the others. Also, go to the city and see if the new county magistrate sent by the Imperial Court has taken office.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master.¡± Tu Gang left the vige and rode down the mountain on a big green mule, heading towards Qingchuan City.


    In the Tu family, Scribe Tu picked up a piece of braised pork and ced it in his bowl. He took a bite and it melted in his mouth. Scribe Tu smiled and narrowed his eyes. ¡°Oh! It¡¯s delicious! I haven¡¯t eaten such delicious braised pork in a long time.¡±


    Zhou Jia and Mr. Qian smiled at the scribe. After they finished eating, they walked towards the county office opposite.


    Li Yu looked at the lush oleander in the corner of the backyard. The branches were filled with pink flowers. There was a small door beside the flower tree. Xiaoyu boiled the bath water and sent it to the room. Seeing Li Yu standing in front of the flower tree, she walked over and smiled at Li Yu. ¡°Madam, the hot water has been sent to the room. Go and wash up quickly.¡±


    Seeing that Xiaoyu was sweating profusely, Li Yu smiled and said, ¡°You must be tired! Tomorrow morning, let Ruyi go to the brokerage house to take a look and buy two women so that they can help you do some housework.¡±


    Seeing that Li Yu was considerate, Xiaoyu smiled sweetly. ¡°Seriously, it¡¯s such a small job. It¡¯s not tiring. Why would you spend so much money?¡±


    Li Yu tapped the tip of Xiaoyu¡¯s nose. ¡°Little money-grubber, it¡¯s settled.¡± She smiled and walked into the room.


    Li Yu leaned against the bathtub and thought about what she had seen and heard after arriving in Qingchuan City. She thought about the mountain bandits they had encountered when they were about to reach Qingchuan. Those mountain bandits had been waiting there for a long time. With so many people here, wasn¡¯t it too much to rob a few carriages? Also, this ce was worse than she had imagined. She should go out of the city tomorrow morning to take a look. How manymoners had returned to their hometown after the disaster?


    Zhou Jia, Mr. Qian, and Scribe Tu sat in the dpidated hall of the county office. Zhou Jia looked at the walls that were leaking air and thought to himself, ¡°Fortunately, it¡¯s autumn. I¡¯ll be frozen if I sit here for another two months.¡±


    Scribe Tu took out a few stacks of dossiers from the cab and ced them on the broken wooden table. ¡°My lord, the other dossiers and records were all burned by the bandits who went down the mountain to plunder. Those bandits smashed and looted in the city and tore down the city walls.¡± Scribe Tu paused for a moment and pointed at the few stacks of dossiers. ¡°These are the dossiers that I snatched back home before the bandits rushed into the city gate. The other members of the government office have long run away. Thest four bailiffs have also fled. Even if they didn¡¯t flee, the Imperial Court hasn¡¯t sent anyone over for a long time, and no one has given them a sry. They have long quit. Now, this Qingchuan County Magsistrate Office is just an empty shell.¡±


    Zhou Jia flipped through it and thought to himself that fortunately, all the important files were still there.


    Zhou Jia bowed to Scribe Tu and said, ¡°Scribe Tu, thank you for risking your life to protect these dossiers. As for the rest, I¡¯ll get someone to go to the Qingzhou Prefecture¡¯s magistrate office tomorrow morning to ask for instructions.¡±


    Scribe Tu¡¯s eyes were red as he said, ¡°Sir, my daughter¡¯s family was also killed by the bandits. I¡¯m the only old man left. I only hope that you can invite soldiers to destroy the Green Dragon Stronghold as soon as possible to avenge my daughter¡¯s family and those who died in the hands of the bandits.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at the aggrieved and angry Scribe Tu and said seriously, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll report to the Qingzhou Prefecture and invite soldiers to eliminate the bandits.¡±


    Mr. Qian said to Scribe Tu in confusion, ¡°Scribe Tu, I heard that there are two groups of bandits around Qingchuan County. One of them is called the Green Dragon Stronghold, and the other is called the Tiger Head Stronghold. Is the Green Dragon Stronghold the only one who burned down the county city?¡±


    Scribe Tu nodded and said, ¡°There are only tworge banditirs. One is the Green Dragon Stronghold, and the other is the Tiger Head Stronghold. The bandits of the Green Dragon Strongholdmit all kinds of crimes. The citizens north of the county city can¡¯t even eat their fill and still have to pay them with food for protection. The bandits of the Tiger Head Stronghold are simr to them. The citizens south of the county city pay them protection food, so the county government can¡¯t collect taxes at all.¡±


    Mr. Qian looked at the scribe in surprise. ¡°Oh! We still have to hand over the protection food to them. The bandits are so arrogant. Didn¡¯t the state government send soldiers to eliminate them?¡±


    ¡°Of course they did! But what¡¯s the use ofing? When the officials came, the county government still had to entertain them. After eating and drinking, they went to the mountains to take a look. They didn¡¯t even see the bandits.¡± Scribe Tu mmed the table in anger. ¡°As soon as the officials left, the bandits started taking revenge on thosemoners. In the past, they secretly collected food. In the first year of the drought, after scaring away the county magistrate, the bandits openly collected food outside the city. Now that there¡¯s no city gate, it¡¯s even more convenient for those bandits to collect food.¡±


    When Zhou Jia and Mr. Qian heard this, they both thought in unison: There¡¯s something fishy. The soldiers and bandits appear to be pally with each other.


    After the few of them sorted out the dossiers, they closed the door and returned to the Tu Residence opposite.


    Zhou Jia returned to his room and told Li Yu what he had heard from the official. ¡°Yu¡¯er, I think those officials and mountain bandits must be colluding!¡±


    Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia and said, ¡°I¡¯ve always suspected that there was an inside story about us being intercepted by the bandits two days ago. Hearing what you said, it makes sense. The news that we came to Qingchuan might be because they don¡¯t want us to go to Qingchuan and destroy their interests. Write to Shen Wu and ask which general¡¯s soldiers were sent to suppress the bandits over the years. You¡¯ll know who took the food in a county and why the bandits burned the county office.¡±


    Zhou Jia nodded and said, ¡°Alright, take a rest first. I¡¯ll write a letter to the Qingzhou Prefecture to ask for money to repair the city wall and submit it to the government office. I also have to prepare to recruit officials.¡±


    Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia¡¯s thin face and felt her heart ache. ¡°Go! Don¡¯t stay up toote. Rest early.¡± Zhou Jia held Li Yu¡¯s hand and walked to the bed. ¡°I know. You must be exhausted. Rest early.¡±


    Li Yu took off her shoes and climbed onto the bed. The couple snuggled together for a while. Zhou Jia kissed Li Yu before getting up and going to the study.

 Chapter 182

    182 Snatching the Beauty Back


    Tu Gang rode a short old horse and only arrived in Qingchuan City at midnight the next day. After entering the city, he went straight to his lover, Little Peach, who lived in West City. He stood in front of the door and knocked on Little Peach¡¯s courtyard door. Little Peach pulled her shoes and muttered as she walked, ¡°Damn it! If you hadeter, I would have fallen asleep.¡±


    The moment the door opened, Tu Gang hugged her. Tu Gang kissed Little Peach¡¯s lips and teased, ¡°Little baby, did you miss your Brother Tu?¡±


    Peach poked Tu Gang¡¯s chest with one finger and looked at him seductively. She said coquettishly, ¡°What¡¯s the use of thinking about you? You can¡¯te every day.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t I here now?!¡± Tu Gang carried Little Peach into the house and rolled her onto the bed. After the rain stopped, Tu Gang asked Little Peach, ¡°Is there a county magistrate who will take office?¡±


    Leaning against Tu Gang¡¯s chest, Little Peach narrowed her eyes and saidzily, ¡°Yes, I heard from Old Madam Huang next door that he¡¯s a handsome young man. She even said that the county magistrate¡¯s wife is like a fairy. The couple makes people unable to take their eyes off them. Why are you asking about this?¡±


    ¡°Nothing! I was just asking! I¡¯m resting. I¡¯ve been riding a mule all day. I¡¯m exhausted.¡±


    Tu Gangy down and was still thinking about Little Peach¡¯s words. ¡°I have to go and take a look at a fairy-like woman. If she¡¯s really as beautiful as a fairy, I¡¯ll snatch her back as an offering to Big Brother.¡±


    Hearing Tu Gang sound asleep, Peach sat up quietly. She took out a token from Tu Gang¡¯s cassock and imprinted it on a piece of oil mud. After quietly putting it back, she fell asleep.


    After writing the letter to Qingzhou and the official document, Zhou Jia discussed the follow-up regtions with Mr. Qian. The two of them were busy drafting regtions in the study until midnight. Zhou Jia smiled at Mr. Qian and said, ¡°Sir, are you hungry? If you¡¯re hungry, let Ruyi cook a bowl of noodles.¡±


    Mr. Qian shook his head and said, ¡°It¡¯s better not to trouble Ruyi¡¯s wife. In the past, I used to eat two meals a day. After I arrived at your house, I started to eat three meals a day. Look, I¡¯ve been with you all the way and even gained weight.¡±


    Zhou Jia cupped his hands politely and said, ¡°No, it¡¯s been hard on you toe so far with us.¡±


    The two of them packed up the letters and returned to their rooms to rest.


    Zhou Jia returned to his room and saw Li Yu¡¯s flushed sleeping face. He couldn¡¯t help but kiss her. Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia in a daze and saidzily, ¡°You¡¯re back! Hurry up and rest.¡±


    Zhou Jia changed into his sleeping robe and went to bed to hug Li Yu. Soon, he fell asleep.


    The next day, as soon as dawn arrived, Zhou Jia got up and handed the memorial, letters, and documents to Xu Chun, asking him and Xu Gui to rush to Qingzhou and send the news as soon as possible.


    After breakfast, Zhou Jia, Mr. Qian, and Dian Shi went to the government office to do their work.


    Li Yu asked Ruyi to buy two women from the brokerage to help Xiaoyu take care of the house. She brought Yang Wei out of the city.


    Yang Wei sat on the duster, looking at the scenery along the way and swinging his legs.


    Li Yu saw that some fields outside the city were deserted and no one was farming. There were also farmers busy harvesting rice. Li Yu got out of the carriage and walked to the side of the paddy field. She saw that the rice ears were shorter than the rice ears in West Mountain Vige. There were also more shriveled seeds on every grain.


    Li Yu thought to herself, ¡°With this harvest, I¡¯m afraid there will be little food after harvesting an acre of farnd. It¡¯s fine if it¡¯s their own field, but if it¡¯s nted by tenants, I¡¯m afraid they¡¯ll have to go hungry.¡±


    The farmer who was harvesting the rice saw a noblewoman with a child, who looked like an eight or nine-year-old servant, driving a carriage to the side of the road. Looking at his rice fields, the old man said to his wife, ¡°Go take a look.¡±


    The woman nodded and walked up the field with the sickle. She walked five to six steps away from Li Yu and asked uneasily, ¡°Madam, is there a problem with my rice?¡±


    Li Yu looked at the woman¡¯s tanned face and smiled. ¡°Sorry to disturb you, Auntie. There¡¯s nothing wrong with the rice. I¡¯m just looking around. May I ask how many acres ofnd you have at home? Are you from your own family or are you a tenant? How much tax do you pay? Can you eat your fill?¡±


    The woman was stunned for a moment when she saw Li Yu¡¯s smile. She blushed and said, ¡°I have five acres of farnd and three acres ofnd. They all belong to my family. After paying the tribute, I can¡¯t even fill my stomach.¡±


    Li Yu looked at the woman andforted her. ¡°Then you don¡¯t have to worry about starving this year. From this year onwards, the Imperial Court will waive the taxes of the farmers in Qingchuan County for five years. ording to your family¡¯s output, it should be enough to eat with some coarse grain. Someone from the government office will inform you in a few days.¡±


    The woman¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Five years of tax exemption? Madam, how did you know?¡±


    The woman suddenly remembered that the bandits were about toe to get the food. She had to hand over 60% of the food to the bandits. If she gave the food to the bandits, the entire family would go hungry again. If she didn¡¯t give it to them, her family would lose their lives.


    The woman said sadly, ¡°Madam, it¡¯s useless. You don¡¯t know Qingchuan¡¯s situation. Take care, Madam. I¡¯ll go cut the grains.¡±


    Li Yu saw that the woman¡¯s eyes were red as she rushed back to the field to get busy. She sighed and got into the carriage to walk forward. She asked a few more farmers who were harvesting, and they all said the same thing as the woman.


    Li Yu thought angrily, ¡°It seems that the bandits are really fearless when facing themoners! Who is supporting them? They raised the bandits to do evil so unscrupulously.¡±


    Yang Wei raised his head and looked at Li Yu¡¯s angry expression. He ran to the field and picked up a handful of straw. He made a straw cage and handed it to Li Yu. ¡°Madam, look at the straw cage I made.¡±


    Li Yu looked at Yang Wei¡¯s smile and took the bamboo cage. ¡°You made it up well. I didn¡¯t expect Ah Wei to be so skilled.¡±


    Yang Weiforted Li Yu like an adult. ¡°Madam, don¡¯t be angry. They¡¯re timid and insensible.¡±


    ¡°Madam isn¡¯t angry with them.¡± Li Yu smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s go back!¡±


    When the farmers saw Li Yu leave, they gathered together. The tall man said, ¡°Did you hear what that madam said just now? She said that the Imperial Court will exempt us from taxes for five years. Is that true?¡±


    The older man smiled bitterly and said, ¡°Yang Dashan, so what if it¡¯s true? Think about it, what¡¯s the difference with the exemption? Other than two years of drought, we haven¡¯t paid taxes to the Imperial Court for two years. Don¡¯t forget that there¡¯s still a small Imperial Court in Qingchuan!¡±


    The old woman said with red eyes, ¡°That¡¯s right! We¡¯ve handed it all over to those bandits. The government is too useless. They attempted to catch bandits every year and we paid a lot of money. They didn¡¯t even touch the corners of the bandits¡¯ clothes.¡±


    ¡°Sigh!¡± The old man sighed heavily. ¡°That¡¯s right! There¡¯s no hope. I¡¯ll leave it to the bandits to buy stability!¡±


    ¡°Can it be stable? A few days ago, when the little girl from the neighboring vige was washing clothes by the river, she was dragged into the forest by bandits passing by. Be careful. Don¡¯t let the good-looking girls go out.¡±


    ¡°Sigh!¡± Everyone sighed when they heard that.


    Tu Gang had just slept until the sun was high in the sky. After he came out of Little Peach¡¯s house, he rode his horse to the entrance of the county office and saw that there was indeed someone working inside. Only then did he believe Little Peach¡¯s words. He thought to himself, ¡°Looks like Third Master and those brothers are doomed. I should go back and tell First Master first.¡±

 Chapter 183

    183 Capture One and Make an Example of Him


    Tu Gang rode his old horse out of the city. Just as he reached the city gate, he met Li Yu and Yang Wei, who were driving the carriage back to the city. Tu Gang, who was riding on the horse, watched nkly as Li Yu drove the carriage from the opposite side. He pulled the reins and ced the horse in the middle of the road. He touched his thigh and smiled lecherously, thinking, ¡°Damn! There¡¯s really such a good-looking woman. I¡¯ll snatch her back and wait for Boss to have enough fun. Hehe...¡±


    Li Yu held the reins and looked at Tu Gang, who was blocking the city gate. She casually picked up the whip and watched Tu Gang drive the short-legged old horse to the carriage. He grabbed the bridle and smiled lecherously. ¡°Yo! Where did this little girle from? Come y with me...¡±


    ¡°y with you?¡± Li Yu looked at Tu Gang¡¯s unrestrained appearance and gently waved the whip. She sneered. ¡°Where do you want to bring your aunt to y?¡±


    When Tu Gang saw Li Yu asking him, he smiled even more brazenly. He let go of the hand that was holding the stirrup and reached out to touch Li Yu¡¯s face. ¡°Green Dragon Stronghold! Follow me, I¡¯ll bring you to Green Dragon Stronghold to eat and drink well...¡±


    Li Yu snorted and waved the whip in her hand. The whip shot out like a snake and wrapped around Tu Gang¡¯s neck. Li Yu pulled hard and Tu Gang fell from the horse¡¯s back and fell to the ground. Yang Wei jumped out of the carriage and stepped on Tu Gang¡¯s face, crushing him back and forth. ¡°Impudent dog, how dare you to be rude in front of my Madam.¡±


    Tu Gang held his breath and his eyes were fierce. He grabbed Yang Wei¡¯s feet and lifted them up, wanting to flip Yang Wei to the ground. Yang Wei used the force to flip sideways andnd steadily on the ground. Li Yu jumped out of the carriage and kicked Tu Gang in the chest. She said coldly, ¡°I was worried about not being able to find the Green Dragon Stronghold. You came at the right time.¡± Tu Gang tilted his head and fainted from Li Yu¡¯s kick.


    The passersby watched from afar as Li Yu carried Tu Gang into the carriage and drove into the city.


    Everyone began to discuss among themselves. Passerby A said, ¡°I know that that dog belongs to Green Dragon Stronghold. He snatched our vige¡¯s Xiaozhong¡¯s wife and even crippled Xiaozhong. The Tu family can¡¯t do anything to him. He¡¯s a vicious fellow.¡±


    The woman beside her looked at her with admiration. ¡°That woman¡¯s martial arts are really good. Whose family is she from? I¡¯ve never seen her before!¡±


    ¡°I heard that the new county magistrate is good-looking, and so is the county magistrate¡¯s wife. Could that woman be the county magistrate¡¯s wife?¡±


    The old man carrying the burden said, ¡°The county magistrate¡¯s wife? How can that be? The women of the government don¡¯t evene out of their houses. How can they know kung fu? Go to work! You still have to hand over the grain in a few days. s! It¡¯s been a year. When will it end?¡±


    Li Yu brought Tu Gang home and asked Yang Wei to bring the horse to the cowshed. She carried Tu Gang into the woodshed.


    Ruyi was about to bring the women he had bought to see Li Yu when he saw Li Yu carrying an unconscious man to the woodshed. He hurriedly followed her in. ¡°Madam, where did you catch this guy?¡±


    Li Yu smiled faintly and said, ¡°He said that he was from the Green Dragon Stronghold. I was just worrying about not being able to find the people from the Green Dragon Stronghold when he bumped into me.¡±


    Ruyi tied Tu Gang to the pir with a rope and sshed a bowl of water to wake him up. Tu Gang shouted fiercely, ¡°How dare you tie me up? Do you know who I am?¡±


    Ruyi picked up a piece of wood on the ground and pped Tu Gang¡¯s mouth. ¡°Tell me, who are you? Where is the Green Dragon Stronghold?¡±


    Tu Gang¡¯s face turned pale from the pain. He spat out a mouthful of blood and red fiercely at Li Yu, who was standing coldly at the side, and Ruyi, who was in front of him. ¡°I¡¯m a right-hand man of the head of Green Dragon Stronghold. If you know what¡¯s good for you, let me go quickly. Otherwise, my leader will destroy your entire family.¡±


    Li Yu whipped Tu Gang and kicked his knee. She pointed at Tu Gang and said, ¡°You better tell me the truth. What¡¯s your name? What are you doing in the Green Dragon Stronghold? How do we get to the Green Dragon Stronghold? Otherwise, I¡¯ll let you know what it means to live a life worse than death.¡±


    ¡°Ah!¡± Tu Gang screamed in pain. He straightened his neck and pretended to be tough. ¡°Again! Bitch, I¡¯m not a good man if I tell you.¡±


    Li Yu looked at Tu Gang sinisterly. ¡°Yes! Your courage ismendable. Ruyi, I¡¯ve heard of a punishment that can make people suffer for three days and three nights without dying. I want this good man to have a taste.¡±


    Ruyi bowed and said, ¡°Please instruct me, Madam.¡±


    Li Yu said word by word, ¡°Go to the cksmith shop and make an iron brush. Then, boil a pot of water and peel him clean and tie him to the bench. Have you seen we remove a pig¡¯s hair?¡± Ruyi nodded. Li Yu chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s good that you know. Just like how we remove the hair of a pig, pour boiling water on him a few times, and use the iron brush to brush away the flesh on his body, revealing his bones. Oh! Don¡¯t let him die too quickly. Let me think. Just brush twice a day!¡±


    Tu Gang felt his blood run cold. He shook his pants and said timidly, ¡°Monster, you... you¡¯re a monster...¡± His head tilted and he fainted.


    Ruyi¡¯s scalp went numb when he heard this. He thought to himself, Where did Madam hear of such a cruel punishment? He had goosebumps all over.


    Ruyi looked at the unconscious Tu Gang and said hesitantly to Li Yu, ¡°Madam, are we really going to make iron brushes to brush him?¡±


    Li Yu smiled and shook her head, gesturing for Ruyi to walk out of the woodshed. She looked at the unconscious Tu Gang. ¡°Aren¡¯t you very tough? I haven¡¯t done anything to you!¡± Li Yu woke Tu Gang up. ¡°I don¡¯t care if you tell me or not. You¡¯re not the only one in the Green Dragon Stronghold. When the iron brush is done, I won¡¯t want to hear it from you anymore.¡±


    Tu Gang was scared out of his wits. His body trembled like a sieve. He secretly nced at Li Yu, and Li Yu¡¯s sinister description rang in his ears. His eyes were filled with fear. ¡°I¡¯ll talk, I¡¯ll talk. My name is Tu Gang. I¡¯m the trusted aide of the head of the Green Dragon Stronghold. As for the way to the Green Dragon Stronghold, you can leave from the Western City Gate and walk to the foot of the mountain. There¡¯s a big green rock. Walk up the mountain from there and follow the path. Turn left and walk for a while, then turn right, and walk until you see a waterfall. Climb over the waterfall and climb over a stone wall.¡±


    Li Yu gestured for Ruyi to note it down outside the woodshed and asked, ¡°Is there no one guarding the vige along the way?¡±


    Tu Gang nodded vigorously. ¡°Yes, there are slogans! It¡¯s different every day. On the day I came out, the people guarding the road shouted, ¡°The green dragon pressed down on the tiger¡¯s head,¡± and the people who were entering the vige replied, The tiger¡¯s head was like rotten tofu. And when returning, one shouted, ¡°A te of pig¡¯s head meat,¡± The people above responded, ¡°The tiger¡¯s head stronghold snatched it, ¡± and finally, the guards would ask,¡± Who is here?¡± The reply would be, ¡°There are only these few bastards,¡± I don¡¯t know what slogans to shout tomorrow.¡±


    Li Yu said coldly, ¡°You better not lie to me. You should know the consequences of lying to me.¡±


    ¡°I donn¡¯t dare to lie to you.¡± Tu Gang started crying. He gritted his teeth and promised, ¡°If I lied to you, you... you can brush me with an iron brush.¡±


    Li Yu nced at him and turned to leave. Tu Gang heaved a sigh of relief and closed his eyes to rest for a while. Then, he opened his eyes and looked around the woodshed and the ropes tied to his body. His eyes darted around as he thought, ¡°I can¡¯t wait for death. I have to think of a way to escape after dark.¡±


    Li Yu took a look at the route that Ruyi had recorded and returned to the courtyard. She said to Ruyi, ¡°Watch him carefully. Don¡¯t give him anything to eat. He definitely has to find an opportunity to run. Let him run. We¡¯ll follow him quietly.¡±


    Ruyi nodded. ¡°Yes, Madam. Go take a look at the two old women you bought!¡±

 Chapter 184

    184 Let Him Escape


    Li Yu nodded and thought about the route Tu Gang confessed. She thought to herself, ¡°Lack of manpower is a big problem. In the entire county office, other than me, only Xu Dong and Ruyi have offensive power. It¡¯s already not bad that Zhou Jia, Yang Wei, and Tiezhu can protect themselves. I hope Shen Wu can lend us some people. We can follow that bandit to scout the way tonight.¡±


    Ruyi brought the old woman and the woman to Li Yu and said to her, ¡°The old woman¡¯s surname is Liu and her name is Xing. The young one¡¯s surname is Zhang and her name is Tao. Old Madam Liu used to cook for Squire Liu in town. Zhang Tao was sold by her husband¡¯s family and knows how to do housework and simple needlework.¡±


    Li Yu looked at the two people kneeling on the ground and said gently, ¡°The two of you can get up! Old Madam Liu will be in charge of the food on the stove. The kitchen and stove have to be cleaned up. When you¡¯re free, help clean the house, understand?¡±


    Old Madam Liu bowed. ¡°I understand, Madam.¡±


    ¡°Aunt Zhang, you¡¯re in charge of sewing, washing, and cleaning the house, understand?¡±


    Zhang Tao bowed and said, ¡°I understand, Madam.¡±


    ¡°Ruyi, tell them the rules of the house,¡± Li Yu said as she stood up and walked to the backyard.


    After Zhou Jia and Scribe Tu taught Tiezhu how to prepare the notice twice, they asked Tie Zhu to take it and stick it on a broken wall. They also asked Tiezhu to recite it loudly in front of the broken wall. After Tiezhu stood there and recited the content of the notice a few times, curious citizens slowly surrounded him.


    After everyone stood there and listened to Tiezhu recite twice, a tall man said to Iron Pole, ¡°Little brother, is the government office really recruiting officials? What kind of people are they recruiting? What are their requirements? Do you have a sry?¡±


    The tall man asked a few questions in one breath. Tie Zhu pointed at the notice and said, ¡°Lord Zhou said that first, we have to recruit a total of 20 men under the age of 30 with clean backgrounds and strong bodies. Second, they have to have the testimonials of the neighbors, the elders, and the vige head. All of them can sign up.¡± As Tie Zhu spoke, he stood up straight and puffed out his chest. ¡°Third, as long as they can defeat me, they will be epted. Based on the current situation of the county office, the sry of each bailiff is temporarily set at 300 copper coins a month. When the county office is on the right track, the sry will be increased again.¡±


    The man looked at Tiezhu and thought to himself, My kid is much stronger than this child. I¡¯ll let him try when we get back and fight for a way out now! After thinking about it, the man squeezed out of the crowd and left in a hurry.


    An old woman sneered and said, ¡°Do the government offices have money to pay sries? Didn¡¯t you see how badly destroyed the city walls are? I wonder when they will start to repair them. And this county office, tsk tsk! I think it¡¯s most likely to coax people to work for nothing.¡±


    A man who looked like a shopkeeper nced at the old woman. ¡°Even if they work for nothing, they will still be from the government office. People will look up to them wherever they go. If you don¡¯t understand, don¡¯t spout nonsense. I have to go back and let my son try.¡± After saying that, the shopkeeper left in a hurry.


    The old man berated, ¡°You damn old woman, can¡¯t you think of something better? Why are you talking nonsense here?¡±


    ¡°If you¡¯re so capable, don¡¯t go home for dinner.¡± The old woman pouted and turned to leave.


    One of them pointed at the notice at the side and said, ¡°What¡¯s written on this?¡±


    Tiezhu replied loudly, ¡°It says here that His Majesty empathizes with the people of Qingchuan and specially decreed that from this year onwards, taxes will be exempted for five years. I hope that everyone can spread the news.¡±


    ¡°Really? I have to go back and publicize it.¡± The man took two steps before turning back to Tiezhu. ¡°Little brother, does His Majesty know? Those two strongholds also want to collect food!¡±


    Mr. Qian walked out from behind Tiezhu and cupped his hands. ¡°Brother, think about it. Who can be stronger than His Majesty? With His Majesty backing everyone, why should we be afraid of two groups of thieves?¡±


    Someone in the crowd scoffed at Mr. Qian¡¯s words. ¡°Sir, you make it sound so nice. His Majesty is so far away from us. How can he manage a ce so far away? If he really could, those soldiers from a few years ago wouldn¡¯t have met their end for nothing. Also, this county office wouldn¡¯t have been burned down, and the county magistrate wouldn¡¯t have run away! Everyone, let¡¯s wait and see! Don¡¯t lose your lives for nothing.¡±


    ¡°Yes! Yes! Let¡¯s wait a little longer!¡± People discussed and slowly dispersed.


    Zhou Jia stood at the door and looked at the people who were scattering away. Then, he looked at the dpidated county office and swore to himself, ¡°If I don¡¯t govern Qingchuan County well, I won¡¯t leave no matter how difficult it is.¡±


    After a day, there was an endless stream of people in front of the broken wall. The news of the Qingchuan County exempting taxes and recruiting officials also spread. Those with some knowledge were busy finding people to vouch for their children so that they can earn a decent living as soon as possible.


    Zhou Jia returned to the opposite side where Li Yu told him about catching the bandits of the Green Dragon Stronghold and her idea to follow the bandit to find their nest. Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu and said worriedly, ¡°Yu¡¯er, the bandits are cruel and vicious. It¡¯s too dangerous. I¡¯m worried. Forget it!¡±


    Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia and promised, ¡°Xiao Xi, don¡¯t worry. With my skills, I¡¯ll be fine. I went up the mountain to find the route. When the people we borrowed from Shen Wu and Shopkeeper Chu arrive, we¡¯ll catch them off guard and destroy the group of bandits. We can also use the gold and silver in the bandits¡¯ nest to build the city wall and the county office.¡±


    After Zhou Jia heard Li Yu¡¯s words, he smiled and lovingly scratched the tip of Li Yu¡¯s nose. ¡°You! You don¡¯t even know where the bandits are, and you want to snatch their gold and silver to build the city wall and the county office.¡± Zhou Jia was extremely reluctant to let Li Yu take the risk. He said sadly, ¡°It¡¯s all my fault for being too weak and not being able to kill the enemy with you. It¡¯s better to let Ruyi go with you so that you can take care of each other.¡±


    Li Yu tiptoed and kissed Zhou Jia¡¯s tightly furrowed brows. She smiled and said, ¡°Alright, don¡¯t belittle yourself. You¡¯re even ranked on the Golden Ranking List! This is something I can¡¯t do. Just looking at those books gives me a headache. Look, we match perfectly.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu¡¯s smiling face and lowered his head to peck her red lips. ¡°Yu¡¯er, I think that with your aptitude, you won¡¯t be worse than me if you go to school.¡±


    Li Yu giggled at Zhou Jia¡¯s praise. ¡°Then aren¡¯t you lucky to have a wife who¡¯s good at both martial arts and literature!¡±


    Zhou Jia replied seriously, ¡°Yes! I¡¯ve made a killing.¡± The two of them hugged each other and stayed together for a while. Only when Yang Wei entreated the two of them to have a meal outside did they leave the room.


    After dinner, Li Yu said to Tu Shi Yu, ¡°Mr. Tu, do you know the location of the Green Dragon Stronghold?¡±


    When Scribe Tu saw Li Yu asking about the Green Dragon Vige, he said worriedly, ¡°I only know that we leave from the west city gate, which is on the west mountain. But I don¡¯t know the exact location. Madam, why are you asking about the location of the Green Dragon Vige?¡±


    Li Yu smiled and replied, ¡°I¡¯m just a little curious how hidden their stronghold is. Why can¡¯t those soldiers find it after searching a few times?¡±


    Scribe Tu said angrily, ¡°Those soldiers were here to cheat us of our food and drinks. If they go up the mountain for a walk after eating and drinking their fill, it will be considered a report. Everyone in Qingchuan County knows that the soldiers and bandits are all in cahoots.¡±

 Chapter 185

    185 Green Dragon Stronghold


    The sky slowly darkened. Tu Gang struggled desperately in the firewood shed, trying to free himself from the ropes tied around his body. Slowly, Tu Gang realized that the ropes around his wrists had loosened a little. Tu Gang was overjoyed and tried even harder to break free of the ropes binding him. One hand broke free of the ropes. Tu Gang held his breath and quietly untied himself. He threw himself on the ground and quietly sneaked to the door and climbed over the wall.


    Tu Gang spat at the courtyard and cursed in a low voice, ¡°Bitch, wait for me to bring people back and let your entire family have a taste of iron brushes!¡±


    Tu Gang limped in front. Li Yu and Ruyi wore green clothes and covered their faces as they secretly followed Tu Gang. Tu Gang went to the west city and stopped in front of a small courtyard. He looked around and knocked on the courtyard door. After a while, a door opened and a woman weed Tu Gang in.


    This situation was beyond Li Yu¡¯s expectations. Ruyi said to Li Yu, ¡°Madam, go back and rest. I¡¯ll guard nearby.¡±


    Li Yu pointed to the corner. Ruyi nodded and hid. Li Yu climbed over the wall and entered the courtyard. She touched the bottom of the oilmp window and heard the woman¡¯s low voice. ¡°Brother Tu, why is your knee like this? No wonder you¡¯re limping. Did you meet an enemy?¡±


    Tu Gangy on the bed. ¡°Pfft! I was so unlucky. When I left the city, I met a bitch. I wanted to snatch her back as an offering to Boss. Who knew that she was a tigress? She captured me and locked me up. That bitch also kicked my kneecap. Hurry up and get some food for me. I¡¯ll leave after eating. I still have to rush back to the vige to report to Boss!¡±


    Seeing that Tu Gang¡¯s face was scrunched up from the pain, Little Peach turned her head and smiled. She pretended tofort him with heartache and said, ¡°Then what should we do, Brother Tu? If Chief finds out that you were caught, how embarrassing will it be for you? Will he still believe you in the future?¡±


    Tu Gang was stunned for a moment. ¡°No, Master trusts me the most.¡± Although he said that, his heart was beating like a drum. There were many people who wanted to rece him! If Master, with his suspicious personality, knew that he was ipetent and had been caught, he would be in trouble. Besides, if that bitch found out that he had run away and was caught by her, Tu Gang shivered and shook his head. He couldn¡¯t think about it. Damn, it was too scary.


    Seeing that Tu Gang was silent with his head lowered, Little Peach said to Tu Gang, ¡°Brother Tu, I¡¯ll go get you something to eat first.¡±


    Tu Gang red at Little Peach and said, ¡°I told you to go long ago. Why are you still here? Prepare two more torches for me.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go now.¡± Little Peach smiled and agreed. She twisted her waist and went to the kitchen. Under the dim yellow light, Li Yu saw Little Peach spitting into the noodle soup, and found it interesting.


    Li Yu saw the woman smiling at Tu Gang wolfing down the noodles in her bowl. She handed the torch to him and he seemed to be preparing to set off.


    Li Yu climbed out of the wall and hid in the corner. She watched as Tu Gang came out of the courtyard and rode a small donkey towards the city gate.


    Li Yu and Ruyi followed behind Tu Gang and left the city. At the foot of the mountain, Tu Gang lit a torch and rode the little donkey up the mountain. Li Yu and Ruyi followed him to the foot of the mountain and saw that Tu Gang had indeed gone up the mountain from a small path beside a big limestone. The two of them went up the mountain behind Tu Gang and took out their daggers to leave marks on the trees along the way.


    The path up the mountain was filled with twists and turns. After walking for four to six hours, Tu Gang walked behind a huge rock. It turned out that there was a cave hidden behind the huge rock. Li Yu and Ruyi realized that this route was different from the one he had confessed to. Tu Gang didn¡¯t mention this cave. Li Yu thought to herself, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect this mountain bandit to have such a strong will. He was so scared that he peed his pants but didn¡¯t tell us the real route. It seems that I have to use real force in the future. He won¡¯t know the pain until I stab him.¡±


    At this moment, the faint sound of wolves howling came from the mountain. Tu Gang got off the donkey and limped into the cave with it. After entering the cave, he turned left. There was a gentle slope. After walking for about an hour, they reached another exit. At this time, the sky was already bright. Tu Gang was relieved and was no longer afraid of being captured. He tied the donkey to the tree stump at the entrance of the cave, fed it some grass, andy down in the grass at the entrance to sleep.


    Li Yu and Ruyi found a depression and sat down to rest. They leaned against the mountain wall and looked at the long and narrow mountain path. Li Yu thought to herself that the Green Dragon Stronghold¡¯s location was really well hidden. If she hadn¡¯t followed Tu Gang, it would have taken some effort to find it.¡±


    After resting for more than an hour, the sky lit up. Birds chirped in the forest, and the air was filled with a fresh smell.


    Tu Gang got up and stretched. He rode the donkey and continued forward. Li Yu realized that this route was right again. Li Yu looked at Tu Gang, who was riding the donkey leisurely, and began to reflect. It turned out that the route this guy had confessed was half-truth. She was still ming herself for underestimating the enemy. Fortunately, she held back. Otherwise, this lesson would have been a little too much.


    The two of them followed Tu Gang until noon before they arrived at the waterfall. Tu Gang got off the donkey and led it past the waterfall. They turned onto a mountain path. There was indeed a stone wall above. At this moment, someone shouted from behind the stone, ¡°Who are you?¡± Tu Gang replied loudly, ¡°Bastard!¡±


    ¡°Brother Tu is back! Aiyo! What happened to your foot?¡±


    ¡°Sigh! Don¡¯t mention it! When I came back, the wolf howl scared the donkey and I fell off the donkey. Let¡¯s not talk about it anymore. I¡¯m reporting to the Leader!¡±


    ¡°Alright, take care. Old Cai and Brother Deng are guarding upstairs today. Do you want them to help you down?¡±


    ¡°No, I can go up by myself.¡±


    Li Yu and Ruyi found a big tree and climbed up. They saw a mountain road behind the huge rock, winding up. There were cliff caves on it. It seemed that these mountain bandits¡¯ir was on it. Li Yu was about to get down from the tree when she heard voices from below. Li Yu lowered her head and looked down. She saw a square-faced, muscr young man and a long-faced man with a small beard and the appearance of a country squire in his fortiesing up.


    The young man was respectful to the bearded man and said, ¡°Manager Ouyang, please.¡±


    ¡°Third Master, please.¡± The two of them went up the mountain.


    After the two of them went up the mountain, Li Yu and Ruyi came down from the tree and rushed down the mountain.


    After Tu Gang went up the mountain, he went to the First Master¡¯s residence. Zuo Qing saw Tu Gang limping and frowned. ¡°Have you found out anything about Second Brother and the others?¡±


    Tu Gang nced at Zuo Qing¡¯s gloomy face and bowed carefully. ¡°Chief, I came back after walking around the city. A new county magistrate hase to the county and posted a notice to recruit bailiffs. The notice also said that taxes are exempted for five years. I was in a hurry to tell you the news, so I came back.¡±

 Chapter 186

    186 Manager Ouyang


    ¡°The county magistrate has taken office. It seems that Second Brother is doomed.¡± Zuo Qing pondered for a moment and waved at Tu Gang. ¡°Don¡¯t stand there. Go and find Old Cai and get some Golden Injury Medicine to wipe your legs.¡±


    Tu Gang smiled obsequiously. ¡°Yes, Master. I¡¯ll go now.¡±


    Tu Gang had just walked out of the cave when he saw the Third-in-chargeing over with a small beard. He hurriedly bowed. ¡°Third-in-charge, you¡¯re back!¡±


    ¡°Hmm!¡± The Third-in-charge snorted. Without even looking at Tu Gang, he brought Manager Ouyang into the cave.


    Tu Gang looked at them and curled his lips. He thought to himself, ¡°What¡¯s there to be arrogant about? Now that the Second-in-charge is gone, I would be the Second-in-charge in no time?¡±


    In the cave, the leader cupped his fists respectfully at Manager Ouyang. ¡°Brother Ouyang, from your expression, could it be that something has happened?¡±


    Manager Ouyang cupped his fists politely and said, ¡°The general asked me to tell you to collect all the grains and send them away as soon as possible. Also, I heard that the new county magistrate of the Imperial Court, Qing Chuan, is very close to the Shen family. The general asked you to restrain yourself in the next few days and not provoke them!¡±


    Zuo Qing cursed in his heart. Damn it! It¡¯s easy to say! I¡¯ve already given you the food, but you still want me to tuck my tail between my legs. How can I raise my people without food? Zuo Qing smiled arrogantly. ¡°Brother Ouyang, if I bring people down the mountain tonight to kill him. What can they do to me?¡±


    Manager Ouyang nced at Zuo Qing indifferently and thought to himself, ¡°What an ignorant thing. Does he really think that he is invincible and can defeat the soldiers? After being arrogant for a few years, does he really think that the Green Dragon Stronghold can dominate?¡±


    ¡°Chief, you¡¯d better recall what happened a few years ago when the soldiers were suppressing the bandits. If you insist on doing things your way and provoke the soldiers, don¡¯t me my general for standing by and watching.¡±


    Zuo Qing thought to himself, Damn it, he¡¯s just a servant of the General¡¯s Mansion. How dare he teach them a lesson?


    Zuo Qing cursed Manager Ouyang in his heart, but the smile on his face did not go away. ¡°Brother Ouyang, don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t cause trouble for General. The food will be transported on time.¡±


    ¡°Master, please be careful. I¡¯ll take my leave.¡±


    ¡°Why are you in such a hurry? I¡¯ve found a few more beauties. Brother Ouyang, stay in the vige for a few days before leaving!¡±


    ¡°No, the general is being watched by the Shen family¡¯s descendants and can¡¯t leave. I have to go back and help keep an eye on things. We¡¯ll meet again in the future.¡±


    Zuo Qing and the third-in-charge politely sent Steward Ouyang down the mountain. Zuo Qing said to the Third-in-charge, ¡°Third Brother, send Brother Ouyang down the mountain.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Big Brother.¡± The Third-in-charge escorted Manager Ouyang down the mountain.


    Li Yu and Ruyi returned to the cave they came from. Li Yu said to Ruyi, ¡°That steward called Ouyang might be in cahoots with the bandits. Let¡¯s wait here and see. If we can wait for him to go down the mountain and capture him, we should be able to find out who colluded with the bandits.¡±


    Ruyi said to Li Yu worriedly, ¡°Madam, will the bandits send people down the mountain to attack us after they return to the vige? The people from Qingzhou won¡¯t be able to reach Qingchuan in a short time!¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s capture that manager first.¡± The two of them found a hidden ce and waited for Ouyang to descend the mountain.


    Li Yu looked into the cave and saw stctites hanging upside down on the ceiling. She felt strange. This should have been a karst cave. She didn¡¯t know why it had dried up.


    Zhou Jia stood at the entrance of the dpidated government office and looked at the intersection anxiously. He couldn¡¯t control his mind and kept letting his imagination run wild. Yu¡¯er and Ruyi had already left for a day and night and hadn¡¯t returned. Could something have happened to them?! No, Yu¡¯er¡¯s martial arts were so good. How could something have happened to her? Sigh! It was all his fault for being too weak. Otherwise, how good it would be to fight alongside Yu¡¯er! Zhou Jia put his palms together and prayed. ¡°Heaven, please bless them and let them return safely!¡±


    When the people gathered in front of the county office saw the handsome county magistrate praying to the heavens with his hands sped together, they began to discuss softly. Mr. Qian sighed with red eyes. ¡°My lord is praying for the people of Qingchuan to the heavens. He is praying for the heavens to destroy the bandits as soon as possible and return everyone to a peaceful life.¡± After Mr. Qian finished speaking, he ced his hands together and prayed. Seeing this, everyone also prayed.


    Zhou Jia opened his eyes and saw the people in front of the county office putting their palms together and praying to the sky. This scene stunned him. Mr. Qian moved to Zhou Jia¡¯s side and said loudly, ¡°Sir, the people of Qingchuan are thinking the same as you. They are all looking forward to exterminating the bandits as soon as possible and living a peaceful life.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Mr. Qian and nodded awkwardly. ¡°Yes, everyone will work together and will definitely live a peaceful life.¡±


    The woman and the old woman discussed softly, ¡°Lord Zhou is really a good official! He¡¯s good-looking and kind-hearted.¡±


    The old woman held her chest and said, ¡°That¡¯s right! He¡¯s even better-looking than the young actors on the stage in Qingzhou.¡±


    ¡°Aiyo! Old Madam Zhang, no wonder your old man¡¯s jealousy has been churning for decades.¡±


    Mr. Qian looked at the old women with resentment. Why did they keep talking about how good looking Magistrate Zhou was when they are officials and citizens?


    The sky slowly darkened. Manager Ouyang and the Third-in-charge of the Green Dragon Stronghold rode their horses to the entrance of the cave. The two of them alighted from their horses and lit torches. They led their horses into the cave one after another.


    Li Yu and Ruyi waited at the corner not far from the cave entrance, listening to the approaching footsteps. The faint mes gradually became brighter.


    After a while, Manager Ouyang walked past Li Yu with a torch in one hand and a horse in the other. Soon after, the Third-in-charge appeared. Li Yu and Ruyi attacked almost at the same time. Ruyi¡¯s fist struck Manager Ouyang at lightning speed. Before Manager Ouyang could even grunt, he was knocked unconscious by Ruyi.


    Li Yu touched the butterfly petal on the sleeve arrow and the sleeve arrow shot towards the back of the Third-in-charge¡¯s neck. Thetter felt a strong winding at him and hurriedly turned his head to dodge the sleeve arrow. The sleeve arrow brushed past his neck and he reached out his fist to hit Li Yu at lightning speed. Li Yu raised her leg and kicked the his fist away. The dagger in her right hand slid past the Third-in-charge¡¯s neck, causing him to smash into the ground.


    Li Yu picked up the Third-in-charge and ced him on the horse¡¯s back. Ruyi tied Manager Ouyang up with a rope and gagged him before cing him on the horse¡¯s back. The two of them held torches and quickly left the cave with the horse. Hearing the wolf howls in the distance, they found a ce on the road and threw the Third-in-charge down the mountain stream before rushing down the mountain with Manager Ouyang.


    The two of them led the horse and hurried along. Halfway through, Manager Ouyang was woken up and kept twisting around. He was knocked unconscious by Ruyi¡¯s p. The two of them sped through the night and rushed home at midnight. When they knocked on the door, Li Yu saw Zhou Jia standing behind the door. Seeing Zhou Jia¡¯s happy expression, her heart warmed and she smiled. ¡°This trip was not bad.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re back!¡± Zhou Jia didn¡¯t hear what Li Yu was saying at all. He smiled foolishly and held Li Yu¡¯s hand, feeling relieved.


    He Xiaoyu looked at Ruyi happily with the oilmp. ¡°You must be hungry! Are you hurt anywhere? Oh! I¡¯ll go set up the food.¡±


    Ruyi saw how He Xiaoyu was so happy that she was incoherent. He smiled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not injured! I¡¯m just too hungry. Go and set up the food. I¡¯ll lock him up beforeing back.¡±

 Chapter 187

    187 Preparing


    Only then did Zhou Jia and Xiaoyu see that there was someone tied to the horse. Seeing Zhou Jia¡¯s puzzled look, Li Yu pointed at Manager Ouyang and said, ¡°He was captured on the mountain. The bandits called him Manager Ouyang and were quite respectful to him. I suspect that he was sent by someone who colluded with the bandits. There was also a third head of the Green Dragon Stronghold who was thrown into the mountain stream after being dealt with.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu¡¯s tired expression and said with heartache, ¡°It¡¯s been hard on you guys. Go eat and have a good sleep first.¡±


    Li Yu saw that Zhou Jia¡¯s eyes were bloodshot and knew that he was worried about her safety and couldn¡¯t sleep well. She nodded with a smile. ¡°Go and sleep for a while. Look at you, your eyes are bloodshot.¡±


    Zhou Jia shook his head and pinched Li Yu¡¯s hand. He looked at Li Yu with heartache. ¡°I¡¯m not tired. You and Ruyi go eat first. I¡¯ll get someone to lock him in the cer. It¡¯s not convenient to interrogate that guy in the middle of the night.¡±


    Li Yu smiled tiredly. ¡°Yes, it won¡¯t be toote to interrogate him tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Alright, eat first.¡±


    Xiaoyu brought the food from the pot to the table and scooped a bowl of chicken soup for Li Yu. Her heart ached as she said, ¡°Madam, drink some chicken soup to nourish yourself.¡±


    ¡°Yes! It¡¯s been hard on you, Xiaoyu. Go to bedter and leave the family matters to the old woman.¡±


    Seeing that Li Yu was still concerned about her even though she was so tired, Xiaoyu smiled happily and said, ¡°I¡¯m not tired. It¡¯s Young Master who¡¯s tired. He didn¡¯t sleepst night and didn¡¯t eat much.¡±


    Li Yu put down the bowl and chopsticks. ¡°Yes! I¡¯ll let him rest.¡± When they returned to the room, Zhou Jia had already gotten someone to prepare hot water. He led Li Yu to the bathtub and said gently, ¡°I know you can¡¯t sleep without showering. Go wash up quickly. I¡¯ll scrub your back.¡±


    Li Yu pushed Zhou Jia out. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to rub it. Go and sleep for a while, or I¡¯ll ignore you.¡±


    Zhou Jia hugged Li Yu and kissed her. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go to sleep. You can wash up first.¡±


    After Li Yu had her bath, she returned to her room and saw that Zhou Jia was already asleep. Li Yuy beside Zhou Jia and fell asleep with her head on the pillow.


    Zhou Jia woke up and went to the government office in high spirits. Scribe Tu held the booklet and said to Zhou Jia, ¡°Sir, we¡¯ve recruited a total of 30 magistrate runners. When they¡¯re eliminated, the number of people will be suitable. I saw that they were gathered there with nothing to do, so I sent them to clean up the ruins and guard the city gate.¡±


    Zhou Jia took the booklet and looked at it for a while before saying, ¡°Alright, pay attention and choose those who are down-to-earth and hardworking. We¡¯ll slowly eliminate those who are sneaky and cunning. Let Xu Dong and Ruyi teach them some self-defense skills. Then, call a few smart-mouthed ones over and let them go to the various viges to inform the vige chiefs toe to the city when they have time.¡±


    Seeing how Zhou Jia quickly arranged the matter, in a manner that was a departure from his distracted self yesterday, Scribe Tuughed in his heart. Now that Madam was back, he was in high spirits. Scribe Tu narrowed his eyes and kept nodding. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll arrange it now.¡±


    Manager Ouyang woke up again and realized that he had been blindfolded and tied to a pir. Where was this? Manager Ouyang pricked up his ears and realized that his surroundings were quiet. Who had tied him up? Could it be Zuo Qing? No! He didn¡¯t dare. Could it be that the General¡¯s private n had been discovered by the Shen family? Had he been captured by the Shen family?


    Steward Ouyang shouted, ¡°Is anyone there? Someone! I want to pay my respects... Is anyone there?¡± Manager Ouyang shouted until his throat was hoarse, but there was no one. Fear gradually rose in his heart. He made up his mind and decided to bite his tongue tomit suicide. He stuck his tongue out, but he could not bite it.


    Manager Ouyang¡¯s tears flowed down as he shouted hoarsely, ¡°Who are you? Why are you locking me up? Let me out...¡±


    When Li Yu woke up, she saw that the sun was shining into the house. After putting on her clothes and walking out of the door, Xiaoyu came. ¡°Madam, you¡¯re awake! The person in the cer was shouting. After a long time, there¡¯s no movement. Do you want to take a look?¡±


    Li Yu smiled and said, ¡°Ignore him. We¡¯ll talk when Young Masteres back.¡±


    ¡°Got it! I¡¯ll tell Ruyi, Madam! The ce that was burned has already started to be tidied up. The scribe asked those newly recruited bailiffs to do it.¡±


    ¡°Oh! Let¡¯s take a lookter!¡±


    Xiaoyu smiled at Li Yu. ¡°You should go and eat something first. Young Master instructed me to let you eat first when you wake up!¡±


    Li Yu nodded. Xiaoyu asked Old Madam Liu to send food over. After Li Yu finished eating, she went to the government office, but she didn¡¯t see Zhou Jia. She saw Mr. Qian writing something on the table alone.


    Mr. Qian looked up and saw Li Yu. He stood up and asked, ¡°Madam, are you looking for Sir? Sir and Scribe Tu have gone Shi Vige.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and shook her head. ¡°I want to ask if there¡¯s arger wastnd near the county city.¡±


    Mr. Qian flipped open the fish scale book and pointed at a mountainous area. ¡°This is it. I heard from Scribe Tu that this is a barren mountain outside the eastern city. There are more than a hundred acres of wastnd at the foot of the mountain that no one has been farming. When Scribe Tues back, I¡¯ll show you.¡±


    Li Yu put down the fish scale book and smiled. ¡°Alright, go ahead! I¡¯ll go back first.¡±


    Mr. Qian bowed and said, ¡°Take care.¡±


    After Li Yu went out, she took a look at the ruins of the city wall before returning to her house. She thought that since she had killed the Third-in-charge of the Green Dragon Stronghold, the bandits should notice that something was wrong the day after tomorrow. If Tu Gang said that he had been captured by her, the Green Dragon Vige would definitely go down the mountain to take revenge. Li Yu walked around the wall and thought about how to guard against the Green Dragon Stronghold¡¯s sneak attack.


    Yang Wei and Aunt Zhang returned from cutting grass. Seeing Li Yu circling the wall, Yang Wei asked curiously, ¡°Madam, is the wall broken?¡±


    Li Yu saw Yang Wei leading the horse and carrying a few sacks of grass. She smiled and said, ¡°You two are back from cutting the grass!¡±


    Aunt Zhang bowed to Li Yu cautiously and carried the sack down from the horse. Seeing that she was struggling, Li Yu walked over and carried the sack off the horse.


    Aunt Zhang thanked her helplessly. ¡°Thank you, Madam!¡±


    Li Yu smiled and waved her hand. She looked at Yang Wei as he opened the sack. ¡°Madam, look at this grass. It¡¯s tender and dense. Aunt Zhang brought me to the foot of the mountain outside the East City to cut it.¡± Yang Wei opened his arms and gestured. ¡°There¡¯s arge wastnd at the foot of the mountain, Madam! Shall we buy it to reim thend?¡±


    ¡°Alright, when Young Masteres back, we¡¯ll buynd and explore.¡±


    Aunt Zhang didn¡¯t expect Li Yu to agree to Yang Wei¡¯s request, but she liked Yang Wei¡¯s liveliness and cuteness. She was afraid that Li Yu would scold Yang Wei after seeing the wastnd, so she said with a red face, ¡°Madam, that ce is a chaotic mountain. There isn¡¯t much promise in it.¡±


    Li Yu smiled gently and said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry. I originally nned to buy a wastnd to develop. Also, do you know where there¡¯s bamboo?¡±


    Seeing that Li Yu was easygoing, Aunt Zhang raised her voice. ¡°There¡¯s a forest outside the East City. Do you need me to cut some back?¡±


    ¡°Okay, take Ah Wei¡¯s cart and bring back a cart full of them.¡±


    Aunt Zhang brought Yang Wei¡¯s cart to cut bamboo. Li Yu went to the woodshed and found a hoe to dig a pit for a trap.

 Chapter 188

    188 Shi Vige


    In the Green Dragon Stronghold, Tu Gang limped to the dam at the top of the mountain andy on a pile of straw. He looked at Zuo Qing, who was cultivating, and thought about how to trick Zuo Qing into agreeing to take revenge.


    After racking his brains for a long time, he suddenly thought of something.


    ¡°Our brothers will be going down the mountain to collect food in ten days. I can bring our brothers to exact revenge!¡±


    After Tu Gang thought about it, he went back to get a basin of warm water and carried it to the dam where Zuo Qing was cultivating. He wet the handkerchief and handed it to Zuo Qing, saying obsequiously, ¡°Big Brother, we¡¯ll be collecting food in a few days. My old horse is still at Little Peach¡¯s house! I want to go down the mountain with Uncle Cai and the others to exchange for my old horse. What do you think?¡±


    Zuo Qing took the handkerchief and looked at Tu Gang¡¯s fawning expression. He knocked him on the head and smiled. ¡°Kid, have you taken a fancy to another woman in the city?¡±


    Tu Gang staggered from Zuo Qing¡¯s p. After he stabilized himself, he gave a thumbs-up and smiled. ¡°Big Brother¡¯s kung fu has improved again. When will Big Brother lead us to conquer Tiger Head Stronghold? Our Green Dragon Stronghold will be thergestir.¡±


    Zuo Qing smiled smugly at Tu Gang¡¯s ttery. ¡°Kid, don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re thinking. On ount of what you said, when we collect the grain, you¡¯ll go down the mountain with Uncle Cai.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Big Brother.¡± Tu Gang bent down and took the cloth towel Zuo Qing handed him. After washing it, he eagerly waited on Zuo Qing.


    Zhou Jia and Scribe Tu went to the Shi Family Vige at the edge of the city. Most of the families in the vige had the surname Shi. Zhou Jia saw that almost every family in the vige had thatched houses. Only the vige chief¡¯s house was slightly better. Half of the roof was covered with tiles, but it had been some years since the roof work was done.


    The vige chief¡¯s wife wiped the stool before bringing it to the courtyard. She ced it there in fear and bowed. ¡°Sir, please sit. We don¡¯t even have a good stool in the countryside.¡±


    Zhou Jia sat down with a smile and said politely, ¡°It¡¯s fine, Aunt. When we migrated a few years ago, we sat on the ground and slept in the cave! Everyone, sit!¡±


    After the vige chief and the elder sat down carefully, theyined with a bitter face, ¡°Sir, although the harvest this year was a little good, only 40% of it fell into our hands. After a year of hard work, every family can¡¯t eat enough, and the children are so hungry that they¡¯re only left with ayer of skin.¡± The vige chief wiped his tears. ¡°Sir! Anyone in Qingchuan City who has some family background and connections has moved to a foreign vige to make a living. We don¡¯t have the ability, and it was difficult to leave our hometown, so we stayed. During the drought, only 20 families migrated and came back. Together, there are only 30 or so families. There aren¡¯t enough people to work. We do not dare to bring our good-looking girls out. The bandits don¡¯t leave us a way out!¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at the vige chief and the elders. They all looked miserable and thin. His heart was filled with bitterness. He stood up and bowed to the vige chief and the surrounding vigers. ¡°Everyone, believe me. Dy for a few days before you hand the food to the bandits. I will think of a way to relieve everyone¡¯s worries and let everyone live a peaceful life.¡±


    When the vige chief and the elder saw Zhou Jia bow to the two of them, they hurriedly bowed as well. The elder of the Shi family said to Zhou Jia with a trembling voice, ¡°Sir, we can dy it for half a month at most. We don¡¯t dare to push our luck!¡±


    Zhou Jia thought to himself, ¡°In half a month. Xu Chun should have returned with reinforcements. Even if he can¡¯t make it in time, Yu¡¯er, Ruyi, Xu Dong, and my mediocre skills should be able to protect the food in the vige.¡±


    After Zhou Jia thought about it, he said to the elder in a low voice, ¡°If you believe me, send someone to tell the scribe that I will bring people to protect everyone¡¯s food on the day of the handover.¡±


    The elder¡¯s eyes lit up when he heard this. He stared at Zhou Jia and said, ¡°Can you really protect us?¡±


    Zhou Jia said in a certain tone, ¡°Gather everyone in the vige and don¡¯t split up. It shouldn¡¯t be a problem to protect your vige.¡±


    The elder stood up straight with his walking stick. ¡°Alright, Lord Zhou is different from those officials in the past. I will believe you this once. I will get someone to tell you on the first day.¡±


    Zhou Jia held the elder and said firmly, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s work together to resist the enemy.¡±


    The elder and the vige chief bowed and thanked him. ¡°Alright, I thank Lord Zhou on behalf of everyone.¡±


    Zhou Jia stood up and cupped his hands. ¡°It¡¯s my duty to protect you. Elder Shi, Vige Chief Shi, it¡¯s gettingte. We¡¯ll take our leave.¡±


    Xu Dong and Scribe Tu also stood up and cupped their hands in farewell. Vige Chief Shi and the elders sent Zhou Jia and the others out of the vige and watched the carriage leave before returning to the vige.


    Vige Chief Shi said to the elder, ¡°Great Ancestor, are we really going to to do as Lord Zhou says?¡±


    The elder held his walking stick and looked at the rice that had yet to be harvested. ¡°I think this Lord Zhou is not on the same side as those wretched officials in the past. If we are ckmailed by the wolves on the mountain, we will only die. Let¡¯s take a gamble and let the children eat their fill.¡±


    Vige Chief Shi rubbed his t stomach and recalled the situation when he was full. ¡°Yes! Let the children have a taste of being full.¡±


    When Zhou Jia returned home, he saw Li Yu leading people along the courtyard wall and filling it with sharpened bamboo. He knew that Li Yu had started to guard against the bandits and started to get busy.


    Manager Ouyang woke up from hunger and realized that he was still in the endless darkness. He seemed to have heard a faint voice and hurriedly shouted in a hoarse voice, ¡°Is anyone there? Please say something! What do you want? Tell me!¡± Everyone was busy setting up the trap, so no one paid attention to Manager Ouyang¡¯s shouting.


    Li Yu and Zhou Jia led Ruyi towards the cell. Zhou Jia said to Li Yu, ¡°Yu¡¯er, Ruyi said that the mountain bandit called Tu Gang lied to you and didn¡¯t tell you the exact route?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I didn¡¯t expect to not scare that guy. Looks like I have to give them a hard time before they tell the truth.¡±


    When the few of them arrived at the entrance of the cer, Li Yu nced at Ruyi and gestured below. Ruyi understood and said to Zhou Jia loudly, ¡°Young Master, Madam asked me to make an iron brush... until he turns into aplete skeleton.¡±


    When Steward Ouyang heard footsteps and voices, he was delighted. Someone was finally here. He pricked up his ears and realized that the voice wasing from above. He heard Ruyi talking about how to use an iron brush to scrub people into bones. He was so frightened that he shouted, ¡°Someone! Help! Let me out!¡±


    Zhou Jia also felt a chill when he heard this. He raised his foot and walked into the cer. He looked at Manager Ouyang and asked coldly, ¡°It¡¯s not impossible to let you out. Tell me first, why did youe to Qingchuan?¡±


    Manager Ouyang quibbled, ¡°Sir, I¡¯m just a passing merchant delivering goods to the Green Dragon Stronghold¡¯s leader. Please let me go.¡±

 Chapter 189

    189 Trial


    Ruyi said to Zhou Jia, ¡°Young Master, don¡¯t waste your breath. It seems that he wants to have a taste of washing up. I¡¯ll get someone to prepare it!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t!¡± Manager Ouyang begged, ¡°I¡¯m really here to deliver the goods. Please let me go!¡±


    Zhou Jia patted Manager Ouyang¡¯s cheek and said darkly, ¡°It seems that you really want to have a taste of iron brush! Look at your pitiful appearance. I¡¯ll give you a hint. Your surname is Ouyang. You came from Qingzhou. Even if you don¡¯t say it, I¡¯ll send someone to investigate and find out who you¡¯re working for. Ruyi! I¡¯ll leave him to you!¡±


    When Manager Ouyang heard this, his heart seemed to be pressed by an invisible rock. His mouth kept trembling, and his mind was nk.


    Zhou Jia said coldly, ¡°Tell me! As long as you tell me honestly, I¡¯ll let you live. If you don¡¯t tell me, I have plenty of ways to make you suffer!¡±


    Manager Ouyang trembled in fear. He came back to his senses and said hesitantly, ¡°If I tell you, will you really not kill me? Also, my family is in Qingzhou. Can you protect them?¡±


    Zhou Jia said gently, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. As long as you¡¯re telling the truth, I¡¯ll get someone to protect your family in Qingzhou. The premise is that you¡¯re telling the truth.¡±


    Manager Ouyang shook his head and said, ¡°I don¡¯t dare to lie. You¡¯ll know after checking. My name is Ouyang Yongchun. I came from Qingzhou Prefecture and work as the manager of General Huang¡¯s grain shop. I was ordered toe and collect the grain. After I left the mountain, I was going to go to the Tiger Head Stronghold, but you kidnapped me here.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Manager Ouyang angrily. ¡°It seems that the ones who came to Qingchuan to suppress the bandits in the past were also General Huang¡¯s subordinates, right?¡± Manager Ouyang nodded fearfully. Zhou Jia pointed at Manager Ouyang angrily. ¡°Do you know that you harmed the people of Qingchuan for your own selfish interests? Where is the ledger of your collusion with the bandits and plundering the people¡¯s food all these years?¡±


    ¡°Sir, the ount book in the shop is at General Huang¡¯s house. However, I still have a private ount book with my wife. I have a key on me. Take it to my wife and she will give you the ount book! Sir! I¡¯m just a servant and can only follow orders. I¡¯ve said everything you want to know. Please keep your word and help me get my family out. If the general finds out that I betrayed him, my family will die.¡±


    ¡°Where are the people from Tiger Head Stronghold meeting you?¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow, they¡¯ll pick me up at the inn in town.¡±


    Zhou Jia asked Manager Ouyang to press his handprint and said to Ruyi, ¡°Untie him and bring him to wash up. Give him some food.¡±


    Ruyi nodded and untied Manager Ouyang. Manager Ouyang nced at Zhou Jia and the others, lowered his head, took a key from his neck, and handed it to Zhou Jia. ¡°Sir, here¡¯s the key. Please get my wife and child out.¡± Zhou Jia took the key, nodded, and asked Ruyi to bring Manager Ouyang up.


    When the couple returned to the central room, Zhou Jia said to Li Yu, ¡°Yu¡¯er, I¡¯ll get Xu Dong to send a letter to the Four Seas Bank immediately to obtain evidence of General Huang¡¯s collusion with the bandits and protect Manager Ouyang¡¯s family.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll get someone to prepare food and luggage for him immediately.¡±


    Zhou Jia exined the situation and put it into a bamboo tube. He then asked Manager Ouyang to write a letter to his family. He called Xu Dong over and said to him, ¡°Master Xu, please send this to Qingzhou immediately and hand it to Shopkeeper Chu. Tell him that it¡¯s urgent.¡±


    Xu Dong nodded and said, ¡°Lord Zhou, don¡¯t worry. Leave it to me. I won¡¯t dy anything.¡±


    Xu Dong took the luggage from Li Yu and rode away.


    Ruyi brought Manager Ouyang to the central room. Zhou Jia said to him, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve already sent someone to pick up your family. You know very well that General Huang conspired with the mountain bandits to rob and pay taxes. The penalty for his crime is the confiscation of his family¡¯s assets and the extermination of his n. As long as you do your job well, I¡¯ll save your life.¡±


    After Manager Ouyang confessed, he knew that he had no way out. With a thud, he knelt in front of Zhou Jia and kowtowed. ¡°Thank you, sir. I will definitely do my best. Thank you for not killing me!¡±


    Zhou Jia said kindly, ¡°Get up! I¡¯ll get Ruyi to protect you and go to Tiger Head Stronghold together. In order not to arouse the suspicion of the people in Tiger Head Stronghold, you and Ruyi can go back to the inn!¡±


    Manager Ouyang got up and bowed. ¡°Sir, don¡¯t worry. I will cooperate well.¡±


    Ruyi and Manager Ouyang left through the back door and walked towards the inn.


    Zhou Jia returned to his room and saw Li Yubing her hair in front of the bronze mirror. He took theb from Li Yu¡¯s hand and helped herb her hair. After telling Li Yu about the Shi Family Vige, he said, ¡°Originally, I was worried that we wouldn¡¯t have enough manpower. Now that we¡¯ve captured Manager Ouyang, there¡¯s no need for us to go to Shi Family Vige anymore. After the bandits hand the food to Manager Ouyang, we can bring it back and return it to the vigers.¡±


    ¡°You have to make things clear with Elder Shi first. Also, I want to buy a piece of wastnd. After the farming is over, I¡¯ll hire people to reim it. You have to hurry up and repair the city walls. Otherwise, it will be toote when winteres.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll post an announcement tomorrow and hire someone to repair the city wall.¡± Zhou Jia squatted down and looked at Li Yu with a fawning smile. ¡°Yu¡¯er, I wanted to discuss it you. Let¡¯s get some money from our savings to pay the wages, okay?¡±


    Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia¡¯s fawning expression and hooked Zhou Jia¡¯s chin. She teased, ¡°As long as Lord Zhou serves me well, I¡¯ll allow you to do so.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu, his eyes burning with passion. He picked Li Yu up and muttered in her ear in a low and hoarse voice, ¡°Xiao Xi will serve Madam well.¡±


    Zhou Jia got out of bed with a smile. After dinner, he asked Tiezhu to bring out the money at home and called Mr. Qian and Scribe Tu to the dpidated office. Tiezhu ced the silver and gold in his bag, as well as the silver and jewelry he had taken from the bandits, on the table.


    Scribe Tu¡¯s eyes lit up as he stared at the money in his bag. He thought to himself, I didn¡¯t expect Lord Zhou to be so rich at such a young age.


    ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve seen so much money. Did Lord Zhou bring this money to show off?¡±


    Mr. Qian also looked at Zhou Jia in confusion. Zhou Jia smiled and said, ¡°I asked my wife for these silver coins. The gold was rewarded by His Majesty, and the silver was saved by my wife through hard work. Let me bring it over and repair the city wall first. Let me make it clear first! When the county office has silver, we have to return it to her.¡±


    Minister Tu¡¯s eyes turned red as he looked at the silver. Oh my god! Our Qingchuan finally has a parent official who loves the people as his children! Scribe Tu bowed to Zhou Jia and said, ¡°Lord Zhou, thank you and Madam!¡±


    Zhou Jia helped Scribe Tu and said, ¡°Scribe Tu, you don¡¯t have to do this. I¡¯m the official of Qingchuan County. It¡¯s only right for me to do these things.¡±


    Scribe Tu wiped his tears and said, ¡°I¡¯ll gather the people in the city and let everyone pool the money to repair our city wall!¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at the Scribe Tu and said seriously, ¡°Scribe Tu, make it clear to the people that the wages of those who do work are not much. Ten copper coins a day. After you use up these silver coins, I will write an IOU to them. The county office will not renege on it.¡±


    Scribe Tu replied respectfully, ¡°Yes, sir.¡±

 Chapter 190 - 190 Repairing the Wall

    190 Repairing the Wall


    Scribe Tu sat in the carriage and rang the gong. He shouted along the street, ¡°Folks, quickly gather at the county government gate. From today onwards, we will start repairing the city wall.¡±


    An old man with a head full of white hair and a wrinkled face opened the door and said to the scribe, ¡°Schr Tu, where would you get the money to repair the city wall? Even if we go to work without money, where will we get the money to buy materials?¡±


    Scribe Tu looked at the old man and smiled happily. ¡°Chief Tong, Lord Zhou took out all the silver his wife had saved. There¡¯s even the gold rewarded by His Majesty!¡±


    ¡°Pfft!¡± n Leader Tong spat at the scribe. ¡°His Majesty rewarded it to Madam. Don¡¯t lie to this old man. Why should His Majesty reward a seventh-grade official¡¯s wife with silver?!¡±


    Scribe Tu narrowed his eyes and said proudly, ¡°You don¡¯t know about this! Lord Zhou¡¯s wife is a first-grade National Madam Protector. ¡±


    n Leader Tong grabbed Shi Yu¡¯s hand excitedly. ¡°Schr Tu, is that true? You¡¯re not lying to me?¡±


    Scribe Tu raised his hand and said, ¡°I swear!¡±


    n Leader Tong said happily, ¡°Alright, in that case, let¡¯s go repair the city wall. We¡¯ll do it for free!¡±


    When Li Yu got up, she realized that Zhou Jia had already woken up. She heard Xiaoyu whispering to Old Madam Liu in the courtyard.


    Li Yu put on her dress and walked out of the room. Xiaoyu looked at Li Yu and winked. ¡°Madam, why don¡¯t you sleep a little longer? Young Master instructed us not to wake you up before he left.¡±


    Li Yu poked Xiaoyu and smiled with a red face. ¡°Wretched girl, you were chattering like a sparrow outside. You woke me up long ago.¡±


    Xiaoyu hugged Li Yu¡¯s hand and giggled. ¡°Madam, please forgive me. I¡¯ll set the table for you now.¡±


    Old Madam Liu steamed buns for breakfast, cooked mixed grain porridge, and made two dishes. After Li Yu ate, Yang Wei came back with the title deed and handed it to Li Yu. ¡°Madam, Young Master bought the wastnd outside the eastern city. Madam, today, the government office is filled with people who signed up to repair the city wall.¡±


    Li Yu took the title deed. ¡°How much does Young Master pay per day to hire someone to repair the city wall?¡±


    Yang Wei said with heartache, ¡°Ten copper coins a day, and food is not included. More than a hundred people have signed up and construction has already begun. More than a hundred people! The daily sry is also quite a lot. Sigh! I¡¯m afraid we will need to top up more with the money at home.¡±


    Seeing Yang Wei¡¯s heartache, Li Yu smiled and said, ¡°Little money-grubber, there¡¯s still the silver you found in the bandits¡¯ pockets. Sigh! Young Master has used up all the silver at home. We have to earn money quickly. Let¡¯s go and see the wastnd first. We have to open thend as soon as possible and nt the winter wheat.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll go get the car.¡±


    Li Yu brought Yang Wei out of the house. When they arrived at the eastern city gate, they saw that construction had begun in full swing on the eastern city wall.


    Li Yu rushed out of the city and walked for half an hour before arriving at the wastnd at the foot of the mountain. She picked up the hoe and dug in the wastnd. After digging a few ces, Li Yu realized that the soil of the wastnd was a little t. She carried the hoe and walked around the wastnd, but she didn¡¯t find any water source.


    She thought to herself that it was inconvenient to irrigate here. It was no wonder there was such a huge wastnd near the county city.


    Li Yu looked up at the mountain and realized she could only go up and see if there was a water source. If there was no water on the mountain, it would really be troublesome.


    Ruyi and Manager Ouyang followed the mountain bandits who came to pick them up.


    After going up the mountain, Ruyi felt that the mountain was not steep. They walked for a day and rested on the road for a night. The next day, when the sun went down, they walked through a pass and arrived at the Tiger Head Stronghold.


    The Tiger Head Stronghold was built on the t ground of a mountain. At a nce, the terrain of the Tiger Head Stronghold was much better than that of the Green Dragon Stronghold.


    Ruyi felt that the Tiger Head Stronghold relied on that pass. As long as they sent people to guard that pass, it would not be easy for the people outside to fight their way in.


    After entering their, Ruyi saw that Guan Hu, the head of the Tiger Head Vige, was tall and had a loud voice. One could tell at a nce that he was extremely powerful.


    Manager Ouyang and Guan Hu agreed on the day to deliver the food and left the mountain with Ruyi.


    After Li Yu looked at the wastnd, she asked Yang Wei to send the cart home and walked towards the foot of the mountain. She nned to go up the mountain to see if there was any water source. Also, the wild animals on the mountain were delicious at this time of year. She could catch some wild animals and go home.


    Li Yu cut a long wooden stick at the foot of the mountain. As she walked, she knocked on the grass to prevent snakes and insects froming out. Li Yu was very disgusted by these soft and cold things.


    As she walked up the path, she didn¡¯t even see a pheasant, let alone other wild animals. On the way, they encountered a few half-grown children picking wild fruits on the mountain. There were chocte vines, myrtle, and a few types of wild fruits that Li Yu had never seen before.


    The children looked at Li Yu curiously. Li Yu smiled and asked them, ¡°Little kids, do you know where there¡¯s a ditch nearby?¡±


    The younger ones cowered behind the older children. A round-faced boy boldly pointed to the path on the left and said, ¡°Walk over there. There¡¯s a cave not far away. There¡¯s water in the cave.¡±


    Li Yu saw that the children¡¯s clothes were all patched up. It seemed that they were all children from poor families. She smiled and thanked the boy before walking towards the path the boy pointed out.


    After walking for half an hour, she saw a small cave the size of a small square table. A thin stream flowed out of the crack in the cliff and into a bowl-sized hole in the cave. Li Yu realized why there was no water at the foot of the mountain. There was also a funnel here. She decided tp go down the mountain first and hire someone to dig a pond before guiding the water down the mountain. Thinking that autumn was about to arrive, Li Yu was not in the mood to hunt in the higher mountains.


    Li Yu stood on the mountain and saw a vige at the foot of the mountain on the left. She wanted to go to the vige to hire some vigers to help develop thend. After thinking about it, she quickly walked down the mountain.


    When she walked into the vige, she saw a mule cart parked by the side of the road. A few little girls with tears on their faces were curled up in the mule cart. The mule cart was surrounded by vigers in tattered clothes and a crying woman.


    Not far away, a man in tattered clothes with red eyes grabbed a seven or eight-year-old girl with one hand and walked towards the mule cart. Behind him, a woman held the hand of a crying little girl and stumbled after the man.


    The woman was panting from the chase, and her face was filled with panic and helplessness. She pounced over and grabbed the man¡¯s hand, begging non-stop, ¡°Please don¡¯t sell the child. We¡¯ve survived the disaster. Seeing that our days are getting better, Da Ya and Er Ya can help the family work. Please, I¡¯m begging you.¡±


    When they were about to reach the front of the mule cart, the man¡¯s heart softened. It was unknown if it was because of the woman¡¯s sorrowful cries or because the two children were crying silently that the man could not bear to part with them. The man stopped in his tracks. The woman rushed over and held the two little girls in her arms. A little girl behind also pounced over and hugged the woman. The four of them cried loudly. The helplessness and despair in their voices broke the hearts of the onlookers!

 Chapter 191 - 191 The County Magistrate’s Wife Who Defends Justice

    191 The County Magistrate¡¯s Wife Who Defends Justice


    At this moment, a mean-looking old woman with thin eyes and thin lips walked toward the man.


    The old woman covered her mouth and nose with her hand and walked to the mother and daughter, who were hugging each other and crying. She looked at the man with disgust and said in a sharp voice, ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for you for half a day. Are you selling her or not?¡±


    The man looked at the mother and daughter with red eyes, then at the old woman. He gritted his teeth and nodded. The old woman smiled and went over to pull the little girl who was holding on to the woman. ¡°That¡¯s more like it. I came from Qingzhou. If you sell her to me, you¡¯ll enter a big family to enjoy life.¡±


    The woman hugged her daughter tightly and raised her head. She looked at the old woman hatefully and said, ¡°No, she¡¯s my daughter. If I don¡¯t agree to sell her, no one can take her away.¡±


    The little girl widened her deer-like eyes and looked at the old woman fearfully. The old woman¡¯s eyes lit up. Her looks are good. If I bring her back and train her, I won¡¯t have to worry about money in the future!


    ¡°Yo! This child is so lively.¡± The old woman reached out to touch the little girl¡¯s face. The little girl was so frightened that she buried her head in her mother¡¯s back. The old woman straightened up and said to the man, ¡°Your wife can¡¯t bear to part with the two older ones. I¡¯m soft-hearted and can¡¯t bear to see others sad. Sell the younger one to me and I¡¯ll give you ten taels of silver.¡±


    The man nced at the old woman and walked up to the mother and children. He said to the woman, ¡°Xiuqing, you know that Mother is sick. I really have no choice. My daughter is also my flesh and blood. I can¡¯t bear to sell her but I have no choice! The broker said that she only wants San Ya. Ten taels of silver should be enough for Mother¡¯s treatment.¡±


    The woman looked up at the man. ¡°Ye Guozhi, you¡¯re nothing. Your mother doesn¡¯t belong to you alone. Why are you selling my daughter?¡±


    ¡°Say it again and I¡¯ll hit you.¡± The man threatened and pulled the little girl who was pouncing on the woman. The girl grabbed her mother¡¯s arm tightly, and the woman and her two sisters also grabbed her tightly. The woman said to the man hatefully, ¡°If you want to sell us, sell us together. Don¡¯t even think about taking my child away unless I die.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the head of this family,¡± the man shouted. He picked up the little girl and was about to give her to the old woman. The mother and daughter turned around and hugged the man¡¯s legs, refusing to let go. The old woman took the deed and silver and walked towards the man.


    Li Yu couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. She walked over and blocked the old woman¡¯s way. She reached out and took the contract from the old woman¡¯s hand. She turned around and pointed at the man. ¡°Are you still human? Even a vicious tiger won¡¯t eat its cubs! You¡¯re willing to sell your own flesh and blood? You¡¯re worse than an animal!¡±


    The man was stunned by Li Yu¡¯s aura and didn¡¯t dare to reply.


    The old woman walked in front of Li Yu and sneered. ¡°Yo! Where did this beautye from? If you want to sell yourself, I can help you find a good ce. If you want to cause trouble, don¡¯t me me for being impolite!¡±


    Li Yu pointed at the mother and daughter and said, ¡°Old woman, I want to see how rude you are! Didn¡¯t you hear that they were unwilling? Do you have a conscience?¡±


    The female broker narrowed her eyes and smiled bitterly. ¡°It¡¯s none of your business if the father wants to sell his daughter to me. Do you have anything to worry about?¡±


    Li Yu looked at the contract in her hand and said to the man, ¡°This is a death contract. Do you know? This old woman just saw that the child is good-looking and bought her to sell her to a brothel. Is there a father like you?¡±


    The man looked at the broker with a red face and said, ¡°Old broker, are you really going to sell the child to a brothel? Didn¡¯t you say that you came specially to buy little girls for rich families?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t listen to this bitch¡¯s nonsense. The girls I buy are all sent to rich families as personal servants to enjoy life.¡±


    Li Yu kicked the broker and pointed at her as she shouted, ¡°Old woman! Do you dare to swear that if you sell the little girl to a brothel, you will have no descendants and go to hell after death!¡±


    The broker got up and shouted at the two burly men guarding the mule cart, ¡°Are you two dead? Get rid of this bitch!¡±


    Two thugs walked toward Li Yu. A few men and women surrounded the old woman and pointed at her. ¡°Broker, it¡¯s not this girl¡¯s fault. Tell me! Are you helping a rich family buy little girls? If you sell them to a brothel, I won¡¯t sell my daughter.¡±


    The thugs and the broker looked at the vigers surrounding them and took two steps back. They spread their hands and said, ¡°Not selling anymore? Sure! Give me the silver and I¡¯ll return your daughters to you.¡±


    A man handed the deed and a silver ingot to the broker and said, ¡°I¡¯ll return it to you. My daughter is not for sale anymore.¡±


    The granny looked at the deed and silver in the man¡¯s hand and said with a strangeugh, ¡°Five taels of silver and you want to redeem her back? Dream on. Give me ten taels of silver and I¡¯ll let you redeem her back.¡±


    The man said angrily, ¡°You¡¯re too evil! It¡¯s only been a while, and she¡¯s still in the vige. Why should I add five taels? If my family has five taels of silver, I wouldn¡¯t sell my daughter! Do you want it or not?!¡± The man stuffed the silver and body contract into the broker¡¯s hand and went to hold a girl who had gotten out of the mule cart.


    The broker said to the two thugs, ¡°You¡¯ve already sold them, and you still want them back? There¡¯s no such thing as a cheap price! Chase them away.¡±


    The thug pointed at the man and said, ¡°Get lost. If youe forward again, I won¡¯t be polite.¡±


    ¡°My daughter isn¡¯t going to that dirtynd. Return my daughter to me.¡± The man reached out and tried to push the thug away.


    ¡°You¡¯re courting death!¡± The thug pushed the man to the ground and raised his foot to stomp on the man¡¯s calf. Li Yu jumped up and swept her leg across, kicking two thugs away. She turned around and pointed at the broker. ¡°Give them the contracts, or I¡¯ll teach you a lesson!¡±


    The broker didn¡¯t dare to y any more tricks. She let the other vigers stuff their deeds and money into her hands and watched as the vigers led their daughters down from the mule cart.


    The woman muttered apologetically, ¡°Girl, I thought she really bought you to be a girl in a rich family. I wanted you to eat well for two years, but who knew?¡±


    The little girl lowered her head and kept sobbing. Seeing that the girls had been taken away, the granny pointed at Li Yu and said fiercely, ¡°Stupid bitch! Just wait.¡±


    Li Yu walked over and pped the broker¡¯s face. She shouted, ¡°Old woman, watch your mouth. If you want to find trouble, I¡¯ll wait for you at the Qingchuan County office! Fellow vigers, if she dares toe back and find trouble with you, look for me at the Qingchuan County office. I¡¯ll seek justice for you!¡±


    ¡°You, you,¡± the granny mumbled and suddenly covered her mouth. She opened her palm and saw two teeth. It turned out that Li Yu¡¯s force had caused to them drop off. The granny didn¡¯t dare to talk anymore and climbed into the mule cart to escape in a sorry state.


    The vigers looked at Li Yu. Would the county magistrate¡¯s wife help them? A woman boldly asked Li Yu, ¡°Madam, are you the wife of the county magistrate?¡±

 Chapter 192 - 192 Tough Mother

    192 Tough Mother


    Li Yu looked at her and smiled. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m the wife of the new county magistrate. I bought that piece of wastnd outside the city. Today, I went up the mountain to look for water. I saw your vige halfway up the mountain and wanted to ask if anyone would like to earn some money doing farm work. The sry is 15 copper coins a day. It doesn¡¯t include food and drinks. Is there anyone willing?¡±


    Everyone was stunned. The woman asked happily, ¡°Madam, is what you said true?¡±


    Li Yu smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s absolutely true. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can follow me to the county office and let the county magistrate prove it to you.¡±


    ¡°I believe you.¡± The woman smiled excitedly. ¡°My family is willing to help develop the wastnd. My family has finished farming the grains.¡±


    Everyone shouted at the same time, ¡°Madam, when do we start working? We¡¯re willing to go.¡±


    ¡°We can start work tomorrow morning. Let me tell everyone that I only need 20 people in my wastnd. I¡¯ll bring you to see the locationter.¡±


    The vigers said happily, ¡°Thank you, Madam! There¡¯s no need to look at thend. There¡¯s only that piece of wastnd at the foot of the east mountain outside the city. Everyone knows!¡±


    At this moment, the woman led the three girls to Li Yu and knelt down. Li Yu hurriedly helped the woman up andforted her gently, ¡°Auntie, don¡¯t worry. The days will get better and better.¡±


    The woman bowed and said, ¡°Madam, thank you! Without you, my daughter would have been sold to that dirty ce.¡±


    Li Yu looked at the mother and daughter and praised, ¡°You don¡¯t have to thank me. Someone said that women are weak, but as a mother, they are firm. I was only willing to help you because I saw you risking your life to protect your daughter. If you had endured it, I wouldn¡¯t have interfered!¡±


    Li Yu nced at the man standing not far away and said, ¡°It¡¯s not wrong for you to be filial to your mother, but it¡¯s wrong for you to sell your child. If your mother knew that the money for her treatment was obtained by you selling your child and her granddaughter, would she be at ease?¡±


    The little girl standing beside the woman suddenly said, ¡°Madam, my grandmother isn¡¯t sick. She said that we¡¯re all good-for-nothings and that it¡¯s a waste of food for us to stay at home. It¡¯s better to exchange it for money for my cousin to take a wife.¡±


    Li Yu was shocked. ¡°Really?¡±


    The little girl said crisply, ¡°It¡¯s true. My second sister heard it and told me. Grandmother asked Eldest Aunt to call my father back. She said that her heart disease had acted up and asked Father to sell me and Eldest Sister to treat her. Since Mother is working in the fields, I asked my sister to call Mother back.¡±


    The girl called Er Mei nodded and said timidly, ¡°Eldest Aunt and Grandmother discussed in the room that they wanted to sell us so that Eldest Cousin can get married.¡±


    Li Yu looked at the man and said sternly, ¡°As the saying goes, the heavens are merciful and filial. In order to let your brother¡¯s child marry, your mother pretended to be sick and so you would sell your child. As an elder, you still want to be filial. Do you know that you¡¯re helping the wicked? You¡¯re a muddle-headed worm. You can¡¯t even protect your child. I think you¡¯re worse than an animal!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! Dashan, you¡¯re too confused. You sold your child without figuring it out.


    ¡°This person is too honest. He¡¯s always being bullied. Sometimes, it¡¯s fatal when his own family bullies him!¡±


    The man looked as if he had been struck by lightning. His face turned ck and blue. ¡°I didn¡¯t know. My mother said that she was sick and called me back from the field. Why did they lie to me? I¡¯ll go back and find them.¡± The man turned around and ran.


    ¡°Madam, thank you!¡± The woman bowed to Li Yu and held the child¡¯s hand before hurriedly following her back.


    Li Yu agreed with the vigers to start work before walking into the city. When she reached the wastnd, she saw Zhou Jia waiting for her in a carriage. Li Yu smiled and weed him. ¡°Why are you here? Aren¡¯t you busy?¡±


    Seeing that there was no one around, Zhou Jia held Li Yu¡¯s hand and walked toward the carriage. ¡°The meal is ready, but you¡¯re not home yet. I was worried, so I came to take a look.¡± The couple held hands and got into the carriage, walking towards the city.


    On the way into the city, Zhou Jia said in a good mood, ¡°I spent a total of 200 taels of silver today. I mainly bought glutinous rice and cooked stone ash. The rest were y dug from the river and mountain. The vigers in the county city are quite efficient. I think it will take at most half a month to repair the copsed city wall.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good. After the city wall is repaired, we can start building the county office. It¡¯s not convenient to stay in someone else¡¯s house!¡±


    ¡°Alright, Yu. When Shen Wu brings people to eliminate the bandits, we¡¯ll manage Qingchuan well.¡±


    The next day, Li Yu brought Yang Wei to the wastnd and decided on the location of the reservoir. She got someone to cut some bamboo and use a long wooden stick to break through the bamboo joints. She carried the bamboo tube to the cave and cut it diagonally before connecting it to the water outlet on the cliff. She guided the water down the mountain from the cave and even hired a few craftsmen to build a farm in the vige.


    After they guided water down the mountain, the day for the bandits to collect their food was approaching. When Zhou Jia and the vige chief exined the situation, everyone expressed their willingness to cooperate. After Ruyi and Manager Ouyang returned from the Tiger Head Stronghold, they brought the newly recruited magistrate officers to practice some simple moves to deal with the bandits.


    Li Yu left the construction of the farmstead, wastnd remation, straw fertilizer, and leaf fertilizer to Yang Wei to manage. She went home to prepare to deal with the bandits.


    Xu Chun and Xu Gui rushed to Qingzhou. In less than half the usual time required, they arrived at the Qingzhou Prefecture.


    After the two of them entered the city, they hurriedly returned to the Four Seas Bank and found Chu Jiang. They handed Zhou Jia¡¯s letter to Chu Jiang.


    Xu Chun said to Chu Jiang, ¡°Shopkeeper Chu, you don¡¯t know, but Green River City is dpidated everywhere. The bandits burned down the city walls and the county office. Lord Zhou¡¯s family is renting a ce at the scribe¡¯s home.¡±


    After Chu Jiang read the letter, he said to Xu Chun, ¡°The two of you go eat something and rest. I¡¯ll go find General Shen Wu.¡±


    Chu Jiang hurriedly went to Shen Wu¡¯s house and handed the letter to him. He said to Shen Wu, ¡°Little General Shen, Lord Zhou invites you to lead troops to help him.¡±


    After reading the letter, Shen Wu said, ¡°I received an order from the Grand General yesterday to lead troops to Qingchuan to suppress the bandits. The Grand General suspects that the soldiers who went to suppress the bandits in the past colluded with the bandits to harm the people. I originally wanted to leave tomorrow. Since Brother Zhou brought the letter and said that it was urgent, I¡¯ll lead the troops to Qingchuan now.¡±


    ¡°Alright, bring some money over. Mr. Zhou said that he wants to borrow money to repair the city wall and rebuild the county office.¡±


    Shen Wu patted Chu Jiang and smiled. ¡°After exterminating the bandits, are you still afraid that he won¡¯t have money? There¡¯s plenty of money in the bandits¡¯ nest.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. Xu Chun said that there are very few shops in Qingchuan City. It¡¯s getting cold, so I¡¯ll pack some fur, cloth, and cotton for Lord Zhou!¡±


    Shen Wuughed and said, ¡°You¡¯re so thoughtful. I¡¯m just a boor.¡±


    Shen Wu took Shen Yu¡¯s letter and went to the camp to mobilize the troops. Chu Jiang got someone to buy good fur, cloth, and cotton and asked Xu Chun to bring them. When Shen Wu arrived at the city gate with his troops, they met at the city gate and rushed to Qingchuan.


    In the Green Dragon Stronghold, Zuo Qing instructed his trusted subordinate, Uncle Cai, who was going down the mountain to collect food, ¡°Uncle Cai, send half of the food you received over. Get someone to bring the rest back to their. I think General Huang is no longer in the Qingzhou camp. I¡¯m afraid we¡¯ll have to live a hard life next.¡±

 Chapter 193 - 193 Little Peach’s Sugar Water

    193 Little Peach¡¯s Sugar Water


    Uncle Cai looked at Zuo Qing and said, ¡°Boss, I think we should just go down the mountain and find a ce where they don¡¯t know us. It¡¯s better to be a rich man than to live on this mountain! Besides, when you have a little boss in a few days, you can spend money to hire a teacher to teach him.¡±


    Zuo Qing thought about it for a while and felt that it made sense. He couldn¡¯t live on the mountain for the rest of his life! Qi Yiniang was already pregnant, and he couldn¡¯t let his child be a mountain bandit too! Moreover, even if he lived a life of pleasure, he wouldn¡¯t be able to spend all the gold, silver, and jewelry on the mountain!


    ¡°Uncle Cai, I¡¯ll think about what you said. Let¡¯s settle this matter first. Go bring 30 people down the mountain and see if Third Brother is in the residence at the foot of the mountain. Third Brother is too unreasonable. He doesn¡¯t want toe back every time he goes down the mountain.¡±


    Uncle Cai persuaded, ¡°Third Master is too bored staying on the mountain. I¡¯ll ask him to bring back the food this time.¡±


    Zuo Qing waved his hand. ¡°Go! Hurry down the mountain and get the food back.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Uncle Cai cupped his fists and left. He led Tu Gang and the other bandits down the mountain.


    After the group went down the mountain, they went to the residence at the east end of the vige at the foot of the mountain. Tu Gang whispered to Uncle Cai, ¡°Uncle Cai, we still have a residence at the foot of the mountain?¡±


    Uncle Cai smiled proudly and said, ¡°We have a lot of things!¡±


    Tu Gang looked at Uncle Cai ingratiatingly. ¡°Uncle Cai, I want to bring a few brothers to my lover¡¯s ce to y, okay?¡±


    Uncle Cai nced at Tu Gang in surprise. ¡°Are you willing to? I remember that you were the one who snatched her from Green Lotus Vige! What¡¯s wrong? Are you tired of her?¡±


    Tu Gang winked and smiled. ¡°Didn¡¯t they say that women are just like clothes? Brothers are brothers! Uncle Cai, I¡¯ll bring my brothers out to y for a while. I¡¯ll be back soon. I promise not to dy business!¡±


    Uncle Cai looked at the young men behind Tu Gang who were looking at him eagerly and thought to himself, ¡°They¡¯re all young and strong. They¡¯re all hot-blooded. Let them y!¡±


    ¡°Go! Come back before dawn.¡± Tu Gang brought more than ten young mountain bandits toward Qingchuan City.


    When they arrived at the city gate, they found that the city gate was closed and the copsed ce at the city gate had been repaired. One of the bandits said to Tu Gang, ¡°Let¡¯s go back! The city gate is closed. I think we should wait for the food to be collected ande in the day.¡±


    Tu Gang smiled calmly and said, ¡°Don¡¯t panic! If we can¡¯t enter from here, we can go somewhere else. There are so many copsed ces. How can it be repaired so quickly?¡±


    Tu Gang led the bandits along the city wall for 15 minutes before finding a ce that had yet to be repaired. He squatted down and said to the bandits, ¡°Come on! Brothers, step on my shoulder and climb in!¡±


    More than ten people crawled into the city. One of them looked at Tu Gang suspiciously. ¡°If we helped you take revenge. Will you really let us y with your Little Peach?¡±


    Tu Gang looked at him and patted his chest angrily. ¡°Brother Tu, we¡¯ve been brothers for so many years. When have I ever gone back on my word?¡±


    A fierce-looking bandit patted the two of them and said with a smile, ¡°Brother Tu, Tu Gang is still very loyal to his brothers. Besides! We can¡¯t let outsiders bully our Green Dragon Stronghold, right? Let¡¯s go to your lover¡¯s ce and get some kerosene. We¡¯ll burn everything down tonight and take revenge.¡±


    Tu Gang¡¯s eyes lit up and he raised his thumb. ¡°Yes, burn them clean. Brother Shui¡¯s method is still better!¡±


    The group of people went to Little Peach¡¯s house in the dark and looked at Little Peach like wolves. Tu Gang said to Little Peach, ¡°Go, get some kerosene and a few old clothes. I want to use them. Get some food and wait for us toe back.¡±


    Looking at these wolf-like bandits, Little Peach thought to herself that something was wrong. This bastard Tu Gang was going to give her to these people. Little Peach endured the fear in her heart and forced a smile. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll serve you a pot of tea and prepare some kerosene and old clothes.¡±


    A bandit touched Little Peach¡¯s butt and smiled lecherously. ¡°Sure! I¡¯m thirsty.¡±


    Seeing Tu Gang¡¯s nonchnt expression, Little Peach knew that she was doomed. She turned around and went to the kitchen. She took out a paper bag from the corner of the stove and poured the medicinal powder into the teapot with a hateful expression. She poured some warm water from the pot and added two spoonfuls of sugar.


    Tu Gang walked into the kitchen and saw that Little Peach was preparing tea. He hugged her and said, ¡°When we go out, go to the dark brothel and find a few women to serve my brothers.¡±


    Little Peach nodded silently and went to the central room with Tu Gang to pour the tea for the bandits. The bandits looked at Little Peach as if she was a te of braised pork!


    Tu Gang looked at his brothers¡¯ envious gazes and smugly instructed Little Peach, ¡°Hurry up and prepare the things!¡±


    Little Peach nodded and turned to the kitchen. She quietly opened the back door and ran to the backyard. She opened the backyard door and walked into the dark night.


    Tu Ge took a sip of tea, which was sweet, and took a big sip. He pointed at Tu Gang and smiled. ¡°Yoho! Tu Gang, your lover is really good to you. She even prepared sugar water for us.¡±


    The other bandits picked up their bowls and drank. Tu Gang also took a sip happily. Suddenly, Tu Ge fell from his chair to the ground. The others also fell. Tu Gang tried to open his eyes and also fell to the ground.


    Little Peach ran to Scribe Tu¡¯s house and banged on the door desperately. She shouted, ¡°County Lord,e and catch the bandits!¡±


    Ruyi, who was on night duty, opened the courtyard door and looked at Little Peach. ¡°It¡¯s you! Where are the bandits?¡±


    Little Peach said anxiously, ¡°They¡¯re at my house. I drugged them. Hurry up and bring people to catch them!¡±


    Li Yu, Zhou Jia, and the others walked out of the house. When they saw Little Peach, they understood. Li Yu said to Ruyi, ¡°Ruyi, take the rope and bring people to capture them.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Ruyi led the bailiffs on duty towards Peach¡¯s house.


    Seeing that Ruyi had left, Little Peach bowed to Li Yu and said, ¡°Thank you for trusting me, Madam. I have a request!¡±


    Zhou Jia nodded and said, ¡°Miss, please speak!¡±


    ¡°Lord, please promise me that you¡¯ll personally kill that dog Tu Gang!¡±


    Seeing the hatred in Little Peach¡¯s eyes, Zhou Jia hesitated for a moment before saying, ¡°Alright, I promise you.¡±


    Peach knelt down and said, ¡°Thank you, Sir and Madam.¡±


    ¡°Miss, please get up.¡± Li Yu walked forward and helped Little Peach up. ¡°We should be the ones thanking you. Miss, it¡¯s not safe for you to go back now. Just stay here for a few days and go back after capturing the bandits.¡±


    Peach looked at Li Yu in surprise. ¡°Madam, you¡¯re willing to let someone like me stay in your house?¡±


    Li Yu smiled at Little Peach. ¡°You¡¯re quite good! Why wouldn¡¯t we be willing? It¡¯s just that you and Aunt Zhang have to share a room.¡±


    Peach wiped the tears from her eyes and smiled. ¡°Madam! I¡¯m grateful. Thank you!¡±


    Aunt Zhang brought Little Peach back to her room to rest. Zhou Jia said to Li Yu, ¡°Madam, how could you believe that she drugged those bandits?¡±

 Chapter 194 - 194 Captured

    194 Captured


    ¡°That¡¯s right! Madam, why did you believe her without asking?¡± Scribe Tu and Mr. Qian also looked at Li Yu curiously.


    Li Yu told them about how she had followed Tu Gangst time and realized that Little Peach had spat in his soup. She smiled and said, ¡°At that time, I felt that there must be some backstory. I didn¡¯t expect her to knock them all down.¡±


    Scribe Tu sighed. ¡°This girl must have been snatched by that dog Tu Gang. That dog is the most lecherous. Back then, because he teased a girl in the vige, the n beat him up and locked him in the ancestral hall. Who knew that the kid actually escaped? Not long after he joined the bandits, he brought people to break the girl¡¯s brother¡¯s legs and snatched the girl up the mountain. I don¡¯t know if she¡¯s dead or alive!¡±


    Mr. Qian said angrily, ¡°We should castrate him first before cutting him into pieces!


    Zhou Jia smiled at the two of them and said, ¡°Ruyi will bring them backter. I think they came down the mountain to collect food. After we find their hideout, we might as well deal with the remaining bandits.¡±


    Scribe Tu pped his hands in agreement and said, ¡°That¡¯s right. Let¡¯s take this opportunity to kill the mountain bandits down the mountain so that we don¡¯t have to snatch the food back.¡±


    At this moment, Ruyi, Iron Pole, and a few bailiffs on night duty returned with the mountain bandits. Scribe Tu recognized Tu Gang at a nce. When Ruyi carried Tu Gang out of the car, he went forward and kicked him. ¡°Son of a bitch, you¡¯re embarrassing our Tu family.¡±


    Ruyi and the others carried the bandits down to the cer and tied them up. They tied Tu Gang to a bench and sshed a scoop of water on Tu Gang¡¯s face. Tu Gang opened his eyes in a daze and saw Ruyi looking at him with an iron brush. He was frightened out of his wits. ¡°Sir, please spare me this time. I won¡¯t dare to escape again.¡±


    Ruyi fiddled with the iron brush made of iron nails in his hand and asked calmly, ¡°Is that so? Then tell me, why did you bring so many people down the mountain? Are there any others? Where are they hiding? If you dare to fool me, I¡¯ll let you be the first to taste the iron brush.¡±


    Ruyi pressed the iron brush on Tu Gang¡¯s hand and the iron nail pierced into his palm. Tu Gang shouted in pain, ¡°Let me go, I¡¯ll tell you.¡±


    Ruyi picked up the iron brush from Tu Gang¡¯s palm and looked at him sinisterly. Tu Gang took a deep breath and said, ¡°There are 31 of us who went down the mountain this time. Uncle Cai brought us here. The rest of them are living in the stone house at the east end of the vige at the foot of the mountain. They¡¯re preparing to collect food tomorrow night.¡±


    Ruyi looked at Li Yu and Zhou Jia, who were sitting at the side, and said, ¡°Young Master, Madam, I¡¯ll bring someone to take a look before dawn.¡±


    Li Yu stood up and said, ¡°Aunt Zhang, Xiaoyu, quickly cut some bedding and tie them to the horses¡¯ hooves. We¡¯ll set off immediately with our men.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± After Xiaoyu and Aunt Zhang agreed, they led everyone to get busy.


    Ruyi said to the bailiffs on duty, ¡°Tonight¡¯s operation is a test for you. Those who can pass can officially stay. You can also advance to constable and captain first.¡±


    The eight guards on duty said in unison, ¡°Yes, we will do our best.¡±


    Zhou Jia followed Li Yu back to the house and said, ¡°Yu¡¯er, I want to go with you. My martial arts have improved a lot these days. I¡¯ll use a bow. It won¡¯t be dangerous.¡±


    Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia and hugged him. She instructed, ¡°Xiao Xi, remember not to take any risks. You have to follow behind Ruyi and me.¡±


    Zhou Jia kissed Li Yu and said gently, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t leave you alone.¡±


    The couple tied the sleeve arrows and Zhou Jia went out with Li Yu with the bow. He set off with Ruyi and the others and rushed towards the foot of the mountain.


    When they reached the foot of the mountain and entered the vige, they saw a stone house at the east end of the vige. After Li Yu and Ruyi dismounted, they jumped onto the wall and turned into the courtyard. They opened the courtyard door and let Zhou Jia and the magistrate officers in.


    At this moment, someone shouted, ¡°Tu Gang, Brother Tu, are you back?¡±


    Just as Ruyi was about to answer, an old voice sounded from the central room. ¡°No, brothers, quickly take your weapons. Someone ising.¡±


    Li Yu and Ruyi had already broken through. Zhou Jia followed behind Li Yu and raised his sleeve arrow to shoot at the bandits. Li Yu held the crossbow in her hand and shot at the bandits in the house. With the chug of the crossbow, every arrow hit the vital points. This was the first time Zhou Jia had attacked with Li Yu. After the bandits in the house were eliminated, Zhou Jia stole a nce at Li Yu. He recalled Li Yu¡¯s lightning speed when killing the enemy and her calm gaze. He was extremely proud. This was his delicate wife! When she went into battle, she was like a golden-armored war god!


    Before the bandits in the room beside could react, they were dealt with by Ruyi. The bandits in the rooms on both sides of Ruyi and Li Yu¡¯s courtyard were blocked by the guards and killed. In a while, the battle ended. The guards looked at the blood and corpses on the ground and covered their mouths. They ran to the corner and vomited.


    Tiezhu smiled at the officers who were holding onto the wall and vomiting. He said with a smile, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid! After vomiting for the first time, you won¡¯t vomit anymore.¡±


    Ruyi counted 21 people and found all the valuables on the bandits. He handed them to Zhou Jia and said with a smile, ¡°Young Master, use the money and items to repair the city wall.¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled and said, ¡°Sure! We stillck money to repair the city wall!¡±


    While everyone was checking the things in the house, Tiezhu found more than a dozen handcarts in the woodshed. There were also a few strong horses and a few big green horses in the livestock shed. The bailiffs carried the corpses of the bandits onto a mortuary wagon and pulled them back to the city.


    After entering the city, the sky was already bright. Zhou Jia said to the bailiff, Wang Cheng, ¡°You and Feng Hua¡¯an, ce these bandits at the entrance of the county office and let everyone see what the consequences of being a bandit are. If anyone goes up the mountain to be a bandit, it¡¯s best toe down and surrender. Those who surrender will be dealt with lightly, and those who are captured will be punished severely.¡±


    Wang Cheng said loudly, ¡°Yes, sir. We will preach loudly.¡±


    Zhou Jia went to Scribe Tu opposite. Feng Hua¡¯an gestured with his hands and bragged to the bailiffs who came to work about the killingst night. ¡°You didn¡¯t see it. I originally thought that Steward Ruyi¡¯s martial arts were already good. Tsk tsk, I didn¡¯t expect Madam¡¯s martial arts to be like a hero in a drama. She killed people like she was cutting tofu. Her movements were like a storm!¡±


    Scribe Tu pped Feng Hua¡¯an on the head. ¡°Brat, hurry up and announce what the lord just said. Madam is not someone you can discuss.¡±


    Feng Hua¡¯an touched his head aggrievedly and said with a cheeky smile, ¡°Uncle Tu, be gentler! I haven¡¯t married yet!¡±


    Scribe Tu smiled and said, ¡°You and your glib tongue. When can you get a wife? Everyone, take advantage of the fact that there are many peopleing to work early in the morning and tell everyone what Lord Zhou said.¡±


    In front of the county office¡¯s dpidated house, there was a crowd of onlookers. Everyone looked at the corpses arranged in two rows and listened to Feng Hua¡¯an¡¯s loud shout. They whispered, ¡°Looks like Lord Zhou is indeed capable. Our Qingchuan¡¯s peaceful days areing.¡±


    Some people pricked up their ears to listen to the bailiff¡¯s shout. They felt as if they had knocked over a bottle of five vors!

 Chapter 195 - 195 Little Peach’s Revenge

    195 Little Peach¡¯s Revenge


    After Zhou Jia returned home for dinner, he brought Ruyi and a few bailiffs to the nearby vige for a visit.


    After Li Yu washed up and came out, she saw Little Peach waiting for her in the courtyard. She smiled and asked, ¡°Are you looking for me?¡±


    Little Peach bowed and said, ¡°Madam, can I see Tu Gang?¡±


    Li Yu was filled with curiosity about Little Peach. In this world where the strong preyed on the weak, a weak woman dared to deal with a lecherous and vicious bandit like Tu Gang.


    !!


    ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll bring him up and lock him in the woodshed. Can you meet him in the woodshed?¡±


    Little Peach bent her knees and said, ¡°Thank you, Madam.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so polite.¡± Li Yu went to the cer to bring Tu Gang to the woodshed and tied him to a pir. Tu Gang looked at Little Peach, who was standing at the door of the woodshed, with a fierce gaze. Li Yu said to Little Peach, ¡°Are you afraid?¡± Little Peach shook her head. ¡°Alright, call me if you need anything. I¡¯ll wait for you outside.¡±


    ¡°Yes! Thank you, Madam!¡± Little Peach walked up to Tu Gang and pulled out the rag that was stuck in his mouth. Tu Gang looked at Little Peach and cursed viciously, ¡°Bitch! You bitch! How dare you plot against me! When I get out, I¡¯ll send you to the lowest brothel!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s your wretched eyes that caused my family to be destroyed. Do you think I¡¯m really afraid of you? You must be dreaming! I can¡¯t wait to eat your flesh and drink your blood.¡± Little Peach grabbed Tu Gang¡¯s bun and reached out to scratch Tu Gang¡¯s eyes. Tu Gang shouted in pain, ¡°My eyes! Ah¡­ Ah¡­ My eyes, bitch¡­¡±


    ¡°Brother Yun, I was the one who harmed you. I¡¯ll avenge you today!¡± Little Peach looked at the bleeding Tu Gang with tears streaming down her face. She pulled out the hairpin on her head and stabbed it at Tu Gang¡¯s lower body. ¡°Bastard, even if you die a hundred times, you won¡¯t be able to relieve the hatred in my heart!¡±


    Tu Gang tilted his head and fainted. Little Peach knelt on the ground and shouted, ¡°Dad, Mom, Brother Yun, Big Brother, and Yu Niang have avenged you!¡± After saying that, she raised the hairpin and shed it at her neck. Li Yu shed in and snatched the hairpin from her hand. She scolded, ¡°Your parents and rtives have all left for you. You should live well andplete their unfinished path.¡±


    ¡°Madam, it¡¯s all my fault. If I hadn¡¯t been willful and insisted on following my brother to the market, I wouldn¡¯t have encountered this dog. Big Brother¡¯s leg wouldn¡¯t have been broken by him, and Brother Yun wouldn¡¯t have lost his life to save me. Father and Mother wouldn¡¯t have died from anger. Boohoo¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault. It¡¯s these human-eating jackals!¡± Li Yuforted her. Hearing Little Peach Red¡¯s sorrowful cries, she also cried. This world was a cannibalistic world, forcing people into a corner!


    Little Peach stopped crying after crying for a while. ¡°Madam, I won¡¯t die. I want to go back to my home in Green Lotus Vige to see my brother and sister-inw.¡±


    Li Yu held Little Peach¡¯s hand and stood up. She said gently, ¡°Alright, but I hope that you can go back after the bandits are eliminated. If you go back now, I¡¯m afraid the bandits will seek revenge on you when they find out.¡±


    Little Peach bowed gratefully to Li Yu. ¡°Thank you, Madam.¡±


    Manager Ouyang hid in the Zhou family¡¯s house and listened to the heart-wrenching cries in the woodshed. Thinking of himself, he was even more afraid of the bandits¡¯ revenge. He said to Tiezhu, who was carrying the fodder over, with some worry, ¡°Brother Tiezhu, the bandits who collected the food from the Green Dragon Stronghold have been dealt with by you. Tomorrow night, the bandits of the Tiger Head Stronghold will send the food to Qingzhou. Where are you nning to snatch the food back? I wonder where the friend who sent the letter to Qingzhou is?¡±


    Tiezhu thought for a moment. ¡°Big Brother Xu has been gone for more than ten days. If they hurry, they should be here already. As for where we would rob the food at, Young Master and Madam haven¡¯t informed me yet. Manager Ouyang, don¡¯t worry. My Young Master and Madam are the best people. They will definitely do what they promised you!¡±


    Xu Dong, who was on Manager Ouyang¡¯s mind, had already entered Qingzhou City and rushed back to the Four Seas Bank.


    When Chu Jiang saw Xu Dong, he asked curiously, ¡°One of you brothers just left for a few days, and the other came back. Is there something urgent?¡±


    Xu Dong took out the bamboo tube from his pocket and handed it to Chu Jiang. ¡°Third Shopkeeper, Lord Zhou asked me to give this to you. He said it¡¯s urgent!¡±


    Chu Jiang hurriedly took out the letter from the bamboo tube. After reading it, he said to Xu Dong, ¡°Go rest. I¡¯m going to do something.¡±


    Chu Jiang gathered a few people and went to Steward Ouyang¡¯s house in the north city. He knocked on Steward Ouyang¡¯s door and saw his wife, Madam Qu. He took out the letter and key that Steward Ouyang had given her and said, ¡°Sister-inw, this is a letter from your master.¡±


    After Madam Qu read the letter, she went into the house with a pale face and took out a few ounts books. She handed them to Chu Jiang and bowed. ¡°Sir, my husband asked me to bring my child with the person who brought the letter. I wonder if you know about this?¡±


    Chu Jiang nodded. ¡°I know. If you guys don¡¯t hurry, you¡¯ll be in trouble if someone finds out.¡±


    Madam Qu nodded and wrote a few lines of words before handing them to Chu Jiang. ¡°Sir, I still have a child studying in the academy. Please send someone to pick him up.¡±


    Chu Jiang nodded and went out to get someone to pick up Manager Ouyang¡¯s youngest son. Madam Qu hurriedly went into the house to call her daughter-inw and son. She carried her grandson, packed some small things and luggage, and followed Chu Jiang to the Four Seas Bank.


    After Chu Jiang obtained the ount book, he hurriedly sent a message via pigeon courier.


    After a while, the servant who went to pick up Manager Ouyang¡¯s youngest son brought the child to the courtyard. Madam Qu wrote a letter and handed it to Chu Jiang. She said with tears in her eyes, ¡°I¡¯ll have to trouble you to give the letter to the head of my household. He was long worried that what General Huang did would be exposed. He can sleep in peace now.¡±


    Chu Jiang handed the letter written by Madam Qu and the letter he had written for Zhou Jia to Xu Dong. He smiled at him and said, ¡°Rest well. We¡¯ll set off for Qingchuan tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Yes, shopkeeper. I didn¡¯t dy business, right?¡±


    Chu Jiang shook his head. ¡°No, rest well!¡± Only then did Xu Dong rest with relief.


    Shen Wu led a few hundred people and traveled with Xu Chun. They were only a day away from Qingchuan.


    Zhou Jia and Li Yu had also decided on a ce to snatch back the food. The few of them brought more than 20 bailiffs and hid in the forest outside the city. At dawn, a group of bandits drove the mule cart to the forest. Li Yu and Zhou Jia hid in a big tree by the road. The two of them drew their bows and shot at the bandits on the first mule cart. After the two bandits on the cart were shot, they fell to the ground. The mule cart stopped and Ruyi led the bailiffs to rush at the bandits. Li Yu and Zhou Jia shot from the tree and the battle ended in fifteen minutes.


    After an intense battle, two of the magistrate officers were seriously injured and three were lightly injured. Tiezhu used the Golden Injury Medicine to bandage the injured officers. Zhou Jia and Li Yu then guided everyone in moving the bandits¡¯ corpses onto the mule cart. Suddenly, the sound of horse hooves and footsteps came from behind. Li Yu hurriedly led everyone to hide in the forest.

 Chapter 196 - 196 Encounter on the Road

    196 Encounter on the Road


    The sound of hooves and footsteps approached and stopped in front of the mule cart. Li Yu saw Shen Wu and Xu Chun jump down from their horses. Relieved, Zhou Jia and Li Yu climbed up from the grass with a smile. Zhou Jia rushed out and pointed at Shen Wu with a smile. ¡°Ha! Brother Shen, I didn¡¯t expect it to be you. I thought it was the bandits!¡±


    Shen Wu smiled brightly and said, ¡°Brother Zhou, Sister-inw, I also thought that it was bandits robbing merchants! You brought a letter to say that it was urgent, so I rushed over. You have to reward me and my subordinatester.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s get back first.¡± After the greetings, they drove the mule cart back. When they entered the city, themoners along the way saw so many officials and started discussing excitedly. ¡°This is great. Lord Zhou invited the officials to suppress the bandits.¡±


    Shen Wu and his subordinates set up camp in the ruins of the county office and stayed there. Xu Chun handed the things that Chu Jiang had given to Li Yu and her husband.


    !!


    Shen Wu said to Zhou Jia, ¡°Brother Zhou, speed is important in war! I n to wait for our brothers to lead the troops to eliminate the bandits of the Green Dragon Stronghold tomorrow morning.¡±


    Zhou Jia cupped his hands and said, ¡°Thank you for your help, Brother Shen. Ruyi has been to the Green Dragon Stronghold and the Tiger Head Stronghold. I¡¯ll bring Ruyi with you to the Green Dragon Stronghold to suppress the bandits. We¡¯ve also captured the bandits who went down the mountain to collect food. Brother Shen, choose 20 agile brothers and change into the clothes of the bandits. You can disguise yourself as the bandits who are sending the rice back. This way, it¡¯ll be easier to deceive them.¡±


    Shen Wu smiled and said, ¡°That¡¯s great. Let¡¯s set off tomorrow morning.¡±


    Li Yu brought Xiaoyu along. Little Peach, Old Madam Liu, and Aunt Zhang busied themselves for an hour. After cooking, they sent the food to the military camp. They smiled and cupped their fists at Shen Wu. ¡°Brother Shen, we only know how to cook some dishes. Please don¡¯tugh at us.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We can eat our fill with dry rations and steamed buns. These dishes are already very good.¡± Shen Wu looked at the red braised pork, pickled vegetables, stewed meat, and stir-fried vegetables in the wooden basin. ¡°Brothers, there are all good dishes today. Let¡¯s eat our fill and go up the mountain to eliminate all the bandits.¡±


    The soldiers responded in unison. ¡°Yes, General.¡±


    The next morning, Li Yu tied the sleeve arrow to Zhou Jia and watched as Zhou Jia, Shen Wu, and Ruyi led the soldiers to the Green Dragon Stronghold to suppress the bandits.


    Li Yu arranged the family matters and drove to the wastnd. When Yang Wei saw Li Yu, he weed her happily. ¡°Madam, the foundation of the manor has been built. Look, the pond is already filled with water. The ground has also been scattered with fallen leaves andpost to be plowed and dried. We¡¯ll start plowing tomorrow. Also, ording to your instructions, we¡¯ll start digging the ditches in the fields.¡±


    Li Yu squatted down and grabbed a handful of soil. She saw that the ground had already been scattered with fallen leaves andpost. She nodded in satisfaction and said, ¡°Alright, Ah Wei can also take charge.¡±


    Yang Wei touched his head and chuckled. ¡°Madam! I only know all these after asking Brother Ruyi about many things.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and said, ¡°Yes! If you don¡¯t know, ask. If you don¡¯t know, learn. You¡¯re worthy of praise. Alright! Since you¡¯re so good at managing the wastnd, I¡¯ll leave it to you. I¡¯ll go back and prepare the seeds.¡±


    Yang Wei puffed out his chest. ¡°Madam, don¡¯t worry. Ah Wei will guarantee sess!¡±


    Li Yu estimated the amount of wheat stored in the space and thought to herself, ¡°nting more than 150 acres requires at least 3,000 catties of wheat. The wheat seed stored in the space the previous time should be enough.¡± Li Yu drove the cart to a quiet ce, and took out more than ten hemp sacks from the space to ce them in the carriage. After driving the carriage home and putting them down, she went out again before taking all the wheat seeds out of the space.


    Yu Niang also helped Old Madam Liu and Aunt Zhang to clean the courtyard. Li Yu piled the wheat seeds under the eaves and rushed to West Street to buy sun pads.


    When she arrived at the bamboo stall on West Street, she saw that it was surrounded by people and bailiffs standing outside. Li Yu walked closer and saw Scribe Tu standing in front of the bamboo stall with a solemn expression. A woman with disheveled hair was kneeling on the ground with her head lowered. At the door of the house behind the stall was a girl with a teary face and a dazed gaze.


    The people around them had sympathetic looks on their faces as they whispered, ¡°Madam definitely can¡¯t take it anymore. It¡¯s really their bad luck to marry into such a shameless family.¡±


    Another person who was watching themotion asked, ¡°Did you kill him or not? The magistrate officers are guarding here, and the scribe is here too.¡±


    The woman beside Li Yu covered her face and whispered, ¡°I heard that she stabbed that old thing in the eye. The physician is checking inside!¡±


    ¡°Why did I hear from that old woman that Madam Li was the one who didn¡¯t abide by the moral code and seduced the father-inw? They even got the Zou n to capture Madam Li and drown them in the pond?¡±


    An old woman curled her lips and said, ¡°You still believe that old woman¡¯s words! If she really seduced him, would she stab him with scissors? Old bastard, not only did you attack your daughter-inw, you even wanted to attack your granddaughter. Madam Li can¡¯t take it anymore!¡±


    Scribe Tu looked up and saw Li Yu standing in the crowd. He walked forward and bowed. ¡°Madam, you¡¯re here!¡±


    The women standing with Li Yu looked at Li Yu uneasily and hurriedly moved to the side. Li Yu pointed at the woman on the ground and said, ¡°Mr. Tu, what¡¯s going on?¡±


    Scribe Tu stammered and refused to answer. ¡°Madam, you shouldn¡¯t ask. I¡¯m afraid it¡¯ll dirty your ears.¡±


    Li Yu scolded sternly, ¡°If you don¡¯t say it, I¡¯ll let the person in the know say it.¡± As she spoke, she walked up to the woman and squatted down to look at her. ¡°Madam Li, I¡¯m the wife of the county magistrate. You can tell me what grievances you have. I¡¯ll seek justice for you!¡±


    Madam Li slowly raised her head and looked at Li Yu in a daze. Tears rolled down her face as she said in a hoarse voice, ¡°Madam, can you really help us?¡±


    Li Yu held her hand and encouraged her. ¡°Yes, as long as you say it, I can help you.¡±


    Madam Li turned to look at the girl sitting at the door and shook her head at Li Yu. ¡°Madam, I don¡¯t have much to live for anymore. I only beg you to help me take my Xia¡¯er away from this dirty ce. Otherwise, I won¡¯t die in peace!¡±


    Li Yu shook her head and said, ¡°You have to take care of your own daughter. How can others be as considerate as one¡¯s biological mother? Besides, you¡¯re still so young. Believe me, your good days are still ahead!¡±


    Madam Li lowered her head and muttered to herself, ¡°I can¡¯t live anymore. If not for Xia¡¯er, I would have died ten years ago.¡±


    Li Yu held Madam Li¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°Why are you the one who should die? It¡¯s that evil person who deserves to die!¡±


    An old woman with white hair walked up to Madam Li. ¡°Madam Li, Madam is right. The evil person is still alive and well in this world. Why do you want to die?¡± The old woman bowed to Li Yu and said, ¡°Madam, please help Madam Li and her daughter escape from this family. Otherwise, they will definitely die.¡±


    Scribe Tu walked to Li Yu¡¯s side and said in a low voice, ¡°Madam, I know you have good intentions, but thew is like this. No one will testify to such a thing. Helping them escape from the Zou family is the best way.¡±

 Chapter 197 - 197 Direct and Effective Method

    197 Direct and Effective Method


    Only then did Li Yu remember what Zhou Jia had mentioned about covering up for one¡¯s family. She was furious. Why were women the ones who had to be tortured for thousands of years? The most hateful thing was that there was such a lousyw in this damn ce to help the wicked!


    Li Yu thought to herself, Since I can¡¯t punish you with thew, there will be other more direct and effective methods!


    ¡°Alright, go and call the Zou family¡¯s patriarch here and get someone to bring the Li family¡¯s mother and daughter over.¡± Scribe Tu nodded and got the magistrate officers to take Madam Li and her daughter away while he went to call the Zou family¡¯s patriarch.


    Li Yu went to the stall beside the mat. When thedy boss saw Li Yu, she begged uneasily, ¡°Madam, please help Madam Li and her daughter. I¡¯ve been selling bamboo artifacts here for more than a year. Madam Li was bullied by that old beast! That old woman from the Zou family is also a woman. She even helped that old thing bully her daughter-inw. Do you think she¡¯s still human?¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Li Yu agreed briefly and drove back. When she reached home, she saw Scribe Tu sitting in the main room with a gray-haired, medium-sized old man. The Li mother and daughter were standing at the door with their heads lowered. When the old man saw Li Yu enter, he hurriedly stood up and bowed. ¡°Chief Zou, Zou Yaozong greets Madam!¡±


    Li Yu looked at Zou Yaozong and said, ¡°As the patriarch, don¡¯t you know that your Zou family is heartless and disregards human rtionships? Or are you pretending to be deaf and mute for the sake of your face!¡±


    Zou Yaozong thought to himself that the county magistrate¡¯s wife was too direct! Besides, wasn¡¯t a person living for his face?


    Li Yu saw that Zou Yaozong lowered his head and didn¡¯t answer. She said coldly, ¡°Why? Is Patriarch Zou disdainful of answering my words?¡±


    Zou Yaozong cupped his hands and said, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare! I¡¯ve also heard about Zou Zude¡¯s family matters, but Madam Li and Zou Zude¡¯s wife have nevere to the n to talk about it. So it¡¯s inappropriate for the n to ask! After all, it¡¯s not something glorious!¡±


    Li Yu looked at Zou Yaozong. ¡°You didn¡¯t know before, but now you do! How do you n to deal with this?¡±


    Zou Yaozong said indifferently, ¡°Madam, after what happened this morning, I persuaded Zou Zude and his wife to let Madam Li go home, but they refused no matter what. It¡¯s not easy for us to control them!¡±


    ¡°Why did I hear that the Old Woman Tong used Madam Li of being unfaithful and seduced her father-inw, asking you to capture Madam Li and drown them?¡±


    Zou Yaozong spread out his hands and said disapprovingly, ¡°Madam! Madam Li said that Zude bullied her, but there was no witness! Old Woman Tong said that Zude had never done anything to let her son and daughter-inw down. She said that Madam Li couldn¡¯t hold on and wanted to go out to get married. She said that she was just blindly clinging to Zude.¡±


    Li Yu looked at Zou Yaozong and finally understood why Zou Zude was so fearless towards Madam Li. It turned out that the patriarch of the Zou n was not a good person either!


    ¡°Thew does not stipte that women must abide by the rules. Your Zou Corporation can let the Li family mother and daughter go!¡±


    When Zou Yaozong saw Li Yu looking at him coldly, he cupped his hands and said, ¡°Madam! It¡¯s fine if Madam Li returns home, but Zou Xia is the flesh and blood of my Zou Corporation. She can¡¯t be taken away and has to stay in the Zou family!¡±


    Madam Li, who had been silent with her head lowered, staggered in front of Li Yu. She knelt down and kowtowed with a face full of fear. ¡°Madam, I¡¯m not going home. I¡¯m not leaving.¡±


    Zou Yaozong looked at Madam Li and said, ¡°What an embarrassment! Get lost!¡±


    With a bang, a teacup fell on Zou Yaozong¡¯s head. Zou Yaozong covered his head and looked at Li Yu angrily. Li Yu pointed at him and scolded, ¡°When did it be your turn to interrupt my question? Someone, p his face!¡±


    Tiezhu walked in from outside the house. ¡°Yes, Madam!¡± He pped Zou Yaozong. After Zou Yaozong dodged, he pointed at Li Yu and said, ¡°You¡¯re just a woman in the backyard. You have no right to punish me.¡±


    Li Yu looked at the Scribe Tu. ¡°Scribe Tu, do you think I have the right to punish him for being disrespectful to me?¡±


    Scribe Tu smiled apologetically and said, ¡°Madam, you are the First-grade Madam Protector personally conferred by His Majesty. Of course, you have the right to deal with him!¡±


    ¡°Madam First-grade,¡± Zou Yaozong eximed. Li Yu looked at the terrified Zou Yaozong and instructed indifferently, ¡°Tiezhu! p him 20 times as a warning to others.¡±


    ¡°Pa, pa¡­¡± The ps sounded. After a while, Tiezhu bowed and said, ¡°Madam, it¡¯s over.¡±


    Li Yu looked at Zou Yaozong, whose mouth was filled with blood and swollen like two sausages. She smiled faintly and said, ¡°Take him out! I want Madam Li and her daughter to stay for a few days and talk to me!¡±


    Zou Yaozong held his broken teeth and red at Madam Li and her daughter before he was brought out by Tie Zhu.


    Scribe Tu bowed to Li Yu and said, ¡°Madam, those vigers are here to collect the food that the bandits snatched. I¡¯m afraid Mr. Qian can¡¯t handle it alone. I¡¯ll help him!¡±


    ¡°Mr. Tu, go ahead.¡± After the scribe left, he wiped the sweat on his forehead and thought to himself, I didn¡¯t expect Madam to be so scary when she gets angry!


    Li Yu smiled at Madam Li, who was kneeling on the ground. ¡°Get up. Don¡¯t be afraid. Bring your daughter and stay here for a few days. I¡¯ll think of a way!¡±


    Madam Li looked at Li Yu¡¯s smiling face and felt a warmth in her heart. There was a hint of life on her face as she bowed and said, ¡°Madam, thank you. I¡¯m not afraid anymore.¡±


    ¡°Xiaoyu,e in.¡± Li Yu looked at Madam Li and pointed at Xiaoyu. ¡°Alright, go eat something with Xiaoyu and change your clothes.¡±


    Xiaoyu smiled at Madam Li and said, ¡°Come on! Let¡¯s go eat something!¡±


    Li Yu watched as Xiaoyu brought Madam Li and Zou Xia to the kitchen. She turned around and went to the backyard. Seeing that the courtyard was already covered with sun mats and the sun mats were filled with wheat seeds, she turned around and went out to look for Little Peach.


    Little Peach and Aunt Zhang were sitting in the courtyard doing needlework. When the two of them saw Li Yu, they ced the embroidered shoes in the needlework and stood up with a smile. ¡°Madam, are you done?¡±


    Li Yu nodded and said to Little Peach, ¡°Come with me. I have something to tell you!¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± Yu Niang followed Li Yu to the central room in the backyard and sat down. Li Yu told Little Peach about Madam Li and said to her, ¡°Go and talk to her and counsel her. Also, that daughter of hers, there will be problems if this continues!¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go, Madam! That old thing is the worst. His eyes are red and he can¡¯t walk when he sees women! I really want to cut him with a knife!¡±


    Li Yu smiled and said, ¡°Karma wille! He will suffer retribution!¡±


    Yu Niang nodded and said, ¡°Yes, that day wille. I¡¯ll go and see if they¡¯ve washed up!¡±


    After Zou Yaozong was pped by Li Yu, he returned home and exined to his son why he was beaten.


    Zou Yaozong¡¯s son was scared half to death. He said to Zou Yaozong, ¡°Dad, what do you think a small n leader like you is? How dare you contradict Madam First Grade? If she wants to mess with you, it¡¯s as easy as squashing an ant! Are you trying to kill us? Hurry up and get Zou Zude to let that mother and daughter go.¡±


    The more Zou Yaozong thought about it, the more afraid he became. He pointed at his swollen mouth and whimpered, ¡°Look at your father. How can he face anyone? Why don¡¯t you go?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going. You can go tomorrow! I feel disgusted when I see that old thing. I can¡¯t wait to kill him with an axe!¡± Zou Yaozong¡¯s son said in disgust.

 Chapter 198 - 198 Fighting Evil with Evil

    198 Fighting Evil with Evil


    At night, Li Yu wore a dark green shirt and pants. She jumped out of her courtyard wall and went to the Zou family on West Street. She walked from the alley beside the Zou family to the backyard of the Zou family. Then she stepped onto the courtyard wall and jumped into the Zou family¡¯s courtyard.


    Standing at the foot of the courtyard wall, she saw a faint yellow lighting from the window paper of the main room on the left. He walked to the door of the main room, took out a thin knife, and opened the doortch.


    After entering the room, he saw that the doors on both sides of the hall were open. She stuck her head out and looked at the oilmp on the left. There was a man lying on the bed with gauze wrapped around his eyes. It was Zou Zude. He looked to be in his forties or fifties. He was fat and had an ugly face. On the right was Old Woman Tong, who had a sallow and mean countenance


    Li Yu lit the incense and inserted it into the room before turning around to go out. She sat under the eaves of the porch for a while. Then she went to the kitchen to wet the cloth covering her face and went to Zou Zude¡¯s room. She extinguished the incense and opened the window. She tied Zou Zude up with a rope and gagged him. She took out her dagger and grabbed Zou Zude¡¯s foot and severed his hamstring. Zou Zude shook with pain. After she severed the other hamstring, Zou Zude¡¯s head lolled and he fainted.


    !!


    After Li Yu cut off the tendons in his hands, she untied the rope and the rag that covered his mouth. She did the same with the old woman. She tied the old woman up and cut off the tendons in her hands and feet. She used their blood to draw a portrait of Zhong Kui, the deity vanquisher of evil beings, on the wall before climbing over the wall and going home to sleep.


    At midnight that day, Zhou Jia, Shen Wu, and Ruyi had already brought their people to the Green Dragon Stronghold.


    Ruyi, Shen Wu, and the soldiers disguised as bandits led the mules carrying gravel and straw to the stone wall. The bandit on duty behind the stone wall shouted, ¡°A te of pig head meat.¡±


    Ruyi replied, ¡°Tiger Head Stronghold robbed it.¡± The mountain bandits inside came out with a smile. ¡°Have you sent the food back?¡±


    Ruyi and Shen Wu walked toward the bandits with the mule. ¡°Yes! We¡¯re finally back! I¡¯m exhausted!¡±


    The two bandits raised their torches. One of them looked at the sack on their backs and the other looked at Ruyi and said in confusion, ¡°I don¡¯t think I know you.¡±


    Before he could finish speaking, Ruyi and Shen Wu cut his throat. Ruyi and Shen Wu dealt with the two mountain bandits guarding the corner. They led the mule and continued up the stone steps. Zhou Jia raised the crossbow and followed the two of them up the mountain.


    The soldiers who followed him up the mountain carried crossbows and machetes.


    In the middle of the night, the bandits on the mountain fell into a deep sleep. Before they could recover, they were gentlyid down by Ruyi and Shen Wu.


    After dealing with the mountain bandits on sentry duty, Shen Wu gestured to the back. The soldiers stood in front of the cave in batches. When all the soldiers were standing in front of the cave, Shen Wu waved his hand and ordered the soldiers to enter with crossbows and machetes. Wails and sounds of killing rang out in the cave. For a moment, blood and flesh flew everywhere. The Green Dragon Stronghold had be a battlefield.


    Ruyi and Shen Wu dealt with the bandits guarding the entrance of Zuo Qing¡¯s cave. They didn¡¯t expect there to be bandits guarding inside. The sound of fighting woke up Zuo Qing, who was sleeping soundly with his concubine in his arms. Zuo Qing knew that something was wrong. He turned around, picked up the two sabers by the bed, and jumped up to fight Ruyi, who had rushed in.


    After Zhou Jia shot down a few bandits with the crossbow, he pulled out his machete and started fighting with the bandits. One of the bandits raised his saber and shed at Zhou Jia¡¯s back, but he was kicked away by Shen Wu and stabbed into his chest.


    Ruyi and Zuo Qing were locked in a battle. Zuo Qing raised his two daggers and shed at Ruyi¡¯s head. After Ruyi blocked it with his saber, Zuo Qing shed at Ruyi¡¯s neck with his other dagger. Ruyi¡¯s throat was about to be cut open.


    Zhou Jia activated the sleeve arrow, and it flew out and hit the steel knife in Zuo Qing¡¯s hand. Zhou Jia shot out the sleeve arrow one after another. Ruyi took advantage of Zuo Qing¡¯s fatigue to cut open his back. Zuo Qing swayed and fell to the ground.


    Half an hourter, the battle ended. Everyone began to clean up the battlefield, capturing more than 30 bandits and more than ten wives and concubines of Zuo Qing and the others.


    In the two-on-one battle, some of the soldiers Shen Wu brought with him were seriously injured and more than ten were lightly injured. Shen Wu and Zhou Jia took out more than ten boxes of gold, silver, and jewelry from the dark hole in Zuo Qing¡¯s cave. There were also more than a hundred stones of food, cloth, and wine in the storeroom.


    After the search was over, Shen Wu put his arm around Zhou Jia¡¯s shoulder and pointed at the gold, silver, jewelry, and property deeds. He said, ¡°Brother Zhou, we soldiers are all rough people. We risked our lives on the battlefield for these things. Everyone has a share. The rest will be reported to the Imperial Court.¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled and said, ¡°Of course, we have tofort the dead and injured brothers. Brother Shen, just make the arrangements.¡±


    Shen Wu thought to himself he was right about Zhou Jia. Heughed and said, ¡°I knew Brother Zhou was different from those rotten officials. Then I¡¯ll distribute to the soldiers first. We¡¯ll split ours after we destroy Tiger Head Stronghold!¡±


    Zhou Jia nodded with a smile. After Shen Wu distributed the bounty to the soldiers, everyone carried the spoils of war into sacks and baskets. They carried them with rakes and horses and moved them down the mountain.


    At this point, the Green Dragon Stronghold that had been entrenched in Qingchuan for many years had been reduced to ashes.


    Zou Yaozong woke up early in the morning. He wore a straw hat and went to Zou Zude¡¯s house secretly. He stood at the door and knocked for a while, but no one answered. He felt puzzled, but he didn¡¯t care. He turned around and went home secretly.


    An hourter, the old woman endured the pain and crawled to the door of the courtyard. She knocked on the door with her head and shouted, ¡°Help! Help! Help!¡±


    When the neighbor next door heard the shout, he ran to the Zou family¡¯s door and asked, ¡°Old Woman Tong, did your man hit you? Why are you shouting for help in the middle of the day? Your courtyard door is closed. Even if I want to save you, I can¡¯t enter!¡±


    The old woman shouted miserably, ¡°Go to the Zou family and call someone over. A thief came to my housest night! He cut off the tendons of my hands and legs!¡±


    The neighbor thought to himself that there must have been a thief. He didn¡¯t hear anything at his house! From the sound of the old woman, it doesn¡¯t seem fake! ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll help you call someone.¡±


    The neighbor hurriedly ran to Zou Yaozong¡¯s house and called the Zou family over. Everyone carried bamboodders and climbed into Zou Zude¡¯s house. They saw Old Woman Tong lying at the entrance of the courtyard. Her limbs were limp and she could not lift or stand.


    Everyone hurriedly entered the house and saw Zou Zude, whose tendons had also been severed, and Zhong Kui¡¯s blood-red portrait on the wall!


    The woman who was watching themotion whispered, ¡°So that¡¯s how it is. This is karma! This is to persuade the world that one should umte virtue and not do things that are uneptable!¡±


    The group of people was terrified and hurriedly went to the government office to report the case.


    After Li Yu crippled Zou Zude and his wife, she woke up early in the morning and saw that Old Madam Liu, Aunt Zhang, and the others had already dried the wheat seeds.


    Under Little Peach¡¯s guidance, Madam Li and Zou Xia seemed more alive than when they came. They helped Li Yu filter the wheat seeds in the courtyard.


    Only then did Li Yu realize that Zou Xia was a beautiful girl.

 Chapter 199 - 199 The Demise of Two Mountain Bandit Strongholds

    199 The Demise of Two Mountain Bandit Strongholds


    Everyone was busy in the courtyard and did not know that the news had already spread in Qingchuan City. Everyone was discussing that Zou Zude and his wife had lived their lives disgracefully and that a god had appeared. The news that the two of them had suffered retribution spread throughout Qingchuan City.


    Mr. Qian ran back from the government office and said to Li Yu, ¡°Madam, the Zou family came to report that Zou Zude and his wife had their tendons severed by someonest night and were paralyzed. The Zou family came and asked if the Li family¡¯s mother and daughter were willing to go back and take care of them. If they were unwilling, the Zou family¡¯s property would be given to the Zou family. Zou Zude and his wife would be taken care of by the Zou family. The Li family¡¯s mother and daughter would be removed from the Zou family and their household register would be moved out.¡±


    Li Yu looked at Madam Li and daughter and said, ¡°What are you thinking? Tell Mr. Qian. He will help you settle it!¡±


    Madam Li held Zou Xia¡¯s hand and knelt down. ¡°Madam, I want to leave the Zou family and establish a female household. Please help me!¡±


    Li Yu nodded and said, ¡°Get up first. Don¡¯t kneel for no reason! You can set up a female household. I also have to hire people to feed pigs, chickens, and ducks at my farm outside the city. If you want, you can work at my ce.¡±


    The mother and daughter of the Li family shed tears of joy. ¡°Thank you, Madam. I¡¯m willing to go.¡±


    Seeing that the Li family had decided to leave the Zou family, Mr. Qian thought to himself, ¡°This is the wisest decision. After Zou Zude manages the Zou family¡¯s property for a hundred years, his family line will definitely go extinct. At that time, the property will be taken away by the Zou family, and Madam Li and her daughter won¡¯t be able to keep anything.¡±


    Mr. Qian went to help Madam Li and daughter settle their separation from the Zou family. In the end, Scribe Tu helped the Li family set up a female household. Madam Li changed Zou Xia¡¯s name to Li Xia and stayed with the Zhou family to help.


    After Zhou Jia and Shen Wu led their men down the mountain, they rushed towards Mount Daluo without stopping. The leader of the Tiger Head Stronghold had already received the news and sent people to guard the pass.


    Shen Wu got someone to tie the linen cloth that was soaked in oil near the arrowhead and let the soldiers light it before shooting it at the bandits behind the pass. The fire arrows shot into the pass and lit up the dried branches and weeds where the bandits were hiding. The fire gave the bandits nowhere to hide, so they turned around and fled up the mountain.


    Shen Wu took the opportunity to send people into the stronghold. The people behind began to throw themselves into the fire and enter the vige. Shen Wu instructed everyone to continue attacking their with rockets. Surrounded by rockets, the bandits ran out. Everyone started fighting.


    After half a day of intense battle, the Tiger Head Stronghold was also wiped out in one fell swoop. This time, there were more than a hundred casualties among the soldiers. The property,nd deeds, gold, silver, jewelry, and food seized were even more abundant than that of the Green Dragon Stronghold!


    At this point, the Tiger Head Stronghold that had upied Qingchuan for many years had also been reduced to ashes!


    As usual, they took out a portion of the gold, silver, and jewelry and distributed them to the dead and injured officials and soldiers who fought. Everyone loaded the food, gold, and silver onto the mule carts and hung them on the horses. They pulled the spoils of war and prisoners down the mountain.


    When they entered the city, the citizens of Qingchuan were cheering and celebrating the demise of the two mountain bandit strongholds who had wreaked havoc in Qingchuan for many years!


    After entering the city, Shen Wu looked at the more than twenty boxes of treasures in the house and said to Zhou Jia, ¡°Brother Zhou, how about this? Return the real estate deeds of the people of Qingchuan that the bandits snatched to themoners and leave the food to the county government. Leave ten boxes of these things for the Imperial Court and two boxes for you to repair the city wall. The rest will be divided into three portions. One for you and me, and one for the general!¡±


    Zhou Jia patted Shen Wu¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°Brother Shen, there¡¯s no need for us to say anything. Just arrange it!¡±


    Shen Wu looked at Zhou Jia regretfully. ¡°It¡¯s a pity that Brother Zhou is a civil official. We should fight together.¡±


    Zhou Jia shook his head and smiled. ¡°Isn¡¯t it better for us brothers to work for Great Yong!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± The two of them looked at each other andughed.


    After Shen Wu left behind the gold and silver to repair the city wall and rebuild the county office, he reported the gold and silver to the Imperial Court. He suppressed the captured bandits and brought the remaining officials and Manager Ouyang back to Qingzhou.


    Zhou Jia sent Shen Wu out of the city gate and went home to pull Li Yu to the warehouse where the spoils of war were stored. He pointed at a few boxes of gold, silver, and jewelry and said to Li Yu, ¡°Yu¡¯er, look, these are the treasures seized from the two strongholds. Brother Shen took the treasures that were handed over to the Imperial Court and left for General Shen. These are ours! Also, the money for repairing the city wall and building the county office has been reserved in advance!¡±


    Li Yu looked at the dazzling gold, silver, and jewelry in the room and was shocked. She thought to herself, No wonder those who led troops in ancient times liked to fight and attack cities. The gold, silver, and jewelry from these two mountain bandit nests were extravagant enough tost them until they were old!


    ¡°Is it only us and Shen Wu?¡±


    Zhou Jia hugged Li Yu and said with a smile, ¡°All the soldiers who participated in the suppression of the bandits, the casualties, Ruyi, Xu Chun, and so on will be included. These are all unwritten rules. Just ept them in peace!¡±


    Li Yu looked up at Zhou Jia and said gently, ¡°Okay! Then I¡¯m relieved!¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled in relief. ¡°The mountain bandits have been wiped out, and there¡¯s also money in the county office. We can rebuild the county office in peace and repair the streets in the city. We also have to return themoners¡¯ fields that the mountain bandits upied and sell the ownerless fields again.¡± Zhou Jia kissed Li Yu¡¯s face happily and smiled confidently. ¡°Yu¡¯er, I¡¯ll get busy!¡±


    ¡°Go ahead! I want to take a look at the wastnd too!¡± Li Yu sent Zhou Jia to the door and turned to enter the house. She stored the treasures in the space and went out to the wastnd.


    Xiaoyu was also shocked by the gold, silver, and jewelry Ruyi handed to her. She grabbed Ruyi¡¯s clothes and said, ¡°Is it really ours?¡±


    Ruyi smiled and nodded. ¡°Young Master and Madam said that this is what I deserve and asked me to give it to you. Xiaoyu, remember to pick up those without marks. Those with marks can only be used after they are dissolved and crafted again.¡±


    Xiaoyu picked up an exquisite hairpin and looked at it. She shook her head and said, ¡°I¡¯m not used to using these things. Look, Madam never wears these pearls and jade. Her hair is all tied up with a jade hairpin!¡±


    Ruyi smiled in satisfaction. ¡°Okay, do whatever you think is good.¡±


    Zhou Jia got the bailiffs to go to the various viges to publicize and let the vigers who had their fields and houses snatched away by the bandits and the people in the county citye to the county office to retrieve their property.


    For several days in a row, vigers came to collect their certificates and household registers. After the vigers took back their fields, they knelt in front of the government office and shouted, ¡°Lord Qingtian, our Qingchuan people have finally weed you!¡±


    Zhou Jia, Scribe Tu, and Mr. Qian felt poignant and sweet in their hearts when they saw the vigers¡¯ happy and grateful expressions! Zhou Jia went forward to help the citizens up and said, ¡°Everyone, please get up. This is what an official should do. You don¡¯t have to be so polite!¡±


    Everyone stood up and bowed to Zhou Jia. ¡°Lord Zhou, you¡¯re a good official. Our people of Qingchuan are blessed!¡±


    In the blink of an eye, it waste September. Xu Dong returned to Qing Chuan and reported the news of Qingzhou to Zhou Jia. The two brothers stayed in Qing Chuan to help.

 Chapter 200 - 200 Planning the Street

    200 nning the Street


    The repair of the walls of Qingchuan County waspleted, and work on rebuilding the county office began. The wastnd that Li Yu had bought had been sown with wheat seeds, and the farmstead had been built. Li Yu went to the brokerage to buy a few servants to take care of the fields, and then went to the vige to buy some piglets and chickens. Madam Li and her daughter moved to the farmstead and helped Li Yu cook for the servants, feeding the pigs and raising chickens.


    Little Peach, whose actual name was Yu Niang, sold the house on West Street. After staying at home for half a month, she returned to the city and asked to see Li Yu. After seeing Li Yu, she said, ¡°Madam, I want to sell myself to you.¡±


    Li Yu looked at Yu Niang in shock. ¡°Why do you want to sell yourself?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to get married. I want to serve you.¡± Yu Niang knelt in front of Li Yu. ¡°Madam, please ept me! It¡¯s fine even if I don¡¯t get paid!¡±


    !!


    Li Yu didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry as she pulled up Yu Niang, who was kneeling on the ground. ¡°What happened? Why do you want to sell yourself!¡±


    Yu Niang sped her hands together and begged, ¡°Madam, please ept me! I¡¯ve thought about it. I¡¯ve sold the house on West Street. When I go home, I¡¯ll give the money from selling the house and the money I¡¯ve saved all these years to my brother and sister-inw. I¡¯ll ask them to buy fields for me to serve you! I¡¯ll even go to the farm to feed the pigs!¡±


    Li Yu looked at the determined Yu Niang and nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll ept you. Let¡¯s not rush to write the contract first. Can you try it for a few days?¡±


    Xiaoyu smiled happily and said, ¡°As long as you use me, I¡¯ll do anything! I¡¯m going to work.¡±


    ¡°Alright, help me get a doctor first. Xiaoyu has been so listless these days that she can fall asleep sitting down.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Yu Niang agreed and went out.


    Zhou Jia and Mr. Qian came back from outside covered in dust. Zhou Jia said to Li Yu, ¡°Yu¡¯er, many areas of the river in Qingchuan have been blocked. I want to take advantage of the dry water season to organize people to clear the river and strengthen the dam. Otherwise, it will be troublesome when the river floods in the next rainy season.¡±


    ¡°We should take precautions as soon as possible. It will be toote when the rainy seasones. I think the county office and streets should bepleted in the winter month. This ce is on the right track. Our fields in Qingshui Town have been upied by someone, and we haven¡¯t had the time to go back and deal with it!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! I wonder if Ah Qing and the others received our letter. We don¡¯t even know how Ah Qing did in the exam?¡±


    As the two of them spoke, Yu Niang brought the doctor into the courtyard. Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu worriedly. ¡°Yu¡¯er, are you feeling unwell?¡±


    Li Yu looked at him strangely. ¡°Xiaoyu has been listless these past few days. Ruyi is busy with the construction site, so I asked Yu Niang to get a doctor to take a look. Look, Yu Niang brought it to Xiaoyu.¡±


    Zhou Jia held Li Yu¡¯s hand and walked into the room. ¡°You scared me. I have to change my clothes and go back to the government office.¡±


    Li Yu took out the clothes that Zhou Jia wanted to change into and said to him, ¡°Xiao Xi, after the county city is renovated, there will slowly be more vendors in the city. You should n carefully and arrange for them to be in a fixed position. You should also build a few public toilets in the city and hire those disabled and lonely old people to clean them. They can earn a certain amount of money and have a source of ie. Once the city is clean, we can keep illnesses at bay!¡±


    When Zhou Jia heard this, he thought for a while and looked at Li Yu in surprise. ¡°Yu¡¯er, your thoughts are very good, but where do those people get their wages?¡±


    Li Yu smiled and said, ¡°You can set up fixed stalls and ask the stall owner for some sanitation fees! Send some bailiffs to patrol every day to prevent those hooligans from collecting protection fees. If you charge dozens of copper coins a month, those stall owners will be willing to pay.¡±


    Zhou Jia hugged Li Yu and smiled. ¡°Alright, your idea is not bad. When Ie back, we¡¯ll n it out!¡±


    In Phoenix Town, Tongzhou, Phoenix Vige, Li Qing had just gotten out of the carriage with Ah Lei. He held Li Yu¡¯s letter in his hand and ran towards Li Mei¡¯s house. Li Mei held Brother Pig¡¯s hand and saw Li Qing¡¯s happy expression. She smiled and said, ¡°Ah Qing! Why are you home from the academy today?¡±


    Li Qing shouted happily, ¡°Aunt! My sister has been conferred the title of First-grade Country Madam Protector, and my brother-inw has been promoted to the Sixth-grade. He has already gone to Qingzhou¡¯s Qingchuan County to take on the job!¡±


    Li Mei pped her hands in surprise and smiled. ¡°First-grade madam, sixth-grade official. Young master is still the best. You¡¯re five levels higher than Yu¡¯er!¡±


    When Li Qing heard this, heughed out loud. ¡°Aunt! The First-Grade Madam is the highest rank among the concubines. It was even conferred by His Majesty. Brother-inw is far inferior to Sister, but only Brother-inw has power.¡±


    Li Mei covered her mouth andughed. ¡°Oh! I thought the higher the number, the higher the official position! Hurry up and tell Uncle Zhou that we have to celebrate! Celebrate!¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Li Qing looked at Brother Pig, who was hiding behind Li Mei. ¡°Brother Pig, have you finished your homework?¡±


    Brother Pig pouted and looked at Li Qing. ¡°I¡¯m done with my homework. Brother, it¡¯s not fun to do homework. Brother Pig doesn¡¯t like it! Let¡¯s y soldiers catching bandits, okay?¡±


    Laidi walked in from outside and said to Li Qing, ¡°Ah Qing! Brother Pig¡¯s homework is a mess. Hurry up and teach him a lesson!¡±


    Brother Pig turned around and ran. ¡°Second Sister is bad. I¡¯m not ying with you anymore. I¡¯ll go find Big Sister!¡±


    Laidi looked at Li Qing strangely. ¡°Ah Qing, why did you leave ande back? What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Li Mei looked at Laidi and smiled proudly. ¡°Your cousin has been conferred the title of First-grade Madam Protector. Ah Qing said that she is the highest-ranking official, even higher than your brother-inw¡¯s sixth-grade official status. We have to celebrate!¡±


    Li Qing took the letter to the Zhou family and handed the letter to Uncle Zhou. He told Uncle Zhou about Li Yu and Zhou Jia being conferred the titles and said to Uncle Zhou, ¡°Uncle Zhou, my aunt said that we have to celebrate. I¡¯ll go arrange it.¡±


    Uncle Zhou smiled happily and said, ¡°Young Master Ah Qing, go do your homework. Let me do it!¡±


    ¡°Alright! Read the letter first!¡±


    Uncle Zhou saw that Zhou Jia had said in the letter that he had already taken revenge for his mother and Li Yu was even given a title. He had told Uncle Zhou that they had already set off for Qingchuan to take over. Uncle Zhou had gone to the small ancestral hall and knelt in front of the memorial tablet. Tears streamed down his face. ¡°Old Master, Madam, Young Master has made a name for himself. Young Madam has even been conferred the title of First-grade Madam. You can reincarnate in peace!¡±


    The news of Li Yu and Zhou Jia returning to Qingzhou to be officials spread throughout Phoenix Vige. Everyone gathered together happily and celebrated. The old vige chief said to Chen Yaozu, ¡°When are you going back to take a look? It¡¯s time for our fields and ancestral graves to go back and rest.¡±


    Chen Yaozu smiled and said, ¡°Dad! It¡¯s peaceful today. Why don¡¯t I go back and take a look after the new year?¡±


    The old vige chief pped his hands and smiled. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go back and take a look.¡±


    Liu Changmin looked at everyone¡¯s happy expressions and smiled. ¡°Uncle Vige Chief, do you know who I saw when I delivered the goods to Tongzhou a few days ago?¡±


    Chen Yaohui said anxiously, ¡°Who is it? Don¡¯t keep me in suspense. Tell me quickly!¡±

 Chapter 201 - 201 The Siblings Reunite

    201 The Siblings Reunite


    Liu Changmin gloated. ¡°Zhang Defa! He¡¯s even older than Uncle. His hair is white and his face is bitter. He¡¯s getting by helping people move things!¡±


    Old Vige Chief sighed and said, ¡°Zhang Defa was so smug back then! His son was taking the county-level examination and his family had business. Why didn¡¯t he think about who gave him these!¡±


    Old Lady Chen curled her lips and said, ¡°He¡¯s suffering retribution! This person! Don¡¯t do anything bad. Even the heavens are watching! Look at Xiaoyu¡¯s family now. They¡¯re so frugal!¡±


    Chen Yaohui agreed. ¡°Yes! It¡¯s retribution. Xiaoyu said that Zhang Defa would meet his karma. Everyone can see it.¡±


    !!


    At home, Li Qing said to Li Mei, ¡°Aunt, in two days, I¡¯ll set off to Qingchuan to visit my sister. I¡¯ll go back to visit my parents¡¯ graves next year!¡±


    Li Mei looked at Li Qing and shook her head. ¡°Ji Xiang is sending the goods to the capital. I¡¯m not at ease if you go back alone!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not alone. The people from the Four Seas Bank are sending rice seeds to Qingzhou. I¡¯ll go with them and send some new rice seeds to my sister.¡±


    After Li Mei heard this, she thought for a while. ¡°When your cousin gets married next autumn, tell your sister. Sigh! Yu¡¯er won¡¯t have the time toe back and send Zhaodi off! I don¡¯t know when I can see your sister again.¡±


    Li Qing stood up and bowed. ¡°Aunt! I¡¯ve prepared a gift for Cousin. When the timees, go to the room and get it yourself! I¡¯ll leave the family matters to you!¡±


    Li Mei held Li Qing¡¯s hand and looked at him reluctantly. With tears streaming down her face, she said, ¡°Ah Qing, you have to be careful on the way. Send a message to Aunt when you arrive, understand?¡±


    Li Qing looked at Brother Pig and instructed Li Mei, ¡°Got it! Aunt, Uncle, you have to take care of yourself. Brother Pig has to be strictly disciplined too. Don¡¯t spoil him too much!¡±


    Li Mei felt a little ashamed when she heard this. It wasn¡¯t easy for her husband and wife to have a child again. They were indeed spoiling Brother Pig. Even Ah Qing could tell. It seemed that he couldn¡¯t be spoiled anymore. If they raised him badly, it would harm the child.


    ¡°Aunt knows what to do. My Ah Qing is sensible.¡±


    Brother Pig watched from the side as his mother and cousin spoke. He didn¡¯t know that his carefree life would immediately leave him!


    Li Yu didn¡¯t know that Li Qing was preparing to set off to see her. She was still teasing Xiaoyu. ¡°Congrattions, Xiaoyu. Look, you and Ruyi got marriedter than us. You¡¯re already pregnant! Quickly let Ruyi tell your parents the good news!¡±


    Xiaoyu was both happy and embarrassed. She blushed and looked at Li Yu reproachfully. ¡°Madam! You¡¯re teasing me again. I¡¯m ignoring you!¡±


    The days walked forward calmly and warmly. In the blink of an eye, it was winter with snowkes. The county office had been built! On the ninth day of the winter month, it was an auspicious day. Li Yu¡¯s family moved into the backyard of the county office. Scribe Tu also relied on Li Yu¡¯s family to move into the county office.


    The newly built back residence of the county office was arge courtyard with more than ten rooms in the front and back courtyard. A furnace was built in the backyard, and the house was as warm as spring!


    The river channel in Qingchuan waspleted before December, and the dam was reinforced. The streets of the county city were all paved with limestone roads. Zhou Jia followed Li Yu¡¯s suggestion and built public toilets on every street. He hired more than ten disabled and lonely old people to clean the public toilets and streets. He also built two huts beside each public toilet for the people cleaning the streets to rest in.


    A farmers¡¯ market was also built on the wastnd in West City. It was bustling with local sellers peddling vegetables, meat, and poultry.


    The location of the stalls had also been set up. There was a street for food, a street for selling bamboo and woodware as well as various knitting materials. The craftsmen were also asked to use bricks to build the foundations for each stall. A stall was six or seven square meters. Every month, they were charged thirty copper coins for hygiene and sixty copper coins for taxes. On the first day, dozens of shops came to sign up and set up their stalls.


    After the arrangements were made, the streets were cleaned, and the public toilets were cleaned. Qingchuan City became clean and vibrant.


    Zhou Jia was still preparing to build a school in the north of the county city after spring. He would spend all the unused money to repair the county city in Qingchuan City. Now, the people of Qingchuan were no longer worried about being plundered by the bandits and lived happily.


    At noon on the 25th of December, Li Qing and Ah Lei finally arrived at the city gate of Qingchuan City. They looked at the newly repaired city wall and the farmers standing in line at the city gate, waiting to enter the city. Li Qing thought to himself, ¡°Qingchuan doesn¡¯t look as bad as Shopkeeper Chu said!¡±


    Ah Lei adjusted his hat and smiled at Li Qing. ¡°Young Master, when Madam and Young Master see youter, they will definitely be surprised and happy!¡±


    Li Qing imagined his sister when she saw him and couldn¡¯t wait. ¡°Yes! My sister and brother-inw definitely didn¡¯t expect me toe so far to see them. I wonder if they¡¯ve lost weight!¡±


    After the people in front were done, it was finally Li Qing¡¯s turn. The bailiff smiled at Ah Lei and said, ¡°Little brother, rules state you have to hang a bag for the horse dung behind the horse before you can enter the city. It costs three copper coins per bag.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Ah Lei quickly ced three copper coins in the bamboo basket carried by the bailiff. The bailiff attached a sack to the horse¡¯s behind before letting Li Qing¡¯s car enter the city.


    Looking at the clean and tidy streets, Ah Lei boasted to Li Qing, ¡°Young Master, look at how capable Young Master and Madam are. The streets are cleaner than what we see in other county cities.¡±


    Li Qing nodded, feeling very happy. When he arrived at the cross street, he saw the newly renovated county office. Ah Lei sped up, and the carriage arrived at the back door. Li Qing jumped out of the carriage and walked inside. A thin middle-aged man with a crippled leg stopped him and smiled politely. ¡°Little brother, this is the backyard of the county office. You can¡¯t barge in. Who are you looking for?¡±


    Li Qing could only stop and cupped his hands. ¡°Uncle, please inform Madam that Ah Qing is here.¡±


    Seeing Li Qing¡¯s appearance, the man felt that he looked a little like his Madam. He said politely, ¡°Wait a moment, I¡¯ll report it to you!¡±


    A momentter, Li Qing saw Li Yu run to the door excitedly. Li Qing¡¯s tears flowed down uncontrobly as he faced Li Yu. ¡°Sister, I¡¯m here!¡±


    ¡°Rascal! Why did youe without saying anything? It¡¯s so far away. What if something happens on the way!¡± Li Yu sized up Li Qing with tears and a smile. ¡°You¡¯ve grown taller and more handsome! Are Aunt and the others alright?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, everyone made new clothes and shoes for you. I even brought you this year¡¯s new rice seeds.¡± Li Qing saw that Li Yu¡¯s face was rosy and she was in high spirits. He was relieved and touched his face in embarrassment. ¡°It¡¯s true that I¡¯ve grown taller. How could I be more handsome? Aren¡¯t you afraid that others willugh at you!¡±


    ¡°New rice seeds! This gift is good. Also! You¡¯re handsome, and I didn¡¯t spout nonsense. Who¡¯sughing at us? Tell me, did you charm a youngdy?¡±


    ¡°Sister! Why are you still the same as before? Is Brother-inw still working in the government office?¡±

 Chapter 202 - 202 Corn Seeds

    202 Corn Seeds


    ¡°Yes! I got someone to call him over.¡± The siblings walked towards the backyard hand in hand. After sitting down in the backyard, Ah Lei entered the house and bowed happily. ¡°Madam, I¡¯m here too!¡±


    Li Yu turned to look at Ah Lei and smiled. ¡°Ah Lei is here too! Oh! You¡¯ve grown taller. Hurry up and go in. Ah Wei is in the vegetable garden at the back.¡±


    Ah Lei rubbed his head happily and asked in confusion, ¡°Madam, who is Ah Wei? Is it Ah Gou?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s Ah Gou. Your young master named him.¡±


    !!


    Ah Lei looked at Li Qing resentfully and said with a bitter expression, ¡°Young Master, look, Ah Gou already has a new name, but you don¡¯t even want to give me one!¡±


    Li Qing knocked on Ah Lei and smiled. ¡°Isn¡¯t it good that you¡¯re called Yang Lei? Why do you want to change your name?¡±


    ¡°Hehe.¡± Ah Lei smiled foolishly. ¡°If Young Master says it¡¯s good, it¡¯s definitely good! I¡¯ll go find Ah Gou.¡±


    Li Qing told Li Yu about Zhaodi getting married next year. Li Yu thought of Zhaodi¡¯s gentle and cute appearance and smiled. ¡°Zhaodi is married. Next is Laidi. Ah Qing, what kind of wife do you want to marry?¡±


    ¡°Sister! Why are you always talking about taking a wife? I¡¯m still young! Let¡¯s talk about it after I get an academic title!¡±


    Zhou Jia strode in from the courtyard and pointed at Li Qing. Heughed and said, ¡°Come over and show Brother-inw if you¡¯ve grown stronger!¡±


    Li Qing walked forward and bowed. ¡°Brother-inw, you¡¯ve lost weight!¡±


    Zhou Jiained, ¡°Sigh! Your brother-inw is so busy every day. You¡¯re here to help him! But we have to spar first and see who has improved!¡±


    ¡°Alright! I¡¯ll stay at home and practice!¡± The two of them walked towards the middle of the courtyard and started gesturing. Li Yu was full of smiles as she stood at the side and watched the two of them get at each other¡¯s throats. They fought back and forth happily. Li Yu watched for a while and smiled as she entered the house to prepare a room for Li Qing.


    After an hour, the two of them stopped. Li Yu smiled and said to the two of them, ¡°Look at the two of you sweating. Go wash up. I¡¯ll go cook a bowl of noodles for Ah Qing!¡±


    Li Qing smiled and said, ¡°Sister, I want to eat minced pork noodles!¡± Li Yu smiled and nodded. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll make you minced pork noodles. Xiao Xi, do you want a bowl too?¡±


    ¡°Yes! I¡¯ll have a bowl too!¡± Zhou Jia looked at Li Qing smugly. Li Qing followed behind Li Yu and walked toward the kitchen. He turned around and curled his lips at Zhou Jia. ¡°Childish!¡±


    ¡°Little brat, you¡¯re asking for a beating! How dare you say that your brother-inw is childish!¡± Li Qing rolled his eyes. ¡°You¡¯re childish, to begin with! My sister cooked for me and conveniently made another bowl for you. To think you¡¯re still so smug. Tell me, aren¡¯t you childish!¡±


    Zhou Jia went over and hugged Li Qing. ¡°Good kid, I forgot to ask how you did! You didn¡¯t even mention it. Is it not ideal?¡±


    Li Qing looked at Zhou Jia. ¡°Brother-inw, Sister, I¡¯m not very satisfied that I got second ce in the school examination. I was too arrogant during the county examination and was too careful during the school examination. I got second ce twice!¡±


    Li Yu praised happily, ¡°Ah Qing is not bad. You¡¯re capable!¡±


    Zhou Jia said to Li Qing, ¡°After you¡¯re done eating, follow me to check the papers. I¡¯ll see what you did wrong!¡±


    Li Qing quickly stood up and replied, ¡°Yes, Brother-inw.¡±


    Li Yu couldn¡¯t help butugh when she saw Li Qing bing respectful. She put down the dough in her hand and gave Zhou Jia a thumbs up. ¡°Yes! Your teacher persona is still more powerful!¡± The two of themughed when they heard that.


    At dinner, Ruyi and Xiaoyu rushed back from the manor. After everyone greeted them excitedly, Li Qing smiled and congratted Ruyi. ¡°Congrattions, Brother Ruyi. My sister said that you¡¯re going to be a father.¡±


    Ruyi nodded happily. Xiaoyu smiled shyly and said, ¡°Ah Qing, how are my parents and brother?¡±


    ¡°Good! They¡¯re all very good!¡± Li Qing told Xiaoyu about her parents¡¯ recent situation and said with a smile, ¡°Big Sister Xiaoyu¡¯s parents even asked me to bring things. Auntie He even made boots for Sister and Brother-inw using deer skin. Aunt made shoes and clothes. Laidi knitted a sweater for Sister and made a few pairs of slippers for her. There¡¯s also the New Year¡¯s gift that Shopkeeper Chu brought. There¡¯re a lot of things, they¡¯re all in the bag!¡±


    Everyone gathered together. Li Qing and Ah Lei exined the recent situation in the vige before splitting up to rest.


    Li Qing followed Zhou Jia to the government office the next day. As he studied, he learned to deal with various matters in the government office. Li Yu opened the two sacks of rice seeds that Li Qing had brought and took a look. She felt that the rice seeds were better thanst year¡¯s. After storing the rice seeds in the space, she began to organize the luggage and gifts that Li Qing had brought. She sorted out the clothes, shoes, and hats and ced them in order. Under the luggage bag, she saw a linen bag. Li Yu picked it up and opened it. Her eyes widened in surprise. Corn seeds. Where did Ah Qing get them from? After Li Yu picked them up and looked at them, she felt that they weighed about five kilograms. She excitedly brought the seeds to the front office to look for Li Qing.


    Li Qing saw Li Yu rushing over with a linen bag and thought that something had happened. He hurriedly went forward and said, ¡°Sister, why are you carrying a bag? Is there anything wrong?¡±


    Li Yu asked excitedly, ¡°Ah Qing, where did thise from? Do you know what it is?¡±


    Li Qing opened the bag and took a look. ¡°Oh! A foreigner gave this to Brother Ji Xiang. Brother Ji Xiang brought it back and told me that at that time, the foreigner gestured that it was something to eat. He thought that you would like it, so he brought it back and handed it to me. When I came here, I brought it to show you! I was so happy yesterday that I forgot to show it to you. Sister! Do you know what seed it is?¡±


    Li Yu said ambiguously, ¡°It should be a kind of grain seed. I¡¯m not very sure. I¡¯ll only know when I nt it next spring. Okay! Go ahead! If there¡¯s anything you want to eat, I¡¯ll make it for you!¡±


    Li Qing smiled and said, ¡°Anything is fine. I¡¯m going to work.¡±


    Li Yu walked back with the corn seeds and returned to the house to put the seeds into the space. She thought to herself, This is great. With seeds like corn that are not picky about thend, the farmers working with sandy soil and in the mountains can also have a full meal.


    Li Yu brought people to distribute the flour and was about to fry the dough twists. When Old Madam Liu and Yu Niang saw Li Yu smiling, they teased, ¡°Grandma Liu, look at Madam. Ever since Young Master Ah Qing came, she¡¯s been so happy that her mouth can¡¯t close!¡±


    Old Madam Liu smiled and said, ¡°Of course! Madam¡¯s brother came all the way to see Madam. How can she not be happy!¡±


    ¡°Yes, your Madam is very happy! Hurry up and fry the dough for the new year!¡± Li Yu smiled and took the noodles that Yu Niang had kneaded. After rolling them, she cut them and rolled a few for the two of them to see. The two of them quickly learned.


    Li Yu poured a few catties of vegetable oil into the pot. After heating it up, she began to fry the fried doughnuts. After the fried doughnuts were done, she began to fry the crispy meat, oil, and beans. She also fried the beans and southern melon seeds. Li Yu thought to herself, ¡°Why aren¡¯t there melon seeds and peanuts here? If I can find melon seeds and peanut seeds, selling stir-fried goods will be a good business!¡±

 Chapter 203 - 203 New Year

    203 New Year


    In the blink of an eye, it was New Year¡¯s Eve. Sausages, cured meat, chicken, duck, fish, pork, and all kinds of dishes were ced on the table. Li Yu called everyone in the family together and everyone celebrated the first New Year for the first time after arriving in Qingchuan.


    On the morning of the first day of the new year, Uncle Liu opened the door and saw that the entrance was filled with vigers. Some were carrying a basket of eggs, while others were carrying chickens and ducks!


    When the vigers saw Uncle Liu open the door, they ced the things in their hands at the door and cupped their hands with a smile. ¡°Brother, please bring the things in and tell Lord Zhou that we¡¯re here to wish him a happy new year!¡±


    Uncle Liu hurriedly waved his hand and said, ¡°Brothers, aunties, please wait. Let me report to Madam and Sir. Otherwise, I¡¯ll be scolded!¡± Uncle Liu limped into the courtyard and reported to Li Yu, ¡°Madam, more than ten vigers havee to visit with things!¡±


    !!


    Li Yu and Zhou Jia hurriedly stood up and walked out. Li Qing carried the food that had been fried before the new year and ran out. When he reached the door, he only saw the bamboo basket, chickens, and ducks at the door. There was no one else.


    Uncle Liu said to Zhou Jia in frustration, ¡°Sir, I told them to wait.¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled in understanding. ¡°They don¡¯t want to disturb us! Let¡¯s put everything into the house!¡±


    Li Qing looked at Zhou Jia and smiled. ¡°This means that my brother-inw is a good official! Look, there are evenmoners sending things to you for the New Year!¡±


    After putting the things at the door into the kitchen, Zhou Jia said to Li Yu and her brother, ¡°It¡¯s impossible for the other vigers to send things over. I guess it might be those dozen families who took back the fields that the bandits snatched!¡±


    Li Qing said with some lingering fear, ¡°Brother-inw, Sister, I didn¡¯t know it was so difficult for you when you first arrived in Qingchuan. Fortunately, you know General Shen. Otherwise, these mountain bandits would have given you a headache for some time. No wonder Mr. Lin said that it¡¯s easier to be an official in the court!¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Qing and said earnestly, ¡°It¡¯s true that it¡¯s easier to be an official in the court! Ah Qing, you have to know that Shen Wu will help us with all his might because of our friendship. However, the main reason is that we¡¯re all His Majesty¡¯s people. In the bureaucracy, there¡¯s scheming and deception. You have to remember not to trust others casually.¡±


    Li Qing bowed respectfully and said, ¡°Brother-inw, I¡¯ll remember!¡±


    Zhou Jia hugged Li Qing and smiled. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry. You¡¯re still young. Your brother-inw and sister will help you when you¡¯re in trouble!¡±


    Li Qing grabbed Zhou Jia¡¯s hand. ¡°Yes! I know.¡±


    Li Yu came in from outside and smiled at the two of them. ¡°Don¡¯t stay at home. The streets are very lively. Ruyi and the others have gone shopping! Let¡¯s go shopping too! We¡¯ve been here for so long, but we haven¡¯t gone shopping properly!¡±


    Zhou Jia and Li Qingughed when they heard that. Zhou Jia stood up and walked to Li Yu. She smiled and said, ¡°Ah Qing! It¡¯s rare for your sister to want to shop. We¡¯ll apany you!¡±


    The three of them went out and walked down the street. Li Yu looked at the crowding and going on the street and thought to herself that although Qingchuan County was currently not prosperous, there were more pedestrians on the streets. The people in the city were no longer locked at home every day. Some also started to set up stalls at the spots designated by Zhou Jia. There were patrolling magistrate officers on the streets and the people setting up stalls were not afraid of the harassment of those local hooligans. It can be said thatpared to how it used to be, the current Qingchuan County was starting to radiate vitality.


    Li Qing looked over and saw that the streets were clean and the vendors were in their designated positions. When the citizens in the city saw Zhou Jia and Li Yu, they stopped and bowed. Li Qing felt a sense of pride and said to Zhou Jia, ¡°Brother-inw, you¡¯re really amazing. If I can be an official in the future, I want to learn from you.¡±


    Zhou Jia shook his head and said, ¡°Your sister taught me many things. For example, that public toilet, those stalls, and the farmers¡¯ market in West City. It was your sister who suggested hiring disabled and lonely people to clean the streets. Your sister is a capable aide!¡±


    Li Qing looked at Li Yu, who had walked to the front, and sighed. ¡°Brother-inw, you¡¯ve made a killing marrying my sister. My sister is good-looking and skilled. Now, she even knows how to give you advice. My sister is too capable!¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled smugly. ¡°Of course! Look at whose wife she is!¡±


    Li Yu walked to a stall selling wontons and said to the two people muttering behind her, ¡°It smells quite fragrant. Let¡¯s eat a bowl of wontons!¡±


    Thedy boss wiped the table diligently and shouted with a smile, ¡°Husband, Lord Zhou and Madam are here to eat my wontons. Mix the sauce well!¡±


    The boss replied loudly, ¡°Alright!¡±


    After the three of them sat down, the boss brought the wontons to the table and bowed to Zhou Jia and his wife. ¡°Sir, Madam, my wontons are delicious!¡±


    Seeing that there were also people waiting to eat wontons at the table beside him, Zhou Jia smiled and said, ¡°Alright, business looks good!¡±


    The boss replied happily, ¡°Sigh! Business is not bad. No one hase to cause trouble yet. Even if we earn less, we don¡¯t have to be on tenterhooks. My family has been selling wontons since my grandfather¡¯s generation. We haven¡¯t set up a stall for more than ten years. Now that you¡¯re here, we¡¯vee out to set up a stall again. I have to thank you.¡±


    As they spoke, a few more customers came. Zhou Jia said to the boss, ¡°Go ahead! There¡¯s no need to greet us.¡± The boss bowed and went to get busy.


    After they finished eating, they put down the copper coins and continued shopping. When they reached the northern city, Li Yu realized that there were also vendors selling rouge and cosmetics on the streets. All kinds of hawking and the sounds of customers bargaining made the streets lively.


    Zhou Jia looked at the increasingly prosperous Qingchuan Street and said to Li Yu, ¡°Yu¡¯er, when there are profits in the county next year, we¡¯ll prepare somenterns and lion and dragon dances. We¡¯ll also invite an opera troupe here for some fun!¡±


    Li Yu smiled and said, ¡°Alright, as you wish.¡± They walked around the city. In the end, they didn¡¯t buy anything and slowly walked home empty-handed.


    The new year ended on the 15th of January. Li Qing and Li Yu discussed returning to Clearwater Town to pay respects to their parents. Li Yu thought about how the Zhou family¡¯s fields had been upied and had yet to find someone to get them back. She nned to return to Clearwater Town with Li Qing and bring back the fields for their parents.


    Zhou Jia said reluctantly, ¡°Yu¡¯er, you won¡¯t be back until mid-March.¡±


    Li Yu hugged Zhou Jia and smiled. ¡°Now that Qingchuan¡¯s matters are on the right track, you can¡¯t go back with me. When Ie back, it will be time for spring plowing.¡±


    Zhou Jia touched Li Yu¡¯s hair and gently kissed her face. He said reluctantly, ¡°I really can¡¯t bear to see you leave. You have to be careful on the way. When you reach Clearwater Town, sell the shops in town and Green Mountain City. Don¡¯t rush along the way. Come back as soon as possible!¡±


    Li Yu hugged Zhou Jia tightly and chuckled. ¡°You want me to not rush but you also want me toe back earlier. Which line should I listen to?¡±


    Zhou Jia sighed and said, ¡°Thene back as soon as possible!¡±

 Chapter 204 - 204 Meeting a Gangster at West Mountain Village

    204 Meeting a Gangster at West Mountain Vige


    After settling the matters at home and the manor, Li Yu, Yu Niang, Xu Chun, and Li Qing left for Clearwater Town early. Zhou Jia, Ruyi, and the others sent Li Yu and her brother out of the city before reluctantly returning.


    There were two horses pulling the carriage for this trip. Li Yu and Yu Niang sat in one, and Li Qing rode alone. The Xu brothers drove the carriage, and the light horses sped up a lot. They did not have to go to Qingzhou. The siblings arrived in Clearwater Town at the end of the afternoon on February 16. The town looked a little livelier thanst year. The pedestrians on the road no longer looked sad, and there was smiles on their faces.


    Li Qing got out of the car and found an inn called Tong Fu Inn to stay. After washing up, they went to the inn¡¯s lobby.


    The innkeeper was a slightly plump middle-aged man. Seeing Li Yu and the others arrive, he asked with a smile, ¡°Dear guests, what do you want to eat?¡±


    Li Qing smiled and said, ¡°Give me a few of your best dishes, stir-fry two vegetables, and a pot of wine!¡±


    ¡°Alright! Serve the dishes!¡± After shouting loudly, the shopkeeper smiled and said, ¡°From your ent, you¡¯re from Clearwater Town?¡±


    Li Qing nodded and said, ¡°Yes! I¡¯m from West Mountain Vige. The Zhou Jii grocery store in front is owned by my brother-inw.¡±


    The shopkeeper thought for a moment and patted his head. ¡°Oh! The Zhou Ji store has been closed since the drought. Are you his brother-inw?¡±


    ¡°Yes! My sister and I are nning to sell the shop this time. We¡¯ll go to the brokerage tomorrow morning. If you know of anyone who wants to buy the shop, you can inform them.¡±


    ¡°Alright, sure. The dishes are here. Please enjoy!¡±


    After eating, Li Yu said to the Xu brothers, ¡°Master Xu, the two of you are tired after driving for so long! Go and rest first. I¡¯ll go back to West Mountain Vige with Ah Qing and Yuniang!¡±


    The Xu brothers knew that Li Yu didn¡¯t need their protection. Moreover, they were indeed exhausted from driving for half a month. They nodded and replied, ¡°Madam, we


    will go and rest first.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± Li Yu and the other two didn¡¯t want to take the car anymore. After settling the bill, they went out to West Mountain Vige. When they arrived at the entrance of the town, Yu Niang looked at Green Mountain in the distance and smiled at Li Yu. ¡°Madam, that¡¯s Green Mountain, right? Is Qi Country really on the other side?¡±


    Li Yu shook her head and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know too. Our family fled and moved here. I heard the same thing from others.¡±


    They walked across the stone bridge and through the pass. Li Yu saw that the Zhou family¡¯s fields had already been nted with winter wheat. The wheat had already turned green, and arge patch of green could be seen.


    There were still long-term workers in the field clearing the ditch. When they walked to the vige entrance, they saw a table under the big banyan tree at the vige entrance and an umbre. A young man dressed in fancy clothes was lying on a chair with his feet up and his eyes narrowed to rest. Behind him were two servants.


    Li Yu thought to herself, There¡¯s no need to look for him anymore. The fields at home must have been upied by this kid.


    When Li Yu, Li Qing, and Yu Niang were about to reach the table, a man leaned over and said to the man on the chair, ¡°Third Young Master, two beauties and a handsome youth have arrived.¡±


    The man opened his eyes and looked at Li Yu and the others with a stunned expression. The man stood up and gazed at them with a wretched smile. He walked toward Li Yu and Yu Niang. ¡°Yo! My luck is good today. I¡¯ve two beauties at once. Come,e, tell Third Master where you came from. Are you going to West Mountain Vige or East Mountain Vige? You must be tired! Sit down and rest!¡±


    Li Qing stepped forward and stopped him. He scolded in disgust, ¡°Get lost! Nothing goodes out of a dog¡¯s mouth. I can tell from your appearance that you¡¯re not a good person!¡±


    The yboy said angrily, ¡°You dog! How dare you scold me? I think you¡¯re tired of living! Hu Wei, beat him to death!¡±


    When the servant named Hu Wei heard this, he rolled up his sleeves and walked toward Li Qing. He reached out to grab Li Qing¡¯s neck but Li Qing grabbed Hu Wei¡¯s arm with one hand and pulled it back. Hu Wei¡¯s arm was broken by Li Qing and he was kicked to the ground. Hu Wei held the bowl and cried, ¡°Third Young Master, my hand was broken.¡±


    Third Young Master flew into a rage. He pointed at Li Qing and said to another servant, ¡°Hu Bao, attack. Beat him to death!¡±


    Hu Baohu looked much stronger than Hu Wei. His figure was like an iron tower, and his muscles were bulging. He walked with loud steps. Yu Niang looked at Li Qing worriedly and said to Li Yu, ¡°Madam, what should we do? I¡¯ll keep watch here. Why don¡¯t you go back and call the Xu brothers to help!¡±


    Li Yu smiled nonchntly. ¡°Yu Niang, don¡¯t worry, nothing will happen!¡±


    Yu Niang clenched her fists and nervously watched Hu Bao walk toward Li Qing. He reached out to punch Li Qing¡¯s nose. Li Qing reached out and grabbed Hu Bao¡¯s fist. He raised his leg and kicked Hu Bao¡¯s calf bone. With two cracking sounds, Hu Bao copsed to the ground.


    ¡°It¡¯s impolite not to reciprocate.¡± Li Qing sneered and walked towards Third Young Master. Third Young Master was so frightened that he hid under the table and shouted, ¡°I¡¯m the brother-inw of the county magistrate. If you dare to hit me, I¡¯ll get my brother-inw to send you to jail!¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t break thew. Do you think your brother-inw is the king of heaven?! Do you think you can do whatever you want!¡± Li Qing grabbed Third Young Master¡¯s hair and dragged him out from under the table. He punched him in the stomach. Third Young Master was knocked to the ground. He supported himself with one hand on the ground and held his stomach with the other. He roared and cursed, ¡°Bastard, just you wait. I¡¯ll get someone to deal with you immediately!¡±


    Li Yu walked up to him and stepped on his hand. She crushed it forcefully, and the sound of bones shattering could be heard. Li Yu said coldly, ¡°From your appearance, I know that you¡¯ve harmed countless women. Tell me! Did your family upy thisnd?!¡±


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Third Young Master asked with a trembling voice. His hand was in so much pain that his face was pale and cold sweat flowed. His eyes rolled back and he fainted.


    The two servants were shocked when they saw this. Hu Wei couldn¡¯t care less about the pain in his hand and hurriedly ran to the young master to check. Seeing the young master lying there motionless, he was so frightened that he cried.


    Hu Bao¡¯s leg bones were broken and he could not walk. Seeing that Hu Wei was crying, he hurriedly turned his head and shouted at the people working in the field, ¡°Someonee quickly! Third Young Master has been killed!¡± When the busy workers in the field heard this, they ran down the banyan tree with hoes.


    At this moment, someone from the vige rushed over. A man looked at Li Yu and her brother for a while and shouted uncertainly, ¡°Xiaoyu, Ah Qing, is it you two?¡±


    Li Yu looked at the man with gray hair and a pale face and said, ¡°Yes, Uncle. It¡¯s us . May I know who you are?¡±


    The man said excitedly, ¡°I¡¯m Xu Bin! My brother, Xu Lin, and I were the ones who escaped with you that year and returned halfway!¡±


    Li Yu and Li Qing bowed. ¡°Oh! Uncle Xu, are you guys alright?¡±

 Chapter 205 - 205 The Tyrant Hu Family

    205 The Tyrant Hu Family


    ¡°Not good. My brother and his wife have passed away, leaving behind two children. The family can¡¯t even eat well.¡± Xu Bin took a step forward and said softly, ¡°When my wife and I returned home with the childrenst year, we realized that the fields had been upied by Squire Hu¡¯s family. It¡¯s Young Master Hu whom you¡¯ve beaten up. Xiaoyu, quickly take your brother and leave! Their family is rich and powerful, and they have the backing of the Green Mountain County Magistrate. They¡¯re very powerful. We can¡¯t afford to offend them!¡±


    Li Yu asked in confusion, ¡°Uncle Xu, don¡¯t you have a title deed for your fields?¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course, I do!¡± Xu Bin¡¯s expression changed as he urged anxiously, ¡°Xiaoyu, let¡¯s go! They¡¯reing!¡±


    Li Yu turned around and saw more than ten workers carrying hoes in their hands. They had already run to the banyan tree. Hu Bao pointed at Li Qing and said, ¡°It was that kid and that woman who hit Young Master. They even broke my leg and Hu Wei¡¯s wrist!¡±


    More than ten workers walked towards Li Yu and the others with hoes. Li Qing shouted, ¡°What are you doing in broad daylight?¡±


    The foreman said to Li Qing, ¡°If you kill my young master, we won¡¯t have a good time when we go back. Either youe with us to the Hu family or let us beat you up!¡±


    Li Yu went forward to look at the long-term workers and sneered. ¡°What a joke! That dog just fainted from the pain. Besides, what right do you have to work in those fields? Who hired you? Why didn¡¯t I know that you have been hired to work on my family¡¯snd? Go, call Squire Hu over. Return the food that has been nted in my family¡¯s real estate to me, and I¡¯ll let bygones be bygones. Otherwise, I¡¯ll go to the government office to sue you for seizing the farnd!¡±


    The chief worker said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell us. We¡¯re just hired by Squire Hu!¡±


    At this moment, Hu Wei drove the carriage over and shouted to a few workers, ¡°Quickly carry Young Master and Brother Leopard onto the carriage. I¡¯ll go back and ask Master to send someone over to destroy the vige!¡±


    Li Yu shouted, ¡°Don¡¯t you dare! I¡¯ll leave theckey for you first. Go back and report! I¡¯ll wait for you here. See if you dare to smash the vige.¡±


    Young Master Hu had already woken up. He gritted his teeth and scolded, ¡°Stupid bitch! Don¡¯t you dare run! If you flee, I¡¯ll smash the entire vige!¡±


    The vigers looked at Li Yu and her brother fearfully.


    Li Yu jumped in front of the carriage like lightning and grabbed Young Master Hu. She pped him twice and said coldly, ¡°If you continue to be so dirty-mouthed, I¡¯ll knock all your teeth out!¡±


    Young Master Hu trembled in fear, and a foul smell spread out. He immediately cried, ¡°Go, go back and call my father!¡±


    An old woman in the vige looked at Li Yu and her brother with resentment. ¡°Xiaoyu, Ah Qing, you guys don¡¯t know your priorities. You¡¯re killing us!¡±


    Xu Bin looked at the old woman and said, ¡°Old Madam Chen, you¡¯re wrong. The Hu family snatched our fields. How can you me Xiaoyu and Ah Qing?¡±


    ¡°How can we not me them? If they leave, we¡¯ll be the ones suffering when the Hu familyes!¡± The few people who spoke looked at Li Yu with resentment. They were afraid that Li Yu and her brother would cause trouble and leave, leaving them to suffer.


    At this moment, someone else came. It turned out to be the two families in Li Yu¡¯s field. The two brothers carried woodcutters and ran to Li Yu, panting. They bowed to Li Yu and said, ¡°Madam Li, you¡¯re back?¡±


    Li Yu smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯m back. I originally said that I woulde backst year to take back the fields. I had too many things to do and couldn¡¯t take time off. I happened to be free this year, so I came to take a look!¡±


    The tenant, Chen Shi, said in a low voice, ¡°Madam. Li, you don¡¯t know this, but several families in West Mountain Vige and East Mountain Vige have fled and returnedte. Their fields have been upied by the Hu family. There are more than ten families in the Xu family and the Liu family¡­ The Liu family was so angry that they went over to reason with them but they were even beaten up by that big servant of the Hu family. Their legs are still limping! If the vigers hadn¡¯t stopped them to plead for mercy, I¡¯m afraid they would have lost their lives.¡±


    Chen Shan also said angrily, ¡°Also, Hu San is a lecher. Every time hees to the vige, the girls and women in the vige don¡¯t dare toe here. As long as they look a little decent, he will bully them. A few days ago, a young couple from town came to the market and the woman was snatched by him into the Hu family. I wonder what happened to her after that!¡±


    When Li Qing heard this, she said angrily, ¡°Join forces and sue him! Do they have any regard for thew? Why doesn¡¯t the county magistrate care?¡±


    Chen Shan smiled bitterly and said, ¡°Young Master Ah Qing, we¡¯re just digging up food from the ground. How would we dare to sue him? You don¡¯t know that the surname of the county magistrate is Zhu, and he¡¯s different from the previous one. I heard that he¡¯s a distant rtive of the Hu family. The Hu family gave him their youngest daughter as a concubine. Ever since the Hu family and the county magistrate were connected by marriage, the Hu family moved from the countryside to Clearwater Town and started to be domineering in Clearwater Town!¡±


    Chen Shan sighed and continued, ¡°Originally, those families who had their fields snatched wanted to wait for your brother-inw toe back to collect thend so that they could take the opportunity to take back the fields. Unexpectedly! Mr. Zhou hasn¡¯t returned, so everyone doesn¡¯t dare to look for the Hu family!¡±


    Li Yu thought to herself, No wonder the Hu family dared to do such a thing. It turned out that they had County Magistrate Zhu as their backer. More than a dozen families in West Mountain Vige and East Mountain Vige had their fields snatched away. What about the other ces? Just thinking about it made her heart turn cold!


    Chen Shi smiled and said to Li Yu and her brother, ¡°Madam Li, Young Master Ah Qing, go to my house and rest for a while. Hide from the Hu family so that you won¡¯t suffer!¡±


    Li Yu smiled faintly. ¡°Thank you for your kindness! It¡¯s quite troublesome to walk around. We¡¯ll wait for the Hu family here!¡±


    Seeing that Li Yu didn¡¯t seem to care, Chen Shi and his brother were relieved. They stood quietly at the side and waited.


    Hu Wei drove Young Master Hu and Hu Bao back to the Hu family in Clearwater Town. He helped Third Young Master Hu enter the door like a lost dog and shouted in panic, ¡°Master, Master, Young Master¡¯s hand was broken and two of his front teeth were broken. Ah Bao and I also had our arms and legs broken!¡±


    The fat Squire Hu was lying on a recliner in the garden with a look of enjoyment. He was snoozing and enjoying the meticulous service of the maidservant. When he heard Hu Wei¡¯s shout, he thought he had heard it wrongly. He said to the maidservant, ¡°Did you hear what Hu Wei said?¡±


    The maidservant hurriedly knelt down and said, ¡°Master, Hu Wei said that Young Master¡¯s hand was broken. Hu¡­¡±


    ¡°Damn it.¡± Squire Hu kicked the servant girl and ran out of the garden. He saw his son, Hu Wei, limping in and being supported.


    When Third Young Master Hu saw Squire Hu, he raised his broken hand that Li Yu had stepped on, and he started crying. His front teeth were missing as he cried, ¡°Dad! I¡¯m going to die from the pain. Hurry up and kill that bitch and that dog. Chop them up and feed them to the dogs!¡±


    Hu Wei knelt down and kowtowed. ¡°Master, please spare us! We really can¡¯t beat those people. They said they wanted to see you and are still waiting for you in West Mountain Vige!¡±

 Chapter 206 - 206 Beat Them to Death, Master Will Hold On

    206 Beat Them to Death, Master Will Hold On


    ¡°My son!¡± Squire Hu looked at Hu San¡¯s limp right hand with heartache.


    The Hu family had only one son and was still counting on him to bring honor to their ancestors! If his hand was broken, how could he take the imperial examination in the future? How could he be an official?


    Squire Hu held his chest and felt like his heart was about to be torn apart. He panted twice and roared, ¡°Bitch, I¡¯ll tear you into pieces! Take Ah Hu and leave with the others.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master!¡± Hu Wei got up from the ground and went to call for help.


    !!


    When Squire Hu¡¯s wife saw her son covered in injuries, she was so anxious that she shouted repeatedly, ¡°Damn bitch! My son! Hurry up and arrange a ride. Send Young Master to Green Mountain and find the best medical center! Someone else will follow him and go to the county office to make a report about Young Master being beaten up. Let our son-inw send someone to arrest him.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± The servant quickly went to get the car.


    Madam Hu hugged her son¡¯s hand and cried her heart out.


    Third Young Master Hu said to Squire Hu, ¡°Dad! Why aren¡¯t you going? Hurry up! If you¡¯rete, she¡¯ll run away.¡±


    ¡°My son! I¡¯ll go now!¡±


    Squire Hu brought a dozen servants with clubs and machetes, and a few guards with machetes. He led a wolfdog the size of a calf into a carriage and rushed towards West Mountain Vige.


    Li Yu sat on a chair and looked at the people rushing over from the pass. Yu Niang pointed at the aggressive Squire Hu and eximed, ¡°Madam, Young Master Ah Qing, look, there are so many of them!¡±


    Li Yu¡¯s eyes darkened as she thought to herself, The machete and crossbow are both in the space! I wonder what kind of people came. Fortunately, the dagger is still tied to my leg!


    When the vigers of the two viges saw the Hu familying aggressively, they hurriedly ran into the bamboo forest to hide.


    Chen Shi and Xu Bin said to Li Yu and her brother worriedly, ¡°Madam Li, Young Master Ah Qing, you should quickly hide!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Li Yu looked at the woodcutters in Chen Shi and his brother¡¯s hands and said to them, ¡°Uncle Chen, lend me your woodcutters!¡±


    Chen Shi hurriedly handed over his woodcutter and looked at Li Yu worriedly. ¡°Madam Li, a wise man doesn¡¯t fight when the odds are against him. They have more people. You should hide first!¡±


    Li Yu and her brother took the machete. Li Yu said to Yu Niang, ¡°Yu Niang, follow Uncle Chen and the others to hide!¡±


    Yu Niang shook her head and said, ¡°Madam! I¡¯m not leaving. I¡¯ll watch you from the side!¡±


    ¡°No one can leave!¡± Squire Hu jumped off the carriage aggressively and pointed at Li Yu, her brother, and Yu Niang arrogantly. ¡°Beat them up! Chop them up and feed them to Ah Hu!¡±


    When the wolfdog heard Minister Hu call it, it howled and excitedly kept pawing the soil on the ground.


    Seeing the delicate appearances of Li Yu and Li Qing, the guards smiled at Squire Hu and said, ¡°Master, just you wait. We¡¯ll avenge Young Master immediately!¡±


    The few of them looked down on Li Yu and her brother. Li Yu said to Li Qing, ¡°Ah Qing, don¡¯t be afraid! Follow me!¡±


    ¡°Sister! I¡¯m not afraid. Have you forgotten that I¡¯ve killed bandits before!¡± Li Qing held the machete in his hand tightly and was calm.


    Li Yu pointed at the Zhou family¡¯s fields and said to the guards, ¡°I¡¯ll remind you first that I¡¯m the First-Grade Madam Protector of the Country personally conferred by His Majesty. I¡¯m here to look for the Hu family and take back the fields that they upied. You better not help the evildoer, or else you¡¯ll bear the consequences!¡±


    When the guards heard this, they hesitated and didn¡¯t go forward. The vigers hiding in the bamboo forest looked at each other. ¡°Did you hear that? Xiaoyu said that she¡¯s a First-Grade Madam Protector. What does a First-Grade wife Madam Protector do? Is she an official?¡±


    A viger shook his head and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ve never heard of this!¡±


    Squire Hu pointed at them and reprimanded sternly, ¡°This bitch is bluffing! If she¡¯s a First-Grade Madam Protector, your master will be the emperor. Don¡¯t be afraid! Beat her up! Even if she dies, your master will still be able to hold up the sky!¡±


    The guards looked at each other and nodded. They raised their machetes and rushed toward Li Qing. Li Yu raised his saber and said to Li Qing, ¡°Ah Qing! Follow behind me!¡± She had already rushed forward and kicked twice, sending two guards flying. One guard raised his saber and shed at Li Yu. Li Yu blocked the machete with a backhand strike. She spun on her toes and slid past like a snake. She waved her dagger and shed the guard¡¯s neck. Blood sprayed out and the guard fell to the ground.


    Seeing theirpanion fall, the other guards were so frightened that they paused for a moment and were kicked to the ground by Li Qing. Li Yu repelled two guards and retreated behind Li Qing. She knocked down the remaining guards in a few moves and shouted at the guards lying on the ground, ¡°Get lost! If you don¡¯t get lost, don¡¯t me me for being ruthless!¡±


    The guards got up and said to Squire Hu, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Master Hu.¡± The guards fled.


    Seeing that the guards had been chased away by Li Yu, Squire Hu was furious. He kicked a servant standing beside him. ¡°Trash, all of you are trash. Ah Hu, go and bite her to death!¡±


    The servant holding the wolfdog hurriedly untied the rope. The wolfdog roared and rushed towards Li Yu and her brother. Li Yu shouted, ¡°Ah Qing, dodge.¡±


    Li Qing hurriedly retreated to the side and raised his saber to wee the servants who were charging at him with sticks and machetes. More than ten servants raised their sticks and rushed towards Li Qing, raising their sticks to hit him.


    Li Qing raised his saber and swept it horizontally, blocking the machetes of the two servants. He kicked the servants down and the machetes in their hands were knocked to the ground by Li Qing.


    After Li Qing pulled out his saber and stabbed a servant, he drew his saber and shed at another servant. The other servants fled in fear.


    The wolfdog jumped up fiercely and pounced at Li Yu with its mouth wide open. ¡°Madam, be careful!¡± Yu Niang shouted in fear.


    Xu Bin, Chen Shi, and the vigers hiding behind the bamboo forest covered their eyes in fear.


    Li Yu slid back extremely quickly and avoided the wolfdog¡¯s bite. She raised her saber and shed the wolfdog¡¯s waist. With a muffled bang, the wolfdog fell to the ground and wailed.


    Squire Hu shouted in heartache, ¡°Ah Hu, my Ah Hu! Stupid bitch! Bitch, just you wait!¡± Squire Hu shouted as he ran towards the carriage.


    Li Yu snorted. ¡°It¡¯s not that easy to run!¡± She picked up a club and swung it at Squire Hu¡¯s back. He was knocked to the ground and couldn¡¯t move.


    When the vigers hiding at the side saw Li Yu and her brother chase away Squire Hu¡¯s guards, they ran out of the bamboo forest.


    A middle-aged man limped to Squire Hu and stepped on his leg. Squire Hu cursed in pain, ¡°Just you wait. When my son-inwes, I¡¯ll arrest you and send you to jail!¡±


    The man cursed, ¡°You dog, to think you had this day! What mud? The mud on your legs hasn¡¯t been washed clean!¡±


    Li Yu said to Chen Shi and his brother, ¡°Uncle Chen, please find a few ropes.¡±


    A viger took off the rope hanging on his shoulder and said, ¡°I have some ropes here. I was just about to go gather firewood!¡±

 Chapter 207 - 207 Crippled

    207 Crippled


    Li Yu tied Squire Hu and the servants with a rope. Then she picked up the dead guard and threw him onto the carriage.


    A few vigers carried the dog away. The other vigers ran to Squire Hu and the servants. Some kicked and spat, venting their anger.


    Li Yu looked at the sky and said to Li Qing, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. If we rush to the county city, the city gates will probably be closed. Let¡¯s go and see if there are any abandoned houses in the vige. Lock them up first and report them to the government office tomorrow morning!¡±


    Chen Shi nodded and said, ¡°Madam Li, the vige chief¡¯s house and Chen Gui¡¯s house are just ahead. Why don¡¯t we lock them up at the vige chief¡¯s house!¡±


    Li Yu nodded and said, ¡°Alright.¡±


    The old woman who hadined about Li Yu previously walked up to Li Yu and bowed awkwardly to her. ¡°Xiaoyu! Don¡¯t hold it against me! The Hu family is too bad. We¡¯re just too afraid.¡±


    Li Yu smiled faintly. ¡°What¡¯s there to fuss about? I don¡¯t remember you telling me anything!¡±


    Xu Bin and more than ten vigers surrounded Li Yu and bowed. ¡°Xiaoyu! Our fields have been upied by the Hu family. Please help us get our fields back! Please, Xiaoyu!¡±


    Li Yu looked at the vigers who were bowing to her and nodded. ¡°Which family¡¯s fields were snatched away? Bring your title deed and credentials and get Ah Qing to help you write theint. We¡¯ll send them to the government office tomorrow!¡±


    Xu Bin and the vigers did not expect Li Yu to agree to help them so easily. They bowed excitedly and said, ¡°Xiaoyu! Ah Qing! Thank you. We will remember your kindness for the rest of our lives!¡±


    When Yu Niang heard this, she curled her lips and said, ¡°My Madam and Young Master Ah Qing are kind-hearted and won¡¯t expect you to remember their kindness! I just hope that you won¡¯t fall out with us if things don¡¯t go well!¡±


    Xu Bin blushed and said, ¡°No, what¡¯s the difference between us and the Hu family if we do that!¡±


    Yu Niang nced at Xu Bin. ¡°It¡¯s hard to predict people¡¯s hearts. Who knows!¡±


    Li Yu saw that Xu Bin and the others were blushing and looking awkward. She smiled at Yu Niang and said, ¡°Alright, Yu Niang, go back with Ah Qing and call Master Xu and his brother over. Bring nkets and a tent. They and Ah Qing will stay at the vige head¡¯s house tonight.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± Yu Niang bent her knees and agreed. She and Li Qing drove Minister Hu¡¯s carriage towards the town.


    The vigers dragged Squire Hu and the servants up from the ground and pulled the rope towards the vige chief¡¯s house. Xu Bin chased after the carriage containing the guard¡¯s corpse and went to the vige chief¡¯s house.


    Li Qing used a machete to break the lock on the door and got someone to drag Squire Hu and the servants into the courtyard.


    Li Yu saw that the servants who had been shed and stabbed by Li Qing were still bleeding non-stop and thought to herself that it won¡¯t be long before these people die from excessive blood loss. Since their crimes didn¡¯t warrant death, she would let them live.


    Li Yu walked into the house and took out the Golden Creation Medication from her space. She brought it to the courtyard and said to the Chen brothers, ¡°Uncle Chen, please apply the Golden Creation Medication on those people.¡±


    Chen Shan looked at Li Yu and said, ¡°Madam Li, these people are not good people. They don¡¯t show mercy when beating people up. Why should we save them!¡±


    Li Yu said indifferently, ¡°Forget it! They¡¯re still so young and haven¡¯tmitted any heinous crimes. Let them live!¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll listen to Madam.¡± Chen Shi took the golden medicine and walked up to the servants. He muttered, ¡°Madam Li is so kind-hearted. She even used medicine to save you. In my opinion, you should all die! I hope you won¡¯t do bad things and harm others in the future!¡±


    The few of them looked up at Li Yu and lowered their heads, letting the Chen brothers nag at them while applying the medication.


    Li Yu sat on a bamboo chair under the eaves of the corridor and looked at the weeds growing in the courtyard. She fell into deep thought!


    Squire Hu¡¯s wife brought Hu San to Qingshan City and got a servant to report to her daughter at the county office. She brought Hu San to a medical center called Huichun Hall. She shouted at the physician who was taking his patient¡¯s pulse, ¡°Physician, quickly take a look at my son. Can this hand still be treated? My son still has to participate in the imperial examination to bring honor to his ancestors!¡±


    The physician frowned and nced at Hu San and his mother. He did not say anything and continued to take the patient¡¯s pulse. The shopkeeper hurriedly walked forward and said with a smile, ¡°Madam, Physician Yang is treating someone. Please wait for a moment!¡±


    Madam Hu red at him, pushed the shopkeeper away, and shouted, ¡°My son¡¯s hand is broken, how can it not be serious?¡±


    The shopkeeper looked at Physician Yang and said, ¡°Physician Yang, are you done?¡±


    Physician Yang nodded. After writing down the prescription and handing it to the patient, he walked up to Hu San and picked up his hand. ¡°It hurts, it hurts, it hurts!¡± Hu San shouted.


    ¡°Physician, please be gentle! My son is crying in pain!¡± Madam Hu hurriedly coaxed Hu San. Physician Yang examined Hu San¡¯s hand without changing his expression and shook his head. ¡°His bones are shattered and can¡¯t be treated. He can only be treated with some medication to stop the pain!¡±


    Madam Hu pushed the doctor away and asked sternly, ¡°Nonsense, do you know how to diagnose conditions? How can it not be cured?¡±


    Physician Yang nced at her. ¡°You don¡¯t know anything. You should find someone else!¡±


    Hu San was in so much pain that he was sweating profusely. He shouted at Madam Hu, ¡°Mother, I¡¯m dying of pain! Let the physician stop the pain first!¡±


    ¡°Alright! Alright! Stop the pain first!¡± Physician Yang wrote a prescription and handed it to the shopkeeper. ¡°Take it and apply the medication!¡±


    The shopkeeper brought Hu San to the inner hall to apply the medication. At this time, a charming woman of about 16 or 17 years old brought two old women into the medical center. Madam Hu pounced over, grabbed the woman¡¯s hand, and cried, ¡°Feng¡¯er, your brother¡¯s hand was broken by someone. He can¡¯t be treated anymore. What should we do? Let our son-inw catch the bitch who stepped on your brother!¡±


    When the two old women heard this, they curled their lips and thought to themselves, What son-inw! She¡¯s just a concubine. What kind of rtive is she? We¡¯ll let you be arrogant for a few days. When Madames, you¡¯ll suffer!


    ¡°Do you think I¡¯m Madam Zheng? I¡¯m just a concubine you gave to someone!¡± Hu Feng¡¯er criticized silently. She looked at Madam Hu in annoyance and said patiently, ¡°Mother! Don¡¯t cry. Let¡¯s talk when Brother¡¯s treatment is done.¡±


    Hu San was crying and howling in pain inside. Finally, the physician finished applying the medication. Hu Feng¡¯er brought Madam Hu into the carriage. Hu Feng¡¯er said to Madam Hu, ¡°Mother, you should also control Ah San. He should not tease innocent women anymore. Master just scared theiner away two days ago. Why is it this time? If you continue like this, Master will get tired of me sooner orter!¡±


    Madam Hu smiled ingratiatingly. ¡°Feng¡¯er, tell him that this is thest time. In the future, I promise to control your brother and not let him go out and cause trouble again. Your brother was watching those long-term workers work in the field this time. It¡¯s that bitch who came to provoke your brother. You can¡¯t me us! You have to know that you only have this brother!¡±


    Hu Feng¡¯er sighed and said, ¡°Alright! You guys go back first! I¡¯ll go back and talk to Master!¡±

 Chapter 208 - 208 Capture

    208 Capture


    Seeing that her daughter had agreed, Madam Hu got into the carriage in satisfaction.


    Hu Feng¡¯er was thinking about how to tell her master when she got back. After thinking for a long time, she could not think of a good excuse. The cart arrived at the county office.


    After entering, Hu Feng¡¯er said to the two women following her, ¡°You two go ahead! You don¡¯t have to follow me!¡± The two women bowed and turned to leave.


    Hu Feng¡¯er went to County Magistrate Zhu¡¯s study and called out sweetly at the door, ¡°Master, are you busy? Feng¡¯er will help you grind the ink, okay?¡±


    !!


    County Magistrate Zhu nodded from inside the house. Hu Feng¡¯er walked into the study happily. She picked up the inkstone and started grinding it. She looked at County Magistrate Zhu and said coquettishly, ¡°Master, take a break! Why don¡¯t I give you a massage!¡±


    Magistrate Zhu was probably in his thirties. He had a square face and looked dignified.


    Magistrate Zhu hugged Hu Feng¡¯er. ¡°In a few days, Madam will be here. When the timees, don¡¯te to the study to look for me. Remember to greet Madam every day in abiding by the rules, understand?¡±


    Hu Feng¡¯er looked at County Magistrate Zhu and leaned into his arms timidly. She hugged his neck and said coquettishly, ¡°I¡¯ll do whatever you say! I won¡¯t let you work hard!¡±


    County Magistrate Zhu smiled in satisfaction. ¡°Yes! I know you¡¯re obedient! What do you want? Master will buy it for you!¡±


    Hu Feng¡¯er kissed Magistrate Zhu and ced her hand on his chest. She said coquettishly, ¡°There¡¯s something I want to ask Master for help with!¡±


    County Magistrate Zhu looked at Hu Feng¡¯er¡¯s charming appearance and rubbed her soft body. He whispered, ¡°Baby! Master is listening!¡±


    Hu Feng¡¯er med Li Yu and the others for Hu San being beaten up on the farmstead. She added fuel to the fire and looked up at County Magistrate Zhu, with teary eyes. ¡°Master, my brother was watching the long-term workers work on the farmstead. Someone really caused trouble on purpose and crushed his hand bones. The doctor said that he can¡¯t be cured! Master, please send someone to arrest that audacious thief!¡±


    Magistrate Zhu looked at Hu Feng¡¯er¡¯s sobbing face and said, ¡°Alright, Master will send someone to capture that bold dog.¡±


    Hu Feng¡¯er smiled happily. ¡°Thank you, Master. Hurry up and give the order! Otherwise, she will run away!¡±


    ¡°Alright, little vixen!¡± County Magistrate Zhu stood up and instructed the bailiffs outside. He turned around and entered the house. He hugged Hu Feng¡¯er and rolled on the couch.


    When the bailiffs outside heard that the brother of their master¡¯s beloved concubine had been beaten up, they all seemed to have been injected with vigor. They didn¡¯t care that it was alreadyte and rushed towards Clearwater Town with their sabers.


    Li Qing and Yu Niang drove the cart and called the Xu brothers to West Mountain Vige. At the old vige chief¡¯s house, Li Yu said to Xu Chun, ¡°Master Xu, it¡¯s gettingte. Please stay here with Ah Qing for the night. We¡¯ll go to the county office tomorrow morning.¡±


    Xu Chun cupped his hands and said, ¡°Madam, let Young Master Ah Qing return to the inn with you. The two of us will stay here.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and shook her head. ¡°Ah Qing still has to help the vigers write aint. Bring that Squire Hu over!¡±


    The Xu brothers replied respectfully, ¡°Yes, Madam.¡±


    When the vigers and Squire Hu saw how respectful the Xu brothers were to Li Yu, they thought to themselves, Could this woman be telling the truth?! Could she really have some official title?


    The more he thought about it, the more afraid he became. What if she was what she imed to be? He had already upied those fields and even got someone to chop them up and feed them to the dogs! The more he thought about it, the more afraid he became. He trembled in fear.


    The more the people from West Mountain Vige and East Mountain Vige thought about it, the happier they were. Now that they have a backer, they were not afraid of the Hu family anymore.


    Xu Chun brought Squire Hu to the central room and kicked his leg. ¡°Kneel down.¡±


    Squire Hu¡¯s knees went weak and he knelt down. Li Yu looked at him coldly and said, ¡°Hu, what method did you use to upy my family¡¯s fields? Hurry up and confess!¡±


    Squire Hu nced at Li Yu and rolled his eyes. He lowered his head and argued, ¡°I didn¡¯t upy any fields. I spent money to buy thosends!¡±


    ¡°Hmph!¡± Li Yu snorted. ¡°Where are the contracts if you said you bought them? Which broker did you buy them from?¡±


    Squire Hu raised his head and said, ¡°There¡¯s no need for a broker. Thends I bought were ownerless and I bought them from the government office!¡±


    Li Yu took out the Zhou family¡¯s title deeds and mmed them on the table with a bang. She snorted. ¡°Ownerlessnds? Look at what these are. The vigers of the vige have been here for generations. Do you actually dare to say that they¡¯rends without owners? Tell me! Who helped you get the title deeds!¡±


    When Minister Hu saw Li Yu take out the title deeds, he trembled in fear. He gritted his teeth and insisted, ¡°I didn¡¯t upy the fields. I bought thosends!¡±


    Li Yu walked up to Minister Hu and stepped on his fat hand. Looking at him, he trembled in pain. ¡°Don¡¯t you often bully others like this? How does it feel? You and your son brought servants to bully themoners and were disrespectful to me. You even said that you were the emperor¡¯s father. I think you¡¯re nning a rebellion! Xu Chun, report all of this. Tell them that the county magistrate of Qingshan County instructed his concubine¡¯s father to rebel! Let Ah Qing write a note and let him sign it!¡±


    Minister Hu gritted his teeth and looked at Li Yu hatefully, unwilling to speak.


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± Xu Chun grabbed Squire Hu and dragged him out. Squire Hu shouted, ¡°You¡¯ve wronged me. I was just saying casually. I¡¯m not rebelling!¡±


    Li Yu smiled calmly and said, ¡°You can even turn a field with an owner into yours. What else can¡¯t you do? You might even be a spy sent by Great Qi!¡±


    Squire Hu shouted in fear, ¡°I¡¯m not a spy! I don¡¯t dare to rebel! I don¡¯t have title deeds for thosends. I just saw that there was no one farming on them after the disaster, so I went to upy them. Thinking that those people who fled the famine haven¡¯t returned in a few years, they must be gone. So I dered thends to be mine!¡±


    Li Yu sneered and increased her strength. ¡°Since thend isn¡¯t yours, why didn¡¯t you return thend to the vigers when they came back? You even ordered the servants to cripple them and let your son do whatever he wanted in the vige!¡±


    Minister Hu curled up into a ball in pain and cowered. ¡°Can¡¯t I return those grains to them?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s easy for you to say. You have to return it with interest. Also, you have to pay for the medical bills for the assaults you ordered.¡± Li Yu looked at Xu Chun. ¡°Xu Chun, bring him down to sign first.¡±


    When Madam Hu and her son returned to Clearwater Town, the butler ran over in a panic and reported, ¡°Madam, those guards have run away, and Master and the servants haven¡¯t returned!¡±


    ¡°What! Do you mean to say father hasn¡¯t returned yet? Something must have happened. Mom, my father must have been captured by them!¡± Hu San was anxious. ¡°Quickly call the others to save father!¡±


    Madam Hu red at the butler and said, ¡°Yes! Hurry up and call the others to snatch the master back!¡±


    ¡°Young Master, Master has brought everyone over. There¡¯s no one at home.¡± The butler looked at the two of them with a frown.


    Hu San thought of his sister, who was a concubine in the county office. ¡°Mother, have you discussed it with Sister? Will the county magistrate send someone over?¡±


    Madam Hu hesitated and said, ¡°Your sister promised me that she would tell the county magistrate, but I don¡¯t know if it will work!¡±

 Chapter 209 - 209 The Arrest

    209 The Arrest


    Hu San said confidently, ¡°Then what are you afraid of? With the county magistrate¡¯s love for my sister, she will definitely seed! Perhaps the magistrate representative is almost at our house!¡±


    Madam Hu suddenly said, ¡°That¡¯s right! My son is still the smartest! Butler Hu, wait for those officials toe and take them to the countryside.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± Butler Hu retreated to the front door. Before night fell, four bailiffs came. Butler Hu walked up and cupped his hands politely with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s been hard on you, brothers. Madam has ordered a banquet to be prepared. When we capture those unruly people, we¡¯ll let Master apany you to drink to your heart¡¯s content!¡±


    The head of the magistrate¡¯s office cupped his hands and smiled. ¡°I dare not trouble Old Master Hu. Lead the way. We¡¯ll capture those unruly people now.¡± The group walked towards West Mountain Vige aggressively.


    In West Mountain Vige, after Xu Chun brought Squire Hu outside to sign, he and Li Qing helped the dozen or so families write theirints. Li Yu and Yu Niang set up the tent and were about to walk back when the vigers surrounding the vige chief¡¯s house stumbled in. ¡°Xiaoyu, Ah Qing, the officials are here to arrest someone!¡±


    Before the viger could finish his sentence, Li Yu saw a shrewd-looking middle-aged man and four armed officials walk into the courtyard.


    When Butler Hu saw Squire Hu and the servants who were tied up and thrown into the courtyard, he pointed at the vigers and Li Yu in the courtyard. His eyes darted around. ¡°It was these unruly people who kidnapped my master and injured the servants who came to save him!¡± Butler Hu wiped his nonexistent tears and cried, ¡°Master, are you alright? These damned unruly people have harmed you!¡±


    Butler Hu pounced toward Squrie Hu in a good mood but was kicked to the ground by Li Qing. ¡°You wicked servant, that Hu has already confessed. How dare you spout nonsense!¡±


    The head of the magistrate¡¯s office pulled out his saber and shouted at Li Qing, ¡°Do you have no regard for thew? How dare you kidnap someone in broad daylight! Arrest them all!¡±


    Li Qing shouted fearlessly, ¡°How dare you!¡±


    The head of the magistrate¡¯s office was stunned for a moment before he rushed towards the vigers with a few officers. The vigers hid behind Li Qing and Li Yu. ¡°What should we do? Xiaoyu, they¡¯re trying to capture us!¡±


    Li Yu looked at the bailiff in front of her and smiled calmly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Yu Niang will pass my seal to Xu Chun and let him take a look at these evil people!¡±


    After the officer heard this, he said, ¡°How dare you insult officers on duty? I want to see what you have to show me!¡±


    Xu Chun showed Li Yu¡¯s post to the officials. The officials were so frightened that they hurriedly knelt down and kowtowed. ¡°Greetings, Madam. I didn¡¯t recognize you. Please forgive me!¡±


    Seeing thisl, the vigers knelt down with a thud. They gasped and said, ¡°Is Xiaoyu really a First-grade Madam? The official even kowtowed!¡±


    Yu Niang said proudly, ¡°My Madam is the Madam Protector of First-grade. His Majesty gave the order to appoint her personally!¡±


    Li Yu looked at the bailiffs and said, ¡°You entered the house to arrest people without asking for the truth. Did your Lord Zhu teach you that? To think he even allowed a concubine¡¯s parents and family to upy the farnd, bully the people, and cause trouble in the countryside. He even brought a wolfdog and guards to kill me. Fortunately, I still have some ability to protect myself. Otherwise, I would have been chopped up and fed to the dogs by Squire Hu!¡±


    The bailiff thought to himself, It¡¯s hopeless for Squire Hu to make aeback. Perhaps County Magistrate Zhu will also be unlucky! The bailiff led hispanions in kowtowing and begging for mercy. ¡°Madam, we didn¡¯t know! We were just following orders! Please spare us!¡±


    ¡°Get up! You¡¯re just following orders. I don¡¯t me you.¡± Li Yu pointed at Squire Hu and the servants. ¡°I¡¯ll leave these people and the corpses in the cart to you. That Hu person upied the farnd and caused trouble in the countryside! He has already confessed and signed a testimony. Tomorrow morning, I¡¯ll get someone to send aint to the government office and ask him to return the upied farnd andpensate for the losses!¡±


    The bailiffs heaved a sigh of relief and kowtowed. ¡°Thank you for your forgiveness, Madam. When the city gate opens tomorrow, we¡¯ll bring these people back to report to Master.¡±


    Li Yu nodded and said to the vigers, ¡°Tomorrow morning, if you want to sue,e to the vige to find Ah Qing. I¡¯ll get Ah Qing to help you!¡±


    Everyone replied happily, ¡°Thank you, Xiaoyu! No, thank you, Madam!¡±


    ¡°Everyone, don¡¯t stand on ceremony. It¡¯s settled. We¡¯ll go back to the inn!¡± Li Yu instructed Li Qing and the Xu brothers, ¡°Watch that butler, and don¡¯t let him get close to Hu!¡±


    Li Qing nced at Butler Hu, who was standing at the side and said, ¡°Got it. Sister, go back to the inn to rest!¡± Li Yu nodded and brought Yu Niang back to the town inn.


    Seeing that those poor people had gone to tter Li Qing and the others, Butler Hu looked at Squire Hu, who was tied up and helpless. He could only turn around and walk back to find Hu San and his mother to think of a way.


    Xu Bin and the dozen or so vigers who had their fields upied by Squire Hu walked back excitedly. Xu Bin said to a viger, ¡°Brother He Cheng, isn¡¯t there someone in your wife¡¯s family¡¯s vige who has their fields upied by the Hu family? Go and tell them tomorrow morning to bring their fields back! They can¡¯t live withoutnd!¡±


    He Cheng looked at Xu Bin. ¡°Brother Xu, do you think Xiaoyu will help us? The Hu family has done many bad things in the past few years. If Xiaoyu helps, we might as well call those who suffered in the Hu family andin to the government office. Let¡¯s see if Zhu Guodi still dares to help the Hu family!¡±


    Another viger said, ¡°Let¡¯s not deliberately call those people. If they know the news, they will naturallyin to the government office. After all, it¡¯s human nature to kick a man when he¡¯s down!¡±


    Xu Bin thought of Li Qing¡¯s words and sighed. ¡°That¡¯s true. Sigh! I thought that I would never be able to take back those fields in my life. I didn¡¯t expect Xiaoyu and Mr. Zhou to have such great opportunities! You guys don¡¯t know, but Ah Qing said that the families that fled with Mr. Zhou and the others are now living in a ce called Phoenix Vige in Tongzhou. Every family has hundreds of acres of fertilend. When they are free, they even work in Xiaoyu¡¯s workshop to earn money. Their lives are so beautiful! Ah Qing is also a schr now! It seems that people have to do more good deeds and umte merit. Look, the two children of the Li Shan family have be promising!¡±


    He Cheng lowered his head and said, ¡°Sigh! We also passed the Cloud Stream Peak together back then! We can only me ourselves for being too calctive at that time and not wanting to suffer any losses. Otherwise, we¡­¡±


    He Cheng¡¯s brother said, ¡°Brother, it¡¯s all in the past. Don¡¯t regret it. We can only me ourselves for not having the luck. Sigh! Brother Xu, did Ah Qing say how Zhang Decai¡¯s family is now?¡±


    Xu Bin said without much interest, ¡°I didn¡¯t say or ask. Let¡¯s go back! Go back and tell the news to the folks at home! We can sleep peacefully now.¡± Everyone split up and walked home.


    Li Yu returned to the inn and asked for hot water. She soaked in the bathtub and suddenly felt that she missed Zhou Jia a little. She thought to herself, ¡°The matter of the fields should be resolved in two days at most. I¡¯ll set off for Qingchuan after Qingming!¡±

 Chapter 210 - 210 Beat Them Up

    210 Beat Them Up


    Butler Hu returned to the Hu family dejectedly. When Hu San and his mother saw Butler Hu¡¯s appearance, they knew that something was wrong. Madam Hu said with a trembling voice, ¡°Was Master killed by those unruly people?¡±


    Butler Hu told Hu San and his mother what he had seen in the vige. He squatted on the ground and hugged his head. ¡°Master has been captured by those people. The magistrate officers were with them. Madam! Young Master, you don¡¯t know, but that woman is actually a First-Grade Madam Protector. Master won¡¯t be able to get away with it this time. Perhaps the county magistrate will be implicated by us. Madam, Young Master, you should pick up some valuables and run!¡±


    Hu San shouted, ¡°Nonsense! Nothing will happen to my father. Mom, go to the city to find Sister as soon as the sun rises!¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll listen to you. I¡¯ll look for your sister at dawn. Hu Cheng, prepare some banknotes and send them to me tomorrow.¡± Butler Hu could only nod and agree.


    The next day, Butler Hu walked to the door and asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why is it so smelly?¡± Butler Hu muttered and covered his mouth and nose as he opened the door. He saw that the door and the door were covered in feces. He couldn¡¯t even walk out of the door. Butler Hu turned around in disgust and ran into the courtyard. ¡°Someone! Come and wash the door.¡±


    The bailiff opened the courtyard door of the vige chief¡¯s house. When he left the vige entrance, he found that the vige entrance was filled with vigers standing on both sides of the main road. Some were holding rotten vegetable stalks, while others were holding mud. They smashed Squire Hu and the servants with whatever they were holding. ¡°Kill this dog, kill him.¡± Squire Hu was covered in mud and vegetable stalks. There are also angry vigers who rushed up and beat him up.


    After traveling for half a month, she finallyyfortably on the bed. Li Yu slept until dawn and got out of bed feeling refreshed.


    Seeing Li Yu wake up, Yu Niang smiled and said, ¡°Young Madam, Young Master Ah Qing and Master Xu have already brought the vigers to the county office. You don¡¯t know, but there were many people here this morning. There were dozens of them! Some of the fields were upied, and some of the families were bullied. Hu was beaten ck and blue by the vigers! I heard that someone sshed feces at the Hu family¡¯s door!¡±


    Li Yu smiled and said, ¡°He deserves to be beaten up after doing so many bad things! Let¡¯s eat something and go to the county office to take a look!¡±


    Yu Niang replied crisply, ¡°Ah!¡±


    Li Yu went to the lobby of therge inn and asked for two bowls of noodles. After a while, the shopkeeper brought the noodles over. After Li Yu and Yu Niang finished eating, the shopkeepoer walked to the table and bowed. ¡°Madam, are you really selling your shop?


    Li Yu nodded. The shopkeeper smiled and said, ¡°I want to buy it. How much is it?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know the exact price either. I¡¯ll sell it at the market price!¡±


    ¡°Madam said that a shop like mine can be sold for 120 taels of silver. Your shop¡¯s location is better, so we can increase the price!¡±


    Li Yu knew that this was probably the price. She said readily, ¡°Alright, 130 taels of silver. If you want to buy it, follow me to the county office to transfer the money! Sigh! I don¡¯t remember you saying that you wanted to buy a shop yesterday.¡±


    The shopkeeper rubbed his hands and said with a smile, ¡°To be honest, I didn¡¯t intend to buy a shop at first. It was only when I saw that Squire Hu had been arrested this morning that I had the intention to buy it! The people from that family are all good-for-nothings and have caused a foul atmosphere in the town. Many people simply didn¡¯te to Clearwater Town for the market and would rather go to a town far away! Once he¡¯s arrested, the town will immediately be lively!¡±


    Li Yu stood up. ¡°Oh! We¡¯re going to Green Mountain now. Come with me!¡±


    ¡°Madam, please!¡± They went to the county office. Seeing that the entrance was surrounded by onlookers, Yu Niang said to Li Yu, ¡°Young Madam, there are so many people watching the show. Shall we go take a look?¡±


    The shopkeeper said to Li Yu, ¡°Madam, feel free to look. I¡¯ll help you park the carriage ande back to look for you!¡±


    Li Yu also wanted to see how many people would sue the Hu family. She said politely, ¡°Then I¡¯ll have to trouble you.¡±


    Yu Niang parted the crowd in front and squeezed to the wooden fence at the entrance of the county office with Li Yu. There were 30 to 40 men of different ages kneeling in the hall. Li Qing stood in front of the hall and read theint in his hand.


    There was a map of the sea and the sun hanging in front of the hall. Above it were the words ¡°Mirror¡± and ¡°Gold¡±. Li Yu thought that this was the same as theyout of the Qingchuan County Office, but the county magistrate was far inferior to Xiao Xi.


    The county magistrate was looking at Squire Hu, who was kneeling in the hall, with a gloomy expression. He said quietly to himself, ¡°Damn it, I just took your daughter as a concubine, and you used my name to do so many evil things and plundered so much money. It seems that I¡¯m serving as an official on your behalf! You even caused such a big problem. Perhaps I won¡¯t be able to keep my position. Indeed, beauty causes trouble!¡±


    Li Yu watched for a while before leaving with Yu Niang. Outside, they saw the shopkeeper waiting. Together, they went to the office to settle the transfer paperwork. The innkeeper paid Li Yu 130 taels of silver.


    Li Yu went to the brokerage house again and listed the four shops in Green Mountain City for rent. After doing this, Li Yu and Yu Niang walked around the streets and felt hungry again. The two of them went to eat something. Li Yu said to Yu Niang, ¡°Why am I tired again? There¡¯s nothing to see in the city. Let¡¯s go back!¡±


    Yu Niang saw Li Yu covering her mouth and yawning. ¡°You look a little tired. You must have been tired these days.¡±


    The two of them went to the carriage to retrieve the carriage and returned to Qingshui Town. Li Yu returned to the guest room and fell asleep.


    Yu Niang looked at Li Yu, who was sleeping soundly, and thought to herself, ¡°Young Madam has been sleepy these days; she¡¯s just like when Sister Xiaoyu was pregnant. Could Young Madam be pregnant? It seems that I have to find a physician to take a look at Madam.¡±


    Li Qing had only returned to Clearwater Town in the afternoon. When he entered the inn, he took the banknotes that the Hu family hadpensated him with and went to look for Li Yu. Seeing Yu Niang sitting at the door of Li Yu¡¯s guest room, he asked curiously, ¡°Sister Yu Niang, is my sister resting?¡±


    Yu Niang whispered, ¡°Young Madam has been sleeping since she returned to the inn at the end of the afternoon. Young Master Ah Qing, go find a physician to take Young Madam¡¯s pulse. I¡¯m worried that Young Madam has been tired these days.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go now.¡± Li Qing became worried when he heard that. He hurriedly put the banknotes in his pocket and turned to leave.


    When Li Yu woke up, she saw the physician waiting outside with Li Qing. Li Yu looked at Li Qing and saw that he didn¡¯t seem to be feeling unwell. She asked curiously, ¡°Ah Qing, are you feeling unwell?¡±


    Li Qing helped Li Yu sit down and smiled. ¡°Sister, I invited the physician over to take a look at you.¡±


    Li Yu felt warm in her heart and looked at Li Qing reproachfully. ¡°I¡¯m not feeling unwell! I just feel a little tired!¡±

 Chapter 211 - 211 Pregnancy

    211 Pregnancy


    The old physician took out a pulse cushion and said with a smile, ¡°Madam Li, since I¡¯m here, I¡¯ll take your pulse!¡±


    ¡°Sorry for your wait so long.¡± Li Yu reached out and ced her hand on the pulse cushion. After the old physician took her pulse for a while, he said, ¡°It¡¯s not very obvious. Perhaps it¡¯s because it¡¯s too early. In another half a month, we should be able to confirm it. Madam Li, don¡¯t work too hard these days.¡±


    Li Yu looked at the old physician in a daze. ¡°Physician, do you mean that I¡¯m pregnant?¡±


    The old doctor smiled and said to Li Yu, ¡°Yes, ording to the pulse, you are. It¡¯s just that it¡¯s too early. I¡¯m not very sure, but it¡¯s better to be careful.¡±


    !!


    Li Qing quickly asked, ¡°Does she need some tonic?¡±


    The old doctor put away the medicine box. ¡°There¡¯s no need. All medicine contains poison. Madam Li is very healthy. She doesn¡¯t have to drink any tonic!¡± Li Qing hurriedly gave the consultation fee and reward money and sent the old physician away.


    Li Yu sat there and gently touched her stomach. Calcting the time, her period had indeed been dyed for more than half a month. Li Yu thought happily, ¡°Am I really pregnant? Baby, are you really here?¡±


    After Li Qing sent the physician off, he came back and said with a smile, ¡°Sister, am I going to be an uncle?¡±


    ¡°The physician said that it should be the case, but we can only confirm it in a few days. Why are you back so quickly? How did the county government judge the cases?¡±


    Li Qing took out the banknotes from his pocket and handed them to Li Yu. ¡°Here¡¯s 500 taels of silver. It¡¯s the Hu family¡¯spensation for the taking of the fields and the fine. The families in the vige also took back the fields and received thepensation and silver.


    Sister, someone in the hall sued Hu San for snatching a woman from a good family. Hu San and that butler were also arrested. He Cheng, who was crippled, also received the money for the medicine. Also, the family member of the guard who died also received the money.¡±


    Li Qing took a sip of tea. ¡°That County Magistrate Zhu is really ruthless. He sentenced Hu San¡¯s father and Butler Hu to 50 strokes of the cane and exiled them to a cold ce. Even the daughter of the Hu family was chased out of the county office.¡±


    Li Yu looked at Li Qing. ¡°He was at risk of losing his post. Of course, he has to give the people an exnation through the heavy sentence! That¡¯s why most of the concubines are the source of trouble for the family. Those shameless people even said that it was a blessing for everyone! Damn it! Remember, you¡¯re not allowed to take concubines in the future. If you do, I¡¯ll break your legs!¡±


    Li Qing chuckled and said, ¡°Sister, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll do whatever you say. However, you can¡¯t swear in the future. My nephew is listening!¡±


    Li Yu knocked on Li Qing and smiled. ¡°How do you know it¡¯s your nephew? Isn¡¯t it good to have a niece?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s better if I have a nephew! Rest well. Big Brother Xu and I will go to the vige and give the fields to the tenant farmers. Yu Niang will buy a hen to stew soup for you!¡±


    ¡°Alright,e back early for dinner.¡± Li Yu watched as Li Qing walked out of the room to do something. She thought to herself, ¡°Ah Qing, who was once a child, can also take charge now!¡±


    Li Qing gave the fields to the tenants in the vige and rented out the shops in Qingshan City. Before long, there was greater certainty that Li Yu was pregnant.


    In the blink of an eye, it was the Qingming Festival. However, Li Yu couldn¡¯t go to the grave because she was pregnant. Li Qing went to his parents¡¯ grave alone and followed Li Yu¡¯s instructions to add new soil and worship the small grave beside his parents!


    After Li Qing swept the grave and paid his respects, he returned to the inn. Li Yu had already packed up and was waiting to set off for Qingchuan.


    After Li Yu left, Zhou Jia received a letter from Shen Wu. Zhou Jia met Doctor Wen, who was still in high spirits, and said happily, ¡°Sir, you¡¯re still in Qingzhou! Why did you onlye to look for me now?¡±


    Doctor Wen smiled and said, ¡°How would I know that you guys came to Qingchuan! If I had known, I would havee to look for you long ago! Where¡¯s your wife?¡±


    ¡°Yu¡¯er went back with my brother-inw to pay respects to my parents-inw. I¡¯m afraid she won¡¯t be back until mid-March. Sir, go wash up first. I¡¯ll get someone to prepare food for you!¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Zhou Jia brought Doctor Wen to the bathroom. When he came out, he took out the letter that Shen Wu had brought. He found out that General Huang had been beheaded and his family exiled. Manager Ouyang was exempted from the punishment but given 20 strokes of the paddle. The Qingzhou government would also send a county lieutenant with the surname Yu to Qingchuan. The Imperial Court had also received news that Great Qi had the intention to invade Great Yong. The Imperial Court was preparing to send troops to guard Qingchuan. Great Qi had the intention to invade Great Yong! When Zhou Jia saw this, his heart, which had only rxed for a short time, became tense again.


    After Qingming, it rained for a few days. The light rain made the mountain path even more slippery. Since Li Yu was pregnant, the others didn¡¯t dare to hurry. They advanced carefully.


    From the middle of March, Zhou Jia went to the city gate every day to wait for Li Yu to return. When it was March 20th and there was no sign of Li Yu, he couldn¡¯t help but worry.


    Seeing Zhou Jia frown and return from the city gate unhappily, Doctor Wenforted him. ¡°Your wife is good at martial arts, so you don¡¯t have to worry. It might be because of other matters that her trip was dyed!¡±


    Zhou Jia forced a smile and said, ¡°Sir! Yu¡¯er hates evil. When she went home, she still had to deal with the matter of the old residence¡¯s fields being upied. I¡¯m afraid that she has been plotted against.¡±


    Doctor Wen rolled his eyes at Zhou Jia. ¡°Your wife hates evil, but she¡¯s not stupid! I think she¡¯s much calmer than you are!¡±


    Zhou Jia looked as if he had eaten honey. ¡°Really! Sir, you have a high evaluation of Yu¡¯er!¡±


    Doctor Wen looked at Zhou Jia with disdain. ¡°Tsk tsk! Look at you. In the past, your grandfather was worried that you were gay, but he didn¡¯t expect you to dote on your wife! I won¡¯t talk to you anymore. I¡¯ll go to the streets today!¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll get Ah Lei to apany you!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Doctor Wen carried the medicine box and a small stool. Ah Lei carried a small wooden table and a stool and followed Doctor Wen to the street.


    As soon as Zhou Jia arrived at the government office, Mr. Qian came with aint. Mr. Qian said to Zhou Jia, ¡°Sir, an old woman outside came to submit aint. She said that her daughter-inw murdered her son! Since you haven¡¯t returned from the city gate, I asked her to go back first.¡±


    Zhou Jia took theint and saw that it was written that the son of a family on North Street was called Wang Daqiang. He had been doing carpentry away from home for the past two years and had caught a cold a few days after returning home. He diedst night. His mother-inw, Madam He, suspected that her daughter-inw, Madam Su, had murdered her son and came toin.


    Zhou Jia thought to himself, ¡°He suddenly died after catching a cold! Did that woman really kill her husband?¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Scribe Tu. ¡°Mr. Tu, did the coroner you mentionedst timee back?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s back, my lord. Shall we call him?¡±


    ¡°Yes! Get someone to call the coroner. Let¡¯s go take a look!¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Scribe Tu sent the bailiff to invite Coroner Yang. Zhou Jia and Mr. Qian led the two bailiffs towards North Street. When they reached North Street, they saw a small courtyard with a white banner hanging in front of it. The courtyard was filled with people helping. A thin and small old woman with a thin boy sat on the ground of the central room, crying her heart out. Beside her, a woman knelt and covered her face as she cried.

 Chapter 212 - 212 Husband and Wife Reunion

    212 Husband and Wife Reunion


    The bailiff walked forward and said, ¡°Who is Wang He who went to the government office to hand over theint? My lord is here to investigate!¡±


    When the young woman saw the official, she cried even louder.


    ¡°I¡¯m Madam Wang He. I went to the government office to report it.¡± The old woman got up from the ground and staggered to Zhou Jia, about to kneel down.


    Zhou Jia stopped her and said, ¡°Wang He, you said in yourwsuit that your son was killed by your daughter-inw. Do you have evidence?¡±


    ¡°Sir, I have no evidence.¡± Old Madam He pointed at the corpse covered in a white cloth in the central room with trembling hands. Tears streamed down her face. ¡°Sir, my son has always been in good health. He just caught a cold asionally, but he was already drinking medicine! How could he leave so quickly? It must be that whore and adulterer who killed my son.¡±


    The members of the Wang family also echoed, ¡°Sir, my cousin is in good health! He¡¯s in his prime. How could he be killed by a small cold? There must be something wrong! Please investigate!¡±


    Old Madam He knelt on the ground with a thud. ¡°Lord, I was widowed at a young age with my son. It wasn¡¯t easy for me to raise him and send him to learn a skill. I got him married and he survived the disaster! When I came back from work, he was fine. I brought my grandson to my rtive¡¯s house for a banquet and stayed at his house for two nights. When I returned home, the bitch said that my son had caught a cold and died. Lord, she¡¯s trying to kill me! You have to seek justice for me!¡±


    The few women who were helping whispered, ¡°Logically speaking, Madam Su won¡¯t do that? Brother Daqiang is hardworking and takes care of the family. Shouldn¡¯t she be satisfied with such a man?¡±


    The older woman curled her lips. ¡°What kind of person is this? How can she be content! As time passes, she will start to crave for other things! As the old saying goes, one will always think that the spouses of other people are better. It¡¯s not up to us to meddle in other peoples¡¯ family matters. It¡¯s just that after Daqiang leaves, our lives will be difficult.¡±


    At this moment, Madam Su walked out of the central room crying. Although she was dressed in linen, she did look quite beautiful.


    Madam Su cried, ¡°Sir, I was wronged! Why would I kill my husband? He¡¯s the pir of the family. Without him, how can we live?¡±


    ¡°Lord Zhou, Coroner Yang is here,¡± the official reported to Zhou Jia.


    Coroner Yang also stepped forward and bowed. ¡°Greetings, Senior Zhou!¡±


    Zhou Jia saw that Coroner Yang was probably in his forties and looked thin and capable. He nodded and said, ¡°Coroner Yang, the deceased is in the central room. Go take a look!¡±


    Coroner Yang bowed and said, ¡°Yes, Lord Zhou!¡± Zhou Jia led the bailiffs and Coroner Yang into the central room.


    Coroner Yang untied the white shroud covering the deceased and undid his clothes. He examined him carefully, but did not find any wounds. He reported to Zhou Jia, ¡°Sir, from the surface of the corpse, there are no fatal wounds. If we want to know if he was murdered, we can only cut open his stomach to check his internal organs to see if the deceased die from poison.¡±


    Zhou Jia nodded and brought people to the kitchen to check. In the kitchen, he saw a medicine jar with leftover medicine dregs. He picked up the medicine dregs and took a look. It was indeed medicine to treat colds. He brought the magistrate officers to a few rooms to search them one by one. He did not find any traces of a fight in the rooms. Zhou Jia thought to himself, Could it be that he really died of a sudden illness?


    Zhou Jia returned to the central room and said to the old woman, ¡°Old woman, did you hear Coroner Yang¡¯s words? If you want to know why your son died, you can only do an autopsy!¡±


    Old Madam He looked at her son and thought to herself, Son! Don¡¯t me me for being ruthless. I can¡¯t let you leave without knowing why! Old Madam He gritted her teeth and said, ¡°Sir, I agree to the autopsy!¡±


    Zhou Jia said to Madam Su, ¡°Madam Su, your mother-inw has used you of murdering her husband. You¡¯re not allowed to walk out casually these few days, understand?¡±


    Madam Su nodded aggrievedly and bowed. ¡°I know that my mother-inw is sad. I don¡¯t me her. I hope that you can investigate as soon as possible and clear my name.¡±


    Zhou Jia ordered the magistrate officers to carry away Wang Daqiang¡¯s corpse. Along the way, Mr. Qian said to Zhou Jia, ¡°Sir, I realized that the Wang family¡¯s neighbors and rtives don¡¯t have a good evaluation of Madam Su. Also, I discovered that the Madam Su husband died suddenly but she still had the mood tob her hair neatly. I think Wang He¡¯s suspicions are not unreasonable!¡±


    After Zhou Jia heard this, he thought for a while and said to Mr. Qian, ¡°I also realized that although Madam Su is crying, there¡¯s no sadness in her eyes. Looks like I have to investigate her!¡±


    Mr. Qian looked at Zhou Jia and smiled. ¡°Sir, you¡¯re too prominent. As soon as you go out, everyone knows that you¡¯re the county magistrate. I think it¡¯s better for me to go and investigate!¡±


    ¡°Alright! Go and investigate if Madam Su has any ill intentions?¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go back to the county office to change my clothes.¡±


    As soon as the two of them arrived at the county office, Yang Wei ran over happily. ¡°Young Master, Young Madam is back!¡±


    ¡°Really!¡± Zhou Jia ran towards the back of the county office. He saw Li Yu standing in the courtyard at a nce and ran up to her in two to three steps. He said gently, ¡°Yu¡¯er, you¡¯re back!¡± Li Yu also looked at Zhou Jia with a smile. ¡°Yes! I¡¯m back. I said that you went to investigate the case. Are you alright?¡±


    Zhou Jia suddenly remembered that he had just seen a corpse. He took a step back and said gently, ¡°I just came back from the scene. I¡¯ll wash up first. The coroner is still checking. Wait for me toe back.¡±


    When Li Yu heard Zhou Jia mention the coroner, she knew that a murder had happened. She looked at Zhou Jia and said gently, ¡°Alright, go ahead! I¡¯m a little tired. I¡¯ll go and rest first.¡±


    ¡°Yes! Wait for me toe back.¡±


    Li Qing looked at Zhou Jia, who only had eyes for Li Yu, and said to Ruyi with a smile, ¡°Brother Ruyi, my brother-inw is really biased. He didn¡¯t even ask about me.¡±


    ¡°Stupid child, do I still need to ask about you?¡± Zhou Jia quickly walked towards the front office, afraid that if he stayed any longer, he would not be able to bear to leave.


    Ruyi looked at Zhou Jia¡¯s back and chuckled as he patted Li Qing. ¡°Let¡¯s go. Brother Ruyi will wee you.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± The two of them hugged and walked out. Li Yu smiled and shook her head. Aunt Zhang came over and reported, ¡°Young Madam, the hot water is ready. Do you want to take a bath now?¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go now.¡± Li Yu walked towards the bathroom. Zhou Jia arrived at the courtyard of the front office. The coroner had already dissected Wang Daqiang and was checking. After the coroner checked, he reported, ¡°Sir, the deceased didn¡¯t die from poison!¡±


    ¡°Oh! She didn¡¯t die from poison? Could it be that she really died from a cold?¡± Zhou Jia rubbed the space between his eyebrows. After all the ephedra soup in the Wang family¡¯s medicine jar was the medicine to treat colds!


    The coroner bowed. ¡°Yes, sir. No poison was found in the victim¡¯s stomach or internal organs. He might have really died from a cold.¡±


    After Zhou Jia filled in the documentation and handed it to the coroner, he said, ¡°Alright, restore him first! We¡¯ll talk about it when Mr. Qianes back.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± The coroner turned and busied himself.

 Chapter 213 - 213 Joy

    213 Joy


    More than four hourster, Mr. Qian returned to the county office and reported to Zhou Jia, ¡°Sir, the people living near the Wang family said that Madam Su is quite good-looking and likes to dress up. Her rtionship with their mother-inw is not very harmonious. The mother-inw and daughter-inw are very resentful toward each other. When Madam Su chatted with the women, sheined that Wang Daqiang worked outside all year round. Even if he went home, he didn¡¯t care about her. The mother-inw would guard against her as if she was a thief. As for her lover, they said that they didn¡¯t see any other men go to the Wang family and couldn¡¯t spout nonsense! However, several women mentioned that they saw Madam Su go to the silversmith shop at the end of the street to clean jewelry this year. They didn¡¯t see anything else. Sir, how¡¯s the autopsy?¡±


    ¡°A silversmith shop?¡± Zhou Jia frowned. ¡°The coroner said that there were no signs of poisoning on the deceased.¡±


    Mr. Qian looked at Zhou Jia and said, ¡°Sir, since he didn¡¯t die from poison, he must have caught a cold. Do you think we should close the case?¡±


    Zhou Jia raised his hand and said, ¡°We can¡¯t close the case so rashly! Send someone to keep an eye on the silversmith and see what kind of person he is. Then, send someone to monitor the Wang family¡¯s surroundings and see if any suspicious men have appeared near the Wang family. As long as Madam Su leaves the house, follow her. If she really has an affair with someone, she will definitely give herself away.¡±


    !!


    Mr. Qian pointed at the deceased and said, ¡°What about the deceased¡¯s corpse? Should we return it to the Wang family?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no hurry. Wait for me to go back and consult Doctor Wen and Madam! They might provide other ideas to solve the case!¡±


    Mr. Qian looked at the corpse in the corner and said, ¡°Alright, fortunately, the weather isn¡¯t hot yet. Madam stored some ice in the cer when it was cold. I¡¯ll get someone to get some ice.¡±


    ¡°Alright! Hand this over to Scribe Tuter.¡±


    Zhou Jia returned to the back office to wash up and change his clothes. He returned to his room and sat on the edge of the bed. Looking at Li Yu¡¯s sleeping face, he felt his wandering heart calm down. He leaned over and kissed Li Yu¡¯s forehead gently before lying down beside her.


    When Doctor Wen returned home from the volunteer medical consultation, Aunt Zhang smiled and reported, ¡°Old Master, my Madam is back.¡±


    Doctor Wenughed and said, ¡°It¡¯s good that she¡¯s back! It saves Xiao Xi from being in a daze every day. The brat must be overjoyed! Hey! Where are the two of them?¡±


    Aunt Zhang smiled and said, ¡°Madam is tired and is resting. Young Master just came back from the previous office and was busy visiting Madam.¡±


    Doctor Wen thought in relief, ¡°Everything is going well at home. Xiao Xi and Xiaoyu are a loving couple. His grandfather in heaven would not have to worry!¡±


    ¡°Alright, go prepare something delicious with Old Madam Liu. Xiao Xi and I will have a good drink tonight.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Aunt Zhang agreed happily and went to the kitchen to look for Old Madam Liu to prepare.


    Ah Lei looked around and didn¡¯t see Li Qing. He said unhappily, ¡°Where did Young Master Ah Qing go? Did he go back to Tongzhou? Does Young Master not want me anymore?¡±


    Doctor Wen turned around and saw that Ah Lei¡¯s eyes were red. He asked curiously, ¡°Ah Lei, why are you crying?¡±


    Ah Lei sniffed and tears flowed out. ¡°Old Master, Young Madam is back, but my young master is not here. Does Young Master Ah Qing not want me anymore?¡±


    Doctor Wen looked at Ah Lei¡¯s back and smiled. Li Qing, who was behind Ah Lei, smiled and said, ¡°Ah Lei, who told you that I don¡¯t want you? I¡¯m back!¡±


    Ah Lei turned to look at Li Qing and smiled awkwardly. ¡°Young Master, you¡¯re back!¡±


    Li Qing nodded and bowed to Doctor Wen. ¡°Grandpa Wen, when did youe to Qingchuan?¡±


    Doctor Wen looked at the tall Li Qing. ¡°I¡¯ve been here for more than half a month. It¡¯s been hard on you, right?¡±


    Li Qing replied respectfully, ¡°It¡¯s not hard. Before we left, we found out that my sister was pregnant and it was raining. We were dyed on the way for a few days. Otherwise, we would have arrived early!¡±


    Mr. Wen said happily, ¡°Xiaoyu is pregnant. This is a joyous asion! The couple has an heir!¡±


    When Li Yu woke up, she found Zhou Jia sleeping beside her. She touched Zhou Jia¡¯s thin face and whispered, ¡°Xiao Xi, when I was not at home, you were not eating properly. Watch how I deal with you!¡±


    ¡°How are you going to teach me a lesson!¡± Zhou Jia opened his eyes and looked at Li Yu. He held Li Yu¡¯s hand and kissed it. He hugged Li Yu and kissed her. He bit Li Yu¡¯s ear and whispered, ¡°Yu¡¯er, I miss you!¡±


    Li Yu hugged Zhou Jia back and said gently, ¡°I missed you too. Why did you lose weight again? Did you not eat properly?¡±


    ¡°I miss you every day.¡± Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu with sparkling eyes. Li Yu supported Zhou Jia¡¯s body and said coquettishly, ¡°Not now, Xiao Xi. We¡¯re having a baby!¡±


    Zhou Jia supported himself on the bed with both hands and buried his head in Li Yu¡¯s neck. He took a deep breath and looked up at Li Yu. ¡°Yu¡¯er, did you say that we have a baby?¡±


    Li Yu touched Zhou Jia¡¯s face and nodded with a smile. ¡°Yes! You¡¯re going to be a father!¡±


    Zhou Jia turned around andy beside Li Yu. He hugged Li Yu and touched her hair. He sighed happily and gloomily. ¡°Sigh! Brat, you really know how to pick the right time!¡±


    Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia¡¯s depressed expression and smiled sweetly. ¡°Aren¡¯t you happy?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m happy.¡± Zhou Jia kissed Li Yu¡¯s head and gently touched her shoulder. He said affectionately, ¡°Yu¡¯er, my wife! Thank you!¡±


    ¡°Thank me?¡± Li Yu was confused by Zhou Jia¡¯s thoughts. Zhou Jia held Li Yu¡¯s hand and ced it on his chest. Li Yu could feel Zhou Jia¡¯s heartbeat. Zhou Jia whispered, ¡°Yes! Thank you, my wife!¡±


    Li Yu¡¯s heart was filled with happiness and sweetness. She whispered, ¡°Why are you thanking me? Hey! You¡¯re back so early. Is the case going well?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Zhou Jia exined the case to Li Yu.


    After Li Yu heard Zhou Jia¡¯s words, she frowned and said, ¡°I remember you said that family members would cover up for one another. Isn¡¯t it against thew for Madam Wang He to sue her wife?¡±


    Zhou Jia rubbed Li Yu¡¯s eyebrows and smiled. ¡°Silly! A wife killing her husband is offending her superior. Besides, Old Madam He¡¯s son is dead. She has always been at odds with Madam Su, so why would she hide it for Madam Su? Also, killing is a serious crime!¡±


    Li Yu thought to herself, ¡°Killing a husband is a vition of thew.¡±


    ¡°Oh! It turns out that a wife is still an outsider and not family!¡±


    Seeing Li Yu¡¯s indignant expression, Zhou Jia smiled and hugged Li Yu. He said gently, ¡°I don¡¯t know about other families, but in my family, my Yu¡¯er, is the person in my heart.¡±


    Li Yu leaned against Zhou Jia and said sweetly, ¡°You! You only know how to bewitch me.¡±


    Li Yu leaned against Zhou Jia and recalled the cases she had seen in her previous life. She suddenly remembered that in the redress record, there were a few high-intelligence murder cases. One of them was called the Fu Xi Throat Murder Case. The murderer and adulterer were afraid that their crime would be discovered if they used poison to kill the victim, so they poured melted tin liquid into the throat of the sick husband, causing the victim¡¯s throat to be blocked by the tin and suffocate. There was also a series of cases where someone used a silver needle and pierced it an inch above the belly button. They died from an acupuncture point called the Water Acupoint.

 Chapter 214 - 214 Madam Su’s Case

    214 Madam Su¡¯s Case


    Li Yu looked up at Zhou Jia and said, ¡°Xiao Xi, did you check the victim¡¯s throat during the autopsy?¡±


    ¡°We didn¡¯t. Coroner Yang checked the victim¡¯s stomach and organs and said that he didn¡¯t find any signs of poisoning.¡±


    ¡°Then go back and ask the coroner to check the victim¡¯s throat or the top of the skull for any red blood halo scars.¡±


    Zhou Jia asked in confusion, ¡°Yu¡¯er, are there any exnations for investigating these two ces?¡±


    !!


    ¡°I heard from my master that someone harmed people like this.¡± Li Yu had no choice but to mention her nonexistent master again. She told Zhou Jia about the few cases she had seen in her previous life. ¡°Xiao Xi! I don¡¯t know if I can help you, but I can provide you with an idea.¡±


    Zhou Jia was surprised and sighed. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of it. If you didn¡¯t mention it, I really wouldn¡¯t have thought of it. When we go to the government officeter, I¡¯ll get someone to call Coroner Yang and check on the two ces you mentioned.¡±


    The husband and wifey together for a while. Zhou Jia suddenly thought of Doctor Wen and said to Li Yu, ¡°Yu¡¯er, do you still want to sleep for a while? I have to go out and see if the doctor is back!¡±


    ¡°Sir is here!¡± Li Yu sat up in surprise. ¡°When did Sire? Is he well?¡±


    Zhou Jia picked up Li Yu¡¯s clothes and put them on her. ¡°He¡¯s alright but he¡¯s older now. Sigh! Let¡¯s go out and ask him to take your pulse.¡±


    When the couple arrived in the living room, they saw Li Qing, Mr. Wen, and Mr. Qian talking in the living room. Li Yu walked forward and bowed. ¡°Sir, you¡¯re here!¡±


    Doctor Wen smiled and said, ¡°You¡¯re not feeling well. Stop being so polite! Come, sit down and let me take your pulse!¡±


    ¡°Ah!¡± Li Yu agreed and sat down. Zhou Jia hurriedly ced a pulse pillow on Li Yu. Everyone held their breaths and watched as Mr. Wen took Li Yu¡¯s pulse.


    After a while, Mr. Wen smiled happily and said, ¡°Both mother and child are fine. Rest more and eat less spicy and greasy food!¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled and said, ¡°That¡¯s good. Is there anything else I need to pay attention to, sir?¡±


    Doctor Wen red at Zhou Jia. ¡°Aren¡¯t you my disciple? Why are you asking me this?¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled awkwardly and said, ¡°I¡¯m just not good enough!¡±


    Everyoneughed. Doctor Wen rolled his eyes at Zhou Jia and said gently to Li Yu, ¡°You¡¯re in good health. Eat well, but don¡¯t nourish yourself too much. When the child is too big, the mother will suffer.¡±


    ¡°Got it, sir.¡± Li Yu knew that Mr. Wen was sincerely good to her by reminding her like this. There was no such thing as a cesarean section in the current world. If the food was too nutritious, the child would be too big, making it difficult to give birth.


    Mr. Wen then said to Zhou Jia, ¡°Mr. Qian just said that you guys received a case. It seems the victim¡¯s family said that he was poisoned to death, but you can¡¯t find the cause of death. You should know that if the cold isn¡¯t treated in time, someone will die.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Zhou Jia told them what had happened again. ¡°Based on Madam Su¡¯s actions, she is indeed suspected of killing her husband. The deceased¡¯s mother insisted that Madam Su killed her son and would rather conduct an autopsy to investigate. However, after the autopsy, we didn¡¯t find any signs of poisoning. Just now, Yu¡¯er told me a few strange things. I¡¯ll get Coroner Yang to investigate when I return to the government officeter.¡±


    Zhou Jia and Mr. Qian rushed to the front office and sent the magistrate officers to call Coroner Yang over.


    After Coroner Yang arrived and heard Zhou Jia¡¯s words, he cut open the deceased¡¯s throat with suspicion. Sure enough, he found a piece of tin.


    Yang Quo took out a piece of tin and said to Zhou Jia, ¡°Lord Zhou, you really predict things like a god. It turns out that the victim was suffocated to death with a piece of tin blocking his throat. This method is really vicious. It seems that Madam Su really murdered Wang Daqiang.¡±


    Mr. Qian looked at the tin block on the te and thought to himself, ¡°Madam is a true god. It¡¯s as if she has seen it with her own eyes.¡±


    After filling in the autopsy report, Scribe Tu handed it to the coroner to sign. When he saw the tin on the te, he couldn¡¯t help but shiver. ¡°This is really too vicious. Logically speaking, a woman like Madam Su shouldn¡¯t be able to think of such a vicious method to harm others. Who exactly is that person to make that vicious woman harm her husband like this? She¡¯s really heinous! Lord, please send someone to capture that vicious woman!¡±


    Zhou Jia entered the hall and took out the green head lot. He instructed the bailiff, ¡°Go to the Wang family quickly and arrest Madam Su!¡±


    The bailiffs took the lot and replied in unison, ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    In the Wang family, Old Madam He ced her sleeping grandson on the bed and quietly walked to the central room. She stood behind the door frame and looked at Madam Su, who was lowering her head and fidgeting. She walked up to her and pointed at her with gritted teeth. ¡°Madam Su! You vixen and whore! How dare you say that you didn¡¯t kill my son? When my son wasn¡¯t at home, I saw you dress up like a vixen several times to sneak to the Silver Craftsman Shop at the end of the street. Tell me! Did you hook up with that Silver Craftsman?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re ndering me!¡± Madam Su looked up at Old Madam He. ¡°Old woman, you said that I killed your son. Show me the evidence! Without evidence, you¡¯re ndering me.¡±


    Old Madam He looked at the self-righteous Madam Su and gritted her teeth in hatred. She raised her hand and pped Su Shi. ¡°Vicious woman! Don¡¯t be smug. Your evil deeds will be revealed sooner orter. At that time, I¡¯ll eat your flesh and drink your blood.¡±


    Madam Su covered her face and looked at Old Madam He. ¡°Old woman, what right do you have to say that I killed your son? Did you see it with your own eyes? Ever since I entered the house, you¡¯ve never liked me. Then why did you let Wang Daqiang take a wife?! Can¡¯t you just live with your son? Let me tell you, I didn¡¯t kill your son. If you have the ability, show me the evidence!¡±


    ¡°Bitch, vixen, you want me to die!¡± Old Madam He pointed at Madam Su. ¡°What a pity. If I won¡¯t die until I skin you alive, I won¡¯t die. I¡¯ll watch you until you show your fox tail!¡±


    Then there was a knock on the door. ¡°Open up. We¡¯re from the county office.¡±


    ¡°From the county office!¡± Old Madam He¡¯s eyes lit up as she nced at Madam Su. ¡°Vicious woman! Your retribution is here.¡±


    Madam Su looked at Old Madam He¡¯s back with disdain and sneered. Old Madam He opened the courtyard door, for the bailiff who said, ¡°Madam He, we are ordered to arrest Madam Su, Su Qinniang.¡±


    Old Madam He¡¯s tears fell as she said with a trembling voice, ¡°Qingtian, was my son really killed by that evil woman?¡±


    ¡°We were only ordered to capture her. Whether or not Madam Su killed your son will only be known after Lord Zhou has investigated!¡±


    Madam Su looked at the bailiff walking towards her and couldn¡¯t help but retreat. She said in horror, ¡°I didn¡¯t kill him. You can¡¯t arrest me. You don¡¯t have evidence.¡±


    The bailiff held Madam Su¡¯s hands with a il. ¡°Let¡¯s go! You¡¯ll know if there¡¯s any evidence after you go to the county office.¡±

 Chapter 215 - 215 Alarmed

    215 rmed


    Old Madam He followed the bailiff to the door and fell to the ground. The Wang family¡¯s neighbors looked at Madam Su who had been taken away. ¡°Did Su Qinniang really kill her husband?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s possible. Otherwise, the county magistrate wouldn¡¯t have arrested her!¡±


    One of the neighbors watched as the bailiff brought Madam Su away. He turned around and saw Madam He kneeling on the ground holding the door frame. He hurriedly went forward tofort her. ¡°Auntie He, my condolences! You still have a grandson to support!¡±


    Old Madam He knelt on the ground and looked up at the sky. She could not stop her tears from flowing. ¡°Oh my god! I lost my husband and son in my old age. Oh my god! What sin have Imitted? Why must you treat me like this?¡± The neighbor looked at Old Madam He and shed sad tears.


    !!


    The bailiff brought Madam Su to the government office and reported to Zhou Jia, ¡°Sir, Su Qinniang is here!¡±


    When Madam Su saw Zhou Jia, she started to plead, ¡°Sir, I didn¡¯t kill anyone. I¡¯m innocent!¡±


    Zhou Jia nced at Madam Su and said to the bailiff, ¡°It¡¯s getting dark. Bring her down and lock her up.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± The bailiff brought Madam Su down. Zhou Jia felt that there were not enough staff and could not wait for the state government to send more constables.


    Zhou Jia and Mr. Qian returned to the back office. Mr. Qian gave Li Yu a thumbs up and said, ¡°Madam, Wang Daqiang¡¯s throat was indeed blocked by tin and he suffocated to death.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and said, ¡°I just happened to have heard some folklore. It¡¯s a good thing that I can help you.¡±


    Doctor Wen also said, ¡°Actually, there¡¯s some basis for some folklore. Just like how the folk remedies that we doctors know, and the treatment of the previous witch doctors, will also enlighten us when we encounter difficult illnesses. Xiao Xi, you can take a look at those strange stories when you solve cases. It should be enlightening to your train of thought.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll remember.¡± Zhou Jia agreed respectfully. Li Qing looked at Zhou Jia and asked curiously, ¡°Brother-inw, did that woman confess? Why did she want her husband to die? And she used such vicious methods.¡±


    Zhou Jia shook his head and said, ¡°I haven¡¯t interrogated her yet.¡±


    Yu Niang walked to the living room and reported, ¡°Young Master, Young Madam, you can eat now.¡±


    Doctor Wen stood up. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go eat first. It won¡¯t be toote to review the case tomorrow!¡±


    Li Yu remembered that she hadn¡¯t seen Xiaoyu since she came back. She asked Zhou Jia curiously, ¡°Is Xiaoyu¡¯s morning sickness serious? Did you ask Mr. Zhou to give her a prescription?¡±


    Ruyi smiled and said, ¡°Young Madam, Xiaoyu and Ah Wei went to stay in the manor outside the city. No one went to tell them that you were back! After she took the medicine Sir prescribed, her morning sickness was alleviated.¡±


    After the few of them sat down in the dining room, Old Madam Liu held the braised beef and said to Li Yu, ¡°Young Madam, it¡¯s rare to see someone selling your favorite braised beef. There are also Old Master¡¯s favorite orchid beans. They¡¯re crispy.¡±


    Doctor Wen happily took the orchid beans from the te. ¡°Alright, serve the dishes. You guys go eat too. We¡¯ll do it ourselves.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Old Madam Liu, Aunt Zhang, and the others knew that Li Yu and the others didn¡¯t like to be waited on. After serving the dishes, they left.


    The few of them had dinner happily. Zhou Jia and Li Qing drank some wine with Mr. Wen and sat in the living room to listen to Li Qing talk about what happened when they returned to their hometown.


    Only when everyone heard that the Hu family had been exiled did they feel that they had vented their anger. Doctor Wen smiled and said, ¡± If one is arrogant, there will be trouble. If one does too much evil, one will suffer for it. You have to have good intentions and umte blessings to benefit your family and descendants.¡±


    Mr. Qian smiled. ¡°Mr. Wen is right. A good family should be grateful!¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu, who was leaning against the chair and dozing. He said to Doctor Wen worriedly, ¡°Sir, is it okay for Yu¡¯er to sleep like this?¡±


    Mr. Wen smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s fine. Most pregnant women are sleepy in the early stages. They will get better in a few days. Xiao Xi, take your wife to rest!¡±


    ¡°Okay! Sir, we¡¯ll go rest first.¡± Zhou Jia brought Li Yu back to her room and got hot water. After letting her wash up, he looked at Li Yu¡¯s dazed appearance and hugged her to sleep.


    After Li Yu got up, she realized that Zhou Jia had already gone to the government office. Li Qing had also apanied Mr. Wen to the street for a volunteer medical consultation.


    Seeing that the sun was shining, she returned to her room and took out the corn seeds from her space. She asked Yu Niang to take the seeds out to sun in the courtyard.


    Yu Niang looked at the corn seed and asked Li Yu curiously, ¡°Madam, what seed is this? It¡¯s so big. Can it be eaten?¡±


    Li Yu thought to herself, Of course, it can be eaten. Not only is it resistant to drought, but the yield is also not bad.


    ¡°The person who brought the seeds said that it¡¯s edible! Let¡¯s try nting it this year. If the yield is high, there will be more seeds.¡±


    When Zhou Jia arrived at the front office, the bailiff came over to report, ¡°Sir, the Silver Craftsman at the end of the street of the Wang family goes by the surname Wu. He arrived in Qing Chuan two years ago. He¡¯s a man in his twenties with a pair of flirtatious eyes. I can tell at a nce that he¡¯s not a serious person.¡±


    When Zhou Jia heard this, he thought to himself, I have to find someone to test him. Yu Niang should be able to do it.


    ¡°Wang Cheng, get everyone to watch him secretly. Don¡¯t let him escape.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Wang Cheng agreed and went to monitor the silversmith.


    When Zhou Jia returned to the back office, he saw Li Yu, Yu Niang, and Aunt Zhang hanging things in the courtyard. He told Li Yu about the news reported by the bailiffs and his n. Li Yu nced at Yu Niang and Aunt Zhang and smiled. ¡°I understand. You want to trick him to show his true colors!¡±


    ¡°Madam knows me the best.¡± Zhou Jia smiled and said to Yu Niang, ¡°Yu Niang, Aunt Zhang, I want you to go to the silversmith shop and deliberately reveal the news to test the silversmith¡¯s reaction.¡±


    Yu Niang and Aunt Zhang looked at Li Yu and Zhou Jia and said in unison, ¡°Madam, Young Master, can we do it? We don¡¯t want to dy the matters in the government office.¡±


    Li Yu looked at the two of them and encouraged them with a smile. ¡°Aunt Zhang, Yu Niang, believe in yourself. Let me tell you, just like how we usually gossip, the two of you will go to the Silversmith Shop one after another. The two of you¡­¡±


    The two of them smiled when they heard that. ¡°Sigh! It¡¯s just like gossip. Let¡¯s go!¡±


    Yu Niang and Aunt Zhang returned to the house to get their jewelry. They took out two silver essories each and walked out toward the shop one after another.


    At the end of the street, Yu Niang saw a small shop. A young man was busy in the shop. She thought to himself, ¡°This must be Silver Craftsman Wu.¡±


    Yu Niang walked into the shop. Silver Craftsman Wu looked up and saw Yu Niang. His eyes lit up as he thought to himself, What a beautiful woman.


    Silver Craftsman Wu looked at the two old silver essories in Yu Niang¡¯s hand and asked with a smile, ¡°Sister, do you want to buy silver essories or melt them and change the style?¡±


    Yu Niang smiled shyly and said, ¡°These two pieces of jewelry are too old. One of my sisters said that Master¡¯s skills are good, so I brought them to you to have the style changed.¡±

 Chapter 216 - 216 Tricked, Confession

    216 Tricked, Confession


    Silversmith Wu eagerly brought out a chair and smiled at Yu Niang. ¡°Sister, you¡¯ve found the right person. I have all thetest styles. Many people are changing their styles here.¡±


    Yu Niang smiled and nced at the man. ¡°Show me a few designs.¡±


    With that nce, Silversmith Wu felt an itch in his heart. He hurriedly carried a te and ced it on the small table in front of Yu Niang. ¡°Take a look. They¡¯re all thetest designs from the Qingzhou Prefecture. You¡¯re good-looking. You¡¯ll definitely look better after wearing them.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Yu Niang covered her mouth and giggled. ¡°You really know how to praise people.¡± The two of them were flirting when Aunt Zhang walked into the shop and shouted, ¡°Shopkeeper, I want to buy a hairpin. Do you have it?¡±


    Yu Niang looked up and smiled. ¡°Yo! Isn¡¯t this Aunt Zhang? Aunt, are you here to buy jewelry too?¡±


    Aunt Zhang walked over and squeezed past Wu Yinchang to sit beside Yu Niang. She held her hand and smiled. ¡°That¡¯s right, sister. Are you here to buy jewelry too?¡±


    Yu Niang smiled. ¡°No, I heard from my sister that the master of this shop is good. So I thought of making new styles with two pieces of old jewelry!¡±


    Aunt Zhang nced at Silversmith Wu and whispered, ¡°Sister, have you heard? The Wang family¡¯s daughter-inw was captured by the government. I heard that she and her lover killed her man.¡±


    Yu Niang pretended to be surprised and shouted, ¡°No way! How did you know?¡±


    Aunt Zhang nced at Silversmith Wu and said in embarrassment, ¡°Shopkeeper, we¡¯re gossiping here. Don¡¯t tell anyone!¡±


    Wu Yinchangughed dryly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it won¡¯t spread.¡±


    Only then did Aunt Zhang say to Yu Niang in a low voice, ¡°My nephew is working in the government office. Yesterday, he came back and told my boss that Carpenter Wang had a tough life. He married a vicious woman and was killed by his wife and lover with vicious methods.¡±


    ¡°How vicious were they?¡± Yu Niang widened her eyes and looked at Aunt Zhang. ¡°Does the government know who that lover is?¡±


    Aunt Zhang shook her head and said, ¡°That bitch hasn¡¯t said anything yet. The magistrate is still interrogating her!¡±


    ¡°It sounds quite scary.¡± After Yu Niang and Aunt Zhang finished speaking, she looked at the silver jewelry on the te for a while and asked Silversmith Wu, who was standing at the side, ¡°Master, do you have any other designs?¡±


    Silversmith Wu shook his head and said, ¡°No, we¡¯ll only know the newest styles when I go to Qingzhou. Why don¡¯t youe again next time?¡±


    ¡°Alright then! I¡¯lle back in a few days. You have to be faster, or I¡¯ll go to another shop.¡±


    ¡°Of course, of course.¡± Silversmith Wu politely sent the two of them out of the shop.


    Yu Niang and Aunt Zhang left the shop. Aunt Zhang whispered, ¡°Yu Niang, do you think he¡¯s that lover?¡±


    ¡°It should be. His eyes are shiny and his gaze is like an awl.¡± At the entrance of the alley, Yu Niang patted Aunt Zhang. ¡°Alright, Aunt Zhang, let¡¯s split up!¡±


    Silversmith Wu watched the two of them walk away. After a while, he closed the shop and hurriedly packed his luggage. He opened the backyard door and ran into the alley. Just as he reached the alley, he was caught by the magistrate officers lying in an ambush.


    Silversmith Wu struggled. ¡°What right do you have to arrest me? I didn¡¯t break thew!¡±


    Wang Cheng kicked him and shouted, ¡°You know very well whether or not you broke thew.¡±


    A few bailiffs brought Wu Yinchang back to the government office. Zhou Jia said to Wang Cheng, ¡°Go to the back office and report to Madam that Wu Yinchang has been captured.¡±


    Yu Niang and Aunt Zhang were still waiting anxiously for the news. When they heard from the bailiff that Silver Craftsman Wu had been captured, they smiled happily. ¡°Okay! We caught him.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and said to the two of them, ¡°The two of you contributed greatly. When the case is closed, I¡¯ll get Lord Zhou to reward you.¡±


    ¡°Sure!¡± The two of them smiled and agreed.


    Zhou Jia asked the bailiff to bring Wu Yinchang to the county prison and went to the interrogation room with Mr. Qian. He looked at Silversmith Wu, who was kneeling on the ground, and said, ¡°Wu Xu, from Qingzhou, you have been running a shop in Qingchuan for two years. Do you know why I arrested you?¡±


    Silversmith Wu kept kowtowing and shouting, ¡°Sir, I didn¡¯t kill anyone. I¡¯m innocent!


    Zhou Jia looked at Wang Cheng and said, ¡°Wang Cheng, when you captured him, did you say that he killed someone?¡±


    Wang Cheng bowed and replied, ¡°Sir, when we arrested Wu Xu, I didn¡¯t say that it was because he killed someone.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Silversmith Wu and said, ¡°Did Wu Xu say that you killed someone?¡±


    Wu Xu was stunned for a moment. He thought to himself, ¡°Didn¡¯t I say that? Oh no!¡± Wu Xu hurriedly argued, ¡°Sir, I was captured for no reason and was momentarily frightened.¡±


    ¡°What a scared fool.¡± Zhou Jia looked at Wu Xu. ¡°Tell me the truth about you and Su Qinniang conspiring to kill Wang Daqiang.¡±


    Wu Xu pretended to be ignorant and said, ¡°Wang Daqiang, I really don¡¯t know him. Sir, I¡¯m innocent. I didn¡¯t kill anyone.¡±


    Zhou Jia shouted sternly, ¡°You didn¡¯t kill anyone? Su Qinniang has already confessed that you conspired with her to kill Wang Daqiang. Why aren¡¯t you telling the truth!¡±


    Wu Xu no longer responded to Zhou Jia and kept shouting for justice. Zhou Jia said to Wang Cheng, ¡°Beat him up until he confesses.¡±


    Wang Cheng and the two bailiffs pressed Wu Xu to the ground. They raised the killing rod and pped Wu Xu¡¯s butt. Wu Xu shouted in pain, ¡°Sir, you¡¯re asking for trouble. You have no evidence to say that I conspired with Madam Su to kill her husband.¡±


    ¡°Wang Cheng, show him the evidence.¡± After Wang Cheng bowed and agreed, he brought the tin block to Wu Xu and said, ¡°Doesn¡¯t it look a little familiar? This was taken from the throat of the deceased, Wang Daqiang.¡± When Wu Xu saw the tin block on the te, he sat on the ground in fear.


    Zhou Jia looked at Wu Xu. ¡°I¡¯m telling you, Su Qinniang has already confessed. She said that you seduced her and even coerced her to kill Wang Daqiang. She said that you wanted to be her long-term husband. Otherwise, you will tell Madam Wang about her adultery with you.¡±


    ¡°Lord, I¡¯m innocent. It was Su Qinniang who seduced me. She said that Wang Daqiang had given all the money he earned to his mother. She also said that Wang Daqiang smelled of sweat and was stingy. Every time she spent money to buy something, she would be beaten and scolded by Wang Daqiang. Sincest year, she forced me to elope with her. I just wanted to y with her. Why would I elope with her? I kept dragging my feet until Wang Daqiang came home a few days ago.¡±


    Wu Xu nced at Zhou Jia. ¡°Not long after Wang Daqiang returned home, he caught a cold. Su Qinniang told me that she wanted to buy arsenic to poison Wang Daqiang to death. Otherwise, she would tell Wang Daqiang that I forced her tomit adultery! I, I was really forced into a corner by her, so I drugged Wang Daqiang and poured the tin liquid down his throat with a copper spoon. Lord, I was really forced by that vicious woman. I just wanted to y with her. Who knew that she took it seriously? I beg you to spare my life. It was that vicious woman who forced me.¡±


    After Mr. Qian handed the confession to Wu Xu to sign, Zhou Jia said to Wang Cheng, ¡°Bring Su Qinniang up.¡±


    ¡°Pfft.¡± Su Qin¡¯niang spat at Wu Xu, who was kneeling on the ground and was pressed down by the magistrate officers. Su Qinniang turned to look at Wu Xu and scolded, ¡°Wretch, good-for-nothing, I was blind to believe in you!¡±


    Wang Cheng kicked Su Qinniang and shouted, ¡°Su Qinniang, don¡¯t talk when the Lord is holding his case! Otherwise, I¡¯ll punish you!¡±

 Chapter 217 - 217 The Sorrow of the Madam Su

    217 The Sorrow of the Madam Su


    ¡°I¡¯ll confess.¡± Su Qinniang looked at Zhou Jia and Mr. Qian in the hall. ¡°Sir, it¡¯s considered a crime for amoner to not follow the rules. I¡¯ll confess. I killed my man with this good-for-nothing! But even without this wretch, I would have killed that mother and son sooner orter. I really can¡¯t live with them anymore. Wang Daqiang and his mother don¡¯t treat me as a human at all.¡±


    Su Qin¡¯niang raised her head and sighed. ¡°I¡¯m the daughter of a clean family. After I married into the Wang family, I was worse than that lowly prostitute. On the night Wang Daqiang and I got married, I was with him till midnight and his mother came into the house to cover Wang Daqiang with a nket.¡± Su Qinniang looked at everyone who was frowning and listening. She continued, ¡°You¡¯ve never heard of it, right? There¡¯s such a mother and son who don¡¯t know how to maintain boundaries. There¡¯s something even more disgusting!¡±


    Su Qin¡¯niang slowly said, ¡°Later on, Madam He even controlled when I slept with Wang Daqiang. As long as Wang Daqiang treated me better, she would call me a vixen and want to suck Wang Daqiang dry. She began to arrange the days when I slept with Wang Daqiang and stood outside the door to calcte the time. Lord, tell me, which family lives like this? Even without that wretch Wu Xu, I would have killed this mother and son sooner orter.¡±


    Zhou Jia reprimanded in a low voice, ¡°No matter what the reason is, it¡¯s not an excuse for you tomit adultery and murder your husband! Have you thought about your child? If he knew that his mother hadmitted such a sin, would he be able to hold his head high? Have you thought about how he would live in the future?¡±


    !!


    Under Zhou Jia¡¯s questioning, Su Qinniang kowtowed and begged with tears in her eyes, ¡°Lord, I¡¯m not a good mother. I¡¯ve let him down. Lord, please don¡¯t tell him.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Madam Su with some pity. ¡°Su Shi, I¡¯ll instruct someone not to mention your confession in front of him.¡±


    Mr. Qian and Scribe Tu also felt pity for Su Qinniang. What she did was indeed heartless, but the Wang mother and son had to bear some responsibility for the consequences. Mr. Qian silently walked to Su Qinniang and asked her to sign her confession.


    Zhou Jia didn¡¯t expect that there was such a secret behind Su Qinniang¡¯s murder. He couldn¡¯t help but sigh in his heart. After Su Qinniang signed the document, he said to Wang Cheng, ¡°Take them away and go to the Wang family to inform Madam He to bring people to retrieve Wang Daqiang¡¯s corpse. Tell the Wang family the results of the interrogation alone and tell them that I will judge them another day!¡±


    The bailiff epted the order and left. Zhou Jia did not feel any joy after solving the case. Instead, he returned to the back office with a heavy heart.


    Li Yu, Yu Niang, and Xiaoyu were selecting corn seeds. Seeing Zhou Jia¡¯s depressed expression, Li Yu put down the corn seeds in her hand and said, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Were the criminals unwilling to confess?¡±


    Zhou Jia shook his head and led Li Yu into the room. Xiaoyu looked at Zhou Jia and Li Yu¡¯s backs and looked at Yu Niang. ¡°Sister Yu Niang, what¡¯s wrong with Master?¡±


    Yu Niang told Xiaoyu what had happened over the past few days and said worriedly, ¡°Perhaps that adulterous couple refused to confess and angered Master.¡±


    Zhou Jia told Li Yu about Su Qinniang¡¯s confession and said angrily, ¡°Yu¡¯er, how can there be such a shameless woman?¡±


    Li Yu was also dumbfounded. She thought to herself that Madam He¡¯s mentality was too twisted! The mother and son didn¡¯t know any boundaries!


    ¡°Sigh! As the saying goes, adult sons avoid their mothers and adult daughters avoid their fathers. Madam Su was also harmed by the Wang family¡¯s mother and son. Xiao Xi! How should your case be judged?¡±


    Zhou Jia sighed and said, ¡°Although Madam Su is pitiful, she killed her husband and vited the three principles of obedience and four virtues. She even used such a sinister method. Logically speaking, Madam Su will be sentenced to hanging and other torture. I¡¯ve sentenced Madam Su and Wu Xu to death. I¡¯ve already reported the case to the Qingzhou Prefecture and written the cause and effect of the development of the case. It depends on how the government will judge.¡±


    ¡°Oh! Then we¡¯ll only know the oue in a few days! Xiao Xi, since the case has been solved, apany me to the farm to rx and nt the corn seeds.¡±


    ¡°Corn seeds? Are those the ones you guys dried in the courtyard? Why haven¡¯t I seen it before? Where did ite from?¡±


    Li Yu pinched Zhou Jia¡¯s cheek yfully and smiled. ¡°Look at you. Which one should I answer first?¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu¡¯s smile and felt relieved. He held Li Yu¡¯s hand and said gently, ¡°Yu¡¯er, let¡¯s talk as we walk.¡±


    ¡°Let me tell you, this seed came from Ji Xiang, who took it from a foreigner¡­¡±


    ¡°If there¡¯s really such a high yield? They¡¯re not picky about thend. If that¡¯s the case¡­¡± The more Zhou Jia thought about it, the happier he became.¡± Yu¡¯er, more people will be able to eat their fill in the future. ¡±


    Li Yu smiled sweetly and said, ¡°Okay, let¡¯s nt it well and try to hand it to more people as soon as possible.¡± The two of them returned to the courtyard with sweet smiles.


    Seeing their sweet expressions, Xiaoyu and Yu Niang thought to themselves, ¡°Madam is Master¡¯s medicine. In the blink of an eye, the sky cleared up.¡±


    Yu Niang smiled at Li Yu and said, ¡°Madam, the seeds have been selected. Where do you want them?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to let go.¡± Li Yu looked at Xiaoyu. ¡°Xiaoyu, Master and I are going to light up some corn seeds. Are you going?¡±


    How awkward would it be for her to sit in the cart when the two of them were so loving! Xiaoyu waved her hand and smiled. ¡°You and Master can go. I¡¯ll wait for Ruyi to send me back.¡±


    Zhou Jia took the corn seeds and went to the livestock shed with Li Yu. He got into the cart and went out of the city to the farm.


    It was already spring on the farm. The color of the leaves of the winter wheat had changed from dark green to green. After this, the wheat seedlings would begin to grow upward.


    Zhou Jia looked at therge patch of green wheat seedlings and smiled at Li Yu. ¡°Yu¡¯er, I remember that you only started exploring the wastnd a year ago. I didn¡¯t expect you to nt winter wheat so quickly.¡±


    Li Yu raised her head proudly. ¡°Of course. Your wife is capable!¡±


    Yang Wei ran out of the manor and looked at Li Yu happily. ¡°Madam, when did youe back? Why didn¡¯t Brother Ruyi tell me? No wonder Sister-inw Xiaoyu left for the city early in the morning.¡±


    Li Yu looked at Yang Wei, who had grown taller. ¡°It¡¯s your Brother Ruyi¡¯s fault, but have you done what I asked you to do before I left?¡±


    Yang Wei pointed at the slope behind the manor and smiled. ¡°Before you left, you asked me me to develop that slope! I¡¯ve already done it. Go take a look. I guarantee that you¡¯ll be satisfied!¡±


    ¡°Alright, I have new seeds here. Go and call a few workers over. We¡¯ll nt them today!¡± Li Yu instructed Yang Wei, ¡°Ah Wei, remember to take good care of these seeds. If there are worms, quickly eliminate them and tell me about them.¡±


    Yang Wei took Li Yu¡¯s words seriously. ¡°I¡¯ll remember it. You and Young Master go to the slope first. I¡¯ll go back and call the footman over.¡±


    Li Yu nodded and went to the slope behind the manor with Zhou Jia. Seeing that the fence of the slope had beenpletely covered, she opened the fence door and squatted down to grab a handful of soil. She thought to herself, ¡°The soil has be soft after we addedpost. The moisture in the soil is also good. It¡¯s just right for nting.¡±

 Chapter 218 - 218 Yu County Lieutenant’s Family

    218 Yu County Lieutenant¡¯s Family


    Yang Wei brought a few long-term workers to the slope. Li Yu dug out a row and said to them, ¡°Everyone, dig pits ording to the spacing I dug. Remember to dig the pits a little deeper and widen the distance between each row. Put two seeds in each pit, understand?¡±


    ¡°Remember it well.¡±


    After the long-term workers saw the pit that Li Yu had dug, they began to dig. The woman began to nt the seeds. Zhou Jia and Li Yu took the bamboo basket that Yang Wei had brought, filled it with some corn seeds, and started to nt them. Yang Wei took the hoe and dug the soil to nt them.


    Li Yu said to Zhou Jia, ¡°In the ridges of the cornfield, we can also add bean leaves to make the soil more fertile.¡±


    Zhou Jia clumsily counted the corn kernels and nted them. Seeing how familiar Li Yu was with the steps, he said, ¡°Yu¡¯er, it¡¯s true that there are specializations in every field. I never knew that farming required methods. I thought that it was enough to let the long-term workers watch and water the seeds with some fertilizer so that they would grow well!¡±


    Li Yu agreed. ¡°How can that do? You reap what you sow. You have to pay attention to methods when farming. Just like how you study, you can¡¯t read about theories blindly. You have to learn to apply them flexibly. If you work hard, you will gain more than others.¡±


    Zhou Jia cupped his hands and smiled. ¡°Thank you for your guidance, wife.¡± Zhou Jia looked at the agile Li Yu with a burning gaze and thought to himself, This is my wife. She¡¯s cultured and skilled in martial arts. She also knows how to farm and breed!


    Li Yu felt Zhou Jia¡¯s gaze. She picked up a piece of mud with a red face and threw it at Zhou Jia. She rebuked, ¡°Hurry up and work. Otherwise, you won¡¯t have anything to eat tonight.¡±


    Zhou Jia made a face and cupped his hands. ¡°Madam, please spare me. I¡¯ll work immediately.¡±


    The long-term worker at the side was dumbfounded. Was this really the dignified and awe-inspiring county magistrate? Was it really good for him to be willing to pander to his wife? How were they supposed to live?


    The long-term worker¡¯s wife red at her man and thought to herself that as the county magistrate, only was Lord Zhou good-looking, but he also knew how to please his wife! She wished her husband would open his eyes and look at Lord Zhou as a model husband.


    At this moment, Xu Chun ran to the slope and reported to Zhou Jia, ¡°Sir, someone from the Qingzhou Prefecture has arrived. One of them is said to be a newly appointed county lieutenant and has brought two constables with him. He has already arrived at the county office.¡±


    Li Yu said to Zhou Jia, ¡°Xiao Xi, go back with Master Xu first. I¡¯ll returnter.¡±


    Zhou Jia shook his head and said, ¡°Wait for me here. I¡¯ll go back and take a look before picking you up!¡±


    ¡°Alright! Go back! Don¡¯t let them wait too long.¡± Zhou Jia nodded and took the horsewhip from Xu Chun before riding into the city.


    Zhou Jia saw four carriages parked at the entrance of the government office. Scribe Tu was standing at the door and chatting with a tall man. There were also servants standing in front of the carriage. It seemed that the family of the new county lieutenant had alsoe.


    Scribe Tu pointed at Zhou Jia and smiled at the man. ¡°Lord Yu, County Lord Zhou is back.¡±


    County Lieutenant Yu looked over and saw a handsome young man riding a horse towards the county office. When Zhou Jia arrived at the entrance of the county office, he got off the horse and handed the reins to the bailiff, Wang Cheng.


    There were two carriages parked at the entrance of the county office. The two women sitting in the carriage behind secretly lifted a corner of the curtain and hid behind it to peek at Zhou Jia as they discussed softly.


    In the carriage in front, a middle-aged woman with fair skin and a round, in face, looked at Zhou Jia and thought to herself that she didn¡¯t expect County Magistrate Qingchuan to be a beautiful man. Such a man was rare! She wondered if he came from an elite family


    Beside the woman sat two refined and pretty girls. They looked at Zhou Jia, who had dismounted from his horse and cupped his fists. The woman turned around and said in a low voice, ¡°Hui¡¯er, Xin¡¯er, remember, girls have to have dignity first so that others won¡¯t look down on you.¡±


    ¡°Mother, we understand,¡± the two girls replied in unison.


    County Lieutenant Yu took a step forward and bowed to Zhou Jia. ¡°Greetings, County Lord!¡±


    Zhou Jia cupped his hands and smiled at County Lieutenant Yu, who had bowed to him. ¡°County Lieutenant Yu, I didn¡¯t know your arrival date in Qingchuan. Sorry for not weing you!¡±


    County Lieutenant Yu said politely, ¡°Sir, you¡¯re busy with work, so I don¡¯t dare to trouble you.¡±


    Zhou Jia said to Scribe Tu, ¡°Mr. Tu, please bring County Lieutenant Yu to the courtyard beside the county office. We¡¯ll wee Lord Yu after we settle down!¡±


    Scribe Tu smiled and said to the county lieutenant, ¡°Lord Yu, please. Lord Zhou only hired people to build the county office and residence a year ago. Every house and courtyard has a furnace. It¡¯s warm in winter and spacious andfortable in summer.¡±


    County Lieutenant Yu cupped his fists politely and smiled. ¡°Thank you, Lord. Thank you for leading the way, Mr. Tu.¡±


    Scribe Tu brought County Lieutenant Yu to the courtyard separated from the county office by an alley. He took out the key and handed it to County Lieutenant Yu. ¡°Lord Yu, please help yourself. I¡¯ll take my leave.¡±


    County Lieutenant Yu greeted him and sent him off. The long-faced woman got out of the car with the two girls.


    Immediately after, an enchanting woman with an oval face, willowy eyebrows, and a small red mole at the corner of her eye led an eight-year-old boy and a teenage girl who looked very like her out of the cart. She stood there and looked at County Lieutenant Yu. Seeing that County Lieutenant Yu did not look at the mother and children, the woman quietly pushed the boy¡¯s back.


    The boy ran to Lord Yu and held his hand. He smiled sweetly and called out, ¡°Father.¡± County Lieutenant Yu smiled and patted the boy¡¯s head. ¡°Chengyi, this will be our home from now on.¡±


    Then, he turned to the long-faced woman and said with a smile, ¡°Madam, you were still worried that you wouldn¡¯t have a residence in Qingchuan. Look, the new courtyard is spacious and neat. You can rest assured now!¡±


    Madam Qin nodded and said with a smile, ¡°When we wereing to Qingchuan, the elders in the n told us that although the bandits in Qingchuan had been wiped out, Qingchuan City was dpidated. The streets were dirty and filled with the feces of livestock. The county officials didn¡¯t even have a decent residence. After entering the city, I realized that it waspletely different from what the elders said. Just now, when I heard Official Tu talking to you at the entrance of the county office, I realized that it was a street that had been newly paved before the new year. There was also the county office and residence. It seems that Lord Zhou is capable.¡±


    County Lieutenant Yuughed and said, ¡°Madam, you might not know this, but even the city wall was repaired by Lord Zhou. I think Lord Zhou is easy to get along with. In a few days, the garrison officer Zhong Chuan sent by the Imperial Court wille. In the future, you have to build a good rtionship with Lord Zhou¡¯s wife and Senior General Zhong¡¯s wife, understand?¡±


    Madam Qin bowed and said, ¡°Master, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll build a good rtionship with their wives.¡±


    The enchanting woman¡¯s eyes darkened for a moment. She looked up and smiled. ¡°Master, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll help Sister greet the women of the two lords!¡±


    County Lieutenant Yu looked at her appreciatively. ¡°I know you¡¯re the most sensible. Leave these things to Madam.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master. I¡¯ll help Madam.¡± Madam Qin watched the two of them exchange nces and turned to leave with the twodies. ¡°Hui¡¯er, Xin¡¯er, let¡¯s clean up the house.¡±


    County Lieutenant Yu looked at the mother and children who turned around and left. He touched his nose in embarrassment.

 Chapter 219 - 219 County School

    219 County School


    When Zhou Jia returned to the detention room, Wang Cheng reported, ¡°Sir, I told Madam Wang He the results of the trial alone. Madam Wang He has already brought people to carry Wang Daqiang¡¯s corpse back. Before she left, she even suggested taking a look at Madam Su. Scribe Tu didn¡¯t agree and reprimanded her. Only then did Madam Wang He leave. She was cursing as she left.¡±


    Zhou Jia nodded and said, ¡°Alright, I understand. You can leave first!¡± With that, he went to the deposit room next door and told Mr. Qian to go out of the city to pick Li Yu up.


    After nting more than ten catties of corn on two acres of slopingnd, Li Yu told the long-term workers and Yang Wei what they needed to pay attention to. She then went to the farm to take a look at the pigs, chickens, and ducks raised by Madam Li and her daughter.


    Madam Li had be much more talkative. When Li Xia saw her, she no longer cowered and greeted her with a flushed face.


    !!


    Madam Li pointed at the earthworm powder in the dustpan and said to Li Yu, ¡°Madam, I made this ording to what you said. I dug a pit in the vegetable field at the back. Ah Wei and Xia¡¯er went to dig some earthworm and raised them in the pit. After they were cooked, they were ground with rice bran and wild vegetables to feed the chickens and ducks. Seeing that the chickens and ducks grew quickly, I mixed some more into the pig food. After the piglets ate it, they grew much faster than when there was no earthworm powder added. Their fur also became shiny.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and praised Madam Li, ¡°Auntie Li, you¡¯re good. If you like applying what you¡¯ve learned, you can specialize in managing livestock in the future!¡±


    Auntie Li said shyly, ¡°Madam, don¡¯t praise me. This is what I should do. As long as you don¡¯t mind me and Xia¡¯er, I¡¯ll always help you raise the livestock.¡±


    Yang Wei carried eggs, wild vegetables, and vegetables from the farm. He shouted from outside, ¡°Madam, Master is here to pick you up.¡±


    ¡°Coming.¡± Li Yu walked towards the main road at the door and said to Auntie Li, who was sending her out, ¡°Remember not to be too frugal. The chickens have started toy eggs. You have to leave some for yourself.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam!¡± Auntie Li¡¯s heart warmed. Seeing Li Yu get into the carriage, she felt that there was no need to worry about the days of fear.


    After Li Yu got into the cart, she leaned against Zhou Jia. ¡°Xiao Xi, how¡¯s the new Lieutenant Wei? Does he seem easy to get along with?¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu, who was sitting beside him and said with a smile, ¡°He looks quite cheerful. I heard from Shen Wu that Lieutenant Wei was rmended by the Qingzhou magistrate and even took the martial arts examination. He seems to have a good ranking. As for the rest, I¡¯ll have to see for myself. However, since he¡¯s here, I can free up my hands to build the county school. Yu¡¯er, do you want to choose a new ce to build it, or do you want to build it in the old position?¡±


    Li Yu spread her hands. ¡°I don¡¯t even know where the old position is. Isn¡¯t it a waste of time asking me?¡±


    Zhou Jia chuckled and said, ¡°You little fool, it¡¯s the chaotic forest opposite our manor. There are still some ruins in the forest!¡±


    Li Yu pped her hands in surprise. ¡°I see! The forest opposite is quite big. I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s 100 to 200 acres ofnd. In that case, we¡¯ll build it at the original site! Think about it. Our manor is just across. We can build a ce by the official road to set up an inn and a few shops. Aiya! It¡¯s worth buying this wastnd!¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu¡¯s greedy expression and smiled. ¡°Yes! Then I¡¯ll listen to Madam¡¯s instructions. From tomorrow onwards, I¡¯ll hire people to buy materials and start work. I¡¯ll strive to recruit students in the second half of the year.¡±


    ¡°Good. When the winter wheat is collected, I¡¯ll clear the area by the official road and build inns and shops.¡±


    The couple chatted andughed as they arrived at the county office. Zhou Jia gave the reins to Uncle Liu, the gatekeeper, and got out of the car. He carried the eggs and vegetables and walked towards the courtyard door beside the county office. Uncle Liu, the gatekeeper, led the horse into the livestock shed and unloaded it.


    The two of them entered the courtyard and saw that Mr. Wen and Li Qing had already gone home. Li Yu said to Mr. Wen, ¡°Sir, Ah Wei picked fresh chives from the farm. We¡¯ll have chives and dumplings for lunch.¡±


    Mr. Wen looked at the chives in the bamboo basket and smiled. ¡°Sure! Chives are sweet-vored and have the effect of moderating the spleen and clearing the eyes. They can be dried and eaten in winter.¡±


    Zhou Jia shook his head and sighed. ¡°Sir, look, everything you eat has be medicinal herbs in your eyes.¡±


    Mr. Wen knocked Zhou Jia on the head and pretended to be angry. ¡°Rascal, don¡¯t make me dislike you.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Qing, who was gloating at the side. He put his arms around Li Qing¡¯s shoulders and said, ¡°Ah Qing, Brother-inw flipped through an article from yesterday and felt that it would be helpful for you when you¡¯re taking the countryside examination. Come! Let me test you in the study.¡±


    Li Qing pointed at Zhou Jia andmented, ¡°Brother-inw, you¡¯re using your position to take revenge.¡±


    While Li Yu was in the kitchen with Old Madam Liu, Li Qing was writing furiously in the study. Zhou Jia brought Ruyi to the front office to sign the contract. He called Mr. Qian and the clerk and said with a smile, ¡°Since County Lieutenant Yu is here, the county¡¯s security is in his hands. It¡¯s almost the end of spring and the beginning of summer. I n to rebuild the county school from scratch. The address would be the original location outside the East City. I¡¯ve already asked Qingzhou Prefecture to send a knowledgeable overseer to our county. When the government finds the person, our county school will be almostpleted and we¡¯ll start recruiting students! Mr. Tu, what do you think?¡±


    When Scribe Tu heard this, he stood up excitedly. ¡°Sir, it¡¯s been more than ten years since our county has produced a county official. It¡¯s really embarrassing! Ever since the two mountain bandit strongholds were wiped out, many vigers and rich families have returned to their hometowns this year! I think your suggestion to rebuild the county school is right. Let¡¯s build the school in the first half of the year. In the second half, we can recruit students!¡±


    As Scribe Tu spoke, he suddenly felt a sense of pride. ¡°Sir, even if the state government doesn¡¯t send us an instructor, the few of us can take turns teaching! Old Qian¡¯s knowledge is very good. Although I¡¯m not talented, I can still contribute to the county school. Also, Sir, as a schr, you can run a county school well. In a few years, our Qingchuan County will teach a few county schrs!¡±


    Mr. Qian also pped in agreement. ¡°Alright, Mr. Tu, you¡¯re right. When the timees, I¡¯ll also learn a thing or two for the county!¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at them and said with a smile, ¡°That¡¯s not a long-term solution. I n to send someone to the state capital to invite a few county schrs over. Since everyone has agreed, we¡¯ll start preparing. Ruyi, go hire the craftsmen who built the county office in the afternoon and calcte the sry and cost of materials. We¡¯ll start construction tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll do as you say. I¡¯m so hungry. I think I can smell dumplings.¡± Scribe Tu stood up with a chuckle. ¡°Sigh! Madam¡¯s dumplings are ready. I¡¯ll go eat them.¡±


    Mr. Qian watched as the scribe ran away and smiled. ¡°It seems that Mr. Tu doesn¡¯t intend to stay at his ce. He wants to stay at Lord¡¯s house and eat together.¡±

 Chapter 220 - 220 Dealing with the Wheat Spider

    220 Dealing with the Wheat Spider


    Zhou Jia smiled indifferently. ¡°He just likes this liveliness! Let¡¯s go back and eat dumplings!¡±


    ¡°This taste is really delicious.¡± Scribe Tu praised as he ate. He muttered to Mr. Qian, ¡°Ever since I ate at Sir¡¯s house, I¡¯ve gained more than ten catties. I¡¯m now worried about where I¡¯ll eat after Sir gets promoted!¡±


    Mr. Qian smiled and said, ¡°That¡¯s still too early! But we¡¯ll make ns when that dayes. I¡¯ll follow Sir wherever he goes!¡±


    Scribe Tu nced at Mr. Qian and said enviously, ¡°Old Qian, you¡¯re so carefree. I wish I could do the same.¡±


    !!


    ¡°Sigh.¡± Mr. Qian sighed. ¡°I¡¯m alone and don¡¯t have anyone to worry about. I¡¯m different from you!¡±


    Scribe Tu smiled and said, ¡°We¡¯re both old widowers. How are we different?¡± Mr. Qian thought about it. ¡°Yes! Two old widowers.¡±


    After dinner, they returned to the government office to get busy. When Li Yu woke up, Yang Wei hurriedly ran into the courtyard and reported to Li Yu, ¡°Madam, the vigers who followed us to nt winter wheat in the back mountain vige came to look for you. They said that there are many red spiders growing in their wheat fields, and some of the wheat has turned yellow.¡±


    Li Yu thought for a while and said, ¡°I¡¯m afraid they are wheat spiders. I¡¯ll go with you to take a look.¡± The two of them went out to the street and saw a charming girl followed by a woman. She had juste out of the house next door. Li Yu nced at her and got into the carriage. Yang Wei raised his whip and drove the carriage out of the city.


    Yu Yan stood at the door and watched the carriage walk further and further away. She whispered to the woman beside her, ¡°Mother, I¡¯m afraid thatdy just now is the wife of the county magistrate, right? I didn¡¯t expect the county magistrate and his wife to be sopatible.¡±


    Madam Yang nced at her daughter. ¡°This madam is indeed good-looking. Her looks and actions carry a heroic aura. Yan¡¯er, most capable men like delicate beauties.¡± Yu Yan nodded as if she understood.


    Li Yu sat in the car and thought about it. Was there any pesticide in this world? She could only rely on nts to kill insects. What nts could kill red spiders? After thinking for a long time, she recalled hearing arade proudly say that his sister, who was studying at Agricultural University, had used walnut leaves and lime water to kill the red spiders on the cotton seedlings. She had saved a sum of money by not using pesticides at home. At that time, when she heard him mention it, she felt curious and even asked how it was made. She didn¡¯t know if this method could be used on wheat spiders, so she could only try to see if it worked.


    When the carriage arrived at the back of the mountain vige, more than ten vigers who had learned how to grow winter wheat from Li Yu waited anxiously at the entrance of the vige. When they saw Li Yu¡¯s cart, they surrounded it anxiously before it stopped. After Li Yu got out of the car, she said to Yang Wei, ¡°Ah Wei, go back to the city and buy a basket of quicklime and a big y pot to send here.¡±


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡± Yang Wei drove back to the city.


    The viger, Tu Zhong, asked anxiously, ¡°Madam, look at mynd. Many wheat seedlings have turned yellow. There are many red spiders spawning in the wheat field. They didn¡¯t die even after I scattered grass and ashes a few times.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be anxious. Bring me to see what¡¯s going on first. Who has a walnut tree at home? Go and pick some walnut leaves first.¡± Li Yu¡¯s calm smile calmed the vigers down. A woman stepped forward and said, ¡°Madam, there¡¯s a walnut tree in my backyard. I¡¯ll go pick walnut leaves now.¡±


    Li Yu looked at her and smiled. ¡°Hey! Why do you look so familiar?¡±


    The woman bowed and said, ¡°Madam, my surname is Lin. I¡¯m the daughter-inw of the Ye family at the end of the vige. Last year, my husband wanted to sell my daughter to treat my mother-inw. You helped us chase that broker away.¡±


    After she said that, Li Yu remembered. ¡°Oh! Did you nt winter wheat at home too?¡±


    The woman smiled shyly and said, ¡°Ever since the incidentst year, my family has been separated by my mother-inw. I heard that the families working at your ce learned to nt winter wheat from you. I also learned to nt two acres.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll have to trouble you to pick a basket of walnut leaves. Get a kiln, and carry a load of water to the wheat field.¡±


    ¡°Alright, Madam.¡± Madam Lin jogged home. Li Yu followed Tu Zhong and his wife towards his wheat field. When they reached the wheat field, Tu Zhong caught a few wheat spiders from the field and showed them to Li Yu. He pointed at the yellowed wheat leaf in the middle and said, ¡°Madam, look at that area. The wheat seedlings are about to die.¡±


    Li Yu went down to the field to take a look and grabbed some soil to look at. She said to Tu Zhong, ¡°Your wheat field is a little short of water. Remember to water it more. Go back and find a few gourds. The bigger the gourds, the better. Find a carpenter to drill thin holes at the bottom of the gourds and get some firewood.¡±


    After Tu Zhong nodded in agreement, he rushed back. Li Yu followed the other vigers to take a look and realized that the situation was simr. After strolling around, they returned to Tu Zhong¡¯s family¡¯s wheat field. Tu Zhong and Madam Lin had already prepared the things. Yang Wei had also arrived with the carriage carrying lime and y pots.


    Li Yu asked the vigers to cut up the walnut leaves and boil them in water ording to the ratio. After they were done, they would filter the walnut leaves with mercury and add raw lime to the boiled water ording to the ratio. They would put them into gourds and scatter them at the roots of the wheat seedlings. Everyone worked until the sun went down. When they returned to Tu Zhong¡¯s wheat field, they realized that some of the wheat spiders in Tu Zhong¡¯s wheat field had died. Li Yu and the vigers were relieved.


    Seeing that the walnut ash water was effective, Li Yu said to the vigers, ¡°Follow my method and scatter it a few times until the wheat spider ispletely killed.¡± The vigers bowed gratefully. ¡°Thank you, Madam. Otherwise, we won¡¯t be able to do anything.¡±


    Li Yu waved her hand and said, ¡°It¡¯s almost dark. It¡¯s probably going to rain soon, so I¡¯ll go back first.¡± Everyone sent Li Yu to the vige entrance and only walked towards the vige after seeing the carriage leave.


    Li Yu drove the carriage back alone. After entering the city gate for a while, she saw Zhou Jia riding a horse toward her. Zhou Jia saw Li Yu driving the carriage and got off the horse to tie the horse to the carriage. He got into the carriage and took the reins from Li Yu¡¯s hand without saying a word.


    Li Yu knew that Zhou Jia was a little angry, but she had been tired all afternoon and really didn¡¯t have the energy to exin to him. Zhou Jia leaned against the carriage and narrowed his eyes in exhaustion. Zhou Jia pulled the reins tightly and slowed the car. He pulled Li Yu¡¯s head over to lean on his shoulder. He said gently, ¡°Yu¡¯er, I¡¯m not angry at you. I¡¯m just worried about you being pregnant and tired.¡±


    Li Yu silently reached out to hold Zhou Jia. ¡°Xiao Xi, I¡¯ll be careful. It¡¯s just that the wheat fields are not doing well. Those vigers rely on the crops in the fields to live. I can¡¯t stand by and do nothing.¡±


    Zhou Jia held Li Yu¡¯s hand and said with heartache, ¡°I know, but you don¡¯t have to do it yourself. You can order the servants to do it. Yu¡¯er, when we go back, I¡¯ll organize the things you asked me to record in the past and get someone to copy more and paste them on the notice wall at the city gate for the bailiffs to read to the vigers. What do you think?¡±


    Li Yu fell asleep leaning against Zhou Jia¡¯s low voice. After Zhou Jia finished speaking, he didn¡¯t hear Li Yu¡¯s answer. He looked down and saw that Li Yu had already fallen asleep.


    ¡°Silly, you¡¯re so tired!¡± Zhou Jia looked at the sleeping Li Yu lovingly and drove the car slowly back.

 Chapter 221 - 221 Not Good at Socializing

    221 Not Good at Socializing


    Li Qing saw that the sky had already darkened and Li Yu and Zhou Jia were still nowhere to be seen. He paced back and forth at the door worriedly.


    From afar, Zhou Jia saw Li Qing, who was anxiously circling around. He thought that Li Yu had been tired for the entire afternoon and had not eaten anything. She was also pregnant and it was not good for her body to sleep on an empty stomach. After stopping the car, he woke Li Yu up. Li Yu opened her eyes and saw that she had already arrived. She said in a daze, ¡°Xiao Xi, I¡¯m sorry! I fell asleep listening to your voice.¡±


    Li Qing walked up to the two of them and looked at them reproachfully. ¡°Sister, Brother-inw, why are you two back sote? Mr. Wen has asked several times in worry. Sister, you¡¯re different from before. You¡¯re not allowed to run around in the future.¡±


    ¡°Ha.¡± Li Yu smiled and knocked on Li Qing. ¡°Brat, you¡¯ve grown up!¡±


    !!


    Zhou Jia took the opportunity to add fuel to the fire. ¡°Ah Qing is right. You¡¯re different from before. The fields are narrow and slippery. What if you fall?¡±


    Seeing that the two of them were denouncing her, Li Yu felt that she was in the wrong. She cupped her hands and smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t be angry! It won¡¯t happen again!¡± Li Qing nodded and said, ¡°That¡¯s more like it! Seeing that you¡¯ve admitted your mistake, I¡¯ll spare you this time.¡±


    Mr. Wen was worried. Just as he walked toward them, he smiled dotingly. ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯re back. Xiaoyu is in good health. As long as you¡¯re careful, it¡¯s better to move around more!¡± Li Yu looked at the two of them and smiled proudly.


    Yu Niang came in and reported, ¡°Master, Madam, the food is ready.¡±


    ¡°Alright, sir, let¡¯s go eat!¡± Li Yu smiled and helped Mr. Wen towards the dining hall.


    ¡°Chicken stewed with mushrooms. Delicious, cold wild vegetables!¡± Old Madam Liu smiled and brought the dishes to the table.


    During the meal, a gust of wind blew, causing the flower trees in the courtyard to sway. Just as the meal was finished, a light rain began to fall. Li Yu stood under the eaves of the porch and looked at the increasingly heavy rain. She started to worry about the corn seeds.


    Seeing Li Yu frown, Zhou Jia thought that she was nauseous like Xiaoyu. ¡°Yu¡¯er, what¡¯s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?¡±


    Li Yu turned around and saw that everyone was looking at her worriedly. Li Yu¡¯s heart warmed. She smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯m not feeling unwell. I¡¯m just worried about the rain. It¡¯s just right for it to rain overnight. But if it rains for a few days in a row, the corn seeds will rot.¡±


    Doctor Wen said to Li Yu happily, ¡°Xiaoyu, as the saying goes, if there¡¯s a storm not long before the rain, the rain will notst. The wind was so strong before the rain. Don¡¯t worry, the rain won¡¯tst long. It¡¯ll onlyst until tomorrow morning.¡±


    Li Yu knew what these words represented. They were all summarized by the predecessors and told to future generations. There must be a certain logic. Li Yu rxed and smiled. ¡°Of course, I believe Sir¡¯s words. You¡¯re an old immortal!¡± Mr. Wen chuckled and returned to his room to rest.


    Zhou Jia brought Li Qing to the study and wrote down all the methods for farming and fertilizing the fields before returning to the house to rest.


    The next day, Li Yu got out of bed and shuffled her shoes. She walked to the window and lifted the curtains. She realized that it was indeed not raining. Bright sunlight shone into the room through the window veil. Li Yu washed up and went out. Old Madam Liu brought the thick millet porridge to the table and two boiled eggs. She smiled at Li Yu and said, ¡°Madam, the side dishes are appetizing. The millet porridge is the most nourishing.¡±


    Li Yu took the bowl and chopsticks and smiled. ¡°Thank you, Grandma Liu.¡±


    ¡°Madam, this is what I should do!¡± Old Madam Liu saw that the breakfast suited Li Yu¡¯s taste and left happily.


    After breakfast, Li Yu asked Yu Niang to go to the back mountain vige to see the vigers and check on the wheat fields. Then she went to the small garden in the backyard and stood in front of a few blooming moonflowers. She watched the pink and red moonflowers bloom happily.


    Auntie Zhang came to the garden to report, ¡°Madam, the wife of the County Lieutenant Yu next door has brought her children to see you!¡±


    ¡°Alright, take them to the living room and ask them to wait for a while.¡± Li Yu returned to the house and put a few gifts into her purse. She noted the girl she had seen yesterday, as well as two other refined and delicate girls and a strong-looking boy.


    When Madam Yu saw Li Yu arrive, she stood up with the children and bowed. ¡°Greetings, Madam.¡± Li Yu smiled and waved her hand. ¡°Madam Qin, there¡¯s no need to be so polite. Please sit.¡±


    After Madam Qin sat down, she pointed at the three girls and smiled. ¡°Madam, these are my children, Hui¡¯er, Xin¡¯er, Yan¡¯er, and Cheng Yi.¡±


    ¡°Hello, Madam.¡± The few of them bowed to Li Yu again. Li Yu asked Yu Niang to give them greeting gifts. She smiled and said, ¡°You can wear these for fun.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Madam.¡± They thanked Li Yu and retreated to sit down.


    Li Yu nced at Yu Yan and Madam Qin and said with a smile, ¡°Madam Qin is so lucky. The girls are all beautiful. Young Master is also very cute!¡±


    Madam Qin smiled and said, ¡°Thank you for your praise, Madam! I originally thought that Qingchuan City was still dirty and messy. Only when I came did I realize that it had already changed. Lord Zhou is really a good official who cares for the people!¡±


    ¡°You tter him, madam. These are his duties.¡±


    Li Yu was not good at socializing, to begin with. In addition, she was concerned about the wheatnd in the vige. After exchanging a few pleasantries with Madam Qin, there was an awkward silence. Seeing that Li Yu was not in a good mood, Madam Qin stood up to bid farewell. Li Yu smiled and said a few polite words before sending her out.


    At noon, Yu Niang returned from the back mountain vige. She carried the chickens and ducks and a bag of vegetables on her back. She smiled bitterly at Li Yu and said, ¡°Madam, the vigers said that most of the wheat spiders have died after they sprinkled the medicine andst night¡¯s rain. They said that you can rest assured that they will continue to sprinkle the medicine. Look, these are from the Lin family, the Tu family¡¯s daughter-inw, and a few vigers. They stuffed them into the cart when I left. They said that this was to thank you for helping them get rid of the pests.¡±


    Li Yu saw Yu Niang carrying a backpack of vegetables and chickens and ducks in her hands like a little wife. She smiled and said, ¡°Since they¡¯re sincere, let¡¯s ept them! Get Grandma Liu to buy dozens of catties of meat and more than ten catties of brown sugar tomorrow morning and send a portion to each family.¡±


    Yu Niang smiled when she heard that. ¡°Sigh! It¡¯s rare for them to buy meat once a year. Let Grandma Liu buy something fatter!¡±


    ¡°Alright, get Grandma Liu to kill the ducks and marinate them with the braised meat spices I¡¯ve prepared.¡±


    In the afternoon, Li Qing returned from the front office and said to Li Yu, ¡°Sister, General Zhong has brought the officials into the city. He left his family in the city and lives next door to Lieutenant Yu¡¯s family. The officials are going to stay in Green Dragon Stronghold to prevent the Great Qi¡¯s officials from attacking from the other side of the mountain.¡± Li Yu said in surprise, ¡°They are preventing an attack from the other side of the mountain. Could there be a small path over there?¡±


    Li Qing shook his head and said, ¡°You have to ask Brother-inw about the details. I just heard General Zhong say that!¡±


    The next day, Li Yu saw the family of Staff General Zhong ¨C the petite Madam Zhong, and a delicate and cute boy. Madam Zhong was even less eloquent than Li Yu. After the two of them finished their pleasantries, Li Yu chatted for a while before Madam Zhong bade farewell and left.

 Chapter 222 - 222 Rumors

    222 Rumors


    A few dayster, when Old Madam Liu was buying groceries, she heard the two old women in front discussing softly, ¡°I heard that Madam Zhong went to Lord Zhou¡¯s house to visit. She was sent out less than fifteen minutes after she entered. The county magistrate¡¯s wife is really arrogant!¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that so! When my Madam went to visit his house, she only sat for a while before bidding farewell. I heard that the county magistrate¡¯s wife treats people coldly and doesn¡¯t smile.¡±


    Old Madam Liu spat and thought to herself, Damn it, if you have the ability, say it in person. Aren¡¯t you ashamed to say it behind her back? She was so angry that she didn¡¯t even buy any vegetables. She turned around and went home. She wanted to tell Li Yu what she had heard. On second thoughts, she considered that she should not agitate Madam and decided to tell Master instead.


    When Zhou Jia heard Old Madam Liu finish speaking indignantly, he smiled indifferently and said, ¡°You did the right thing. There¡¯s no need to tell Madam about the gossip. Besides, your Madam is a First-grade Madam Protector. Is there a need to put on airs?¡±


    !!


    ¡°Master is right. There¡¯s no need for my Madam to put on airs!¡± Old Madam Liu smiled happily. ¡°Master, I¡¯m going to buy groceries.¡±


    In the blink of an eye, Li Yu¡¯s pregnancy was already three months old. The fetus was already stable. Zhou Jia brought the scribe and the bailiffs to the countryside to check the household register. Mr. Wen and Li Qing followed Staff General Zhong to the Green Dragon Stronghold to pick herbs.


    It was time to nt and breed again. Li Yu went to the vige outside the city and saw that the foundation of the school opposite the vige had been built. More than ten craftsmen were busy at the construction site.


    Li Yu went to the cornfield. After the seeds were nted, only a few seeds did not survive. After transnting the corn that had been nted, they had basically all grown. In less than a month, the corn had already begun to grow. The two acres of cornfield looked green.


    Li Yu came down from the slope and went to the paddy field. She saw that the long-term workers had already tidied up the paddy field and dug the ditch. The vigers of the back mountain vige also came to Li Yu¡¯s manor to learn how to choose seeds and soak them.


    Li Yu taught the vigers everything she had figured out, including the technique of choosing and soaking the seeds, and the things to pay attention to. Li Yu waited at the farm until the rice seeds turned white. After scattering the wild rice seeds and home rice seeds into the field in batches, she handed the matters over to Yang Wei before driving the carriage back to the city.


    Zhou Jia and Scribe Tu led a few bailiffs and busied themselves in the countryside for a few days. They calcted the poption and farnd of the various viges and towns, as well as the wastnd that had yet to be developed. They also instructed the vige chiefs of the various viges to encourage the vigers to reimnd and farm. Only then did the group return to the county city from the countryside.


    Zhou Jia was tidying up in the custody room. This time, he had gone to the countryside to calcte the number of fields. After reading the poption count, Scribe Tu said excitedly, ¡°Lord, I didn¡¯t expect so many vigers to have already returned. The fields have all been plowed. I heard that many vigers are using the method Madam taught them to choose seeds and soak them. Some even n to nt winter wheat at the end of the year!¡±


    Zhou Jia said, ¡°Everyone¡¯s nting winter wheat! This is a good thing! I hope everyone can get more food and eat their fill as soon as possible.¡±


    At this moment, a little girl walked to the door with a food box. She stood at the door and bowed. ¡°Lord, I¡¯m Lord Yu¡¯s little girl. My Third Miss sent pastries to Master and asked me to send them to you to try.¡±


    Seeing that Zhou Jia did not even look up, Scribe Tu walked over with a smile and took the pastry from the little girl¡¯s hand. He smiled and said, ¡°I happen to be hungry. Please thank your Miss for me.¡±


    After the little girl bent her knees and bowed, she carried the food box and walked to Yu Yan, who was waiting at the door. She whispered, ¡°Miss, Lord Zhou didn¡¯t even look at it. It was the scribe who received the pastries.¡±


    Yu Yan said coldly, ¡°I don¡¯t need you to tell me!¡±


    Li Yu drove the carriage and had just walked to the house beside the county office when she saw Yu Yan next door with a maidservant. She was carrying a food box and came out of the county office with a dark expression.


    Yu Yan was stunned when she saw Li Yu. She went forward and bowed. ¡°Greetings, Madam.¡±


    Li Yu smiled faintly and said, ¡°There¡¯s no need to be so polite!¡± As she spoke, she walked towards the door. Yu Yan looked at Li Yu¡¯s back and opened her mouth, but she didn¡¯t say anything.


    In the escort room of the county office, Scribe Tu looked at Zhou Jia with a wicked smile. He picked up a piece of pastry and took a bite. ¡°Oh! It¡¯s delicious! Lord Zhou, don¡¯t you want a piece!¡±


    Zhou Jia nced at Scribe Tu indifferently and threatened, ¡°If youugh again, fire yourself and go home!¡±


    Scribe Tu covered his mouth with his te and said, ¡°I won¡¯tugh. I promise I won¡¯tugh. Lord, you¡¯re too cautious! The little girl sent food to Lord Yu and even sent it to me and Mr. Qian. This can only mean that she¡¯s well-mannered and polite.¡±


    Zhou Jia rolled his eyes and thought to himself that Scribe Tu had probably never been pestered before and didn¡¯t know how powerful it was. One can¡¯t be polite to some women. He had to make them retreat.


    ¡°You think it¡¯s polite to deliver food to another man? Old thing, then why are you smiling?¡±


    Scribe Tu also imitated Zhou Jia and rolled his eyes. ¡°How am I smiling? Am I smiling?¡±


    The two of them were joking when County Lieutenant Yu walked in. When he saw the pastries in Scribe Tu¡¯s hand, he smiled heartily and said, ¡°My third girl is the best at making pastries. They taste good!¡±


    Scribe Tu chuckled and said, ¡°It¡¯s just nice that I¡¯m eating it. Lord Zhou doesn¡¯t like sweet food. I¡¯ve benefited.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s good that you like it. Lord Zhou is young and doesn¡¯t like sweet things.¡± County Lieutenant Yu took a letter and ced it on Zhou Jia¡¯s table. ¡°Lord, the rich businessman, Xu Jinlong, who just moved back to Qingchuan, has some ties with me. He sent us a letter and invited us to his house for a banquet. I heard that he even invited a few singers from Qingzhou to sing!¡±


    Scribe Tu looked at County Lieutenant Yu. ¡°Xu Jinlong? The one behind the deserted house in the alley?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± County Lieutenant Yu nodded. After taking a look at the post, the scribe smiled and said, ¡°This old fellow sure knows how to tter himself. Is he even appreciating poems now? Back then, when we were studying in a private school, he dozed off in ss and his hands were beaten into pig ws by Sir. Later, when the bandits in the Green Dragon Stronghold became more and more violent, his entire family moved away! It seems that the news of Qingchuan¡¯s improvement spread quite quickly! Even the Xu family came back!¡±


    Seeing that Zhou Jia was still busy sorting out the dossiers, County Lieutenant Yu smiled and said to Zhou Jia, ¡°Lord, tell me if you¡¯re going or not! The steward of the Xu family is still waiting outside for our reply!¡±


    Zhou Jia put down the dossier and waved his hand. ¡°Old Yu, go with Mr. Tu! My wife should be back from the farm today. Look, I¡¯m still dirty. I have to go home and wash up.¡±


    County Lieutenant Yu pulled Zhou Jia. ¡°Sir! That¡¯s not good! The chief wants to invite you. What¡¯s the point of just Mr.Tu and me going? Besides, since we can¡¯t collect the taxes from the farmers these few years, the county will need to depend on these merchants for taxes!¡±


    Seeing County Lieutenant Yu¡¯s troubled expression, the clerk was afraid that there would be a barrier between the two of them. He persuaded Zhou Jia, ¡°Sir, Xu Jinlong is quite straightforward. Aren¡¯t you worried that the silver used to build the county school isn¡¯t enough? Let¡¯s mobilize this group of people to donate some money to build the county school at the banquet!¡±


    County Lieutenant Yu also echoed, ¡°That¡¯s right! That¡¯s right! These people have plenty of money. Our county school is also for the good of the entire Qingchuan County.¡±

 Chapter 223 - 223 Going to the Banquet

    223 Going to the Banquet


    Since the two of them had spoken, Zhou Jia could not insist anymore. Otherwise, it would be a little awkward to be in the government office in the future! Besides, the silver used to build the county was indeed not enough. He would let these merchants who had returned donate some silver. There was also money to support a few more children who were eager to study and improve in the countryside. Zhou Jia nodded andforted the county. ¡°Alright! We¡¯ll listen to you two. Let¡¯s go!¡±


    Seeing that Zhou Jia had agreed, Lieutenant Yu quickly went to reply to the Xu family¡¯s butler. Zhou Jia organized the dossier and handed it to Mr. Qian before returning to the back office.


    When Zhou Jia returned to the back office, he saw Li Yu sleeping on the rocking chair with a wool nket covering her. He didn¡¯t disturb her and went to the bathroom to take a shower.


    Li Yu realized that after her pregnancy had progressed to three months, she was getting hungrier and hungrier. Her appetite was also getting bigger. Every time she saw Xiaoyu¡¯s stomach grow like a puff of air, Li Yu felt a little afraid.


    !!


    Yu Niang brought a bowl of chicken soup noodles to the courtyard. Seeing that Li Yu had fallen asleep again, she shouted softly, ¡°Madam, the noodles are ready.¡±


    Li Yu opened her eyes. The fragrance of green onions in the chicken soup noodles assaulted her nose. She felt like she was about to drool. She picked up her chopsticks and picked up a piece of noodles to eat. She smiled and said to Yu Niang, ¡°Why am I getting more and more greedy?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re pregnant with Young Master. Of course, you¡¯re hungry.¡±


    Zhou Jia put on his clothes and walked to the courtyard. He saw Li Yu holding a porcin bowl bigger than her head and sweating from eating. He walked over and squatted beside her. He looked at her with a smile and said, ¡°Yu¡¯er, is it delicious?¡±


    Li Yu looked at the big bowl in front of her andughed dryly. ¡°It¡¯s not that I want to eat, but your son wants to eat! Do you want a bowl?¡±


    Zhou Jia nodded and smiled. ¡°Alright! I¡¯ll eat a bowl with you.¡±


    Yu Niang went to cook the noodles. Zhou Jia told Li Yu about the gathering. Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia. ¡°Xiao Xi, have you used up the money Shen Wu left behind to build the county office?¡±


    ¡°That money can build the framework of the county school. There was a county school in Qingchuan more than ten years ago. It turns out that the things equipped in the county school have long disappeared! When we start building the county school, we have to buy books and tables when school starts. We also have to go to Qingzhou to hire schrs to teach in Qingchuan. The teachers¡¯ residence has to be equipped, right? We also have to build the dormitory for the students. We have to hire chefs, chefs, and errand boys. The money we nned to use is not enough at all.¡±


    Li Yu knew that the misceneous items required a lot of money. The county office¡¯s ie was only from the shops along the street and the small amounts paid by the vendors. It was pathetic. Other than that, there was no other ie!


    ¡°That¡¯s right! From your calctions, we indeed need to prepare money. Since we want those rich families to donate money, let¡¯s take the lead! How about we donate 200 taels?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just a small county magistrate. 200 taels are enough!¡±


    ¡°Have you gone to those viges and done the math? Are there many people going back to their viges? How¡¯s the farming going?¡±


    ¡°So far, 80 to 90% of the people who left have returned. When the autumn harvest this year and those vigers receive the news that Qingchuan will be exempted from taxes, there should be even more people returning to their hometowns. The farming situation is still not bad. At the very least, it¡¯s not like when we first arrived, where there wererge patches of wastnd!¡±


    Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia and said gently, ¡°Xiao Xi, I believe that Qingchuan County will get better and better under your governance.¡±


    ¡°Yu¡¯er, you contributed a lot to this!¡± Yu Niang came out of the kitchen with the noodles. When she saw the two of them smiling at each other affectionately, she coughed dryly and ced the noodles on the small table. She packed up Li Yu¡¯s bowl and left.


    After Zhou Jia ate his noodles, he went to the banquet with Yu County¡¯s Wei and Scribe Tu, who were waiting in the outer courtyard.


    After Li Yu sent Zhou Jia off, she went to the garden in the backyard. She walked around and stretched her muscles for a while. She saw Li Qing carrying a backpack and a few clumps of orchid grass into the drooping flower gate.


    When Li Qing saw Li Yu, he raised the orchid grass in his hand. ¡°Sister, look. These are all dug up from the mountains. Do they look good?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re beautiful!¡± Li Qing put down the backpack. Li Yu saw a few budding gardenias in the backpack. There were two jasmine flowers, a few honeysuckle flowers, and the orchids in his hand. One of them was even blooming with a faint purple flower that emitted a fragrance.


    Li Qing picked up the bud leaning against the corner of the wall and began to dig a hole to nt flowers. Li Yu squatted down to help him stabilize the flowers and asked, ¡°Why did youe back alone? Where¡¯s Sir? Didn¡¯t he go home with you?¡±


    ¡°Sir is drying those herbs in the courtyard. The old man also dug up some herbs to nt in this small garden.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Before the siblings could finish nting the flowers, Mr. Wen and Xu Dong carried a basket of herbs into the small garden. Mr. Wen smiled and said to Li Yu, ¡°Xiaoyu, there are so many herbs in the Green Dragon Stronghold. There are also many rare herbs. It¡¯s really a treasure mountain there.¡±


    Li Yu nodded and said, ¡°That ce is hidden. The soil is soft and suitable for the growth of herbs.¡±


    Mr. Wen said happily, ¡°I dug up two things. They¡¯re beautiful and easy to nt. I nted them in the garden.¡± Li Yu saw that Mr. Wen had dug up white flower snake tongue grass and Solomon¡¯s seal.


    ¡°Sir, Ah Qing, Master Xu, are you hungry? I¡¯ll get Grandma Liu to cook for you.¡±


    Mr. Wen smiled and said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell me. They started preparing as soon as we returned. Where did Xiao Xi go?¡± Li Yu told Mr. Wen about Zhou Jia going to the banquet.


    Zhou Jia, Lieutenant Yu, Scribe Tu, and Mr. Qian arrived at Xu Jinlong¡¯s house. Xu Jinlong bowed to Zhou Jia and said, ¡°Lord Zhou, thank you foring to my humble house!¡±


    ¡°Boss Xu, you¡¯re too polite!¡± Zhou Jia replied with a smile. After Xu Jinlong, Yu Xianwei, and the others greeted him, he weed them into the courtyard. Zhou Jia saw that the formerly dpidated courtyard had been rebuilt, and the courtyard was filled with all kinds of flowers and nts.


    Xu Jinlong weed them into the main hall of the main room. There was a rosewood eight-immortal table in the main hall, and a painting of a lotus carp hung on the wall. There were two rosewood tutors¡¯ chairs on both sides and a row of rosewood chairs below.


    There were already seven or eight wealthy businessmen in the hall. When they saw Zhou Jia and the others arrive, they all stood up and greeted them politely. After everyone exchanged pleasantries, they sat down.


    The servant girls began to serve the dishes. All kinds of delicacies were served one after another. The servant girls began to pour wine and serve wine sses to exchange pleasantries.


    After three rounds of drinking, everyone spoke and acted more casually. A rich businessman surnamed Wu smiled and said, ¡°Brother Xu, I heard that you brought back two singers from Qingzhou. Please get them toe out and sing a song for everyone to liven things up!¡±


    Another person joked, ¡°That¡¯s right! Brother Xu, don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re hiding a mistress in your house and can¡¯t bear to give us a treat!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s easy. I¡¯ll call Cai Die and Cai Feng out to sing two songs for everyone.¡±


    Xu Jinlong got someone to call out two singers. The two of them were plump and extremely charming. Wu stared at them.

 Chapter 224 - 224 The Poor County Magistrate

    224 The Poor County Magistrate


    ¡°Cai Die and Cai Feng greet you, Sirs.¡± After the two of them greeted everyone in a delicate voice, Cai Feng began to sing.


    The Cai Feng¡¯s song was as mellow and pleasant as ark¡¯s. The Cai Die danced like a butterfly during the song. When it was over, most of them apuded.


    Xu Jinlong smiled at Zhou Jia and said, ¡°Lord Zhou, do you think the songs of Miss Cai Die and Miss Cai Feng suit your taste?¡±


    Everyone smiled at Zhou Jia. Zhou Jia nodded and praised, ¡°The two of them are really good at singing and dancing.¡±


    Butterfly and Phoenix Butterfly thanked him. ¡°Thank you for your praise!¡±


    Xu Jinlong pointed at the two girls and said with a smile, ¡°Lord, Brother Wu and I are interested in redeeming the two girls and sending them to you for your pleasure!¡±


    Zhou Jia cupped his hands and said, ¡°Thank you for your kindness, Boss Xu and the other bosses. I can¡¯t afford to raise the two of them.¡±


    Cai Die looked at Zhou Jia¡¯s handsome face and walked toward him shyly. ¡°Lord, we are very easy to raise. We just need simple food and don¡¯t need much money! Lord, do you despise us and look down on us?¡±


    Cai Die walked to Zhou Jia¡¯s side and leaned toward him. Zhou Jia dodged and waved his hand. ¡°My sry is meager. I even rely on Madam to support me! I don¡¯t mean to look down on you!¡±


    Seeing that Zhou Jia had dodged as if he was avoiding a gue, Cai Die covered her face and turned around to pull Cai Deng towards the inner hall.


    Lieutenant Yu looked at Zhou Jia¡¯s terrified expression and thought to himself that Lord Zhou was probably a little afraid of his wife!¡±


    Seeing that the sisters had returned to the inner hall, Zhou Jia cupped his hands apologetically at them and said, ¡°I¡¯ve disappointed everyone. s! It¡¯s just that my sry is meager and I really can¡¯t afford to raise those two girls. I¡¯ll punish myself with a cup!¡±


    Xu Jinlong and the rich businessmen stood up and bowed. ¡°Sir, they¡¯re just two dancers. It¡¯s their honor to be favored by you! Why don¡¯t you keep them for your pleasure?¡±


    Zhou Jia started to cry poor to them with a bitter expression. ¡°Boss Xu, Boss Wu, you don¡¯t know. Although Qingchuan is better than before,pared to the other counties, our Qingchuan is really too poor. We don¡¯t even have a private school in Qingchuan. The children are all illiterate and can¡¯t even read. It¡¯s not good for Qingchuan in the long run!¡±


    Zhou Jia sighed and continued, ¡°After discussing with Lord Yu and Scribe Tu, I¡¯ve decided to rebuild a county school outside the East City. Now that half of it has been built, the county office is out of money. Boss Liu, I have a request. Please agree.¡±


    Xu Jinlong said to himself, ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like this Lord Zhou is here to drink. He¡¯s here to ask us for donations.¡±


    Xu Jinlong cupped his hands and said, ¡°Lord, don¡¯t worry about us. Just tell us what to do.¡±


    Zhou Jia cupped his hands and said, ¡°To be honest, I want to ask you to donate the money you used to redeem the two beauties to build a county school so that our students in Qingchuan can also enter the Golden Ranking List in the future.¡±


    When Xu Jinlong and the rich businessmen heard this, they thought to themselves as a county magistrate, Lord Zhou didn¡¯t want the songstresses andmented about being poor. How could they not donate? They stood up and cupped their hands. ¡°Sir, we¡¯re willing to donate our silver and build a county school.¡±


    The sum for redeeming the two dancers cost a total of 2,000 taels of silver. The bosses donated 300 taels of silver each and collected 2,700 taels of silver.


    Zhou Jia cupped his hands in thanks. ¡°Lord Yu and I thank the righteous merchants on behalf of the students of Qingchuan County.¡±


    The rich businessmen cupped their hands in return. ¡°Sir, this is what we should do. It will be convenient for our descendants to study in the future!¡±


    Scribe Tu also smiled in agreement. ¡°Yes! That¡¯s true!¡±


    Zhou Jia asked Mr. Qian to ept the banknotes and record the names. He took out the 200 taels of silver that Li Yu had given him and ced them on the table. He said, ¡°This is the private money that Madam gave me when I mentioned collecting funds for the school. She asked me to donate it to build the county school.¡±


    Seeing this, Lieutenant Yu also said, ¡°Sir, I¡¯ll also donate 180 taels of silver.¡±


    Then, Scribe Tu and Mr. Qian also donated 50 taels of silver. Zhou Jia said to the rich businessmen, ¡°Boss Xu, Boss Wu, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll get Scribe Tu to record every expense clearly and let everyone use the silver you donated.¡±


    Everyone praised in unison. ¡°Your Excellency is upright and honest. We, the people of Qingchuan, are blessed.¡±


    County Lieutenant Yu raised his ss. ¡°Let¡¯s toast to you, sir!¡±


    ¡°Yes, to you, sir.¡± The party was getting better.


    Li Yu waited for a while. Seeing that Zhou Jia had not returned, she went back to her room to sleep. Zhou Jia returned home from Liu Jinlong¡¯s house. After seeing that Li Yu had already slept in the bathroom and returned to her room, Li Yu opened her eyes in a daze and said with a smile, ¡°You¡¯re back!¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu¡¯s dazed and silly appearance and leaned over to kiss Li Yu¡¯s cherry-red lips. He got onto the bed and hugged Li Yu. He said gently, ¡°Yes! Xu Jinlong and a few rich businessmen donated more than 2,000 taels in total. Lieutenant Yu also donated more than 100 taels. Even Mr. Tu and Mr. Qian donated. There are now more than 3,000 taels of silver. It¡¯s more than enough to buy and run a school.¡±


    Li Yu leaned into Zhou Jia¡¯s arms and muttered softly, ¡°Xiao Xi, sleep! You¡¯re tired too!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Zhou Jia kissed Li Yu¡¯s temple and thought to himself that it had been more than half a month since the pregnancy in March. He would have to ask Sir tomorrow to check on Li Yu.


    When County Lieutenant Yu returned home, he told Madam Qin about how Zhou Jia had rejected songstresses at the Xu family¡¯s banquet, avoided Cai Die, and cried about being poor. He smiled and said, ¡°Madam, why do I feel that Lord Zhou is a little afraid of his wife?!¡±


    Madam Qin looked at County Lieutenant Yu and said meaningfully, ¡°Lord Zhou is a clean person! Do you think he¡¯s like those people who pull all kinds of fragrant and smelly things into the house? Isn¡¯t he afraid of ruining the family?¡±


    County Lieutenant Yu recalled the past and said awkwardly, ¡°Madam, it¡¯s been so long. The child has already grown up, but you¡¯re still unwilling to let go!¡±


    Madam Qin rolled her eyes at County Lieutenant Yu. ¡°I¡¯m warning you. Tell her to control that girl well. Don¡¯t let her approach the county office without knowing shame. You don¡¯t want her making a fool of herself or the Yu family!¡±


    County Lieutenant Yu looked at Madam Qin unhappily. ¡°Yan¡¯er was being filial to me. She was afraid that I would be hungry, so she sent me some pastries and also sent some to Lord Zhou and the others. We¡¯re all colleagues. How could we make a fool of ourselves?¡±


    Madam Qin nced at County Lieutenant Yu. Only a blind person like you would think so!


    ¡°Do you need a youngdy like her to deliver pastries personally? What are maidservants for!¡±


    Seeing County Lieutenant Yu¡¯s annoyed expression, Madam Qin sighed in her heart. ¡°In short, as the legitimate mother, I¡¯ve already said what I have to say. Don¡¯t look for me if she makes a fool of herself.¡±


    County Lieutenant Yu rubbed his forehead and said with impatience. ¡°Madam, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll tell Meiniang tomorrow to detain Yan¡¯er and not let her go out! You sleep first. I have a headache from drinking. I¡¯ll get Meiniang to massage me.¡± With that, he turned around and left.

 Chapter 225 - 225 Madam Qin’s Disillusionment

    225 Madam Qin¡¯s Disillusionment


    An old woman with a kind face walked into the house and said to Madam Qin, ¡°Madam, look, Master has left again. Why don¡¯t you soften up?¡±


    ¡°Aunt Qin, his heart isn¡¯t with me.¡± Madam Qin sat in front of the bronze mirror dejectedly. She parted her hair and looked at her aging face. She sat there in a daze for a long time; her heart felt as dead as ashes. A legitimate marriage couldn¡¯t evenpare to what he has with a concubine from a brothel! Forget it! She would let him do whatever he wanted. She would just take care of her own children. She saw no point in inviting disdain by interfering in other people¡¯s business.


    When County Lieutenant Yu arrived at Yang Meiniang¡¯s house, she weed him happily. ¡°Master,e and have some hangover soup. I¡¯ve already cooked it and it¡¯s been warming in the pot!¡±


    County Lieutenant Yu looked at the gentle Yang Meiniang and sat down in satisfaction. Yang Meiniang eagerly brought over the hangover soup and handed it to him. She said gently, ¡°Master, you have a headache every time you drink. I¡¯ll give you a massage!¡±


    ¡°Alright, give me a massage.¡± County Lieutenant Yu drank the hangover soup in one gulp and leaned back in his chair to enjoy Aunt Yang¡¯s little service. He narrowed his eyes and said to Yang Meiniang, ¡°Meiniang, tell Yan¡¯er not to send pastries to the county office in the future. Once they¡¯re done, just wait for me toe back and eat them. Don¡¯t let peopleugh at my daughter for showing her face!¡±


    Yang Meiniang was stunned for a moment again. ¡°Master, I know that my background is not honorable, causing Yan¡¯er and Cheng Yi to be unable to raise their heads.¡± Aunt Yang walked to County Lieutenant Yu and knelt down in tears to beg, ¡°Master, please tell Madam to record the two children in her name and give them a good background.¡±


    County Lieutenant Yu looked at Yang Meiniang¡¯s teary face and pulled her up into his arms with heartache. ¡°If they¡¯re all in Madam¡¯s name. What will you do?¡±


    Yang Meiniang leaned into County Lieutenant Yu¡¯s arms and stroked his thick chest. She whispered, ¡°As long as the children and Master are well, it¡¯s worth it even if I die.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll tell Madam.¡± County Lieutenant Yu looked down at the gentle Yang Meiniang and carried her to the bed.


    After County Lieutenant Yu and Yang Meiniang rested, Madam Qin learned from the old woman in Yang Meiniang¡¯s room that County Lieutenant Yu had promised Yang Meiniang to record the children under her name. Madam Qin endured her anger and asked Aunt Qin to hand a pouch to the old woman. She praised the old woman and said, ¡°Well done. I won¡¯t treat you badly.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Madam!¡± The old woman happily took the pouch and went back to guard Yang Meiniang¡¯s door.


    Aunt Qin said angrily, ¡°Madam, that bitch is eyeing your dowry.¡±


    Madam Qin sat on the chair and sneered. ¡°Aunt Qin, look at him. He still hasn¡¯t changed. He forgot how he got to where he is today after sleeping with that bitch. Bitch! Did you want to record your two lowly bastards under my name? Dream on!¡±


    ¡°Madam, it¡¯s all my fault. I shouldn¡¯t have persuaded you toe to Qingchuan with Master.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s none of your business. I¡¯m the one who¡¯s unwilling to let her take over and pretend to be the legitimate Madam.¡±


    County Lieutenant Yu got up from the bed in high spirits and went to Madam Qin¡¯s house. Seeing that Madam Qin was still asleep, he scolded, ¡°Madam, it¡¯s alreadyte in the morning. Why aren¡¯t you taking care of the family matters?¡±


    Madam Qin sneered in her heart. If he and that bitch had just woken up, why should she wake up before dawn?


    Madam Qin sat up and said, ¡°Master, why aren¡¯t you going to the county office? Why are you looking for me?¡± County Lieutenant Yu sat on the edge of Madam Qin¡¯s bed and smiled as he held her hand. Madam Qin endured her disgust and retracted her hand. ¡°Does Master have something to say?¡±


    County Lieutenant Yu looked at Madam Qin in surprise. ¡°Madam, you also know that Yang Meiniang¡¯s background is not good. I want to discuss with you and see if you can put Yan¡¯er and Yi¡¯er under your name.¡±


    Madam Qin got out of bed and put on her dress. She sat in front of the bronze mirror and said indifferently, ¡°Master, I have children. I don¡¯t need others¡¯ children to be registered under my name.¡±


    County Lieutenant Yu persuaded, ¡°Yan¡¯er and Yi¡¯er are also our children. How can they be someone else¡¯s?¡±


    ¡°They are your children with that bitch, not mine.¡±


    County Lieutenant Yu said angrily, ¡°Don¡¯t be unreasonable. I¡¯ll write to the elders in the n and ask them to put the children in your name!¡±


    Madam Qin said indifferently, ¡°Do whatever you want. I¡¯ll write to my brotherter and tell him that you and I will split the assets!¡±


    When County Lieutenant Yu heard Madam Qin mention his elder brother, he panicked. He walked up to Madam Qin and begged in a low voice, ¡°Madam, everything can be discussed. Don¡¯t let Brother-inw know. With his bad temper, he will definitely rush to Qingchuan immediately. At that time, our colleagues in the county office willugh at our family.¡±


    Madam Qin waited for Aunt Qin to helpb her hair. She stood up and nced at County Lieutenant Yu. ¡°As long as you don¡¯t disgust me with that bitch, we¡¯ll live like this. Also, from today onwards, you¡¯ll be responsible for that bitch and her children¡¯s food and clothes. Don¡¯t think that I¡¯ll help you raise them with my dowry. My dowry is for my children. If you want the dowry and family assets, earn them yourself.¡±


    County Lieutenant Yu said awkwardly, ¡°Madam, we¡¯re husband and wife. Why do you have to be so clear about it?¡±


    ¡°Why can¡¯t I differentiate?! If I don¡¯t do that, will you still have anything to do with me? I¡¯m not that stupid! If Master has nothing to do, I¡¯m going to eat.¡±


    County Lieutenant Yu looked at Madam Qin¡¯s back and felt that something was different. He thought in frustration that it was just a concubine. Why did she have to fuss about it?!


    Yang Meiniang was behind the window of the room. When she saw County Lieutenant Yuing out of the main room and going out, she knew that Madam Qin had not agreed. She went out in frustration and walked towards the main hall. Seeing Madam Qin eating with her two daughters, she held her waist and walked in. She said coquettishly, ¡°Madam, please forgive me. I woke upte.¡±


    Madam Qin didn¡¯t even look at her. She took the handkerchief from the old woman and wiped her mouth. She said to her two daughters, ¡°Are you done eating? If you¡¯re done, let¡¯s go out for a walk.¡±


    Yu Xin looked at Madam Qin happily. ¡°Mother, are we really going on a trip?¡± Yu Hui also looked at Madam Qin happily. Madam Qin nodded. ¡°You must be bored to death being cooped up at home every day! Bring the kite your uncle bought for you. We¡¯ll fly it.¡±


    ¡°Sister, let¡¯s go back to the house to get the kite.¡± Yang Meiniang watched the mother and daughters walk out the door happily holding hands. She curled her lips and said to the old woman standing at the side, ¡°Set up the meal! Call Third Miss and Young Master over for our meal.¡±


    The old woman looked at Yang Meiniang and curled her lips. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Madam Yang. Madam just instructed this morning that you, Third Miss, and Young Master won¡¯t be eating on the stove anymore. You have to get your food and clothes from Master.¡±


    Yang Meiniang shouted, ¡°Are you trying to rebel?! I¡¯m also the mistress of this family. Why can¡¯t I eat the food in the house? I¡¯m asking Master to sell you.¡±

 Chapter 226 - 226 Madam Qin’s Counterattack

    226 Madam Qin¡¯s Counterattack


    The old woman looked at her with disdain. ¡°We¡¯re Madam¡¯s dowry. Our deeds are in Madam¡¯s hands. Besides, you¡¯re just a cheap concubine. What kind of mistress are you? Madam instructed us. Other than her and the twodies, if anyone wants to eat, they have to pay for it! Also, wash the clothes in your house yourself in the future. We won¡¯t wash them for you anymore.¡±


    Yang Meiniang shouted angrily, ¡°You¡¯re rebelling. You¡¯re rebelling. I¡¯ll go find Master.¡± Aunt Yang left angrily and walked towards the government office.


    Madam Qin abandoned everything and drove to a hill outside the North City with her two daughters and Auntie Qin. Auntie Qin sat on the grass and looked at the twodies who were happily flying kites and Madam Qin, who was no longer frowning. She said happily, ¡°Madam, we should have gone out a long time ago. Look at how happy the twodies are!¡±


    Madam Qin looked at her two daughters who were happily chasing after the kite and sighed. ¡°That¡¯s right! I restrained them too much in the past. Now that I think about it, girls can only live a few years of rxation when they¡¯re at home. After they get married, it¡¯s all depressing.¡±


    Aunt Qin recalled what County Lieutenant Yu had saidst night. ¡°That might not necessarily be the case! Last night, when Master came back, he said that Lord Zhou next door didn¡¯t even want the beautiful woman given to him by the Liu family. He even said that he relied on Madam to support him and couldn¡¯t afford to support the beautiful woman! Master relied on your dowry to support himself. Why have I never heard him mention it in front of outsiders? It can be seen that he¡¯s still a man who knows what¡¯s good for him. In my opinion, those rich businessmen are the worst. They like to give women to others. Madam Yang was also brought back by Master back then when he was shopping in Qingzhou with those rich businessmen!¡±


    ¡°Sigh!¡± Madam Qin sighed. ¡°How many men like Lord Zhou are there in Great Yong? Even those farmers who earn a little money want to enjoy the blessings of a good wife and concubines!¡±


    Auntie Qin thought for a moment and said, ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±


    When Yang Meiniang arrived at the county office, the bailiff told her that County Lieutenant Yu had brought people to patrol the streets. She went home with a dark expression and spent money to hire an old woman to cook a meal for the three of them. Seeing that Yang Yinniang could not find the master, the servants mocked and ridiculed her. Yu Yan returned to the house and cried to Yang Meiniang, ¡°We¡¯re all the masters of this family. Why are they treating us like this?¡±


    ¡°Yan¡¯er, don¡¯t cry. You won¡¯t be beautiful if your eyes are swollen!¡± Yang Meiniang coaxed her daughter gently with a vicious expression. ¡°Madam Qin, how dare you treat me like this? Don¡¯t me me for being ruthless!¡±


    Zhou Jia had a good discussion with Mr. Wen and happily went to the government office to do his work. Li Yu took the blueprint and went to the cksmith to customize a few threshing machines. Then, she went to the carpenter to customize a few wind grain machines. After half a month, she went to the farm again. She saw that the seedlings had already grown leaves and the corn had grown much taller. The fields had already turned green.


    The farmers did not rest much and were extremely busy in May. The fields were already golden in early May. The yellow wheat ears swayed in the wind. It was time for the winter wheat to be harvested. The cksmith and carpenter sent the threshing machine and the wind threshing machine to the farmstead. Ruyi taught the long workers on the farm to use the threshing machine.


    Before dawn, everyone went down to the wheat field to wave their sickles and quickly cut the wheat. The women in the back wedged the wheat seedlings together, tied them with straw ropes, and carried them to the carriage. Yang Wei and Ruyi drove the carriage back and forth to pull the wheat back to the farm.


    The long-term worker who had remained on the farm stepped on the threshing machine and carried the wheat sheaf in both hands. He ced it on the spinning saw wheel and spun it at a constant speed. At first, he was a little flustered. After a while, he was in control. The wheat grains fell off one by one as the saw teeth turned. They hit the enclosure like raindrops. The sound was loud.


    After the bucket was filled, Madam Li and Auntie Zhang dug the grains into the pile from behind the threshing machine. After pouring them into the Wind Valley machine to clean up, Li Xia and Yu Niang spread the grains out and dried them.


    Li Xia looked at the wheat in the drying field and said to Yu Niang, ¡°Aunt Yu, Madam brought back so much wheat. We won¡¯t be able to finish it in a lifetime.¡±


    Yu Niang pushed the golden wheat away with a look of joy. ¡°Silly girl! There will be worms if we keep them for a lifetime!¡±


    Li Xia pursed her lips and smiled. ¡°Even looking at it makes me happy.¡±


    The Lin family and more than a dozen other families in the back mountain vige looked at the golden wheat ears in the wheat field with appreciation and got busy harvesting the wheat with a smile.


    The vigers stood on the field and watched them busy themselves in the wheat field with smiles on their faces. They all secretly made up their minds. They would learn to nt winter wheat after autumn. The same field would allow them to collect an additional season of food and the old people and children at home would be able to eat their fill.


    The weather was good. For half a month, everyone was busy collecting the wheat. The women were busy drying the wheat again, and the men were busy plowing the fields and preparing for nting.


    The seedlings in Li Yu¡¯s field were thick, white, and green. The nearby vigers surrounded the field and praised Li Yu¡¯s seedlings. They were all asking where she had bought the rice seeds. When they heard Ruyi say that she had brought them from Tongzhou, they sighed in disappointment. Li Yu smiled and said to them, ¡°Everyone, don¡¯t sigh. When the rice is harvested this season, you cane to my farm to buy rice seeds.¡±


    When the vigers heard that Li Yu would sell rice seeds to them, they were worried that the price of the rice seeds would be too expensive to buy. One of the vigers probed and asked, ¡°Madam, how much does your rice seed cost per catty?¡±


    Li Yu smiled gently and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s not much more expensive than ordinary rice seeds. You can also use ordinary rice seeds to exchange for rice seeds at my house. However, we have to count them first. After all, there¡¯s only so little rice. We have to let everyone buy a few catties to try.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Madam.¡± The vigers thanked her and left in relief. Li Yu taught Yang Wei to instruct the long-term workers to nt the wild rice at a distance from the domestic rice. After Yang Wei learned it, she handed the remaining straw fields to him to manage.


    After half a month, the wheat was all dried up and the seedlings were all nted. Li Yu was finally at ease.


    After the money was in ce, the speed at which the county school was built increased. Li Yu kept a portion of the wastnd near the official road for building inns and shops. Ruyi set off to Qingzhou to buy brush, ink, paper, and inkstone and returned to sell them in the shops.


    At the end of May, before thepletion of the county school, Xu Chun found two down-and-out schrs in Qingzhou with the help of Shopkeeper Chu Jiang. One of them was surnamed Shao and his name was Qingyuan, while the other was surnamed Song and his name was Bo. The two schrs heard from Shopkeeper Chu that they would go to Qingchuan County to learn to teach. The government office even fixed the residences for them. They happily agreed to bring their families with them and followed Xu Chun to Qingchuan.

 Chapter 227 - 227 Start of School

    227 Start of School


    When the two gentlemen arrived at Qingchuan, they were satisfied to see that the county school had indeed prepared a unique courtyard for them.


    The teachers were already in ce. Zhou Jia asked the bailiffs to go to the vige to publicize that the county association would waive the tuition fee for the poor families who were unable to send their children to school. The children who entered the school for free had to have the vige chiefs of their viges and respected elders serve as guarantors. They were not allowed to cheat. Once someone reported them, they would be expelled from the county school and had to make up for their tuition fees.


    Zhou Jia even sent people to post recruitment notices at the city gate. Before long, the list of children from the county to the viges was sent to the county government. There were nearly a hundred poor children and more than 40 children who went to school at their own expense. A total of 136 children were recruited.


    The county school waspleted at the end of May and the beginning of June. The state government still had not sent an overseer.


    !!


    Zhou Jia decided not to wait anymore. He got someone to inform the parents to start the admission procedures from the sixth to the eighth day.


    Scribe Tu went to hire three women in their fifties to help cook and manage the children¡¯s amodations.


    After the families of the children verified their household registers with the government office, they sent the child to the county school with anticipation and reluctance.


    Li Yu¡¯s newly opened shop, Li Ji¡¯s Literary Room Encyclopedia, also took advantage of the opening of the county school.


    On the ninth day of the new year, Zhou Jia brought the people from the county office and two teachers to pay their respects to the wise sages. After that, they held the opening ceremony. The lively scene attracted the citizens of the entire county to go to the East District. The entrance of the county school was filled with people, and the walls of the county school were also filled with people. Even the New Year¡¯s opera was not as lively.


    Zhou Jia did not keep anyone out. He said excitedly to Mr. Qian, ¡°The reopening of the county school is a big deal in Qingchuan County. Let everyone be happy together.¡±


    Mr. Qian looked at the lively scene and praised, ¡°Sir, you¡¯re enjoying yourself with the people.¡±


    Li Yu and Mr. Wen stood at the entrance of the newly renovated shop. They smiled at Zhou Jia, who was standing at the entrance of the county school opposite them. Mr. Wen said to Li Yu, ¡°Xiaoyu, look at Xiao Xi¡¯s smile. It makes me feelfortable.¡±


    ¡°Yes! His smile is so beautiful.¡± Li Yu thought of how Zhou Jia had always looked depressed in the past behind her back. Ever since he returned to the capital to take revenge on the two women of the old residence, he had lost his gloominess and gained sunshine. It seemed that he had really let go of his sad past.


    Zhou Jia saw Li Yu and Mr. Wen standing at the entrance of the shop. He greeted Lieutenant Yu and strode towards Li Yu. He asked with a smile, ¡°Sir, Yu¡¯er, have you gone to the county school to take a look?¡±


    Mr. Wen smiled. ¡°I¡¯ve seen it. It¡¯s well built. Everything else is good, but there aren¡¯t many teachers.¡±


    Zhou Jia spread out his hands andughed self-deprecatingly. ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. Qingchuan is a remote ce! You saw that the state government didn¡¯t send anyone to coach. Mr. Tu, Mr. Qian, and I took turnsing to the county school to help teach.¡±


    Li Yu recalled the private school that Zhou Jia had organized in the past. A student¡¯s school fees for a year were four taels of silver. At that time, would Zhou Jia think that he would teach for free?


    Mr. Wen teased, ¡°Then these children are blessed. The county magistrate teaches them personally.¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled proudly. ¡°That¡¯s true! It¡¯s rare to see a teacher like me.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and said to Mr. Wen, ¡°In the past, Ah Qing studied at his ce and he even charged me four taels of silver for school fees!¡±


    ¡°Really? Tell him to refund the money!¡± Mr. Wen burst outughing.


    Zhou Jia looked wronged. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that you were my future wife at that time. Otherwise, how would I dare to collect money?¡± As Zhou Jia spoke, he looked into the shop again. ¡°Where did Ah Qing go today? The county school is so lively, but I didn¡¯t see him?¡±


    Li Yu pointed at the slope behind them and smiled. ¡°He¡¯s watching the corn harvest in the cornfield behind!


    ¡°The corn has already been harvested? Let¡¯s go and take a look.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± The few of them walked excitedly towards the slope behind the manor. This was the first time Zhou Jia hade to the cornfield since he nted the corn. Outside the fence, he saw corn that was taller than the fence. Zhou Jia said in shock, ¡°Yu¡¯er, is this really food? How can it grow so high?¡±


    Li Qing, Ruyi and Yang Wei emerged from the cornfield and stood by the fence.


    Li Qing smiled and said to Zhou Jia, ¡°Brother-inw, there are two or three corn cobs in a stalk of corn. They¡¯re almost a foot long. I like them just looking at them. There are also soybeans nted in the ditch. We should be able to harvest one or two stones of beans.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Zhou Jia stepped into the cornfield and saw the corn growing on the corn stalks. He said excitedly to Li Yu, ¡°Yu¡¯er, you and Ji Xiang have done a great job. Such good grain seeds can probably yield 80 to 90 stones of food per acre.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and said, ¡°Although it¡¯s my first time nting, mynd is fertile enough. I should be able to collect that much. After we¡¯ve harvested this season, I¡¯ll carefully choose the seeds and nt them for another season. I¡¯ll use the hillsidend for two seasons a year. The food should be enough.¡±


    Everyone stood in front of the cornfield and looked at it expectantly, anticipating the final result.


    Before Zhou Jia left, he instructed Yang Wei and Ruyi to watch the cornfield carefully before the harvest and not spread the news. Otherwise, the seeds would be stolen by unknown people.


    Yang Wei and Ruyi knew that there were only these two acres of seeds. If they were ruined, the loss would be immeasurable. The two of them promised, ¡°Master, don¡¯t worry. We won¡¯t go anywhere. We¡¯ll also look after the farm.¡±


    Li Yu said in relief, ¡°We¡¯re at ease! We know that you guys are reliable. Ruyi, did Xiaoyu let Sir take her pulse? Are you really nning to go through confinement in the manor?¡±


    Ruyi touched his head and smiled embarrassedly. ¡°When Old Master came, he took a look at Xiaoyu. The mother and child are both very good. We haven¡¯t thought about where to do the confinement. There are still more than two months before she gives birth!¡±


    Li Yu thought of medical technology in the modern world and felt that people in this era had to go through birth with the feeling that they were at the gates of hell and in the human world. Perhaps, two lives would be lost.


    She instructed Ruyi, ¡°Think about it early and hire a midwife in advance. We¡¯ll go back to the city.¡±


    Ruyi nodded and watched them get into the car and return to the city.


    Li Yu and the others chatted along the way and returned to the county office. Just as they got out of the car, they saw Yu Hui running over in a panic. She said to Mr. Wen, ¡°Doctor Wen, I don¡¯t know what happened to my mother, but she suddenly fainted. Please help me see what happened.¡±


    ¡°Ah Qing, go back and get my medicine box!¡± Mr. Wen instructed Li Qing. Then, he turned to Yu Hui, who was crying non-stop and said, ¡°Don¡¯t be anxious. How long do you think your mother has been unconscious? Have you invited a doctor?¡±

 Chapter 228 - 228 Madam Qin Was Poisoned

    228 Madam Qin Was Poisoned


    Yu Hui sobbed. ¡°My mother hasn¡¯t been feeling well these days. She keeps feeling weak all over and doesn¡¯t have an appetite. She looked for a few doctors and took medicine. But it was useless. I wanted toe to you today. Who knew she would faint just now.¡± After saying that, she started crying again.


    Seeing Yu Hui¡¯s worried and helpless expression, Li Yu wondered why Lieutenant Yu didn¡¯t go home early when his wife¡¯s health wasn¡¯t good.


    ¡°Xiao Xi, Madam Qin has fainted. Hurry up and go to the county school to call Lieutenant Yu back!¡±


    Zhou Jia nodded and drove the carriage out of the city.


    Li Qing ran out with the medicine box and handed it to Doctor Wen. They quickly ran into Lieutenant Yu¡¯s house. Auntie Qin was looking anxiously out the door and saw that Mr. Wen and Li Yu had arrived. She said anxiously, ¡°Doctor Wen, pleasee in. Second Miss, Doctor Wen and Madam Li are here.¡±


    Yu Xin ran out of the house with tears on her face and invited Doctor Wen and Li Yu into the house. Li Yu saw Madam Qin lying on the bed weakly. Her skin, which was originally fair and smooth had be sallow.


    After Doctor Wen took her pulse, he leaned over and opened Madam Qin¡¯s eyelids to check. He frowned and took out a porcin bottle from the medicine box. He poured out a ck and glossy pill and said to Auntie Qin, ¡°Bring a bowl of warm water and feed it to your Madam.¡±


    Li Yu saw the anger in Mr. Wen¡¯s eyes and guessed that Madam Qin was probably not afflicted by an ordinary illness.


    After Auntie Qin fed Madam Qin the medicine, Doctor Wen said to her, ¡°When your Madam first fell ill, did she feel that her internal organs were hot and she couldn¡¯t sit still? A few days after her that, did she feel that her back was sore and couldn¡¯t stand up?¡±


    When Auntie Qin heard Doctor Wen talk about Madam Qin¡¯s symptoms, she thought to herself that the doctors they hired previously couldn¡¯t exin the reason. They even said that it was inevitable for Madam to have shes of heat at her age. They said she would recover after taking some medicine. When Doctor Wen talked about the cause of the illness, it was as if he had seen it with his own eyes. He was a divine doctor!


    Auntie Qin immediately believed in Mr. Wen¡¯s medical skills. ¡°Yes, yes, it¡¯s just as you said. Doctor Wen, what illness does my Madam have?¡±


    Yu Hui and Yu Xin stopped crying when they saw Madam Qin¡¯s breathing gradually stabilize after taking the pill. They looked at Mr. Wen and waited for him to answer.


    Although Mr. Wen already knew the cause, he still maintained the professional demeanor of a doctor. He said, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you in detail after I confirm it.¡±


    Mr. Wen took out a silver needle and pierced Madam Qin¡¯s finger. He squeezed out a drop of blood and wiped it on his fingertip with his hand. He then rubbed it between his fingers a few times. It was sticky and he ced it near his nose to smell it. There was a fishy smell. The blood drop on the tip of the silver needle had already begun to turn ck. Doctor Wen said in a heavy tone, ¡°As I expected, Madam Qin was poisoned.¡±


    ¡°Poisoned? How did she get poisoned?¡± Yu Hui and her sister copsed near Madam Qin¡¯s bed in fear and looked at the unconscious Madam Qin. ¡°Mother, who was so heartless as to poison you?¡±


    ¡°Other than that vicious bitch, who else could it be?¡± Aunt Qin nced angrily at the west wing, turned around, and knelt at Doctor Wen¡¯s feet. She kowtowed and begged, ¡°Doctor Wen, please save my Madam.¡±


    ¡°We beg you, Doctor Wen.¡± Yu Hui and her sister also knelt down and begged.


    Li Yu said to Mr. Wen, ¡°Sir, what kind of poison is it? Can she be saved?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a way to save her. This poison was made from the venom of a strange snake in the Western Region. I met a patient in Qingzhou with the same symptomsst year. At that time, I tried my best, but I only managed to make the patient gasp for breath and not die. The patient¡¯s family spent a lot of effort to find the person who poisoned her. After knowing that it was the Western Region¡¯s strange snake, I concocted an antidote and saved her life!¡±


    As Doctor Wen spoke, he took out a ck porcin bottle from the medicine box and poured out a ck and red pill. ¡°Fortunately, the person who poisoned Madam Qin was afraid of arousing suspicion, so that person used small doses. Fortunately, I still have a few antidotes from that time, so Madam Qin¡¯s life can be spared today.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Doctor Wen, for saving her life!¡± When Yu Hui and Aunt Qin heard the prognosis, they finally rxed. After thanking him with a trembling voice, they sat on the ground with pale faces.


    Seeing this, Doctor Wen could only hand the pill to Li Yu. ¡°Xiaoyu, give it to her.¡±


    Li Yu fed the antidote to Madam Qin, whose face gradually turned red. After taking her pulse again, Mr. Wen said to Yu Hui and the others, ¡°After she expels the poison, feed her another pill at night and let her finish the antidote. When the poison has cleared, I¡¯ll prescribe a prescription for her.¡±


    Yu Hui nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll keep it in mind.¡±


    When Aunt Qin heard Mr. Wen¡¯s words, she thought to herself that only the food was handled by others. Could it be that the person on the stove has been bribed by that bitch? However, the twodies consumed the same food as Madam and were fine. It then urred to her that neither of thedies liked the tea that Madam drank. Were the tea leaves poisonous or was it the water used to make tea?


    Aunt Qin took out a porcin bottle and said to Mr. Wen, ¡°Doctor Wen, these tea leaves are Madam¡¯s favorite. The rest of the items are used by the twodies, who are well. Please see if there¡¯s anything wrong with these tea leaves.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Mr. Wen took the porcin bottle and twirled some tea leaves. After checking, he said, ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with the tea.¡±


    Yu Hui looked at the tea leaves and a thought came to her. ¡°Doctor Wen, could there be a problem with the water used to make the tea?¡±


    ¡°Since the only thing you and your mother consume differently is tea, and there¡¯s nothing wrong with the tea leaves, there¡¯s a possibility that there¡¯s something wrong with the water used to make the tea.¡±


    Li Yu said to them, ¡°Put away Madam. Qin¡¯s tea set and the teapot she uses to boil the water first. When Mrs. Qin wakes up, we¡¯ll check if it¡¯s poisonous.¡±


    Auntie Qin said gratefully, ¡°Thank you for your reminder, Madam.¡±


    County Lieutenant Yu rushed home and rushed to Madam Qin¡¯s bed. He shouted in panic, ¡°Lanniang, what¡¯s wrong? What happened to you?¡±


    Aunt Qin walked up and pushed County Lieutenant Yu away. In her anger, she even changed the way she addressed him. ¡°Master, mydy was poisoned and has already taken the antidote. Why happened to her? Master, how could mydy be poisoned? It must have been done by the bitch in the west wing. She thought that she could make things right by killing mydy. Pui! Does she think that the Qin family has no one back mydy up?¡±


    Yu Hui and Yu Xin also looked indignant. ¡°Father, my mother was poisoned. Please find out who wanted to harm my mother.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t make wild guesses without evidence.¡± County Lieutenant Yu¡¯s originally frightened face had turned into an embarrassed expression. ¡°Poisoned? Who said your mother was poisoned? How could she be poisoned when she was at home?¡±


    Mr. Wen looked at County Lieutenant Yu and said, ¡°Master Yu, your wife was poisoned by the venom of a strange snake in the Western Region. She has taken the antidote. She should wake up in another hour.¡±


    When County Lieutenant Yu heard this, he cried out in surprise, ¡°The venom of a strange snake in the Western Region! My wife has never made enemies with anyone. Who is so heartless as to harm her? Could it be that you saw wrongly?¡±

 Chapter 229 - 229 Muddle-headed Lieutenant Yu

    229 Muddle-headed Lieutenant Yu


    Yu Hui looked at Lieutenant Yu with a cold expression. ¡°Father? What are you talking about? Doctor Wen has already given my mother the antidote and she will wake up in time. Are you unwilling to believe that my mother was poisoned? Or are you unwilling to investigate who did it?¡±


    Hearing Yu Hui, Mr. Wen didn¡¯t want to argue with Lieutenant Yu. He sneered and turned around to start packing the medicine box.


    Li Yu looked at County Lieutenant Yu unhappily and thought to herself, How did such a muddle-headed person be a county lieutenant? He had to manage the security andrge and small cases of a county. Did he have the smarts to do it?


    Seeing that Mr. Wen had packed his things and was about to leave, Yu Hui hurriedly went forward and apologized, ¡°Doctor Wen, don¡¯t be upset with my father. He¡¯s too anxious.¡± Mr. Wen nced at Yu Hui and sighed. ¡°You have to be careful before the appointed time. If anything happens,e next door to look for me.¡±


    Yu Hui bowed. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Li Yu and Doctor Wen came out of the house and saw Zhou Jia standing under the eaves of the porch. The servants of the Yu family were all standing in the corner with panicked expressions. They looked at the upper room and saw a faint figure standing under the window gauze in the west room.


    Auntie Qin and Yu Hui sent the three of them to the door and thanked them repeatedly. They only turned around and went back when they saw the three of them return home.


    When they reached home, Mr. Wen said to Zhou Jia, ¡°This County Lieutenant Yu is a fool. You have to pay more attention to the cases he handles in the future!¡±


    Zhou Jia said in confusion, ¡°I¡¯ve also been paying attention to him these days. I saw that he¡¯s shrewd and capable when handling official matters. Why is he like this at home?¡±


    Li Yu said, ¡°How can a person who can¡¯t even manage family matters handle government affairs well? How can he maintain a clear mind to handle big and small cases? I think it¡¯s quite difficult!¡±


    Zhou Jia felt that what Sir and Li Yu said was not unreasonable. If it was really County Lieutenant Yu¡¯s concubine who murdered his first wife, County Lieutenant Yu was a person who was blinded by lust, much less a person who listened to reason. ¡°Sir, I¡¯ll pay attention to what you and Yu¡¯er say. I¡¯ll also keep an eye on the cases he handles in the future.¡±


    Li Yu nodded and yawned. She said to Zhou Jia and Mr. Wen, ¡°Sir, Xiao Xi, I¡¯m a little tired. I¡¯ll go sleep first.¡±


    Mr. Wen said to Li Yu lovingly, ¡°Alright, go and sleep for a while. It¡¯s easy to get tired while pregnant.¡±


    Mr. Wen waited for Li Yu to return to her room to rest. He looked at Zhou Jia and instructed, ¡°Xiao Xi, what happened at County Lieutenant Yu¡¯s house today is also a wake-up call for you. As the saying goes, peace in the family is important to one¡¯s sess. Madam Qin¡¯s poisoning was caused by the discord at County Lieutenant Yu¡¯s house.¡± Zhou Jia bowed and replied, ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    Madam Yang listened for a long time but could not tell if Madam Qin had woken up. Seeing that Yu Hui had sent Zhou Jia and the others away with a light expression, she waited anxiously for County Lieutenant Yu in the house. After waiting for less than an hour, County Lieutenant Yu still did note over. She said to her son, who was ying on the ground, ¡°Chengyi, go and see what your father is doing in Madam¡¯s room. Ask if Madam has woken up.¡±


    Yu Cheng also got up and looked at Yang Meiniang. ¡°Is Madam really going to die?¡± Yu Yan also looked up at Yang Meiniang. Yang Meiniang patted Yu Chengyi. ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? Why are you talking so much nonsense? Hurry up and take a look.¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡± Yu Chengyi walked towards the main room. When he reached Madam Qin¡¯s door, Aunt Qin, who hade out to pour water, saw him. Auntie Qin looked at him hatefully and said with red eyes, ¡°Young Master, why are you here? Go back to your ce!¡±


    Seeing Aunt Qin¡¯s expression, Yu Chengyi turned around and ran away fearfully. He went back and said to Yang Meiniang, ¡°Mother, Old Madam Qin¡¯s eyes are red. She¡¯s as scary as a ghost.¡±


    Yang Meiniang hugged her son and patted his back tofort him. She thought to herself that there must be no hope. Didn¡¯t they say that the old man next door was a divine doctor?


    County Lieutenant Yu sat in Madam Qin¡¯s room in a daze. Yu Hui and her sister stood by the bed and gazed at the unconscious Madam Qin, hoping that she would wake up. Aunt Qin picked up the tea set that Madam Qin usually used to make tea and the teapot to boil water. She waited for Madam Qin to wake up to get someone to check it.


    At the end of the afternoon, Madam Qin woke up. She looked at her two daughters guarding the bed with red and swollen eyes and said weakly, ¡°Hui¡¯er, Xin¡¯er, why are you crying like this?¡±


    The sisters held Madam Qin¡¯s hand. Yu Hui said fearfully, ¡°Mother, you almost left us behind. It was Doctor Wen next door who saved you! If it weren¡¯t for Doctor Wen¡­¡± The more Yu Hui thought about it, the more afraid she became. Then, she started crying again.


    Madam Qin held her two daughters¡¯ hands andforted them gently. ¡°Don¡¯t cry! Mother is awake!¡±


    Lieutenant Yu stood in front of the bed and felt a little sad. ¡°Madam, how do you feel? Are you feeling better?¡±


    Madam Qin turned her head to the side and closed her eyes. Yu Huiforted her and said to her father, ¡°Father, Mother is still very weak. Go back to your room first!¡±


    Seeing that Madam Qin didn¡¯t want to see him, Lieutenant Yu could only say, ¡°Madam, rest well first. I¡¯ll visit youter.¡± Just as County Lieutenant Yu returned to the house and sat down, Yang Meiniang entered with the two children. ¡°Master, what¡¯s wrong with Madam? I want to take a look, but I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll anger Madam.¡±


    County Lieutenant Yu looked at the delicate Aunt Yang suspiciously and wondered if it was really Yang Meiniang who poisoned Madam Qin. Was she so bold? On second thoughts, she didn¡¯t even dare to say anything when Madam cut off her ess to the food and servants. Besides, Madam wouldn¡¯t eat even if Yang Meiniang sent food to her! It couldn¡¯t be her. It must be someone else, but other than Yu Zhong, who followed him, the others were all people from the Qin family! County Lieutenant Yu couldn¡¯t think of anything.


    Yu Yan saw County Lieutenant Yu looking at Madam Yang. His eyes darted around, but he kept shaking his head. She knew that County Lieutenant Yu did not Madam Yang. She took a step forward and stood in front of County Lieutenant Yu with a worried expression. ¡°Father, how is Madam? What illness does she have?¡±


    County Lieutenant Yu thought for a moment and subconsciously said, ¡°Madam is fine. She¡¯s already asleep after taking the medicine. She should be fine in a few days. Don¡¯t go over and cause trouble.¡±


    Yang Meiniang heaved a sigh of relief and patted her chest. ¡°It scared me. It¡¯s really a blessing from the Bodhisattva. It¡¯s good that Madam is fine!¡±


    When County Lieutenant Yu saw that Yang Meiniang was so worried about Madam Qin¡¯s safety, he felt a little guilty. ¡°Madam treated you like this, yet you¡¯re still so worried about her. When she recovers, I¡¯ll persuade her and let her know how good you are!¡±


    Yang Meiniang looked like it didn¡¯t bother her and smiled. ¡°It¡¯s fine, Master. As long as Madam is happy, it doesn¡¯t matter if I suffer a little.¡±


    County Lieutenant Yu nodded in relief. ¡°I¡¯m a little tired. I want to sleep for a while. You guys can go back!¡±


    Yang Meiniang left with the two children and saw Aunt Qin walking towards Madam Qin¡¯s room with a tray.


    Aunt Qin brought a bowl of porridge to Madam Qin¡¯s bed and said, ¡°Madam, drink some porridge to warm your stomach first.¡±


    Aunt Qin thought to herself that Madam would have to eat even if she couldn¡¯t. If she couldn¡¯t hold on anymore, it would be fine for her adult son but Hui¡¯er and Xin¡¯er would suffer.

 Chapter 230 - 230 Li Xiao’er

    230 Li Xiao¡¯er


    Madam Qin forced herself to eat a few mouthfuls of porridge and felt a little better. She said to Aunt Qin, ¡°I remember that I think I fainted! Did Doctor Wen say what illness I have?¡±


    ¡°How are you sick? You were poisoned.¡± Aunt Qin told Mrs. Qin about Mr. Wen¡¯s diagnosis and her suspicions. ¡°Madam, think about it. Ever since you cut off the use of your resources over there, you started to get sick not long after and slowly became weaker and weaker. Doctor Wen said that the poison was administered bit by bit. Now that I think about it, it was most likely done by that bitch. What do you think we should do?¡±


    No wonder she didn¡¯t get that muddle-headed worm to speak up this time. So she was waiting for me to be poisoned! Bitch, it¡¯s a pity that you didn¡¯t get what you wanted!


    Madam Qin calmly instructed Aunt Qin, ¡°Tie up Old Madam Shen and Old Madam Lin . Get Qin Gui¡¯s wife to rece them at the stove and lock the two old women in the storeroom. Get Qin Gui to quickly return to Qingzhou and get my brother toe over.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam. I¡¯ll bring someone to capture the two old women. The poison in your body hasn¡¯t been cleared yet. Rest well first.¡±


    Yu Hui also said, ¡°That¡¯s right, Mother. Take care of yourself first. I¡¯ll deal with the matters at home. I¡¯ve already grown up.¡±


    Madam Qin looked at her daughter, who had grown up and be sensible. Her heart ached endlessly. She nodded and closed her eyes to sleep.


    Aunt Qin brought Qin Gui to the kitchen and pointed at the two old women sitting in front of the stove whispering. ¡°Ah Gui, tie them up and lock them in the storeroom.¡±


    ¡°Alright, Aunt Qin!¡± After agreeing, Qin Gui walked over and grabbed an old woman¡¯s hand to twist it behind her back. The old woman screamed in pain, ¡°Old Aunt Qin, what did I do? What right do you have to tie me up?¡±


    ¡°The food you made was not clean. It damaged Madam¡¯s stomach and almost killed her. Eldest Miss said that she had to teach you a lesson.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense. I¡¯m always careful to wash things clean.¡± The other old woman also shouted. Auntie Qin grabbed her hair and pulled her to the ground. Auntie Qin and Qin Gui gagged the two old women and locked them in the storeroom. They said to Qin Gui, ¡°Hurry back to Qingzhou and tell Uncle that Madam was almost killed. Ask Uncle toe over quickly.¡±


    Qin Gui nodded and left. Aunt Qin took the key and walked towards the main room. She said to the two trembling women, ¡°You have to know which family you¡¯re from. Shut up when you shouldn¡¯t say anything. Don¡¯t you dare tomit acts of betrayal!¡±


    The two women nodded and said, ¡°We understand, Aunt Qin.¡±


    When Li Yu woke up, Zhou Jia had already gone to the government office. Seeing that Doctor Wen and Li Qing were ying chess in the courtyard, she knew that Madam Qin was fine. She said to Doctor Wen and Li Qing, ¡°Sir, Ah Qing, the new flour has been ground. What do you want to eat?¡±


    Li Qing shook his head. Doctor Wen said happily, ¡°I just want to eat something soft. Get someone to make it.¡±


    Li Yu thought for a long time and suddenly thought of Grandma¡¯s favorite soft and delicious sachima in her previous life. Yes! She would make it. Li Yu looked at Doctor Wen with a smile. ¡°I know a kind of pastry, but I¡¯m not sure if I can make it. Wait for me, I¡¯ll make it for you.¡±


    Doctor Wen nodded and smiled. ¡°Alright! I¡¯ll wait. Just instruct the servants to do it. Don¡¯t tire yourself out.¡±


    ¡°Yes! I know.¡± Li Yu walked towards the kitchen. When Old Madam Liu saw Li Yuing to the kitchen, she thought that she was hungry. She smiled and asked, ¡°Madam, what do you want to eat? I¡¯ll make it for you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not hungry. Take out a few of the preserves we boughtst time and cut them into cubes. Then scoop out a small bowl of the honey.¡±


    After Old Madam Liu agreed, she went to get the preserves and honey. Li Yu remembered that there was no coconut oil here either. After thinking for a long time, she suddenly remembered that there was still a jar of tea seed oil in the space. She turned around and went back to the house to take it out of the space. She returned to the kitchen and scooped out some flour and pea starch. She ced them aside for backup and mixed the old flour and flour in a wooden basin. She stirred the eggs and poured them into the flour, cing them aside to ferment.


    She went to the cupboard and took out some walnut kernels to be crushed. She ced them in the bowl as a backup with the candied fruit that Old Madam Liu had chopped up. She let Old Madam Liu scatter the fermented dough and roll it into thin slices. She changed the knife so she could cut the dough into small pieces and sprinkled the pieces with starch to prevent the dough from sticking. Finally, she cut them into strips and removed the excess starch.


    Old Madam Liu prepared the noodles under Li Yu¡¯s instructions. Li Yu poured some tea seed oil into the pot. When the oil was 80% hot, she fried the noodles until they were slightly yellow and scooped them out of the pot with ader. Then, she added oil and sugar to the pot. She also added a small amount of water to boil everything into syrup. The syrup was simmered until it was golden yellow. She used her chopsticks to pick up the thin threads and poured the fried noodles into the pot with the candied fruits and walnut kernels. She scooped them out and ced them on the oiled chopping board. After cooling, she cut them into small pieces.


    Old Madam Liu looked at the cooked sachima and said curiously, ¡°Madam, what¡¯s the name of this pastry? It looks delicious!¡±


    Li Yu thought for a moment and still used her original name. ¡°The name is sachima!¡± As she spoke, she picked up a piece and tasted it. She felt that perhaps the raw materials were purer, the texture was not bad. She picked some up and put them on a te. She said to Old Madam Liu, ¡°You eat too. Save some for Yu Niang and the others and make some to send to Xiaoyu.¡±


    Old Madam Liu smiled and said, ¡°Got it, Madam.¡±


    Li Yu brought two tes of sachima to the courtyard and smiled at Mr. Wen and Li Qing. ¡°Thank you for waiting. The sachimas are here.¡±


    ¡°Sachima¡± was such a strange name, Li Qing thought to himself. When he saw Li Yu holding a te in one hand, her movements were really like a waiter¡¯s. He found it funny and pretended to say, ¡°Li Xiao¡¯er, your movements are not neat at all. There won¡¯t be any tipster!¡±


    ¡°If he doesn¡¯t tip you, the old man will.¡± Doctor Wen smiled and picked up a piece of Sachima. He took a bite. ¡°Hmm! Not bad. It¡¯s soft and delicious. Look at the tip! Xiaoyu, Sir made a box of moisturizing ointment for you. You can use it tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, sir!¡± Li Yu thanked Doctor Wen and said to Li Qing, who was eating the Sachima, ¡°Ah Qing, send a te to your brother-inw.¡±


    Doctor Wen stood up and picked up a te of sachimas. He said to Li Qing, ¡°Let¡¯s go! Ah Qing, let¡¯s go to the government office to take a look. What is your brother-inw busy with?¡±


    Li Qing nodded and the two of them left one after another. Li Yu saw the two of them walk through the corridor towards the front office. She sat on the recliner and gently stroked her bulging stomach. She looked at the gardenias in the corner for a while and closed her eyes to smell the faint fragrance before falling asleep.


    In the Yu family, Yu Yan returned from the kitchen and frowned. ¡°Mother, the two women on the stove were locked up by Yu Hui and reced by Qin Gui¡¯s wife!¡±


    Madam Yang ¡®s heart skipped a beat. She said anxiously, ¡°Is Old Madam Yang also locked up?¡±

 Chapter 231 - 231 Judgment

    231 Judgment


    When Yu Yan saw Yang Meiniang¡¯s panicked expression, she felt a little strange. ¡°That¡¯s right! Qin Gui¡¯s wife said that the two old women on the stove made something unclean and affected Madam¡¯s stomach. Eldest Miss locked them up in a fit of anger and said that she would starve them for a few days.¡±


    Yang Meiniang heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Oh! They should starve for a few days!¡±


    At the end of the hour, Madam Qin woke up from her stomachache. After excreting a lot of smelly ck and red feces, she felt much more rxed.


    Auntie Qin said happily, ¡°Madam, Doctor Wen is indeed a divine doctor! He said that after you expel the poison and take the antidote a few times, you will be able to clean up the remaining poison. At that time, he will prescribe you some medicine to nourish your body.¡±


    !!


    Looking at her two daughters sleeping soundly on the bed, she felt extremely d and whispered, ¡°Yes! I¡¯m really lucky! When I get better, I have to thank Doctor Wen for saving my life.¡±


    Aunt Qin nodded and said, ¡°We have to thank Mr. Wen properly. Madam, the two old women on the stove are still locked in the storeroom. I¡¯m afraid it¡¯ll be a month before the children¡¯s unclees. What do you think?¡±


    Madam Qin thought for a moment and said, ¡°Lock them up first. When my body loosens a little tomorrow, I¡¯ll interrogate them myself.¡±


    Aunt Qin looked at Madam Qin¡¯s weak appearance and said with heartache, ¡°Yes, rest for a while more. I¡¯ll go to the stove and bring you the nourishing soup.¡±


    County Lieutenant Yu returned from the government office and went to Madam Qin¡¯s room. He saw Madam Qin and her two daughters lying on the bed together. He stood in front of the bed for a while and walked out quietly.


    Madam Qin opened her eyes and watched County Lieutenant Yu walk out calmly. She felt that the trace of hatred in her heart had disappeared.


    When Zhou Jia returned from work, it was already early in the evening. After eating and washing up, he returned to his room and said to Li Yu, who was waiting by the bed, ¡°Yu¡¯er, the official document from the Qingzhou Prefecture regarding Madam Su¡¯s murder case has been handed down. They have agreed to the execution. The official document has been reported to the Ministry of Justice. It will be finalized after the Ministry of Justice issues a statement.


    ¡°We still need the Ministry of Justice to approve it? I thought it was already the final verdict!¡±


    Seeing Li Yu¡¯s surprised expression, Zhou Jia stood up and gestured with his hands. He smiled and said, ¡°Silly, do you think it¡¯s like in the drama where you can just behead a person after making the verdict? It¡¯s a matter of life and death and has to be approved by the Ministry of Justice.¡±


    Li Yu recalled the television drama in her previous life. It was true. The criminal would be pronounced guilty before getting dragged out to be beheaded.


    She couldn¡¯t help but look at Zhou Jia andugh. ¡°Yes! I really thought it was just like in the drama.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu¡¯s smiling face and walked forward to hug her. He kissed her and muttered, ¡°Yu¡¯er, my baby, you¡¯re so beautiful!¡±


    The next morning, Li Yu slept untilte in the morning before getting up. Yu Niang looked at Li Yu, who looked even more beautiful and smiled at Xiaoyu. ¡°Madam must be pregnant with Young Master. Look, she¡¯s getting better after getting pregnant.¡±


    Xiaoyu pointed at her face. ¡°Look, why are there so many spots on my face? Madam¡¯s face is as fair and delicate as a peeled egg.¡±


    Seeing the two of them muttering, Li Yu asked guiltily with a red face, ¡°What are you two mumbling about? Tell me what¡¯s so strange!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just that there¡¯s something rare! It¡¯s rare that you¡¯re still looking better when you¡¯re pregnant.¡± Xiaoyu pointed at her face. ¡°Look, my face is covered in spots. It¡¯s so ugly. Madam, what secret form did you use? Tell me.¡±


    ¡°Silly girl, won¡¯t I tell you if I have a secret form? You have pregnancy spots. They will fade after the baby is born.¡± Li Yu touched Xiaoyu¡¯s face yfully. ¡°Our little beauty has always been so good-looking. Your Ruyi won¡¯t despise you.¡±


    Seeing Li Yu¡¯s roguish appearance, Yu Niang smiled and said, ¡°Madam, you look like a lecher.¡±


    Li Yu said seriously, ¡°Madam, I don¡¯t look like a lecher. Is there a lecher as serious as me?¡± The few of themughed.


    A few dayster, Li Yu and Xiaoyu sat under the eaves and took the shade while sewing. Xiaoyu said, ¡°Madam, I did as you said and boiled the child¡¯s clothes, scissors, and gauze. I dried them in the courtyard.¡±


    Li Yu instructed, ¡°Remember to tell the midwife that the scissors can only be used after being soaked in strong alcohol.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep it in mind. I saw that the baby was due in a few days, so I prepared it in advance.¡±


    At this moment, Uncle Liu, who was guarding the door, reported, ¡°Madam, Madam Qin requests an audience.¡±


    When Li Yu heard this, she thought that Madam Qin must have recovered. Sir¡¯s medical skills were indeed exquisite. ¡°Quickly invite Madam Qin in.¡±


    A momentter, Madam Qin walked into the courtyard with Auntie Qin, who was carrying a stack of boxes. Li Yu saw that Madam Qin¡¯s expression had improved a lot and she was much more energetic. Li Yu smiled and went up to her and said politely, ¡°Madam Qin, you look much better. Pleasee in and sit.¡±


    Madam Qin bowed gratefully to Li Yu. ¡°Madam Li, thank you for your help. I specially came today to thank Doctor Wen for his help. These are small gifts.¡±


    Li Yu saw the stack of gift boxes in Auntie Qin¡¯s arms and rejected her. ¡°Madam Qin, you¡­¡±


    ¡°Madam, don¡¯t despise my gifts. They¡¯re a little token of my appreciation.¡± Before Li Yu could finish speaking, Madam Qin asked Auntie Qin to ce the gift box in Yu Niang¡¯s arms.


    Seeing that Madam Qin insisted on sending them, Li Yu could only let Yu Niang ept it. She brought Madam Qin all the way to the hall and said with a smile, ¡°Madam Qin, you¡¯re treating me like an outsider. Sir has gone to the countryside to do volunteer medical treatment these few days. Sir often says that he¡¯s a doctor who studies medicine to save the dying and heal the injured. Besides, we¡¯re neighbors. We should help each other!¡±


    When Madam Qin heard this, her eyes were wet. She wanted to bow again, but Li Yu hurriedly helped her up and pulled her to a chair to sit down. Madam Qin said gratefully, ¡°Madam, if you and Doctor Wen hadn¡¯t saved me this time, my three children and I would have been separated forever. My eldest son, Yuhua, has just turned 18 this year and is going to get married next year. He¡¯s still studying at the Qingzhou Academy now. My two daughters are only 15 or 16 years old! With his father¡¯s muddle-headed personality, his children will be bullied by others in the future had I died.¡±


    When Li Yu heard this, she recalled County Lieutenant Yu¡¯s muddle-headedness. If he was instigated by someone with ulterior motives, it was entirely possible that he would treat Madam Qin¡¯s children badly. She could onlyfort her. ¡°That¡¯s right! Men are never as attentive as women. It¡¯s inevitable that they¡¯re a little careless with children. They¡¯re not as considerate as their biological mother.¡±


    Madam Qin smiled bitterly at Li Yu and said, ¡°Madam Li, I feel like we have an affinity at first sight. I¡¯m not afraid of youughing at me. I want to confide in you. Otherwise, I¡¯ll suffocate to death in my heart.¡±


    Li Yu nodded and smiled. She thought to herself that she had be an aunt agony.

 Chapter 232 - 232 New Life

    232 New Life


    Madam Qin said slowly to Li Yu, ¡°Madam, my family has been operating an escort agency in Qingzhou since the time of my ancestors. Thergest Guangsheng escort agency in Qingzhou was opened by my family. The marriage between me and County Lieutenant Yu was decided by my grandfather¡¯s generation.¡±


    ¡°Originally, the two families were considered to be of equal status. Later on, his grandfather passed away, and the Yu family declined after his father took over. Seeing that his family¡¯s life was difficult, my parents brought him to my house and taught him martial arts to support his studies. We grew up together under the same roof.¡±


    ¡°The first few years after we got married were quite blissful. He changed when he took the martial arts examination and my brother got someone to get him into the Qingzhou Prefecture to be a constable. He went to a brothel when I was pregnant with Xin¡¯er. He then hooked up with Yang Meiniang and Yu Yan was conceived.¡±


    ¡°After the pregnancy was discovered, County Lieutenant Yu begged me to give Yang Meiniang a status on his ount. I didn¡¯t listen to my brother and sister-inw and helped him redeem Yang Meiniang. I didn¡¯t expect that I would be leading a wolf into the house.¡±


    !!


    ¡°In the first few years after I redeemed her, Yang Meiniang was humble and respectful to me. It was only when she gave birth to a son a few years ago that she felt that she had someone to rely on and started to stir up trouble at home. She even caused Lieutenant Yu to lose his job as the Chief Constable of Qingzhou.¡±


    ¡°A few months ago, when the post of County Lieutenant was avable in Qingchuan, my brother pulled some strings and got him to Qingchuan. A few days after he arrived, he was persuaded to put her two children under my name. In a fit of anger, I stopped her and her two children from using my resources. Angered, she bribed Old Madam Yang at the stove to drug my tea. Madam, tell me, have I sought trouble and almost lost my life to her?¡±


    So Lieutenant Yu was a phoenix man who lived off a woman! Li Yu looked at Madam Qin with some sympathy, but she couldn¡¯t identify with her grievance. She didn¡¯t know what she was nning now, so she could onlyfort her. ¡°Now you know her true colours, it¡¯s not easy for her to harm you.¡±


    Madam Qin shook her head and said with a bitter smile, ¡°Madam, there¡¯s no future. Yang Meiniang¡¯s contract with the brothel is still in my hands, but she dared to plot against me. It can be seen that she¡¯s vicious by nature. When my brotheres, I¡¯ll get someone to send her to the government office with evidence. For the sake of my three children¡¯s reputation, I¡¯ve decided to split up with County Lieutenant Yu and never give him a chance to hurt me again.¡±


    Li Yu thought for a moment and felt that this was a desperate but necessary measure. Not only could she protect her own interests, but she also did not have to live with disgusting people.


    ¡°The extent to which you went for your children is admirable.¡±


    Madam Qin thought of the three children and revealed a loving gaze. ¡°Madam, my children are very obedient and filial. They are the source of courage for me to live on. Besides, I gave birth to them and should think for their sake.¡±


    Li Yu looked at Madam Qin¡¯s benevolent eyes when she mentioned the children. She gently stroked her protruding abdomen and felt the baby in her stomach. Joy and happiness surged in her heart.


    Li Yu had just sent Madam Qin away when Xiaoyu held her stomach and groaned. Yuniang said to Xiaoyu worriedly, ¡°Xiaoyu, what¡¯s wrong? Does your stomach hurt?¡±


    Xiaoyu nodded. Aunt Zhang said anxiously, ¡°Madam, Xiaoyu is about to give birth.¡±


    Li Yu quickly walked up to Xiaoyu and saw that her face was pale from the pain. ¡°Oh no, the midwife is waiting at the manor! Quickly send her to the room and bring over the things I prepared for her. Yu Niang, get someone to ride a horse and call the midwife.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Yu Niang turned around and ran to call for someone.


    Li Yu said to Xiaoyu, ¡°Xiaoyu, can you still walk?¡± Xiaoyu nodded. ¡°Auntie Zhang, let¡¯s help her in.¡± Li Yu and Auntie Zhang helped Xiaoyu, who was bent over in pain, into the room. Auntie Zhang took the tools Li Yu had prepared to the room and said to Xiaoyu, ¡°Madam, I¡¯ll cook a bowl of sugar eggs for Xiaoyu. She¡¯ll only have the strength to give birth after eating them.¡±


    Li Yu nodded in agreement. After a while, Xiaoyu said to Li Yu, ¡°Madam, you¡¯re still pregnant with Young Master! I¡¯m not in so much pain now. You don¡¯t have to watch over me.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to be so polite. I¡¯ll leave when Auntie Zhanges.¡±


    Auntie Zhang cooked the eggs for Xiaoyu to eat. Ruyi ran into the delivery room with the midwife anxiously. Xiaoyu looked at Ruyi with red eyes. ¡°Ruyi, you¡¯re here! I¡¯m so scared!¡±


    Ruyi held Xiaoyu¡¯s hand and wiped the tears from her eyes. Heforted her gently, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯ll stay here with you.¡±


    The midwife smiled and said to Ruyi, ¡°Men should not be guarding the delivery room. I¡¯ve been a midwife for decades. With me watching over her, you can rest assured.¡±


    Xiaoyu endured the pain and said to Ruyi, ¡°Ruyi, the midwife has already said that you can go out! I¡¯m not afraid knowing that you¡¯re here.¡± Ruyi wanted to say something, but he was chased out of the house by the midwife. After a while, Xiaoyu¡¯s soft moans came from the room.


    Seeing that Ruyi was restless, Li Yu also looked worriedly toward the delivery room. After an hour, Li Yu heard Xiaoyu¡¯s increasingly frequent cries of pain. He saw Ruyi rushing into the delivery room in a hurry and was chased out by the midwife.


    Li Yu¡¯s heart tightened. Auntie Zhang said to Li Yu, ¡°Madam, you don¡¯t look good. You should go back to your room! Ruyi and I will stand guard.¡±


    Li Yu also felt a little ufortable. ¡°Alright, inform me immediately after she has given birth.¡±


    After four hours, Xiaoyu had still not given birth. Zhou Jia returned from the government office and saw Ruyi pacing around the delivery room anxiously. Heforted him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Sir took Xiaoyu¡¯s pulse and said that Xiaoyu and the child are very healthy.¡±


    Li Yu returned to the room and sent the ginseng slices prepared by Mr. Wen to the door of the delivery room. She told Auntie Zhang, ¡°Auntie Zhang, send the ginseng slices in and put them in Xiaoyu¡¯s mouth.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Aunt Zhang took the ginseng and ced it in Xiaoyu¡¯s mouth. She said to Xiaoyu, ¡°Xiaoyu, endure it. Don¡¯t use up all your strength.¡±


    The midwife also said, ¡°Try harder. The child is already emerging. Some women have endured for a day and night before giving birth! You¡¯re already considered fast.¡±


    Xiaoyu gritted her teeth and cried. She felt that her stomach had suddenly be empty. She heard the child¡¯s loud cries and the midwife smiled. ¡°Congrattions, congrattions. You gave birth to a fat boy. He weighs seven catties!¡±


    Xiaoyu stuck her head out and looked at the child that the midwife handed to Auntie Zhang. Shey back down exhaustedly. Auntie Zhang wiped the child clean and reported it to Xiaoyu. ¡°Xiaoyu, take a look. This child is really handsome. He¡¯s as good-looking as you!¡±


    Li Yu and the others were outside the delivery room. When they heard the loud cry of a baby, they all smiled happily. Ruyi copsed into a chair. ¡°I¡¯m finally relieved.¡±


    Aunt Zhang carried the child to the door and said to them, ¡°Come and take a look. She¡¯s given birth to a fat boy. He doesn¡¯t look like Ruyi but Xiaoyu.¡±


    After Li Yu and Zhou Jia saw the baby, they nodded and smiled. ¡°Yes! He¡¯s a smart child. He knows that his mother is good-looking, so he chose a good-looking parent to take after.¡±

 Chapter 233 - 233 Harvest

    233 Harvest


    Ruyi clumsily held the child and quickly said to Auntie Zhang, ¡°Auntie Zhang, carry him. He¡¯s so soft that I¡¯m afraid of hurting him.¡± Everyoneughed when they saw Ruyi¡¯s nervous look.


    After Ruyi handed the child to Auntie Zhang, he rushed into the delivery room. Seeing Xiaoyu lying there with a pale face and even her hair drenched in sweat, he gently wiped her with a handkerchief. ¡°Bad child, why didn¡¯t he choose a cooler day to be born? You¡¯ll have to confine yourself for more than a month during such a hot season!¡±


    When the midwife heard Ruyi¡¯s words, sheughed. ¡°Little brother, how can one choose the time of birth? It¡¯s all destined. It¡¯s fate!¡±


    Ruyi nodded in agreement. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s fate.¡± Only then did he remember that he had not given the midwife a red packet. He took out two pieces of silver from his pocket and handed them to the midwife. ¡°Thank you,¡± he said with a smile. ¡°Pleasee again after three days.¡± The midwife took the silver happily. ¡°I¡¯ll definitelye.¡±


    The midwife tidied up the delivery room and walked out the door. When Li Yu gave her another red packet, the midwife epted it happily and bowed. ¡°Thank you, Madam. Thank you.¡± The midwife took the pouch and was sent out by Old Madam Liu.


    Three dayster, the child was cleaned in a ceremony in the county office. Ruyi gave the child a nickname, Seven Pounds. Everyone looked at the child every day and were heartened that he grew fair and fat in a few days.


    In the blink of an eye, it waste June. Li Qing was going back to Tongzhou to attend Zhaodi¡¯s wedding. Li Yu went to the farmstead and broke off a few packets of tender corn to cook for Li Qing. Li Qing nibbled on the cooked corn and felt poignant and sweet in his heart. He said to Li Yu, ¡°Sister, I¡¯m not a child anymore. You cooked such precious seeds for me.¡±


    Li Yu looked at Li Qing, who was slender and taller than her. She distributed a set of jewelry bestowed by the emperor and ced them in several boxes. Some were given to Zhaodi as gifts, and some were for Li Mei and Laidi.


    Li Yu ced the gift in Li Qing¡¯s bag and said reluctantly, ¡°You¡¯ll always be that Little Ah Qing in my eyes. You have to be careful on the way. Don¡¯t be too anxious. The Xu brothers are old friends. You have to listen to their opinions and not be rash. Give the jewelry and gifts in the box to Aunt and tell her not to tire herself out.¡±


    Li Qing held back the tears in his eyes and turned to look out the window. He said in a hoarse voice, ¡°I¡¯ll remember. Don¡¯t send me to the city gateter. Brother-inw and Brother Ruyi will send me.¡±


    Zhou Jia entered the house and said to Li Qing, ¡°It¡¯s time to set off. There are things to pay attention to in the vige examination. It¡¯s all recorded in the notebook that I gave you previously. Go back and study hard. We¡¯ll meet again after the vige examination. Yu¡¯er, stay at home. I¡¯ll send Ah Qing out of the city.¡±


    Li Yu nodded and reluctantly sent Li Qing to the door. When she saw Li Qing get into the cart, her tears couldn¡¯t help but fall. Li Qing sniffed and the siblings waved goodbye. As the car drove away, Doctor Wen said to Li Yu, who was standing at the door, ¡°Xiaoyu, go back! You¡¯ll meet again soon.¡±


    Yes! All good things muste to an end. Li Yu sighed in her heart and smiled at Mr. Wen. ¡°Yes! I just can¡¯t bear to.¡±


    After sending Li Qing off, it was the end of June and the beginning of July in the blink of an eye. The corn in the cornfield had already ripened, and the leaves on the corn stalks had also dried up.


    Ruyi and Yang Wei led the long-term workers in harvesting and looked happily at the field full of corncobs. Everyone quickly broke off the corncobs and carried them back to the drying field. Following Li Yu¡¯s method, they tore open the corn leaves and tied four to five corncobs together. They hung them on the bamboo rack they had set up in advance and dried them in the drying field.


    After the corn was taken home, Yang Wei led the way in collecting the beans from the fields. The beans were nted in the ridges, and only twenty or so bundles of beans were collected from the two acres. Everyone still felt happy, because these beans were the additions to the harvest of these two wastnds.


    After the fields were cleared, Yang Wei brought the long-term workers to plow and fertilize the wastnd that had long been opened up to dry, preparing to nt the second season of corn.


    In early July, the fragrance of rice flowers filled the entirend. Li Yu brought Ruyi to the four-acre breeding field with Yang Wei at the end of the day and said to the two of them, ¡°I discovered that the rice flowers are in the flowering period when the seedlings reach the end of the day. After this hour, they should be harvested. Moreover, the flowering period onlysts a few days. We have to take advantage of this period of time to work in the pollination so we can increase the sess rate and yield.¡±


    Ruyi and Yang Wei noted it down carefully. Under Li Yu¡¯s supervision, they pulled the rope and pollinated the wild rice. It took Ruyi and Yang Wei two hours to finish the four-acre field.


    When Li Yu returned to the manor, she saw that the corncobs in the drying field had also dried up. Madam Li and Yu Niang brought a few long-term workers¡¯ wives and sat in the shade of the eaves, rubbing the corn kernels. Li Yu said to them, ¡°Remember to put the bad ones aside so that you don¡¯t have to choose again when you nt.¡±


    Yu Niang pointed at the selected husks and said, ¡°Madam, most of the husks were removed from the top of the corncobs. Let¡¯s separate the kernels from the top and put them in a separate basket. We¡¯ll use the wind-grain engine to choose again. It¡¯ll save a lot of effort.¡±


    When Li Yu heard this, she raised her thumb and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect our Yu Niang to be a smart woman. You¡¯re worthy of praise.¡±


    Yu Niang looked at Li Yu reproachfully and smiled. ¡°Madam is getting more and more glib-tongued. You only know how to bewitch me.¡±


    ¡°Madam, how dare you say that? Is your skin itchy?¡± Madam Li threw a corn cob at Yu Niang and everyoneughed.


    Li Yu estimated that she had collected nearly 20 stones of corn seeds from two acres ofnd. After selecting the seeds, she could nt them in more than 20 acres ofnd. Seeing that the corn was almost finished, she nned to look at the newly opened sloping ground.


    When they reached the slope, they saw that thend that had been opened up was already fertilized. When Uncle Dashui saw Li Yuing to the slope to check, he said to Li Yu, ¡°Madam, fortunately, we dug more than ten deep pits to fertilize the soil. Ever since the nearby vigers found out that thepost on the mountain can be used to fertilize the soil, they pulled all thepost on the mountain home. Now, we can¡¯t even dig a basket of fertile soil from the mountain.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and said, ¡°We can achieve the same effect with leaves and rotten vegetables.. There¡¯s no need to go up the mountain to find fertilizer. The wastnd has just been opened, so we have to fertilize the soil ourselves before the crops will yield.¡±


    Dashui and the other long-term workers all knew that Li Yu was better at farming than them. They smiled and said to Li Yu, ¡°Madam, don¡¯t worry. We did everything ording to your instructions. When we plowed the fields, we scattered the fertilizers.¡±


    Li Yu nodded and smiled. ¡°Everyone, work hard. I¡¯ll give everyone red packets during the new year.¡±


    When the long-term workers heard that there was a red packet for the new year, they smiled happily. ¡°Thank you, Madam. We¡¯ll look forward to your red packets for the new year.¡±

 Chapter 234 - 234 The Qin Family’s Eldest Brother

    234 The Qin Family¡¯s Eldest Brother


    Li Yu came down from the slope and returned to the shop. The inn beside the shop had already been built. It was called the Happy Inn and was opened on June 19th.


    Ruyi took out the ount book and said to Li Yu with a smile, ¡°Madam, the inn has been open for more than ten days. We don¡¯t earn much. We can only earn one to two hundred copper coins a day. As for the two waiters we hired, one is from Uncle Dashui¡¯s family and the other is from Ah Tai¡¯s family. The two of them are quite smart. The ink shop is fine. We earn four to five taels of silver a month.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. You¡¯re better at business than me and Ah Wei is quite good at managing the manor now. I¡¯ll just be a hands-off shopkeeper at home in the future.¡± Li Yu smiled and continued, ¡°Ruyi, remember to tell the shop assistant to pay attention to the guestsing and going into the inn. Write down their actions or anything unusual they say. Go back and tell your master if you note anything suspicious.¡±


    Ruyi thought for a moment and understood what Li Yu meant. She nodded and said, ¡°I¡¯ll remember and instruct those two fellows.¡±


    Li Yu looked at the hot sun in the sky, put on her straw hat, picked up the whip on the counter, and said to Ruyi, ¡°It¡¯s so hot. I¡¯ll go back to the city. Tell Ah Wei that the corn seeds have to be nted in the next few days. We can only harvest the second season of corn in October. If we miss the season, it will affect the harvest.¡± Ruyi nodded and sent Li Yu to the carriage to drive into the city.


    Just as Li Yu returned to the entrance of the county office, she saw a tall man with a beard riding a horse pass by like a gust of wind. After passing through the alley, he pulled the horse to a stop. The horse neighed as it raised its front hooves to a stop. The man nimbly jumped off the horse and looked around before leading the horse into the Yu family. Li Yu recalled Madam Qin saying that her brother wasing and thought to herself, This should be Chief Escort Qin. As expected of the Chief Escort of the Big Escort Agency, he¡¯s quite fierce.


    When Uncle Liu saw Li Yu return, he hurriedly ran forward and said to Li Yu, ¡°Madam, the sun is so hot. Hurry up and enter the courtyard to cool off. Leave the carriage to me.¡±


    ¡°Okay. You don¡¯t have to guard the door. Go back to the house to cool off too.¡±


    ¡°Hey! Thank you, Madam!¡± Uncle Liu happily led the horse into the courtyard.


    Li Yu went to take a look at Xiaoyu and Seven Pounds. Seven Pounds looked like he had grown a lot more and was sleeping soundly. Xiaoyuined to Li Yu gloomily, ¡°Madam, I smell sweat all over my body every day during confinement. This smell is even worse than when we fled.¡±


    Li Yu took out a handkerchief and covered her nose. She touched Seven Pounds¡¯ chubby face and smiled. ¡°Seven Pounds. Your mother does smell quite bad! Like stinky tofu.¡±


    ¡°Madam, I want to wash up.¡± Xiaoyu pressed her palms together and begged Li Yu, ¡°Madam, quietly bring me a basin of water and let me wipe myself.¡±


    Li Yu thought about how women in the future could even shower after giving birth. It should be fine to get some warm water to wipe Xiaoyu on a hot day! She nodded and smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll serve it to you. You¡¯re not allowed to betray me, or I¡¯ll punish you!¡±


    Xiaoyu smiled and raised her finger. ¡°I swear I won¡¯t betray you!¡±


    Li Yu went to the kitchen to scoop a basin of warm water and brought it to Xiaoyu¡¯s room. After Xiaoyu finished cleaning up, she said to Li Yu, ¡°Madam, it¡¯s toofortable. It¡¯s as if I¡¯m alive again.¡±


    ¡°Then you owe me your life. You have to repay me in the future!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll definitely repay you, but I¡¯ll have to trouble you to help me destroy the evidence.¡±


    ¡°Alright, for your repayment, I¡¯ll help you destroy the evidence.¡± Li Yu smiled and put down Seven Pounds before carrying the basin out.


    Madam Qin¡¯s brother was weed into the Yu family by Aunt Qin. When Brother Qin saw Madam Qin and her daughters sitting in the hall, he shouted, ¡°Sister, Brother is here.¡±


    Madam Qin turned around and saw her brother. Tears of grievance fell. ¡°Brother, why are you only here now? I almost didn¡¯t get to see you.¡±


    Yu Hui and Yu Xin also cried, ¡°Uncle.¡± Brother Qin looked at the mother and daughters who were crying and clenched his fists so hard that they cracked. ¡°Was it really that bitch who poisoned you?¡±


    Madam Qin told her what had happened and cried, ¡°She bribed Old Madam Yang to poison me. I¡¯ve got Old Madam Yang¡¯s confession and the jewelry and money she was bribed with.¡± Brother Qin said to Madam Qin, ¡°Take me to that bitch.¡± Madam Qin nodded and led Brother Qin towards the west wing.


    Ever since Yang Meiniang realized that Madam Qin¡¯s health was getting better, she knew that her n had been exposed. Later, when she saw that although Madam Qin had locked up Old Madam Yang, she had nevere to settle the score with her, she thought that Madam Qin was still the same as before. She thought Madam Qin was probably concerned about incurring the hatred of County Lieutenant Yu and decided to let her off. When she saw Aunt Qin bring Big Brother Qin in from the outer courtyard, she knew that something was amiss. She closed the door in trepidation and hid in her room. When she heard heavy footsteps approaching, she trembled in fear.


    Big Brother Qin pushed the door open. Seeing that the door was locked from the inside, he kicked the door open. Aunt Qin walked in and dragged Yang Meiniang out of the inner room. Aunt Yang cried, ¡°Let go of me. I want to find Master. Master won¡¯t let you off.¡±


    Big Brother Qin kicked Aunt Yang to the ground and raised his fist as he roared, ¡°Bitch, how dare you poison my sister? You¡¯re courting death.¡±


    Madam Qin grabbed Brother Qin¡¯s hand. ¡°Brother, don¡¯t dirty your hands. Send her and Old Madam Yang to the government office. I have something to discuss with you when youe back.¡±


    Big Brother Qin obediently put down his hand. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll do whatever you say.¡± Yu Yan and Yu Chengyi also heard Madam Yang¡¯s cries and ran out of their rooms. They cried and went forward to pull Yang Meiniang. ¡°Mother, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Yu Yan cried and knelt in front of Madam Qin. She begged, ¡°Madam, please spare my mother!¡±


    Madam Qin said indifferently, ¡°She wants my life, yet you still want me to spare her.¡±


    ¡°Sister, why are you talking to her? Go and bring Old Madam Yang out. I¡¯ll send them to the government office.¡±


    Li Yu carried the basin and walked out. Suddenly, she heard a woman crying outside, the sound of a child calling for help, and a man¡¯s bell-like shout. Li Yu quickly walked to the door and saw Madam Qin¡¯s brother dragging Yang Meiniang and an old woman towards the government office. Yang Meiniang¡¯s two children were crying behind them, calling for County Lieutenant Yu to run towards the government office. It turned out that the eldest brother of the Qin family was here. He was sending Madam Yang to the government office.


    County Lieutenant Yu looked at the two crying children and turned around to see Brother Qin hauling Yang Meiniang and Old Madam Yang. County Lieutenant Yu walked forward and ignored Yang Meiniang¡¯s cries. He forced a smile and cupped his hands. ¡°Brother, when did you arrive? Why didn¡¯t you inform me to pick you up?¡±

 Chapter 235 - 235 Autumn Harvest

    235 Autumn Harvest


    Big Brother Qin looked at County Lieutenant Yu coldly and sneered as he threw Yang Meiniang and Old Madam Yang at County Lieutenant Yu¡¯s feet. He pointed at the two of them and said, ¡°Lord Yu, these two lowly ves poisoned and harmed the mistress. Tell me what the punishment is.¡±


    Of course, County Lieutenant Yu knew that a person found guilty of harming the mistress of the house would be hanged, but that was his own family matter. Wouldn¡¯t he be a joke if he made a fuss in the government office? What would his colleagues in the government office think of him?


    Lieutenant Yu looked at Yu Yan and Yu Chengyi, who were pulling at hispels and crying in panic. He frowned and whispered to Brother Qin, ¡°Brother, I know Yang Meiniang is in the wrong, but we can deal with her and Old Madam Yang in private! You didn¡¯t discuss it with me at all. Have you no regard for me? Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re going too far?¡±


    Big Brother Qin sneered and said, ¡°Am I going too far? Putting aside the fact that you¡¯ve been eating and living at my house since you were ten years old and that we¡¯ve spent so much effort nurturing you, let¡¯s talk about what happened after my sister and you got married! I, Qin Hu, helped you pull strings to make a name for yourself for my sister and her children, but you hooked up with this bitch from a brother. For you, my sister redeemed this bitch. For this bitch, you neglected your duties and were almost eliminated from the government office. When I tapped on connections everywhere to get you to Qingchuan, what did you do? You plotted to kill my sister, so why should spare any regard for you? Do you think my Qin family is made of mud?¡±


    !!


    After Big Brother Qin finished speaking, he saw County Lieutenant Yu¡¯s face turn green and pale. He ignored him and hauled Yang Meiniang and Old Madam Yang to Zhou Jia¡¯s office. He threw them in front of Zhou Jia and took out Old Madam Yang¡¯s confession and ced it on the table. He cupped his hands and said, ¡°Lord Zhou, these two lowly ves tried to murder the mistress. Are you going to judge them?¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Old Madam Yang¡¯s confession on the table and shouted, ¡°Guards, bring them out and lock them up.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Wang Cheng and Tu Hui walked into the room and brought them away. Zhou Jia cupped his hands at Brother Qin and said, ¡°Big Brother Qin, let me investigate before replying to you.¡±


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll leave them to you. I¡¯m going back too.¡± After Brother Qin finished speaking, he cupped his hands at Zhou Jia and walked out.


    Zhou Jia returned to the back office and told Li Yu about the Yu family. He sighed and said, ¡°Yu¡¯er, you didn¡¯t see it. Brother Qin dragged her to the government office just like that. Lieutenant Yu didn¡¯t even show his face in the county office. How dare such a person dote on his concubine at the expense of his wife? I think County Lieutenant Yu is soft-hearted. He lost his will after being coaxed by his concubine. That is why today¡¯s situation happened.¡±


    Li Yu nced at Zhou Jia from the corner of her eye and tapped the tip of his nose. ¡°Why do I seem to hear that you mean that you won¡¯t be coaxed by your concubine to the point where you can¡¯t find your way? Did you mean you won¡¯t be like County Lieutenant Yu who can¡¯t settle your wives?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m innocent!¡± Zhou Jia shouted exaggeratedly. He looked at her with an aggrieved expression and held his chest. ¡°Yu¡¯er, you¡¯re wronging me. I only have you in my eyes and heart. Don¡¯t say such things again in the future. I¡¯ll be sad.¡±


    Li Yu looked at his strange expression and burst outughing. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his face. ¡°Can¡¯t you tell that I¡¯m joking with you?¡±


    Zhou Jia sat on the chair with Li Yu and said gently, ¡°I know, you¡¯re joking with me! I just want to make you happy.¡±


    Li Yu leaned into Zhou Jia¡¯s arms. ¡°Yang Meiniang and that old woman have already been detained, right? Madam Qin is going to split her assets with County Lieutenant Yu!¡±


    When Zhou Jia heard this, he understood. ¡°Oh! No wonder Eldest Brother Qin looks so carefree. It turns out that he no longer treats County Lieutenant Yu as his brother-inw. There is concrete evidence that they murdered the mistress and they have already been detained. When I saw County Lieutenant Yu looking lost, I asked him to go back and settle the family matters beforeing.¡±


    When County Lieutenant Yu heard that Madam Qin wanted to split the assets, he revealed a pained expression. ¡°Madam, why would you have such thoughts? I know that I was a little careless with you in the past, but I never wanted to harm you! I really don¡¯t know anything about Yang Meiniang poisoning you. Even if you don¡¯t do it for me, you have to think about the children!¡±


    Madam Qin looked at County Lieutenant Yu and said indifferently, ¡°If not for the sake of the children, I wouldn¡¯t have asked to separate from you. I would have divorced you!¡±


    County Lieutenant Yu looked at Madam Qin and Big Brother Qin, who was standing at the door. He felt that they had always looked down on him. Since that was the case, he would live without them. He sneered. ¡°You¡¯ve already thought about it. How can I say no?¡±


    Madam Qin took out two contracts and ced them on the table. ¡°I¡¯ll take my dowry and leave everything at home to you.¡± County Lieutenant Yu signed without a word before turning around and walking out. Yu Yanforted her crying brother and looked at Madam Qin, who was standing in the upper room, with hatred in her eyes.


    The next morning, Madam Qin came to see Li Yu and bade farewell reluctantly. ¡°Madam Li, County Lieutenant Yu has already agreed to split up with me. Thank you for your care during this time. I hope we can still meet again.¡±


    Seeing Madam Qin¡¯s rxed and happy expression, Li Yu knew that she had really let go. She smiled and replied, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s meet again if we¡¯re fated.¡±


    Around the Mid-Autumn Festival, golden rice waves swayed in the wind in the rice fields outside Qingchuan City. The rice fields were filled with farmers who were busy harvesting. Li Yu stood by the cultivation field with a straw hat on. She looked at the cultivated rice that was obviously longer and fuller than ordinary rice. She nodded in satisfaction and instructed the long workers to split the wild rice and the cultivated rice and dry them in the field.


    Watching the long workers transport the grains to the drying field one by one, Yang Wei smiled and said to Li Yu, ¡°Madam, I estimate that these few acres of farnd can at least produce six to seven stones per acre. The long workers all say that they have never harvested such good rice before.¡±


    Li Yu nodded, her face filled with the joy of a bountiful harvest. She instructed Yang Wei, ¡°Leave an acre of the four newly nted rice seeds next spring. Just like breeding wild rice, cultivate them again with other ordinary rice seeds. Sell the remaining three acres of rice seeds to the vigers who came to register. Tell them what to pay attention to.¡±


    Seeing Li Yu¡¯s big stomach and sweaty face, Yang Wei said worriedly, ¡°Got it, Madam. The sun is bad for you. You should go back to the city first!¡±


    Li Yu looked at Yang Wei and praised, ¡°Not bad! Ah Wei can also take charge and share the burden with me.¡±


    Yang Wei looked at Li Yu and said hesitantly, ¡°Madam, Uncle Dashui said that his family lives in Great Green Mountain in the west. He said that there¡¯s a mountain clearing there that¡¯s suitable for pioneering and farming. I think the ce he¡¯s talking about is a little like our Phoenix Vige. I want to take a look after the farmers are busy and go there to reim and farm! Do you think I can do it?¡±

 Chapter 236 - 236 Fine

    236 Fine


    Li Yu cheered him on. ¡°Yes! You have to believe in yourself. As the saying goes, one¡¯s ambition doesn¡¯t depend on their age! Gan Luo became a minister when he was 12 years old. In the future, Ah Wei will also be able to be the manager of arge farm.¡±


    Seeing that Li Yu trusted him so much, Yang Wei puffed out his chest excitedly and said, ¡°Thank you, Madam. After the winter wheat is nted, I¡¯ll go take a look with Uncle Dashui.¡±


    ¡°Okay! Don¡¯t be afraid. Just do it.¡±


    Li Yu rushed back in the cart. She recalled that when the weather was coldst year, the vegetables on the street were expensive and few. It was not easy to take out and eat vegetables stored in the space openly. She thought about how to nt some vegetables that were not in season to eat.


    The carriage slowly walked forward. When they were about to reach home, Li Yu finally thought of a way. She would build a small hut in the back garden. Then, she would build a big kiln inside and spread fertile soil to nt a few kinds of vegetables.


    After Li Yu thought about it, she returned home and asked Old Madam Liu to hire a master to make a furnace. She set up a fire and pulled more than ten carts of fertile soil from the farmstead on top. She set up straw curtains and had them rolled up like blinds when the sun came out. On rainy days, they were let down.


    After the autumn harvest, more than 20 stones of grains were harvested from the four acres of breeding fields. Ordinary rice produced five stones of grains per acre. The family¡¯s granary was already filled with grains and wheat.


    Thinking that there were still more than 20 acres of corn that had not been taken home, Li Yu felt a sense of aplishment.


    After the winter wheat was nted, it was mid-October. More than twenty acres of corn had been taken home, and the yield of each acre of corn reached more than a thousand catties.


    Zhou Jia wrote about the corncobs, as well as the method to produce and nt them on a piece of paper. When Ruyi went to Qingzhou to buy goods, he brought the note and the corncobs to the Four Seas Bank in Qingzhou and handed them to Shopkeeper Chu Jiang in Qingzhou, asking him to send them to the capital.


    Chu Jiang was deeply shocked to see the golden corncobs.


    When he heard from Ruyi that an acre of cornfield had been prepared and that if nothing unexpected happened, they would be able to obtain eight to nine stones of food, he was even more overjoyed. He shouted, ¡°God bless Great Yong. Your Majesty doesn¡¯t have to worry about food in the future.¡±


    Chu Jiang immediately got someone to send the corn to the capital.


    After the winter wheat was nted, Yang Wei and the restless Mr. Wen went to Great Green Mountain to look at the wastnd.


    Li Qing finally arrived at Phoenix Vige the day before Zhaodi got married. Li Qing took out the gift Li Yu had brought back and handed it to Li Mei. ¡°Aunt, this is the gift Sister asked me to bring back for you and Cousin.¡±


    Li Mei took the sandalwood box and opened it. She looked at the exquisite jewelry in the box and eximed, ¡°Ah Qing, these are too expensive.¡±


    Li Qing took the jewelry and looked at it. There was a mark on them. He said to Li Mei, ¡°Aunt, these are all jewelry bestowed by the emperor. I wrote on the gift list that you and my two cousins can have a pair each.¡±


    Li Mei pulled Zhaodi¡¯s hand and said, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t even dream of the jewelry bestowed by the emperor. Your cousin gave you the jewelry that represents supreme glory because she was afraid that you would be bullied by your inws. She wants to show her support for you!¡±


    Zhaodi also shed tears of gratitude. She said to Li Mei, ¡°Mother, Cousin used to tell me that this world is very harsh on women. She taught me that as a woman, I have to have self-respect. First, I have to learn to love myself and treat myself well. No one then will look down on me. Cousin knows that I¡¯m weak and is worried about me!¡±


    Madam Li was also extremely touched when she saw this. She smiled and said to Li Mei and her daughters, ¡°Add in the dowry. Put the additional box gift from Xiaoyu at the top and carry it out. Let others see that the girls of our Phoenix Vige have the jewelry bestowed by the emperor as their dowry. Let¡¯s see who still dares to say that we¡¯re country bumpkins from the mountains.¡±


    Li Mei happily held Zhaodi¡¯s hand and nodded. ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll listen to Auntie Li. Let¡¯s show everyone that the girls in our Phoenix Cry Vige are not to be underestimated.¡±


    After a few showers of autumn rain, it became cold. Li Yu¡¯s pregnant belly became obvious. Every day, she could feel the baby in her stomach moving around mischievously.


    When Zhou Jia returned to the back office, Li Yu told Zhou Jia about the child¡¯s mischievousness. She touched her stomach and said happily, ¡°Little thing, you¡¯re kicking and punching in my belly. You¡¯ll definitely be a little naughty in the future.¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled and said, ¡°Yes! Our son will definitely be like you in the future. I¡¯ve never liked to move since I was young. My mother said that I¡¯m like a little girl.¡±


    Li Yu smiled at Zhou Jia and held his chin yfully. She stroked Zhou Jia¡¯s red and soft lips. ¡°Yes! Our Xiao Xi is really more beautiful than a girl in a dress.¡±


    Zhou Jia hugged Li Yu and muttered in her ear, ¡°Yu¡¯er knows best whether I¡¯m a girl or not. Why don¡¯t we try again?¡±


    Li Yu pinched Zhou Jia¡¯s waist. ¡°You¡¯re getting more and more glib-tongued¡­¡± Before she could finish speaking, Zhou Jia stopped her. Soon, the room was filled with lust.


    The weather was cold, and Li Yu¡¯s greenhouse finally came in handy. Yu Niang, Auntie Zhang, and the others scattered some rapeseed in the greenhouse. Pea seedlings, spinach, and cabbage were also nted. A few dayster, tender green vegetable seedlings crawled out of the soil.


    Old Madam Liu said happily, ¡°The price of these vegetables has been high these few days. We can save a lot of money this time.¡± Yu Niang smiled and said, ¡°Only Madam would think of such a method. These are much fresher than those in the market.¡±


    Late in the winter month, the waiter in the inn, Xiao Shan, came to the county office to look for Zhou Jia and reported, ¡°Master, at noon today, a few tall guests came to the inn. It was a cold day, and they were wearing thin clothes. They said that they were hunters from the mountain and hade down the mountain to sell fur. However, I saw that they were a little different from the other hunters. The fur they brought with them was casually ced and not cherished at all. When Ah Dong sent them food, they asked Ah Dong when the wall was repaired. When I went to serve the food, they asked if there were any soldiers in the city. They said that they were afraid that the soldiers would snatch their fur. Ah Dong and I felt that it was strange. Brother Ruyi was not around, so I thought of reporting to you.¡±


    ¡°Shan, you and Dong did well. Go back and continue to watch them. As soon as they leave, go to the city gate and get someone to report back.¡±


    Xiao Shan said excitedly, ¡°Got it, Master. I¡¯ll go back and watch them.¡±


    After Xiao Shan left, Zhou Jia called over Wang Cheng, who had already been promoted to a constable, and instructed him, ¡°Find two brothers and dress up. Go to the inn outside the city. There are a few men dressed as hunters inside. Pay attention to their whereabouts and get your men to act ording to the situation. Go to the mountain and tell Staff General Zhong the situation. Ask him to send a scout down the mountain.¡±


    Wang Cheng epted the order and left. Zhou Jia said to Mr. Qian, ¡°Sir, do you think it¡¯s a spy from Great Qi?¡±


    Mr. Qian shook his head in worry and said, ¡°It¡¯s so cold on the mountain that you can freeze to death halfway up the mountain. It¡¯s impossible for people from Great Qi toe from the Great Green Mountain now. It¡¯s very likely that they¡¯re here to gather information.¡±

 Chapter 237 - 237 Capture (1)

    237 Capture (1)


    Zhou Jia paced back and forth in the room. ¡°Where did theye from? Could they have originally lived in Great Yong? Sigh! Ruyi isn¡¯t here. Otherwise, I would get Ruyi to follow them and see where they live!¡±


    Mr. Qian suggested, ¡°Sir, I think you can send Lieutenant Yu to investigate. Although he¡¯s a little muddle-headed, he hasn¡¯t made any mistakes in official matters. Why don¡¯t we wait for General Zhong to send scouts down the mountain and follow them?¡±


    ¡°Alright, then call County Lieutenant Yu over. I¡¯ll talk to him and inform the officials guarding the city to interrogate suspicious people.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Lord Zhou¡± Mr. Qian went to County Lieutenant Yu¡¯s room and saw him lying drunk on the bed in the room. Mr. Qian looked at the inebriated County Lieutenant Yu and shook his head before leaving the room.


    When he returned, he told Zhou Jia about County Lieutenant Yu¡¯s drunkenness in the booking room. He sighed and said, ¡°How did this person be like this? He gets drunk every other day. How can he be seen in the government office?¡±


    Zhou Jia thought for a while and instructed Mr. Qian, ¡°This can¡¯t go on. Tell Mr. Tu to go andfort County Lieutenant Yu. Also, get someone to keep an eye on County Lieutenant Yu in the future. Don¡¯t let him cause trouble.¡±


    Mr. Qian sighed and said, ¡°That¡¯s the only way.¡±


    Xiao Shan returned to the inn and saw that the hunters had disappeared. Ah Dong said to Xiao Shan, ¡°Brother Xiao Shan, those people said they were going to sell goods just after you left. I saw them walking towards the city gate, but they haven¡¯t checked out yet, and they haven¡¯t taken all the fur away.¡±


    Xiao Shan told Ah Dong what Zhou Jia had said. Soon, two constables dressed as merchants came and stayed next to the hunter¡¯s guest room.


    When it was almost dark, snow fluttered down like goose feathers. The world became white and misty. Li Yu stood in front of the window and looked at the courtyard that was gradually covered in ayer of white. Old Madam Liu and Aunt Zhang were afraid that after the snow fell, they would weigh down the straw curtains on the warm shed. They went to the front office to find two bailiffs to set up the wooden boards. After that, they gave some of the prepared Sachima to the bailiffs before heading back to rest.


    Li Yu waited for a while. Seeing that Zhou Jia had not returned, she knew that he might be busy with work again. She went to bed and picked up the yarn to weave.


    Zhou Jia, Mr. Qian, and Shi Dian brought the bailiffs to West City to check. The people living in there were all poor families. The houses in this area were all thatched houses. They might copse after a heavy snowfall.


    Zhou Jia brought his men to the area and instructed them to sweep the snow diligently. They had to be more alert at night to prevent the snow from piling up on the roofs and causing casualties.


    When themoners saw Zhou Jia braving the snow to check on their houses, the director took the lead and bowed gratefully. ¡°Master County, thank you. We will be careful. Please go back!¡±


    ¡°Alright, everyone, be careful. Report to the county office as soon as there¡¯s a situation.¡± Zhou Jia brought a few people back to the county office and instructed the bailiffs to take turns on duty. If there was a situation, they should quickly report it. Zhou Jia¡¯s love for the people was obvious to everyone in Qingchuan. The bailiffs also supported Zhou Jia and agreed to Zhou Jia¡¯s instructions in unison.


    When Zhou Jia and Mr. Qian returned to the back office, Auntie Zhang and Old Madam Liu hurriedly poured the hot water on the stove for him. After Zhou Jia washed up, he returned to the house and saw that Li Yu had fallen asleep under a nket. There were also children¡¯s socks that were being knitted by the side. Zhou Jia picked them up and ced them in his hand. He felt that they were only half the size of his palm and looked cute.


    Zhou Jia gently adjusted the nket on Li Yu, causing her to stir. Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia in a daze and smiled gently. ¡°You¡¯re back! Is the snow still falling? I wonder how Sir and Ah Wei are doing on the mountain?¡±


    Zhou Jia got into bed and pulled the nket over Li Yu¡¯s shoulders. Heforted her softly, ¡°It¡¯s still snowing but Sir and Ah Wei should be fine.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Li Yu kissed Zhou Jia on the chin and fell asleep on her side. Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu¡¯s sleeping face and was secretly worried about Mr. Wen and Yang Wei. It was snowing so heavily that the two of them probably wouldn¡¯t be able to go home for a while. He wondered if the two constables he had sent out had found out the true identities of those hunters.


    In the inn outside the city, three muscr men with big mustaches and a delicate-looking man were sitting around the bed.


    They discussed in low voices. A man with big eyes, a t nose, and thick lips said, ¡°Big Brother, we¡¯ve been here for so long to investigate, but we haven¡¯t found out where the garrison of Qingchuan is stationed. I think there are no more than 200 soldiers in the city. Why don¡¯t we sneak into the county office and control the county magistrate? Qingchuan City will fall into our hands.¡±


    A cross-eyed man echoed, ¡°That¡¯s right! Big Brother, I¡¯ve checked. The county magistrate is a weak schr. His wife is pregnant. There are only a few old women at home and a crippled old man guarding the door. We¡¯ll sneak in and control the county magistrate¡¯s wife. The county magistrate would have to listen to us for the sake of his wife and children.¡±


    The delicate-looking man retorted, ¡°Ah Cai, the two of you are thinking too simply. Look at those civil officials. Which one of them doesn¡¯t have three wives and four concubines? If their wives die, they can remarry. If their children die, someone else can still give birth to them. Besides, the child is still in her belly. How can he have feelings for the child? You¡¯re delusional to want to use his wife and child to control him.¡±


    The cross-eyed man nced at him. ¡°I¡¯ve long heard that this county magistrate doesn¡¯t have a concubine and treats his wife very well.¡± The cross-eyed man smiled at the other man. ¡°Brother, tell me what you think.¡±


    The man called Big Brother had thick eyebrows and big eyes. Seeing that they were all looking at him, he thought for a long time and said cautiously, ¡°Ah Cai and Chun Sheng¡¯s n can be considered. We can¡¯t enter the city now. Let¡¯s go to the city tomorrow to investigate carefully. If it works, we¡¯ll take action tomorrow night. It¡¯s gettingte, let¡¯s all go rest!¡±


    The constables in the next room, Tu Hui and Ding Man, each held a bamboo tube against the wooden wall of the guest room and listened for the sound of voices next door. Unfortunately, the voices were too soft and thenguage was slightly different. They could only hear them mention the county magistrate, his wife, the old woman, and a few muffled words intermittently. After a while, there was a rustling sound and there was no movement. The two of them listened for another quarter of an hour before they heard snoring and grinding teeth from next door. They looked at each other and returned to the bed to lie down.


    At midnight, the snow finally stopped. The next morning, Tu Hui found that the people next door had already gotten up and were about to go out. Tu Hui said to Ding Man, ¡°Brother Man, go back and tell Lord Zhou what you heardst night. I¡¯ll follow them.¡± Ding Man nodded and left the inn to return to the government office.


    When Ding Man returned to the county office, he saw that Zhou Jia had not arrived yet. He went straight to the back office to ask to see Zhou Jia. After Yu Niang reported Ding Man¡¯s request to see Zhou Jia, she brought Ding Man in. Upon seeing Zhou Jia, Ding Man told him what he had heardst night. ¡°Sir, they spoke very softly. They are definitely not hunters. Sir, let¡¯s capture them and bring them back.¡±

 Chapter 238 - 238 Capture (2)

    238 Capture (2)


    Zhou Jia pondered for a moment before saying, ¡°From what you said, it seems that they are investigating my family. Ding Man, is Tu Hui still following them?¡±


    ¡°Yes, my lord,¡± Ding Man said, bowing.


    Zhou Jia said to Ding Man, ¡°Go back and report the situation to the scribe and County Lieutenant Yu first. Then, gather the brothers. I¡¯ll be right there.¡± Ding Man retreated. Zhou Jia returned to the house and told Li Yu what Xiao Shan had reported yesterday. ¡°Yu¡¯er, I think they¡¯re targeting the county office. I can¡¯t take the risk. I have to get someone to capture them. Be careful at home.¡±


    Li Yu wondered if they were trying to use her to threaten Zhou Jia. She thought for a moment and said, ¡°They might be here to make a move. They didn¡¯t find out anything about the garrison. They might want to enter the county office to capture me and use me to threaten you. It looks like Great Qi might really want to attack Qingchuan. Since they¡¯ve already entered the city, quickly send someone to capture them and interrogate them.¡±


    !!


    Zhou Jia nodded and instructed, ¡°Alright, it¡¯s not convenient for you to be at home now. Be careful. I¡¯ll get someone to capture them now.¡± Zhou Jia squeezed Li Yu¡¯s hand gently and strode toward the front office.


    Seeing that Zhou Jia had left, Li Yu returned to the house and took out the crossbow and arrow from her space. She tied the sleeve arrow and dagger to her arm and went to the front hall to eat as if nothing had happened.


    Zhou Jia went to the escort room of the county magistrate. Seeing that the door of the escort room was still closed, he saw that the clerk and Ding Man had already gathered the constables and bailiffs. He said to them, ¡°Send three more people to each city gate. Two of them will guard the courtyard at the back. The rest will wait for news from Tu Hui at home.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± The bailiffs and constables split up to get ready.


    Tu Hui followed the few men towards the city gate. When they reached the city gate, the crossed-eyed man quietly gestured toward the few bailiffs guarding the city. After Tu Hui followed them into the city, he saw them scatter and leave.


    Tu Hui was stunned for a moment and followed the cross-eyed man who was walking toward the county office. He saw the cross-eyed man reach the alley beside the county office and slow down after entering the alley. He slowly sneaked along the back wall of the county office and hid at the corner to peek at the cross-eyed man. He thought to himself, ¡°From the looks of it, he¡¯s checking the terrain. Could it be that they want to kidnap Lord Zhou?¡±


    Tu Hui turned around and ran towards Uncle Liu, who was standing at the door. He said to Uncle Liu, ¡°Uncle Liu, quickly go to the county office and inform Lord Zhou that there are robbers checking on us outside the wall of the county office.¡± Uncle Liu quickly ran towards the county office. Tu Hui turned back and found that there was no trace of the cross-eyed man in the alley. Tu Hui hurriedly ran outside and checked along the wall. He did not find any traces of anyone climbing and gave chase along the alley.


    Soon, Zhou Jia ran from the government office to the alley outside the county office with a few bailiffs. However, there was no trace of Tu Hui. Zhou Jia said to the bailiffs, ¡°Chase after him and take a look.¡±


    The bailiffs agreed and ran towards the end of the alley. Tu Hui chased after them until he saw the cross-eyed man and another bearded man standing in front of a steamed bun shop to buy steamed buns. Tu Hui took out two copper coins and walked towards the steamed bun shop. The two of them had already bought the steamed buns and were about to leave. When Tu Hui saw that the two of them were about to leave, he chased after them and shouted, ¡°Friend, I heard that you¡¯re selling fur. I wonder if it¡¯s all sold out?¡±


    The cross-eyed man said to the bearded man, ¡°Cai, what do we do?¡±


    Ah Cai did not look back. ¡°Let¡¯s go. Ignore him.¡± The two of them walked away quickly. Tu Hui was unwilling to let them go just like that. He hurriedly chased after them and pulled the cross-eyed man back. ¡°Friend, I¡¯m calling you!¡±


    The cross-eyed man did not want to expose his identity. He turned to look at Tu Hui and smiled. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, my fur has been sold out. If you want to buy it, you can only wait for the next time.¡±


    Tu Hui looked disappointed. ¡°When can youe? I want to collect a few better furs. It would be better if it¡¯s fox fur.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t know when it¡¯lle. Go find someone else.¡± Ah Cai pulled the cross-eyed man away warily. Tu Hui grabbed the cross-eyed man in a hurry. Ah Cai pulled out his saber and stabbed at Tu Hui. Tu Hui hurriedly let go of the cross-eyed man and dodged but the saber stabbed into Tu Hui¡¯s abdomen.


    Zhou Jia had already caught up with them with a few bailiffs. Seeing Ah Cai draw his saber and stab at Tu Hui, he sped up and rushed towards them.


    When the cross-eyed man and Ah Cai saw that their whereabouts had been exposed, they pushed Tu Hui away and fled. Ding Man and the bailiff drew their sabers and chased after them. When Zhou Jia saw that Tu Hui had been stabbed in the stomach, he hurriedly shouted to the passers-by who were standing at the side in shock, ¡°Someone, send him to the medical hall.¡±


    When the owner of the steamed bun shop saw that it was Zhou Jia, he hurriedly shouted, ¡°Everyone, help. It¡¯s the county magistrate.¡±


    Cross-Eyed and Ah Cai ran while Ding Man led his men in pursuit. Pedestrians dodged. Ah Cai and Cross-Eyed entered an alley. Ding Man raised his saber and shed at Ah Cai. Ah Cai kicked him in the wrist. Another bailiff stepped forward and stabbed Ah Cai in the thigh. Ding Man kicked Ah Cai¡¯s injured leg. The saber in Ah Cai¡¯s hand fell to the ground. Ding Man pounced on him and pressed him to the ground, tying him up with ropes.


    Ah Cai struggled and shouted at the cross-eyed man, ¡°Hurry up! Leave me alone. Hurry up and flee.¡± The cross-eyed man nced at Ah Cai and gritted his teeth. He sprang up and kicked the Yamen officers blocking the front. Then he quickly rushed out of the alley. The three Yamen officers ran after him, but the cross-eyed man was already gone.


    Ding Man and the bailiff pulled Ah Cai, who had his arms tied around his neck, out of the alley. When he saw the three bailiffs waiting at the entrance of the alley, he said, ¡°Xiaoguang, did you chase them?¡±


    Xiaoguang looked frustrated. ¡°We were dyed. We chased them to the alley and they were gone.¡±


    Ding Man patted Light and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go! His Excellency has already sent more people to the city gate. Let¡¯s send this guy back to the government office and watch the city gate. I don¡¯t believe they can still fly out of the city gate!¡±


    Ding Man and the others returned to the government office with Ah Cai and said to Zhou Jia, ¡°Sir, one of them escaped. Is Tu Hui seriously injured? Is he alright?¡±


    Zhou Jia said thankfully, ¡°Fortunately, they didn¡¯t hit a vital spot. Get someone to bring him down to the inn outside the city to take a look. Did the others return to the inn?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Ding Man bowed and left, rushing towards the inn outside the city. When he returned to the inn, he saw that the door to the guest room next door was closed. He said to Xiao Shan behind his back, ¡°I was sent by Lord Zhou. Did those hunters return to the inn?¡± Xiao Shan said in a low voice, ¡°They haven¡¯t returned since they went out this morning.¡±


    Ding Man came out of the inn and said to his colleagues guarding the door, ¡°Everyone, be careful. Those people are still in the city and have not returned to the inn.¡±


    Zhou Jia went to the county magistrate¡¯s jail and got someone to bring Ah Cai out of the cell and tie him to the torture rack. Ah Cai looked at Zhou Jia indignantly and said, ¡°We¡¯re just hunters on the mountain. If you don¡¯t believe me, I have a household note in my pocket as evidence, we didn¡¯tmit any crimes after we left the mountain. What right do you have to arrest us?¡±

 Chapter 239 - 239 Capture (3)

    239 Capture (3)


    Zhou Jia walked up to him and sneered, ¡°Hunter? Would a hunter hurt someone with a saber? Would he ask for information about the county office? Tell me! Why are you here in Qingchuan to ask for information?¡±


    Ah Cai spat at Zhou Jia. ¡°We were merely walking on the road, but you surrounded us with sabers. Am I not allowed to resist? You wretched official, you¡¯re harming the innocent.¡±


    Zhou Jia said to the bailiff, ¡°Hang him up and beat him until he confesses.¡± Seeing that the situation was not right, Ah Cai wanted to bite his tongue andmit suicide, but Mr. Qian blocked his mouth first.


    No matter how the execution officers tortured him, Ah Cai still refused to tell them their motive. Zhou Jia looked at the dying Ah Cai and asked the officers to stop interrogating him for the time being.


    !!


    The cross-eyed man escaped from the bailiffs and went to a dpidated house in the east of the city. He found his two aplices waiting inside. He said to the tall man with a sad expression, ¡°Brother, what should we do? Ah Cai has been captured by the bailiffs.¡±


    When the eldest brother heard this, he rubbed his forehead and said, ¡°No wonder they sent more people to the city gate. How did they discover us?¡±


    The handsome man said anxiously to his brother, ¡°Brother, let¡¯s go to the county office and capture the county magistrate¡¯s wife in exchange for Ah Cai.¡±


    The eldest brother waved his hand and said, ¡°Now that the county office is already on guard, it won¡¯t be easy for us to seed. We have to think of a way to get out of the city and spread the news.¡±


    ¡°Then what about Ah Cai? Are we going to abandon him?¡± The cross-eyed man looked at his brother indignantly. ¡°Let¡¯s go out together. How are the three of us going to exin to Sister-inw when we go back?!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Big Brother. Ah Cai¡¯s dead if we don¡¯t save him. We can¡¯t leave him here.¡±


    The eldest brother thought for a moment and looked at the two of them. ¡°I¡¯ll sneak into the backyard of the county office tonight. Wait for me here. Remember, don¡¯t act rashly. Wait for me toe back.¡±


    The handsome man said, ¡°I¡¯ll go! Brother, if anything happens to you again, it¡¯ll be troublesome.¡±


    The eldest brother smiled faintly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry! The small backyard of the county office can¡¯t keep me. We can¡¯t stay here after dark. It¡¯s too cold at night. We have to find a ce to stay.¡±


    The cross-eyed looked at the house on the left with a fierce gaze. ¡°Let¡¯s stay at that house when it gets dark.¡± The eldest brother nodded and instructed, ¡°Be careful. Don¡¯t make any noise.¡±


    In the county office, the bailiff was panting from the beating. Ah Cai still gritted his teeth and refused to confess. Mr. Qian shook his head at the bailiff to signal for him to stop hitting. If he continued, Ah Cai would be killed. Zhou Jia returned to the back office and told Li Yu that he had caught a spy, who was being interrogated.


    Li Yu thought for a moment and said, ¡°If these people are really spies from Great Qi, you might not be able to get the information through corporal punishment. Sir should be back in the next two days. Invite Sir to concoct a medicine that can make people uneasy and hallucinate. After you feed it to him, it¡¯ll be much easier to get a real confession.¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled and said, ¡°I originally wanted to interrogate him with the same punishment you used to scare that bandit surnamed Tu, but I was afraid of killing him.¡±


    Li Yu nced at Zhou Jia and shook her head. ¡°If it¡¯s a carefully nurtured spy, you might not be able to get the news.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! Torture has been used, but the man still wants to die without a word. What you said about using medicine is not bad. I¡¯d better wait for Sir toe back. Be careful at home. I¡¯m going back to the office.¡±


    Li Yu nodded and watched as Zhou Jia went to the front office. She held her waist and turned around to sit on the edge of the bed. She gently stroked her stomach. Suddenly, her stomach moved. Li Yu couldn¡¯t help but exim, ¡°Little baddie, don¡¯t be naughty.¡±


    Her stomach quietened down for a moment. Li Yu took off her shoes and leaned against the nket. The child moved again. Li Yu gently stroked the bump on her stomach and said gently, ¡°Baby, don¡¯t be too naughty. Mother will feel ufortable if you keep kicking around.¡± The child slowly quietened down.


    The sky slowly darkened. Ding Man, who was guarding the city gate, still did not find any traces of the cross-eyed man and the other two people. He said to the few people guarding the city gate, ¡°The city gate is about to be closed. It seems that they are hiding in the city. I wonder if Ah Hui is better?¡±


    A bailiff said, ¡°The city gate will be closed in an hour. Let¡¯s go see Ah Hui together.¡± Ding Man nodded in agreement. Looking at the gray sky, he thought to himself, ¡®I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s going to snow again tonight. Where are those people hiding on such a cold day?¡¯


    Zhou Jia also received news from the bailiffs guarding the city. He said to the scribe, ¡°Mr. Tu, is there any ce in the city where one can hide?¡±


    Scribe Tu looked at Zhou Jia and said, ¡°Sir, they must be hiding in some abandoned house. Let me think. There are a few abandoned houses not far from the city gate in the east and two in the west. Do you think it¡¯s feasible for us to send someone to search them before it gets dark?¡±


    Zhou Jia thought for a moment and said, ¡°That level of that person¡¯s martial arts is not low. Mr. Tu, go and see if County Lieutenant Yu is still in the front office. Ask him to bring people to the east city to search first.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll call County Lieutenant Yu now.¡± Scribe Tu quickly went to County Lieutenant Yu¡¯s room. Seeing that County Lieutenant Yu was about to leave the office, Scribe Tu said, ¡°Master Yu, please bring someone toe with me to the east city to search for a few unidentified suspicious men. I¡¯ll tell you the details on the way.¡±


    County Lieutenant Yu hesitated for a moment before saying, ¡°Okay. Shall we go now?¡±


    ¡°Yes, we¡¯ll set off immediately.¡± County Lieutenant Yu nodded in agreement. He and Scribe Tu led a few bailiffs and rushed in the direction of the abandoned house in the East City.


    The sky slowly darkened, and a bitterly cold wind swirled in the dpidated houses that let in wind everywhere. The cross-eyed and hispanions felt increasingly cold as they hid in the abandoned house. Ayer of white frost appeared on their eyebrows and whiskers. The cross-eyed man pointed at the residence on the left and said, ¡°Brother, let¡¯s do it now, or we¡¯ll freeze to death.¡±


    The eldest brother hesitated for a moment. ¡°Bear with it for a while more. We¡¯ll go when it gets dark. If we rm someone, we¡¯ll attract the officials.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s so cold, no one wille out.¡±


    The handsome man nodded. ¡°Yes! Who would go out in the cold?¡±


    The eldest brother finally stood up and said, ¡°Alright, you have to settle it quickly. I¡¯ll go to the county office to take a look.¡± The three of them got up and hid before running in separate directions.


    Scribe Tu and County Lieutenant Yu led the bailiffs to the abandoned house and slowly approached the house where the trio had been hiding. Suddenly, they heard a faint scream from the house on the left. ¡°Not good,¡± County Lieutenant Yu said. ¡°Someone has been killed.¡± He quickly swept towards the ce where the sound hade from.


    Scribe Tu panted as he said to the bailiffs, ¡°You guys, go support County Lieutenant Yu.¡±


    County Lieutenant Yu leaped into the hedgerow and rushed toward the lit house. He kicked open the door and saw two men with sabers. An old woman and a boy of about teny in a pool of blood.


    ¡°Beasts,¡± County Lieutenant Yu shouted angrily. He raised his saber and shed at the two of them. The cross-eyed man raised his saber to block, and the handsome man took the opportunity to raise his saber and sh at County Lieutenant Yu.

 Chapter 240 - 240 Capture (4)

    240 Capture (4)


    The cross-eyed man swung his saber to block County Lieutenant Yu¡¯s fatal blow. The delicate man¡¯s saber shed at County Lieutenant Yu¡¯s head. County Lieutenant Yu bent down and leaned back, dodging the delicate man¡¯s saber. The cross-eyed man and the delicate man joined forces to attack from both sides. County Lieutenant Yu blocked a few attacks but suddenly felt that it was a little difficult to deal with them. At the critical moment, a few bailiffs arrived and raised their sabers to sh at the two of them. The cross-eyed man could not dodge in time and was stabbed in the back. The delicate man was stabbed in the chest by County Lieutenant Yu and copsed to the ground.


    Scribe Tu arrived and saw the old man and child lying in a pool of blood. He squatted down and felt their pulses. He shook his head and sighed. ¡°They¡¯re dead.¡±


    The cross-eyed man was tied up by the bailiffs. The delicate-looking man had been stabbed to death by the county lieutenant. Scribe Tu had brought a few bailiffs to another room and found a thin boy sleeping soundly. He looked to be only two or three years old.


    The scribe said to the two bailiffs, ¡°The two of you go nearby and ask if there¡¯s anyone else in this child¡¯s house.¡± The two of them agreed and went to ask for information.


    County Lieutenant Yu and the two bailiffs removed two boards and carried the bodies of the old woman and the boy to the boards. They entered the house and carried two hard old bedding to cover the bodies.


    The two bailiffs found a family not far from the house. After asking around, they found out that only the three of them were left. The parents of the two children had died one after another. One had died in childbirth, and the other had died less than half a year ago. They relied on their old grandmother to sell some vegetables to survive.


    The two bailiffs sighed when they heard this. They sighed and went back to tell Scribe Tu what they had heard. ¡°Scribe Tu, what should we do with this child?¡±


    Scribe Tu looked at Lieutenant Yu. ¡°Lord Yu, what do you think we should do?¡±


    Lieutenant Yu looked at the little boy on the bed and sighed. ¡°Take him back to the county office first! Such a young child can only die on such a cold day if he¡¯s left alone. Send someone to investigate tomorrow. This child still has rtives.¡±


    Scribe Tu felt that this was the only way. He nodded and gently wrapped the child in a nket. He held the child in his arms and looked at the child¡¯s flushed face. He said softly, ¡°Alright, bring the spy¡¯s corpse back to the government office. We will leave the bodies of the grandfather and his grandchild in the house first and send them to the mortuary tomorrow.¡±


    The eldest brother arrived at the backyard of the county office under the cover of the night. He ran a few steps and jumped up. He grabbed the wall and climbed over it. Then he jumped down and slowly walked along the corner to the drooping flower door. He heard a woman talking in the courtyard and slowly retreated into the garden where he saw the greenhouse.


    Old Madam Liu carried thentern and Auntie Zhang carried a bundle of firewood. The two of them entered the backyard. Old Madam Liu sighed at Auntie Zhang and said, ¡°I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s going to snow again tonight. Is it because I¡¯m old or is it colder than usual this year? Why do I feel much colder?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s really cold this year. It hasn¡¯t snowed the first timest year!¡± Auntie Zhang put the firewood into the stove and closed the door. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go back and rest. We¡¯lle back tomorrow morning.¡± The eldest brother hid behind the vegetable basket and watched the two of them close the moon cave door.


    County Lieutenant Yu and Scribe Tu returned to the county office with their men. When Ding Man saw that County Lieutenant Yu had only returned with one dead and one alive, he said to the county lieutenant, ¡°Sir, there are four of them in this group. There¡¯s another one who¡¯s even taller and stronger than these two.¡±


    County Lieutenant Yu looked at the scribe and the others with a questioning expression. ¡°Four people? We found these two when we arrived. We didn¡¯t see the others.¡± The scribe and the other bailiffs shook their heads.


    ¡°Hurry up and go back to the back office to take a look.¡± Zhou Jia¡¯s expression changed drastically when he heard that. He turned around and ran towards the back office.


    The eldest brother pressed his ear against the door and listened for a while. He didn¡¯t hear anything. From the crack in the door, he saw that there was only a faint yellow light left in the courtyard. The courtyard was dim, and there was a faint light everywhere. He took out a dagger and removed the lock on the moon cave door. He gently pushed the moon cave door open and saw the bailiffs patrolling the courtyard. He quickly dodged and felt his way to the main room.


    Li Yu leaned against the nket and slowly knitted yarn. Suddenly, she heard the faint sound of a door opening from the outer room. Li Yu supported herself from the bed and turned over to get off the bed. She took out the crossbow from the space and hid behind the milling bed. She saw a tall and strong man enter the room with a dagger in his hand.


    Li Yu raised the crossbow and aimed it at the man¡¯s knee. With a soft sound, two arrows flew out. The tall and strong man heard the sound of the crossbow and could not dodge in time. The arrow hit the man¡¯s knee. ¡°Ah!¡± With a scream, the man fell to the ground. He endured the pain and looked up to see Li Yu walk out from behind the milling bed with the crossbow. ¡°Bitch, I¡¯ll kill you.¡± With a shout, he threw the dagger at Li Yu. Li Yu nimbly dodged to the side; the crossbow arrow flew out and hit the man¡¯s palm.


    Li Yu looked at the furious man and sneered as she walked forward to step on his palm. She said softly, ¡°I wee you here to die.¡±


    Zhou Jia rushed back to the back office anxiously. When he saw the door ajar, he shouted in fear, ¡°Yu¡¯er.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Li Yu heard Zhou Jia¡¯s frightened shout and pushed open the door to walk out. Zhou Jia walked up to Li Yu and pulled her into his arms. ¡°Yu¡¯er, you scared me to death.¡±


    County Lieutenant Yu and the bailiff looked at the two people hugging each other. Li Yu looked at the people standing behind Zhou Jia and pushed him away. She said gently, ¡°Mr. Tu and the others are here. That spy is in the room and has been injured by me.¡±


    Zhou Jia supported Li Yu and said to the people behind him, ¡°The remaining spy is injured in the room. Go and get him out.¡±


    Tu Hui and a bailiff bowed and walked into the room. They were surprised to see that there were arrows nailed to the spy¡¯s knees and palms. They looked at each other and sighed. ¡°Madam is so fierce!¡±


    Scribe Tu took a step forward and bowed to Li Yu. ¡°Madam, when we captured the spy, we brought back a child. Please get Auntie Zhang or Yu Niang to help take care of him for a night. We¡¯ll take him away tomorrow when we find the child¡¯s rtives.¡±


    Li Yu saw the child in the scribe¡¯s arms and guessed that his family might have been killed. She nodded and said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll get Auntie Zhang to bring him back. When you find his family, you can bring him back.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, ma¡¯am.¡± The scribe bowed in thanks.


    At this moment, the bailiffs dragged the spies out of the house. Yu Niang and Auntie Zhang carried water and a handkerchief and prepared to enter the house to clean up the blood left behind by the spies.


    Li Yu pointed at the child in the scribe¡¯s arms and said to Auntie Zhang, ¡°Auntie Zhang, please take care of that child. When we find his family, we¡¯ll send him away.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± Aunt Zhang put down the basin and walked over to the scribe. She took the child and carried him back to the house.


    Zhou Jia waited for Yu Niang to clean up the house ande out. He then helped Li Yu back to her room and sat on the edge of the bed. He said to Li Yu, ¡°Yu¡¯er, I still have to go back to the government office to handle official business. Rest first.¡±


    Li Yu saw Zhou Jia¡¯s look of concern appearance and a sweet feeling surged in her heart. She held Zhou Jia¡¯s hand and smiled gently. ¡°Yes! Then I¡¯ll rest first.¡± Zhou Jia kissed Li Yu and strode out of the room.

 Chapter 241 - 241 Captured (5)

    241 Captured (5)


    Zhou Jia only returned to the back office at midnight. Li Yu looked at the tired Zhou Jia with sleepy eyes. ¡°Xiao Xi, did you get any information from the interrogation?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t get anything valuable out of him. They¡¯re all tough. One of them tried to bite his tongue off as soon as he arrived at the government office. It looks like we¡¯ll have to wait for Sir toe back and concoct the medicine before we interrogate them.¡±


    Li Yuforted him. ¡°Don¡¯t be too anxious. The people who went up the mountain to report should be bringing people down the mountain tomorrow. I¡¯m wondering if there¡¯s a shortcut to cross Great Green Mountain, or if these people are just here to gather information.¡±


    Zhou Jia went up and hugged Li Yu¡¯s slightly swollen leg. He gently massaged it. ¡°When Sires back, I¡¯ll ask him to take a look at you. Why are your legs swollen?¡±


    ¡°Xiaoyu said that her legs were swollen in thest two months of her pregnancy.¡± Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia with some heartache. ¡°Come over and sleep! I can¡¯t even open my eyes.¡± Zhou Jia returned to Li Yu¡¯s side andy down. The couple fell asleep together.


    The next day, when Mr. Wen and Yang Wei returned home from the mountains, Zhou Jia had already gone to the front office. Yang Wei reported to Li Yu, ¡°Madam, that ce is really not bad. The soil in the col is soft and is half the size of our Phoenix Vige. There is also hot spring water at the foot of the mountain. Uncle Dashui, who went back with us, said that the water has not stopped flowing over the years. I want to hire people to develop the fields there next year.¡±


    Thend that was half the size of Phoenix Vige was at least a thousand acres. The soil quality was also good, which was really not bad.


    Li Yu smiled at him. ¡°Alright! I believe in your judgment. Go to Ruyi for silver and seeds at the beginning of spring. Go back and drink a bowl of ginger tea and take a hot bath. Rest well for a few days.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Madam. I¡¯ll go back to the manor.¡± Li Yu smiled and nodded. Yang Wei bowed and left.


    Mr. Wen came out of the house after washing up and said to Li Yu with a smile, ¡°Come, let me take a look at you. How have you been?¡±


    Li Yu reached out and ced her hand on the pulse cushion. She smiled at Mr. Wen, who was looking at her pulse. Mr. Wen narrowed his eyes and kept nodding. ¡°Not bad. The child is growing very well.¡±


    ¡°How was your time on the mountain, sir? Did you pick any rare herbs?¡±


    When Mr. Wen heard Li Yu ask him, he was overjoyed. ¡°The harvest this time was really good. I picked mulberry, turkey tail, and a few immortal herbs¡­ The best is a hundred-year-old ginseng.¡±


    Li Yu looked at Mr. Wen. ¡°Sir, help Xiao Xi make a few pills to make people hallucinate.¡±


    Mr. Wen looked at Li Yu curiously. ¡°Xiaoyu, tell me, how did you know that there was such a medicine? Do you know the types of herbs that can make people hallucinate?¡±


    Li Yu told Mr. Wen about the few suspected Great Qi spies they had caught and the reason she had asked him to make the medicine. She smiled and said, ¡°I know a few nts that can make people hallucinate. Datura, absinthe, marijuana¡­ There are some I can¡¯t remember.¡±


    Mr. Wen began to worry when he heard this. If those people were really spies, Xiao Xi would probably be in trouble. Using medicine to make those spies tell the truth was the best way.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. These herbs do make people hallucinate. There are still some herbs at home. I¡¯ll make them for you.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and said, ¡°Thank you.¡± Mr. Wen waved his hand and walked towards the pharmacy.


    Zhou Jia did not know that Mr. Wen had already returned home. He sent someone to the inn to retrieve a few of the spies¡¯ luggage. Wang Cheng had already returned to the county office from the Green Dragon Stronghold and brought back General Zhong¡¯s letter.


    The key message of the letter was that they had already received news from the spies lurking in Great Qi. They said that there were spies everywhere in Qingzhou. The shortcut from Great Green Mountain to Qingchuan was in a cave under Azure Dragon Stronghold.


    After Zhou Jia finished reading the letter, he was relieved. Since it was only a few spies who were asking around for information, he did not have to worry about the Great Qi armying to attack. It had snowed heavilyst night, and he had not gone to West City to take a look. He did not know if those houses had copsed from the snow!


    Zhou Jia went out and led a few bailiffs towards West City. When he arrived, he saw someone leaning on the bamboodder and sweeping the snow off the roof with a broom. The child and his mother cowered below and instructed, ¡°Stand firm and be careful.¡±


    The roofs of several houses had copsed in several ces under the weight of the snow. Someone had gone up on the roofs and was using straw to fill the holes that had copsed under the weight of the snow.


    The vige chief ran out of his house when he received the news. He bowed and said, ¡°Master County, thank you for thinking about us. Everyone is filling up the roofs that have been crushed by the snow. It¡¯s just that this year¡¯s winter is really worrying. It has snowed twice in a row. Fortunately, it did not snow for too long. Otherwise, everyone would have suffered.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at themander with a worried expression and the citizens who were trembling with worry. He sighed. ¡°Commander Wang, is everyone¡¯s food sufficient?¡±


    Chief Wang hesitated for a moment and pointed at the dozen or so people behind him. ¡°These families don¡¯t have fields and all rely on short-term work to support their families. Their lives are especially difficult. As for food, nine out of ten neighbors would mix a handful of coarse water with two scoops of water. They won¡¯t starve to death but it¡¯s difficult to fill their stomachs!¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at the few people Wang Li pointed at and thought for a moment. He said, ¡°I¡¯ll go back and discuss with someone to see if I can think of a way to resolve your current predicament.¡±


    The county magistrate wanted to think of a way to help them resolve their predicament. Did he hear wrongly? Which of the officials who came to Qingchuan to take office didn¡¯t earn a lot of money the moment they took office? If not for them, would Qingchuan have be like this? Although Lord Zhou was different from the previous officials, would he really help the poormoners like them?


    Wang Li ttered him with a smile. ¡°Master County, you¡¯re really the best. Our Qingchuan finally has an official who loves the people.¡±


    When Zhou Jia looked at Wang Li and themoners, he knew that they would not believe that he was really going to help them. However, Zhou Jia could understand that thesemoners had been bullied for a long time and would not easily believe that the high and mighty county magistrate would care about them.


    Zhou Jia looked around the city and walked towards the Rejuvenation Hall, nning to go to Tu Hui, who was recuperating.


    Tu Hui¡¯s mother¡¯s eyes were red and swollen as she looked at her sleeping son. She was worried. The government office had left after sending him to the medical center. In a short period of time, they had spent a few taels of silver. She did not have enough to pay even with Ah Hui¡¯s annual sry. She wondered if the government office would give him money to recuperate. There were still a few mouths to feed at home. When he was better today, she would let him would go home and slowly recuperate!


    Zhou Jia saw Tu Hui lying on the bed with a pale face. His mother stood at the door and secretly cried. He remembered that he had forgotten to order the office to give Tu Hui money in a hurry yesterday. Zhou Jia said to Tu Hui¡¯s mother, ¡°Aunt, don¡¯t worry. The government will pay for Tu Hui¡¯s medicine. The government will pay back the money you paid. Tu Hui has made a great contribution this time and will be rewarded.¡±

 Chapter 242 - 242 Ways

    242 Ways


    Tu Hui¡¯s mother thanked him with tears in her eyes. ¡°Thank you, sir. My family really can¡¯t spare any more money. Ah Hui¡¯s sry was used up yesterday. I was still worried about not having enough money to treat him today.¡±


    The shopkeeper of the Rejuvenation Hall stepped forward and bowed respectfully. ¡°Sir, Constable Tu has recovered a little. It¡¯s just that he¡¯s still a little weak. When his injuries get better, he¡¯ll be fine after going home to recuperate.¡±


    Zhou Jia said to the shopkeeper, ¡°Shopkeeper, the government will pay for his medicine.¡± The shopkeeper was stunned for a moment and smiled apologetically. ¡°Lord Zhou, the family has already paid for Constable Tu¡¯s medicine.¡±


    ¡°Scribe Tu will pay you for the rest of the medicine. You have to treat him carefully.¡±


    The shopkeeper bowed. ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    When the bailiffs who followed Zhou Jia out to patrol the streets heard this, they bowed to Zhou Jia. ¡°Sir, we will do our best for the government office in the future.¡±


    ¡°Oh! Didn¡¯t you guys do your best for the government office in the past?¡± Everyone was stunned. A thin bailiff stepped forward and bowed with a smile. ¡°Sir, we tried our best in the past, but sometimes, hehe¡­¡± A few bailiffsughed foolishly.


    Zhou Jia smiled and said, ¡°Alright, when I go back, I¡¯ll discuss with Lieutenant Yu and Official Tu. In the future, no matter who is injured because of work, the government office will pay him money to recuperate. Don¡¯t worry!¡± The bailiffs cheered in unison. ¡°Thank you, sir!¡±


    When Zhou Jia returned to the government office, he saw that the spies¡¯ luggage had already been retrieved. After careful searching, he finally found one in thepartment of a leather jacket. It was a half-drawn map of Qingchuan City. It seemed that these were indeed spies sent by Great Qi. Since Great Qi was gathering information, it meant that they were still bent on attacking Great Yong.


    The reason why the spy came to Qingchuan had been figured out. Zhou Jia recalled what he had promised the citizens in West City and returned to the office to discuss the problem with Li Yu.


    Li Yu and Xiaoyu, who had brought Seven Pounds back from the manor, sat on the brick bed and teased Seven Pounds, who was lying on the brick bed and watching the two of them babbling. When Xiaoyu saw Zhou Jia return, she carried Seven Pounds and bowed to Zhou Jia before going to talk to Yu Niang and the others.


    Li Yu thought that Zhou Jia had returned to the back office after knowing that Mr. Wen was back. She smiled and said, ¡°Xiao Xi, I¡¯ve already told Sir about catching the spy. Sir is already helping you make hallucinogens. Do you want to take a look?¡±


    Zhou Jia nodded happily and said, ¡°Yu¡¯er, I¡¯ll go greet Sir first. There¡¯s something I want to discuss with you when Ie back.¡±


    Li Yu held her waist and followed Zhou Jia to the eaves of the corridor. ¡°Go! I¡¯ll wait for you.¡±


    Yu Niang carried the child that Scribe Tu had brought back from the front yard. The child was still sobbing.


    Li Yu looked at the child in Yu Niang¡¯s arms. ¡°Yu Niang, what¡¯s wrong with the child? Are you feeling unwell?¡±


    Yu Niang said to Li Yu with a worried expression, ¡°Madam, this child has been looking for his brother since he woke up early this morning. He didn¡¯t respond when we asked him so we don¡¯t know what he¡¯s called. Also, Scribe Tu didn¡¯t even bring back any clothes. What do you think we should do?¡±


    Li Yu looked at the thin child and touched the hard cotton jacket on his body. She frowned and felt that the child¡¯s hand was not very warm.


    Seeing Li Yu touch his hand, the child leaned on Yu Niang¡¯s shoulder timidly.


    Li Yu recalled that the clerk had said that the child¡¯s grandmother and brother had been killed by those spies. She sighed in her heart. Poor child. He didn¡¯t know that he had already lost his only two rtives overnight. Li Yu said gently to Yu Niang, ¡°Go to the storeroom and get some cotton cloth. Make a few undergarments and two sets of cotton pants for the child. Make two pairs of cotton shoes. When Mr. Tu finds his rtives, they cane and take him away.¡±


    Yu Niang touched the child¡¯s face and looked at him sympathetically. ¡°Thank Madam quickly. Madam is making new clothes and shoes for you.¡±


    ¡°Go! It¡¯s cold outside.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam!¡± Yu Niang agreed crisply and carried the child to the storeroom to get the cotton cloth.


    After Zhou Jia greeted Mr. Wen, he came back and told Li Yu about the predicament of the people in West City and his intention to help them. He said, ¡°Yu¡¯er, help me think. Is there any way to help them?¡±


    Li Yu thought for a moment and said, ¡°They don¡¯t have fields. There are still many small wastnds in the viges and towns outside Qingchuan City. You can encourage them to develop fields and increase the years of tax relief appropriately. They will be able to recover in two years at most.¡±


    Zhou Jia shook his head and said, ¡°Yu¡¯er, most of the people are unwilling to develop the fields. Firstly, some people are so poor that they don¡¯t even have the money to buy livestock, hoes, and plows. Secondly, without manure to increase the nutrients in the fields, many people can¡¯t even live like they are now. How can they wait for a year or two?¡±


    Li Yu thought for a moment. ¡°Xiao Xi, it¡¯s better to teach people to fish than to give them fish. There are two ways. The first is for you and Scribe Tu to calcte the ces that Qingchuan can reim and distribute them to the poor families. We¡¯ll teach them the method of reiming and farming on our farmstead. The government office wille forward to buy farming tools and seeds, lend them to the poor people, and buy some farming cows for the people to buy. The farming cows can be bought by several families and shared. This money will be paid by the government office first. After the people buy them, they¡¯ll pay off the interest within the stipted period. If they exceed the stipted period, they¡¯ll pay a certain amount of interest. As long as they¡¯re notzy families, they can change their economic status. This method is most beneficial to them.¡±


    Li Yu paused for a moment. ¡°There¡¯s another one. Ah Wei went to Dagon Vige with Dashui this time. He saw that the col is half the size of Phoenix Vige and the soil is fertile. I want to buy that ce and build it into a farm. Ask them if they¡¯re willing to go to Dagon Vige to develop farnd after spring. The sry is still 15 copper coins a day, and three meals a day. We can sell food to them in advance and they can work in spring to pay off the debt. There¡¯s no risk in this. As long as they¡¯re hardworking, they can also work on the farm.¡±


    After hearing Li Yu¡¯s words, Zhou Jia thought carefully for a moment and said, ¡°The government office wille forward to pay for the money to buy plowing cows, farming tools, and seeds. They will give them to themoners and let them develop the fields. This method is indeed the most beneficial to them. It¡¯s also good for the government office. It will increase the area of farnd and pave the way for political achievements. However, this way, the government office will bear a huge responsibility. How about this! I¡¯ll discuss both methods with Scribe Tu. The first method will help more poormoners, and the second can only help the dozen or so families on West Street. I still want to use the first method.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and said, ¡°This is just a hypothesis. You still need to formte it in detail. You should go to the front office and discuss it with Mr. Tu and the others.¡±


    Zhou Jia stood up and kissed Li Yu. He smiled and said, ¡°As long as Madam helps me think of a general direction, I can go back and discuss with Scribe Tu before drafting the final implementation. It¡¯s definitely not wrong.¡±

 Chapter 243 - 243 Adoption

    243 Adoption


    Li Yu thought of the child and said, ¡°Have you found the rtive of the child sent by the scribe? How do you n to settle this child?¡±


    ¡°Mr. Tu has gone to arrange the funeral of the grandmother and granddaughter. He might not be back untilter.¡±


    ¡°Fine! Get busy!¡±


    Li Yu sent Zhou Jia away and went to the front courtyard. Xiaoyu, Yu Niang, Aunt Zhang and Old Madam Liu sat on the brick bed and made a cotton-padded jacket for the child. The child and Seven Poundsy on the brick bed and slept soundly. When the women saw Li Yu enter, they hurriedly stood up and bowed. Li Yu said in a low voice, ¡°The scribe went to attend to the funeral of that child¡¯s grandmother and brother. He might not be back untilter!¡±


    !!


    Yu Niang hesitated for a moment and looked at Li Yu. ¡°Madam, if no one adopts this child, can I raise him?¡±


    Li Yu looked at Yu Niang¡¯s determined gaze and thought for a moment. ¡°If no one adopts this child and you¡¯ve thought it through, I¡¯ll tell Lord Zhou.¡±


    ¡°Sister Yu Niang, do you not want to get married after adopting this child?¡± Xiaoyu looked at Yu Niang in shock.


    Yu Niang smiled bitterly and said, ¡°I had no intention of getting married long ago. If Madam hadn¡¯t taken me in, I wouldn¡¯t even have the courage to live.¡± When Xiaoyu heard this, she recalled Yu Niang¡¯s experience and held Li Yu¡¯s hand sympathetically.


    Aunt Zhang and Old Madam Liu looked at the child on the bed and said to Yu Niang, ¡°Yu Niang, the three of us are all alone and have no one to rely on. It¡¯s all thanks to the kindness of Madam and Master that we have a ce to stay and live a stable life. Yu Niang, if this child¡¯s rtives are unwilling to raise him, the two of us will help you raise him.¡±


    Yu Niang reminded them, ¡°The scribe isn¡¯t back yet! Don¡¯t be happy for nothing.¡± Li Yu turned around and walked out. ¡°Yu Niang is right. You should hurry up and make the child¡¯s clothes.¡±


    As soon as she went out, she saw Ruyi walking into the courtyard with a big bag on his back. He was about to bow when he saw Li Yu.


    Li Yu smiled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t be so polite. Look at how travel-worn you are. Your Xiaoyu is still waiting for you toe back!¡± When Xiaoyu heard Ruyi¡¯s voice in the house, she threw down the sewing basket and ran out.


    Li Yu looked at Xiaoyu and smiled teasingly. ¡°Your hard work paid off. You¡¯ve waited for a few days and he¡¯s finally here today. Hurry up and eat something to warm up.¡±


    Ruyi looked at Xiaoyu and blushed. ¡°You¡¯re not even wearing your shoes properly. Be careful not to fall.¡± Xiaoyu looked at Ruyi happily. ¡°It¡¯s all because it¡¯s snowing these few days. I¡¯m a little worried!¡±


    Seeing the two of them blush, Li Yu smiled and returned to the backyard.


    Ruyi washed up and went to the backyard. He reported to Li Yu, ¡°Madam, as soon as the corn was handed to Shopkeeper Chu, he hurriedly sent someone to the capital. Shopkeeper Chu also said that we don¡¯t have to specially go to Qingzhou to buy goods in the future. He will deliver it to us after a while.¡±


    Li Yu shook her head and said, ¡°We would be troubling him too much. Besides, this isn¡¯t something that happens once or twice. How can we trouble him like this?¡±


    Ruyi knew that Li Yu didn¡¯t like to owe too many favors. ¡°I refused at that time, but Shopkeeper Chu said that they wanted to send military sry to Staff General Zhong and deliver goods to us at the same time. I told him that I had to get approval from you and Master. Shopkeeper Chu agreed to let mee back and ask you and bring him a letter.¡±


    When Li Yu heard that, she smiled and said, ¡°They¡¯ve already found an excuse to help us. If we reject them again, we¡¯ll be ungrateful. Agree to them!¡±


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡± Ruyi bowed and left.


    Scribe Tu returned to the government office angrily and reported to Zhou Jia, ¡°That family¡¯s surname is Yang and he has a distant rtive. That rtive¡¯s family is unwilling to adopt him. They said that he has a tough life and jinxed his mother to death when he was born. Not long after, his father died. Now, his grandmother and brother are also dead. They imed that whoever gets involved with him will be unlucky! Ignorant!¡±


    Even without these considerations, no one would be willing to raise that child! Zhou Jia frowned and said, ¡°Then how do you n to settle this child?¡±


    ¡°That house is already dpidated. The money for the coffin was also paid for by me. There are still two acres of thin farnd and that old house at home.¡± Scribe Tu spread his hands. ¡°Sigh! I really don¡¯t know how we can settle the matter of this child!¡±


    ¡°Go and tell Madam about this first. I have something to discuss with you when youe back.¡±


    Scribe Tu¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°That¡¯s right! Madam must have a way, sir. I¡¯ll take my leave.¡±


    Scribe Tu hurriedly went to the back office and exined the Yang family¡¯s situation to Li Yu. ¡°Madam, there¡¯s no such thing as a jinx. Those people are just stupid. Help me think of a way to settle that child!¡±


    Li Yu smiled and said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about the official records. Yu Niang wants to adopt that child. Go to the front yard and talk to her.¡±


    Scribe Tu cupped his hands happily and said, ¡°I knew Madam had a solution. I¡¯ll go look for Miss Yu.¡± Li Yu waved her hand and said, ¡°Go!¡±


    After Yu Niang heard from Mr. Tu about the child¡¯s background, she said, ¡°I have a hard life myself. I¡¯m not afraid of him jinxing me. I¡¯m willing to adopt him.¡±


    Scribe Tu praised, ¡°Miss Yu, you¡¯re really chivalrous. This child will be absolved of lot of trouble without his nsmen. I¡¯ll go settle the procedures for you now. The child still has an old house and two acres of thin farnd. Do you think you should sell it and leave it for the child?¡±


    Yu Niang shook her head and said, ¡°Scribe Tu, where would we live after selling the old house and farnd? Although I¡¯m not afraid of being jinxed by the child, I¡¯m afraid that the child will affect Madam if he lives in the county office. I n to move out of the county office and live with in the Yang residence first.¡±


    When Scribe Tu heard this, he shook his head and said, ¡°I think it¡¯s better for you to live in the county office first. Madam is not an ignorant woman. She won¡¯t have believe in these taboos. Besides, aren¡¯t you afraid of being alone with a child?¡±


    Yu Niang still felt that she could not continue living in the county office. ¡°I know that Madam won¡¯t avoid it, but I can¡¯t do this to her. Besides, Madam is about to give birth. It¡¯s better to be careful.¡±


    Old Madam Liu and Aunt Zhang also felt that Yu Niang was right to be wary. They smiled and said, ¡°Scribe Tu, if you asked the magistrate officers to visit the Yang family often. Who else dares to have designs on Yu Niang?¡±


    Seeing that Yu Niang was determined, Scribe Tu nodded and said, ¡°Alright! Tell Madam that I¡¯ll get the bailiffs to move your house.¡±


    Yu Niang and Scribe Tu went to the backyard to tell Li Yu their thoughts. Li Yu smiled indifferently and said, ¡°Yu Niang, you don¡¯t have to worry about this. Even if there¡¯s really something, are you afraid that the county office¡¯s aura won¡¯t be able to suppress it?¡±


    Yu Niang looked at Li Yu and said sincerely, ¡°Madam, who can say for sure? Although I like that child,pared to your safety, I¡¯d rather not take the risk.¡±


    Seeing this, Li Yu could only nod and say, ¡°Alright.¡±


    Yu Niang knelt down and kowtowed. ¡°Thank you, Madam.¡±


    Li Yu instructed the clerk at the side, ¡°Please repair the Yang family¡¯s house. Help prepare the courtyard walls and some daily necessities. I¡¯ll pay the silver needed.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± Yu Niang and Scribe Tu left one after another.

 Chapter 244 - 244 Son

    244 Son


    Zhou Jia and the others discussed the details of the support policy and asked Mr. Qian to bring a team to West Street to find Wang Ji. They exined the two ns in detail to him. When Wang Ji heard this, he excitedly gathered the dozen or so poor families and exined the support method formted by the county government.


    After everyone figured it out, they were all willing to ept the government office¡¯s arrangements to develop the fields. After all, with the help of the county office, they would have their own fields after suffering for two years. It was better than running around the city.


    Mr. Wen spent two days making the pills. After Zhou Jia got someone to feed them to the three spies, he indeed obtained the confession he wanted. These people wanted to detain Li Yu to control Zhou Jia. They also found out that arge cart shop in Qingzhou was where these spies stayed. Zhou Jia sent the information to Qingzhou.


    At the beginning of December, the farmstead began to ughter pigs, chickens, and ducks. Xiaoyu brought people to follow the form given by Li Yu. There were sausages, smoked cured meat, cured ham, and pickled meat. Some of them were sold in the inn, and some were brought to Qingzhou by Shopkeeper Chu¡¯s people to be sent as gifts.


    After entering December, the entire back residence of the county office was extremely nervous because of Zhou Jia. The only ones who were calm were Li Yu and Mr. Wen. Mr. Wen was confident that Li Yu would definitely be fine.


    Li Yu had never given birth before. In her previous life, she was either busy with special training or carrying out missions. She had never paid attention to giving birth. Although she had seen Xiaoyu give birth, Xiaoyu had also told her that it was just a little painful.


    Li Yu was not afraid of pain. To her, ignorance of birth pains was bliss. In addition, she felt that since the heavens had let here to this alternate world, they might not let her die from childbirth. It was useless to think too much. She might as well face it calmly.


    On the morning of the ninth day of the twelfth lunar month, Li Yu sat on the brick bed and knitted a sweater for Zhou Jia. Suddenly, her stomach ached. At the end of the winter month, Li Yu instructed Auntie Zhang and Old Madam Liu to smoke the delivery room with wormwood and vinegar and scald the bedding and delivery tools. Zhou Jia invited the midwife who delivered Xiaoyu to stay in the front yard.


    Li Yu felt that her abdominal pain was a little simr to when Xiaoyu had Seven Pounds. It made her unable to straighten her back. She also felt that she had eaten something bad and kept wanting to remove her bowels. Li Yu put down the yarn and pulled her shoes off the bed. When Auntie Zhang, who was doing needlework outside, heard the sound, she quickly turned over and got off the bed. She asked anxiously, ¡°Madam, what¡¯s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. It looks like I¡¯m about to give birth, but it also seems like I ate something bad.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t move. I¡¯ll call someone immediately.¡± Aunt Zhang quickly ran out and called for the midwife who lived in the front courtyard. It also rmed Mr. Wen. The bailiffs guarding the back office hurriedly ran to report to Zhou Jia. Zhou Jia put down the official document and ran towards the backyard.


    After taking Li Yu¡¯s pulse, Mr. Wenforted her. ¡°Xiaoyu, don¡¯t be anxious. It¡¯s not that you ate something bad. You¡¯re about to give birth. Go to the delivery room and lie down. Let the midwife check carefully.¡±


    Li Yu nodded in pain. Auntie Zhang and the midwife hurriedly helped her to the delivery room andy on the bed that had been smoked with mugwort leaves and vinegar.


    As soon as shey down, Zhou Jia ran in. ¡°Yu¡¯er, how are you? Does it hurt?¡±


    Seeing that Zhou Jia¡¯s expression had changed, Li Yuforted him. ¡°I can still tolerate it now. Go out first.¡± Zhou Jia kissed Li Yu¡¯s forehead and said, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯ll wait for you and the baby outside.¡±


    Zhou Jia could not take his eyes off her as he retreated from the room.


    After Zhou Jia went out, the midwife washed her hands a few times and checked them carefully. Sheforted Li Yu, ¡°Madam is about to give birth. Don¡¯t worry, the fetal position can¡¯t be any more correct. Bear with itter and don¡¯t shout. Save your strength. It won¡¯t be so difficult to give birth.¡±


    Li Yu nodded. Smelling the faint fragrance of wormwood on the pillow, she felt that the pain was still bearable. It didn¡¯t seem to be that difficult to endure. Auntie Zhang brought over a bowl of sugar eggs and fed them to Li Yu. After another hour, a tearing pain assaulted her, making her unable to breathe. She couldn¡¯t help but moan. The midwife hurriedly handed her the handkerchief so she could bite it. Li Yu bit the handkerchief tightly as tears kept falling. It turned out that as a mother, she had to endure such a piercing pain first. No wonder her mother in her previous life often said that only daughters would know how hard a mother¡¯s life was. A daughter would know her parents¡¯ kindness.


    In the courtyard, Zhou Jia heard Li Yu¡¯s painful groans and cried in heartache. Mr. Wen patted Zhou Jia and said, ¡°Every woman has to go through this to be a real woman.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at the door of the delivery room. ¡°Yu¡¯er wouldn¡¯t even cry when she¡¯s injured. It must be very painful. Sir, it¡¯s been so long. How long more will it take?¡± The more Zhou Jia thought about it, the more afraid he became.


    Seeing Zhou Jia¡¯s pale face, Mr. Wenforted him. ¡°The midwife said that the fetus is in the right position. This is her first fetus, so it will take longer.¡±


    At the end of the day, at noon, the loud cry of a baby came from the delivery room. Auntie Zhang ced the child beside Li Yu and smiled. ¡°Congrattions, Madam. It¡¯s a big fat boy.¡±


    When Zhou Jia heard Aunt Zhang¡¯s voice, he almost fell to the ground. Mr. Wen hurriedly supported him. As soon as he stabilized his body, he rushed into the delivery room like a gust of wind. Looking at Li Yu, who was lying weakly on the bed, and the child lying beside Li Yu, his beating heart finally calmed down.


    When Scribe Tu, Mr. Qian, and the others received the news, they also waited in the front office to hear the news. When Zhou Jia came out of the back office, Scribe Tu and Yu Wei went forward to congratte him. Scribe Tu smiled and asked, ¡°Sir, is it a boy?¡±


    Zhou Jia cupped his hands and returned the greeting. When he heard Scribe Tu¡¯s question, he replied with a smile, ¡°He¡¯s a naughty kid.¡±


    When they heard this, they cupped their hands and said, ¡°Congrattions, congrattions.¡± Zhou Jiaughed and cupped his hands repeatedly. ¡°Congrattions!¡± They pointed at Zhou Jia andughed.


    After everyone received the confirmation, they went home and sent the four-colored gifts that they had prepared to the county office.


    When the Zhong family and the shopkeepers in the city saw the Scribe Tu and the others sending gifts to the county office, they also prepared four-colored gifts and sent them to the county office.


    The vigers of the Back Mountain Vige, the students who went to school in the county school, and the vendors also learned that Lord Zhou, who loved the people as his children, had weed a boy. They also bought four-colored gifts and sent them to the county office. Old Madam Liu felt a headacheing on as she looked at all the four-colored gifts in the courtyard.


    Li Yu¡¯s body was in good condition. Coupled with the fact that she had been training, she could sit up at night.


    Zhou Jia looked at his son lying on the bed and smiled. ¡°You¡¯re flushing like a little monkey.¡±


    Li Yu nced at him and said, ¡°Children are all like this. Have you forgotten that when Seven Pounds was born, he was also like this!¡±


    Zhou Jia touched the child¡¯s face. The baby pouted in difort. Zhou Jia¡¯s gentle eyes were filled with smugness. ¡°My son, like Ruyi¡¯s son, is good-looking.¡±


    Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia¡¯s smug expression and smiled. ¡°Alright, your son is good-looking. Have you thought about a name after so long?¡±


    Zhou Jia thought for a while and said with a smile, ¡°Let¡¯s give our son a nickname first. He was born in the cold winter. Let¡¯s call him Yangyang!¡±


    Li Yu looked at her sleeping son and muttered, ¡°Yangyang. Warm sun in winter. Alright, I¡¯ll call you Yangyang.¡±

 Chapter 245 - 245 Smallpox

    245 Smallpox


    Old Madam Liu carried a tray filled with nourishing soup that had just been stewed. She smiled and said, ¡°Madam, Old Master asked me to stew chicken soup with ginseng for you.¡±


    Li Yu took the soup and scooped up a spoonful. It was neither cold nor hot. The food prepared for the confinement period did not taste good. Li Yu simply picked up the bowl and drank it in one gulp.


    At this moment, the child started crying. Li Yu¡¯s heart ached as she picked up the child and coaxed him for a while. However, the child showed no signs of stopping. He cried even louder.


    Zhou Jia also panicked. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why is she always crying?¡±


    !!


    Old Madam Liu hesitated for a moment before saying, ¡°Madam, Master, the child will cry if he¡¯s hungry or has pooped. However, we don¡¯t seem to have found a nanny in our residence.¡±


    Li Yu said, ¡°I nned to feed him myself, so I didn¡¯t hire a nanny. Xiao Xi, do you want to ask Sir for medicine to help with the feeding?¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll ask.¡± Zhou Jia had mentioned hiring a nanny a few months ago. Li Yu did not agree and even spoke logically. Zhou Jia felt that what Li Yu said made sense, so he let her be.


    Soon, Zhou Jia returned with a red face. He waved his hand and asked Old Madam Liu to leave.


    After a while, the child finally got his first sip of breast milk while lying in his mother¡¯s arms. Zhou Jia looked at his son¡¯s anxious expression and smiled gently.


    On the third day of the bath, Zhou Jia only invited Scribe Tu, the Yu family, and the Zhong family.


    In the blink of an eye, it was New Year¡¯s Eve. After Zhou Jia paid his respects to his grandfather and mother, he went to the study and spread out the drawing paper to begin drawing a family portrait.


    Four hourster, Zhou Jia showed the family portrait to Li Yu and said with a smile, ¡°Yu¡¯er, from this year onwards, I¡¯ll draw a family portrait every year during the new year. When our son grows to our age and sees the family photo, he will know that he grew up from such a young child.¡±


    Li Yu looked at the happy woman standing in front of the flowers with the child in her arms and Zhou Jia standing beside her. Her eyes were moist as she looked at Zhou Jia and said gently, ¡°Xiao Xi, thank you.¡±


    Zhou Jia rolled up the painting and sat beside Li Yu. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and lowered his head to press against her forehead. ¡°I should be the one thanking you. Yu¡¯er, thank you!¡± The couple leaned their heads against each other and smiled at each other.


    On the day of the child¡¯s full month, the couple did not n to hold the full month ceremony. They were afraid that they would not be able to return the favor if the merchants sent gifts, so they invited the scribe and called Ruyi¡¯s family back from the manor. Everyone sat down to celebrate and that was regarded as the full moon banquet.


    After the New Year, Zhou Jia began to get busy. Mr. Qian was busy buying credit to lend to those poor people so they could acquire sees, farming tools, and cattle. Zhou Jia and Scribe Tu were busy dividing the fields for the people who wanted to farm. The migrating families had to register their households. The two of them spent a month running around several towns before settling those people down.


    In the blink of an eye, it was time for the families to be busy again in March. After the New Year, Yang Wei brought Uncle Dashui to Dagon Vige to explore the wastnd. Ruyi took over the management of the farmstead.


    After the child turned three months old, he could y with Li Yu for a while every day. Zhou Jia looked at his fair and chubby son who liked tough when he was teased. Every day, when he came back from the government office, he would wash his hands and look at his son first. The father and son got along very well.


    Mr. Wen also loved Yangyang. Every day, when he came back from the volunteer medical consultation, he would carry him to look at his herbs. He would even exin the uses of various herbs. Li Yu felt that if the child was a little older, he would probably be able to recognize many herbs and even know the medicinal properties and uses of various herbs.


    Zhou Jia and Li Yu received another reward from the emperor. The emperor rewarded them with a box of antique calligraphy and paintings and a box of gold and silver. The empress rewarded Li Yu with two sets of hair essories, a box of eastern beads of the same size, and a few bolts of silk brocade. The emperor ordered Zhou Jia to nt as many kinds of corn as he could. After the autumn harvest, someone woulde to haul the corn seeds.


    When the grains were being nted, Li Yu brought Yangyang to the farmstead. The families who had decided on the seeds with Li Yust year all came. Li Yu kept her promise and exchanged the seeds for those families.


    Yang Wei returned from Dagon Vige and reported to Li Yu, ¡°Madam, more than 200 acres of nd and more than 100 acres of mountainnd have been developed. The rest of thend will be plowed after the farmers are busy.¡±


    Li Yu looked at Yang Wei¡¯s dark and thin appearance and said lovingly, ¡°Child, look at you. You¡¯re dark and thin. You¡¯re still growing. Why don¡¯t you hire more people?¡±


    Yang Wei scratched his head and smiled. ¡°Madam, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m strong! There are less than twenty families in Dagon Vige. I¡¯ve hired everyone who can work.¡±


    ¡°Alright! Go and rest first. You can return to Dagon Vige tomorrow morning,¡± Yang Wei agreed and left.


    Seven Pounds from Ruyi¡¯s family was already nine months old. He drooled as he looked at Yangyang in the cradle. He would poke Yangyang¡¯s chubby face with his chubby fingers every now and then. After seeding, he pursed his lips and secretlyughed.


    The two children were babbling in baby talk that no one could understand. After talking for a while, Yangyang yawned and closed his eyes to ignore Seven Pounds.


    Seeing that Yangyang was no longer ying with him, Seven Pounds cried loudly. Li Yu picked up Seven Pounds and coaxed, ¡°Little brother wants to sleep. He will grow faster when he sleeps a lot. When he grows up, he¡¯ll go to school with Seven Pounds.¡± Seven Pounds nodded, no longer crying.


    When the seedlings were getting nted, Zhou Jia became even busier. He often went to the countryside to take a look, paying special attention to those families who had just started farming. Zhou Jia often brought the people from the farmstead to guide them.


    Li Yu returned to the county office from the farm. When Mr. Wen returned from the volunteer medical consultation, he did not approach the mother and son. He stood in the courtyard and watched from afar. He said with a heavy expression, ¡°Xiaoyu, I treated a child today and confirmed that the child has smallpox. The child lives at the end of East Street. I¡¯ve already asked the clerk to take care of him. Don¡¯t bring Yangyang outside these days. The child in Ruyi¡¯s family has been brought back to the county office from the farm. Also, send someone to check on Yu Niang.¡±


    Li Yu cried out in shock. Thinking that this was a fatal virus in this world, Li Yu nodded and immediately got someone to inform Xiaoyu and Yu Niang.


    Mr. Wen said to Li Yu, ¡°Yes, everyone has to be careful, especially with the children. I¡¯ll go back and flip through the medical books to find a useful prescription.¡±


    ¡°Alright, be careful too. Don¡¯t tire yourself out.¡± Mr. Wen waved his hand and pointed at his robe. ¡°I have to change out of my clothes and burn them.¡±


    Li Yu nodded and carried the sleeping Yangyang into the house to put him on the bed. She sat on the edge of the bed and looked at his red face, recalling the situation when she was vinated when she was young.


    Although most people in the future knew that cowpox could provide vination against smallpox, would the effect be the same when applied in this world? Would it be deadly?

 Chapter 246 - 246: Cowpox

    Chapter 246: Cowpox


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Li Yu thought for a long time and picked up a pen to write on the booklet. She recorded the limited methods she knew.


    Two hourster, Xiaoyu, who had received the news, returned to the county office with Seven Pounds. Li Yu came out of the house and stood under the eaves of the porch. She saw Xiaoyu walk in with a panicked expression.


    When Xiaoyu saw Li Yu, she asked worriedly, ¡°Madam, what should we do?


    Seven Pounds and Young Master are so young.¡±


    Seven Jin saw Li Yu calling out to his little brother and reached out to hug him.


    Li Yu held Seven Pounds and said to Xiaoyu, ¡°Go and clean up your house first. Yangyang is still asleep.¡±


    Seeing Li Yu¡¯s calm expression, Xiaoyu smiled in shame. ¡°Madam, I¡¯m really useless.¡±


    ¡°Go!¡± Li Yu waved her hand and asked her to clean up the house. Li Yu looked at Seven Jin¡¯s dark eyes and teased him. ¡°Brother is sleeping. Seven Pounds can also sleep for a while, okay?¡±


    Seven pounds pointed into the house and shouted, ¡°Little brother, little brother. ¡±


    ¡°Little thing, you only know how to call brother. Let¡¯s go sleep with brother.¡± Li Yu carried Seven Pounds into the house and ced him on Yangyang¡¯s small bed. She shook the small bed gently and Seven Pounds grabbed the toy at the head of the bed. He yed for a while and muttered to himself before falling asleep.


    Xiaoyu tidied up the house and came to look for Seven Pounds. Li Yu asked her to watch the two children in the house before going to Mr. Wen¡¯s study to look for him. When she reached the study door, she saw a few old manuscripts on the table. Li Yu guessed that they might be recorded cases.


    Unable to find Mr. Wen, Li Yu returned to the house and guarded the two children with Xiaoyu. Thinking that Zhou Jia and Mr. Wen still had to go out to handle official business, she found some gauze and started sewing masks.


    When Zhou Jia received the news and rushed back from the countryside, he realized that the families living in the east of the city had already fallen into panic. Every family on the street had their doors closed, and even the hardworking merchants had closed their shops.


    When Zhou Jia returned to the county office, Mr. Qian reported to Zhou Jia, ¡°Sir, Scribe Tu has already locked the family of eight in the house and is waiting for you toe back to deal with them.¡±


    Zhou Jia sighed. ¡°How should I deal with them? Should I capture them and kill them? I wonder if anyone else is sick? After one problem is resolved, another appears.¡±


    Zhou Jia felt a little tired. He rubbed the space between his eyebrows and said to Mr. Qian, ¡°Lock them up at home first and find someone who has suffered from smallpox in the past to send them medicine and food on time. The surrounding families are not allowed to go out without permission.¡±


    Mr. Qian said, ¡°Sir, Scribe Tu has suffered from smallpox before. Mr. Wen has already sent the medicine into the house. I¡¯ll get someone to control the surrounding families.¡±


    Zhou Jia nodded and said, ¡°Go! I¡¯ll go back to the back office to take a look first.¡± Zhou Jia looked at Mr. Qian¡¯s back and rubbed his face with his hands. He perked up and walked to the backyard.


    Li Yu heard heavy footsteps in the courtyard and felt that Zhou Jia might be back. She put down the needle and thread in her hand and walked to the door. She saw Zhou Jia, who had just walked under the eaves of the corridor, and said to him, ¡°Xiao Xi, Sir said that you haven¡¯t had smallpox before. He asked you to be careful.¡±


    Zhou Jia nodded and instructed, ¡°You and our son must not go out these days. I


    wonder how many people have contracted the disease?¡±


    ¡°Got it!¡± Li Yu nced at Zhou Jia. She wanted to tell him the method of vination, but she felt that it was too far-fetched to use her master as an excuse.


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu¡¯s hesitant expression and held her hand. He smiled and said gently, ¡°Yu¡¯er, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll be careful outside.¡±


    Seeing his forced smile andforting her, Li Yu thought to herself, Li Yu, why are you still hesitating? The sooner you save lives, the better.


    Li Yu made up her mind and held Zhou Jia¡¯s hand. ¡°Xiao Xi,e with me. We¡¯ll go find Sir. I have something to tell him.¡±


    Zhou Jia nodded and said, ¡°Alright, I also want to discuss with Sir about keeping smallpox at bay.¡±


    The two of them went to Mr. Wen¡¯s study. Seeing that Mr. Wen had already returned to the study and was rummaging through the medical books, Zhou Jia bowed and said, ¡°Sir, I¡¯m back.¡±


    Mr. Wen nodded and said, ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯re back. I¡¯m looking for the pulse n left behind from treating smallpox in the past and the prescriptions that have been used to see if I can draw up a more effective prescription.¡±


    Li Yu said to Mr. Wen, ¡°Sir, there¡¯s something I want to tell you.¡±


    Mr. Wen thought that Li Yu was worried about Yangyang andforted her. ¡°Xiaoyu, don¡¯t worry. Scribe Tu has already brought people to seal up that family. As long as it doesn¡¯t spread and we don¡¯t interact with the patients, we¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    Li Yu shook her head and said, ¡°Sir, I¡¯m not worried about smallpox. I just want to ask if you¡¯ve tried to nt the virus in people who haven¡¯t suffered from smallpox before so that they can resist it.¡±


    Mr. Wen sighed when he heard this. He smiled bitterly. ¡°In the past, when we found out that people who had smallpox wouldn¡¯t suffer from it again, my master tried to squeeze out the pus from the patients and apply it to the nostrils of those who didn¡¯t have it. One of them survived, and the other died after getting smallpox. Master has felt guilty ever since. Until his deathbed, he still wondered why. What was wrong?¡±


    Li Yu looked at Mr. Wen, who was immersed in his memories, and said, ¡°Sir, I know what caused that person to die. It has nothing to do with Grandmaster¡­¡± Zhou Jia looked at her in surprise.


    Mr. Wen shook his head and interrupted Li Yu. ¡°Xiaoyu, don¡¯tfort me. I¡¯ve been running around all these years partly to save more people, and partly to see if there are any famous doctors in various ces who have found a way to treat smallpox. Sigh! I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to find a way to treat smallpox in my lifetime.¡±


    Li Yu saw that Mr. Wen seemed to have aged more than ten years in just half a day. Her heart ached as she walked up to Mr. Wen and squatted down. She looked at Mr. Wen and said, ¡°Sir, Grandmaster¡¯s idea is right but he used the wrong method. He shouldn¡¯t have used the pus from humans. It has to be taken from cows with the smallpox disease.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what it¡¯s like when cows have smallpox. I¡¯m also not sure how the virus is removed from their bodies, but you¡¯ll probably know about that.¡±


    ¡°Also, instead of applying the pus to the nostrils, make a cross-shaped incision on the arm. Dip it with a cotton swab and apply the virus from the cows to the incision. The incision will scab over in about half a month. Those who have gone through the procedure won¡¯t get smallpox in the future.¡±


    When Zhou Jia and Mr. Wen heard Li Yu¡¯s words, they looked at her in shock. For a moment, the room was so quiet that only their shocked gasps could be heard. A momentter, Zhou Jia squatted down and looked at Li Yu excitedly.


    ¡°Yu¡¯er, you¡¯re really magical.¡±


    Seeing that Li Yu had made it so clear, Mr. Wen felt that Li Yu was definitely not the one who had thought of this method. She must have seen it before to know it so clearly..

 Chapter 247 - 247: Looking for Afflicted Cows

    Chapter 247: Looking for Afflicted Cows


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Mr. Wen lost hisposure and grabbed Li Yu¡¯s shoulder. He asked excitedly, ¡°Xiaoyu, where did you find out about this method to treat smallpox? We were really blind. We only focused on using the pus from humans, but we forgot that cows also have the disease.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and said, ¡°Sir, please don¡¯t ask me how I know. However, this method is definitely real and effective. The specific implementation still depends on you. Also, please don¡¯t mention that I was the one who told you about this method. After all, I don¡¯t know anything about medicine.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Mr. Wen. ¡°Sir, Yu¡¯er has had some fortuitous encounters. We can¡¯t let anyone know. I believe what Yu¡¯er said is true. Let¡¯s go find a cow with smallpox first!¡±


    Mr. Wen pretended to be angry. ¡°Brat, are you the only one who trusts Xiaoyu? I also believe in serendipity. What you need may suddenly appear in front of you with a bang. That feeling of surprise and joy.¡±


    Mr. Wen stood up and bowed to Li Yu. ¡°Xiaoyu! Thank you.¡±


    Li Yu suddenly felt guilty that she couldn¡¯t tell Mr. Wen the truth. She blushed and said, ¡°Sir, you don¡¯t have to thank me. I wasn¡¯t the one who found this prescription. I just told you what I Imow.¡±


    Zhou Jia hugged Mr. Wen and said with a smile, ¡°That¡¯s right! Sir, you don¡¯t have to thank Yu¡¯er. We¡¯re family. Why are you being so polite? Time waits for no one. Let¡¯s find the sick cow first!¡±


    Mr. Wen smiled energetically. ¡°Yes, time waits for no man. We¡¯ll set off to find the sick cow now.¡±


    ¡°I made a few masks. You and Xiao Xi can take them with you to protect yourself.¡± Li Yu quickly returned to the room and took out a few masks for the two of them to take away.


    Zhou Jia and Mr. Wen hurriedly went to the government office and sent all the magistrate officers to look for sick cows in the various viges. They even informed the vigers to bring the sick cows to the vige outside East City for Mr. Wen to check.


    In the Yu family, Lieutenant Yu went back and said to the siblings, ¡°Yan¡¯er,


    Cheng Yi, there¡¯s a smallpox disease circting. Don¡¯t go out.¡±


    Yu Yan nced at Lieutenant Yu and said with concern, ¡°Father, we understand. You have to be careful outside.¡±


    Lieutenant Yu looked at his obedient and sensible daughter and nodded in relief. ¡°I know. Be good and stay at home. I¡¯ll go to the government office.¡±


    Yu Chengyi also looked at Lieutenant Yu, who was striding away, and pouted at Yu Yan. ¡°Sister, Father lies to us every time. Before the New Year, he said that


    Mother woulde back after the New Year. I haven¡¯t seen Mother until now. Sister, where did Mother go?¡±


    Yu Yan looked at her younger brother, whose eyes were red and about to cry, and thought to herself that her mother would nevere back. After all, she was a cheap concubine who was pped in public and sentenced to exile. Even if she came back alive, the Yu family wouldn¡¯t want her.


    Her father was just a useless man who couldn¡¯t even protect his woman. Yu Yan clenched her fists angrily, unaware that her nails had pierced her palms.


    The cows were sent from the countryside to the farmstead outside the city. Mr.


    Wen looked at them one by one and shook his head in disappointment. Ding


    Man said to Mr. Wen, ¡°Sir, you still haven¡¯t found the sick cow you¡¯re looking


    Mr. Wen sighed. ¡°No. Bring the rest of the cows!¡±


    Ding Man brought the remaining cows over with his men. After looking at them, Mr. Wen still could not find any sick cows with hemorrhoids. He suppressed his disappointment. ¡°Ding Man, go back to the government office and report the situation to your lord. Tell him to hurry up and find cows in the more remote countryside.¡± Ding bowed and rode away.


    At this moment, Tu Hui rode his horse and rushed to the farm. He said to Mr. Wen anxiously, ¡°Sir, two more people in that child¡¯s house have a fever. Their bodies are sore. There are already hemorrhoids on their necks and faces. The eldest son of the Liu family next door has also started to have an attack.¡±


    Mr. Wen thought to himself that the virus had spread as expected. They could only speed up the search for the sick cow.


    ¡°Get the scribe to take my prescription to the Rejuvenation Hall and get them to prepare the medicine ording to it and boil it for those people to take. The clothes of the people who deliver food to those families have to be ced properly. They can¡¯t interact with people who haven¡¯t suffered from smallpox.¡±


    Tu Hui bowed. ¡®Yes, sir.¡±


    The families at the end of East Street were already in despair. Everyone wasining and cursing the Zou family, which was the first to be infected with smallpox. When they realized that someone from the Liu family had also been infected this morning, they were all like frightened birds, worried that someone in their family would also be infected with smallpox.


    In the Yang family¡¯s house next door to the Zou family, Old Yang called his two sons and daughter-inw to the central room. The entire family sat there with heavy hearts and ashen faces. Old Yang pointed next door and said, ¡°The eldest son of the Liu family started having a fever this morning. There¡¯s only a wall between us and the Zou family. I feel that it will reach our house sooner orter. I want to wait for Lord Tu toe and beg him to let Little Huzi out. That way, we can at least leave a descendant for our family.¡±


    Everyone looked at the little boy sitting beside Old Madam Yang and lowered their heads in silence. Their eldest daughter-inw was overjoyed. ¡°Thank you, Father and Mother. Hu Zi can be sent to my mother¡¯s house so my mother can take care of him for a few days.¡±


    Old Yang¡¯s second daughter-inw kicked her husband and pointed at their son in her arms. The man looked up at Old Yang and mustered his courage.


    ¡°Father, do you think Lord Tu will agree?¡±


    Old Yang shook his head and sighed. ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking. The possibility of Lord Tu agreeing is minimal. I just want to give it a try. Don¡¯t ruin the harmony between the two of you.¡±


    His two sons and daughters-inw thought about it and felt that it made sense. They shouldn¡¯t hurt their rtionship because of something that hadn¡¯t even happened.


    As he spoke, Scribe Tu walked in with the medicine. Old Yang pulled Scribe Tu and begged, ¡°Master Tu, please let my grandson out. Please. It¡¯s fine if we die because we¡¯re old, but the child is still young! No one in our family is infected with smallpox poison. We won¡¯t harm anyone if we go out.¡±


    Looking at the pleading eyes, Scribe Tu hardened his heart and said, ¡°Brother, it¡¯s not that I¡¯m ruthless and unwilling to let you out. You know very well that smallpox can be passed on to others. Wait patiently for a few more days. Lord Zhou¡¯s teacher has already found the form and is looking for the medicinal primer. At that time, everyone won¡¯t have to worry about being afraid.¡±


    Seeing that his begging had failed, Old Yang¡¯s eldest son turned around and took out a machete from the house. He pointed at the scribe and threatened, ¡°Lord Tu, it¡¯s not like my child has that kind of illness. What right do you have to lock us up? Are you going to let us out?¡±


    Scribe Tu looked at him fearlessly and shouted, ¡°There are bailiffs and constables outside.. Do you think you can escape if you kill me?¡±

 Chapter 248 - 248: Vaccination

    Chapter 248: Vination


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Yang Xiaodou red at him. ¡°That¡¯s better than waiting for death.¡± Old Yang


    and the other tamily members hurriedly went up to pull him back. ¡°Xiaodou, don¡¯t be silly. Put down the knife.¡±


    Old Yang asked his youngest son to hold his eldest son and apologized to the scribe. ¡°Master Tu, don¡¯t lower yourself to this child¡¯s level. You said that Master Zhou¡¯s teacher has found a prescription and is looking for a medicinal primer. Are you really not lying to us?¡±


    Scribe Tu raised his hand and said, ¡°Brother, I swear I¡¯m not lying to you. Be careful these few days. Take your medicine on time and don¡¯t interact with the people next door. There¡¯ll be news in six or seven days at most.¡±


    Seeing that the scribe had raised his hand and sworn, Old Yang believed him a little. ¡°Lord Tu, don¡¯t worry. We will take the medicine on time and wait for the good news.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m still busy delivering medicine to the other two families.¡± The scribe turned and walked out of the house, closing the door and locking it. After walking through the surrounding families, he took off his cloak and ced it in the bamboo basket.


    Tu Hui rode back to East Street and told the scribe what Mr. Wen had said about having to put away the cloak he had worn. He looked at the cloak in the bamboo basket and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I made a separate bamboo basket and ced it there. Have you found the sick cow?¡±


    Tu Hui shook his head. ¡°We didn¡¯t find any sick cows from those that were brought over from a few viges. We can only wait for those viges further away to bring the cows over.¡±


    Scribe Tu nodded and sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t know which immortal our Qingchuan has offended. We¡¯re always in trouble.¡±


    Tu Hui recalled the past and smiled. ¡°That¡¯s still better than the past two years! It¡¯ll get better and better.¡±


    Li Yu asked Ruyi to return to the manor and get someone to peel some thin bamboo sticks. At home, she brought Xiaoyu and Aunt Zhang along and tore the cotton into a pot to boil before drying it. After scrubbing it clean, she squeezed out the water andid the sticks on the bamboo board to dry. She was making a pile of cotton sticks to use when applying the vine.


    At night, Mr. Wen returned home with a tired expression. Li Yu went up and asked, ¡°Sir, did you find a sick cow with smallpox?¡±


    ¡°Sigh!¡± Mr. Wen sighed. ¡°We didn¡¯t find any in the dozen cows we brought today. We¡¯ll just have to see if there are any cows we brought from a distant vige tomorrow. ¡±


    Li Yuforted him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, there will be. I got someone to make your favorite braised pork. Go wash up first. We¡¯ll eat.¡±


    Ruyi went to the front office and invited Zhou Jia back. The family sat down for dinner. Zhou Jia carried the awakened Yangyang and walked around the courtyard. The father and son chatted happily, making Auntie Zhang and Xiaoyu purse their lips andugh. Li Yu asked in amusement, ¡°Xiao Xi, what did you say to your son?¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled and said, ¡°Who knows what this little rascal is talking about? If


    I don¡¯t answer him, he¡¯ll cry. I¡¯ll just follow what he says!¡±


    At night, Zhou Jia told Li Yu about the illness of two more people. He sighed and said, ¡°Sir is also anxious. He sighed that he knows the method but can¡¯t find the sick cow.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll find it. Go buy some lime for those families to scatter or we can use vinegar.¡± Li Yu suddenly thought of the vinegar jar in the backyard. ¡°Let¡¯s use vinegar! I was afraid we would be unable to finish the vinegar we received from Yangyang¡¯s birth.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at his sleeping son and smiled. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll get someone to haul it tomorrow.¡±


    The next day, Li Yu handed the wrapped cotton swab to Tu Man and brought it to Mr. Wen. Scribe Tu got someone to pull two vats of vinegar to East Street and asked more than ten families near the Zou family to boil the vinegar and put it in their houses to smoke away the virus.


    When those people saw that the government office had sent the gifts received by the county magistrate¡¯s family to disinfect them, the dissatisfaction they felt after the government detained them was alleviated. Old Yang said gratefully to the clerk, ¡°Master Tu, you and the county magistrate are good officials who love the people unconditionally.!¡±


    Scribe Tuughed and said, ¡°I¡¯m not even an official yet! Don¡¯t worry, everyone. The county magistrate is thinking about everyone.¡±


    It was only afternoon that Mr. Wen and Tu Hui found an afflicted and emaciated cow. Mr. Wen looked at the sick cow with glowing eyes andughed with joy as if he had seen a golden cow. He danced around and shouted, ¡°Found it, found it. Ah Man, bring the porcin bottle.¡±


    Mr. Wen¡¯sughter infected Tu Hui. His initial impatience dissipated. He ran happily to Mr. Wen¡¯s side and looked at the cow lying on its side. Its bony stomach was covered in transparent blisters the size of soybeans. Tu Hui said, ¡°Is this how cowpox looks like?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s it. It¡¯s usually the skinny cows that get hemorrhoids after giving birth. The sturdy bulls will heal on their own after a few blisters.¡±


    With Tu Hui in tow, Mr. Wen carefully squeezed out the pus and ced it in a small porcin bottle. Tu Hui looked at the sticky pus and felt nauseous. When he turned his head and saw Mr. Wen¡¯s serious and happy expression, he suddenly felt ashamed. He looked up into the distance and took a deep breath. He suppressed his disgust and focused on squeezing the pus.


    After more than an hour, Mr. Wen happily took the porcin bottle filled with pus and said to Tu Hui, ¡°After you finish squeezing the pus of this cow, continue to look for infected cows. I¡¯ll go to East Street to vinate those dozen families.¡¯


    Tu Hui no longer felt disgusted and sad. He smiled happily and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, sir. Leave this to me.¡± Mr. Wen praised Tu Hui in relief. ¡°Young man, you¡¯re a good person.¡±


    Mr. Wen arrived at East Street with a happy expression. The scribe went forward and asked, ¡°Old Master, how¡¯s the search going?¡±


    Mr. Wen waved the porcin bottle in his hand and smiled. ¡°We¡¯ve found it. Please prepare a pot of strong wine, Mr. Tu. I¡¯ll nt the vine for them.¡±


    ¡°Alright!¡± Scribe Tu went to get the wine. Mr. Wen asked, ¡°Mr. Tu, did you make it clear to those families?¡±


    Scribe Tu smiled. ¡°Yes! I said you¡¯ve found a way to treat smallpox and are still looking for medicine.¡±


    Mr. Wen looked at Scribe Tu and pointed at him. ¡°Aiya! You didn¡¯t make it clear to them at all! It¡¯s my fault too. I didn¡¯t go into detail with you. I¡¯ll tell you how smallpox is treated¡­ Do you understand?¡±


    After Scribe Tu figured out how to nt the virus, he hesitated. ¡°Will they be willing to be treated like this? Why don¡¯t we ask them first?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go! I¡¯ll go with you.¡± Mr. Wen led the way to the Zou residence. Scribe Tu followed him and ran to open the Zou residence. The two of them entered the courtyard.


    Scribe Tu called the Zou family out and said to them, ¡°Mr. Wen has found a way to treat smallpox. Everyone, listen.¡± The Zou family looked at Mr. Wen in surprise.


    Mr. Wen told them about nting the virus. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid,¡± he said. ¡°This is the best way for now.¡±


    The old man from the Zou family sighed and said, ¡°What¡¯s there to be afraid of? It¡¯s just ast resort! If we don¡¯t do it, we¡¯ll just wait for death. There might just be a way out..¡±

 Chapter 249 - 249: Success

    Chapter 249: Sess


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Mr. Wen did not expect the Zou family to ept it so calmly. He said to the scribe, ¡°Please bring the strong wine over.¡±


    Zou¡¯s wife cried and knelt in front of Mr. Wen. She begged him, ¡°Doctor Wen, my eldest son and youngest son are still burning up. My youngest son is covered in blisters. Please save their lives.¡±


    Mr. Wen looked at the woman and shook his head. ¡°Your two children are already sick and we can¡¯t nt any more vines. They can only drink medicine and recuperate slowly. Whether they can be cured is up to fate.¡±


    Scribe Tu carried a can of strong wine into the courtyard. Mr. Wen lit the wine as Li Yu had said and took out a thin-ded dagger. He ced it on the fire for a while and took out a cotton swab from the medicine box to soak in the wine. He said to Zou, ¡°You first.¡±


    Mr. Wen pulled away Zou¡¯s clothes and revealed his arm. After wiping his arm with a cotton swab stained with wine, he made a cut on his arm. He took a new cotton swab, dipped it in the vine, and smeared it on the cut. He smiled and said, ¡°Okay, next.¡±


    In a short while, Mr. Wen nted the vine in the members of Old Zou¡¯s house. Mr. Wen instructed them, ¡®You cant use your hands to touch the wound. Don¡¯t get water on it. In half a month, the wound will scab and leave a scar. If you have some fever, don¡¯t be afraid.¡±


    Zou bowed with his family and said, ¡°Doctor Wen, thank you.¡±


    Mr. Wen waved his hand and picked up the medicine box. ¡°You¡¯re wee.


    We¡¯re still busy going to the other households. Just remember what I told you.¡± The Zous escorted the scribe and Mr. Wen, who headed for the other houses.


    Then, they went to the Yang and Liu families and sessfully nted the vine. When they arrived at the family opposite them, that family was unwilling to nt vines no matter what. While Scribe Tu persuaded them, the family even made a scene and said that Mr. Wen was them as experiments.


    Mr. Wen picked up the medicine box and said to the scribe, ¡°Sometimes, it¡¯s about fate. It seems that I¡¯m not fated with them. Let¡¯s not force it. There are still a few families to go to!¡± The scribe looked at the family and sneered. ¡°They don¡¯t know what¡¯s good for them.¡±


    After two more houses were vinated and the vine in the porcin bottle was used up, Scribe Tu sent someone to the farm to get the vine. Mr. Wen got busy vinating more than a dozen families around the Zou residence.


    After the vination, Mr. Wen was exhausted and instructed the scribe, ¡°Monitor the situation carefully. If anything happens tonight, look for me at the government office. I¡¯lle back tomorrow morning.¡±


    ¡°Alright, go back and rest for a while. I¡¯ll watch over things here!¡±


    The two medicine halls in Qingchuan City had been paying close attention to the spread of smallpox since it happened.


    When the shopkeeper of the Rejuvenation Hall heard that Mr. Wen was nting vines for those people on East Street, he mocked Mr. Wen. ¡°I thought you were really capable, but it turns out that you¡¯re just so-so. If you could nt vines, you would have done it long ago.¡±


    ¡°The shopkeeper is right. I don¡¯t know how many seniors have tried this method of nting vines. Although some people survived, many people died.¡± As a physician, he knew that Mr. Wen was often on the streets and prescribed some cheap but effective medicinal herbs to the patients, causing the shop to earn a lot less money. He had been dissatisfied with Mr. Wen for a long time. However, since Mr.Wen was from the county magistrate¡¯s family, he couldn¡¯t do anything to him and had to tter him. Now that he had the opportunity, he could mock him to his heart¡¯s content!


    In the days that followed, Mr. Wen and the scribe guarded East Street. Every day, they conducted visits to check on those who had been vinated.


    After a few days, Mr. Wen examined the arms of the people who were vinated and found that they had rashes. After asking, everyone said that there was no difort.


    At this moment, the child who was infected with smallpox was unable to resist the disease. His life was taken away by smallpox at a young age.


    Zou¡¯s wife¡¯s heart ached so much that she hugged the child and refused to let go. It took a while before everyone finally managed to take the child from her arms. Seeing that she did not get smallpox after such contact, Mr. Wen became even more convinced that the vine could prevent smallpox.


    After a few more days, the papules turned to pustules. After most of a month, only a shallow cross-shaped scar was left on the arms of those who had been vinated. During this period, except for the first two days when they were a little ufortable, none of them died because of the vine.


    Mr. Wen knelt on the ground excitedly and looked up at the sky as he shouted, ¡°Master, I did it! I did it! Do you see this in heaven? We¡¯re not afraid of smallpox anymore!¡±


    The families who had been vinated also looked up at the sky happily when they saw Mr. Wen¡¯s shout. ¡°It worked. We won¡¯t get infected with smallpox again.¡±


    Mr. Wen returned home excitedly and told Li Yu the news of the sessful nting. Li Yu looked at this kind -hearted old man and cried in excitement. She admired his selfless dedication.


    Thinking of this, Li Yu smiled and said to Mr. Wen, ¡°Sir, you¡¯ve been tired for so many days. Go wash up first. I¡¯ve already asked Old Madam Liu to make your favorite pork ribs and lotus root soup.¡±


    Mr. Wen rubbed his hands together, unable to suppress his joy. ¡°Not now. After I wash my hands, I¡¯ll call Xiao Xi back from the government office and nt the vine for Xiao Xi too. You have to take care of the child. You¡¯ll have to nt it in a few days.¡±


    Li Yu nodded and said, ¡°Alright, nt it for Ruyi and the others too. I¡¯ll do it with the childter.¡±


    A crisis was averted. In the following days, Mr. Wen vinated those in the magistrate¡¯s office and on the farmstead.


    The shopkeeper of the Qingchuan Medicine Hall, who was paying close attention to the nting of vines in the city, also learned of the news of the sessful nting of vines. He hurriedly sent the news to the owner of the Qingzhou Medicine Hall.


    The shopkeeper of Rejuvenation Hall also learned that Mr. Wen had cured the smallpox disease. He thought excitedly, Whoever has the prescription to treat smallpox will have an inexhaustible source of wealth. I have to quickly discuss the cooperation with Mr. Wen. It¡¯s only a matter of time before I¡¯m promoted to the chief shopkeeper.


    The shopkeeper carried a gift to the county office and asked to see Mr. Wen. When he saw Mr. Wen, he raised his thumb and ttered him. ¡°Mr. Wen is a role model worth learning from!¡±


    Mr. Wen had never liked the shopkeeper of Rejuvenation Hall. He felt that he was too unscrupulous. Mr. Wen felt that he must be here to about the smallpox vine. Mr. Wen nced at him and said indifferently, ¡°Shopkeeper, you don¡¯t visit unless you have something to say. Just say it.¡±


    The shopkeeper was stunned by Mr. Wen¡¯s candor. He smiled apologetically and said, ¡°Doctor Wen, I want to talk to you about cooperation.¡±


    Mr. Wen looked at him and smiled. ¡°Cooperation! Are you talking about smallpox disease? I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have to disappoint you. I don¡¯t n to use it to umte wealth. I want to publicize the method of nting vines.¡±


    ¡°Make it public?¡± The shopkeeper looked at Mr. Wen as if he was looking at a


    fool. ¡°Doctor Wen, do you know how much money this prescription can earn? Are you going to make it public so easily?¡±


    Mr. Wen looked at him indifferently, picked up his tea, and ignored him. The shopkeeper of Rejuvenation Hall left resentfully..

 Chapter 250 - 250: Ascension

    Chapter 250: Ascension


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Mr. Wen sorted out the medical case and handed it to Zhou Jia, instructing him to report it to the Imperial Court and make it public.


    A few monthster, the emperor, who was far away in the capital, received the medical case reported by Zhou Jia. He said excitedly to Shen Zhong, ¡°Mr. Zhou¡¯s family are really meritorious subjects of Great Yong!¡±


    Shen Zhong bowed and smiled. ¡°It¡¯s also because Your Majesty is blessed that you can have such a good minister.¡±


    In October of the golden autumn, the Imperial Court sent someone to take away dozens of stones of corn seeds. They left a box of gold bars for Li Yu, a box of calligraphy, and many rare herbs for Mr. Wen. Li Yu looked at the box of gold bars and smiled. ¡°Your Majesty¡¯s reward is really generous!¡±


    Time passed quickly. In the blink of an eye, another year passed. The poor people who had borrowed the seeds and farming equipment from the county government returned the money they owed to the Qingchuan government. The originally poor families had started livingfortably.


    Qingchuan also had thousands of acres of fertilend. Zhou Jia¡¯s help to the poor had achieved significant results, and the county school had also achieved preliminary results. These two things added another highlight to Zhou Jia¡¯s political achievements.


    When Zhou Jia and Scribe Tu worked together in Qingchuan, he felt that Scribe Tu was a person who was willing to do things for the people. During their time together, he rmended Scribe Tu to the Imperial Court for promotion. The Imperial Court agreed to Zhou Jia¡¯s rmendation and appointed Scribe Tu as the new assistant county magistrate.


    In the blink of an eye, Yangyang was chattering non-stop and running around with Seven Pounds. Zhou Jia¡¯s three-year term was almost over. The oue of his assessment was that his political results were extraordinary for three consecutive years. Zhou Jia looked at thements on it and sighed. Was it easy to be a county magistrate? He was so conscientious that he had not even apanied his wife and children much. However, this appraisal could be considered an affirmation of his hard work and diligence.


    Not long after, the new appointment from the Imperial Court was also sent to Qingchuan County. Zhou Jia was promoted to fifth-grade official and would assume the position of the Magistrate of Yunzhou.


    Zhou Jia returned to the back office with the appointment letter and said to Li Yu with a smile, ¡°Yu¡¯er, Yunzhou is only a month away from Tongzhou. After I take up a position in Yunzhou, Ah Qing will be able to visit us. Or it will be much more convenient for us to visit him.¡±


    When Li Yu heard that Yunzhou was only a month¡¯s journey from Tongzhou, she thought that it was indeed much more convenient to travel two-thirds of the way. She asked happily, ¡°Xiao Xi, where is Yunzhou?¡±


    Zhou Jia took out the map and pointed at it. ¡°It takes more than two months to walk northwest from here to Green Mountain County. Yunzhou City is a small county city near the border of Great Qi. It¡¯s two times the size of Green Mountain County. Yunzhou is also the birthce of Emperor Taizu.¡±


    ¡°Then when are we leaving for Yunzhou?¡±


    ¡°After my handover of duties, we¡¯ll set off for Yunzhou.¡±


    Li Yu was very satisfied with Zhou Jia¡¯s appointment in Yunzhou. She mainly liked that it was close to Tongzhou and it was convenient for her to reunite with Li Qing and the others. After receiving the appointment letter, Li Yu began to make preparations to set off for Yunzhou. She sold the two farmsteads, shops, and inns to the Four Seas Bank in Qingchuan at a price. She brought people to pack their luggage.


    Seeing that Li Yu had already begun to pack her luggage, Assistant County Magistrate Tu said to Zhou Jia and Li Yu with a bitter expression, ¡°Lord, it¡¯s a good thing that you¡¯ve been promoted, but once you and Madam leave, my food will be gone. It¡¯s still better for Mr. Qian who doesn¡¯t have to worry about not following you.¡±


    Mr. Qian patted Assistant County Magistrate Tu¡¯s shoulder and joked, ¡°Old Tu, you¡¯re only in your forties now. Why don¡¯t you marry another and have apanion! ¡±


    Assistant County Magistrate Tu shook his head like a rattle. ¡°Then forget it! I¡¯m used to being an old widower. As long as someone cooks for me and I don¡¯t have to eat alone.¡±


    Li Yu looked at Yu Niang, who had brought the child to visit her. She thought that ever since Yu Niang moved to the Yang family, Assistant County Magistrate Tu had always taken good care of the mother and son. They were both sentimental people. She smiled and said, ¡°Yu Niang, cook an extra bowl of rice in the future. It¡¯s feasible for Assistant County Magistrate Tu to go to your house to eat.¡±


    ¡°Madam¡¯s idea is good.¡± County Governor Tu pped and praised when he heard that. He cupped his hands at Yu Niang and said with a smile, ¡°Miss Yu, I¡¯ve decided. I¡¯ll rely on your family for dinner in the future.¡±


    Yu Niang bowed and said, ¡°Seriously, it¡¯s just a matter of getting an extra pair of chopsticks ! ¡±


    Li Yu pped her hands and smiled. ¡°Alright, we can leave in peace now. Yu Niang is alone with the child but has Assistant County Magistrate Tu to take care of her. She would not be afraid of being bullied. Yu Niang will help County Magistrate Tu cook so that County Magistrate Tu won¡¯t have to worry about his meals. Everyone will be happy.¡±


    ¡°Oh, oh, everyone is happy!¡± Yangyang and Seven Pounds pped andughed with Li Yu. Everyoneughed.


    The new county magistrate was very proactive. He arrived in Qingchuan in mid-November. Zhou Jia brought his people out of the city and warmly weed the new county magistrate into the city. On the same day, he handed over the seal to him. Li Yu brought her people and prepared everything. She had already equipped the carriage and waited in the front yard. She was waiting for Zhou Jia to hand over the seal to the new county magistrate before setting off.


    After Zhou Jia left the government office, he did not even go to the backyard. He went straight to the carriage that was already waiting in the front courtyard. Yangyang had two towering braids and was wearing a thin red silk jacket and a pair of red silk flower pants. He was holding a wooden sword in his hand and was dressed like a Fu Wa in a New Year painting. As soon as he saw Zhou Jia, he threw herself into his arms, hugged Zhou Jia¡¯s neck, pointed at the horse, and shouted, ¡°Father, Yangyang rides a horse. Yangyang rides a horse.¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled and sat down with Yangyang in his arms. He pointed at the leaves in the courtyard that were shaking non-stop and coaxed patiently, ¡°Be good. The wind is too strong. You can¡¯t ride a horse yet.¡±


    Seeing that Zhou Jia had gotten into the carriage, Ruyi raised his whip and shouted, ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± A row of eight carriages drove out of the county office briskly and soon left the city gate.


    Assistant County Magistrate Tu, who was originally prepared to give Zhou Jia a farewell gift, waited for a while in the government office. However, Zhou Jia and the others had long disappeared. County Governor Tu looked at themoners and the students from the county school behind him and bowed in Zhou Jia¡¯s direction. ¡°Lord Zhou, have a safe trip.¡± Everyone bowed and called out.


    It took them half a month to reach Clearwater Town and rest for a day. After Li


    Yu and Zhou Jia brought Yangyang to their parents¡¯ graves, they set off for Yunzhou. The weather in early December was already very cold. Li Yu had always been worried that the children were still young and would be in trouble if they fell sick on the way.


    Mr. Wen was also worried that the children would be sick. He had to take their pulse once a day before he could feel at ease. Fortunately, Yangyang and Seven Pounds were strong and were well taken care of. They were always safe and sound.


    Li Yu leaned against the car and watched Zhou Jia ying with Yangyang for a moment. She thought about how the ancient people said that one should carry their grandson instead of their son. However, whenever Zhou Jia was free, he would carry Yangyang and y with him. The father and son drew in the car, yed games, and flipped the cart into a mess. Theughter along the way caused Seven Pounds to always want toe to Li Yu¡¯s car. Ruyi was med by Xiaoyu for not taking care of their son..

 Chapter 251 - 251: Yunzhou

    Chapter 251: Yunzhou


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    The group traveled for more than two months. At the end of the 28th day of the first month, when they were more than ten kilometers away from Yunzhou, Ruyi saw Ji Xiang and Zhao Cai waving their hands and shouting as they rode towards the convoy. He turned around and shouted, ¡°Master, Madam, Zhao Cai and Ji Xiang are here to pick us up.¡±


    Before he could finish his sentence, Zhao Cai and Ji Xiang spurred their horses to the front of the carriage and dismounted. They knelt down and kowtowed.


    ¡°Master, Madam, we¡¯re here to wee you.¡±


    When Zhou Jia and Li Yu saw the two of them, they smiled happily.


    Zhou Jia jumped out of the carriage and went forward to help the two of them up. He smiled and punched their chests. He asked in surprise, ¡°How did you two know that we wereing to Yunzhou?¡±


    Zhao Cai reported to Zhou Jia, ¡°Shen Zhong told me. It just so happened that Ji Xiang was delivering the goods to the capital. After the two of us handed over the goods to Shopkeeper Chu in the capital, we rushed over. We have arrived in Yunzhou for half a month.¡±


    Ruyi also dismounted and ran to the two of them. He hugged them with a smile, and the two of them hugged Ruyi with a smile. Ji Xiang narrowed his eyes and said with a smile, ¡°Master, we have nothing to do these days. The two of us have been wandering in the city and looking after a few shops. We¡¯ll make a decision after Master and Madam take a look. Also, when we left the city, we saw officials waiting outside the city. They might be here to wee you.¡±


    Yangyang and Seven Pounds squeezed together, sticking out their butts and sticking their heads out of the car window. They looked curiously at Ruyi and the others, who were smiling and hugging one another. Seeing that they were only talking andughing, the two of them waved their hands.


    Zhao Cai and Ji Xiang ran to the car window and looked at the two children in red. They smiled and said, ¡°Which is Young Master Yangyang? Which one is


    Seven Pounds?¡±


    The two of them stretched out their short fat fingers and pointed at themselves.


    ¡°I¡¯m Yangyang.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Seven Pounds. ¡±


    Li Yu and Xiaoyu smiled at the two of them and said, ¡°Yangyang, Seven


    Pounds, quickly say hi to Uncle Ji Xiang and Uncle Zhao Cai.¡±


    The two of them took out the longevity golden locks that they had prepared long ago and hung them around Yang Yang¡¯s neck. They cupped their hands and smiled. ¡°Young Master Yang Yang, we¡¯re here to greet you.¡±


    Yangyang imitated the two of them and raised his two fat hands. ¡°Yang Yang greets you.¡± Zhou Jia and Li Yuughed out loud.


    After Ji Xiang and Zhao Cai greeted Mr. Wen and Mr. Qian, everyone got into the cart and walked towards the city gate.


    Outside the city gate of Yunzhou, the few officials who were weing Zhou Jia stood outside the city gate and waited for Zhou Jia¡¯s arrival against the cold wind. Even though the waiting officials were a little impatient, no one left early. They all wanted to see who this small county magistrate who came out of an aberrant county was.


    The bailiffs ahead looked up at the courier route and saw a group of carriages driving towards the city gate. They shouted excitedly, ¡°They¡¯re here, they¡¯re here.¡±


    Zhou Jia asked Zhao Cai to stop the cart. A slender middle-aged man stepped forward and cupped his hands. ¡°I¡¯m Wang Qinghai, an official of the Yunzhou government. May I ask if this is the new magistrate¡¯s cart?¡±


    Zhou Jia got out of the cart and smiled as he cupped his hands. ¡°Yes.¡±


    Wang Qinghai bowed and said, ¡°Greetings, Lord.¡± The dozen or so officials behind Wang Qinghai also came forward to greet him. Everyone greeted him at the city gate and got into their carts. They discussed softly. They didn¡¯t expect Lord Zhou to be promoted to magistrate level at such a young age. They had never heard anyone mention that he was a descendant of a noble family, which would have granted him concessions!


    Li Yu had been to so many ces, but this was the first time she had seen the city wall of a prefecture city which was almost 30 feet tall. The cart entered the city from the west gate and moved along the limestone road. Li Yu felt that this stone road was even bumpier than the courier road outside the city. Zhou Jia hugged the sleepy Yangyang and patted him gently. Li Yu leaned against the window and looked out through the sand window.


    Yunzhou City was much more prosperous than she had imagined. The buildings on both sides of the street were of various heights and there were rows of shops. The doors of the shops were wide open, and the shops were filled with all kinds of things. The people on the streets and in the shops were dressed much better than those in Qingchuan.


    The builders of Yunzhou City had nned the city very neatly. The cart entered from the west gate and headed east into a wider and more imposing street. Most of the pedestrians on the street were wearing silk and satin, and it was a bustling scene.


    Li Yu saw that the shops on the magistrate¡¯s street looked even more imposing. There were pawn shops, medicine shops, inns, teahouses, and a luxurious three-story restaurant called the Intoxicated Immortal Restaurant.


    Li Yu sighed at Zhou Jia. ¡°As expected of the birthce of the founding emperor! Looking at this bustling city, it can even match up to the capital in good time.¡±


    Zhou Jia whispered to Li Yu, ¡°It¡¯s quite prosperous. Most of the shops nearby are opened by families rted to the government office. Sigh! Although it¡¯s a


    promotion, the waters are deep. Our days might not be as carefree as ours in Qingchuan.¡±


    Li Yu raised her eyebrows and said, ¡°What¡¯s there to be afraid of? As the saying goes, there¡¯s no fish if the water is too clear. As long as they don¡¯t go overboard, you¡¯ll do your best to do your job and benefit everyone. We just want to have a clear conscience.¡±


    Zhou Jia nodded and hugged Li Yu. He looked down at her and smiled. ¡°Madam, you are perceptive.¡±


    Wang Qinghai and the others got out of the cart and led the convoy past the entrance of the government office. There were already bailiffs guarding the door of the upper house in the backyard. When they saw the carting, they quickly removed the threshold and the cart stopped after passing the spirit screen. Li Yu saw through the gap in the curtain that the courtyard of the second gate was spacious and neat. It looked twice as big as the one in the Qingchuan County office. Even the big cart carrying luggage in the back could enter the second gate.


    Zhou Jia carefully ced the sleeping Yangyang in Li Yu¡¯s arms and got out of the cart. Wang Qinghai went forward and bowed. ¡°Lord, there¡¯s a courtyard with three entrances in the backyard. There¡¯s a garden behind the courtyard. Although the garden isn¡¯t big, the trees and flowers are good. There¡¯s also an outer study, living room, and meeting room in the front yard.¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled and discussed with Wang Qinghai and the others gently. ¡°Lord Wang, it¡¯s gettingte. I¡¯ve troubled you to wait for a day. Go back and rest.


    We¡¯ll talk tomorrow after I settle down.¡±


    How could Wang Qinghai and the others not agree to Zhou Jia¡¯s words?


    Looking at this young and handsome magistrate, they bowed and smiled. ¡°Alright, when you¡¯re settled, we¡¯ll do a proper wee.¡± Zhou Jia cupped his hands and thanked them. Seeing that Zhou Jia had brought servants and old women, Wang Qinghai and the others felt that it was not appropriate to interfere and help, so they did not say anything else and left the courtyard.


    Li Yu carried Yang Yang out of the car. Zhou Jia went forward and brought Yang Yang through the second door. There was also arge courtyard inside. It was clean and tidy. There were two rooms on the left and right. There were five main rooms. The rooms were connected by a corridor. There was a hanging flower door on the inside. After passing through the hanging flower door, they entered a courtyard of the same size. After that, they entered the main courtyard. The main courtyard was muchrger. Each of the five main rooms was connected to two side rooms.


    There were flowers and nts in the courtyard. It was obvious that they had been carefully taken care of. The two of them passed through the corner door beside the main room and entered a slightly lower-side courtyard. After entering, they saw the garden that Wang Qinghai had mentioned. There was an exquisite water pavilion bridge, a small rockery, and flowing water. The garden was filled with flowers and trees. Li Yu felt that it was like a scaled-down Suzhou garden that she had gone to in her previous life..

 Chapter 252 - 252: New Home

    Chapter 252: New Home


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Li Yu stood at the entrance of the garden and smiled at Zhou Jia. ¡°This garden is indeed not bad! Let¡¯s go back to our room first! After settling Yangyang down, we¡¯lle and take a look.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s indeed not bad.¡± Zhou Jia nodded, and the two of them turned around. They arranged for Mr. Qian, Zhao Cai, and the others to stay in the courtyard in front. Ruyi¡¯s family, Old Madam Liu, and Aunt Zhang lived in the next courtyard. Li Yu¡¯s family and Mr. Wen lived in the main courtyard. Ruyi and Zhao Cai were busy instructing everyone to dismantle the luggage and move the things into the house. Old Madam Liu and Aunt Zhang found the kitchen and saw that it was clean. Everything they needed to prepare meals was there. The two of them were busy lighting the fire and cooking.


    Li Yu asked Zhou Jia to look after Yangyang and Seven Pounds. She brought


    Xiaoyu into the house. The doors and windows were polished from fresh paint. The fire in the house looked like it had been burning all along. When they entered the house, they felt warm. The house was very clean. There was no dust on the windows, The double windows inside had newly installed snow-white window gauze.


    Li Yu and Xiao Yu ced the luggage that Ruyi and the others had moved in. Yangyang and Seven Pounds had already woken up and were looking at the flowers and nts in the courtyard with Zhou Jia. Old Madam Liu and Aunt


    Zhang prepared the food and brought it to the hall. Everyone ate separately. Li Yu felt exhausted after busying herself for a long time. She quickly bathed


    Yangyang and Zhou Jia washed up. After eating something, they rested tiredly.


    Zhou Jia woke up early in the morning and saw that Li Yu was still sleeping soundly. After gently getting out of bed and putting on his clothes, he went to the outer room to kiss Yangyang¡¯s ruddy face before going out to wash up and eat. Before he went to the front office, he instructed Old Madam Liu and the others not to wake Li Yu up and went to the front office to take over.


    Zhou Jia followed the corridor and passed through the flower door into the courtyard of the magistrate¡¯s office in front. Just as he entered the courtyard, the door to the room on the right opened. Wang Qinghai came out hurriedly with five or six schrly-looking people in cotton robes. They cupped their hands and bowed respectfully to Zhou Jia. ¡°Greetings, Lord Magistrate.¡±


    Zhou Jia hurriedly cupped his hands and returned the greeting. They looked at the young and handsome magistrate with smiles. Wang Qinghai brought Zhou Jia to the main room and pointed at one of the rooms. He said to Zhou Jia, ¡°Sir, this is your room. The east room is Lord Wu¡¯s. The west room is for me. Lord Wu isn¡¯t here yet. Please sit for a while.¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled and nodded. He pushed open the door and entered the room. He looked at the spacious and neat room. There was andscape painting hanging on the front. There was a high table below and a pearwood chair on the left and right. There were four chairs in two rows in front of him. There was a screen on the right side. Behind the screen, there was a wide rosewood table by the window. The table was clean and shiny. The four treasures of the literary room were neatly arranged on it. There was a curtain hanging on the west side. Behind the curtain was a big bed. The table and furniture on the bed were allplete. It seemed that they were used for resting when work was busy.


    At this moment, a tall, square-faced man in his fifties walked to Zhou Jia¡¯s room. He took a deep breath and finally squeezed out a smile before knocking on the door.


    Zhou Jia raised his head and said, ¡°Come in.¡± The man pushed the door open and walked in. He cupped his hands and bowed to Zhou Jia. ¡°I, Wu Tingxian, pay my respects to the Lord.¡± After Zhou Jia cupped his hands and returned the greeting, the two of them exchanged a few pleasantries. When Wang Qinghai saw that Comrade Wu had arrived, he called all the officials in the government office to the hall and greeted the Magistrate God in a ceremony.


    When Li Yu woke up, she found out that Zhou Jia had already woken up and


    gone to the front office. Seeing that Yangyang was still sleeping soundly on the small bed, she kissed Yangyang¡¯s chubby cheek and left the room. She followed the corridor through the corner room and went to the back garden. She stretched her body in the garden and practiced two sets of boxing until her face was covered in sweat before going back to wash up.


    After changing her clothes, she came out and saw Mr. Wen bringing Yangyang and Seven Pounds to the backyard. Old Madam Liu came up and reported with a smile, ¡°Madam, Master went to the front office after breakfast and instructed us not to wake you up. Do you think we should prepare your meal for you now?¡±


    Li Yu nodded and went to the dining room. Old Madam Liu and Aunt Zhang brought over egg buns and porridge. Just as they finished eating, Xiaoyu came to the dining room and said to Li Yu with a smile, ¡°Madam, the house is almost tidied up, but this courtyard is too big!¡±


    Li Yu also felt that there were too many courtyards and they were too big. It would take half a day to clean them up. Also, there were more people socializing with the state government office. The garden at the back also needed tending. It was probably impossible to rely on Old Madam Liu and Aunt Zhang alone.


    Li Yu stood up and walked out with Xiaoyu. She said, ¡°That¡¯s right! We still have to buy a gardener, two girls, two servants, and two general workers to help out in the backyard.¡±


    Xiaoyu smiled and said, ¡°This ce is big, and the expenses have increased. Ji Xiang and Zhao Cai told Ruyi yesterday that they have shortlisted a few shops and want to invite you to take a look!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll settle down first before looking at the shops.¡±


    The two of them went to the courtyard. Ruyi and Zhao Cai were waiting in the front courtyard. Li Yu said to them, ¡°Ruyi will be in charge of the courtyard in the future. Xiaoyu will help me take care of the children, and Zhao Cai and Ji Xiang will still manage the shop. Tiezhu will still follow Master. Uncle Liu will still guard the second gate. Since Ah Wei likes to take care of the manor, you can go out of the city and see if there are any suitable wastnds and courtyards for purchase and procure one. I know you¡¯re all good, but you have to remember not to use Master¡¯s name to bully those in the city and drag Master down.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± The few of them agreed in unison. Ah Wei happily pulled Ji Xiang and Zhao Cai out to look for the manor.


    After Li Yu made the arrangements, she turned around and returned to the backyard. Yangyang and Seven Pounds walked hand in hand from the backyard, followed by the panting Mr. Wen.


    Yangyang saw Li Yu and rushed over like a little firecracker. Li Yu carried Yang


    Yang and looked at Mr. Wen who was panting. She said to the two of them, ¡°The two of you must have tired Grandmaster out!¡±


    Yangyang hugged Li Yu¡¯s neck and said in a childish voice, ¡°Mom, Brother


    Seven Pounds is naughty. Yangyang is good!¡±


    Seven Pounds looked at Yangyang aggrievedly. ¡°It was the Little Young Master who dragged the Old Master away.¡±


    Li Yu tapped Yangyang¡¯s nose and said, ¡°Oh! Yangyang lied. You¡¯ll grow a long nose! What should Yangyang do?¡±


    Yangyang touched his nose and got down from Li Yu. He took out a piece of candy from his pocket and handed it to Seven Pounds. ¡°Brother Seven Pounds was good. Yangyang lied.¡±


    Seven Pounds took the candy and smiled. They ran away hand in hand. Mr. Wen looked at the two little ones and chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m old. The two little fellows are too energetic for me.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been sitting in the cart for so long and haven¡¯t recovered! You have to rest well.¡¯


    ¡°No, I want to take a walk in the countryside and take a look.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and said, ¡°Wait a moment. Let Tiezhu go with you.¡±


    Mr. Wen knew that Li Yu and the others were worried about him going out alone. He nodded in agreement and returned to the house with the medicine box and Tiezhu.


    Li Yu handed the children to Xiaovu and walked towards the official brokerage with Ruyi..

 Chapter 253 - 253: Tigress

    Chapter 253: Tigress


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    A smart-looking woman in her thirties came forward to wee her. Seeing that Li Yu¡¯s aura was extraordinary despite being dressed simply, she didn¡¯t dare to be negligent. She went forward and bowed. ¡°Madam, do you want to buy a servant or a girl?¡±


    Li Yu told the woman the kind of servants she wanted to buy. The woman bowed and said, ¡°Please wait for a moment. I¡¯ll call them out now.¡±


    A momentter, the woman walked out with a group of people. After getting the group of people behind her to stand properly, she smiled and pointed at those people. ¡°Madam, these people know how to take care of the garden and flowers. These old women know how to cook and make soup. These women are good at needlework. These boys are two brothers and are hardworking and smart. These girls are also smart.¡±


    Li Yu looked at those people and said, ¡°I want those who are hardworking and can do some farm work. If any of you are willing to follow me, step forward first.¡±


    Those people secretly looked up and sized up Li Yu. Seeing that Li Yu was dressed normally and even wanted those who knew how to do farm work, they felt that she was at most a smallndlord in the countryside. Most of them retreated.


    A thin man stood out from the gardeners cautiously. Three old women of about the same age and two women stood out. The two boys and two girls stood out. Li Yu said to the ten people who stood up, ¡°Look up.¡±


    The ten of them raised their heads in fear. Li Yu saw that they looked reserved and didn¡¯t look like cunning people. She nodded and said, ¡°I¡¯ll take these few people! ¡±


    Ruyi and the woman went to register their contracts and walked back with Li


    Yu. When they arrived at the government office, other than the two old women and the woman who was rtively calm, the others shrunk their necks and did not dare to look up. They lowered their heads and followed Li Yu into the backyard of the government office. They remembered Li Yu mentioning farmwork and wondered why they were in the backyard of the government office?¡±


    When Li Yu entered the courtyard, Aunt Zhang came to report, ¡°Madam, an official just sent a message to Master. He said that the people from the government office are going to wee Master so he went to the Intoxicated Immortal Restaurant opposite with them to eat.¡±


    Li Yu nodded and spoke to the people she brought back. Li Yu arranged for the thin man called Jiang Ming to take care of the garden. The three old women were Old Madam Xu, Old Madam Yun, Old Madam Lin, who were to cook for Mr. Qian and the others in the front yard. Old Madam Xu, Gu Yu, and Xing Hua did some chores like pouring tea and sweeping. She assigned the brothers, Ma Qiang and Ma Gui, to run errands and do some general work.


    After arranging everyone¡¯s work and amodation, she handed them to Ruyi and said, ¡°Tell them the rules of the house and bring them to wash up and change into clean clothes.¡± After Ruyi agreed, she led them downstairs.


    Zhou Jia and the others went to the Intoxicated Immortal Restaurant. At this moment, in a luxurious private room, there were officials of all sizes sitting cross-legged. Behind each of them sat a beautiful woman.


    The woman behind Zhou Jia was the most beautiful. Her skin was as fair as jade. Seeing that Zhou Jia was young and handsome and held an important


    moved to Zhou Jia¡¯s side and wanted to lean into Zhou Jia¡¯s arms. However, she was deterred by Zhou Jia¡¯s cold gaze. For some reason, a trace of embarrassment surged in her heart. She slowly moved back and sat at the side in adylike posture.


    Wu Tingxian first secretly sized up Zhou Jia. He saw Zhou Jia quietly raising his ss to drink with Wang Qinghai. The courtesan sitting behind him was looking at Zhou Jia with a bitter expression, and the woman nestled in Wang Qinghai¡¯s arms was also looking at Zhou Jia shyly. Wu Tingxian wondered to himself if Lord Zhou was really not fond of alcohol and sex, or if he wascpretending to be a gentleman.


    Zhou Jia was toasted by Wu Tingxian, Wang Qinghai, and others. At this moment, he felt a little tipsy. After a few rounds of wine, everyone let go. Wu Tingxian, Wang Qinghai, and the officials hugged the woman behind them.


    The woman behind Zhou Jia saw that Zhou Jia¡¯s face was flushed red from the alcohol, making him look even more handsome. Seeing that Wu Tingxian had just toasted Zhou Jia, she could no longer hold back the infatuation in her heart. She leaned over and looked at Zhou Jia coquettishly. She reached out to take the wine ss in Zhou Jia¡¯s hand. ¡°Lord, you¡¯re getting drunk. Let Yao Niang drink this ss for you!¡±


    Zhou Jia nced at her and said coldly, ¡°It¡¯s not your turn to drink.¡±


    Yao Niang¡¯s face turned red from Zhou Jia¡¯s cold words and she fell to the ground. Wang Qinghai looked at her from the corner of his eye and thought to himself that Yao Niang had relied on her looks to be picky and now deserved to be snubbed!


    After drinking two more rounds, Zhou Jia stood up, cupped his hands, and said apologetically to them, ¡°Comrades, it¡¯s gettingte. Madam¡¯s personality is a little difficult to get along with. You guys continue, I have to go back first.¡±


    Everyone looked at Zhou Jia in surprise and felt that they understood. So the new magistrate had a tigress at home. The magistrate was afraid of his wife. No wonder he didn¡¯t let Yao Niang drink on his behalf!


    After everyone exchanged pleasantries, they stood up and sent Zhou Jia out of the restaurant. The official escorted Zhou Jia back. A luxurious carriage slowly drove over.


    Zhou Jia and the bailiff stood by the side of the road to stay clear of the carriage. The curtain of the cart window was lifted slightly. The woman in the cart looked at Zhou Jia, who was standing under the bright light, in a daze. The cart slowly drove past the Intoxicated Immortal Restaurant. The woman instructed the maidservant in the car, ¡°Qing Zhu, go and ask who those two bailiffs are protecting.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Miss.¡± Qing Zhu got out of the car and walked towards the Intoxicated


    Immortal Restaurant. After a while, she returned and reported to the woman, ¡°Miss, the officials of the government are holding a wee banquet for the new magistrate at the Intoxicated Immortal Restaurant today. The person protected by the bailiffs just now is the new magistrate, Lord Zhou.¡±


    The woman chuckled. ¡°So it¡¯s the magistrate!¡± Anyone familiar with Li Yu who saw the woman¡¯s smile would find that she looked very simr to her, especially when she smiled.


    Zhou Jia returned to the backyard. Li Yu was leaning on a big pillow and telling Yangyang a story. When Yangyang saw Zhou Jia, he stopped listening and pounced to the edge of the bed, shouting, ¡°Daddy, where did you go? Hug me.¡±


    ¡°Daddy went to the magistrate¡¯s office to work.¡± Zhou Jia hugged Yangyang and kissed him. Yangyang hugged his neck and smeared saliva on his face. Li Yu watched with a smile. The father and son leaned their heads against each other and kissed for a while. Zhou Jia carried Yangyang and sat beside Li Yu. He leaned against Li Yu and asked, ¡°Son, were you obedient at home? Did you help Mom?¡±


    Yangyang looked at Zhou Jia and thought for a moment. ¡°Yangyang was obedient today. He only ate three candies and didn¡¯t help Mom.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and said, ¡°Alright, you said that you wanted to wait for Daddy toe back before sleeping. Now that Daddy is back, what should you do?¡±


    Yangyang buried his head in Zhou Jia¡¯s chest and whispered, ¡°Yangyang wants Daddy to apany him. ¡±


    Zhou Jia picked up Yangyang. ¡°Okay, Daddy will sleep with you.¡± Zhou Jia took off his shoes and covered Yangyang with his nket. He patted his back gently before the child fell asleep..

 Chapter 254 - 254: Taking Advantage

    Chapter 254: Taking Advantage


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    After Zhou Jia coaxed Yangyang to sleep, he carried him to the small bed and covered him with the nket. He sat by the bed and told Li Yu what he had seen at the magistrate¡¯s office today. ¡°That Comrade Wu has been sizing me up behind my back. I guess he should have been in this position, but I beat him to it for some reason. I¡¯ve already made up my mind. No matter which side he¡¯s on, I¡¯ll do my job well.¡±


    Li Yu thought for a moment. ¡°I don¡¯t know much about officialdom either, but you were made an exception by His Majesty to be promoted to a magistrate. I think those people have long found out about it. They don¡¯t dare to y any tricks. At most, they will give you some trouble so that your official duties in the magistrate¡¯s office won¡¯t be so smooth. If you think being an official is cheerless, we can just resign and go back to being rich.¡±


    Zhou Jia thought about it and felt that it made sense. He kissed Li Yu on the cheek and smiled. ¡°That¡¯s true. I¡¯ll go wash up. Let¡¯s rest.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± Li Yu agreed gently and crawled into bed.


    In the Intoxicated Immortal Restaurant opposite, those officials became even more unrestrained after Zhou Jia left. Wang Qinghaiy in the arms of a prostitute and looked vaguely at Comrade Wu, who was drunk beside him. He thought that this Comrade Wu did not have any official luck. It was not easy for him to survive until the old magistrate returned to his hometown. He assumed that the position of the magistrate was already firmly in his hands. Who knew that a small county magistrate would hijack his promotion?


    Wang Qinghai thought of how Zhou Jia had said that his wife was a little difficult to get along with. He appeared toin, but his eyes were smiling. He couldn¡¯t help but smile and think to himself that the new magistrate must be an interesting person.


    Comrade Wu drank for a while before suddenly getting up and saying shakily, ¡°Do as you please. I¡¯m going back too.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go back too.¡± Everyone stood up and walked out of the restuarant.


    Li Yu and the others busied themselves for a few days before putting the house back in order. Just as she was about to bring Ji Xiang and the others to the streets to take a look, the new maidservant, Gu Yu, reported, ¡°Madam, there¡¯s a person called Chu Sihai outside asking to see you.¡±


    ¡°Chu Sihai.¡± Li Yu thought for a moment and said, ¡°He is Manager Chu of Tongzhou. Quickly invite him to the living room at the front. Then, go to the front office to invite Master back.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll call Master.¡± Zhao Cai turned around and walked toward the front office.


    Li Yu handed Yang Yang to Aunt Zhang and went to the living room in the front yard. Soon, Gu Yu brought Chu Sihai and a refined middle-aged man over. Chu Sihai and the man bowed and said, ¡°Greetings, Madam.¡±


    Li Yu smiled brightly and said, ¡°Shopkeeper Chu, you¡¯re too polite. We¡¯re not outsiders. Please sit.¡±


    ¡°Madam is as straightforward as ever.¡± Chu Sihai pointed at the man with him.


    ¡°This is the shopkeeper of the Four Seas Bank in the State Capital of Yunzhou,


    Chu Feng. Madam, feel free to instruct him if you need anything in the future.¡±


    Chu Feng bowed and said, ¡°Greetings, Madam.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and said, ¡°Hello, Shopkeeper Chu. Please take a seat.¡±


    After the two of them sat down, Chu Sihai said to Li Yu, ¡°Madam, I came from


    Tongzhou this time. Young Master Ah Qing and your aunt asked me to bring you some tmngs. young IVIaster An Qing IS preparing to participate In tne township examination this year. He said that he woulde to see you after the examination.¡± Shopkeeper Chu paused for a moment and took out a few letters from his pocket. He handed them to Gu Yu, who was standing at the side. ¡°Madam, these are letters from Young Master Ah Qing and Uncle Zhou.¡±


    Li Yu took the letter and thanked Chu Sihai. Chu Feng stood up and said to Li


    Yu, ¡°Madam, the Drunken Immortal Restaurant opposite is opened by the Four Seas Bank. The bank has some other businesses in Yunzhou. If you need anything, please let me know.¡±


    Li Yu smiled gratefully. ¡°Thank you, Shopkeeper Chu.¡±


    At this moment, Zhou Jia returned from the office. The three of them greeted one another and went to the study to discuss matters. Li Yu went to the kitchen to arrange a banquet to entertain the two of them.


    After noon, Zhou Jia sent the two of them off and said to Li Yu, ¡°Shopkeeper


    Chu told me about the rtionship between the officials of the Yunzhou


    Prefecture and the big ns, local squires, and the government.¡±


    ¡°Shopkeeper Chu mentioned Wang Qinghai and said that Wang Qinghai was a descendant of the Wang family in Yunzhou. The Wang family had helped Emperor Taizu in his ascension. In the past, the Wang family could be said to be influential in Yunzhou. Ever since the former emperor ascended the throne, he began to suppress the Wang family. At that time, the second master of the Wang family was still working in the Ministry of Revenue. Seeing that the consort and the eldest prince were favored, he secretly sided with the eldest prince. Old Master Wang was wholeheartedly supporting the empress and the current emperor. Later, something happened to the eldest prince and the second prince. One broke his spine and the other broke his leg. After the current emperor ascended the throne, he spared Second Master Wang on ount of Old Master Wang and asked him to resign and go home.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s also Wu Tingxian. Behind Wu Tingxian is Minister Wu Lao. Wu Tingxian has been a deputy for two terms in Yunzhou. As an official, he¡¯s quite upright. Originally, he was supposed to assume the position of the magistrate of Yunzhou. Because of his stubborn personality, he¡¯s not tolerant of others. In addition, Great Qi is now restless for Great Yong. His Majesty was afraid that he would cause trouble, so he brought me here.¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled. ¡°I think I¡¯m here to watch over Wu Tingxian.¡±


    Li Yu also smiled. ¡°Looks like you got a bargain. However, you¡¯ve been busy in Qingchuan for a few years. Take the opportunity to rest here. Come, let¡¯s read the letter first.¡±


    Li Yu took out the letter Chu Sihai brought and handed it to Zhou Jia. She saw that there was also a letter from Butcher He for Ruyi and her husband.


    The two of them had read the letter. Uncle Zhou¡¯s letter contained greetings for the two of them and a gift for Yangyang. Auntie He had made boots and clothes for the family of three. Ah Qing had written about his longing for the two of them and asked how Yangyang was and if he was obedient. Li Mei had made clothes, shoes, hats, sweaters, and socks for Yang Yang.


    Li Yu and Zhou Jia went out to pack up the gifts and returned to the room. Zhou Jia pulled Li Yu into his arms and continued what he had said earlier, ¡°It¡¯s not as easy as you think. I have to collect taxes, inspect the assessment, and give instructions. I also have to inspect the county offices. A lot of things are within the scope of my duty.¡±


    Li Yu stood up and smiled. ¡°Alright! I don¡¯t understand your government affairs either. Go ahead and do your work. Oh! Ah Wei and Sir went to the countryside for a volunteer medical consultation. I¡¯m going to look for deste mountains on the way. I n to walk around the streets.¡±


    Zhou Jia smoothed the hair by Li Yu¡¯s ear and said gently, ¡°Alright! I¡¯m busy these few days and don¡¯t have time to apany you. It¡¯s good for you to walk around the streets. If Ah Wei finds a good wastnd you¡¯re satisfied with, buy it. ¡±


    Li Yu sent Zhou Jia to the hanging flower door and saw him go to the front office. She went back and handed Yangyang to Xiaoyu and Ruyi. Then, she brought Gu Yu and Ji Xiang out of the house, got into the cart, and headed towards the street.


    The cart arrived at a street that sold fabric and rouge. Ji Xiang said to Li Yu, ¡°Madam, the shop selling yarn and bags is a little ahead. Do you want to take a look?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s good to take a look.¡±


    Ji Xiang drove the cart to the shop and said to Li Yu, ¡°Madam, we¡¯re here..¡±

 Chapter 255 - 255: Lookalike

    Chapter 255: Lookalike


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Li Yu got out of the cart and saw three wool shops that were connected. The employees in the shop were busy attending to customers.


    Li Yu walked in and walked around. She saw that the colors of the yarn were more varied than those in Phoenix Vige, and there were more woven patterns.


    After walking around the wool shop, she went to the bag shop next door and realized that there were already leather bags and gloves of various styles in the bag shop.


    Li Yu saw ady¡¯s bag made of deer skin and said to the shop assistant, ¡°Bring me that bag.¡±


    The shop assistant handed the bag to Li Yu. He smiled and said to Li Yu,


    ¡°Madam, you have good taste. This is a new look.¡±


    At this moment, a woman¡¯s disdainful sneer came from behind Li Yu. ¡°Ah Yue, listen. Nowadays, no matter what kind of Tom, Dick, or Harry it is, they¡¯d call her Madam. They really don¡¯t have any rules.¡±


    The woman called Ah Yue smiled reproachfully. ¡°Who cares! However, the bag in her hand is alright. Qing Zhu, get staff to bring one over for me to take a look.¡±


    Qing Zhu walked to Li Yu¡¯s side. Li Yu turned around and saw two 16 or 17 -year-old women standing behind her. One was wearing a light yellow dress and a cloak of the same color. She was quite pretty. The other was wearing a light purple silk robe with a purple flower dress. There was a string of pearls the size of lotus seeds around her neck. Li Yu felt that this woman looked a little familiar.


    The two of them were also stunned when they saw Li Yu. The woman in the yellow dress looked at the purple-clothed woman and said, ¡°Ah Yue, why does she look like you? Oh! She looks more like Second Aunt!¡±


    Hearing this woman¡¯s words, Li Yu remembered. No wonder she felt that she looked familiar.


    When Ah Yue heard her say that Li Yu looked like her, she said angrily, ¡°Where did this random persone from? You actually said that she looks like my mother and me? She¡¯s just amoner and not worthy!¡±


    Only then did Li Yu realize that the two of them were talking about her. She looked at the two of them and said coldly, ¡°You¡¯re so sharp-tongued at such a


    young age. Gu Yu, go and p her mouth.¡± The two of them were shocked by Li


    Yu¡¯s coldness and shouted, ¡°How dare you!¡±


    Gu Yu looked at the two of them and gritted her teeth. She walked up to them


    and raised her hand to p Ah Yue. Ah Yue did not expect Gu Yu to really dare to hit her and was stunned by the p.


    The maidservant beside Ah Yue came back to her senses and pounced at Gu Yu. The woman in the light yellow dress rushed to the maidservant beside her and shouted, ¡°Beat these two cheap ves to death.¡±


    Seeing the two of them pounce on her, Gu Yu nimbly dodged behind the stunned Ah Yue and pushed her onto the two of them. The three of them fell to the ground.


    Qing Zhu, who was standing beside Li Yu, tried to p Li Yu. Li Yu dodged and was seen by Ji Xiang, who had just approached Li Yu. He stepped forward and kicked Qingzhu away, knocking her into the shelf behind. With a bang, the luggage on the shelf fell to the ground.


    A few maidservants who rushed over to hit Gu Yu were also kicked to the ground by Ji Xiang. Seeing that a fight had broken out, the other servants in the shop surrounded them and separated them. They persuaded, ¡°Stop fighting, stop fighting. The magistrate officers are here.¡±


    Ah Yue had already been helped up by the woman in the yellow dress. She looked fiercely at Li Yu and Ji Xiang and said to the woman in the yellow dress, ¡°Ah Ruo, get the servants and old women outside to capture this bitch and these two ves back to the residence.¡±


    Ji Xiang walked up to the two of them and looked down at them. She sneered. ¡°Bitch? You offended my Madam. Now, kneel down and kowtow to apologize. My wife might even forgive you for your disrespect. Who gave you the guts to want to capture my Madam?. Is there now in the Yunzhou Prefecture? You two girls dare to capture people at will.¡±


    Ah Ruo sneered. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid that the wind will cut your tongue? Ah Yue¡¯s grandmother is Madam Wang, and her grandfather is the head of the Wang n. Aren¡¯t you afraid that her lifespan will be shortened if Ah Yue kneels to a bitch like her?¡±


    Li Yu pped her hands and sneered. ¡°I want to see how they will die today. Ji


    Xiang, let them kneel in the shop.¡±


    Seeing Ji Xiang walking toward them, the two of them retreated in fear. ¡°If you dare, my grandfather and grandmother won¡¯t let you off.¡±


    Ji Xiang stepped forward and kicked their calves. Seeing that the two of them had knelt down in pain, he stood in front of them and said, ¡°Let me tell you, in case you can¡¯t find her. My Madam is a first-grade Madam Protector bestowed by His Majesty. My master is the new magistrate of Yunzhou. If you want to cause trouble, go to the magistrate¡¯s office.¡±


    At this moment, the followers and old women that the two of them had brought rushed into the shop. The followers waved their fists and rushed over to hit Ji Xiang, but they were knocked to the ground by him.


    The old woman helped the two of them up. Ah Yue looked at Li Yu and wondered why she looked so simr to her mother. Who was this person? She made up her mind that she would make Li Yu pay for the humiliation she suffered today.


    With thismotion, Li Yu lost interest in shopping. She said to Ji Xiang, ¡°Let them kneel. We¡¯re going back.¡±


    At this moment, a few bailiffs with sabers on their waists walked into the shop and shouted, ¡°Who¡¯s causing trouble here? Do you want to stay inside for a few days?¡±


    Ah Yue looked at the bailiff and said, ¡°Catch those three lowlymoners. How dare a bitch pretend to be a first-grade madam and a magistrate¡¯s family member here.¡±


    The three bailiffs looked at Li Yu and felt that her bearing didn¡¯t seem to be fake. Then, they looked at the two people dressed in rich clothes and felt that they couldn¡¯t offend either side. They nodded and bowed as they advised, ¡°Don¡¯t make things difficult for us brothers. Moreover, the shops here are just running a business. Don¡¯t make things difficult for them!¡±


    Li Yu walked up to the two of them and raised her hand to p each of them. ¡°Go, call your family head over. I want to ask her if this is how ady from a noble family raises children. Where did you get the sense of superiority to look down on people? The food you eat and the things you use are all made by the lowly people you speak of. If you have the ability, don¡¯t use the cloth woven by the lowly people to make clothes. Don¡¯t eat the food and fruits harvested by the lowly people!¡±


    ¡°Alright!¡± The onlookers cheered loudly. Someone in the crowd said loudly, ¡°You¡¯re always despising lowlymoners. If you have the ability, don¡¯t wear the clothes woven by lowlymoners just like what this madam said. Don¡¯t eat the food of lowlymoners!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! If you have the ability, use those noble hands to nt them yourself! ¡±


    The bold one sneered, ¡°These pampereddies have been looking down on everyone. When we passed by her, they would cover their nose and get their followers to drive us away with whips. Without us lowlymoners, how are they going to get what they eat and wear?


    The two of them were mocked by the onlookers. They covered their swollen faces and shouted at Li Yu, ¡°Bitch, don¡¯t run if you have the ability.¡± After saying that, they were about to leave with their people..

 Chapter 256 - 256: Wang Family

    Chapter 256: Wang Family


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Seeing that she wanted to leave after scolding them, Ji Xiang stepped forward and kicked the two of them down. Ah Yue¡¯s men surrounded them. Ji Xiang rolled up his sleeves and said, ¡°A bunch of dogs. You¡¯re used to bullying others just because you have more people! Today, I¡¯ll teach you dogs a lesson.¡±


    The onlookers watched themotion and cheered loudly. ¡°Hero, teach them a lesson.¡±


    The three bailiffs walked up to Li Yu and begged, ¡°Madam, please don¡¯t make things difficult for us! If you continue to hit them, we won¡¯t be able to keep our jobs.¡±


    Li Yu saw that the three bailiffs were about to cry from anxiety. She waved at Ji Xiang and said, ¡°Ji Xiang, move aside and let them go.¡± She then said to the three bailiffs, ¡°The three of you will go back to the magistrate¡¯s office with me. If anyone finds trouble with you, tell him to look for me.¡±


    The three of them were stunned for a moment and said in surprise, ¡°Are you really Lord Zhou¡¯s wife?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± After Li Yu finished speaking, she brought Gu Yu into the cart. Ji Xiang drove the car slowly back, and the three officials followed the car to the government office.


    After getting into the car, Li Yu looked at Gu Yu, who was sitting in a corner of the car silently. She smiled and said, ¡°Not bad, you¡¯re quite bold. I see that you¡¯re quite agile. Did you learn martial arts?¡±


    Gu Yu¡¯s eyes were red as she replied sadly, ¡°Madam, my father is a hunter. My mother died when I was three or four years old. I like to follow my father to the mountains to hunt. My legs are more agile than those of ordinary people.¡± ¡°If your father is a hunter, your family should be doing well! Why did he sell


    Gu Yu¡¯s eyes turned red. Thinking of the rules taught in the brokerage, she sniffed. ¡°My family didn¡¯t sell me. Last year, my father was injured when he was hunting in the mountains. He spent all the money the family had. My grandfather, grandmother, and uncle sold the only two acres ofnd in the family, but they still couldn¡¯t keep my father. They even owed the town¡¯s medicine shop more than ten taels of silver. As vigers, we were poor and couldn¡¯t borrow money to return to the medicine shop in the town. The medicine shop couldn¡¯t collect the money, so they sold me to the brokerage to repay the debt.¡±


    Every family was poor. What kind of vige was that? It seemed that she had to find time to go there and see if she could help them with anything.


    ¡°It¡¯s all in the past.¡± Li Yu patted Gu Yu. ¡°Where is your vige? Is it far from here?¡±


    ¡°Leave the east city gate and walk towards Xingfu Town outside the city. It¡¯s on Great Maple Mountain in Xingfu Town. My father used to sell prey and I came to Yunzhou with him. I used to wake up in the middle of the night and walk down the mountain with a torch until it was dark.¡±


    The three bailiffs followed Li Yu¡¯s cart to the front of the government office. Seeing that the bailiff guarding the door bowed respectfully and let Li Yu¡¯s cart enter the government office, they believed that Li Yu was really the new magistrate¡¯s wife. The three of them hurriedly went forward and kowtowed to apologize. Li Yu said indifferently, ¡°It¡¯s none of your business. You¡¯re doing your duty.¡±


    Ah Yue and Ah Ruo brought their men back to the Wang mansion. The servant who was carrying the sedan chair looked at the two of them in surprise. She was red at by the servant girl and hurriedly lowered her head.


    The two of them got out of the sedan chair and walked towards the main hall of the main courtyard. There was a rosewood eight-immortal table in the main hall, and a birthday star chart hung on the wall above. There were two rows of rosewood wooden chairs on both sides of the eight-immortal table.


    In the side hall, Old Madam Wang of the Wang family was wearing a dark purple hairpin and a dark red dress. She was d in pearls and jade and leaned against a big pillow as she sat on the couch by the window. She looked kind and peaceful. An old woman was kneeling on the bed and massaging her feet. Beside her stood an extremely beautiful woman wearing a red dress and a pure gold phoenix hairpin. She looked a little simr to Li Yu and her brother. Seeing Ah Yue enter in a sorry state, she was so frightened that her face turned pale. She pounced on her and hugged her. ¡°Yue¡¯er, what¡¯s wrong? Which blind person actually dared to hurt you?¡±


    Ah Ruo and Ah Yue put down the hands that were covering their faces and sobbed as their tears fell non-stop. When the woman saw the five-fingered palm marks on their fair faces, her heart ached so much that her lips trembled and she could not speak. Old Madam Wang could not sit still anymore. She got off the bed and asked repeatedly, ¡°Yue girl, Ruo girl, what exactly is going on? Tell me.¡±


    ¡°Grandmother.¡± Ah Yue threw herself into Old Madam Wang¡¯s arms and cried.


    The woman said to Ah Ruo, ¡°Niece, tell me, what happened?¡±


    ¡°Aunt, my cousin and I went to Zhou Ji¡¯s bag shop to look at bags. It was my fault. I identally offended a woman. She said that we offended her and even said that she was the wife of the new magistrate or some first-grade madam.


    She wanted us to kowtow and apologize. The magistrate is only a fourth-grade official. How could she be a first-grade madam? Ah Yue and I said that she was pretending to be one. She even asked her servant to kick us to the ground and kneel down to apologize to her. Later, the bailiffs came. We told the bailiffs that someone was pretending to be a first-grade madam, so she pped us. Boohoo, that servant even kicked us to the ground. So many people watched. Boohoo, she even asked the family head to see her and said that she was the magistrate¡¯s wife and was not afraid of anyone!¡± Ah Ruo sobbed and avoided the main point when she told them what had happened.


    Ah Yue started crying again. ¡°Grandma, I¡¯m too ashamed to face anyone. I was beaten up by a maidservant and a servant in public. I don¡¯t want to live anymore.¡±


    Old Madam Wang was so angry that her face turned green. She mmed the table and said to the woman, ¡°Madam Lin, go and get someone to call Qinghai back. I want to see what kind of ignorant shrew dares to touch the Wang family¡¯s girl!¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Madam Lin walked to the door and instructed the old woman at the door to summon Wang Qinghai over. She also asked someone to bring some ointment for the two of them. Ah Ruo nced at Madam Lin and thought of the woman in the shop. Once again, she felt that the two of them were so simr. Could it be that her aunt was rted to that shrew?


    When Li Yu returned home, Yangyang was crying and looking for her. When he saw Li Yu return, he turned around and ignored her. Li Yu smiled and patted his little butt. ¡°Little Yangyang, are you angry? Are you ignoring your mother?¡±


    Yangyang turned to look at Li Yu and pouted. ¡°I¡¯m angry that you went shopping without me.¡±


    Li Yu picked him up and kissed him on the cheek. She smiled and said, ¡°The next time, I¡¯ll ask Yangyang before leaving?¡±


    Yangyang thought for a moment and turned to kiss Li Yu. ¡°Yes! Mom can¡¯t leave quietly.¡±


    Li Yu nodded and carried him to wash his crying face. Xiaoyu said, ¡°Madam,


    Seven Pounds slept for a while. Young Master hasn¡¯t slept yet.¡±


    Li Yu saw that Yangyang couldn¡¯t keep his eyes open and whispered, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll take him to sleep for a while.¡±


    The Wang family sent someone to Wang Qinghai to tell him that the olddy had asked for him. Thinking that something had happened, Wang Qinghai hurriedly put down his work. He told Zhou Jia that he needed to apply for leave and rushed to the Wang family¡¯s old residence.


    As soon as he entered the main courtyard, he saw Madam Lining out. He bowed and said, ¡°Second Aunt, is Old Madam not feeling well?¡±


    Madam Lin shook her head and said, ¡°Old Madam is fine! She has something to tell you!¡±


    Wang Qinghai entered the main hall and saw Old Madam Wang sitting on the armchair. After bowing, Old Madam Wang told Wang Qinghai what Ah Ruo had said. She looked at him angrily and said, ¡°When did our Wang family fall to such a state? Ah Yue and Ah Ruo were bullied by an ignorant shrew..¡±

 Chapter 257 - 257: Madam Lin’s Panic

    Chapter 257: Madam Lin¡¯s Panic


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Seeing Old Madam Wang¡¯s angry expression, Wang Qinghai was afraid that if it was really the wife of Lord Zhou, the matter would blow up.


    He hurriedly bowed and said, ¡°Grandaunt, Lord Zhou¡¯s appointment in Yunzhou happened suddenly. It¡¯s my fault for forgetting to tell you about it. Lord Zhou only became a schr three years ago. His Majesty personally appointed him to be the county magistrate of Qingchuan. Although he¡¯s only a fifth-grade official, it¡¯s also His Majesty¡¯s order to install him as a fourth-grade magistrate in Yunzhou. Lord Zhou¡¯s wife is from a farmer¡¯s family and likes to farm. The new rice seeds we bought were cultivated by her.


    It seems that it¡¯s also because of this that His Majesty conferred her as a first-grade madam protector of the country. The couple is His Majesty¡¯s people. As soon as she took office, the head shopkeeper of the Four Seas Bank personally went to visit them. Also, Lord Zhou dotes on his wife very much. After being married for a few years, he has no concubines. He even publicly said that he was afraid of his wife at the weing banquet we held for him.¡±


    Old Madam Wang thought to herself that even if she cultivated a new rice seed, the Imperial Court would not reward her with a first- grade madam protector status! Could there be a secret that no one knew about?


    Madam Lin frowned and said to Wang Qinghai, ¡°Even if she¡¯s really a


    first-grade madam, she can¡¯t force our Ah Yue and Ah Ruo to kneel and p them because of a small matter. She doesn¡¯t care about our Wang family. Mom, are we going to just let it go?¡±


    Wang Qinghai smiled at her and said, ¡°Second Aunt, Lord Zhou and his wife are His Majesty¡¯s people. It¡¯s better to resolve the enmity between our Wang family and Lord Zhou! What if Ah Yue and the others didn¡¯t exin clearly? I¡¯ll go to Zhou Ji¡¯s bag shop to investigate the situation before we make ns. What do you think?¡±


    Madam Lin said angrily, ¡°Do you mean Ah Yue and the others lied?¡±


    ¡°Madam Lin.¡± Before Madam Lin could finish, Old Madam Wang stopped her. ¡°Do as Qinghai says. Find out more first before making ns.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Grandaunt.¡± Wang Qinghai bowed and left.


    After Wang Qinghai left the Wang family¡¯s house, he went straight to Zhou Ji¡¯s bag shop. After the shopkeeper received him and found out about the reason for his visit, he called the staff who served Li Yu and the others. When the staff told Wang Qinghai the truth, Wang Qinghai frowned. Fortunately, he came to ask around. Otherwise, the two families would have a grudge. Ah Yue and Ah Ruo were cute and polite at home, but they were so arrogant and domineering outside.


    After his investigation at the shop, Wang Qinghai thanked the shopkeeper, and found the three bailiffs. After asking them, he returned to the Wang family and told Old Madam Wang what had happened. He said, ¡°Grandaunt, you can¡¯t me Madam Li for this. My two cousins were the ones who were too rude!¡±


    When Old Madam Wang heard this, her face turned ashen. She reprimanded Madam Lin, ¡°You insensible thing. There are so many people in the world who look alike. She said such vicious words just because of this. Is this the daughter you raised? Go, call those two evil creatures over and let them tell the truth.¡±


    When Madam Lin heard this, she looked up at Old Madam Wang and said,


    ¡°Mother, Ah Yue hasn¡¯t said a word from the beginning to the end. It¡¯s all Ah


    Ruo¡¯s fault! Who knew that Ah Ruo would be so bold to spout nonsense!¡±


    Old Madam Wang looked at Madam Lin mockingly. ¡°Do you think Ah Ruo would dare to say all that without Ah Yue¡¯s instigation?¡± Madam Lin was speechless and walked out with a dark expression.


    It seemed like she had to apologize as soon as possible. If word spread, the reputation of Ah Yue and Ah Ruo would be ruined. Old Madam Wang sighed in her heart. It was all debt!


    Madam Lin walked in with Ah Yue and Old Madam Wang. ¡°Kneel down.¡± The two of them already knew that they could not hide it anymore. They looked at Old Madam Wang pitifully and begged, ¡°Grandma, we were wrong. We won¡¯t dare to do it again.¡±


    Old Madam Wang looked at the ointment on their faces and said to them, ¡°Go to the government office with your mother to apologize. When youe back, you¡¯ll be grounded for a month and you have to copy the Lessons for Women a hundred times. Madam Lin, go prepare the gifts and go to the government office with Qinghai to apologize.¡±


    When Ah Yue heard Old Madam Wang asking her to go to the government office to apologize, she felt hatred in her heart. How could a woman from the countryside be worthy of her apology? Ah Yue kowtowed and begged, ¡°Grandma, I was wrong. Look at my face. Please spare me this time. I¡¯ll go when I¡¯m better.¡±


    Ah Ruo also looked at Old Madam Wang. Wang Qinghai advised, ¡°Grandaunt, why don¡¯t we excuse them this time!¡±


    Old Madam Wang looked at her granddaughter¡¯s face full of ointment and felt her heart ache. She waved her hand and said, ¡°Forget it! You can go when your confinement period is up!¡± The Lin family¡¯s face darkened. She prepared a gift and led the servant girl and Wang Qinghai toward the government office.


    Li Yu slept at home with Yangyang. When she woke up, she saw that he was still sleeping soundly. She closed the door and entered the space to check the corn seeds and rice seeds she had stored in the space. She thought about when she would go to the mountains with Gu Yu to see if there were any destend to develop. She could also help the vigers.


    As soon as she came out of the space, Yangyang woke up. When he saw Li Yu, he reached out and said, ¡°Mom, go find Grandmaster.¡±


    Li Yu kissed his flushed face and picked him up. She said gently, ¡°Yangyang, do you miss Grandmaster? Grandmaster went to the countryside to do a volunteer consultation. Shall we go to the kitchen and get Grandma Liu to cook something delicious for Yangyang?¡±


    Yangyang kissed Li Yu on the cheek and nodded obediently. ¡°Okay, Let her cook something delicious for Yangyang. Mom will eat too.¡±


    ¡°Good boy.¡± Li Yu kissed him happily and walked towards the kitchen. The mother and son chose to have lotus root bone soup in the kitchen. After the salmon was prepared for steaming, they went to the back garden and stood on the corridor to watch the fish swimming in the lotus pond. Just then, Xing Hua came in and reported, ¡°Madam, Lord Wang Qinghai and Madam Lin would like to see you.¡±


    Li Yu was stunned. Why did Wang Qinghai want to see me? Why didn¡¯t he go to Xiao Xi in the government office?


    ¡°Okay, take him to the front hall. I¡¯ll be right there.¡±


    Li Yu carried Yangyang back to the main courtyard and said to him, ¡°Son, Mom has a guest. Can you y with Sister Gu Yu for a while?¡±


    Yangyang looked at the small wooden sword in Gu Yu¡¯s hand and nodded. He let Gu Yu lead him to find Seven Pounds. Li Yu went to the front hall and saw Wang Qinghai and a luxuriously dressed woman sitting in the hall.


    When Madam Lin saw Li Yu walk into the hall, she suddenly stood up and looked at Li Yu in a daze. She muttered softly, ¡°Jinniang!¡± Suddenly, she felt a buzzing in her head and fell onto the chair.


    Wang Qinghai was also stunned. Madam Li was too simr to Second Aunt.


    Li Yu nced at Madam Lin and knew that the woman in the afternoon was from the Wang family. Seeing Madam Lin lose herposure and copse, she felt that there was definitely something wrong with her. She recalled that Li Mei had said that Mrs. Li was saved by Father Li when he was escaping from the famine, and Mrs. Li¡¯s every move seemed toe from a rich family. Could there have been a conspiracy? Unfortunately, when she received the Host¡¯s memories, she didn¡¯t have a clear memory of Mother Li. She only remembered that she was a woman with a gentle smile.


    Li Yu said to Wang Qinghai, ¡°May I know why Lord Wang is visiting?


    Wang Qinghai came back to his senses and bowed to Li Yu. ¡°Madam, please forgive me. When I saw that you looked so simr to Second Aunt, I lost myposure and offended Madam Li..¡±

 Chapter 258 - 258: Guilty Conscience

    Chapter 258: Guilty Conscience


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Li Yu smiled and said, ¡°We do look alike. I was shocked too. I thought she was my mother¡¯s sister!¡±


    Madam Lin asked in a panic, ¡°Where does Madam¡¯s mother live now?


    ¡°My mother!¡± Li Yu looked at the way Madam Lin was looking at her and said,


    ¡°My mother is now in Green Mountain County¡¯s Clearwater Town¡¯s West


    Mountain Vige.¡±


    Li Yu saw that Madam Lin immediately lowered her head when she heard this. No one knew what she was thinking.


    Seeing Madam Lin lower her head in silence, Wang Qinghai bowed and said, ¡°Madam, my two cousins have offended you at Zhou Ji¡¯s bag shop today. Second Aunt and I have prepared a small gift to apologize to you. Please forgive us.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and said, ¡°So those two girls are Lord Wang¡¯s sisters! They were disrespectful to me, and I¡¯ve already taught them a lesson. However, Lord Wang, it¡¯s time for you to teach them the rules. If they offend someone they shouldn¡¯t in the future, I¡¯m afraid they will cause trouble.¡±


    Wang Qinghai didn¡¯t expect Li Yu to let Ah Yue and Ah Ruo off so easily. He bowed respectfully and said, ¡°Thank you for your magnanimity, Madam. Aunt has already punished them severely.¡±


    Li Yu nodded and picked up her teacup. Wang Qinghai stood up and bowed. ¡°Thank you, Madam! We¡¯ll take our leave. ¡±


    Li Yu said politely, ¡°Lord Wang, take care.¡± Madam Lin stood up and stole a nce at Li Yu before following Wang Qinghai without a word.


    Li Yu sat there and thought for a while. She went back and wrote a letter before handing it to Ruyi. ¡°Ruyi, go to the Four Seas Bank and look for Manager Chu. Ask him to help investigate the second wife of the Wang family, Madam Lin.¡±


    Ruyi took the letter and said strangely, ¡°Madam, when Ji Xiang came back, he said that the woman at the shop looked like you. Just now, Madam Lin looked so simr to you, and Old Madam¡¯s surname was also Lin. Could there be something fishy?¡±


    Li Yu nodded. ¡°So please help me investigate Madam Lin.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go now.¡± Ruyi left to deliver the letter.


    After Madam Lin and Wang Qinghai left the residence, they looked at the gloomy sky and felt cold all over. Madam Lin got into the cart and leaned on the maidservant, Ying Ge, in a daze. The maidservant felt that she was trembling and asked worriedly, ¡°Madam, are you feeling unwell?¡±


    Madam Lin calmed herself down and nodded. ¡°I probably caught a cold and feel a little cold.¡±


    Wang Qinghai leaned against the small table in the carriage and thought to himself, ¡°Why is this Lady Li so simr to Second Aunt? Why did Second Aunt lose herposure after seeing Lady Li? Could Lady Li be the child of Second Aunt¡¯s old friend?¡±


    When they returned to Wang¡¯s residence, the servant girl reported to Old Madam Wang that Madam Lin had caught a cold and went back to rest for fear of infecting Old Madam Wang. Wang Qinghai told her about how he had seen Li Yu and apologized. After pondering for a moment, Old Madam Wang said, ¡°Madam Li is a magnanimous person. Ah Yue is a little spoiled. Your second aunt and I can¡¯t bear to punish her. Looks like we have to hire a cultured granny to teach her the rules.¡±


    Wang Qinghai thought for a moment and smiled. ¡°Aunt, Second Aunt and Madam Li really look alike. If someone who doesn¡¯t know them saw them, they might think that they¡¯re blood rtives!¡±


    Old Madam Wang seemed to have thought of something. Her eyes lit up and she asked, ¡°Are they are really that simr?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s 70 to 80% simr,¡± Wang Qinghai confirmed.


    Old Madam Wang opened her mouth and shook her head. She swallowed the words that were about toe out of her mouth and said tiredly, ¡°Qinghai, you can go back first! ¡±


    Wang Qinghai bowed and said, ¡°Alright, send someone to call me if there¡¯s anything.¡± Old Madam Wang nodded and got someone to send him out.


    Madam Lin returned to her courtyard and said to Ying Ge, ¡°Go and call Granny


    Han over. I have something to tell her.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± Ying Ge retreated and called for Granny Han. Madam Lin rubbed her temples and leaned against the big pillow. After a while, an old granny with a shrewd face walked in. When Madam Lin saw Granny Han, her eyes turned red. Granny Han held her hand and asked, ¡°Madam, what¡¯s wrong? Is Master fooling around again?¡±


    Madam Lin pulled Granny Han back in horror and said with a trembling voice, ¡°Nanny, Jinniang is still here. I saw the girl she gave birth to. She looks exactly like her.¡±


    Granny Han helped Madam Lin sit on the couch andforted her gently. ¡°What happened? Tell me!¡±


    Madam Lin told Granny Han about seeing Li Yu. When Granny Han heard this, she was shocked. Thinking about the situation at that time, she shook her head calmly. ¡°Impossible. I personally pushed her down the mountain stream. She was a pampered youngdy who couldn¡¯t swim. She definitely won¡¯t survive.


    Besides, that ce is in the wilderness. It¡¯s half a month away from Clearwater


    Town. ¡±


    Madam Lin leaned on Granny Han¡¯s shoulder uneasily. ¡°I know, but I keep feeling that something will happen. My retribution ising.¡±


    Granny Han hugged Madam Lin andforted her gently. ¡°Miss, don¡¯t be afraid. Even if there¡¯s retribution, it¡¯s my sin. Maybe that madam just looks like Miss Jin.¡±


    Under Granny Han¡¯s constion, Madam Lin slowly calmed down. She looked up and said, ¡°You¡¯re right. She knows that we went to Yunzhou. If she¡¯s still around, why didn¡¯t shee to Yunzhou to look for us?


    Granny Han nodded and covered Madam Lin with a thin nket. She looked at her lovingly and said, ¡°That¡¯s right. Sometimes, you scare yourself. Take a rest. I¡¯ll bring you a cup of bird¡¯s nest.¡± Madam Lin nodded andy down.


    Zhou Jia went home from the office. After dinner, Li Yu told Zhou Jia about Wang Qinghai bringing Madam Lin to apologize after the conflict in the afternoon. She also told him about her suspicions about Madam Lin.


    When Zhou Jia heard this, he also felt that there was something wrong with Madam Lin¡¯s behavior. He said to Li Yu, ¡°Yu¡¯er, it¡¯s right for you to ask


    Shopkeeper Chu to help investigate. There are too many secrets in a big family. When some people be vicious, you won¡¯t even dream of what they will do.¡±


    Li Yu thought about it and agreed. ¡°Yes! Let¡¯s not talk about this anymore. Xiao Xi, I want to go to Great Maple Mountain in Xingfu Town to take a look. Gu Yu is from there. I heard from her that the vigers can¡¯t even eat their fill. I want to see if I can help them.¡±


    Zhou Jia knew that Li Yu couldn¡¯t stay at home and thought that it was good to let her take a walk. He smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯m going to clear the warehouse in two days. It¡¯s fine if you want to go to Great Maple Mountain, but don¡¯t go deep into the mountains. Yang¡¯er will stay at home. I¡¯ll go home as soon as possible to take care of him.¡±


    Yangyang and Seven Pounds followed Ji Xiang and Zhao Cai back from the backyard. When they saw Zhou Jia, Yangyang shook off Ji Xiang¡¯s hand before opening his arms, and running to Zhou Jia to hug his legs. ¡°Daddy, is Grandmaster back yet?¡±


    Zhou Jia picked up Yangyang and smiled warmly. ¡°Does our Yangyang miss Grandmaster? Grandmaster will be back in two days.¡±


    ¡°Yes! Yangyang misses Grandmaster.¡±


    Zhou Jia said to Ji Xiang and Zhao Cai, ¡°The two of you don¡¯t have to be so busy with business. Take a good rest for a while. Look, Seven Pounds is already so big. It¡¯s time for the two of you to get married. Let Madam choose a wife for you. Or, like Ruyi, tell me if you like someone. I¡¯ll make the decision for you..¡±

 Chapter 259 - 259: Xingfu Town

    Chapter 259: Xingfu Town


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Ji Xiang smiled slyly and poked Zhao Cai. ¡°Quick, tell the truth about you and that girl.¡±


    There was something going on. Li Yu and Zhou Jia looked at Zhao Cai together.


    Zhou Jia smiled and teased, ¡°Yo! Looks like Zhao Cai has found a good wife! Which girl is it? Tell me.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re so fast with your words!¡± Zhao Cai patted Ji Xiang and said with a red face, ¡°Master, on the day the rankings were released for the Spring Quarter Examination, Ruyi and I went to look at the rankings and met a servant. After you left, I sent something to Young Master Lin and found out that she was the daughter of Young Master Lin¡¯s nanny, Su Xiazhi. Xiazhi told her mother and her mother agreed to let her marry me. She¡¯s waiting for you and Madam to decide for me. ¡±


    Zhou Jia pulled Zhao Cai over andughed. ¡°Silly, it¡¯s been three years. Why didn¡¯t you write to tell me? Let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll write to Brother Yuxuan to ask for his hand in marriage.¡±


    ¡°I just convinced Xia Zhi¡¯s mother to agree.¡± Zhao Cai blushed and followed Zhou Jia to the study.


    Li Yu looked at Ji Xiang and smiled. ¡°Ji Xiang, what about you?¡± Ji Xiang nced at Gu Yu, who was standing at the side. She picked up Yangyang and giggled. ¡°Madam, please spare me! I don¡¯t want to be trapped! Right? Young Master Yangyang?¡±


    Li Yu looked at Ji Xiang, who was ying with Yangyang, and smiled. ¡°You¡¯re not young anymore, but you¡¯re still like a child.¡±


    Li Yu thought about going to Great Maple Mountain the next day and said to Gu


    Yu, ¡°Gu Yu, prepare yourself. I¡¯ll bring Ji Xiang and you to Great Maple Mountain tomorrow morning.¡±


    Gu Yu looked at Li Yu and thought that she had heard wrongly. ¡°Madam, are you going to Great Maple Mountain that I told you about?¡±


    Li Yu smiled and said, ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll bring you and Ji Xiang to take a look.¡±


    Gu Yu thought that Li Yu was going to y. She waved her hand and said, ¡°Madam, there¡¯s nothing to see in the mountains at this time of year. It¡¯s colder up there than in the city, and the mountain roads are not easy to walk on. asionally, schrs will go to the mountains to look at maple leaves in the autumn. Most of them don¡¯t want to go again after going once. The roads are really not easy to walk on.¡±


    Li Yu didn¡¯t exin and nodded. ¡°Go and prepare!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± After Gu Yu agreed, she thought that there were no extra nkets in the mountain and she had to bring two thick nkets. She would get them from Sister-inw Xiaoyu.


    Li Yu told Ji Xiang about going to Great Maple Mountain tomorrow and asked him to prepare two sets of clothes. Ji Xiang agreed and packed up.


    ¡°Come, son, I¡¯ll bring you to take a shower.¡± Li Yu carried Yangyang and walked towards the bathroom. She said to him, ¡°Does Yangyang like Daddy?¡±


    Yangyang raised his hand. ¡°I like Daddy. Daddy will bring Yangyang to ride a big horse. He will carry me!¡±


    ¡°Oh! Mother has something to do and has to go out for a few days. Can Yangyang stay at home to apany Daddy and ask Grandma Liu to prepare delicious food for Daddy?¡±


    Yangyang looked at Li Yu and pouted. ¡°Where is Mom going? Yangyang wants


    to go too!¡±


    ¡°If Yangyang and Mom are not home, no one will prepare Daddy¡¯s favorite food. Daddy will be hungry when he gets home!¡±


    Yangyang pouted and nodded aggrievedly. ¡°Mom,e back quickly.¡±


    Li Yu kissed him with heartache. ¡°Mother will definitelye back early. My darling is still at home!¡±


    The next morning, Zhou Jia sent Li Yu out with Yangyang. Li Yu brought Gu Yu and Ji Xiang to Xingfu Town.


    Xingfu Town was arge town not far from the Yunzhou Prefecture. The road was t, and the few of them arrived at the town at dawn. There happened to be a market in the town, and the streets were crowded with vigers and people carrying burdens. The cart could not move halfway. Li Yu asked Ji Xiang to find an inn at the entrance of the town and leave the cart and luggage in the inn. She said to Ji Xiang, ¡°Ji Xiang, go buy a few stones of food. Gu Yu and I will go to the market to buy some meat and vegetables.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Ji Xiang agreed and led the horse to buy food.


    Li Yu and Gu Yu bought some sugar from the grocery store and walked toward the meat market in town. When they arrived at the meat market, they bought 50 kilograms of fatty pork and got the butcher to cut it into portions of two to three kilograms each. Li Yu was going to give them to the old and weak when they reached the mountain.


    Gu Yu saw that Li Yu had bought fat meat and knew that Li Yu was buying it for the vigers. She was so touched that tears welled up in her eyes. The butcher divided the meat into strips and ced them in the backpacks the two of them had brought. Although Gu Yu wanted to carry all the items, Li Yu helped still helped to carry some of them. ¡°Alright, go buy some vegetables and we¡¯ll go up the mountain.¡±


    Gu Yu said, ¡°Madam, there are radishes, cabbages, and taro on the mountain. There¡¯s no need to buy vegetables.¡±


    ¡°Alright! Lets head back to the inn and call Ji Xiang so we can go up the mountain.¡± The two of them turned around and walked back. They saw four ruffians surrounding a gray-haired old farmer who was selling vegetables to collect protection fees. The old farmer pointed at the pickled vegetables in the wooden barrel and begged, ¡°Little brothers, please do me a favor. I went outte and just arrived in town. I haven¡¯t earned any copper coins. Can I make up for itter when I¡¯ve earned copper coins?¡±


    A sharp-mouthed ruffian kicked the wooden barrel containing the pickled vegetables and sneered. ¡°Old thing, do you know the rules? Every person whoes to town to sell vegetables has to pay twenty copper coins for protection. Who do you think your grandfather is?¡±


    The old farmer bowed and begged, ¡°I¡¯ve never been here to sell anything. It¡¯s really because my wife is sick. I don¡¯t have money to treat her, so I thought of selling some pickled vegetables to get some medicine for her. Please.¡±


    ¡°Get lost.¡± A ruffian raised his leg and kicked the wooden bucket. The old man pounced forward to protect the pickled vegetables in the bucket and said angrily, ¡°Don¡¯t kick it over. I¡¯ll leave now. I¡¯m not selling anymore.¡±


    The ruffian surrounded the old man andughed wantonly. ¡°Do you think this is your house and you cane and go as you please? If you want to leave, you have to give me the money first.¡±


    Li Yu saw that the surrounding people had packed their things and hidden themselves far away. She knew that it had not been a day or two since these people had been tyrannical in town. Thinking that this ce was only more than two hours away from Yunzhou City, she wondered why no oneing to interfere. Someone was probably using these people to umte wealth.


    Li Yu stepped forward and shouted, ¡°Who allowed you to collect protection fees and be domineering in town?


    Seeing that Li Yu, a woman, hade to help him, the old man was afraid that she would suffer. He hurriedly let go of the wooden bucket and said to Li Yu, ¡°Thank you for your help,dy. I¡¯m not selling anymore. You should leave quickly!¡±


    When the hooligans saw Li Yu, their eyes lit up. They surrounded Li Yu and turned their heads with lecherous smiles. ¡°Brother Cai, when did such a beautye to town?¡±


    Gu Yu hurriedly walked forward with her back facing Li Yu. She stretched out her arms to protect Li Yu and shouted, ¡°Get lost. How dare you be rude to my Madam! ¡±


    One of the ruffiansughed strangely. ¡°Yo! Brother Cai, listen. When did a


    Madame to town? We didn¡¯t know about that.¡± Li Yu looked at them coldly.


    The ruffian called Brother Cai nced at Li Yu and went forward to pull the other to his ear. ¡°Dachui, look at her. She looks even more imposing than


    Madam Zhencheng. I¡¯m afraid she has a powerful background.¡±


    Dachui chuckled and said, ¡°Brother Cai, you¡¯re just too timid. Think about it.


    When have you seen a Madame to the market to buy groceries?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not wrong to be careful. Let¡¯s go! If we provoke someone we shouldn¡¯t, even the Town Mayor can¡¯t protect us.¡± Brother Cai turned around decisively and said to them, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Dachui pointed at the old man and said, ¡°I¡¯ll let you off today.¡± The hooligans walked away arrogantly..

 Chapter 260 - 260: Great Maple Mountain

    Chapter 260: Great Maple Mountain


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    When the vigers saw that the hooligans had left, they surrounded them. A woman walked to Li Yu¡¯s side and whispered, ¡°Sister, I can tell that you¡¯re from another city and don¡¯t know the background of these people. These hooligans are called the Five Tigers of Xingfu. There are four of them today. The one who didn¡¯te today is Zhong Bao, the younger brother of the wife of the town¡¯s mayor. That guy looks like a woman, but he¡¯s a ruthless person. I advise you to leave quickly!¡±


    The others also persuaded, ¡°Yes! You¡¯d better go! Otherwise, if he sees you, you¡¯ll suffer.¡±


    Li Yu looked at everyone¡¯s worried expressions and thought to herself, ¡°To think the brother-inw of a town governor can already dominate. It seems that this town mayor is quite haughty.¡±


    The old man selling pickled vegetables cupped his hands at Li Yu and said, ¡°Thank you for your help, Sister. I don¡¯t intend to sell my pickled vegetables anymore. You should leave quickly!¡±


    Li Yu smiled and said to the old man, ¡°Uncle, sell me your pickled vegetables! I was looking for pickled vegetables just now.¡±


    The old man waved his hand and said, ¡°Sister-inw, you don¡¯t have to buy it. Although I¡¯m poor, I can still afford to give you some pickled vegetables.¡± As he spoke, he bent down to scoop some pickled vegetables for Li Yu.


    Li Yu smiled and ced two pieces of silver in the old man¡¯s hand. ¡°Uncle, I


    have a lot of people at home. I have to buy all of them. Take this money.¡±


    The old man looked at the silver in his hand and was stunned for a moment. He understood that Li Yu wanted to help him. He bowed to Li Yu gratefully and said, ¡°Sister, you¡¯re a good person.¡±


    Li Yu smiled faintly. ¡°I¡¯ll fish out the pickled vegetables. Hurry home so that those hooligans won¡¯t find trouble with you again.¡±


    As Li Yu spoke, she got Gu Yu to put down the carrier and scoop up the pickled vegetables. She squeezed out the water and ced them in the carrier. Then, she bade farewell to the old man and walked towards the inn.


    Ji Xiang had already bought the food. Seeing the two of them return, he hung the food, meat, vegetables, and luggage on the backs of the two horses. After greeting the innkeeper, he led the horse out of the town.


    At the foot of the mountain, they walked up a rugged mountain path. After going up the mountain, they saw that on both sides of the mountain path, the spring flowers had already bloomed.


    The mountain path became more and more rugged. From time to time, pheasants and turtledoves flew away from the grass. Li Yu took out her bow and shot a few pheasants and turtledoves, as well as wild rabbits, into the bamboo basket on her horse.


    Gu Yu was stunned by Li Yu¡¯s archery. She looked at Li Yu in admiration and said, ¡°Madam, I didn¡¯t expect you to hunt too. Your archery is so good.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯m a girl from a family of hunters. I learned archery.¡±


    Gu Yu said in frustration, ¡°I¡¯m also a girl from a family of hunters but I can¡¯t do it. I keep missing.¡±


    Ji Xiang nced at Gu Yu¡¯s round face and said, ¡°That¡¯s because you¡¯re too stupid. My Madam is extraordinary. Ordinary people can forget aboutparing with her.¡±


    Gu Yu nced at Ji Xiang. ¡°Brother Ji Xiang, you¡¯re wrong. Don¡¯t forget that


    she¡¯s also my Madam.¡±


    Ji Xiang smiled and said, ¡°Yo! You¡¯ve only been here for a few days? Why are you so calctive?¡±


    Gu Yu turned her head and said, ¡°I¡¯m Madam¡¯s girl too.¡±


    Li Yu smiled as she watched the two of them bicker. She felt that there might be a chance between the two of them because she had severalrades in her previous life who paired up after the initial friction.


    When they reached a mountain stream, Ji Xiang cut open a pheasant, cleaned it, sprinkled salt and seasoning, and roasted it on a wooden stick. They ate it with the steamed buns and continued on their way.


    The hooligans of Xingfu Town returned to their usual residence and saw Zhong Bao practicing in the courtyard. Zhong Bao¡¯s eyes were like hooks. Dachui entered the house and took a hot handkerchief. He stood at the side and waited for Zhong Bao to finish practicing. He smiled and walked to Zhong Bao¡¯s side. ¡°Big Brother, I saw a young woman at the market today. Tsk tsk, I¡¯ve never seen such a beautiful woman.¡±


    Zhong Bao smiled evilly. ¡°She¡¯s as good as your elder sister.¡±


    Dachui was stunned by Zhong Bao¡¯s smile. He rubbed his chin and smiled ingratiatingly. ¡°Big Brother, I¡¯m just being honest, don¡¯t be angry. I can¡¯t describe her features, but she looks good. Even the girl beside her looks good.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go and change my clothes.¡± Zhong Bao was tempted by Dachui¡¯s words and turned to walk into the house. Brother Cai came out of thetrine pit and saw Dachui following behind Zhong Bao. He cursed in his heart, ¡°What an incorrigible lecher. Sooner orter, he will fall into the hands of a woman.¡±


    They came out and walked towards the market. After walking around the market, they couldn¡¯t find anyone. Dachui pulled a butcher and asked, ¡°Where did those two women go?¡±


    The butcher replied carefully, ¡°I saw them return to the main street. I don¡¯t know anything else.¡±


    They walked towards the main street. After asking a few ces, they found the inn where Li Yu and the others had left their carts. They learned that Li Yu and the others had been gone for almost an hour.


    Zhong Bao stared at the inn owner with a dark expression and said, ¡°When shees back, remember to get someone to inform me. Otherwise, I¡¯ll teach you a lesson.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes,¡± the innkeeper agreed with a bitter expression.


    At dawn, the two of them followed Gu Yu to a maple forest. Gu Yu pointed at a mountain ridge excitedly and said to Li Yu, ¡°Madam, we¡¯ve arrived at the maple forest. We¡¯ll reach it after crossing the mountain ridge. The leaves of the big maple trees are green now. When autumnes, these leaves will turn red like mes. Let¡¯s walk past the big maple trees for another two hours and pass through a forest.¡±


    Li Yu looked at the maple trees that were more than ten to twenty meters tall and thought to herself that these maple trees were probably more than a


    thousand years old. Great Maple Mountain was named thus because of these towering trees.


    After walking for two hours, they descended the mountain ridge when it was almost dark. They led their horses for an hour and passed through a forest. The sight before them suddenly opened up. A valley surrounded by mountains appeared in front of them. Looking at the sparse houses in the valley, Li Yu knew they finally arrived at Great Maple Vige.


    Gu Yu waved excitedly and shouted, ¡°Grandpa, Grandma, I¡¯m back.¡± Her clear shout echoed in the valley.


    Ji Xiang rolled her eyes at Gu Yu. ¡°Crazy girl, who would know who you¡¯re shouting at from so far away?


    Gu Yu nced at Ji Xiang and exined softly, ¡°They¡¯ll know. I used to call them from here when I came back from hunting with my father.¡±


    Ji Xiang led the horse and urged, ¡°It¡¯s already dark. Why are you still dawdling? Madam is already tired.¡± Gu Yu rolled her eyes at Ji Xiang and led the horse faster.


    They walked along the three-foot-wide dirt road and came to a big pear tree. They met an old man carrying a load of firewood. When he saw Gu Yu, he smiled happily and said, ¡°You¡¯re back! Aiyo! I haven¡¯t seen you for half a year.


    You¡¯ve be a girl in the city!¡±


    Gu Yu smiled shyly and bowed. ¡°Uncle, don¡¯t tease me.¡±


    Li Yu looked at the old man¡¯s white hair and the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes. He bent his back and carried the firewood happily. Li Yu and Ji Xiang made way for the old man as he carry the firewood into the vige.


    After walking inside for a while, Gu Yu pointed at the stone house in front and the courtyard surrounded by wood. ¡°Madam, we¡¯re here.¡±


    Li Yu nodded and said to Gu Yu, ¡°Tomorrow, get your grandfather and the others to distribute the food, meat, and sugar to the old and weak in the vige..¡±

 Chapter 261 - 261: Big Maple Village

    Chapter 261: Big Maple Vige


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    ¡°Hey!¡± Gu Yu agreed happily. She saw a gray-haired man walking out of the house into the courtyard. He waved his hand and shouted, ¡°Uncle, I¡¯m back!¡±


    Gu Yu¡¯s uncle stood in the courtyard, not believing his ears. He looked at Gu Yu, who was getting closer and closer, pped his legs, and shouted, ¡°Dad, Mom,e and take a look! Girl Yu is back!¡±


    Before he could finish his sentence, he had already run to the wooden door and opened it. There was a smile on his face, but his eyes were filled with tears. ¡°Yu! You¡¯re back! ¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m back. Uncle, why is your hair white?¡±


    Gu Yu went forward and held his hand, looking at his gray hair worriedly. Seeing her uncle looking behind her, she hurriedly turned around and pointed at Li Yu. ¡°Uncle, this is my Madam. My Madam came back with me.¡±


    Uncle Gu bowed to Li Yu. ¡°Thank you, Madam. We thought we would never see


    Xiaoyu again.¡±


    At this moment, a few people ran out of the house. Gu Yu ran in and knelt in front of an old couple, crying, ¡°Grandpa, Grandma, I¡¯m back.¡±


    Gu Yu¡¯s grandmother pulled Gu Yu up and hugged her as she cried. Uncle Gu ran in and said to the old man, ¡°Dad, Mom, it¡¯s dark outside. Gu Yu¡¯s main family is still outside!¡±


    Everyone ran out of the courtyard again. Gu Yu wiped her tears and pulled Old Madam Gu to Li Yu and Ji Xiang. ¡°Grandma, this is my Madam. Madam came to our vige to take a look. This is Little Brother Ji Xiang.¡±


    The two elders of the Gu family hurriedly bowed again. Gu Yu pointed at the horse. ¡°Grandpa, Grandma, look. Madam even brought food and meat for you to distribute to the old and weak families in the vige.¡±


    Everyone¡¯s eyes widened when they saw the few sacks of food on the back of the horse and a huge pile of pork.


    Gu Yu¡¯s cousin swallowed and sighed. ¡°Wow! How can we finish so much


    meat?¡±


    Uncle Gu patted him and said, ¡°Little greedy boy, Madam said this is for your grandfather to distribute to the weak in the vige.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Madam. I didn¡¯t expect you to spend so much money.¡± Old Master


    Gu and Old Madam Gu bowed to Li Yu gratefully and instructed Uncle Gu, ¡°Quickly bring the horses to the courtyard and feed them with the grass we cut today.¡±


    Seeing their helpless expressions, Li Yu smiled and waved her hand. ¡°Old man, don¡¯t trouble yourself. I just wanted to take a walk.¡±


    Everyone greeted each other politely and entered the courtyard. Ji Xiang and Gu Yu¡¯s two cousins moved the food and meat into the central room. Gu Yu took out some meat and pickled vegetables and started to cook. Gu Yu¡¯s aunt brought hot water and said to Li Yu cautiously, ¡°Madam, please wash your face.¡±


    Li Yu looked reserved and said gently, ¡°Sister-inw, sorry to trouble you.¡±


    Madam He blushed. ¡°Madam, you¡¯re too polite. What trouble is there? You brought our Xiaoyu back to take a look so that her grandfather and uncle can rest assured! I¡¯ll have to trouble you to take care of my Xiaoyu in the future!¡±


    When Li Yu saw Madam He¡¯s loving gaze as she talked about Gu Yu, she knew that this woman was sincere. Although this family was poor, there was a deep kinship within the family. Under the dim oilmp, Li Yu realized that the Gu family could be said to be poor. There was an old wooden table in the kitchen and a few wooden stools. She didn¡¯t see any other furniture.


    Li Yu picked up a vegetable and started picking. She asked Madam He, who was also picking vegetables, ¡°Sister-inw, I heard from Gu Yu that your family sold the only two acres ofnd to pay for her father¡¯s treatment, but I saw that the terrain here is quite t. Why does your family only have two acres?


    Madam He sighed and said, ¡°Madam, you don¡¯t know this, but I heard from the child¡¯s father that there are ten or so acres of fertilend in our vige, but thosends belong to the Wang family. The rest are sand, gravel, and slopingnds. No one can afford to raise livestock without fertilizers. Even if thosends are developed, there won¡¯t be any crops.¡±


    Li Yu asked curiously, ¡°The Wang family? Is it the Wang family in Yunzhou


    Madam He shook her head and felt a little strange. These richdies didn¡¯t know how to farm, so what was the use of asking these questions? She still replied honestly, ¡°I don¡¯t know. I only know that it¡¯s from the Wang family. My family plowed 20 acres of farnd for the Wang family and split it 30-70. The Wang family gets 70% and we get 30%. The taxes are also paid by the Wang family. If the heavens reward us with rice and wild vegetables, we can still eat. If the heavens don¡¯t reward us with food, many families can only go to the mountain to scavenge for food. The ferocious beasts on the mountain will kill one at a young age like Second Uncle if they¡¯re not careful.¡±


    ¡°Oh! Do those slopes and sandstones also belong to the Wang family?¡±


    ¡°No, those are wastnds that no one nted.¡±


    At this moment, Gu Yu finished cooking and brought it to the table to treat Li


    Yu and Ji Xiang to a meal. Li Yu asked the Gu family to eat together. Old Master


    Gu said politely, ¡°Madam, we¡¯ve only eaten a while ago. Hurry up and eat.¡±


    Li Yu saw Gu Yu¡¯s cousin looking at the pickled vegetable stew and swallowing his saliva. She said to Gu Yu, ¡°How can the three of us eat so much? Scoop it up and let your grandparents eat it too.¡±


    Gu Yu shook her head and said, ¡°Madam, they won¡¯t eat it even if we send it over. Besides, there¡¯s more in the kitchen!¡±


    After dinner, Ji Xiang whispered to Li Yu, ¡°Madam, I didn¡¯t expect them to be so poor. Life in West Mountain Vige was better than here.¡±


    ¡°The good farnd in the vige has been upied by the big ns. They don¡¯t have anynd themselves and rely on thend ot the Wang family to farm. Thend is rented 30-70%. Even if they don¡¯t pay taxes, there won¡¯t be much food left in a year. If there¡¯s a day of illness, you can imagine how bad it would be.¡±


    Ji Xiang came to a realization. ¡°No wonder Gu Yu¡¯s cousin is so small at 13 years old. But the rent is too high! In our case, we offer a 50-50 split for ournd, and we still have to pay taxes. The tenants are also living a tight life.¡±


    Gu Yuid out the nket and said to Li Yu and Ji Xiang in embarrassment,


    ¡°Madam, can I sleep with you tonight?¡±


    Li Yu nodded. Ji Xiang looked at her and said, ¡°What about me?¡± Gu Yu pointed at her cousin and said, ¡°Brother Ji Xiang, you and my cousin are in the same room.¡±


    They washed up and went to sleep separately. The next morning, when Li Yu woke up, she saw Old Master Gu sending meat back. Behind him were more than ten old men who said that they were here to thank Li Yu. Everyone exchanged pleasantries. After Gu Yu set up the dishes and ate, Uncle Gu and Aunt Gu led Li Yu and the others out to the fields. There was a group of vigers behind them.


    Uncle Gu pointed at the t ground and said, ¡°This area belongs to the Wang family. I¡¯ve sold my only two acres to them.¡±


    Li Yu pointed at thend beside the mountain stream and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go over there and take a look.¡±


    When they walked over, Li Yu realized that there was indeed more sandstone over there, but the deste slope was not bad. It was just like the small hill in


    Old Hu¡¯s vige. Li Yu took a hoe and dug a few ces to take a look. She said to Uncle Gu, ¡°Where does the water from that mountain streame from?


    Uncle Gu pointed at a mountain in front of them. ¡°There¡¯s a hole there. The wateres from there. The water is even heavier during the rainy season.¡±


    With water, they could open terraces. Li Yu said to Uncle Gu, ¡°When I was in Tongzhou, there was a Hu Vige. Their fertile fields were destroyed by the sh flood. In the end, they opened terraces on such small hills and nted wheat and rice in alternate seasons. The harvest was not bad..¡±

 Chapter 262 - 262: Capture

    Chapter 262: Capture


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Uncle Gu and the vigers widened their eyes and pointed at the hills excitedly. ¡°Madam, if it really works, we can open all these dozens of hills. We won¡¯t have to worry about not having food to eat.¡±


    ¡°Yes, as long as you work hard for a year and open up thend, you won¡¯t have to pay taxes for the first few years. Everyone will have endless food in the future.¡±


    A viger asked, ¡°Where does the watere from?¡±


    Li Yu smiled and said, ¡°Dig a reservoir at the top of the hill and cut some thick bamboo. Open the bamboo joints and connect them. It¡¯s best to apply tung oil on the bamboo tubes to make them more durable.¡±


    Everyone understood after hearing this and gave Li Yu a thumbs up. ¡°Madam, you¡¯re too smart. It seems we went hungry guarding a treasure mountain?


    ¡°Remember, you have to dig along the terrain and build a good foundation.¡± Li Yu smiled and told them how to open the terraces.


    She also told them how to dig forpost in the forest to create fertilizers. She even taught them how to raise earthworms with rotten vegetables and dry them to feed chickens.


    It was as if a new world had opened up for the vigers. All of them were excited as they picked up their hoes and started working. They were all veterans at farming and quickly caught up after Li Yu¡¯s guidance.


    Li Yu stayed in the mountains for a day and watched them build terraces. The next day, after eating at noon, she prepared to go down the mountain and go home. The vigers took the mountain goods they had saved and insisted on giving them to Li Yu. Ji Xiang looked at the mushrooms and wood ears and thought that these were good things when they were brought to the capital. He smiled and said to them, ¡°Everyone, you can pick up more and dry them. I¡¯ll collect them when the timees.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good! Thank you, Brother Ji Xiang.¡±


    Before Li Yu left, she said to them, ¡°After you open thend, get someone toe to the Yunzhou government office to settle the title deed. I¡¯ll get someone to inform them. No one will make things difficult for you. Try to open as many as possible. I¡¯ll provide you with new high-yielding rice seeds and even get someone to teach you how to soak them.¡±


    Uncle Gu said worriedly, ¡°Madam, we know your good intentions, but we don¡¯t have the money to buy new rice seeds. We¡¯ve always used the rice seeds we left behind. The production has always been poor.¡±


    Li Yu thought for a moment and said, ¡°How about this! I¡¯ll inform them and ask them to give you the rice seedlings first. When you harvest the grains, you can return them with grains of the same price.¡±


    The vigers felt like they had received a fortune from the sky. They said excitedly to Gu Yu, ¡°Gu Yu, what exactly is your Madam doing? Could it be that the heavens sent her to help us?


    Gu Yu recalled Li Yu¡¯s instructions and chuckled. ¡°My Madam is a good person. You¡¯ll know in the future!¡±


    Everyone felt that they had seen hope again. They reluctantly sent Li Yu and the others to the forest on the mountain before stopping.


    When they returned, Li Yu and Gu Yu rode on a horse. Ji Xiang led the way and descended the mountain at dawn. Ji Xiang said to Li Yu loudly, ¡°Madam, let¡¯s hurry up. We can still return to Yunzhou before the city gate closes.¡±


    Li Yu replied, ¡°Alright, then go straight to the inn and leave after putting on the carriage.¡±


    Seeing that there were few people in town, Ji Xiang and Li Yu drove their horses quickly toward the inn at the end of the town.


    When the innkeeper saw Li Yu and the others return, he gave the waiter a look and the waiter ran out.


    Ji Xiang entered the inn and said to the shopkeeper, ¡°Shopkeeper, feed the horse some grass. We have to hurry.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± The shopkeeper instructed the waiter to add fodder for the horses. Ji Xiang paid the bill and carried the luggage to the livestock shed in the backyard of the inn.


    After a while, the waiter led the horse to Ji Xiang and helped him put the carriage on. They got into the carriage and Ji Xiang drove the carriage out of the inn.


    As soon as they went out of the inn, Zhong Bao and the others stopped in front of the carriage and shouted aggressively, ¡°The people in the carriage, get down. How dare you smash my ce in Xingfu Town.¡±


    The pedestrians on the street hurriedly hid in the grocery store and whispered,


    ¡°Sigh! These foreigners are going to suffer again.¡±


    The shopkeeper shook his head and said, ¡°Sigh! It¡¯s a good town, not far from the city. Why isn¡¯t anyone managing it?¡± Everyone sighed in unison. ¡°That¡¯s right! Why isn¡¯t anyone managing it?¡±


    Ji Xiang pointed at them with his whip and said, ¡°Get lost! Don¡¯t me me for being impolite if you offend my Madam.¡±


    ¡°Hey! Let¡¯s see how rude you can be.¡± Zhong Bao looked at Ji Xiang with a cheeky smile and said to Dachui and the others, ¡°Go and drag the people off the carriage.¡± Dachui and the other two ruffians rushed toward the carriage. Ji Xiang swung the horsewhip at Dachui¡¯s head. With a swish, Dachui was whipped from his forehead to his chin. The other two ruffians tried to climb onto the carriage but were kicked away by Ji Xiang. Swish! Swish! They fell to the ground, raising dust with their fall.


    Ji Xiang pointed at them and said, ¡°If you dare toe forward again, I won¡¯t be polite to you.¡±


    Li Yu said to Ji Xiang, ¡°Ji Xiang, don¡¯t waste your breath on him. He¡¯s just a small town governor, but he actually dares to allow his rtives to roam the countryside and lord it over the people. Take them all back to the government office.¡±


    ¡°Everyone, go and kill this reckless thing.¡± Zhong Bao saw that they were at a


    disadvantage and shouted loudly. He pulled out his dagger and rushed towards Ji Xiang with Brother Cai. Ji Xiang jumped up from the carriage and kicked at the two of them. Zhong Bao ducked but Brother Cai could not dodge in time. He was kicked away andy on the ground motionless.


    ¡°Dachui, go back and call for help,¡± Zhong Bao shouted. Dachui covered his face and turned to run.


    Zhong Bao stabbed at Ji Xiang, and Ji Xiang leaned back to dodge. The de of the dagger cut through Ji Xiang¡¯s thin jacket. Zhong Bao swung the dagger like a shadow, and Ji Xiang kicked the dagger in his hand.


    ¡°Brother Bao, let me help you.¡± A ruffian got up from the ground and stabbed Ji Xiang¡¯s back with a dagger.


    ¡°Brother Ji Xiang, be careful.¡± Gu Yu eximed. The people in the shop opposite were so frightened that they opened their fingers and covered their eyes.


    A thin-ded dagger slid out of Ji Xiang¡¯s sleeve. In the blink of an eye, the thin de pierced the ruffian¡¯s palm and knocked him to the ground. Zhong Bao got up and wanted to run, but he was stopped by Ji Xiang and knocked to the ground.


    Gu Yu took a rope from the cart and helped Ji Xiang tie them up. She carried them to the cart and threw them in. Ji Xiang said to Li Yu, ¡°Madam, what if one of them runs away?


    ¡°Don¡¯t bother about him. Let¡¯s go.¡± Li Yu pulled open the curtain and said coldly to the trembling innkeeper, ¡°Shopkeeper, since you know how to leak the news, go tell the town magistrate of Xingfu that I brought these robbers back to the Yunzhou government office.¡±


    When the innkeeper heard Li Yu call herself Madam and even asked him to inform the town magistrate to go to the government office, he knew that he couldn¡¯t afford to offend her. He staggered in front of Li Yu and knelt down to kowtow. ¡°Madam, if I don¡¯t tell him that you¡¯ve returned to the inn, my inn won¡¯t be able to continue operating. I still have a family in this town. Please forgive me!¡± The innkeeper kept kowtowing and begging for mercy..

 Chapter 263 - 263: Going Home

    Chapter 263: Going Home


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Li Yu knew that he had no choice but to do this. She sighed and said, ¡°You only think about yourself, but as the owner of the inn, you should at least warn your customers if someone wants to harm your customers. What did you do? Have you ever thought that if the person who came today was an unarmed woman, you will haved pushed her into eternal damnation and harmed her family with your actions?¡±


    The shopkeeper looked at Li Yu in a daze, shame shing across his eyes.


    ¡°Madam, you¡¯re right. I¡¯m not human. I¡¯m helping the wicked.¡±


    ¡°Forget it, get up! Think about it in the future.¡± Li Yu turned around and got into the cart. Ji Xiang drove the carriage towards Yunzhou Prefecture.


    The person from the shop opposite ran to the inn and helped the innkeeper up from the ground. He asked, ¡°Shopkeeper Luo, what did the people in the cart say to you? Who are they? They even captured Zhong Bao!¡±


    Shopkeeper Luo wiped his cold sweat and exined what had happened. He said in shame, ¡°Shopkeeper Wang, I didn¡¯t do my job well. Fortunately, they didn¡¯t pursue the matter.¡±


    After hearing this, Manager Wang and the others smiled and said, ¡°This is great. It¡¯s almost dawn in Xingfu Town. Hurry up and inform Exploiter Wu so he won¡¯t find trouble with youter.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. I¡¯ll go inform Exploiter Wu now.¡± Manager Luo ran towards Wu Zhencheng¡¯s house. Before he reached Wu Zhencheng¡¯s house, he met Dachui and the others who hade to help. Manager Luo walked forward and said to Hammer, ¡°Brother Dachui, thatdy asked me to tell Lord Wu that she brought Young Master Zhong and the others to the government office.¡±


    ¡°Taken to the government office?¡± The hooligans were dumbfounded. Dachui waved his hand and shouted, ¡°Brothers, they just left. Let¡¯s go and snatch our boss back.¡±


    The dozen or so hooligans felt that something was wrong and stood there without moving. The hooligan standing beside Dachui cupped his fists and said, ¡°Dachui, I still have something on, so I¡¯ll go back first.¡±


    Dachui reached out to stop him. ¡°Old ck, didn¡¯t you say that you wanted to join the Five Tigers Gang? If we snatch Brother Bao back, we¡¯ll let you join the Five Tigers Gang.¡±


    ¡°I really have something on. Let¡¯s talk about itter!¡± With that, he left without looking back. The other hooligans saw that the situation was bad and found an excuse to slip away. Dachui cursed angrily, ¡®What are you all doing? When Brother Baoes back, you¡¯ll suffer!¡±


    When Manager Luo arrived at Mayor Wu¡¯s house, he fearfully told him about Zhong Bao being taken away. Mayor Wu¡¯s face was dark as he asked about what had happened. He frowned and thought to himself that Zhong Bao was a reckless thing that didn¡¯t know his ce and only knew how to cause trouble. Who exactly came to Xingfu? Why didn¡¯t anyone inform me?


    After saying that, Manager Luo stood there uneasily, afraid that Mayor Wu would vent his anger on him.


    Wu Zhencheng raised his head and saw that Manager Luo was still standing there. He waved his hand impatiently and said, ¡°Alright, I understand. You can go back!¡± Manager Luo bowed and quickly left.


    Li Yu and the other two rushed to Yunzhou before the city gate closed. After entering the city, she asked Ji Xiang to send Zhong Bao and the other three to the government office while they walked back with Gu Yu. When Uncle Liu saw Li Yu return, he happily went forward and greeted, ¡°Madam, Young Master hase to see you a few times today.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± Li Yu walked quickly toward the main courtyard. Zhou Jia carried Yangyang, who was crying and looking for Li Yu, and walked around the courtyard. He turned around and saw Li Yu walking over quickly. Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu and smiled. He patted Yangyang¡¯s head and said gently, ¡°Yang¡¯er, look, your mother is back.¡±


    Li Yu shouted softly, ¡°Yangyang, Mom is back.¡± Yangyang turned around and saw Li Yu. He immediately pouted aggrievedly. ¡°Mom, Yangyang was looking for you everywhere.¡±


    Li Yu hugged Yangyang andforted her. ¡°Baby, I went out for a few days. I rushed back immediately after I was done.¡±


    Yangyang hugged her neck and cried pitifully, ¡°Yangyang couldn¡¯t find Mom.¡±


    Zhou Jia went forward and patted his little butt. He hugged the mother and son and said with a smile, ¡°Alright, stop crying. If you cry anymore, I¡¯llugh at you. Let your mother wash up. Yang¡¯er and Dad will get Grandma Liu to make something for Mom, okay?¡±


    Yangyang looked at Li Yu and reluctantly let go of Li Yu¡¯s neck. ¡°Mom, hurry up.¡± Li Yu smiled at her. ¡°Mom will be fine in a while.¡±


    Li Yu took a shower and ate a bowl of minced pork noodles. Then she carried


    Yangyang back to the room and ced him on the small bed in the outer room. Zhou Jia came back from the study and carried her back to the room. He held her into his arms and lowered his head to ask, ¡°How is the mountain? Is there a way to improve it?¡±


    Li Yu nodded and told her about what happened in the mountains. She smiled and said, ¡°They¡¯re all good at farming. As soon as I said that, they understood. When I go to Shopkeeper Chu to buy rice and straw for them, things will be better next year. It¡¯s just that I ran into a group of hooligans in Xingfu Town.


    I¡¯ve already caught them and sent them to the government office.¡±


    ¡°Wu Tingxian and Mayor Wu, I wonder what their rtionship is? Let¡¯s go back to the government office to investigate tomorrow. Yu¡¯er, let¡¯s rest!¡± Zhou Jia turned around and pressed Li Yu down, kissing her pink lips.


    When Li Yu woke up the next day, she found Yangyang ying alone on the bed with the doll. When he saw Li Yu wake up, he called out ¡°Mother¡± and pounced on Li Yu. He kissed her face twice and smiled.


    Li Yu touched his face. ¡°Yang¡¯er, have you eaten?¡±


    ¡°I ate with Daddy. Daddy asked Yangyang not to disturb Mom¡¯s sleep.¡±


    Li Yu kissed him affectionately and got up to put on her dress. After washing up, she tied her hair into a simple bun and led him out.


    When Aunt Zhang saw that Li Yu was up, she quickly set up the dishes. After Li Yu ate, Xiaoyu walked in with an invitation and said to Li Yu, ¡°Madam, Mrs. Wu sent an invitation. She said that her family¡¯s Eighteen Schrs flowers are blooming tomorrow and invited you to her house to admire the flowers. Are you going?


    Eighteen Schrs? Li Yu thought for a moment and realised it was just camellia! However, she thought it was good to go take a look. She nodded and smiled. ¡°Alright!¡±


    Zhou Jia looked up Xingfu Town in the government office and found that Wu Yueze was born and raised in Xingfu Town. He was a schr. Mayor Wu had nothing to do with Wu Tingxian, but he used his surname to get close to Wu Tingxian. Zhong Bao¡¯s real name was Zhong Bao, and he was Wu Yueze¡¯s brother-inw.


    After Zhou Jia checked it clearly, he showed the file to Mr. Qian and said to him, ¡°Sir, take Zhao Cai to Xingfu Town and secretly check if Wu Yueze has done anything illegal in Xingfu Town.¡±


    Mr. Qian nodded and said, ¡°Sir, it¡¯s best if you tell Lord Wu the reason why


    Madam captured Zhong Bao to prevent unnecessary misunderstandings.¡± Zhou Jia thought for a moment and said, ¡°Alright, go back and bring Zhao Cai!¡±


    Mr. Qian retreated. Zhou Jia walked out of the room and went to Wu Tingxian next door. He saw a middle-aged man with a square face and a gloomy expression standing at the door and waiting for Wu Tingxian to summon him..

 Chapter 264 - 264: Flower Admiration

    Chapter 264: Flower Admiration


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    When the man saw Zhou Jia, he hurriedly bowed. ¡°Greetings from Xingfu Town


    Mayor Wu Yueze, Prefect.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at him and said, ¡°Oh! You¡¯re Wu Yueze?¡±


    Wu Yueze was stunned for a moment. Just as he was about to reply, Wu Tingxian opened the door and walked out. He cupped his hands at Zhou Jia and said, ¡°Sir.¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled at him and said, ¡°I have something to tell you.¡± Wu Tingxian turned around and smiled. ¡°Lord, please.¡±


    Wu Yueze watched the two of them enter the room and thought to himself that from the looks of it, the magistrate knew that he was the mayor of Xingfu Town. Could it be that the person who took Zhong Bao away was the magistrate¡¯s wife? He thought for a moment and shook his head. Impossible. Why would the dignified magistrate¡¯s wife go to Xingfu to buy vegetables at the market?


    Zhou Jia told Wu Tingxian about Li Yu seeing Zhong Bao¡¯s subordinates in


    Xingfu Town bullying themoners and wanting to kidnap Li Yu. He said to Wu Tingxian, ¡°It¡¯s really a coincidence. I was afraid that it would cause an unnecessary misunderstanding, so I specially came to inform you. Oh! I even sent Mr. Qian and Zhao Cai to Xingfu Town to secretly investigate and see if Wu Yueze has any other illegal dealings.¡±


    Wu Tingxian had seen Zhou Jia bring his child to the government office for work these past two days. He had evenughed at Zhou Jia behind his back and said that he was weak. He was clear that Zhou Jia was telling the truth. He bowed gratefully and said, ¡°Thank you for telling me, sir. I wonder if Wu Yueze actually dares to indulge his family and cause trouble in the countryside. I won¡¯t let him off easily after I investigate.¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled and said, ¡°Lord Wu, there¡¯s no need to be so polite. Go ahead. I¡¯ll go back.¡±


    The more Wu Yueze thought about it, the more afraid he became. For a moment, he felt a little flustered. Suddenly, the door opened. Seeing Lord Wu respectfully send the magistrate out, he hurriedly bowed and waited at the side.


    Wu Tingxian sent Zhou Jia to his room before turning around and returning. He returned to the door of the room and said to Wu Yueze, ¡®You¡¯re here for your brother-inw, right?¡±


    Wu Yueze bowed and replied, ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    Wu Ting nced at him coldly. ¡°He and those hooligans were indeed brought back to the government office. Go back first and wait for the government office to investigate.¡±


    Wu Yueze pretended not to understand. ¡°Sir, what did he do?¡±


    Wu Ting stared at him and looked at his flickering eyes. ¡°What did he do? Don¡¯t you know?¡± With that, he flicked his sleeve and left.


    Wu Yueze looked at Wu Tingxian¡¯s back and thought to himself that it was all over and med it on his wife and brother-inw. Wu Yueze was filled with regret. He left the government office in a daze and got into the carriage. The coachman asked, ¡°Master, are we going back to Xingfu?¡±


    ¡°Go back!¡± Wu Yueze gritted his teeth and said, ¡°I have to go back and see what they did behind my back.¡±


    Wu Tingxian came out of the booking room first. After thinking about it, he sent two constables to Xingfu Town to gather evidence regarding Wu Yueze and Zhong Bao before returning home with a dark expression.


    The Wu family residence was a house with three entrances. Mrs. Wu, or Madam Gao, was younger than him. She was a beautiful woman in a red dress with long eyebrows and almond eyes. When Madam Gao saw Wu Tingxian return with a dark expression, she walked over and looked at him with concern. ¡°Did Master encounter anything unhappy in the government office today?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Wu Tingxian replied solemnly and walked towards the study. Madam


    Gao followed him into the study and asked worriedly, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did the


    magistrate trip you up?¡±


    Wu Tingxian shook his head and told Madam Gao what Zhou Jia had told him and how Wu Yueze hade to look for him. The more Wu Tingxian spoke, the angrier he became. He mmed the table in anger. ¡°That dog allowed Zhong Bao to bully themoners in Xingfu Town. After being stopped by Madam Li, he even wanted to stop and take revenge on Madam Li. He was captured and brought back to the government office. Fortunately, Lord Zhou came to inform me. Otherwise, I would still be in the dark.¡±


    Madam Gao heaved a sigh of relief when she heard this. She looked at Wu Ting and smiled. ¡°It seems that Lord Zhou has never thought of bing enemies with you. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t havee to inform you. Instead, he would have secretly gathered evidence of Wu Yueze¡¯s crimes to have a hold against you.¡±


    Wu Ting leaned back in his chair and let out a long breath. ¡°That¡¯s right! The two of them are His Majesty¡¯s favorites. If they caught hold of my weakness and handed it over, my career is over. Let¡¯s befriend the Zhou family in the future. Didn¡¯t you say that you wanted to invite Madam Li to admire the flowers? Have you sent out the invitation?¡±


    Madam Gao looked at him with a smile. ¡°I did. You told me to make friends with this Madam Protector. I remember it in my heart. I¡¯ve carefully cultivated those eighteen schrs for a few days and they¡¯ll bloom tomorrow. Today, I got Zhu Qing to hand over the invitation and invite Madam Li toe tomorrow to admire the flowers.¡±


    Wu Ting¡¯s gloomy face finally revealed a smile. ¡°Yes! I¡¯m at ease, Madam.¡±


    The next day, Li Yu took care of the family matters. After coaxing Yangyang, she went to the storeroom to pick up two casual gifts and brought Gu Yu to Comrade Wu¡¯s house, which was not far away.


    Madam Gao stood at the door and waited for Madam Li to arrive. Seeing that everyone was here and Madam Li was still nowhere to be seen, Madam Gao couldn¡¯t help but worry.


    At this moment, a tall and beautiful woman came over from the government office. She was wearing a purple-red dress, her ck hair wasbed into a bun, and she only wore a simple jade hairpin. Her actions revealed a sense of freedom, and her every frown and smile revealed an indescribable charm. She walked over with a round-faced maidservant. Madam Gao sighed in her heart. She didn¡¯t expect Madam Li to be a peerless beauty.


    Madam Gao went forward and bowed respectfully. ¡°Greetings, Madam Li. Thank you foring.¡± Li Yu went forward and returned the greeting with a


    smile. ¡°I camete. Please forgive me, Madam Gao.¡±


    Seeing that Li Yu was humble, Madam Gao smiled even more. ¡°No, no. It¡¯s my pleasure to have you here! Please!¡±


    Madam Gao politely weed Li Yu to the backyard with a smile. ¡°I¡¯ve long wanted to invite Madam over to y, but I didn¡¯t have a suitable opportunity. Yesterday, I saw those eighteen schr trees blooming, so I found a reason to invite you over to admire the flowers. My master said that Lord Zhou is young and promising and iparably handsome. I was still wondering what Lord Zhou¡¯s wife looked like. Today, I see that you are indeed a match made in heaven.¡±


    Li Yu smiled politely and said, ¡°Madam, you tter me. I should have treated everyone, but I really don¡¯t know how to hold banquets. Coupled with the fact that I just arrived in Yunzhou, there are many things to do, so I put it aside.¡±


    The two of them passed through a moon gate and entered the garden. Li Yu saw that a pavilion had been built in the garden. The pavilion was surrounded by blooming immortal flowers. A few women stood in front of a few pots in the garden and pointed at the flowers as they praised them. Beside them stood Madam Lin and a young woman.


    When a few women from the military families saw Li Yu and Madam Gao enter, they gathered together and whispered, ¡°I heard that this Madam Li taught the Wang family¡¯s girl a lesson. It¡¯s really satisfying! She looks down on us and says that we¡¯re vulgar. It turns out that she was only so-so.¡±


    A woman smiled brightly and said, ¡°That¡¯s right.. After I heard about it that day, I was so happy that I ate an extra bowl!¡±

 Chapter 265 - 265: A Tiring Banquet

    Chapter 265: A Tiring Banquet


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    When one of the persons at the side saw Madam Lin walking over, she whispered, ¡°Stop talking, Madam Lin is watching from the side! Sigh! Did you guys notice that Madam Lin and Madam Li look alike!¡±


    Everyone took a nce. ¡°Hey! It¡¯s true!¡±


    A beautiful and gentle woman in her thirties saw Madam Gao enter with Li Yu respectfully. She smiled and bowed. ¡°Madam He greets Madam Li.¡± Li Yu smiled and returned the greeting. ¡°Madam He, greetings.¡±


    Madam Gao smiled and introduced her to Li Yu. ¡°Madam, this is the Madam of


    Magistrate Lin. Madam He will apany you to walk around the garden.¡±


    Li Yu also smiled and nodded. ¡°Madam He, there¡¯s no need to be so polite. Just do as you please.¡± As she spoke, a few women came to greet her. Madam Lin had been living in fear at home for the past two days. Seeing that Li Yu didn¡¯te to look for her, she felt relieved. She pretended to be nonchnt and walked into the garden with herpanion.


    Li Yu was really not good at socializing. She greeted those she met politely and stiffly. Fortunately, after everyone greeted her, she was able to stroll in the garden with the women she was familiar with.


    Madam He apanied Li Yu to the camellias and smiled gently. ¡°My master has something to do and will be back in a few days. He has long wanted to get to know Madam and thought that you were busy in Yunzhou, so he didn¡¯t disturb you.¡±


    Li Yu smiled dryly. ¡°I¡¯m busy with random things every day. You¡¯re wee toe and y when you have time.¡±


    When Madam He saw Li Yu¡¯s expression, she covered her mouth andughed. ¡°Madam, I don¡¯t know how to socialize either. My master and I came from a poor family. After my master got appointed to an official position, I was mocked and ridiculed the first time I went out to socialize. They said that I was an ill-mannered person from the countryside. When I returned home, I cried. From then on, every time I went out to socialize, I was on tenterhooks. I was afraid that others wouldugh at me for being rude, so I never liked to go out to socialize. Only when Ie to Sister Gao¡¯s do I dare to be so casual.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯m also from a farming family. I don¡¯t know anything about these banquets andplicated etiquette. It¡¯s because I don¡¯t know that I didn¡¯t dare to invite everyone.¡±


    When Madam He saw Li Yu¡¯s smile, she knew that she was really not good at socializing. She chuckled and said, ¡°Madam, with your status, you¡¯d be doing anyone the honors through your invitation. Who dares to nitpick?¡±


    Li Yu smiled and couldn¡¯t say anything else. She just felt that socializing was more tiring than hunting in the mountains and working in the fields.


    Madam He apanied Li Yu to the flower tree. Li Yu saw that the Wu family¡¯s camellias were indeed well taken care of. Seven or eight 18-year-old schrs were about ten feet tall. Their leaves were thick, green, and full. One of the flower trees even bloomed with pink, red, and white flowers. The flowers were elegant, exquisite, and very beautiful.


    Madam He pointed at the flower tree and said to Li Yu with a smile, ¡°Madam, look, it¡¯s really rare to see a few types of camellias like this. Madam Gao is really good at taking care of the flower tree.¡±


    Li Yu was also amazed. ¡°Did Mrs. Gao take care of these camellias?¡±


    Madam He smiled gently and said, ¡°Yes! Mrs. Gao likes to nt flowers when she has nothing to do. Look, she is the one who has been tending to those red plum blossoms.¡±


    Li Yu looked at the plum blossoms and the flowers in the garden and praised them in her heart. This garden was really well taken care of. Madam Gao was even better at taking care ot the garden than her own gardener.


    The two of them walked to the plum trees. There were a few red plum trees that were as beautiful as peach blossoms, and they emitted a fragrance. Madam He saw a long wooden bench among the flowers and said to Li Yu, ¡°Madam, let¡¯s go over and take a seat and rest.¡±


    Li Yu saw that Madam He was petite and thought that she might not move around much, so she nodded and agreed. Madam He ced a handkerchief on the bench and invited Li Yu to sit down. Li Yu smiled and said, ¡°Thank you, Madam He.¡±


    Madam He massaged her legs and said with a smile, ¡°In the past, I didn¡¯t feel tired working at home. Now, I feel tired easily.¡±


    Li Yuughed self-deprecatingly. ¡°Yes! It¡¯s really tiring to socialize.¡±


    The two of them chatted casually. Suddenly, they heard a woman¡¯s sharp voice from the side. ¡°Second Aunt, did you see Madam Gao¡¯s fawning look? She praised the two bumpkins from the countryside to the sky.¡±


    Li Yu and Madam He looked at each other. When they thought about how this woman was referring to them, they didn¡¯t know what to do.


    The two of them heard Madam Lin sigh and said, ¡°Our Wang family has been getting worse year by year. Who dared to neglect us in the past?! We still have to me your second uncle for choosing the wrong side.¡±


    ¡°Hey! Second Aunt, that Madam Li really looks like you! Those who don¡¯t know better would think that you¡¯re family!¡±


    Madam Lin said angrily, ¡°How can my family know such a vulgar person? Don¡¯t mention this in front of me again.¡± Li Yu was dumbfounded when she heard this. She finally understood why the girl called Ah Yue was like that.


    The two of them gradually walked away. Li Yu and Madam He were no longer in the mood to stroll, so they returned to the pavilion together. Li Yu realized that there were braziers burning around the pavilion. She walked into the pavilion for warmth.


    Just as the two of them were about to sit down, the maidservant came to invite everyone to take a seat. Li Yu and Madam He arrived at the banquet hall. Madam Gao politely invited Li Yu to sit down. Li Yu smiled and sat down on the chair below. She smiled and said, ¡°Madam Gao, you¡¯re the host and I¡¯m the guest. How can I steal the limelight?¡±


    Seeing this, Madam Gao could only sit down and smile. ¡°Madam, you¡¯re too polite.¡±


    Li Yu smiled. The banquet had just begun. The woman with the sharp voice had a fake smile on her face. She raised her wine cup and said to Li Yu, ¡°Madam Li, everyone has always been curious about what kind of person you are. I¡¯ve finally seen you today. You and Lord Zhou are really a match made in heaven.


    I¡¯ll toast you today and wish you evesting youth.¡±


    Li Yu knew that with her body, she would be confused after drinking a cup. She definitely couldn¡¯t drink outside. She nced at her indifferently. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Because of my health, I never drink outside.¡±


    When the woman heard this, her face instantly turned red. ¡°Madam, are you looking down on me?¡±


    Madam Gao nced at the woman and thought to herself that Madam Li already said that it was because of her health that she never drank outside. Why did Madam Xu not know when to advance and retreat? She smiled and mediated. ¡°Madam Li really doesn¡¯t drink outside. Madam will rece wine with tea today.¡±


    Madam Xu blushed and muttered, ¡°Did she humiliate me and disregard me because my Ah Yue offended her?¡±


    Li Yu nced at her and mocked, ¡°How should I regard you? Why should I do you courtesy? Because you¡¯re thicker-skinned?¡±


    Madam He secretly gave her a thumbs up. Everyone lowered their heads to hide the smile on their faces.


    ¡°You.¡± Madam Xu red at Li Yu in anger and stood up. Seeing everyone looking at her with disdain, Madam Lin hurriedly pulled her back and scolded in a low voice, ¡°Madam Xu, you¡¯re being rude.¡± Madam Xu looked at Madam Lin and could only grit her teeth and sit down..

 Chapter 266 - 266: Evil Act

    Chapter 266: Evil Act


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Madam Gao poured a cup of tea and said to Li Yu, ¡°Madam, I¡¯ll toast you with tea instead of wine.¡±


    Li Yu picked up a cup of tea and smiled. ¡°I should toast everyone. Because of my health, I can¡¯t drink outside. Sorry to ruin everyone¡¯s mood.¡± Madam Gao looked at Li Yu with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s my honor to have you here.¡± Everyone spoke one after another, subtly bantering to cover up the unhappiness that had just happened.


    Li Yu hid the fatigue in her heart and smiled politely at everyone. Before the banquet ended, she found an excuse and bade farewell to go home.


    When she returned home, she saw Seven Pounds running in from the backyard with Yangyang, who was sweating profusely and had a face full of mud. Behind him was Old Madam Xu, who was running around.


    ¡°Mother.¡± When Yangyang saw Li Yu, he shouted and pounced on Li Yu. Li Yu smiled and supported her body with her hand. She smiled reproachfully and said, ¡°Look at the two of you. One of you is covered in sweat and your hands are covered in mud, and the other is covered in mud. Come with me to the bathroom to wash up first, okay?¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Seven Pounds and Yangyang narrowed their eyes and smiled. They held hands and followed Li Yu to the bathroom.


    Mr. Qian and Zhao Cai visited Xingfu Town and returned to the government office. They reported to Zhou Jia, ¡°Sir, Wu Yueze has established a reputation in Xingfu Town. He collects protection fees from those stall owners and shops, as well as maintenance fees for cleaning up the trash. Even those vigers whoe to sell some vegetables and eggs are charged dozens of copper coins.¡±


    ¡°When Wu Yueze brought people to collect taxes and food, he used a modified rice bucket to measure the rice. The modified rice bucket had ayer of boards near the bottom. When he collected taxes and food, he removed the boards. The excess food was sold at the grain shop in Wujia Town. The stall owners and citizens in the town called him Exploiter Wu behind his back.¡±


    ¡°Zhong Bao, who was locked up in the government office, bullied women in Xingfu Town. He even forced a young woman who came to sell vegetables to a house where a few ruffians gathered and raped her. The woman hung herself in the courtyard that day and waster thrown into the wilderness. That¡¯s all we found. There might be other bad deeds that haven¡¯t been exposed.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re worse than pigs and dogs.¡± Zhou Jia mmed the table angrily. He picked up the investigation results recorded by Mr. Qian and handed them to him. ¡°Take this to Comrade Wu.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Mr. Qian took the investigation results to Comrade Wu¡¯s room and ced them on his table. He cupped his hands at Comrade Wu and said, ¡°Lord Wu, these are the results of my investigation in Xingfu Town. Lord Zhou asked me to show it to you.¡±


    Comrade Wu said politely, ¡°Thank you, Mr. Qian.¡±


    ¡°Lord Wu is too polite.¡± Mr. Qian bowed and left.


    Comrade Wu picked up the investigation results and looked at them. The more he looked at the records, the angrier he became. He was also unhappy that the constables he had dispatched had yet to send back any news.


    Irritated, he got up and went to the office to find a few constables. He told them about Mr. Qian¡¯s investigation and said to them, ¡°Go to Xingfu Town and find the two constables I sent out. Bring Wu Yueze and someone called Dachui back together. Two more people wille with me to interrogate Zhong Bao.¡±


    The constables replied in unison, ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    Everyone split up. Comrade Wu and two constables went to the prison cell to bring up Zhong Bao and the rest. After a round of interrogation, they spilled the beans and revealed the matter of the Five Tigers Gang, Zhong Bao, and Wu


    Yueze.


    It turned out that Zhong Bao, his sister, and Wu Yueze were all from the Wu


    Vige in Xingfu Town. The Zhong family were outsiders to the vige, and the Zhong siblings were both good-looking. It was unknown when Zhong Bao¡¯s sister hooked up with Wu Yueze andter became his second wife.


    Ever since Zhong Bao¡¯s sister, Zhong Ling, became Wu Yueze¡¯s second wife, he made use of the fact that Wu Yueze was a schr and doted on his sister, Zhong Ling. He often tried to bully the women in the vige and was discovered in time to stop him from causing trouble. The women¡¯s families wanted to chase the Zhong family out of the Wu family vige, but they were all settled by Wu Yueze.


    Once, when Zhong Bao teased a girl with the surname Chen in the neighboring vige, he was discovered by the girl¡¯s brother and beaten up. Hey in bed for a few months before he restrained himself.


    Later on, Wu Yueze got to know a high-ranking official and even became the town¡¯s mayor. Zhong Bao relied on Wu Yueze to be even more unrestrained and harassed the beautiful girls and wives in town. He even called Dachui and the others to put Miss Chen¡¯s brother in a sack and throw him into the mountains to feed the wolves. The Chen family was still looking for him even now. Before the New Year, they met Miss Chen, who was already married, selling vegetables in town. He found an excuse to pull her into a house where a few people gathered and raped her. She hanged herself when Zhong Bao was not prepared. This was the woman who hanged herself in Mr. Qian¡¯s investigations.


    The protection fee that Wu Yueze had collected in the town was split with 20% for Zhong Bao and 70% for Wu Yueze. The other 10% was given to the other hooligans.


    Wu Tingxian first looked at these confessions in fear and regret. The high-ranking official mentioned was him. He felt culpable. Why had he been deceived by a sinister person like Wu Yueze back then?


    Wu Tingxian waited for Zhong Bao, Brother Cai, and the others to sign and sign before saying to the bailiff, ¡°Go find Madam Chen¡¯s maternal family and tell them that the siblings are dead.¡±


    Wu Tingxian first took the interrogation results to Zhou Jia¡¯s detention room and reported the results of the interrogation to Zhou Jia. He bowed respectfully and said, ¡°Lord, Zhong Bao has already been heard clearly. Zhong Bao and Wu


    Yueze brought the local ruffians to Xingfu Town to umte wealth illegally. The Wu family¡¯s illegal gains should be all confiscated. I n to bring people to Xingfu Town to raid the Wu family.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Wu Tingxian and said, ¡°Alright, bring someone to investigate and return the Wu family¡¯s assets to the people.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Wu Tingxian bowed and left, leading his men toward Xingfu Town.


    Zhou Jia returned to the back office and told Li Yu about the results of the inspection. He said to her, ¡°Yu¡¯er, how dare a mere town mayor cause trouble in the countryside. I¡¯ll set off tomorrow to check the grain in the various cities under my jurisdiction and the officials in charge. I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be back for a month.¡±


    Li Yu nodded and said, ¡°Yes! Be careful on the way. Bring Zhao Cai, Tiezhu, and Mr. Qian with you. At the same time, take a look at Sir and Ah Wei. They¡¯ve been out for volunteer medical treatment for a few days. ¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Zhou Jia held Li Yu¡¯s hand and walked towards the backyard. ¡°How¡¯s the investigation going with Shopkeeper Chu? Is there any news?¡±


    Li Yu thought for a moment and shook her head. ¡°Not yet. It shouldn¡¯t be so soon. ¡±


    At this moment, Zhou Jia pointed at the two mud monkeys in front and smiled.


    ¡°Yu¡¯er, look. What are those two little things doing at the ce where Old Madam Liu nted vegetables?¡±


    The two of them were even dirtier than two hours ago. They were covered in mud from head to toe. There were even spring onions hanging on Yangyang¡¯s braids. The ginger gardener and Old Madam Xu were guarding the two of them helplessly.


    Li Yu told Zhou Jia about how the two of them had just washed up two hours ago. She smiled and said, ¡°So these two rolled around here like mud monkeys..¡±

 Chapter 267 - 267: Brothers, Family

    Chapter 267: Brothers, Family


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Old Madam Xu saw the couple standing not far away and said to Yangyang and Seven Pounds, ¡°Young Master, Master and Madam are here.¡± The two children who were ying with the mud looked up and saw the two of them. ¡°Father¡± Yangyang threw down the mud in his hand and ran over. Seven Pounds looked at the mud in his hand and suddenly lowered his head and slowly followed behind Yangyang.


    Zhou Jia looked at the mud on the two of them and said sternly, ¡°Did your mother just bathe the two of you two hours ago?


    Seeing that his father did not hug him with a smile like before, Yangyang pouted aggrievedly. When he heard his father¡¯s question, he still nodded. Seven Pounds looked at Zhou Jia and said seriously, ¡°Master, Madam bathed us two hours ago and changed our clothes.¡±


    Zhou Jia squatted down and looked at the two of them. ¡°I won¡¯t say anything about Madam bathing and changing your clothes. That piece ofnd was nted by Grandma Liu with spring onions and cabbages. You know that, right? If you step on the vegetable seeds and spring onions in the field, Grandma Liu will have nted them for nothing, right?¡±


    The two of them turned to look at the spring onions that had been pulled out and thrown on the ground. They rubbed the soil on their fat hands and nodded.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Zhou Jia asked again, ¡°Do you think this is right?¡± Seven Pounds nodded honestly. ¡°No, we were wrong.¡±


    Yangyang looked at Li Yu, who was standing at the side, and also admitted his mistake. Zhou Jia looked at the two of them and asked, ¡°Will you still y like this in the future?


    ¡°No.¡± The two of them shook their heads. Zhou Jia patted their butts. ¡°Look at how dirty you guys are.¡±


    The two of them looked at each other¡¯s hands and then at each other¡¯s muddy faces. They touched each other¡¯s faces and giggled. Seven Pounds saw the spring onions on Yangyang¡¯s braids and grinned. He reached out and took the green onions from Yangyang¡¯s head. ¡°Yang Yang has horns.¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled and patted their chubby buttocks. ¡°Go back quickly. Wash up and eat dinner.¡±


    ¡°Oh, oh! Let¡¯s go back and eat!¡± The two of them skipped back happily.


    Li Yu looked at the two of them running happily. ¡°Seven Pounds is more than three years old. After the new year, we should get a teacher to enlighten him. Xiao Xi, discuss with Ruyi and register them so that their future will not be dyed.¡±


    Zhou Jia held Li Yu¡¯s hand and kissed it. He smiled in relief. ¡°You and I have thought of the same thing. In the past, I told them that the four of us grew up and risked our lives together. We¡¯ve also experienced so much. In my heart, I¡¯ve long regarded them as my family and brothers. I¡¯ve mentioned them a few times, but the three of them refused. Now, for the sake of the child, they should agree!¡±


    Li Yu had always felt that the rtionship of Zhou Jia, Ruyi, and the rest was more like family and brothers. After spending a few years with them, she also regarded them as family.


    ¡°That¡¯s right! Although we don¡¯t treat them as outsiders, children should study and take the schrly examination. Call the three of them togetherter and tell them what you¡¯re thinking.¡±


    After the husband and wife discussed it, Zhou Jia called Ruyi and the other two to the main hall after dinner. The three of them saw Zhou Jia sitting upright with a serious expression and thought that something had happened. They asked worriedly, ¡°Master, what happened? Is it serious?¡±


    ¡°Sit down. I have something to tell you.¡±


    After they sat down, Zhou Jia said to them, ¡°I¡¯ve told you before that you, Uncle Zhou, Aunt He, and I are master and servant in name. In my heart, you¡¯re my brothers and family. I¡¯ve told you before that I¡¯ll remove your ve status, but you refused no matter what. Now that Ruyi has a family, Ji Xiang and Zhao Cai will soon have your own small family and children. Ruyi¡¯s Seven Pounds is more than three years old and has reached the age of enlightenment. Madam asked me to invite a teacher back to enlighten Seven Pounds and Yangyang. If the child is talented in school, he has to go on a career path. He can¡¯t be a ve if he goes on a career path. I want to remove your ve status so that your children¡¯s future won¡¯t be dyed.¡±


    Ruyi and the others listened to Zhou Jia¡¯s words and thought of the happiness and woe the four of them had experienced together. Kneeling in front of Zhou


    Jia with red eyes, they shouted, ¡°Master!¡±


    They choked and could not say anything else.


    Zhou Jia looked at the few of them with red eyes. He stood up and helped them up with a smile. ¡°As men, you even cried. Yangyang and Seven Pounds willugh at you if they see you.¡±


    Ruyi and the others said in unison, ¡°Master, no matter when or where, the three of us will alwavs be vour Ruvi. Ji Xianz and Zhao Cai.¡¯


    After they sat down again, Zhou Jia said to them, ¡°Madam said that she will give the three of you 10% of the profits from the wool and bag business with the Four Seas Bank. The family¡¯s matters and business will still be done ording to the previous arrangements.¡±


    The three of them knew that ever since they cooperated with the Four Seas Bank, the bag and wool shop had been opened in all the provinces and counties of Great Yong. With 10% of the dividend divided among the three of them, there would be more than ten thousand taels of silver a year. It was too much. The three of them shook their heads and said, ¡°Master, it¡¯s too much. Tell


    Madam that 5% is enough.¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled and said, ¡°After you get married, you have to have your own house, raise a wife, and have children. Don¡¯t say anything else and listen to your Madam. Zhao Cai and I will go and check the grain storage. Also, Ah Qing will be setting off for the capital after the autumn examination this year. In a few days, Zhao Cai will go to the capital with Ah Qing in Tongzhou to see if there are any suitable houses to buy. At the same time, we will settle your marriage. Alright, go back to your rooms and rest.¡±


    Seeing that Zhou Jia and Li Yu had already decided, they didn¡¯t say anything else. They bowed and retreated.


    Wu Tingxian rushed to Xingfu Town angrily and brought his men to Wu Yueze¡¯s house overnight.


    After bringing the bailiffs and constables in, they realized that the Wu family¡¯s courtyard was filled with boxes. It seemed that Wu Yueze had already sensed that something was wrong and nned to hide his belongings.


    Wu Tingxian first held the arrest document and said to the constables, ¡°Take them all down and search all the items.¡±


    Wu Yueze and a beautiful and charming woman ran out of the house after hearing the news. Seeing that Wu Tingxian had brought the bailiffs and constables, they knew that it was over.


    The couple harbored hopes that they would be spared and knelt at Wu


    Tingxian¡¯s feet. Wu Yueze said in a cunning tone, ¡°Sir, I really don¡¯t know what


    Zhong Bao did outside. Please let me off on ount of our past friendship.¡±


    Wu Tingxian first walked to Wu Yueze¡¯s side and squatted down to look at him with a cold smile. ¡°Friendship? What rtionship can I have with a traitor like you? Don¡¯t forget that I¡¯ve already calcted the money for the calligraphy paintings you sent over. The matter regarding your collusion with Zhong Bao and those hooligans tomit crimes has been investigated.¡± Wu Tingxian stood up first and pointed at Wu Tingxian and Madam Zhong. ¡°Men, take them all down.¡±


    Wu Yueze and Madam Zhong sat on the ground and looked at the boxes in the courtyard. They knew in their hearts that they would have no chance with more luxurious clothes, delicacies, gold, silver, and jewelry in the future..

 Chapter 268 - 268: Search

    Chapter 268: Search


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    The constables searched Wu Yueze¡¯s residence and found gold ingots, gold leaves, silver ingots, and several pieces of jewelry. There were also deeds to houses andnds. Wu Tingxian looked at these things first and said angrily, ¡°You¡¯ve plundered so much of the people¡¯s wealth in a few years. How detestable.¡±


    Wu Tingxian first asked the constables to lock Wu Yueze and his wife into the house with ankle chains. He then stayed at the Wu family residence the constables and bailiffs for the night.


    The next day, when Wu Tingxian brought Wu Yueze and his family out of the residence, he realized that the entrance was already surrounded bymoners. Everyone cheered loudly and grabbed the rotten vegetables that had been prepared in advance. When the rotten vegetables were smashed onto Wu Yueze, some were still cursing.


    At this moment, a few vigers drove their ox carts to the entrance of the Wu family. An old couple with white hair and a haggard appearance alighted from their ox cart. The two of them stumbled in front of Wu Yueze and Madam Zhong. They grabbed the hair buns of the couple and shouted, ¡°Damn it, you¡¯re a thief. Return the lives of my son and daughter.¡± The old couple pounced forward and bit their cheeks.


    ¡°Quick, pull them away.¡± Wu Tingxian saw that the situation was bad and hurriedly got someone to pull the old couple away. It was then that everyone realized that the flesh on Wu Yueze and Madam Zhong¡¯s cheeks had been bitten off. Madam Zhong covered her bloody face and cried loudly. Wu Yueze looked at Madam Zhong angrily.


    An honest man and woman walked forward and supported the old couple.


    The man looked at Wu Yueze and Madam Zhong angrily. ¡°My brother¡¯s child is only two years old and is now fatherless. My brother went up the mountain to gather firewood and never came back. My parents thought that he fell off the cliff. The vigers searched the mountain for a few days but couldn¡¯t find him. After my sister got married and got pregnant, she went to the streets to sell things and never came back. My brother-inw¡¯s family even came to say that my sister didn¡¯t abide by the moral code and eloped with someone. The constable came to our family yesterday and we found out that they were harmed by the wretched thief Zhong Bao, who killed them that day.¡±


    ¡°Kill them, kill them.¡± The people surrounding the door shouted. Wu Tingxian stood on the steps and shouted at everyone, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, everyone. When we bring them back, the government office will definitely punish them severely.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! Everyone, disperse! The officials havee to arrest them.¡± Wu


    Tingxian walked up to the Chen family and cupped his hands. ¡°Old man, after the court trial, the Zhong family willpensate you.¡±


    The Chen couple burst into tears and cried, ¡°No amount ofpensation can save the lives of my son and daughter. My poor grandson is only two years old and has lost his father. How can he live in the future!¡±


    Wu Tingxian persuaded with some guilt, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Zhong Bao will also be sentenced to death. I¡¯ll try my best to help you get morepensation. With thepensation, you can buy a few acres of farnd and everyone¡¯s lives will be better.¡±


    Old Chen looked at his son and daughter-inw. What else could he do? The living had to continue living. He bowed shakily and said, ¡°Thank you, sir.¡±


    Wu Tingxian nodded first and took out a pouch from his pocket. He ced it in the old man¡¯s hand and turned around to drive the carriage away with the constables and bailiffs.


    The next morning, Zhou Jia went to the government office to arrange for official matters and returned to the back office. He reluctantly bade farewell to Li Yu and the child and left with two book clerks, Zhao Cai, Mr. Qian, Tie Zhu, and the constables.


    Seeing Zhou Jia get into the cart and leave, Yangyang cried. Li Yu picked him up and coaxed him. ¡°Yang¡¯er, be good. Daddy is going to the office to catch bad people. Yangyang will stay at home with Mom.¡±


    Yang Yang sobbed and looked at Li Yu. ¡°Yangyang also wants to catch bad people. ¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll teach you martial arts. When Yangyang grows up, you can apany Daddy to catch bad people.¡±


    Li Yu looked at Yangyang and thought to herself that she should teach him martial arts whether it was for self-defense or for his health, and she might as well bring Seven Pounds along and let the two children learn together. After thinking about it, Li Yu brought the two children to the backyard and demonstrated a set of fist techniques to the two of them. The two of them widened their eyes in excitement as they watched Li Yu. They then got very busy emting her moves.


    Just as Li Yu was training happily with the two of them, Ruyi ran into the backyard and reported to Li Yu, ¡°Madam, Shopkeeper Chu Feng of the Four Seas Bank is looking for you with the information he found.¡±


    Li Yu stopped. ¡°Alright, bring him to the front hall. I¡¯ll go wash up and change before going.¡± Li Yu asked Gu Yu to stay in the garden and look after the two children. She quickly returned to the main courtyard. After washing up, she changed her clothes and went to the front hall where Ruyi was chatting with Chu Feng. When the two of them saw Li Yu, they stood up. Chu Feng cupped his hands and said, ¡°Chu Feng greets Madam.¡±


    Li Yu smiled gratefully. ¡°Shopkeeper Chu, there¡¯s no need to be so polite. Please sit!¡±


    Chu Feng bowed and handed an envelope to Li Yu. ¡°Madam, Madam Lin married into Yunzhou from Qingzhou. This is the news we received from Qingzhou. They sent a pigeon over and summarized the news.¡±


    Li Yu took the envelope, stood up, and bowed to Chu Feng. ¡°Shopkeeper Chu, sorry to have troubled you with my matter.¡±


    Chu Feng hurriedly cupped his hands. ¡°Madam, you tter me. I came to ask you for help!¡±


    Li Yu smiled and said, ¡°Shopkeeper Chu, please tell me, as long as I can help you.¡±


    ¡°Madam, I heard that you want to buy wastnd. The bank has a barren mountain at the foot of the mountain outside the north city. No one has been taking care of it. I wonder if Madam is interested in taking over?¡±


    Li Yu smiled and said, ¡°Shopkeeper Chu, how is this asking me for help? It¡¯s more like you helping me.¡±


    Chu Feng cupped his hands and said with a smile, ¡°Madam, that barren mountain was pawned by a gambler to a pawnshop a few years ago. It has long passed the date of redemption. If you like it, the bank will sell it to you at the price of the pawn. You would be helping me clear the bad debt and save such arge piece ofnd from being wasted.¡±


    Hearing Chu Feng say this, Li Yu couldn¡¯t refuse anymore. She nodded and said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll get Ruyi to pay the money and settle the procedures with you. Send someone to bring him to see the ce. Before spring nting begins, hire someone to open somend first. Also, please pass a message to Head Shopkeeper Chu. Help me prepare one tael of rice seeds this year. I¡¯ll buy them at the agreed price.¡±


    Chu Feng stood up and said, ¡°Yes, Madam. Since I have a letter that needs to be sent to Tongzhou, I¡¯ll go back and pass the message to the head shopkeeper.¡±


    Li Yu nodded and said to Ruyi, ¡°Ruyi, go to the bank with Shopkeeper Chu and buy the wastnd.¡±


    After Ruyi agreed, he went to the Four Seas Bank with Chu Feng. Li Yu returned to her room and opened the sealed envelope. She took out two pieces of paper. It was recorded that Madam Lin¡¯s maiden name was Yuchang, and she came from the eldest branch of the Qingzhou aristocratic family, the Lin family. In the famine 24 years ago, members of the Lin family was burned, killed, and robbed by the rioting victims.


    A few loyal servants of the Lin family protected the eldest son of the eldest branch, Lin Zexu, and fled Qingzhou with a pair of twin daughters. Madam Lin was the eldest, and the twin sister¡¯s name was Yunjin. ording to Lin Zexu and his sister, they got separated from their youngest sister during their escape. Lin Zexu felt that he had failed to fulfill his responsibility as an elder brother and had caused his sister to lose her life. Lin Zexu was now a member of the Hanlin Academy in the capital..

 Chapter 269 - 269: Vengeful Personality

    Chapter 269: Vengeful Personality


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Lin Yunjin. Li Yu thought of how Mother Li was also called Lin Yunjin! No wonder Madam Lin looked like she had seen a ghost that day. If her twin sister had really gotten lost in an ident, shouldn¡¯t they have asked excitedly when they saw someone who looked like her? However, she looked absent-minded and terrified. Li Yu was sure that Mother Li was Madam Lin¡¯s lost twin sister, Lin Yunjin, and that Madam Lin must have deliberately harmed her.


    It seemed that she had to write a letter to ask her aunt where Father Li had saved Mother Li and if Mother Li had mentioned any rtives or where she was from. After thinking about it, Li Yu picked up her pen and started to write. After writing, she asked Ji Xiang to send it to the Four Seas Bank and asked Shopkeeper Chu to help bring it to Tongzhou.


    In the Wang family, Ah Yue was still locked in the room by Old Madam Wang. As she wrote, she looked at the door. She wrote for a long time, but not a single page was filled. When she heard the young maidservant greet Qing Zhu, she walked towards the door. A few secondster, Qing Zhu walked in. After bowing, she reported, ¡°Miss, the servants and old women of the magistrate¡¯s office are very cautious. As long as we mention the magistrate¡¯s family matters, they will avoid talking about it. If you continue, they will ignore you.


    Ah Yue twirled the brush in her hand and thought, ¡°They don¡¯t discuss the main family with outsiders and don¡¯t reveal the main family¡¯s matters. Looks like that b*tch has a way of managing the inner residence!¡± Ah Yue was so angry that she frowned at the text she had just copied and sneered. ¡°Do you think I can¡¯t do anything to you just because I can¡¯t bribe the servants?¡±


    Ah Yue looked at Qing Zhu viciously and instructed, ¡°Qing Zhu, get Wang Zhong to guard outside the government office from today onwards and keep an eye on that slut. As long as she¡¯s alone, kidnap her and throw her into the mountains to feed the wolves.¡±


    Qing Zhu looked at Ah Yue and understood that with her vengeful personality, she would not listen to her advice. However, as a maidservant, she would not be able to escape responsibility if she did not dissuade her mistress from doing something bad.


    ¡°Miss, think about it again! She¡¯s Madam Protector of the First-grade. If something happens, you and the Wang family will be implicated.¡±


    After Ah Yue finished speaking, she looked at Qing Zhu coldly. ¡°I¡¯m warning you. Don¡¯t think of telling my mother and grandmother. You have to know that you¡¯re my girl.¡±


    Seeing that it was useless to dissuade her, Qing Zhu felt that she had done her duty. She bowed and said, ¡°Yes, Miss.¡±


    Qing Zhu went to the outer courtyard and found Wang Zhong in the guard room. Wang Zhong looked to be in his twenties. He was not tall and looked extremely strong. He had thick eyebrows and big eyes, looking honest.


    Qing Zhu told Wang Zhong what Ah Yue had instructed and instructed him, ¡°Brother Wang, you have to be careful. Don¡¯t attack unless you¡¯re 100% sure. If you expose yourself, we won¡¯t be able to escape responsibility.¡±


    Wang Zhong looked at Qing Zhu¡¯s cautious appearance and nodded solemnly. ¡°Thank you, Miss Qing Zhu. I¡¯ll be careful.¡±


    Qing Zhu took out a money bag and handed it to Wang Zhong. ¡°Brother Wang, Miss asked me to give this to you. She told you not toe back for the next few days and to rent a house to avoid being discovered.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll pack up and leave.¡± Wang Zhong took the money bag, turned around, entered the house, changed his clothes, and left.


    Ruyi and Chu Feng went to the Four Seas Bank. After settling the handing-over procedures, Chu Feng arranged for someone to apany him to West City.


    After riding for an hour, they arrived at therge wastnd at the foot of the mountain outside the west city and a shallow mountain filled with peach trees.


    After taking a cursory look, he returned to the government office to redo the title deed. Then, he returned to the back office and handed the title deed to Li Yu. He reported, ¡°Madam, that person pawned 500 taels of silver. Including the interest money and the contract tax, he spent a total of 750 taels. The wastnd is veryrge, and there are two small hills. The hills are filled with peach trees. The person who apanied me to see thend said that the peaches formed by the peach trees are all sour peaches and not delicious.¡±


    The peach trees on the mountain were all sour peaches but she wasn¡¯t afraid. As long as she found a good breed, she could graft them! She would go take a lookter.


    Li Yu opened the title deed and saw that there were more than 900 acres of wastnd and more than 1,000 acres of barren mountains. She sighed and said, ¡°We¡¯ve taken a huge advantage. We only spent so little money on such arge piece ofnd.¡±


    Ruyi smiled and said, ¡°I also said that to Shopkeeper Chu, but the shopkeeper said that the bank has taken a lot of advantage in working with you. Thisnd is only sold to others for a few hundred taels of silver, so they earned more working with you!¡±


    Li Yu smiled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t take his polite words seriously! We¡¯ve already bought thend and it¡¯s going to be March soon. If we hurry up, we can still grow some rice and corn for a season. Hurry up and go out of the city to take a look. Hire more people at the city gate and bring them to the wastnd to work.¡±


    Ruyi smiled and said, ¡°Madam, after hiring people, we still have to build a


    manor. Madam, you have to see how to build it.¡±


    ¡°Okay. When Ji Xianges back, tell him to hire the craftsman who built the house.¡±


    Ruyi bowed and left, walking out of the city. Wang Zhong came out of the teahouse diagonally opposite the government office and quietly followed Ruyi out of the city. He hid at the side and waited for Ruyi to hire workers before quietly following him. He followed him to the foot of the mountain outside the west city and watched for a while before turning around and returning to the city.


    Li Yu put the title deed into the space and went to the front yard. She said to Old Madam Xu and Old Madam Yun, ¡°Pack up. Later, go to the foot of the mountain outside the west city with Ji Xiang and cook for those wastnd reimers. ¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam,¡± they replied and went to pack.


    Li Yu returned to the backyard and asked Old Madam Liu to get the grain shop to send a few bags of rice back before going to Xiaoyu¡¯s courtyard.


    ¡°Madam, you¡¯re here!¡± Xiaoyu smiled and pointed into the room. She whispered, ¡°The two of them danced for a long time and followed Gu Yu back.


    After taking a shower, they dried their hair and fell asleep.¡±


    Li Yu went into the house to take a look at Yangyang, who was lying with Seven Pounds. She came out and told Xiaoyu about buying the wastnd. She smiled and said, ¡°Ah Wei and Sir have been gone for a few days. I don¡¯t know if they have found a suitable wastnd. Since we bought a suitable wastnd at home and the spring sowing ising soon, we should hurry up and nt some rice.


    We can even nt rice for a season.¡±


    Xiaoyu calcted for a moment. ¡°That¡¯s right! More than half of February has passed. We have to hurry up with work. Otherwise, we won¡¯t be able to nt the seeds in time.¡± Xiaoyu suddenly remembered that the grain seeds had been given to Qingchuan¡¯s Four Seas Bank. ¡°Madam, do we still have grain seeds at home?¡±


    Li Yu had many grains, wheat, wild rice, and corn seeds in her space, but she couldn¡¯t tell her!


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about the seeds. Shopkeeper Chu and the others are also transporting the seeds over. I¡¯ve already decided.¡±


    The two of them chatted for a while longer before Old Madam Liu came to report that the grain shop had already sent the rice over. Li Yu asked Ma Qiang to drive the carriage to send the grain and the two old women out of the city.


    Ji Xiang sent the letter over and said to Li Yu, ¡°Madam, Ruyi has already hired more than short-term workers to the western wastnds. He has hired more than 40 short-term workers. I¡¯ll go buy pots and pans and hire some craftsmen.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and said, ¡°Alright, I don¡¯t have to tell you since you¡¯ve already thought of it. Then buy some fatty meat, pig intestines, cabbage, and radishes.


    I¡¯ll drive over to take a look first.¡±


    Li Yu arranged to go back and eat something before going to the front yard to drive the mule cart out..

 Chapter 270 - 270: Interception in the Mountains

    Chapter 270: Interception in the Mountains


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Wang Zhong sat at the door of a tea shop diagonally opposite the government office. He held a teacup and leaned against the bamboo chair. When he saw Li Yu drive out of the government office alone, he was secretly happy. He felt that he was really lucky to have met his target who had gone out alone.


    He hurriedly paid for the tea and went to the livestock shed in the backyard to lead the horse out. He quickly chased after Li Yu.


    Fortunately for him, there were many people on the street, so Li Yu couldn¡¯t drive quickly. Wang Zhong caught up with the mule cart not long after.


    Seeing Li Yu drive towards the west city gate, he thought that Li Yu should be going to the wastnd at the foot of the mountain.


    Wang Zhong thought of an abandoned house on the way to the foot of the mountain. There was no one around. He thought to himself, ¡°It¡¯s the best ce to attack a woman.¡± After Wang Zhong thought about it, he slowly followed her out of the city.


    Li Yu rushed out of the city. Not long after, she heard the sound of hoovesing from behind. She didn¡¯t care and drove the big green mule cart to the side of the road to make way. Wang Zhong rode past Li Yu¡¯s mule cart and towards the abandoned house.


    Wang Zhong rode his horse to the abandoned house and dismounted. He led the horse into the house and found a ce to tie the horse up. He came out and hid in the waist-deep grass behind the wall.


    After half an hour, he saw Li Yu¡¯s mule cart slowly approaching. Just as he was about to make a move, he realized that someone was riding a horse over from the foot of the mountain. Wang Zhong hid behind the wall and took a closer look. When he saw that it was the man who went to hire people to develop the wastnd, he hurriedly hid his head behind the wall.


    Ruyi saw Li Yu pull her horse back and shouted, ¡°Madam, I¡¯m going to the city to buy a few cows and plowshares.¡±


    Li Yu replied loudly, ¡°Go! I¡¯ll go over and take a look first.¡±


    Ruyi waited for Li Yu to walk past her and run toward the city.


    After the galloping sound of the horse faded away, Wang Zhong came out of the abandoned house and saw that Li Yu had already driven the mule cart away.


    Wang Zhong turned around and led the horse out of the abandoned house. He rode the horse toward the foot of the mountain. Seeing that Li Yu¡¯s mule cart had indeed gone to the wastnd at the foot of the mountain, he thought to himself that it would not be toote to attack when she returned.


    Li Yu rushed the cart and saw farmers at the foot of the mountain. They waved the hoe in their hands and were busy moving up and down the mountain. When Li Yu arrived at the wastnd, she saw Ma Qiang, Old Madam Xu, Old Madam Yun, and a short-term worker moving the wood cut from the mountain. Two more workers picked up the yellow mud and stones dug out at the foot of the mountain to prepare the y stove. The hired workers in the wastnd in front were busy cutting the small bushes in the wastnd.


    When Old Madam Xu and the others saw Li Yu driving the mule cart over, they hurriedly went forward and bowed. Li Yu waved at them and said, ¡°Do what you need to do. Don¡¯t worry about me. I¡¯ll look around.¡± When they heard this, they bowed and retreated.


    Ma Qiang went forward to take the reins. Li Yu got out of the cart and walked along a small path beside the wastnd. She saw that the wastnd was at the foot of the mountain. The terrain was rtivelv t. There was a mountain stream five or six feet wide and clear. Standing by the ditch, she saw the stream winding down the mountain. Those peach trees were nted on the hills above. The two hills stretched like waves on the horizon. Above them was the lush green mountain.


    Li Yu looked around and nned to build two farmsteads, one of which would be for her own use. She also wanted to build a few winter greenhouses.


    A leisure vi would be built at the foot of the hill. A stream would be drawn into the manor. A lotus pond would be dug so people could fish, y chess, and drink tea. She would also develop terraces along the terrain of the hill and nt some flower seeds, grapes, kiwis, and other fruit trees. There would also be camellias and other flower trees. Then, she would build a furnace wall around all the houses in the manor. It would be warm in winter and cool in summer. It would definitely attract tourists toe and eat and y.


    Li Yu sat on arge rock and recorded everything she could think of. At this moment, Ji Xiang and Ruyi brought a few craftsmen to the foot of the mountain and found Li Yu, who was writing and drawing.


    ¡°Greetings, Madam.¡± A few craftsmen wanted to kneel and kowtow when they saw Li Yu. ¡°Everyone, there¡¯s no need to stand on ceremony.¡± Li Yu got Ruyi and Ji Xiang to stop them.


    Ruyi pointed at the dozen or so yellow cows and a pile of things and said to Li Yu, ¡°Madam, I bought ten cows, some farming tools, and bedding. It¡¯s cold at night, so we have to build the wooden shed first.¡±


    Li Yu saw that the two carriages were full. She smiled and nodded. ¡°Alright, just make the arrangements.¡±


    Ruyi went to get busy. Ji Xiang pointed at a thin and tall man in his thirties or forties with ck and red skin and a chubby man with a round face. ¡°Madam, these two are the craftsmen introduced by Shopkeeper Chu to build the house. The thin and tall one is Craftsman Zou, and the fat one is his wife¡¯s brother, Craftsman Liu.¡±


    The two of them bowed. ¡°Greetings, Madam.¡±


    Li Yu looked at the two of them and nodded. She looked at the other two men who were about the same age. Ji Xiang smiled and said, ¡°These two are carpenters. One is Carpenter Qian and the other is Carpenter Su. Shopkeeper Chu said that their work is not bad.¡±


    The two of them hurriedly bowed. Li Yu looked at the four of them who seemed uneasy and smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. As long as you do what you should do, I won¡¯t make things difficult for you.¡±


    They replied in unison, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Madam. We will definitely do our best.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and said to them, ¡°I n to build two farmsteads. One is an ordinary farm with three entrances. It needs a drying field, a cer, and a warehouse. A wooden floor will be built above the warehouse to make it convenient to dry when it rains. Also, the houses where the workers live have to be built. The houses have to be built with a heatable brick bed. There should also be individual bathing rooms, toilets, and a few short houses with heatable brick beds. I will give you a rough blueprint for how to build it. The rest will have to be perfected by you.¡±


    The craftsmen and the carpenters saw that Li Yu¡¯s tone was gentle and polite, unlike the other butlers¡¯ wives who looked down on them arrogantly. The fear in their hearts gradually decreased, but they felt respect for her.


    After cksmith Zou and the others heard this, they bowed and said, ¡°Yes,


    Madam. We will discuss it together and give you a new pattern.¡±


    ¡°Alright, take a look at this and reference it.¡± Li Yu handed the drawing to Craftsman Zou and picked up the other two drawings that recorded her thoughts. She said to the few of them, ¡°This is my idea for another manor. I n to build a vi for leisure, food, and amodation. Here are some of my ideas and some simple drawings. After the blueprint is done and shown to me, you can make a budget.¡±


    Craftsman Zou took the blueprint and looked at it for a while. He asked a few questions to rify things that he didn¡¯t understand. After Li Yu exined to them one by one, they took the blueprint and followed Li Yu to the ce where the manor was to be built.


    They looked around and said to Li Yu, ¡°Madam, the construction of the farm is simple. The leisure vi you mentioned is more troublesome. We can only give you the blueprint after we make the measurements. We can only start construction when you¡¯re satisfied..¡±

 Chapter 271 - 271: Intercepting Requires Strength

    Chapter 271: Intercepting Requires Strength


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    When Li Yu saw that they didn¡¯t seem overconfident after hearing her n and were still as cautious, her impression of them improved a little. She smiled and said to them, ¡°The flowers, grass, and rocks in the manor, theyout of the house, the construction of the steps, as well as the nning and repair of the nting are in your hands. You have to have your own judgment, or find someone with good judgment to help you.¡±


    Craftsman Zou said in a small voice, ¡°Madam, don¡¯t worry. My second brother specializes in renovating gardens. The garden in the government office was set up by him. His legs are weak, so we didn¡¯t bring him here today. Tomorrow morning, we¡¯ll bring him here to take a look. After he does the measurements, we can design a pattern for you.¡±


    When Li Yu heard that they were the ones who built the backyard of the government office, she felt even more at ease with them building the vi. ¡°In that case, you guys will build the farm first. You can draft the blueprint of the vi and show me the blueprint and budget afterwards. If there are no problems, we can start working.¡±


    ¡°Madam, don¡¯t worry. Thank you, Madam!¡± They thought to themselves that they were just building a manor, but they didn¡¯t expect to receive a project for a mountain vi. As they rubbed their hands excitedly, their ck and red faces were flushed with enthusiasm.


    Li Yu decided on the construction location and craftsmen of the manor. When she turned around, she saw that everyone had already built a row of wooden houses. Someone was covering the roofs with straw curtains, and the earthen stove had been built. Old Madam Xu was instructing two short-term workers to help arrange arge water vat.


    Li Yu said to Ji Xiang and Ruyi, who were building the cowshed, ¡°Get them to dig atrine pit at the side of the cowshed and warn them not to defecate anywhere lest they get infected with germs.¡±


    The two of them nodded and noted it down. Ruyi looked at the sky and said,


    ¡°We¡¯ll remember it, Madam. Shall I send you back first?¡±


    Li Yu waved her hand and smiled. ¡°I don¡¯t need you to send me off. Go ahead.¡±


    The two of them thought about it and agreed. They went over to help Li Yu prepare the cart. Seeing Li Yu drive the car away, they turned around and went back to work.


    Wang Zhong hid quietly in the waist-deep grass of the abandoned house. He was getting impatient when he saw Li Yuing towards the abandoned house. Wang Zhong stared at Li Yu like a cheetah waiting for its prey, waiting for an opportunity to attack.


    Li Yu was driving the mule cart when she suddenly felt a cold gaze spying on


    her from the front. A chill ran down her spine as she thought to herself that there must be danger ahead.


    Li Yu pulled the reins to slow down. She took out a machete from her space. Then she held the machete in one hand and the reins in the other. She looked at the abandoned house not far ahead and went forward.


    Seeing that the mule cart had slowed down, Wang Zhong didn¡¯t dare to stare at Li Yu on the mule cart. He leaned against the mud wall and quietly waited for the mule cart to approach.


    The squeaking sound of the wheels got closer and closer, and the cart appeared in front of Wang Zhong. Wang Zhong jumped up and stepped on a copsed brick. He used the momentum to kick onto the low wall and jumped down, spreading his hand to grab Li Yu on the mule cart.


    Li Yu held the machete and attacked at lightning speed. She cut off Wang Zhong¡¯s palm that was grabbing at her. Where Wang Zhong¡¯s palm and wrist separated, a stream of blood sprayed out like red rain.


    ¡°You know martial arts?¡± Wang Zhong was terrified. He red at Li Yu and kicked her hard. Li Yu leaned back and raised her leg to kick Wang Zhong¡¯s chest. Wang Zhong was thrown a distance away. The dust was stirred up as he hit the ground and passed out.


    Li Yu then leaped down and took out a rope from the space to tie his head, neck, and legs together.


    After tying him up, she saw that his wrist was still bleeding non-stop. Afraid that he would die from bleeding too much before she could get any intelligence out of him, she took out the Golden Injury Medicine and sprinkled it on his wound. Wang Zhong woke up under the stimtion of the Golden Injury Medicine. Seeing Li Yu looking at him coldly, he wanted to struggle and escape. Li Yu looked at him and said coldly, ¡°You better not move, or you will be strangled to death by the rope.¡±


    Wang Zhong realized that his head and feet were tied to the rope. He looked at Li Yu hatefully. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect the magistrate¡¯s wife to know martial arts. If you have the ability, kill me.¡±


    Li Yu thought to herself, ¡°How dare he block my way andmit murder after knowing my identity? Could it be that the Wang family¡¯s arrogant youngdy sent him?¡±


    Li Yu sneered. ¡°Killing you is as easy as crushing an ant. Don¡¯t even think about courting death. If you die, your family will have to suffer for you.¡±


    Wang Zhong red at Li Yu and cursed angrily, ¡°You vicious woman, I¡¯ll kill you.¡±


    ¡°Kill me? You¡¯re really stubborn!¡± Li Yu sneered and pped his neck. Wang Zhong fainted.


    Li Yu picked him up and threw him into the cart. She rummaged through his body and found a lease, a few taels of silver, and a wooden waist token. There was the word ¡°Wang¡± on one side of the waist token and the words ¡°Wang


    Zhong¡± on one side. The general meaning of the lease was that a person called Wang Zhong rented someone¡¯s house. Looking at the waist token and the lease, she thought to herself, ¡°Wang Zhong. Looks like he¡¯s a ve of the Wang family.¡±


    Li Yu put away those things and ced the machete back into the space. She looked at the blood on her body and thought for a moment. She felt that she would definitely be interrogated by the city guards if she entered the city like this. She took out the entry token Zhou Jia had given her from the space and drove towards the west city gate.


    When she arrived at the city gate, the guard went forward to conduct his checks. Li Yu picked up the token and showed it to him. The guard hurriedly retreated to the side and waved his hand to let Li Yu enter the city.


    When the cart rushed into the backyard, Li Yu said to Uncle Liu, who hade to unload the cart, ¡°Uncle Liu, get Xing Hua to tell Gu Yu to bring Little Young Master and Seven Pounds to the side to y.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± Uncle Liu went to the second gate and asked Xing Hua to pass the message. After a while, Xing Hua ran back and said to Li Yu, ¡°Madam, Gu Yu and Sister Xiaoyu have brought Little Young Master and Seven Pounds to the backyard.¡±


    Li Yu nodded and carried the unconscious Wang Zhong out of the cart. Xing


    Hua was stunned when she saw the unconscious Wang Zhong missing a palm.


    Uncle Liu looked at Wang Zhong, who had lost a palm. He guessed that he might have been maimed by Madam because of an attack. He looked at Li Yu worriedly and asked with concern, ¡°Madam, did this viin hurt you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Thank you, Uncle Liu.¡± Li Yu carried Wang Zhong toward the backyard.


    Uncle Liu was relieved to see Li Yu carry the assassin with ease into the courtyard. He turned around and saw Xing Hua still standing there in a daze.


    He smiled and said, ¡°Little girl, are you stunned?¡±


    ¡°I was just shocked.¡± Xing Hua patted her chest and smiled awkwardly. She turned and ran through the second gate.


    Li Yu carried Wang Zhong in and locked him in the cer under the kitchen. She turned around and went to the bathroom to take a shower. She changed her clothes and walked towards the backyard.


    Gu Yu and Xiaoyu brought Yangyang along and stood on the bridge with Seven Pounds, feeding the fish with steamed buns. Xiaoyu looked at Yangyang and teased him, ¡°Little Master, look who¡¯sing over there.¡±


    ¡°Mother.¡± Yangyang turned around and saw Li Yu. He threw down the steamed bun in his hand and pounced on Li Yu to hug her legs. He looked up at Li Yu. ¡°Mother, Aunt Yu said that you¡¯re very busy and asked me to be a good child.¡±


    Li Yu looked at his obedient expression and quickly praised him. She picked him up and kissed him on the cheek. She praised him with a smile, ¡°Thank you, son. You¡¯re really my good boy.¡±


    Yangyang smiled and hugged Li Yu¡¯s neck, kissing her face happily..

 Chapter 272 - 272: I’ll Fulfill Your Wish

    Chapter 272: I¡¯ll Fulfill Your Wish


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    When they returned to the main courtyard, Old Madam Liu and Aunt Zhang had already ced the dishes. Li Yu said to Xiaoyu, ¡°Ruyi and the others are eating at the construction site. You and Seven Pounds can eat here.¡±


    ¡°Brother Seven Pounds, let¡¯s eat together. ¡± Yangyang pulled Seven Jin onto a chair.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Xiaoyu agreed readily. She looked at Seven Pounds sitting on the chair and smiled. ¡°Aiyo, look, the brat is already at the table.¡±


    Seven Pounds frowned and looked at Xiaoyu unhappily. ¡°My name isn¡¯t Brat. It¡¯s Seven Pounds.¡±


    ¡°Alright! Your name is Seven Pounds, not Brat.¡± They looked at Seven Pounds andughed.


    Wang Zhong was woken up by a piercing pain. When he opened his eyes, he realized that he was locked in a dark ce. He could not see or hear anything. The pain in his wrist gnawed at him, and Wang Zhong slowly drifted into sleep.


    After Li Yu and the others ate, Xiaoyu brought Seven Pounds back to the courtyard. Li Yu washed Yangyang up and coaxed him to sleep. She then asked Gu Yu to look after the child and went to the cer alone with the oilmp. She kicked Wang Zhong, who was ying dead, and said, ¡°Tell me! Who sent you to capture me?¡±


    Wang Zhong turned to look at Li Yu and lowered his eyes. ¡°No one sent me. I saw a single woman driving a mule cart and had evil intentions. I wanted to rob you.¡±


    ¡°No one sent you?¡± Li Yu squatted in front of Wang Zhong and took out his waist token and lease. ¡°I know even if you don¡¯t say it. Your name is Wang Zhong. You¡¯re a guard of the Wang family. It was that Miss from the Wang family who sent you, right?¡±


    Wang Zhong looked at the waist token and lease in Li Yu¡¯s hand and regretted it. He turned his head to the side and thought to himself that he had underestimated this Madam. He could only me himself for not investigating thoroughly before attacking.


    Li Yu looked at him and knew that she had guessed correctly. Miss Wang and Madam Lin must have thought they had everything under control! Did they really think that she was made of mud?


    Li Yu stood up and looked down at Wang Zhong. ¡°Miss Wang, alright! I¡¯ll let you have a taste of being kidnapped.¡±


    Wang Zhong panicked as he wondered if Li Yu was really intending to abduct his Miss. He was was worried that thetter was really weak and there would be no way out for her once she was kidnapped.


    Wang Zhong said anxiously, ¡°It¡¯s not Miss Wang¡¯s fault. I did it myself.¡±


    Seeing his anxious defense, Li Yu looked at him and smiled sarcastically. ¡°After all this time, it turns out that the little guard secretly fell in love with his Miss?¡±


    Wang Zhong blushed and shouted, ¡°Nonsense, you¡¯re not allowed to speak badly of Miss.¡± After Wang Zhong shouted, he knew that he had been tricked and closed his mouth in regret.


    ¡°Tsk tsk, you¡¯re still protecting her! I wonder if your Miss will protect you.¡± After Li Yu finished speaking, she turned around and left. Wang Zhong shouted, ¡°Madam, please let my Miss off. My Miss isn¡¯t bad. She¡¯s just a little delicate.¡±


    This idiot, whose brain had been kicked by a donkey was reallypatible with the arrogant and vicious Miss Wang!


    Li Yu looked at Wang Zhong mockingly and said, ¡°If your Miss isn¡¯t bad, why are you here? Since you like your Miss so much, I¡¯ll help you.¡±


    Wang Zhong thought to himself that he was not worthy. Not to mention that Ah Yue was the eldest daughter of the Wang family, even if she was the daughter of a concubine, she was still worlds apart from him. He suddenly hoped that Li Yu could really kidnap Ah Yue.


    Li Yu nced at Wang Zhong, whose expression kept changing. She turned around and walked out of the cer. When she reached the entrance of the courtyard, she asked Xing Hua, ¡°Xing Hua, are Ruyi and Ji Xiang back?¡±


    Xing Hua thought for a moment and said, ¡°Madam, Manager Ruyi came back alone. I didn¡¯t see Manager Ji Xiang.¡±


    Li Yu was about to go to the front yard to look for Ruyi when she saw Ruyi walking towards her.


    When Ruyi approached, he asked worriedly when she saw Li Yu, ¡°Madam, Uncle Liu said that someone tried to assassinate you. Where did they do it? When did it happen?¡±


    Li Yu smiled faintly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. On the way to the city from the wastnd, that abandoned house¡­¡± Li Yu exined the situation to Ruyi.¡±Have you checked on the Wang family? Do you know which street the Wang family is on? ¡°I know. Last time, when the Wang family came to apologize, Master asked me to investigate the Wang family. Madam, do you want to go to the Wang family?¡±


    Li Yu nodded and smiled faintly. ¡°It¡¯s impolite not to reciprocate. She¡¯s so vicious at such a young age. If I don¡¯t teach her a lesson, she will really think that I¡¯m afraid of her.¡±


    Ruyi bowed and said, ¡°Madam, what do you want to do?¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t she think that she¡¯s noble and that everyone else is inferior to her!¡± Li Yu thought of Wang Zhong and smiled slyly. ¡°I think her little guard is deeply in love with her, so I might as well fulfill his wish!¡±


    Ruyi thought to himself that Madam¡¯s revenge was always so unexpected, but this was also the best punishment for Miss Wang.


    ¡°Madam, the Wang family¡¯s residence is very big. There are still a few pills left from the medicine that Old Master prescribed for Masterst time. You should rest first. I¡¯ll go and ask the guard before we set off.¡±


    Li Yu nodded. ¡°You¡¯ve thought it through. Check on the location and we¡¯ll go at midnight.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± Ruyi went back to get the pills and headed for the cer.


    Li Yu returned to the room and took out the sleeve arrow to check it. She ced it aside and leaned against the pillow to look at Yangyang¡¯s red face. She narrowed her eyes and fell asleep.


    Ruyi went to the cer and fed the medicine to Wang Zhong. He sat at the side and waited for the medicine to take effect. He knew that Wang Zhong had received an order to kidnap Li Yu and throw her into the mountains to feed the wolves. Ruyi restrained the anger in his heart and asked about theyout of the Wang family¡¯s courtyard. He found out that there was a cluster of Chinese roses at the entrance of Miss Wang¡¯s courtyard and a tall magnolia tree in the courtyard. He also got wind of the fact that the guards only patrolled the outer courtyard and the inner courtyard was patrolled by old women.


    Ruyi returned to the house and drew a simple route map with the information he had uncovered. He sent it to the main courtyard for Gu Yu to pass to Li Yu. When he returned to the house, he thought of Li Yu¡¯s method of pranking High Schr Bai. He found two pieces of incense and tied them with thread before lying on the bed to rest.


    Li Yu took the map from Gu Yu and looked at it carefully. She then ced the map in her space andy on the bed to memorize it before closing her eyes.


    After two hours, Ruyi woke up and changed into a set of grayish-ck clothes. He brought along a grayish-ck cloth towel, dagger, and incense. After greeting Xiaoyu, he went to the main courtyard to wait for Li Yu to set off.


    Li Yu tied up the sleeve arrow and dagger and changed into a grayish-ck shirt and pants. She came out of the main courtyard and handed the sleeve arrow to Ruyi, who was standing at the entrance. ¡°The Wang family keeps guards. Take it to protect yourself.¡±


    Ruyi took the sleeve arrow with both hands and tied it up. He said to Li Yu,


    ¡°Madam, we¡¯ll go out through the small door in the back garden. There¡¯s a small alley in the back street. It¡¯s more secretive to go from there.¡±


    ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll go through the small door in the back garden.¡± Li Yu led the way to the back garden with Ruyi following closely behind. The two of them left the back garden and entered the alley. Then, Ruyi walked in front and led the way. Li Yu and Ruyi passed through a few alleys and arrived outside arge


    mansion..

 Chapter 273 - 273: Success

    Chapter 273: Sess


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Li Yu and Ruyi bent down and followed the wall to a yard with a bamboo forest. They took out grayish-ck pieces of cloth and covered their mouths and noses. Then, they took a few steps and leaped up. They stepped on the wall twice and flipped into the courtyard.


    The two of them hid in the bamboo forest and determined their location. With a few leaps, they crossed a wooden bridge and quickly passed through the winding corridor. They hid in the dark from a few old women carryingnterns on patrol. With the help of the dim yellow light, they ran towards the courtyard in front.


    When they arrived at the courtyard, they saw blooming Chinese roses and a tall magnolia tree in the courtyard. Li Yu climbed up the wall and used the magnolia tree to enter the courtyard. She saw that there were two lights in the corner of the courtyard. Li Yu hid in the dark and watched Ruyi climb up the wall and onto the roof.


    Ruyiy on the roof and lifted the tiles. He took out the incense and lit it up. Then he lowered the incense into the room using a long piece of thread. Hey on the roof for almost 15 minutes and covered the tiles after pulling up the incense that had yet to burn out. He scaled down to the wall and jumped down. Then, he hid behind the tree and took over Li Yu¡¯s watch.


    Li Yu walked up the eaves corridor in a few steps and arrived at Ah Yue¡¯s boudoir with light footsteps. She opened the door with a thin dagger and walked in. She saw two girls sleeping in the outer room and walked into the inner room. She saw Qing Zhu sleeping at the foot and Ah Yue sleeping on the bed.


    Li Yu nced at Ah Yue, who looked 60 to 70% like her. She picked up the long coat by the bed in disgust and wrapped it around Ah Yue. She carried her on her shoulder and went out to the courtyard.


    Ruyi opened the courtyard door and left with Li Yu. The two of them returned to the bamboo forest the way they came. When he saw Li Yu easily climbing out of the courtyard wall while carrying Ah Yue, he couldn¡¯t help but give her a thumbs up.


    After leaving the Wang family, the two of them rushed back to the government office and tied Ah Yue up before locking her in the cer.


    Ruyi nced at the sleeping Ah Yue and muttered to himself, ¡°She looks so simr to Madam, but she has a vicious heart.¡±


    Ruyi stood up, nced at the two sleeping people in the cer, took out the remaining knockout incense, lit it, and turned to leave the cer.


    Li Yu waited for Ruyi toe up from the cer and said to Ruyi, ¡°Once the city gate opens tomorrow morning, get them out of the city.¡±


    Ruyi replied, ¡°Are you going too?¡±


    ¡°Yes! It¡¯s gettingte. Go back and rest!¡±


    Seeing that Ruyi had left, Li Yu turned around and went to the bathroom. After washing up, she returned to her room and saw that Gu Yu had already fallen asleep on the bed. Li Yu went forward and patted her gently. Gu Yu looked up and saw Li Yu. She wiped the saliva from the corner of her mouth and smiled shyly. She whispered, ¡°Madam, you¡¯re back! Young Master hasn¡¯t woken up.¡±


    Li Yu looked at the sleeping Yangyang and whispered with a smile, ¡°Go and rest!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± Gu Yu left the room. Li Yu changed into her nightgown and kissed Yangyang¡¯s face. She opened the nket and slept.


    At dawn the next day, Ruyi carried the two of them out of the cer and ced them in the hidden box below the cart. She said to Li Yu, ¡°Madam, where are you sending them?¡±


    Li Yu thought for a moment and said, ¡°Send them to a vige a little further away and find a quiet ce to drop them off.¡±


    ¡°Alright, after we leave the city, we¡¯ll go to the construction site to take a look.


    Thereafter, you can head back to the city while I find a ce to abandon them.¡±


    Ruyi drove Wang Zhong and Ah Yue out of Yunzhou City and went to the wastnd at the foot of the mountain. There were busy figures everywhere. Seeing that Li Yu hade to the wastnd early in the morning, Ji Xiang smiled and said, ¡°Madam, it¡¯s cold in the morning. You don¡¯t have toe so early.¡±


    Ruyi gave Ji Xiang a look, and Ji Xiang understood. He brought Li Yu around the wastnd while Ruyi drove the cart away from the wastnd and elerated towards the remote town.


    Li Yu took a walk around the construction site and drove the carriage back to the city. After more than an hour, Ruyi drove the carriage to a deserted mountain path and stopped the carriage. He carried Wang Zhong and Ah Yue out of the carriage and left them by the roadside.


    The cold mountain wind blew on Wang Zhong and Ah Yue¡¯s faces. Wang Zhong woke up and looked at Ah Yue lying beside him. He felt like he was in a dream. He nced at Ah Yue and then at his crippled right hand. The person he had been thinking about was right in front of him and could be reached easily. Wang Zhong¡¯s heart was in a dilemma. Should he send her back or take her away?


    At this moment, Ah Yue woke up with a whimper. Her hand touched the weeds on the ground and she opened her eyes in shock. Ah Yue realized that she was lying in the wilderness and sat up in fright. She shouted, ¡°Someone!¡± Before she could finish her sentence, she saw Wang Zhong looking at her in a daze. She stepped forward and pped Wang Zhong¡¯s face. She scolded, ¡°You cheap ve, how dare you kidnap me?


    Wang Zhong looked at Ah Yue and slowly stood up. ¡°I was just wondering if you would be nice to me after you woke up. If you had begged me, I would have sent you back.¡± Wang Zhong pointed at Ah Yue with a ruthless expression. ¡°But you called me a cheap ve. In the future, you¡¯ll be mine. Let¡¯s see if you still dare to scold me!¡±


    Ah Yue shouted angrily, ¡°How dare you? If my parents catch you, they¡¯ll tear you apart.¡±


    Wang Zhong looked around and licked his dry lips. He smiled sinisterly and said, ¡°Do you think they can find you?¡± Seeing that the situation was bad, Ah Yue turned around and ran. Wang Zhong chased after her and grabbed her. Ah Yue begged, ¡°Wang Zhong, as long as you send me back, I will make my parents let you go and let them thank you!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s toote. Do you really think I¡¯m stupid?¡± Wang Zhong ignored Ah Yue¡¯s pleas and knocked her out with a p. He tucked her under his arm and walked towards the path on the mountain.


    At this moment, it started to drizzle. It was cold in spring, and the drizzle was blown by the wind. Wang Zhong gritted his teeth and carried Ah Yue on his shoulder as he walked towards the mountain.


    Qing Zhu woke up early in the morning and found that Miss was no longer in bed. Seeing that the long stole on the bed was no longer there, she thought that the Miss had woken up alone. She was a little surprised and hurriedly ran to the outer room. Seeing that the two little girls were still sleeping, she hurriedly patted them awake and scolded, ¡°Miss is already up, but you¡¯re still sleeping.¡±


    The girl was in a daze after having just gotten up, but she started begging for mercy. ¡°Sister Qing Zhu, spare us!¡±


    ¡°Forget it this time. I¡¯ll deduct your monthly sry next time!¡± After saying that, Qing Zhu went to the courtyard and looked around, but she still didn¡¯t see Miss. She panicked and hurriedly went to the garden to look for Miss, but she still couldn¡¯t find her. She was as nervous as a cat. What should she do? Miss seemed to have disappeared into thin air. Qing Zhu remembered what Miss had asked Wang Zhong to do and didn¡¯t dare to kick a big fuss. She asked the maidservants in the house to go out and look for her, but there was still no sign.


    Qing Zhu felt a chill in her heart and ran to look for Madam Lin in panic. She knelt in front of the Lin family and cried, ¡°Madam, Miss is missing.¡±


    ¡°What did you say? Ah Yue is missing?¡± Madam Lin looked at Qing Zhu and did not understand. Qing Zhu looked up at Madam Lin family and told her about how she had been looking for Ah Yue since she woke up early in the morning.


    She cried and said, ¡°I¡¯ve searched everywhere I can, but I still can¡¯t find Miss. Miss has disappeared just like that.¡±


    After Madam Lin understood, she panicked and shouted, ¡°Hurry up and find her! ¡°

 Chapter 274 - 274: The Wang Family’s Reputation

    Chapter 274: The Wang Family¡¯s Reputation


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Qing Zhu looked at Madam Lin and said, ¡°Madam, we¡¯ve searched everywhere else, except for the outer courtyard and the olddy¡¯s quarters. There¡¯s one more thing. Miss instructed us not to tell you and the olddy, so I didn¡¯t dare to say it.¡±


    Madam Lin was stunned. She looked up at Qing Zhu. ¡°Tell me.¡±


    Qing Zhu looked at the stunned Madam Lin and was a little afraid. She hesitated for a moment and said, ¡°Yesterday, Miss sent the guard, Wang Zhong, to kidnap the magistrate¡¯s wife.¡±


    When Madam Lin heard this, she stood up in shock. She leaned down and asked softly with trembling lips, ¡°What did you say? When did this happen?¡±


    ¡°It happened early yesterday morning. Ever since Miss was beaten up by the magistrate¡¯s wife, she has been filled with hatred. She ordered me to get to know the servants of the magistrate and wanted to bribe them for information, but I didn¡¯t seed.¡± After saying that, Qing Zhu looked at Madam Lin anxiously. ¡°Madam, what should we do? Do you think that the magistrate¡¯s wife knew that Miss had sent someone to harm her and instructed her people to kidnap Miss?¡±


    ¡°Impossible! It¡¯s impossible for her to know so quickly.¡± Madam Lin was so anxious that she paced around the room. When she turned around and saw Qing Zhu still kneeling there, she said anxiously, ¡°Hurry up and go to the outer courtyard to see if Wang Zhong has returned.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± Qing Zhu got up from the ground and headed for the outer courtyard.


    After Qing Zhu left, Madam Lin thought about it and decided to go to Old Madam Wang¡¯s ce to take a look. When Ying Ge saw this, she hurriedly held the umbre and shielded Madam Lin as she walked quickly toward Old Madam Wang¡¯s courtyard. When she arrived at Old Madam Wang¡¯s courtyard, Madam Lin nced around and did not see Ah Yue. She could not help but feel a little dazed.


    Seeing that she was distracted, Old Madam Wang thought to herself that Madam Lin should not be there to greet her if she was reluctant to do so. She scolded unhappily, ¡°Madam Lin, what happened? You look distracted.¡±


    Madam Lin hesitated for a moment and said, ¡°Madam, it¡¯s nothing. I just felt a little urorcame wnen 1 WOKe up rms mornmg.¡¯


    ¡°Why are you here to greet me if you¡¯re not feeling well? Those who don¡¯t know might think that I¡¯m mean to you!¡± Old Madam Wang lowered her eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t stand there. Go back and rest!¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your understanding, Old Madam.¡± Madam Lin left and went to Ah Yue¡¯s courtyard to wait for Qing Zhu to return.


    A momentter, Qing Zhu returned to the courtyard with a disappointed expression and said to Madam Lin, ¡°Madam, the people from the outer courtyard said that Wang Zhong hasn¡¯t returned since he went out yesterday.¡±


    Madam Lin was at a loss. She turned to Ying Ge and said, ¡°Go call Grandma


    Han.¡±


    After half an hour, Granny Han rushed over, panting. Madam Lin told Granny Han about Ah Yue¡¯s disappearance and asked in a daze, ¡°Nanny, what do you think we should do? Do you think Ah Yue was kidnapped by the magistrate¡¯s wife?¡±


    Seeing the flustered look on Madam Lin¡¯s face, Granny Han sighed in her heart and said to Madam Lin, ¡°Madam, did the magistrate¡¯s wife kidnap her? If Miss is missing, you should report it to Old Madam immediately. We definitely can¡¯t hide it. Besides, once Old Madam knows, she will get someone to send a letter to Master and ask him toe back to find Miss.¡±


    When Madam Lin heard Granny Han¡¯s words, she seemed to have found her backbone. She walked towards the olddy¡¯s courtyard anxiously and asked Old Madam Wang to send everyone away. She then told Old Madam Wang about Ah Yue¡¯s disappearance. When Old Madam Wang heard this, she was so angry that her eyes rolled back and she fainted.


    When Madam Lin saw the olddy faint, she shouted in horror, ¡°Someonee quickly! The olddy fainted.¡±


    Old Madam Wang¡¯s personal maid hurriedly came in from outside and rushed up to support Old Madam Wang. After a while, Old Madam Wang slowly woke up and looked at Madam Lin, who had copsed to the ground, in disappointment. She said, ¡°No wonder you looked so distracted when you came over today. So you wanted to look for her secretly without telling me! Then why didn¡¯t you continue keeping it a secret? What¡¯s the use of saying it now? I¡¯m afraid Ah Yue has already been sent out of the city.¡±


    ¡°My Yue¡¯er,¡± Madam Lin shouted and fainted.


    The olddy did not care about Madam Lin¡¯s condition at all. She said to Ying Ge, who was guarding at the side, ¡°Bring her back to her courtyard.¡± Ying Ge hurriedly called an old woman over to carry Madam Lin out.


    Old Madam Wang brought her people to Ah Yue¡¯s courtyard. She saw that the house was neat and tidy. The jewelry that she had taken off at night was still on the dressing table. She opened the jewelry box and saw that the valuable jewelry and money were not lost.


    Old Madam Wang instructed the old woman standing behind her, ¡°Ah Tang, get someone to rush to Qingyun Temple and bring Grand Old Master and Old Master back. Lock the girls and old women in Ah Yue¡¯s Courtyard in the woodshed and get someone to call Qing Hai over. Find a reason to bring a few tight-lipped old women to the streets and inns to look for her.¡±


    Old Madam Tang bowed and said, ¡°Yes, Old Madam.¡±


    When Wang Qinghai arrived, he saw the olddy¡¯s worried expression. He bowed and asked, ¡°Grandaunt, what happened?¡±


    ¡°Did you hear anything from the magistrate¡¯s family?¡±


    Wang Qinghai asked in confusion, ¡°News from the magistrate¡¯s family? Lord Zhou went to check on the grain. After Madam Li bought a piece of wastnd outside the western city, there was no other news. You don¡¯t look good. Did something happen?


    Old Madam Wang nodded tiredly. ¡°Ah Yue is missing.¡±


    Wang Qinghai was shocked. ¡°Ah Yue is missing( Where did she ???? Did you send someone to look for her? What does it have to do with Madam Li?¡±


    Old Madam Wang said, ¡°I¡¯ve already sent an old woman to look for her on the streets. Ah Yue, that audacious evil creature, sent the guard, Wang Zhong, to monitor Madam Li. She wants Wang Zhong to find an opportunity to beat Madam Li up to vent his anger.¡±


    ¡°Ah Yue asked Wang Zhong to monitor Lady Li.¡± Wang Qinghai suddenly understood. ¡°Aunt thinks that Madam Li took revenge on Ah Yue and sent someone to kidnap her?¡±


    Old Madam Wang nodded and said with tears in her eyes, ¡°I¡¯ve already gotten someone to invite your granduncle. Besides, we can¡¯t investigate with great fanfare. If outsiders find out that Ah Yue has been kidnapped, what will happen to the Wang family¡¯s reputation? The Liu family will alsoe to cancel the engagement. We can only search in secret now. Bring someone to find out Wang Zhong¡¯s whereabouts. We¡¯ll give out the reason that he stole the property in the residence.¡±


    Wang Qinghai looked at Old Madam Wang. Even if she was heartbroken, she still had to care about the Wang family¡¯s reputation. This was a big family. Reputation was always more important than anything else. Wang Qinghai looked at the old Old Madam Wang andforted her. ¡°Grandmother, don¡¯t worry too much. I¡¯ll bring people to find her now. Also, think about it. Is it possible that Ah Yue threw a tantrum and sneaked out to y for two days to scare us?¡±


    Old Madam Wang shook her head tiredly. ¡°Impossible. I¡¯ve checked the house. She didn¡¯t bring any clothes or money. I¡¯m afraid she was sent out of the city long ago.¡±


    ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll bring people to look for her.¡± Wang Qinghai left with his men.


    Madam Liny in Granny Han¡¯s arms with tears streaming down her face. She said sadly, ¡°Nanny, Madam Li must be Jinniang¡¯s child. She came to take revenge on us. Yue¡¯er must have been kidnapped by her..¡±

 Chapter 275 - 275: Abandonment

    Chapter 275: Abandonment


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Granny Han gently patted Madam Lin andforted her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry and rest for a while. Old Madam has already sent someone out to look for her. There will be news soon.¡±


    Madam Lin suddenly got up from Granny Han¡¯s arms and looked at her with fear. ¡°Nanny, will she send people to harm Kun¡¯er?¡±


    Granny Han said to her in an affirmative tone, ¡°No, she won¡¯t. Besides, she doesn¡¯t know that Eldest Young Master has gone to the capital. When Eldest


    Young Masteres back from high school, you¡¯ll have someone to rely on.¡±


    No matter how Grandma Hanforted her, Madam Lin was still uneasy. From the bottom of their hearts, they felt that Ah Yue¡¯s disappearance was their retribution.


    Seeing that Madam Lin was in a daze, Granny Han worriedly asked someone to boil some calming medicine for her and feed it to her. She stared at Madam Lin, who had drunk the calming medicine and was curled up in bed sleeping for a while. She walked to the window and looked at the drizzle. She thought to herself, ¡°Is there really retribution in this world? Why didn¡¯t retributione to me?¡±


    Wang Qinghai brought people to investigate at the city gates and found out that Wang Zhong had never returned after riding out of the city. In the end, he found out that Wang Zhong had rented a small courtyard. After entering, he saw that there was nothing else in the house except a few changes of clothes.


    Seeing that it was alreadyte, he brought his people back to the Wang family and reported the news to Old Madam Wang. An old man with a sage-like appearance and a middle-aged uncle hurriedly walked in.


    When Wang Qinghai saw this, he went forward and bowed. ¡°Granduncle, Uncle, you¡¯re back!¡± Old Master Wang said politely, ¡°Ah Hai, you have taken care of the family when we were not around.¡±


    Wang Qinghai bowed and said, ¡°Uncle, what are you saying? We¡¯re family!¡±


    The few of them sat down separately. Old Master Wang said to the olddy,


    ¡°What happened? You called us home in a hurry.¡±


    Old Madam Wang told Old Master Wang the entire story. Old Master Wang was so angry that his face turned ashen. He said angrily, ¡°Is this how you raise a child? You dote on her until she¡¯s arrogant andwless. Do you think you can dote on her forever?¡±


    Old Master Wang looked at Wang Qinghai anxiously and said, ¡°Ah Hai, have you checked? Did the magistrate¡¯s wife send someone to kidnap Ah Yue?¡±


    Wang Qinghai told the two of them the information he had found. ¡°Uncle, there¡¯s no evidence to prove that Madam Li did it. Besides, I found out that Wang Zhong just left home yesterday. We can only leave the city tomorrow to investigate.¡±


    Grand Old Master Wang let out a long sigh. ¡°It¡¯s been a day. I don¡¯t know where they¡¯ve been sent to. Besides, it¡¯s been raining until now, and there¡¯s no evidence left. We¡¯ll look for them tomorrow, but there¡¯s still no sign of them. We¡¯ll spread the word that Ah Yue has contracted a bad disease and moved to the manor to recuperate.¡±


    After hearing Old Master Wang¡¯s words, Wang Qinghai knew that Ah Yue was already an abandoned pawn in Grand Old Master Wang¡¯s heart. Even if he found her in the future, she could only go to a temple to spend the rest of her life.


    Old Master Wang was so angry that his eyes almost popped out. He stood up and said fiercely, ¡°A mere magistrate¡¯s wife actually dares to kidnap the daughter of the Wang family. Does she think our Wang family is made of mud?¡±


    Grand Old Master Wang looked at Old Master Wang with a sharp gaze and said coldly, ¡°You don¡¯t know what¡¯s good for you! If you hadn¡¯t been so eager for quick sess back then, would our Wang family have fallen into such a state? Ah Hai is the only one in the family that still has a public office. If Kun can be ranked this time, it means that His Majesty has already forgiven the Wang family. If not, you¡¯d better behave yourself.¡±


    Grand Old Master Wang¡¯s words were like a blow to his head. It reminded Old


    Master Wang of how he had chosen the wrong side and harmed the entire Wang family. However, being castigated by Old Master Wang in front of the juniors made him feel very embarrassed. He fell back into his chair with a dark expression.


    Old Master Wang didn¡¯t look at him anymore. He turned to look at Wang Qinghai and said gently, ¡°Ah Hai, we came back in a hurry today. Some people might already be guessing what happened to the Wang family. Just investigate Wang Zhong ording to what your grandaunt said. I¡¯ll also use my connections to investigate. We have to know who is behind this.¡±


    Wang Qinghai stood up and bowed. ¡°Yes, Granduncle. You¡¯ve just returned and are tired. I¡¯ll go back first.¡± Old Master Wang nodded and sent Wang Qinghai away.


    After Wang Qinghai left, Old Madam Wang told the truth that A Yue had sent Wang Zhong out to kidnap the magistrate¡¯s wife and throw her into the mountains to feed the wolves. She also told the two of them that Madam Lin was looking for Ah Yue behind her back.


    Old Madam Wang looked at her son whose expression kept changing andined, ¡°A good child was raised to be so wayward by Madam Lin and even caused the Wang family to lose face. Back then¡­ ¡±


    Grand Old Master Wang rubbed his be with a headache and interrupted Old Madam Wang impatiently. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s not talk about the past anymore. I¡¯ve been riding for a few hours and I¡¯m about to fall apart. Get someone to prepare water for me.¡±


    Old Madam Wang nced at the father and son and shut her mouth resentfully.


    Li Yu brought Xiaoyu and the others home to pick corn seeds for the entire day. From time to time, she would look at the rain and wonder where Zhou Jia had gone.


    The drizzlested for two days. Grand Old Master Wang heard that Madam Li entered the city alone that day. When she entered the city, her clothes were stained with blood. When Madam Li returned to the back office, the officials guarding the government office did not discover any abnormal movements. The next morning, she left the city with the butler and probably went to the wastnd to take a look before returning.


    Old Master Wang felt that Wang Zhong might have already taken action, but he was killed by the magistrate¡¯s guards. Old Master Wang suspected that Ah Yue had suffered from Madam Li¡¯s revenge, but he had no evidence to prove it. Old Master Wang led people to search the city everywhere for a day, but he still could not find any traces of Ah Yue and Wang Zhong.


    The next day, the Wang family spread the news that Ah Yue had contracted an evil illness and moved to the manor to recuperate. The Wang family had already given up on Ah Yue, but they buried the resentment of Madam Li for sending someone to kidnap her.


    Li Yu didn¡¯t care about the Wang family¡¯s investigation at all. As soon as the rain stopped, she busied herself with developingnd.


    Zhou Jia brought his people to a remote county under the Yunzhou Prefecture called Mountain Leng. Not long after the car entered the city, he saw a crowd of people in front of him. There was an argument in the crowd. Zhao Cai listened for a while and said to Zhou Jia, ¡°Master, listen. It seems to be Ah Wei¡¯s voice.¡±


    Zhou Jia also felt that it was Ah Wei. He remembered that he had not found Mr. Wen and Ah Wei along the way and hurriedly said, ¡°Get out of the car and squeeze in to take a look.¡±


    Zhao Cai got out of the car and pushed through the crowd. He saw a few ruffians pushing Ah Wei and a handsome young man. The two of them protected the angry Mr. Wen and kept retreating. Zhao Cai strode forward and pped the ruffian who pushed Ah Wei. He protected him and asked, ¡°Old


    Master, Ah Wei, what¡¯s going on?¡±


    Mr. Wen and Ah Wei looked at Zhao Cai and heaved a sigh of relief..

 Chapter 276 - 276: Collusion

    Chapter 276: Collusion


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Ah Wei pointed at a few local ruffians who were looking at Zhao Cai. ¡°Brother Zhao Cai, these local ruffians were hired by the Holy Hand Hall to cause trouble. The manager of the Holy Hand Hall said that Old Master is disrupting their means to gain their wealth by practicing here.¡±


    The ruffian leader counted on the strength of the majority to threaten Zhao


    Cai. ¡°If you know what¡¯s good for you, get lost. Otherwise, I¡¯ll beat you up too.¡±


    Zhao Cai sneered and stepped forward to grab the hand of the ruffian pointing at him. He pinched his finger and exerted force. With a crack, the ruffian¡¯s finger that was pointing at Zhao Cai was broken. The other ruffians rushed up to help and were beaten to the ground by Zhao Cai. More and more people surrounded them, blocking the street.


    At this moment, Zhou Jia squeezed in with a few constables. Zhou Jia saw that Mr. Wen¡¯s clothes were undone, his hair was messy, and he looked disheveled. He frowned and strode forward to support Mr. Wen. He turned to the constables behind him and said, ¡°Capture them all.¡±


    The constables bowed and said, ¡°Yes, sir.¡± The constables rushed towards the ruffians. Ah Wei and Zhao Cai ran over to help. The young man retreated into the crowd.


    Mr. Wen adjusted his clothes and looked at Zhou Jia happily. ¡°Xiao Xi, why are you here?¡±


    Zhou Jia smoothed Mr. Wen¡¯s white hair andined with lingering fear, ¡°Why did youe all the way here for a volunteer medical consultation? What if something happens?¡±


    Mr. Wen chuckled and said, ¡°Heaven helps the good. Look, something just happened and you¡¯re here!¡±


    Zhou Jia saw that Mr. Wen¡¯s volunteer medical consultation items were scattered all over the ground. He helped Mr. Wen tidy up the pulse pillow, medicine box, and small tables and stools and ced them in his backpack. ¡°Sir, why did theye to cause trouble? What¡¯s the Holy Hand Hall that Ah


    Wei mentioned?¡±


    Mr. Wen patted Zhou Jia and said, ¡°Let¡¯s talk when we get back.¡±


    The constables and Zhao Cai quickly arrested the hooligans and tied them up before bringing them to Zhou Jia. They reported, ¡°Sir, what should we do with these people?¡±


    ¡°Send them to the government office first and then we¡¯ll find something to eat. I¡¯ll follow Sir back to his ce. We¡¯ll meet at the county office at noon,¡± Zhou Jia said after thinking for a moment.


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± The constables led the ruffians in the direction of the county office.


    Zhou Jia helped Mr. Wen into the car. Ah Wei ran to Tie Zhu¡¯s side and pointed the way. The group walked towards the small courtyard that Mr. Wen rented.


    Seeing Zhou Jia and the constables leave with the ruffians, someoneughed gloatingly. ¡°So he¡¯s the master of an official. The Holy Hand Hall has kicked an iron te this time!¡±


    Someone sighed and said, ¡°It¡¯s time for someone to take care of it. The pharmacy in the county has been bullied to the point of no return by the Holy Hand Hall. We can¡¯t even afford to treat illnesses.¡±


    The man who had protected Mr. Wen and Ah Wei sneered. ¡°What¡¯s the use? In the end, the officials will protect their own. Hmph! They¡¯re all birds of a feather.¡± With that, he flicked his sleeve and left.


    One of them asked curiously, ¡°Wasn¡¯t this person helping that doctor just now? Why isn¡¯t he on the same side as them?¡±


    A middle-aged man standing at the side replied with some pity, ¡°His name is Qi Zhanpeng. He was the young master of the Qi family¡¯s medicine hall, which was the predecessor to the Holy Hand Hall. The third generation of the Qi family relied on the medicine shop passed down by their ancestors and dozens of acres of farnd. Doctor Qi did his best to treat people. The family lived quitefortably. Qi Zhanpeng was extremely smart when he was young, so Doctor Qi didn¡¯t teach him the medical skills passed down from his ancestors. He asked a teacher to teach him at home and wanted him to change his career path. He also passed the local examination by the age of 12, but for some reason, he didn¡¯t pass the county-level examination a few times. However, he was young! His family had spare money to support him, so it didn¡¯t matter even if he took the examination a few more times.¡±


    ¡°Sigh! If this had continued, the Qi family might really have been able to change pathways. A few months after Qi Zhanpeng was admitted to the academy, Doctor Qi was sued by someone in the government office. They said that he caused someones death and Doctor Qi was arrested and sent to the government office. I heard that he used a lot of money and finally died in prison. Until now, no one has been able to ascertain culpability. Not long after Doctor Qi left,his family¡¯s medicine shop was taken over by the Holy Hand Hall for some reason. Qi Zhanpeng was even disqualified from the academy and lived with the widow in a straw shed outside the city. Now, he lives by writing things for others.¡±


    The man sighed again. ¡°No good deed goes unpunished! Doctor Qi is really a good person. I don¡¯t know why he encountered such a disaster.¡±


    An old man sighed. ¡°s! As the saying goes, the people don¡¯t fight with officials, and the poor don¡¯t fight with the rich. Sometimes, it is better to take a step back. Doctor Qi was too direct! ¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! Since the show is over, we should disperse.¡± Everyone sighed and left.


    Mr. Wen led the few of them through the main street and into an alley. When they arrived at the rented small courtyard, Mr. Wen smiled and said to Zhou Jia, ¡°When we came out of Yunzhou, we met two merchants on the way. They were talking about how difficult it was to see a doctor in Ling County. We followed them all the way to Ling County. We originally nned to stay in Ling County for a few days before returning to the city. After staying for a few days, we felt that it was too difficult for the people here to see a doctor. In a county city, other than traveling doctors, there is only one medicine shop called the Holy Hand Hall. The traveling doctors are not well-matched, and misdiagnoses happen from time to time, so we were dyed until now.¡±


    ¡°No wonder I couldn¡¯t find any traces of you along the way. I even nned to bring a letter to Yu¡¯er to ask if you had returned to Yunzhou.¡±


    Ah Wei ran in happily and brought out a few bamboo chairs. He then went to serve water and pour tea. Seeing that everyone had sat down, heined angrily, ¡°Master, it¡¯s fortunate that you¡¯re here. Otherwise, Old Master would have been captured by those dogs and had his hands chopped off. Sigh! You don¡¯t know! Old Master¡¯s heart softened when he saw that thosemoners couldn¡¯t treat their illnesses. He used the money he earned from treating those rich families to buy medicine for them. When the Holy Hand Hall saw that those people were queuing up for Old Master¡¯s treatment, they imed that Old Master was insensible Furthermore, Old Master prescribed cheap herbs so there was no one in that shop. So the owner hired those hooligans to cause trouble and even threatened to chop Old Master¡¯s hands off to feed the dogs.¡±


    Zhou Jia saw Ah Wei¡¯s angry look and thought about how those hooligans had brought people to cause trouble and blocked the streets. However, the government office did not send any bailiffs to ask about it. It seemed that the Holy Hand Medicine Hall and the magistrate of Ling County were really connected.


    Zhao Cai patted Ah Wei¡¯s shoulder and smiled. ¡°Ah Wei, how did you learn martial arts? You can¡¯t even protect Mister. Did Brother Ruyi not teach you well?¡±


    Ah Wei scratched his head. ¡°It¡¯s not Brother Ruyi¡¯s fault. It¡¯s my fault for cking halfway and ending up like this without putting in any effort.¡± Ah Wei suddenly thought of Qi Zhanpeng. ¡°Oh! Old Master, Brother Qi helped us just now, but those hooligans smashed his letter-writing stall and even kicked him twice. I¡¯ll go see him and send him two ointments.¡±


    Mr. Wen remembered when he heard Ah Wei¡¯s words. He said to Ah Wei, ¡°Aiya! I was so excited that I forgot about him. Ah Wei, bring a few ointments from the lower level of the medicine box to him. Also, bring the cough medicine in the house to his mother.¡±


    ¡°Tiezhu, apany Ah Wei after dinner. Zhao Cai, go to the street and order a table of food to be sent over.¡±


    Tiezhu and Zhao Cai stood up and bowed. ¡°Yes, Master.¡±


    Ah Wei pulled the two of them out happily..

 Chapter 277 - 277: The Qj Family

    Chapter 277: The Qj Family


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Mr. Wen looked at Mr. Qian and smiled at Zhou Jia and the two clerks. ¡°That child¡¯s father was also a doctor in the past. After his father left, he brought his mother along and relied on writing letters to make a living. He¡¯s a filial child. I don¡¯t know why he fell to such a state.¡±


    Mr. Qian thought for a moment and said, ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because he didn¡¯t learn his father¡¯s medical skills and lost his ability to make a living. As time passed, it became more and more difficult.¡±


    Mr. Wen shook his head. ¡°He said that he had never studied medicine. When his father was alive, he had always been studying.¡±


    Mr. Qian recalled his past andughed self-deprecatingly. ¡°Sigh! A useless schr. If he had medical skills, he wouldn¡¯t have fallen to this state.¡±


    After an hour, Zhao Cai, Tiezhu, and Ah Wei brought a table of food to the small courtyard. There were pork trotters stewed with soybeans, stir-fried side dishes, pork liver¡­ They were all home-cooked dishes. Everyone had been traveling all morning, so they sat at a table and ate. After a good meal, Tiezhu apanied Ah Wei out of the city to deliver the medicine.


    A group of bailiffs came to the entrance of the alley. They surrounded a middle-aged man with a square face and slightly yellowish skin. He was wearing a green official¡¯s uniform and a straw hat. The group walked to the door of Mr. Wen¡¯s small courtyard. A bailiff with a few pockmarks on the tip of his nose bowed forward and pointed at the small courtyard. He smiled obsequiously. ¡°Master Yang, that old divine doctor lives here.¡±


    County Magistrate Yang thought of his colleague in the neighboring county. He had informed him that this magistrate was iparably handsome and did not like to phnder or ept gifts. He was forgiving towards small errors but would not allow for grave mistakes. He originally thought that Lord Zhou would arrive tomorrow at the earliest. Unexpectedly, he came early this morning and happened to see the local ruffians bullying his teacher on the street. It was considered bad luck. However, he had a pair of peerless twins. No matter how much he did not like women, they would still charm him.


    County Magistrate Yang straightened his clothes and nced at the bailiff. The bailiff knocked on the door and retreated to the side. County Magistrate Yang took a step forward and said loudly, ¡°Lord Zhou, I, Yang Xian, am here to pay my respects.¡±


    When Zhou Jia heard this, he raised his eyebrows. To have found this ce so quickly, Lord Yang was quite attentive! But he didn¡¯t seem to be so attentive about other things!


    Zhao Cai went forward to open the courtyard door and said, ¡°Sir Yang, please.¡±


    County Magistrate Yang cupped his hands politely and bowed to Zhou Jia. ¡°I waste to wee you. Please forgive me!¡±


    Zhou Jia said indifferently, ¡°Lord Yang, there¡¯s no need for formalities. I came in a hurry and didn¡¯t inform you in time.¡±


    Mr. Wen said to Zhou Jia, ¡°Jiahe, I don¡¯t need you to apany me. Go and do your work.¡± County Magistrate Yang hurriedly went forward and bowed. Mr. Wen smiled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about this old man. Go ahead.¡±


    Zhou Jia knew that Mr. Wen hated these formalities the most. In addition, arge group of people was standing outside. He smiled and said, ¡°Sir, I¡¯ll go ande back.¡±


    Mr. Wen waved his hand and watched Zhou Jia leave with his men.


    Ah Wei and Tie Zhu bought some buns on the street and went to the straw hut outside the city.


    Tiezhu saw that the dpidated temple outside Ling County was filled with straw sheds. The people living there were all people who lived in the city.


    Ah Wei led him to the two straw sheds at the end and heard a heart-wrenching cough.


    Ah Wei said to Tiezhu, ¡°Aunt Qi¡¯s health is not good. Old Master came to treat her two days ago and went to find these herbs for her.¡±


    Tiezhu looked at the low straw shed and the dirt at the door. He felt that although his family had sold themselves to be ves, they were considered luckypared to the Qi family. His Master and Madam were generous, and he had learned a lot from his Master.


    Ah Wei carried the medicine and buns to the door and shouted, ¡°Brother Qi, Auntie Yu, I¡¯m here to bring you the medicine.¡±


    Qi Zhanpeng¡¯s face darkened. He walked to the door and said to Ah Wei, ¡°Leave. I don¡¯t care about your pity.¡±


    Ah Wei looked at Qi Zhanpeng and was stunned for a moment. He ced the medicine in his hand in front of him and looked at him with a smile. ¡°Brother Qi, this is the medicine my Old Master went to the mountain to pick. It¡¯s just been concocted. There are also a few ointments. You were kicked a few times by those hooligans today. It must be very painful.¡±


    Qi Zhanpeng looked at Ah Wei¡¯s smiling face and could no longer maintain his cold expression. He lowered his head and thought for a moment. ¡°Ah Wei, you and Old Master are good people, but your Master is in cahoots with those officials. Don¡¯te here again. I don¡¯t want the medicine. Take them back.¡±


    When Tiezhu heard Qi Zhanpeng¡¯s words, he felt ufortable. He went forward and pulled Ah Wei away. He looked at him and said, ¡°My Old Master is worried that you can¡¯t afford the medicine. He¡¯s so old, yet he still went up the mountain to pick herbs for your mother. After brewing it, he sent it to you, but you said that you¡¯re not worthy of being associated with an official. What does my Master¡¯s position have to do with you? You¡¯re really ungrateful.¡±


    Ah Wei also looked at Qi Zhanpeng in disappointment. ¡°Brother Qi, my Master is a good official. Since you said that, I¡¯ll leave you be.¡± Ah Wei stuffed the medicine and buns into his arms. ¡°My Old Master helped Aunt Qi make these medicine. No one else can drink them. If you don¡¯t want it, throw it away!¡± With that, he pulled Tiezhu away.


    Qi Zhanpeng looked at Ah Wei and Tiezhu, who were walking away, and at the medicine and food in his arms. He sighed and couldn¡¯t bear to throw away the things in his arms. He carried them into the house.


    Aunt Yuy on the bed and panted as she said to Qi Zhanpeng, ¡°Peng! In this world, there are evil doctors like the Holy Hand Hall who don¡¯t treat illnesses and only care about money. There are also divine doctors like Doctor Wen who focus on treating illnesses and saving people. It¡¯s the same logic with officials. There are good officials. Besides, I believe in Doctor Wen. Why don¡¯t you try to tell him about our grievances and see if you can clear your father¡¯s name?


    When Qi Zhanpeng heard Madam Yu¡¯s words, he felt that what she said was reasonable. He recalled how he didn¡¯t listen to his mother back then and insisted on doing things his way. He thought that everything in the world was the same as what the Sages taught him. Who knew that the logic of the Sages could onlv be used in books? Once his father left. he auicklv exoerienced the cruelty and darkness of the world. A person who toasted him on one asion could wrong him on another.


    Qi Zhanpeng looked at his mother, who was lying on the bed, old and thin, and regretted it. ¡°Mother, it¡¯s all my fault for being useless. I didn¡¯t know how to read people and was deceived by others. I made you live a hard life with me.¡±


    Madam Yu coughed a few times and panted. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault. Dad and Mom were focused on letting you study and obtain schrly honors. We forgot to remind you that humans are sinister and forgot to teach you how to live well¡­¡±


    As Madam Yu spoke, she coughed again. Qi Zhanpeng hurriedly helped her lie down. ¡°Mom, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll go look for Doctor Wenter. You¡¯re hungry, right? Ah Wei sent buns over. They¡¯re still hot. Eat two first to fill your stomach. I¡¯ll prepare medicine for you.¡± Madam Yu looked at her son and nodded in relief.


    Qi Zhanpeng brewed the medicine for Madam Yu and watched her fall asleep. Then, he went out and gently closed the door before walking into the city..

 Chapter 278 - 278: Cause

    Chapter 278: Cause


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Zhou Jia brought Mr. Qian and two clerks to the county office to check the files of the taxes and various cases in Ling County. When Mr. Qian flipped through a case file called Qi Shilian, he found that a man named Zhao Cheng had sued Qi Shilian of the Qi family¡¯s medical center for misdiagnosing and causing the death of his mother. Qi Shilian refused to admit it and was imprisoned. Before the case was investigated, Qi Shilian died in prison and the case was left unsettled.


    There was also a dossier noting that after Qi Shilian died in prison, his son, Qi Zhanpeng, sued Zhao Cheng for false usation. In the end, for some reason, the case was left unsettled and the two cases were not closed.


    Mr. Qian felt a little suspicious and brought the dossier to Zhou Jia. ¡°Sir, look, these two cases involved the same person, but both cases are not closed. I remember that the young man who wrote for a living today was also called Qi Zhanpeng. Could it be the same person?¡±


    After Zhou Jia took it and looked at it, he thought to himself, ¡°Qi Shilian died from illness not long after he was imprisoned. Qi Zhanpeng sued Zhao Cheng but the case was left unsettled. Then, the Qi Medicine Hall became the business of the Holy Hand Hall. The Holy Hand Hall is now thergest in Ling County.


    Could there be something fishy?¡±


    Zhou Jia said to Zhao Cai, ¡°Bring a few people to investigate in secret. Find out what happened when Zhao Cheng told Qi Shilian that he had misdiagnosed someone.¡±


    After Zhao Cai left with his men, Zhou Jia, Mr. Qian, and the others looked around for a while. County Magistrate Yang smiled and bowed. ¡°Sir, I¡¯ve already prepared food and drinks for you.¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled politely and said, ¡°Thank you, Lord Yang. Everyone, let¡¯s go!¡±


    County Magistrate Yang led Zhou Jia and the others to the back office. All the officials in Ling County came forward to greet them. After eating and drinking, County Magistrate Yang smiled and said to Zhou Jia, ¡°Sir, I¡¯ve invited the dancers of Lianhua Garden to do a few dances to relieve everyone¡¯s boredom.¡±


    Zhou Jia held his teacup and nodded in agreement. County Magistrate Yang pped his hands and the sound of wind instruments sounded. Two enchanting dancers who looked exactly the same appeared in front of the hall and danced gracefully. Their light dance was gentle and moving. County


    Magistrate Yang was in no mood to admire such a moving dance. He used his teacup to block his vision and stole a nce at Lord Zhou, who was sitting at the head of the table. Seeing that he was also admiring the dance of the twodies, he turned around and smiled proudly.


    Zhou Jia nced at Yang Xian and thought to himself, How good would it be to put his thoughts on the right path so he could do his part well? It seemed that it was really difficult to get Yang Xian to keep his principles. No wonder Yu¡¯er liked to use people who knew their ce. Although they didn¡¯t have much knowledge, they wouldn¡¯t cause trouble. Sigh! He didn¡¯t know how Yu¡¯er and his son were at home. When he left, he said that he would go back in half a month. It had been almost a month since he arrived in Ling County. He had to speed up the investigation of Ling County and go back to his wife and son.


    Zhou Jia no longer had the patience to watch the two dancers flirt. He stood up and cupped his hands at Yang Xian. ¡°Master Yang, please continue. I still have some dossiers to read, so I¡¯ll take my leave first.¡±


    County Magistrate Yang was dumbfounded when he heard this. He wondered how there could be such a person who was so gentle and beautiful, but so straightforward. How did he get to the position of the magistrate?


    After Zhou Jia finished speaking, he left the officials of Ling County and strode away. Mr. Qian and the two schrs also cupped their hands at County Magistrate Yang and followed Zhou Jia to read the dossiers.


    Qi Zhanpeng arrived at Mr. Wen¡¯s rented courtyard and knocked on the door.


    When Tiezhu 0Dened the door and saw Oi ZhanDenz, he was stunned for a


    moment and said angrily, ¡°Why are you still here? I thought you don¡¯t interact with officials?¡±


    Qi Zhanpeng bowed in shame. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I was too narrow-minded.¡±


    Seeing that he was apologizing, Tiezhu didn¡¯t say anything else. He turned to the side and looked at him. ¡°Come in!¡±


    Qi Zhanpeng cupped his hands at Tiezhu and entered the courtyard. When Mr.


    Wen saw him, he asked gently, ¡°Xiao Qi, is your mother better?¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Doctor Wen. My mother fell asleep after drinking the medicine.¡± Qi Zhanpeng bowed.


    Mr. Wen pointed at a chair in the courtyard and smiled at him. ¡°Sit and rest for a while. Let me dry these medicine.¡±


    ¡°Doctor Wen, let me help you.¡± Qi Zhanpeng walked over and took the dustpan from Mr. Wen¡¯s hand to help him dry the herbs. Qi Zhanpeng looked at the herbs in his hand and thought of the scene of his father drying the herbs when he was alive. His eyes turned red and tears almost fell.


    Seeing that he was sad, Mr. Wen thought that he was worried about his mother¡¯s condition andforted him. ¡°Xiao Qi, don¡¯t worry too much about your mother. When your mother finishes the three patches of medicine, she will be able to stop coughing and sleep peacefully. At that time, I will prescribe two more patches of medicine for her to recuperate.¡±


    When Qi Zhanpeng heard the sincere concern in Mr. Wen¡¯s voice, his heart warmed. He felt that it was not that difficult to say what was in his heart. ¡°Doctor Wen, I want to ask why Lord Zhou came to Ling County?


    Mr. Wen smiled and said, ¡°He¡¯s probably doing his duty to check on the grain, and the taxes under his jurisdiction, and investigate the traitors.¡±


    ¡°To investigate traitors.¡± Qi Zhanpeng¡¯s eyes lit up with hope. He knelt down in front of Mr. Wen and kowtowed. ¡°Doctor Wen, I want to see Lord Zhou andin to him about the injustice my family suffered.¡±


    No wonder the child looked depressed. Mr. Wen went forward and helped him up. ¡°Xiao Qi, get up quickly. He went to the county office and might not be back untilter. Sit down with me and wait for a while.¡±


    Qi Zhanpeng followed Mr. Wen to sit on the bamboo chair. Looking at Doctor Wen¡¯s benevolent smile, he recalled, ¡°Doctor Wen, my father was also a doctor when he was alive. He practiced the medical skills passed down from our ancestors in the Qi family. I was the only son of three generations in my family. My family had a medicine hall, a courtyard, and dozens of acres of fertilend passed down from generation to generation. My parents and I lived happily together. My father felt that practicing medicine was hard and wanted me to study and take the schrly examination. When I was young, I passed the local examination by the age of 12, but I kept failing in the county-level examination. Some peopleughed at me in private when I was young. After I found out, I kept it in my heart. When my parents saw that I was depressed, they persuaded me that there was no need to be anxious. It was not toote to take the examination when I was older. Mr. Wen also said that a sixteen-year-old student was nothing. Some people were still children in their forties or fifties, but they were still taking the examination. After hearing this, I calmed down and studied hard, preparing to take the exam the next year.¡±


    ¡°In the next year, a cmity fell from the sky during the spring equinox. A person called Zhao Cheng sued my father at the government office, saying that my father¡¯s misdiagnosis killed his mother. My father argued that when Zhao Cheng¡¯s mother came to see him, she was already on herst breath. Zhao Cheng knelt on the ground and begged bitterly to save his mother. At that time, he exined to Zhao Cheng that her mother was already at the end of her rope and that he was just doing her best to treat her and leave it to fate.¡±


    ¡°However, Zhao Cheng said that her mother had suffered her entire life and that he had to try his luck. My father gave him some medicine and exined to him repeatedly that his mother was already terminally ill. This medicine was not helpful to his mother¡¯s condition. It was only to fulfill Zhao Cheng¡¯s wish. Zhao Cheng also said that he understood. After taking the medicine, my father sent the mother and son away.¡±


    ¡°However, a few dayster, he sued my father in court and the government arrested him. My mother spent a lot of money to help the case, but it was useless. My father refused to admit that he had misdiagnosed Zhao Cheng¡¯s mother. After my father was arrested, my mother and I didn¡¯t even see my father before he died of illness in prison.¡±


    When Mr. Wen heard this, he was furious. If this was true, Zhao Cheng was clearly trying to ckmail the Qi family.. What was the county magistrate doing? How could such a clear-cut case drag someone to death in prison?

 Chapter 279 - 279: Immortal Dance

    Chapter 279: Immortal Dance


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Mr. Wen remembered that the Qi family still had shops and fields. The Qi mother and son should not have fallen into this state! He asked curiously, ¡°Then why did you and your mother fall to this state?¡±


    Qi Zhanpeng replied in embarrassment, ¡°I was blind and fell into the trap of a wicked person. After my father left, I found more information about the case and the prescription my father gave Zhao Cheng¡¯s mother. I went to the government office to sue Zhao Cheng for false usation. After handing over theint paper, I didn¡¯t get a reply for a long time. I med myself for being useless. I felt that if I had passed the examination earlier, my father wouldn¡¯t have died in vain. In my guilt, I sat in front of my father¡¯s grave every day. My mother saw that the weather was hot and felt sorry for me, so she got someone to build a straw shed in front of the grave.¡±


    Mr. Wen sighed. ¡°Your father definitely doesn¡¯t want to see you feel guilty and torture yourself.¡±


    ¡°Doctor Wen, my mother also advised me this way. She said that I should calm down and study hard. Once I got on the rankings, I could help my father clear his name. However, at that time, I was stubborn. How could I listen to my mother? It was onlyter that something happened.


    Qi Zhanpeng recalled that it was already the end of July and early August. He sat in the straw shed mourning in front of his father¡¯s grave. Suddenly, he heard a woman shouting for help and a man chasing after her. He picked up the wooden stick in the straw shed and followed the sound. He saw a local ruffian chasing a young woman in an emerald green dress. Suddenly, the woman seemed to have sprained her ankle and fell to the ground. The local ruffian rushed towards the woman. Qi Zhanpeng rushed up and pointed the wooden stick at the local ruffian who cursed and left.


    Qi Zhanpeng stopped not far from the woman. He saw that the woman was slender and had tears on her delicate face. As she looked terrified and uneasy, he asked gently, ¡°Miss, how are you? I¡¯ve already chased the ruffian away. Hurry up and go back!¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± The woman propped herself up on the ground and moved. The tears that had stopped welled up again. ¡°I sprained my ankle. I can¡¯t walk anymore.¡±


    Qi Zhanpeng was stunned. ¡°Then what should we do? Is your house far from here? I¡¯ll help you call for help.¡±


    ¡°My surname is Liu. I live in the Liu Family Vige not far ahead. My family lives in the first house at the entrance of the vige. When I was visiting my rtives, I met that ruffian and was stopped by him.¡±


    ¡°Wait for me. I¡¯ll help you call for help.¡± Qi Zhanpeng turned around and left.


    ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t go!¡± Miss Liu suddenly stopped him. She pointed at the wooden stick in his hand with a red face. ¡°I¡¯m afraid to be alone here. Give me the wooden stick and I can leave.¡±


    Qi Zhanpeng turned around and looked at Miss Liu¡¯s frightened expression. He thought to himself that it made sense. This was a graveyard, and there was a forest ahead. If that ruffian did not go far, wouldn¡¯t he be harming her by leaving her here?


    Qi Zhanpeng approached Miss Liu and handed her the wooden stick. ¡°Miss Liu, this wooden stick is for you.¡±


    Qi Zhanpeng saw Miss Liu take the wooden stick and stand up. He turned around and left. Miss Liu stopped him and begged with a red face, ¡°Young Master, I¡¯m afraid that the ruffian didn¡¯t go far. Can you send me back?¡±


    Qi Zhanpeng saw her blushing shyly and felt his face turn red. He nodded and said, ¡°Alright! I¡¯ll send you back.¡±


    Qi Zhanpeng stood at the side and waited for Miss Liu to walk in front. He watched as Miss Liu limped in front with the wooden stick. He followed behind her unhurriedly.


    After walking for less than an hour, they arrived at the Liu family vige. There was a big camphor tree at the entrance of the vige and a house nearby. Miss Liu held a wooden stick and bowed to Qi Zhanpeng, who was not far behind her. ¡°Thank you, Young Master. I¡¯m already home.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± Qi Zhanpeng turned around and left. After taking a few steps, he heard someone shout from behind, ¡°Young Master, stop. Young Master, stop.¡±


    Qi Zhanpeng turned around and saw a thin young man in green clothes chasing after him. He asked while panting, ¡°Young Master, did you send my sister back?¡±


    ¡°Exactly. Is there a problem?¡±


    The man cupped his hands and said, ¡°Thank you for sending my sister home. The sun is scorching hot. Pleasee to my house for a cup of tea before leaving.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Qi Zhanpeng turned to leave, but the man went forward and pulled him back. He bowed and said, ¡°Young Master, my house is just ahead.


    It¡¯s not toote for you to leave after drinking a cup of tea.¡±


    After the man finished speaking, he kept bowing to him. Qi Zhanpeng couldn¡¯t bear to refuse and cupped his hands. ¡°Sorry for disturbing you.¡±


    ¡°Young Master, you¡¯re too polite.¡± The man happily brought Qi Zhanpeng home. The Liu family¡¯s courtyard was extremely clean and tidy. There were no chickens or ducks in the courtyard, unlike the houses of other vigers. The three main rooms were brightly renovated, and the two elders of the Liu family were also neat and tidy.


    Miss Liu¡¯s brother said gratefully, ¡°Fortunately, she met Young Master. Otherwise, Qiaogu would be in trouble. Young Master, no matter what, you have to have a drink at my house.¡±


    Seeing that they kept saying grateful words, Qi Zhanpeng blushed and cupped his hands in return. ¡°Thank you for your kindness. My father passed away and I can¡¯t drink before his mourning period is over.¡±


    ¡°Young Master, my family doesn¡¯t have anything good to thank you for your kindness. I¡¯ll treat you to a meal to express my gratitude!¡± Qi Zhanpeng could only nod and agree.


    After the elder brother of the Liu family chatted with Qi Zhanpeng for a while, Mother Liu prepared the food and even scooped a bowl of soup for him.


    Qi Zhanpeng ate a few mouthfuls of food. After drinking the bowl of soup, he felt a little dizzy and fainted on the dining table¡­


    When Qi Zhanpeng woke up from pain in a daze, he saw that the expression of the elder brother of the Liu family had already changed. He grabbed him and threw him on the ground. He punched and kicked him, hitting him in all his vital parts as if he wanted to kill him.


    The elder brother of the Liu family cursed, ¡°I thought you were a benevolent man. When I saw you faint, I sent you to rest. Who knew that you would sneak into my sister¡¯s boudoir and rape her when we weren¡¯t paying attention?¡±


    Only then did Qi Zhanpeng realize that he was in a woman¡¯s boudoir. Miss Liu was cowering at the corner of the bed with a terrified expression. He was half-naked and only wearing a pair of underwear. Just as he was about to exin, the old couple from the Liu family rushed in. Old Madam Liu pounced onto the bed and hugged Miss Liu as she cried.


    Old Liu hit Qi Zhanpeng, who was still dizzy, with the stick. Seeing Old Liu raise the stick to hit him, he hurriedly knelt down while grabbing the wooden stick in his hand. ¡°Old man, I¡¯m still dizzy¡­¡±


    Before he could finish, Old Liu shouted, ¡°You beast, how dare you do such a thing? How can my daughter get married? I¡¯ll kill you today and pay with my life in the future.¡±


    As Old Liu spoke, he raised his wooden stick and was about to hit him again when the elder brother of the Liu family stopped him and said, ¡°Father, even if you kill him, Sister will still lose her innocence. Why don¡¯t you let him marry Sister¡­¡±


    Qi Zhanpeng had been pampered since he was young and had never suffered such physical pain. Coupled with the fact that his head was still dizzy, he thought that he had really done such a shameful thing. Seeing the elder brother say this, he kowtowed and said, ¡°Old man, since I¡¯ve done such a shameful thing, I was embarrassed to mention marriage. Now, I can only ask the two of you to betroth Miss Liu to me. When my mourning period is over, I¡¯ll marry her.¡±


    Old Liu¡¯s expression softened when he heard this. He sighed and sat on the ground. ¡°Forget it, forget it. This is the only way..¡±

 Chapter 280 - 280: Effect

    Chapter 280: Effect


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Qi Zhanpeng hurriedly stood up and bowed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, elders. I¡¯ll go back and ask my mother to find a matchmaker to propose marriage.¡±


    The elder brother of the Liu family stopped him and said, ¡°No, you can¡¯t leave. If you don¡¯te back, where can we find you? You have to sign a contract stating that you would marry my sister.¡±


    Qi Zhanpeng only wanted to leave this ce that had left him humiliated as soon as possible. He didn¡¯t think too much about it and nodded. ¡°Brother Liu, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll sign it.¡±


    The elder brother of the Liu family turned around and went out. After a while, he took out a contract and asked Qi Zhanpeng to ce his handprint on it. Qi Zhanpeng¡¯s head was dizzy, and he had been beaten up by the Liu father and son. He was frightened and pressed his handprint without looking carefully. He staggered home after putting on his clothes andy on the bed, sweating profusely. At night, he started muttering nonsense feverishly.


    Madam Yu quickly found someone to prescribe a concoction and boiled it for him to drink. Seeing that he was drenched, she changed his clothes for him to sleep. Just as the sky lit up, a few hooligans barged in with a contract to snatch the medical center, medicine shop, residence, andnd.


    Madam Yu took the contract with trembling hands and read it. The contents stated that Qi Zhanpeng had sold his family¡¯s medical center and shop for 1,000 taels of silver, as well as his residence and fields. It was also stated that the silver had been checked when the contract was signed and that Qi Zhanpeng had to move out the next morning.


    Madam Yu handed the contract to her son, who looked at it carefully. It was not a marriage contract, but a contract to sell the house, shop, and fields.


    Only then did Qi Zhanpeng know that he had been tricked. He was so angry that he eximed and fainted. When Qi Zhanpeng woke up, he realized that he and his mother had been chased out of the house by those hooligans.


    The mother and son could only stay in the straw shed at the dpidated temple for the time being. Qi Zhanpeng had just recovered a little when the government sent someone to inform him that Liu Zhanggen from Liu Vige hade to the government to report his immoral behavior. Following this, the county magistrate had already removed his schr status.


    Qi Zhanpeng fainted on the spot. Madam Yu cried and sold the only jewelry she had. She hired someone to repair the straw shed so they could stay there permanently.


    Under his mother¡¯s careful care, Qi Zhanpeng slowly recovered. The money from selling the Yu family¡¯s jewelry had been used up by then, and she relied on selling some embroidery to sustain themselves. After a month, his family¡¯s medical center and courtyard had be the Holy Hand Hall¡¯s property.


    The mother and son of the Qi family understood that their family had been schemed against by the Holy Hand Hall, but the county government and the Holy Hand Hall were in cahoots. Because of this, they no longer had faith in the government office. Qi Zhanpeng felt that they could only go to the capital to clear their grievances. Therefore, they nned to slowly save some money and go to the capital toin.


    After hearing Qi Zhanpeng¡¯s exnation, Mr. Wen understood. Zhao Cheng¡¯sint and Qi Zhanpeng¡¯s set-up by the Liu family were part of an borate n by the Holy Hand Hall to snatch the Qi family¡¯s assets. County Magistrate Yang acted as an aplice.


    Mr. Wen patted the crying Qi Zhanpeng andforted him. ¡°Xiao Qi, when Xiao Xies back, I¡¯ll tell him what happened to your family and ask him to help you investigate the truth. After going through so many hardships, you haven¡¯t given up on yourself. You went to the streets and set up a stall to earn money to support your mother while studying hard. The heavens will reward you. I believe you will definitely achieve something in the future.¡±


    After Qi Zhanpeng heard Mr. Wen¡¯s words, he wiped the tears off his face. He stood up and bowed to Mr. Wen. ¡°Thank you, Doctor Wen. Thank you for your teachings.¡±


    After Tiezhu and Ah Wei sent Qi Zhanpeng away, they looked at his back and sighed. They felt that the Holy Hand Hall was really something. For their own selfish interests, they caused the Qi family to be destroyed. They were really vicious.


    Qi Zhanpeng went home and told Madam Yu that Mr. Wen was willing to help him. Madam Yu said hopefully, ¡°Peng¡¯er, it seems like we can clear your father¡¯s name and yours this time.¡±


    Zhou Jia brought Mr. Qian and the others to the county office to finish reading the dossiers. At the end of the night, Zhou Jia instructed Mr. Qian to bring the constables to the post house to stay. He then brought Zhao Cai along to Mr. Wen¡¯s rented small courtyard. When he returned to the small courtyard, he saw that Mr. Wen was still writing the pulse report. He asked with concern, ¡°Sir, it¡¯s sote. Why aren¡¯t you resting?¡±


    ¡°I was waiting for you.¡± Mr. Wen put down the pen in his hand and pointed at the chair beside him. ¡°Sit down. I want to tell you about what happened to the Qi family.¡±


    Seeing Mr. Wen¡¯s serious expression, Zhou Jia sat down on the chair. Mr. Wen told Zhou Jia everything that Qi Zhanpeng had said and instructed, ¡°Xiao Xi, go and investigate the truth of these things. If what Xiao Qi said is true, the government should return justice to the Qi family and punish the evil people from the Holy Hand Hall.¡±


    Zhou Jia recalled the case file that Mr. Qian had shown him at the county office today. It was indeed Qi Zhanpeng¡¯s case. ¡°Sir, I¡¯ve seen the case file at the county office. I¡¯ve already asked Zhao Cai to secretly investigate it. They said that the Qi family is kind-hearted. When Mr. Qi was alive, he often gave medicine to those poor families who could not afford to treat their illnesses. That Zhao Cheng is from the Zhao family. The Zhao family is a day away from the county city. We¡¯ll check it tomorrow. As for the Liu family, get Ah Wei to call Qi Zhanpeng over tomorrow morning and ask him carefully.¡±


    Mr. Wen looked at Zhou Jia in relief. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m relieved. You¡¯re tired. Go and rest.¡±


    The next day, Zhao Cai brought people to Zhao Vige. After a visit, he learned from the vigers that Zhao Cheng was a gambler and had never cared about his mother. A few days before his mother died of illness, he suddenly had a conscience and treated her well. He bought new clothes for her and even hired a cart to bring her to the county city for treatment. After Zhao Cheng¡¯s mother finished treating her illness, she died before she reached home. Not long after his mother died, Zhao Cheng became extravagant and moved to town.


    The constable went to the Liu Vige to investigate and found out that Liu Qiaogu¡¯s surname was not Liu, nor was she the daughter of the Liu family. She was the daughter-inw of the Liu family, and her surname was He. The Liu family was greedy andzy, and their reputation in the vige was very bad.


    The daughter of the Holy Hand Hall¡¯s owner was the concubine of County


    Magistrate Yang. After investigating this, Zhou Jia already understood. He sent someone to capture Zhao Cheng and the Liu family and sent someone to watch over the Holy Hand Hall. He asked Qi Zhanpeng to write a newint and report it to the county office, before telling County Magistrate Yang that he wanted to reopen the Qi family¡¯s case. County Magistrate Yang was shocked, but there was nothing he could do.


    On the day of the retrial, the entrance of the county office was filled with people. Zhao Cheng and the Liu family confessed that it was Liu Changqing, the owner of the Holy Hand Hall, who had instructed them to do it. Zhou Jia sent people to arrest the owner of the Holy Hand Hall. The Liu family and Zhao Cheng were sentenced to 50 strokes of the paddle and exiled for 3,000 miles. The Holy Hand Hall returned the Qi family¡¯s assets and had their illegal gains from the past two years confiscated. Theypensated the Qi family with 200 taels of silver. Qi Shilian and Qi Zhanpeng had their innocence restored. Liu Changqing was sentenced to death for embezzlement. County Magistrate Yang had neglected his duty and was suspended from his duties. He would be reported to the Imperial Court for punishment.


    The onlookers cheered in unison. The Qi family mother and son cried tears of joy and kept kowtowing to Zhou Jia. Zhou Jia arranged for the county governor of Ling County to handle the matters of Ling County and rushed to Yunzhou City with Mr. Wen and the others..

 Chapter 281 - 281: Trivial Matters

    Chapter 281: Trivial Matters


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Li Yu, Xiaoyu, and the others picked out the corn seeds. Ruyi walked into the courtyard with the drawings made by the two Zou brothers. ¡°Madam, look. These are the drawings made by the Zou brothers. They are waiting in the front courtyard.¡±


    After Li Yu took it, she looked at it for a while but didn¡¯t understand it. She smiled at Ruyi and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know much about this either. Let¡¯s ask the brothers!¡±


    Ruyi nodded and followed Li Yu to the front hall. Li Yu saw Craftsman Zou and a thin man with a walking stick standing in front of the hall. The two of them hurriedly bowed when they saw Li Yu.


    Li Yu smiled and said, ¡°Come in and sit.¡¯


    Craftsman Zou smiled cautiously and followed Li Yu into the hall. Craftsman Zou helped his brother sit down and bowed. ¡°Madam, are you satisfied with the design?¡±


    ¡°There are some things I don¡¯t quite understand. Please exin them to me.¡± Li Yu ced the drawing on the table and said to the brothers.


    ¡°Zou Liang, tell Madam.¡± Craftsman Zou helped his brother to the table. Zou Liang looked at the ce Li Yu pointed at and said cautiously, ¡°Madam, this is the entrance of the vi. This is the ce for guests to park their carriages. This is the dark ditch that draws water into the garden. This is an octagonal pavilion. In front of the pavilion is the imported water. There are mountains, rocks, and flowers¡­ and this is the lotus pond. These are winding corridors. The steps up the mountain are dug along the terrain. There are wooden railings on both sides.¡±


    Li Yu asked a few questions that she didn¡¯t quite understand and made some suggestions. She said to the Zou brothers, ¡°Build ording to this blueprint. Set the budget and go to Ruyi to collect the money for construction.¡±


    Zou Liang leaned on his walking stick and thought for a moment. ¡°Madam, I estimate that it will take at least 8,000 to 9,000 taels of silver toplete the construction of the garden, and the guest rooms you designed.¡±


    Li Yu pointed at Ruyi and said to the two of them, ¡°Alright, report the details to Ruyi. He¡¯ll be in charge of this.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± Ruyi led the brothers out.


    Li Yu returned to the backyard and saw that Xiaoyu and the others had already spread out the corn seeds in the courtyard.


    Gu Yu came in and reported, ¡°Madam, Madam He and Madam Gao said that Beautiful Robes Workshop has new styles for spring. They want to invite you to take a look.¡±


    Li Yu thought for a moment. ¡°Alright, invite them to sit down. I¡¯lle after changing my clothes.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± Gu Yu went back and said to Madam Gao and Madam He, ¡°Madam, my Madam asks the two of you to wait for a moment.¡±


    The two of them thought that Li Yu wouldn¡¯t go with them. After hearing Gu


    Yu¡¯s words, theyughed. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Madam is showing us courtesy by going.¡±


    A momentter, Li Yu came out of the inner courtyard and smiled at the two of them. ¡°I¡¯m busy at home every day. I¡¯ve never gone to a clothing shop.¡±


    Madam Gao smiled brightly. ¡°We were worried that Madam wouldn¡¯t have time for us. In the future, we¡¯ll invite you to go shopping.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and nodded. The three of them went out and got into the carriage.


    Soon Ma Gui reported, ¡°Madam, we¡¯ve arrived at Beautiful Robes Workshop.¡±


    When Gu Yu got out of the carriage, Madam Gao and Madam He had already gotten out of their carriages car and were waiting at the entrance of Beautiful Robes Workshop. When Li Yu approached, the three of them went up the stairs together. The shopkeeper of Beautiful Robes Workshop, Feng Wanniang, had already received a notification and was waiting at the entrance of the shop. When she saw them, she greeted them with a smile. Seeing how respectful the two of them were to Li Yu, she thought that this was probably the new magistrate¡¯s wife.


    Feng Wanniang¡¯s words were crisp, and her tongue was very sharp. ¡°Madam, Madam Gao, Madam He, what brings the three of you here today? Please sit in the private room in the backyard.¡±


    Madam Gao smiled and nced at Feng Wanniang. ¡°This is Madam Li. You have to bring out your specialty and thetest and best styles.¡±


    ¡°Yes, as long as Madam Li likes it, it must be thetest and best.¡± Feng


    Wanniang weed the three of them into the private room in the backyard.


    The assistant walked in with a pile of clothes and materials. ¡°Madam Li,


    Madam Gao, Madam He, take a look. They¡¯re all new this spring.¡±


    After Li Yu and Madam Gao looked through the styles, she ordered a narrow-sleeved satin dress with mercury and red peony patterns. It was an autumn-colored embroidered dress with narrow sleeves. The skirt revealed half of the skirt, which was made of light blue high-quality yarn. She also bought a few plum blossom essories.


    Madam Gao ordered ake-green floral dress, and a silver-red floral dress, while Madam He bought herself a purple floral dress. The three of them came out of Beautiful Robes Workshop and went to the teahouse of the Intoxicated Immortal Restaurant. They ordered some fruit tea and cakes.


    Madam Gao smiled and said, ¡°Madam, Sister He and I have long wanted to invite you out, but we were afraid of disturbing you.¡±


    Madam He also smiled shyly. ¡°Yes! Ever since I saw Madamst time, I¡¯ve liked you for being straightforward and generous. I¡¯ve always wanted to get close to you.¡±


    Li Yu also felt that the two of them had good personalities. She smiled and said, ¡°Sisters, you know that I came from a farmer¡¯s family. I¡¯m good at taking care of the fields and know nothing about poetry and painting. If you don¡¯t find it boring, we can get together when you¡¯re free.¡±


    Madam Gao and Madam He covered their mouths with handkerchiefs and chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m also not a cultured person. I don¡¯t know anything about those things. When I¡¯m free, I like to take care of flowers and trees. It¡¯s the same as farming that you¡¯re good at. Sister He is also nting vegetables in the courtyard! ¡±


    Madam He said softly, ¡®When I have nothing to do, I like to nt some vegetables in the garden. I want to save as much as I can. I¡¯ve been mocked by them a lot.¡± The three of them chatted for a while and felt a little closer. They agreed to go to Li Yu¡¯s new manor to take a look next time.


    Li Yu felt that the pastry conch in the teahouse melted in her mouth. The pine nut candv was sweet and crispv. She asked the teahouse to pack two portions each and nned to take them back to coax Yangyang and Seven Pounds.


    Everyone got up and went down the teahouse. Madam Gao rushed to get the maidservant to go and settle the bill. The shopkeeper smiled and cupped his hands. ¡°Miss, Madam Li¡¯s table has already been settled.¡±


    Madam Gao recalled that when the magistrate just arrived in Yunzhou City two days ago, the head shopkeeper of the Four Seas Bank and the shopkeeper of Yunzhou City had personally gone to the government office to visit. The rtionship between the two families was definitely not ordinary. The higher-ranking officials knew who was behind the Four Seas Bank¡¯s businesses. It seemed that she had to persuade her Master to restrain his temper and cooperate with Lord Zhou.


    Only then did Li Yu remember that the Intoxicated Immortal Restaurant was a business of the Four Seas Bank. She thought to herself, ¡°The vi¡¯s painting is done. The Four Seas Bank is experienced in running restaurants and teahouses. I¡¯ll get Ji Xiang to ask if the Four Seas Bank is willing to invest in itter.¡± The three of them left the teahouse and bade farewell with a smile before returning home.


    Yangyang and Seven Pounds watched Ji Xiang practice martial arts in the backyard. They each carried a tiger doll and imitated Ji Xiang¡¯s actions. When they saw Li Yu return, Yangyang asked, ¡°Mom, did you buy something delicious for Yangyang on the streets?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I did. There is one for each of you.¡± Li Yu smiled and took out the pastry conch from the box and handed it to the two of them. She nned to give them a few candies every day..

 Chapter 282 - 282: Phoenix Village

    Chapter 282: Phoenix Vige


    Seeing that Li Yu had returned with delicious snacks, the two children picked one up each and stuffed it into their mouths. Li Yu smiled and said to the two of them, ¡°Slow down. Go find a stool and sit down to eat slowly.¡±


    After Xing Hua left with the two of them, Li Yu said to Ji Xiang, ¡°I forgot that the Intoxicated Immortal Restaurant opposite is the Four Seas Bank¡¯s business. Do you think we should look for Manager Chu and tell him about the n for our vi and ask if he has any intention of investing?


    When Ji Xiang heard this, she nodded and said, ¡°Madam, the Four Seas Bank has teahouses and restaurants everywhere. I think they¡¯re probably relying on these two entities to gather information. If we invited them to invest in our vi, so we can get things started quickly.¡±


    ¡°Alright, make a trip to seek out Manager Chu.¡±


    Li Yu saw Xing Hua ying in the courtyard with Yangyang and Qi Jin. She brought the rocking chair to the courtyard and sat in it to bask in the sun. She thought about how Zhou Jia had said that he would be back after half a month.


    It had been a month. There was also no news of Sir and Ah Wei. Half of the newly bought wastnd had been opened. Why weren¡¯t they back yet? She wondered if they were alright. She also didn¡¯t know if her aunt had received the letter.


    In Phoenix Vige, Li Mei had already received the letter Li Yu had asked the Four Seas Bank to bring. She quickly asked Uncle Zhou to help her read it.


    When she heard Li Yu ask her if her mother had any rtives at home and if she had a twin sister, Li Mei couldn¡¯t figure it out after thinking for a long time. She shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s been so many years, I can¡¯t remember it for a while.


    After I go back and recall the past, I¡¯ll trouble Uncle Zhou to reply to Yu¡¯er.¡±


    Uncle Zhou smiled and said, ¡°Aunt, you¡¯re too polite. Your Brother Pig can write a letter to his cousin and brother-inw, right?¡±


    Li Mei shook her head in frustration when she thought of her son. ¡°Don¡¯t mention that kid. His two sisters are much easier to take care of than him. This kid always makes his father angry.¡±


    Uncle Zhou thought of Brother Pig¡¯s mischievous appearance and smiled. ¡°He¡¯s a boy! He has to be more mischievous, but you have to be stricter with him when you need to.¡±


    At this moment, Auntie He came back angrily from outside. Li Mei smiled and said, ¡°Aiyo! Who made our Auntie He, who has the least temper, angry?


    Only then did Auntie He see Li Mei. Thinking of the gossip she had just heard, she pulled Li Mei and asked angrily, ¡°Inw, has your daughter been married to a good family?¡±


    Li Mei knew that something was wrong when she saw Auntie He¡¯s expression. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did you hear some gossip?¡±


    ¡°When I went to the shop in town today, Chun Sheng¡¯s wife, her mother-inw, and Chen Changsheng¡¯s Cui Xiang were gossiping about us.¡± Auntie He imitated Cui Xiang¡¯s sharp voice. ¡°Isn¡¯t she relying on Xiaoyu¡¯s power? Why won¡¯t she take a look at herself? She could pick from all the boys in the vige, but none of them caught her eye. Could it be that she wants to choose a top schr?¡±


    ¡°I know why she said this. A few days ago, she went to the vige chief¡¯s house and asked Auntie Li toe to my house to be a matchmaker. She wanted my family¡¯s Laidi to be her daughter-inw. Auntie Li replied to her without a word.¡± Li Mei sighed. ¡°There are indeed many families in the vige who have such intentions, but that girl doesn¡¯t like any of them. I don¡¯t know what kind of person she wants to choose. Now that she¡¯s in the workshop, I feel much less worried. However, it¡¯s not good if she¡¯s not betrothed! She¡¯ll be 18 in the new year. Could it be that she¡¯s waiting for the Imperial Court to marry her off?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! I forgot. I can¡¯t dy it. Hurry up and urge her. If it really doesn¡¯t work out, hire a son-inw.¡±


    Li Mei¡¯s eyes lit up and she smiled. ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. I¡¯ll go back first. Uncle Zhou, when I think of it, I¡¯lle and ask you to reply to Yu¡¯er.¡±


    ¡°Alright,e again after you think about it.¡± Before Uncle Zhou could finish his sentence, Li Mei had already left.


    Li Mei did not go home but went straight to the newly built workshop beside the manor. When the staff guarding the door saw Li Mei, he smiled and said, ¡°Auntie Li, are you here to look for Miss Laidi? She just left not long ago.¡±


    Li Meiqi said, ¡°Just left? I just came from the vige. Why didn¡¯t I meet her?¡±


    The shop assistant smiled and said, ¡°She followed the cart from Tongzhou to town. Didn¡¯t you know?¡±


    Li Mei was confused and replied, ¡°I know. Zhaodi¡¯s daughter is one year old. I asked her to buy a few pieces of jewelry for her and she said she would goter. Whose cart did she take to town?¡±


    The shop assistant smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯m from the bank. Aunt Li, do you want toe into the workshop to take a look?¡±


    Li Mei was worried about Lai Di and had no intention of going in to take a look. She waved her hand and said, ¡°No need. I still have something on.¡±


    As Li Mei walked back anxiously, her thoughts ran wild. Her father had already gone to Tongzhou to buy a birthday gift. Why did she go to town without saying anything? Could it be that she was with someone? Thinking of this, Li Mei¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She seemed to understand why Laidi didn¡¯t seem to like anyone.


    When Li Mei arrived home, she saw Brother Pig writing alone under the eaves of the corridor. She said to Brother Pig, ¡°Go, get your sister toe back. I have something to ask her.¡±


    Seeing Li Mei¡¯s dark expression, Brother Pig didn¡¯t dare to cause trouble. He obediently put down his pen and ran toward Zhaodi¡¯s house. From afar, he saw his brother-inw, Chen Xu, carrying Yaya. He stood in front of the vegetable field at the door and watched Zhaodi pick onions and vegetables. He ran to Chen Xu and panted as he said to Zhaodi in the vegetable field, ¡°Sister, Mom asked you to go back. She seems to have something on.¡±


    Seeing Brother Pig panting, Zhaodi red at him with heartache. ¡°Slow down! I¡¯ll go after I wash this dish.¡±


    When Yaya saw Brother Pig, she shouted incoherently, ¡°Doudou, Doudou¡­¡± Brother Pig walked over and held Yaya¡¯s small hand. He shook it a few times and taught her with a smile. ¡°Little fool, it¡¯s Uncle, not Doudou.¡±


    ¡°Doudou, Doudou.¡± Yaya still called out for Doudou. Brother Pig walked to the ditch dejectedly and looked at Zhaodi washing vegetables by the ditch. Chen Xu looked at Brother Pig and smiled. ¡°Brother-inw, I heard that you were praised by the school teacher today?¡±


    Brother Pig raised his eyebrows proudly. ¡°Of course. Brother-inw, I was beaten up by the teacher in the past because I wasn¡¯t serious. When I was serious, the teacher would praise me in every ss.¡±


    Chen Xu looked at Brother Pig, who looked immature and shook his head with a smile. ¡°You still have the cheek to brag. Every time Ah Qinges back, he has to give you special treatment. You¡¯re also often hit on the palm by your teacher. You¡¯re simply embarrassing Ah Qing. With Mother-inw being so angry, you should be more sensible.¡±


    Brother Pig remembered that day when Mr. Li called his parents and asked Li Mei to bring him back. He said that he was too naughty and that he could not teach him. Li Mei was so angry that she fainted on the ground. He was still terrified thinking about it. He lowered his head and said, ¡°Brother-inw, I¡¯ll change.¡±


    Seeing Brother Pig¡¯s ashamed look, Chen Xu nodded and encouraged, ¡°Okay,


    Brother-inw believes you.¡±


    Zhaodi handed the green onion leaves and garlic sprouts to Chen Xu. ¡°Take the vegetables back to Mom. I¡¯ll go back and take a look.¡±


    ¡°Go!¡± Chen Xu nodded and took the dishes into the house.


    When the siblings returned home, they saw Li Mei sitting on a chair in the central room. They strode in and sat beside Li Mei. ¡°Mom, what happened?¡±


    Li Mei nced at Zhaodi and said to Brother Pig, ¡°Brother Pig, close the courtyard door and practice writing.¡± Brother Pig nodded and turned to leave..

 Chapter 283 - 283: The Wayward Laidi

    Chapter 283: The Wayward Laidi


    Seeing Li Mei¡¯s expression, Zhaodi wondered if something had happened. She looked at Li Mei uneasily and waited for her to speak.


    Li Mei waited for Brother Pig to close the courtyard door before turning to look at Zhaodi and asking, ¡°Zhaodi, tell me honestly, is there someone in Laidi¡¯s heart?¡±


    Zhaodi thought for a moment and looked at Li Mei. ¡°Mother, I only know that Laidi is unwilling to marry the men in the vige. She finds them ignorant and says they will have a roving eye once they have some money. She also says they¡¯re not capable, but they¡¯re quite arrogant. She even said that bing a nun is better than marrying them.¡±


    Li Mei said angrily, ¡°Then what kind of man is she looking for?¡± Zhaodi shook her head. ¡°She doesn¡¯t talk to me much now. She doesn¡¯t like to go to the Chen family.¡±


    Li Mei had no choice. The mother and daughter sat there with a frown on their faces. ¡°Mom, I know where Second Sister went.¡± Brother Pig had stood at the door of the hall.


    ¡°You know? Then quickly tell me where your second sister went.¡± Li Mei stood up and pulled Brother Pig to her side.


    ¡°Second Sister went to that person¡¯s house. That person lives not far from town. He¡¯s in a thatched house at the foot of the mountain.¡±


    Li Mei asked, ¡°How did you know? How did she know the schr who lives at the foot of the mountain?¡±


    Zhaodi said anxiously, ¡°Mom, don¡¯t ask Brother Pig how he knows. Go to Uncle Zhou¡¯s ce to borrow a carriage and let Brother Pig lead the way. Let¡¯s go to town to take a look.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll borrow a carriage.¡± Li Mei strode to the Zhou family¡¯s house and soon drove the carriage to the door. After Brother Pig and Zhaodi got into the carriage, the three of them made their way toward town.


    Brother Pig sat beside Li Mei and said to her, ¡°After the snowfall during the new year, I saw Second Sister secretly walking out with two pairs of boots and two sets of sweaters. I thought she was going somewhere to y, so I ran out and hid near the stool on the carriage. I followed her to the foot of the mountain. Second Sister said that you would be angry if you knew, and didn¡¯t allow me to say it. I was afraid that you would be angry, so I didn¡¯t say it.¡±


    Li Mei nced at Brother Pig¡¯s worried gaze and felt a warmth in her heart. She said gently, ¡°Silly boy, I¡¯m not angry with you. You should have told me earlier.¡± ¡°Yes! I¡¯ll tell Mom in the future.


    Outside the three newly built thatched houses at the foot of the mountain outside Phoenix Town, Laidi was busy washing at the drain beside the houses. In the fenced courtyard behind her, a refined and handsome man was reading a book in a daze.


    Under Brother Pig¡¯s guidance, Li Mei arrived at the straw hut at the foot of the mountain. When she saw the man reading seriously in the courtyard, she thought to herself that he did indeed look like a decent person. No wonder he was able to seduce Laidi and make her lose her dignity as a girl. This wretched girl! Why didn¡¯t she think about it? If he was sincere to her, why didn¡¯t he invite a matchmaker to the house to propose marriage? How could he let her hang around him with no status? How would she face anyone in the future?


    Brother Pig immediately saw Laidi, who was busy by the ditch. He pointed at


    Laidi and said, ¡°Mom, look, Second Sister is there!¡±


    When the man reading seriously in the courtyard heard Brother Pig¡¯s voice, he raised his head and saw the angry Li Mei. Laidi also turned around and saw her furious mother. She ced the clothes in the wooden basin and slowly walked up to Li Mei. She asked softly, ¡°Mother, why are you here?¡±


    Li Mei looked at Laidi and was furious. She got out of the carriage, walked up to Laidi, and pped her face. She asked bitterly, ¡°Did I teach you to be so shameless?¡±


    Laidi covered her face and lowered her head in embarrassment. The man walked over and bowed to Li Mei. ¡°Greetings, Aunt. Please calm down.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t try to get close to me. I¡¯ve never known anyone like you. I¡¯m lecturing my daughter. Who are you to interrupt?¡± Li Mei looked at him and scolded him coldly.


    Li Fengqi was stunned by Li Mei¡¯s words. Li Mei turned to look at Laidi and shouted, ¡°Aren¡¯t you getting in the carriage? Do you want me to invite you?¡± Laidi lowered her head and followed Li Mei into the car.


    At this moment, a blind old woman walked out of the house with a walking stick and shouted, ¡°Fengqi, did Laidi¡¯s mothere?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Grandmother.¡± Li Fengqi frowned and walked in to support the olddy.


    The olddy said to Li Fengqi, ¡°Fengqi! What are you thinking? Have you asked around? What does Laidi¡¯s family do? If her family background is good, invite a matchmaker to propose marriage!¡±


    Li Fengqi frowned and helped the olddy sit down under the eaves of the corridor. He took a deep breath and said, ¡°Grandmother, I haven¡¯t asked around yet. Her family has a carriage and can send those things. I think her family background is not bad.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true! Didn¡¯t you ask her?¡± the olddy asked.


    ¡°I only know that her family lives in Phoenix Vige. She sometimes sends things to the grocery store in town. I¡¯m not sure about the rest. Besides, I don¡¯t Imow anyone in the vige. Where can I find out? Grandmother, sit for a while. I¡¯ll go get my clothes and dry them.¡±


    Li Fengqi did not tell the olddy that he was thinking that he would only be able to move forward in his career if he married the daughter of an official one day. Although Laidi was kind-hearted and cute, she was still a vige girl and did not meet his definition of an ideal wife.


    Li Fengqi walked to the edge of the ditch and looked at the clean clothes in the wooden basin. He suddenly remembered that a few years ago, there was a Top Scorer in Phoenix Vige. The Top Scorer was already famous and was even ranked second. That year, his teacher even asked everyone to look up to the Top Scorer. He heard that the Top Scorer married a girl from Phoenix Vige. Perhaps he would ask if her family was rted to that Top Scorer¡¯s family. If they were, it could be considered a good marriage.


    After Li Fengqi thought about it, he hung up the clothes and greeted the olddy. He took the book that he had copied for the bookstore and walked towards town.


    Laidi sat in the carriage with her head lowered, not daring to look at Li Mei, who was driving the carriage in front. Zhaodi and Brother Pig leaned against Li Mei on the carriage. No one said a word as they returned to Phoenix Vige silently. Brother Pig led the horse toward the Zhou family.


    Li Mei opened the courtyard door and said to Zhaodi, ¡°Zhaodi, go back first. Don¡¯t let your inws think too much!¡±


    Zhaodi nced at Laidi and said to Li Mei, ¡°Mother, the physician said that you can¡¯t be angry.¡± Li Mei nodded and walked straight in.


    Laidi followed Li Mei into the central room and knelt at Li Mei¡¯s feet. She lowered her head and did not say a word.


    Why was this child bing more and more indecent? Li Mei took a deep breath and asked, ¡°Do you like that man?¡± Laidi nced at Li Mei and nodded heavily.


    Li Mei suppressed the anger in her heart. ¡°How did you know him? Where did hee from? Why does he live there alone?¡±


    Li Mei suppressed the anger in her heart. ¡°How did you know him? Where did hee from? Why does he live there alone?¡±


    Laidi lowered her head and did not dare to look at Li Mei. ¡°After the new year, I went to town to deliver goods. When the axle was broken and the carriage overturned, he helped me pick up the things that had fallen to the ground. Later on, I met him on the way to town to buy things. I bumped into him a few times and became familiar with him. I knew that he was good at learning and had even be a schr.¡±


    Li Mei nodded and asked, ¡°Are his parents still around?¡±

 Chapter 284 - 284: Li Mei Teaching Her Daughter

    Chapter 284: Li Mei Teaching Her Daughter


    Laidi stole a nce at Li Mei. ¡°His parents are long gone. They used to live in Tongzhou with his uncle. After his uncle passed away, his aunt chased him back to the countryside. His grandmother also came back with him. They didn¡¯t have much money, so they built a few straw houses.¡±


    He was quite good-looking and talented. Although his parents were no longer around, he had separated from his uncle¡¯s family and it was so difficult for him to bring his blind grandmother along. Li Mei did not despise him for being poor. As long as his character was good, it could be considered a good match.


    After thinking about it, Li Mei asked, ¡°Since he has an elder around, why didn¡¯t he propose? In your heart, is your mother the kind of person who despises the poor and favors the rich? Forget it, why am I still talking about this? If you let him propose, you have to get married before the Imperial Court matches you!¡±


    ¡°Mother, he¡­¡± Laidi looked at Li Mei¡¯s disappointed gaze and wanted to say something but hesitated. Li Mei said angrily,¡± What? He doesn¡¯t intend to marry you? Did you stick to him without any shame? ¡±


    Laidi looked at Li Mei and felt ashamed as tears rolled down her face. She thought that she would be beaten and scolded when she returned home. She did not expect that her mother would not punish her and even ask her to get Fengqi to propose marriage. She had embarrassed them.


    Lai Di mustered her courage and looked up at Li Mei. ¡°Fengqi said that he will take the provincial examination in August. After taking the High Schr examination, he will consider starting a family.¡±


    Li Mei immediately understood the meaning behind his words and sneered.


    ¡°Did he personally tell you that he wanted to marry you after taking the High Schr examination? If I didn¡¯t hear wrongly, he said that he would only consider marriage after taking the High Schr examination. He didn¡¯t say that he wanted to marry you! Moreover, Ah Qing is also studying. How can you not know that clinching the High Schr title is just his excuse? Even if he¡¯s capable and takes the High Schr examination, what if he marries someone else?¡±


    Laidi¡¯s face turned pale as she muttered to herself, ¡°No, Fengqi won¡¯t do this to me.¡±


    Li Mei looked at Laidi¡¯s expression and felt as if her heart had fallen into an icehouse. Her hand that was pointing at Laidi kept trembling. ¡°Have you done that shameless thing with him? Didn¡¯t you always say that your cousin taught you that women need to have self-respect and self-love? You have to cherish yourself so that others won¡¯t look down on you. If you stick to him like this, what will others think of you? You don¡¯t have a status, but you ran to someone else¡¯s house to wash, brush, and give them food and clothes. Where¡¯s your self-respect?¡±


    Laidi looked at Li Mei and was stunned for a moment before she understood. ¡°Mother, I didn¡¯t do anything out of line with him. I just saw that his grandmother couldn¡¯t see and he couldn¡¯t wash his clothes clean, so I went to help. ¡±


    Li Mei looked into Laidi¡¯s eyes and knew that she was not lying. She was relieved and said earnestly, ¡°Laidi! Think about it. Those children in the vige have taken a fancy to you and even know to report to their elders to invite a matchmaker to propose marriage. If he is sincere to you, he should do the same and propose marriage. He is pretending to be confused because he doesn¡¯t take you seriously at all and has never thought of giving you the dignity you deserve. Think about it. You will be 18 next year. You don¡¯t even like the children in the vige and the two boys that Shopkeeper Chu mentioned. Are you nning to be matched by the Imperial Court next year?¡±


    Laidi knew that Li Mei was right, but her heart had already been lost in the longing for beautiful feelings. She struggled and said, ¡°Mom, I don¡¯t know either. Don¡¯t force me.¡±


    Li Mei saw the hesitation in Laidi¡¯s eyes and gritted her teeth. ¡°Alright, I won¡¯t force you. From today onwards, you¡¯re to stay at home and are not allowed to go anywhere else. I¡¯ll give him ten days. If he has you in his heart, he¡¯ll definitely be worried about you and will invite a matchmaker to the house to propose marriage. If he doesn¡¯te within ten days, you¡¯ll have to listen to my arrangements and get engaged obediently.¡±


    Laidi looked at Li Mei and knew that this was her biggest concession. She thought to herself that her mother had given him a grace period of ten days. If he did note to propose within ten days, it would seem that it was really her wishful thinking. In ten days, she would listen to her mother¡¯s arrangements and live like her sister for the rest of her life.


    Laidi held hope in her heart and made up her mind. She looked at Li Mei firmly and said, ¡°Mother, I promise you that I won¡¯t go anywhere for the next few days. If he doesn¡¯te to propose within ten days, I¡¯ll listen to your arrangements and never see him again.¡±


    Li Mei¡¯s hanging heart finally rxed a little. She pulled up Laidi, who was kneeling on the ground, and said, ¡°Laidi! You have to remember that it¡¯s not easy for us women to live in this world. Once we lose our good reputation, we won¡¯t be respected wherever we go. Schrs are more judgmental and cold than ordinary men. Even if you pester him and marry him, you won¡¯t get his respect and the love you want. Think about Chen Baozhen¡¯s oue.¡±


    Lai Di recalled how silly Chen Baozhen had be. When she thought of how Chen Baozhen was despised by the vigers for what she had done. She shuddered and became even more determined to abide by the verbal agreement she had made with Li Mei.


    Li Mei touched Laidi¡¯s swollen cheek and said with heartache, ¡°Go! Go wash up and apply some medication. Don¡¯t let anyone see the marks.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡± Lai Di nodded and stood up to walk toward the bathroom.


    Li Mei looked at Laidi as she left and leaned back in her chair in exhaustion. She said to herself, ¡°Are all children debts?¡± Then, she recalled Li Yu¡¯s letter asking about her mother. She frowned and tried her best to recall the first time she saw her sister-inw.


    That morning, her younger brother carried an unconscious and drenched woman up the mountain. When he said that he was looking for food in the forest below, he saw a woman fall from the mountain path above into the mountain stream below and jump down to save her.


    At that time, everyone was fleeing and wore tattered clothes. However, her sister-inw was still wearing a high-quality dress. The material felt like the kind that Yu¡¯er would send back.


    When his sister-inw woke up in a daze, she called out, ¡®Why are you treating me like this?¡± In the future, she never mentioned how she fell into the mountain stream, nor did she think of looking for her family. She just often looked into the distance in a daze.


    When she first settled down in West Mountain, she did not even know how to use the stove. She really did not live like someone who had grown up in the vige. She was literate and spoke unhurriedly. Her needlework was done slowly. It was obvious that she had been taught by an embroiderer. Li Mei thought of everything she could think of and called Brother Pig, who was sitting under the eaves of the corridor, into the hall.


    Brother Pig nced at Li Mei, whose eyes were red and swollen. He sat beside her and rubbed her face with his fat hand. ¡°Mom, don¡¯t be angry with Second Sister. I¡¯ll study hard and not embarrass you and Dad.¡±


    Li Mei looked at Brother Pig in relief. She touched the top of his head and said gently, ¡°My Brother Pig has grown up and knows how to dote on your parents.


    Go get a pen and paper. I need to dictate something for you to write down.


    After that, I want you to give it to Uncle Zhou to pass to your cousin.¡±


    Brother Pig looked at Li Mei with sparkling eyes and nodded hard. ¡°Yes!¡± Li Mei reyed to Brother Pig what she had thought of and asked Brother Pig to write


    It clown ancl reacl It to ner. Atter connrnung tnat tnere was no mistake, sne asked him to send it to the Zhou family..

 Chapter 285 - 285: Engagement

    Chapter 285: Engagement


    When Li Fengqi arrived at the bookstore in town, he started chatting with the shopkeeper. From the shopkeeper, he learned that the Zhouji grocery store in town belonged to Top Scorer¡¯s family. The Top Scorer also had a wool workshop and rice fields in the vige. His wife¡¯s surname was Li.


    The shopkeeper also told Li Fengqi that the vigers who came to the shop to buy things in Phoenix Vige had also mentioned that Top Scorer¡¯s wife had been conferred the title of First-grade Madam by the emperor. Her younger brother was a schr who was studying in Tongzhou now, and their aunt still lived in the vige. Her aunt had a six or seven-year-old fair and fat son. Sometimes, his sister would bring him to the shop to buy some paper and paper. She was the girl who sent him to the shop to submit his books.


    The shopkeeper looked at Li Fengqi and smiled. ¡°Schr Li, you¡¯re so lucky! That girles from a good family and is good-looking. She¡¯s quitepatible with you.¡±


    Li Fengqi blushed and cupped his hands. ¡°Thank you, Shopkeeper.¡±


    ¡°Hehe!¡± The shopkeeper looked at Li Fengqi andughed. He handed him the copper coins for copying books. ¡°How many books do you want today?¡±


    Li Fengqi suppressed the joy in his heart and smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll take two books first! I can only squeeze out so much effort to copy books when I start preparing for the autumn vacation.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± The shopkeeper handed two books to Li Fengqi. ¡°Now that the printing can be done, there are fewer people who like to copy.¡±


    Li Fengqi took the book and returned home in three steps. He said to his grandmother, who was sitting in the courtyard and rubbing the hemp thread, ¡°Grandmother, I¡¯ve asked around. Laidi¡¯s cousin is a first-grade Madam Protector personally conferred by the emperor. She married that Top Scorer.¡±


    When Old Madam Li heard this, she smiled with wrinkles all over her face. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you ask around earlier? But it¡¯s not toote now. Go to town and invite a matchmaker to her house to propose marriage.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Grandmother.¡± Li Fengqi happily went into the house to get the money and went to town to hire a matchmaker.


    The next day, Li Fengqi¡¯s matchmaker knocked on the Liu family¡¯s courtyard door happily. Li Mei was relieved to see the matchmaker and politely weed her in.


    Both families wanted to realize the engagement. Without much effort, the matchmaker negotiated the marriage. She happily returned to the foot of the mountain with the thank-you gift from Li Mei and told Li Fengqi about the Liu family¡¯s agreement to marry.


    Li Qing, who was studying hard at the academy, also received the news of Laidi¡¯s engagement. He rushed back to Phoenix Vige from Tongzhou and saw Laidi¡¯s fianc¨¦. The two schrs who were about to take the autumn examination started chatting.


    After the engagement banquet, Li Qing said to Li Mei, ¡°Aunt, Li Fengqi is too utilitarian. From his words and actions, I can tell that his motive for getting engaged to my cousin is not pure. I¡¯m not afraid of anything else, but I¡¯m afraid that he¡¯s a wolf in a sheep¡¯s clothing.¡±


    After hearing Li Qing¡¯s words, Li Mei angrily pulled Li Qing and told him the reason for Laidi¡¯s engagement. ¡°Ah Qing, she used to be in the workshop all day long, shouting that she wanted to be a female shopkeeper and be her own home. After Shopkeeper Chu heard about it, he even introduced two juniors with good family backgrounds. In the end, she didn¡¯t like any of them. I don¡¯t know how she became so arrogant and weak. Now, I just want to betroth her before she makes a fool of herself. Sigh! She chose this marriage herself. She will only know pain when she stabs herself. Whether it¡¯s good or bad, it¡¯s her own life. She can¡¯t me anyone else.¡±


    Li Qing looked at Li Mei¡¯s sad expression andforted her. ¡°Aunt, don¡¯t worry too much. We¡¯ll take care of Cousin.¡±


    ¡°Aunt knows that you¡¯re all good children.¡±


    After a few days, the vigers of Phoenix Vige knew that Li Mei¡¯s picky daughter had been engaged to a poor schr in Ye Vige.


    Li Yu didn¡¯t know that she and her husband had be an important bargaining chip for Li Fengqi¡¯s decision to marry Laidi. She was carrying Yangyang out to wee Zhou Jia back.


    Just as she reached the entrance of the main courtyard, she saw Mr. Wen walking in with Zhou Jia. Li Yu put down Yangyang and bowed happily. ¡°Sir, where did you go? How did you get together with Xiao Xi?¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu and smiled. ¡°We met in Ling County, so we came back together.¡±


    Mr. Wen saw Yangyang standing timidly at the side, looking at him and Zhou


    Jia. He walked up the wall and touched his braids. He smiled and said,


    ¡°Yangyang, don¡¯t you know your grandmaster?¡±


    Yangyang looked at Mr. Wen and then at Zhou Jia. He pouted. ¡°Grandmaster,


    Father, where did you go?¡±


    ¡°Little sweetheart, don¡¯t be sad. We¡¯re back.¡± Mr. Wen stroked Yangyang¡¯s face andforted her.


    Zhou Jia picked up Yangyang. ¡°Daddy and Grandmaster went on a long trip. Was Yangyang obedient at home?¡±


    ¡°I was good. Yangyang even learned kung fu with Brother Seven Pounds.¡± Zhou Jia saw Li Yu and reached out to hold her hand. Li Yu red at him and smiled.


    ¡°Sir, are you tired? I¡¯ll get someone to cook something for you.¡±


    Mr. Wen chuckled and said, ¡°Alright, it¡¯s gettingte. Get them to cook a bowl of soft noodles and add more vegetables.¡±


    ¡°Aye!¡± Li Yu agreed and prepared to go.


    After the two of them took a shower, Zhou Jia ate a big bowl of small wontons. Mr. Wen ate a small bowl of noodles and held Yangyang¡¯s hand as they walked around the courtyard twice before they separated to rest.


    Zhou Jia coaxed Yangyang to sleep and ced him on the small bed. When he saw Li Yu sitting in front of the dressing table undoing her hair, he walked over and looked at her neck which was exposed like tofu. He suddenly felt his mouth itch. He leaned over and bit her neck. Li Yu punched him. ¡°Are you a puppy?


    Zhou Jia hugged Li Yu and whispered into her ear, ¡°Yu¡¯er, I missed you so much.¡±


    The next morning, Zhou Jia went to the government office in a good mood. When Li Yu woke up, she remembered that she had forgotten to tell him that she had dealt with Ah Yue from the Wang family. She pulled her shoes and got out of bed in frustration. Yangyang ran in with a box. ¡°Mom, look, it¡¯s from Grandmaster.¡±


    Li Yu kissed him on the cheek. ¡°Oh, Grandmaster gave it to you? Did you thank


    Grandmaster?¡±


    Yangyang nodded. Li Yu opened the box and saw a few colorful and chubby porcin dolls inside. She praised, ¡°What beautiful dolls.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll show Master the fat babies!¡± Yangyang picked one up and walked out.


    Zhou Jia was reading the backlog of documents in the government office. Wang Qinghai carried a stack of documents and knocked on the door before entering. He reported the various matters in the government office during Zhou Jia¡¯s absence before bowing and leaving.


    Zhou Jia looked at Wang Qinghai as he left and felt that thetter seemed to be different from before. He thought for a moment but could not think of a reason. Zhou Jia shook his head and continued.


    Li Yu was looking at the ledger in the study when Gu Yu came in and reported,


    ¡°Madam, my uncle, Uncle Ah Shui, and Uncle Dashan are here.¡±


    It seemed that the terraces of Dafeng Vige had been opened. Fortunately,


    Ruyi had said two days ago that a batch of rice seeds would arrive in two days.


    Li Yu instructed Gu Yu, ¡°Invite them to the front yard and sit down. Get


    Grandma Liu to cook a few bowls of noodles for them.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± After Gu Yu left, Li Yu put down the ount book and walked towards the front yard..

 Chapter 286 - 286: Hardworking Villagers

    Chapter 286: Hardworking Vigers


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Uncle Gu and the two vigers sat stiffly in the living room, thinking to themselves how amazing it was that it was actually the magistrate¡¯s wife who came to the vige to teach everyone how to farm! They felt they had not lived their lives in vain.


    The three of them quickly waved their hands and said, ¡°We¡¯re not hungry.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a bowl of noodles.¡± Li Yu smiled at Xing Hua. ¡°Xing Hua, bring the uncles to eat.¡±


    Xing Hua brought the three of them to the dining room in the front yard. Li Yu instructed Ma Gui, ¡°Hurry up and drive to the Four Seas Bank to ask if the grains have been nted.¡±


    Ma Gui responded and went out. Uncle Gu, Ashui, and Dashan saw Gu Yu in the dining room. Uncle Gu looked at Gu Yu andined, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell us when you came backst time that you master is a magistrate?¡±


    Gu Yu pulled Uncle Gu to sit down and said with a smile, ¡°Uncle, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to tell you. Madam has instructed me not to tell you.¡±


    Uncle Gu smiled honestly. ¡°Silly girl, listen to Madam well in the future. Don¡¯t be naughty.¡±


    Gu Yu smiled and replied, ¡°Got it.¡±


    Li Yu brought Xing Hua into the front hall and saw Gu Yu¡¯s uncle, Ah Shui, and Dashan sitting on chairs with reserved expressions. The big man sat in a corner of the stool. When the three of them saw Li Yue out, they hurriedly stood up and knelt on the ground. ¡°Greetings, Madam.¡±


    Li Yu walked forward and said, ¡°Please get up. There¡¯s no need to be so polite.¡±


    The three of them got up with red faces. Gu Yu¡¯s uncle pointed at the mushrooms in the basket and said, ¡°Madam, the vigers asked us to bring these for you. They¡¯re all fresh mushrooms with heads. They taste very good. If you can¡¯t finish them, just dry them and keep them for future use.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, vigers. You¡¯re hungry, right? I¡¯ll get Gu Yu to get someone to cook some noodles. You guys go eat first. I¡¯ll get someone to ask if the grain has been nted.¡±


    At this moment, Aunt Zhang and Old Madam Liu carried a tray to the dining room and ced three bowls on the table. They said with a smile, ¡°Gu Yu, quickly treat your uncles to a meal.¡¯


    Gu Yu smiled and thanked her. ¡°Thank you, Grandma Liu and Aunt Zhang.¡±


    Old Madam Liu patted Gu Yu with a smile. ¡°Silly girl, what¡¯s there to thank me


    Uncle Gu Yu, Ah Shui, and Dashan saw that there were two fried eggs and minced meat. They thought to themselves that they had only eaten such dishes when Madam visitedst time.


    ¡°Thank you, Auntie and Sister-in w.¡± The three of them thanked Old Madam Liu and Auntie Zhang with red faces before picking up their bowls and eating.<segment 12116


    Uncle Gu and the other two ate their fill and were brought back to the living room by Gu Yu. Li Yu asked them, ¡°Uncle Gu Yu, how many terraces did you open?¡±


    When Uncle Gu heard Li Yu ask about the fields, his happy face was filled with a smile. ¡°We opened up three mountains and directed the water over ording to the method Madam taught us. We wanted to nt a season of rice first. When all these fields are nted with seedlings, everyone will have a lot of food when it is time for threshing.¡±


    Li Yu didn¡¯t expect them to develop three mountains in such a short period of time. No wonder the three of them looked dark and thin. Since ancient times, themoners had really bent their backs from exhaustion for food. ¡°Have you estimated how many acres there are in the three mountains?¡±


    ¡°We measured it. There are about a thousand acres where we can nt seedlings.¡±


    Li Yu thought for a moment and said, ¡°Buy the new rice seeds for 25 copper coins a catty. I¡¯ll help you pay for the rice seeds first. After the autumn harvest, you can return the rice to me at or pay me back the same price.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your kindness, Madam.¡± They were overjoyed when they heard that. They stood up and were about to kneel again when Li Yu stopped them. She smiled and said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to do this. Just go back and live well.¡±


    At this moment, Ma Gui returned and reported to Li Yu, ¡°Madam, the shopkeeper said that the rice seeds arrived yesterday and will be sent to the residenceter.¡±


    Li Yu thought for a moment and instructed, ¡°Alright, bring Uncle Gu and the two vigers to our wastnd to take a look. Also, call Ah Wei back and rent a few big mules from the cart shop to help them haul the rice seeds up the mountain. ¡±


    When the three of them saw that Li Yu had even thought of the mule, they were so excited that they couldn¡¯t even speak. They bowed to Li Yu excitedly and said, ¡°Thank you, Madam.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and waved her hand. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so polite. Follow Ma Gui to the wastnd to take a look.¡±


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡± Ma Gui led the three of them out the door.


    After Zhou Jia finished his official business, he returned to the backyard. Xiaoyu, who was drying corn seeds in the backyard, smiled at him and said,


    ¡°Master, Madam went to the front yard to pick up the grains.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at the corn seeds in the courtyard and felt that there seemed to be a lot more. He asked in confusion, ¡°Did we bring these corn seedsst time?¡± Xiaoyu nodded and said, ¡°That¡¯s right! We brought it over from Qingchuanst time.¡±


    Zhou Jia thought for a moment and nodded. He went to the front yard and saw Li Yu looking at the new rice seeds. He went forward and smiled. ¡°Yu¡¯er, can those vigers of Daffeng Vige use so many rice seeds?¡±


    Li Yu smiled when she saw Zhou Jia. ¡°Sigh! I didn¡¯t have the time to tell you that Shopkeeper Chu sold us a piece of wastnd at the foot of Mount Spindle outside the west city. Some parts have already been opened. I was worried that these rice seeds wouldn¡¯t be enough! I¡¯m preparing to build a leisure vi in that wastnd. I even invited the Four Seas Bank to invest in it. Let¡¯s go take a look togetherter.¡±


    Zhou Jia raised his eyebrows. ¡°Oh! A leisure vi. Then I have to take a good look! ¡±


    At this moment, the shop assistants of the Four Seas Bank moved all the rice seeds into the storeroom in the front courtyard. Li Yu asked Gu Yu to give her money and returned to the main courtyard with Zhou Jia. After returning to the house, Li Yu said to Zhou Jia, ¡°Xiao Xi, there are two things I have to tell you.¡±


    Zhou Jia went forward and hugged her to sit on the couch. ¡°Did something happen?


    ¡°Something happened. Miss Wang sent someone to¡­¡± Li Yu told Zhou Jia what had happened.


    Zhou Jia held Li Yu¡¯s hand and looked at her. ¡°You¡¯re just too soft-hearted. You should let Ruyi throw her and that guard into the mountain to feed the wolves.¡±


    Li Yu leaned on his shoulder and said softly, ¡°I¡¯m still fine. Besides, a delicatedy like her will probably think that a peasant¡¯s life is worse than death.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because you have the ability to protect yourself. What if you don¡¯t? Wouldn¡¯t you have been kidnapped by the guard she sent?¡± Zhou Jia was d that Li Yu had good martial arts again. ¡°No wonder I felt that Wang Qinghai was a little different from when I first came. It seems that the Wang family has already suspected you.¡±


    Li Yu said indifferently, ¡°If he suspects me, he has to show me the evidence!


    Also, Shopkeeper Chu showed me the information he found. I¡¯ll bring it to you.¡±


    Li Yu stood up and took out the notes from the box before handing them to


    Zhou Jia. After Zhou Jia read them, he analyzed to Li Yu, ¡°I¡¯m guessing that


    Madam Lin most likely attacked your mother for the sake of the marriage. As


    long as we find out who the second son of the Wang family was engaged to back then, we¡¯ll know why Madam Lin harmed your mother.¡±


    Li Yu leaned into Zhou Jia¡¯s arms. ¡°Alright, Sir is more important. I can¡¯t see much progress from the manor now. It¡¯s the same if I go in a few days..¡±

 Chapter 287 - 287: Warmth

    Chapter 287: Warmth


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Li Yu nodded and said, ¡°I¡¯m afraid only Lin Zexu from the Hanlin Academy in the capital knows about this. I¡¯ve already asked the bank to bring a letter to Aunt and ask her to remember if my mother mentioned her family.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think your mother wanted to return to the Lin family or have anything to do with them. Otherwise, why wouldn¡¯t she ask your father to bring her to Yunzhou to look for the Wang family?¡±


    When Li Yu heard this, she felt that Zhou Jia¡¯s analysis was right. ¡°We¡¯ll know when Aunt replies, If she didn¡¯t want to have anything to do with the Lin family, I won¡¯t investigate anymore.¡± Li Yu recalled Zhou Jia mentioning Wang Qinghai and looked at him worriedly. ¡°You said that there was something amiss about Wang Qinghai? Will he harm you?¡±


    Zhou Jia hugged Li Yu and kissed her. Heforted her. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry. I¡¯ll be careful. I want to go to the academy to find a teacher for Yang¡¯er and Seven Pounds first.¡±


    The couple snuggled up and sat quietly until Yangyang ran in. When he saw the two of them, she shouted, ¡°Father, Mother, I want a hug too.¡±


    ¡°Alright, hug.¡± Zhou Jia smiled and carried him to sit between the two of them. Yangyang raised his head and kissed the two of them. He looked at the two of them and smiled.


    The couple also smiled and kissed his face. Li Yu asked gently, ¡°Aren¡¯t you nting herbs in the backyard with Grandmaster?¡±


    Yangyang leaned into Zhou Jia¡¯s arms and yawned. ¡°It¡¯s done. Grandmaster taught Brother Seven Pounds to recognize herbs. Grandmaster said that Brother Seven Pounds is talented.¡±


    The couple looked at each other. Did Sir take a fancy to Seven Pounds? Did he want to teach him medicine? Zhou Jia ced the sleepy Yangyang in Li Yu¡¯s arms and whispered, ¡°I¡¯ll go to Sir¡¯s ce to take a look.¡± Li Yu nodded and took the child, humming a song to coax him to sleep.


    When Zhou Jia arrived at the courtyard, he saw Mr. Wen mixing a few herbs together for Seven Pounds to distinguish. Seven Pounds picked them up one by one and muttered softly, ¡°This is Dendrobium, this is Gardenia, this is Mother Grass¡­¡± Seven or eight herbs were clearly separated.


    Mr. Wen touched Seven Pounds¡¯ head and looked at Zhou Jia with augh. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Ruyi¡¯s Seven Pounds to have some talent in identifying medicinal herbs. When the child is a little older, I¡¯ll ask Ruyi and his wife if they¡¯re willing to let the child study medicine.¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled and nodded. ¡°You¡¯re right. We¡¯ll ask when he¡¯s older.¡± Ma Gui and Ah Wei brought Uncle Gu and the other two to the cart shop to rent two mules and led them back to the government office. Li Yu handed the rice seeds to them and instructed Ah Wei, ¡°Go to Great Maple Mountain with Uncle Gu and hand over the method to soak the grain seeds to them beforeing back.¡±


    Ah Wei bowed and said, ¡°I understand, Madam.¡± Everyone helped tie the rice seeds to the mule¡¯s back and sent them out of the government office.


    Wang Qinghai came out of the custody room and nced at the flower door that led to the back office. He thought to himself that his uncle asked him to help keep an eye on the magistrate¡¯s family, but the Wang family had already been despised by the emperor. The current magistrate was favored by the emperor, yet his uncle was still thinking about finding trouble with the couple. It seemed that Ah Yue¡¯s vengeful and overconfident personality was passed down from his uncle. He decided that it was better for him not to interfere. Wang Qinghai made up his mind and suddenly felt much more rxed. He walked out of the government office with light footsteps.


    Madam Lin sat on the chair with a dark expression. Granny Han stood at the side andforted her. ¡°Madam, you have to get yourself together for the sake of Eldest Young Master and Second Young Master. Master has already gone out to look for Miss. Don¡¯t fall sick again when Misses back.¡±


    Madam Lin gritted her teeth and said, ¡°Nanny, you don¡¯t have to persuade me. I know that Ah Yue can¡¯t be found again. That woman from the magistrate¡¯s office was responsible for what happened to Ah Yue. Listen to me and get someone to continue watching the magistrate¡¯s office. Doesn¡¯t he have a son? I want her to have a taste of losing her child.¡±


    Granny Han hesitated for a moment. ¡°Old Master and Old Madam have instructed that you and Master are not allowed to provoke the magistrate¡¯s family.¡±


    Madam Lin nced at her and said coldly, ¡°You¡¯re my nanny, not that damn old woman¡¯s servant. I know that she hasn¡¯t liked me all these years. She likes that dead person.¡±


    Granny Han covered Madam Lin¡¯s mouth in panic. ¡°My ancestors! Don¡¯t be so rude. You have to think for the two young masters.¡±


    Madam Lin hugged Granny Han¡¯s waist and said sadly, ¡°Nanny, that¡¯s the daughter I gave birth to after ten months of pregnancy. She¡¯s my only daughter! It must have been that bitch. I want revenge.¡±


    Granny Han hugged Madam Lin andforted her gently. ¡°I know, but you have to think for the two young masters. Besides, doesn¡¯t Master hate that bitch too? Be good and wait for Master to avenge you.¡± Granny Han persuaded Madam Lin for a long time before finally convincing her. Exhausted, she walked towards her room and shook her head, thinking to herself, ¡°You¡¯re dozens of years old, but you still have the wilfulness to do whatever you want.¡±


    Li Yu tidied up the ounts in the study. Just as she came out of the study, Old


    Madam Liu carried a cup of silver fungus soup and said to Li Yu with a smile, ¡°Madam, Old Master picked the silver fungus from the mountains and instructed me to stew it for you.¡±


    Li Yu took the silver fungus soup and tasted it. ¡°It tastes good. Sir even picked silver fungus!¡±


    Old Madam Liu said happily, ¡°Isn¡¯t that so? Old Master said that the mushrooms sent by Uncle Gu Yu today are the most nourishing. I told him I would stew the mushrooms with chicken. Old Master said that the mushrooms you stewed with wild ducks in Tongzhou that year tasted the best .¡±


    Li Yu smiled. ¡°Oh! The old man wants to eat wild animals! The wild animals now are not fat enough. In a few days, the farmstead outside West City will be repaired. Let Ruyi and the others go to the mountain to take a look.¡±


    ¡°I made a few jars of the meat sauce you taught me to make with mushrooms.


    The other mushrooms are getting dried.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Li Yu thought for a moment and said, ¡°Send a jar of mushroom sauce to Madam Gao next door and Madam He next door.¡±


    ¡°Alright!¡± When Old Madam Liu saw that Li Yu had used the food she had made to send to the other officials¡¯ wives, she happily agreed to send the mushroom sauce.


    Xing Hua entered in a panic and shouted, ¡°Madam, go and take a look. Sister-inw Xiaoyu has fainted.¡±


    Li Yu was also shocked. ¡°How could she have fainted? Hurry up and invite Old Master here.¡± Li Yu hurriedly ran to Xiaoyu¡¯s room. Seeing her lying on the couch with a pale face, Li Yu walked forward and touched her forehead. She felt that it was not hot. Xiaoyu smiled weakly and said, ¡°Madam, I¡¯m fine. I just fainted when I got up.¡±


    Li Yu looked at Xiaoyu and recalled that she would faint when she was pregnant. She smiled and asked, ¡°Xiaoyu, are you pregnant?¡±


    Xiaoyu shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t think so! My period was herest month. It¡¯s just not much.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not necessarily true. Sir will be here soon. Just ask the old man to diagnose you. ¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Xiaoyu?¡± Mr. Wen asked at the door. Li Yu walked over and smiled at him. ¡°I think she might be pregnant.¡±


    When Xiaoyu heard Li Yu¡¯s words, she thought about how Seven Pounds was almost four years old and she had never been pregnant since. She stretched out her wrist hopefully. ¡°Old Master, let me take a look..¡±

 Chapter 288 - 288: Manor

    Chapter 288: Manor


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    After taking Xiaoyu¡¯s pulse, Mr. Wen said with a smile, ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s a happy pulse. Ruyi is going to be a father again. Her qi and blood are a little weak. Get the kitchen to stew some soup to drink.¡±


    ¡°Is that true, Old Master?¡± Xiaoyu sat up happily, scaring Li Yu and Mr. Wen. Mr. Wen said happily, ¡°This girl is already a mother, but she¡¯s still so scary.¡± As he spoke, he deliberately bluffed. ¡°Why don¡¯t you believe in the old man¡¯s medical skills?¡±


    Xiaoyu looked happy. ¡°I believe you. I just didn¡¯t believe I can still get pregnant.¡± Mr. Wen put away the pulse pillow and smiled. ¡°Alright, rest well for a few days and you¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    Li Yu was also happy for Xiaoyu. She smiled and instructed, ¡°Sir said that you have to recuperate well for a few days.¡±


    When Li Yu went out, she saw Zhou Jia returning from outside. She smiled and asked him, ¡°Why did youe back from there? Didn¡¯t you go to the government office?¡±


    Zhou Jia walked forward and hugged Li Yu. ¡°I went to the academy to ask the Head of the Mountain to introduce a teacher. This person¡¯s surname is Lu and his name is Shi. He¡¯s a schr. His tuition fee is 12 taels a year, plus expenses for clothing. He went back to pack up. He said that he woulde after noon tomorrow. Yu¡¯er, get someone to tidy up the main room and study in the courtyard. One will be a ssroom for Sir.¡±


    Li Yu replied softly, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll get Old Madam Yun and Old Madam Xu to pack up.¡±


    When he reached the corridor, Zhou Jia stopped in his tracks. ¡°Yes! I still have some business to deal with. I¡¯ll go deal with it first beforeing back.¡±


    ¡°Alright!¡± Li Yu watched as Zhou Jia passed through the corridor and walked toward the front office. She called the two old women over and got them to retrieve the mattresses from the storeroom and clean up the room.


    After Old Madam Liu returned from gifting mushroom sauce, she also brought back gifts from Madam Gao and Madam He. Madam Gao asked the maidservant to send over a pot of bright red camellias. Madam He gave her some salted duck eggs that she had marinated. Li Yu ced the camellias in the courtyard and thought to herself that it would be good to have two female friends if the two of them were sincere in their rtionship and had no schemes. Li Yu immediately warned herself that she had to be careful in official matters.


    After Zhou Jia left the government office, he took a piece of paper with a few names written on it. He smiled and handed it to Li Yu. ¡°Yu¡¯er, the teacher is already here but we haven¡¯t decided on Yang¡¯er¡¯s name yet. Which one do you want to choose?¡±


    Li Yu took it and took a look. Zhou Zhibang, Zhou Xi, Zhou Xu¡­ She pointed at Zhou Xi and said to Zhou Jia, ¡°Zhou Xi it is!¡±


    ¡°Alright, I think Zhou Xi is not bad either.¡±


    ¡°Then do we have a name for Seven Pounds?¡±


    Zhou Jia nodded. ¡°Seven Pounds has had a proper name for a long time.


    After noon the next day, the teacher Zhou Jia invited arrived. Mr. Lu was in his forties. He had fair skin and was of medium height. He was neither fat nor thin and looked amiable. Yangyang and Seven Pounds liked Mr. Lu at a nce.


    Zhou Jia brought the two children to pay their respects. Mr. Lu gave the two children a disciple book and said some encouraging words and rules before bringing them to the ssroom.


    Li Yu and Zhou Jia sat in the carriage and walked towards the manor at the foot of Mount Spindle outside West City. When they left the city gate, Li Yu saw a few children of different ages in ragged clothes running back and forth at the city gate, chasing after the passing people and begging. Li Yu said to Zhou Jia, ¡°Why are there so many children begging? I didn¡¯t see them the first two times?


    ¡°Some of them died young and lost their support. Some of them might have been controlled by the head of the beggars. There are all kinds of people in the city. There are also many families in West City who have nothing to do. Some have lost their ability to live, and some arezy by nature. There are also people who gamble and sell their children when they run out of money.¡± Li Yu said angrily, ¡°People who drink and gamble are the most detestable.¡±


    When the carriage approached the abandoned house, Zhou Jia looked at it and frowned. ¡°Its not good to have this house here. It¡¯s not in front or behind. When we go back, we¡¯ll investigate. If it¡¯s ownerless, I¡¯ll send someone to tear it down.¡±


    Li Yu took a look and felt that it made sense. If a single woman walked past here, it would really be impossible to guard against someone hiding inside.


    ¡°Yes! Our Xiao Xi is really a good official who thinks for the people now!¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled proudly and kissed Li Yu. ¡°Your husband has always been an upright and kind person.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have any shame ?¡± Li Yu nced at him. Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu¡¯s cherry-red lips and suddenly felt his mouth itch. He lowered his head and bit Li Yu¡¯s soft lips. Li Yu punched him and whispered with a red face, ¡®We¡¯re outside. There¡¯s still someone!¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu with azy expression. ¡°We¡¯re a legitimate couple. So what if there¡¯s someone?¡±


    Li Yu red at him and pinched the soft flesh on his waist. ¡°Aiya!¡± Zhou Jia cried out. Ma Gui thought that the carriage was too bumpy, causing Zhou Jia to hit his head. He asked worriedly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Master. I didn¡¯t notice a pit in front.¡±


    ¡°Watch out next time.¡± Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu and gritted his teeth. Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia andughed out loud.


    When the carriage reached the foot of the mountain, Zhao Cai saw the two of theming over. ¡°Master, Madam, you¡¯re here!¡±


    Zhou Jia patted Zhao Cai and smiled. ¡°Yes! I¡¯m here to take a look at the leisure vi built by your Madam.¡±


    Zhao Cai pointed at the wastnd and the farm that was about to bepleted. ¡°Then you¡¯ll be disappointed. We¡¯re busy reiming and building the farm now. The vi hasn¡¯t been built yet!¡±


    ¡°Alright, go ahead. We¡¯ll take a look around.¡± Zhou Jia and Li Yu walked towards a path covered in stone seeds. Beside the path was a dug ditch. The short-term workers were tidying up the fields. At a nce, therge piece ofnd was filled with busy figures.


    The couple walked along the path for fifteen minutes and arrived at the farm that was being built. Ji Xiang was leading a few craftsmen toy the soil. When he saw the two of them, he was about toe over to greet them when Zhou Jia waved at him to dispense with the greeting. Ji Xiang bent down and smiled at the two of them before starting to work again.


    There were two workers pulling arge stone mill topact the soil. The drying field was rectangr and about four acres in size. In front of the drying field was the back door of the barn. When they walked in, they saw that the barn was not partitioned. It was fully supported by pirs in the middle. There was also a wooden building above that was used to stack food for drying when it rained.


    There was also a drying field outside the barn. This drying field had already beenid with three pieces of soil. The row of houses opposite the drying field for the long-term workers had all been partitioned into suites. The two of them walked through a corridor and past the upside-down house. They entered the courtyard and saw a few workers sweeping away the trash in the courtyard. The two of them retreated.


    When they walked to the edge of the field, Li Yu said to Zhou Jia, ¡°We¡¯ll be soaking the rice seeds in a few days and starting to sow them. I n to let them nt these fields first and keep dozens of acres to continue breeding. The rest will be nted with corn. We can transport the corn seeds to distant mountain viges next year..¡±

 Chapter 289 - 289: West City Corner

    Chapter 289: West City Corner


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Zhou Jia smiled at Li Yu. ¡°Alright, do as you see fit. Ah Wei and Ruyi will also Imow how to cultivate. Just instruct them and don¡¯t tire yourself out. After the farming is done, I want to go down and check flood prevention measures at the river channel.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± The two of them looked around and got into the carriage to return. Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia and said, ¡°Xiao Xi, I¡¯m thinking that when the farm is built, we¡¯ll choose some lonely old people or orphans to work on the farm. The children will learn a skill from the craftsmen. When they reach a certain age, we¡¯ll let them out to n their lives. What do you think?¡±


    Zhou Jia thought for a while and looked at Li Yu. ¡°Yu¡¯er, I know you pity these lonely people, but these people could haveplicated backgrounds. If they cause trouble¡­


    Li Yu pulled Zhou Jia¡¯s hand and interrupted him. ¡°Xiao Xi, I know you¡¯re afraid that the child and I will be hurt, but there¡¯s trouble in doing anything. We just have to be careful and hire them back after investigating. Besides, this is a good thing!¡±


    Seeing that Li Yu had already made up her mind, Zhou Jia thought to himself that he could only think of a way to amodate her wishes. After thinking for a while, he looked at Li Yu and said, ¡°The bailiffs patrolling the streets would be clear about these people¡¯s backgrounds and character. I¡¯ll go back and get Mr. Qian to bring people to look for you. Remember, even if you want to hire them, you have to sign an indenture. Also, we have to use that person¡¯s name for this matter. Otherwise, it¡¯s considered trying to win people over.¡±


    Li Yu knew what he meant. In this era of imperial power, if a magistrate wanted to win people over, he would be seen as being up to no good. She kissed his cheek. ¡°I know. Thank you, Xiao Xi.¡± Zhou Jia smiled and pointed at his lips. ¡°And here.¡±


    Li Yu pecked his lips with a red face. ¡°You¡¯re getting more and more roguish.¡± The couple flirted along the way and returned to the government office.


    Zhou Jia returned to the government office and told Mr. Qian about Li Yu¡¯s idea of taking in lonely elderly folks and orphans. When Mr. Qian was in Qingchuan, he knew that Li Yu hated evil the most and pitied the poor. When he heard this, he smiled and said, ¡°Sir, Madam is doing good deeds. I¡¯ll help Madam do this well.¡±


    Zhou Jia instructed, ¡°Mr. Qian, Madam is kind by nature. In order to prevent her from being deceived by those people who have misbehaved, tell the bailiffs not to bring those people with bad characters to Madam.¡±


    Mr. Qian cupped his hands and said, ¡°Yes, sir. I¡¯ll go find the bailiffs on duty and get them to choose something to bring to Madam.¡±


    Mr. Qian excitedly went to the bailiffs¡¯ office and saw Liu Yi, the head of the bailiffs¡¯ office. Liu Yi was in his forties and was tall and strong. He had average looks and reddish-ck skin. When he saw Mr. Qian, he smiled brightly and said, ¡°Mr. Qian, what instructions do vou have for me?¡±


    Mr. Qian chuckled and said, ¡°It¡¯s not an order. I need your help with something.¡±


    Liu Yi smiled and said politely, ¡°Tell me, there¡¯s nothing in Yunzhou City that I don¡¯t know! ¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s like this. Madam bought a manor outside West City. Today, she went to the manor with Lord to check and saw those little beggars outside West City¡­¡± Liu Yi came to a conclusion and criticized Madam in his heart, thinking that the beggars were in her way and she wanted to chase them away. However, he said, ¡°Did those little things offend Madam? I¡¯ll send someone to chase them away.¡±


    ¡°Sigh! Let me finish!¡± Mr. Qian pulled Liu Yi and told him what Zhou Jia meant. ¡°Madam¡¯s request is very simple. As long as they don¡¯t have any extraordinary illnesses, they just have to be good.¡±


    Liu Yi heaved a sigh of relief when he heard that. He cupped his fists at Mr. Qian and said, ¡°Sir, don¡¯t worry. I know that Madam is kind and can¡¯t be deceived. I know very well where the beggars and widows in West City came from. Some were indeed forced to be scoundrels, but some deserved it. They even pretended to be pitiful to lie.¡±


    Mr. Qian agreed. ¡°That¡¯s right. Sir means to eliminate those scheming people and let those who really need help change their lives so that those children can learn the same ability to settle down.¡±


    Liu Yi patted his chest sincerely. ¡°Tell Sir to leave it to me. I¡¯ll definitely help Madam choose good people.¡±


    Mr. Qian cupped his hands and said, ¡°Alright, it¡¯s alreadyte today. Look for me in the escort room at the end of tomorrow morning. I¡¯ll bring you to see Madam.¡±


    After Liu Yi sent Mr. Qian off, he hung up his saber and walked towards West City. When he reached West City, he bought more than ten steamed buns from a bun shop and went to a dirty alley.


    On both sides of the alley were rotten vegetables and random feces. A sour smell assaulted his nose. Liu Yi quickly walked towards a row of straw sheds at the end of the alley and pushed open the dpidated wooden door. The house was empty. Liu Yi shouted, ¡°Shuisheng, Er Ya, Sanzi, Uncle Liu bought steamed buns for you. I have good news for you.¡±


    Liu Yi shouted a few times, but no one answered. He turned around and walked out. When he went out, he saw a seven or eight-year-old skinny boy. Behind him were two sallow children between five to six years old. They walked in from the alley.


    The boy smiled when he saw Liu Yi. ¡°Uncle Liu, why are you here?¡±


    The two children looked at the paper bag in Liu Yi¡¯s arms and swallowed. Liu Yi handed the steamed buns to Shui Sheng. ¡°Eat first. I have good news for you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Uncle Liu.¡± The eldest of the children took the steamed buns and distributed them to siblings. The two children wolfed them down.


    Liu Yi looked at the sallow and thin children and sighed in his heart. He turned around and entered the door. The three children followed him into the house. Liu Yi said to Shui Sheng, ¡°Shuisheng, Madam wille tomorrow to pick people to work in her manor. I heard that she will sign a contract. I want to introduce you three siblings to Madam. You can also learn a skill when you go to the manor. When you sign a contract, you can also have the ability to settle down.¡±


    Shui Sheng looked at his two siblings with a worried expression that did not match his age. ¡°Uncle Liu, will Madam want us at such a young age?¡±


    Liu Yi looked at Shui Sheng with certainty. ¡°Yes, Lord said that if they want to help, they should help a good child like you. As long as you want to go, Uncle Liu will report your family¡¯s situation to Madam tomorrow.¡±


    Shui Sheng pulled his sister-inw and bowed. ¡°Thank you, Uncle Liu. We¡¯re willing to go. As long as the magistrate¡¯s wife is willing to take us in, I¡¯ll definitely work hard. ¡±


    Liu Yi touched their sparse hair and said gently, ¡°You¡¯re good children. Uncle Liu is willing to help you. Pack up at home. Uncle Liu will go find Auntie Xue at the end of the alley.¡±


    ¡°Got it. Take care.¡± Shui Sheng sent Liu Yi to the door. Er Ya and San Zi walked up and held his cor. Er Ya looked at him and said timidly, ¡°Brother, Er Ya will be obedient!¡±


    Shui Sheng knew that ever since his parents were gone, they were afraid that he would leave them behind. ¡°I know. Uncle Liu said that a kind person is willing to take us in. I¡¯ll bring you guys along. Let¡¯s pack up and go.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll help my brother pack.¡± Er Ya and Sanzi followed him uneasily. Together, they packed the worn and hard bedding and a few tattered clothes. They folded them and put them in their backpacks..

 Chapter 290 - 290: Unfortunate People

    Chapter 290: Unfortunate People


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Liu Yi arrived at a straw shed. An old woman with gray hair was carefully scrubbing her clothes. Her fingers were bent and deformed, and her hands were white and wrinkled from the water.


    ¡°Aunt Xue,¡± Liu Yi shouted. Aunt Xue looked up and saw Liu Yi smiling. ¡°Team Leader Liu, you¡¯re here to patrol the streets personally?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m here to look for you,¡± Liu Yi told her the news. Auntie Xue didn¡¯t believe him and said suspiciously, ¡°Really? Do you think it¡¯ll be like Rong Yang Hall a few years ago? They made it sound good, but in the end, they coaxed people into doing hardbor and threw them to the mass grave after they fell ill.¡±


    Liu Yi thought for a moment and shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. During the magistrate¡¯s patrol this time, two of my brothers were guarding him. When they came back, they all said that Lord Zhou is not bad. Besides, the magistrate¡¯s wife is a First-grade Madam conferred by the Imperial Court. I don¡¯t think Lord Zhou and his wife are like those hypocritical and cunning aristocratic families. I¡¯ve also invited the three siblings. When the timees, you can take care of one another.¡±


    Auntie Xue nodded and smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll take care of Shui Sheng and the others.¡±


    Liu Yi strolled around West City and went out to talk to a few young beggars before returning to the government office. He listed the people he had informed and went to find a few other colleagues. Those people provided some more people they knew. There were seventeen or eighteen old people in total and more than twenty children.


    When Ruyi, Zhao Cai, and the others returned, Zhou Jia told them about Li Yu¡¯s decision to take in some lonely old people and orphans. He asked them to buy some bedding, cotton, and rough cloth tomorrow morning.


    The sun rose and it was another new day. Li Yu saw that Yangyang and Seven


    Pounds were unwilling to go to Mr. Lu. She smiled and asked the two of them,


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you going to Mr. Lu¡¯s ssroom yet? Sir is going to sster.¡±


    Yangyang twisted his butt and pouted. ¡°It¡¯s not fun. I¡¯m not going.¡± Seven Pounds nodded honestly.


    Li Yu looked at the two of them and thought to herself that they were only at the age of going to kindergarten in the modern world. It was indeed a little difficult to make them sit obediently. She thought of applying for leave for them and bringing them West City to take a look.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m going to West City to take a look today. You guys go with me to take a look. Go and ask Sir for leave yourself.¡±


    Yangyang pulled Seven Pounds and said, ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll ask Sir for leave.¡±


    The two of them held hands and cupped their hands awkwardly when they reached Mr. Lu. ¡°Sir, Mother (Madam) said that she wants to take us to West City and asked us to apply for leave from you.¡±


    Mr. Lu looked at the two of them and smiled. He said gently, ¡°Go!¡± The two of them happily held hands and returned to the main courtyard.


    Li Yu brought Gu Yu and Xing Hua to the front hall with the two children. Mr. Qian brought Liu Yi there. After greeting them, Mr. Qian took out the list Liu Yi had given him and handed it to Li Yu. ¡°Madam, this is the list of people provided by Team Leader Liu. Please take a look.¡±


    Li Yu took the list and looked at it. ¡°Team Leader Liu, exin first. Let¡¯s go take a look together.¡±


    Liu Yi took the list and said to Li Yu, ¡°Madam, the eldest of the three siblings in this family is called Shuisheng. His sister is six and a half years old, and his third brother is less than five years old. His parents died less than a year ago and he was chased out of the house by his uncle¡¯s family. When he was begging at the city gatest year, he was forced to steal something. After I saved him, he and his siblings were brought to that empty house to stay. Madam Xue was chased out by her adopted son and daughter-inw. She has always lived in that straw shed and lives by washing clothes. Those children often rely on her to support them. Otherwise, they would have been long gone.¡±


    When Li Yu heard this, she thought about the validity of the saying about those with happy lives were the same and those with unhappy lives had their sorrows.


    ¡°Alright, as expected, you guys know better. Let¡¯s go take a look at the families you mentioned!¡±


    Mr. Qian looked at Yangyang and Seven Pounds and said, ¡°Does Madam n to bring Young Master and Seven Pounds along?¡±


    Li Yu smiled and replied, ¡°Yes, let them take a look and realize that not everyone lives the same way as them. Let them know that there are still hardships in the world.¡±


    Liu Yi heard this and looked at Li Yu in surprise. He didn¡¯t understand why a family like Li Yu¡¯s would let a child know this.


    The group took a carriage to West City. Liu Yi cupped his hands at Li Yu, who was carrying Yangyang. ¡°Madam, the alley at the corner of the city is very dirty. Why don¡¯t you wait here? I¡¯ll bring her out for you to take a look.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Let¡¯s go in and take a look.¡± Li Yu carried Yangyang and strode into the alley.


    When Li Yu walked in, she realized that the dark ditches on both sides of the alley were probably blocked, causing the sewage to flow to the middle of the road and emit an unpleasant stench. A pile of green-headed flies buzzed where the sun was shining.


    Seeing Xing Hua covering her nose, Yangyang and Seven Pounds imitated her and covered their noses with their fat hands. ¡°Mother, it stinks.¡± Yangyang and Seven Pounds covered their noses and wa tched curiously. The people in the house by the roadside opened the door to take a look. With a bang, the door closed again. The house at the intersection in front looked a little decent. However those at the back of the corner were probably built casually. They saw rows of low straw houses that appeared on the verge of copse.


    Liu Yi saw that Shuisheng, his siblings, and Aunt Xue were already waiting at the door. It seemed that they had specially washed up.


    Yangyang and Seven Pounds looked curiously at the rows of straw sheds and the siblings standing at the door. Yangyang pointed at the patch on Sanzi¡¯s pants and said to Li Yu, ¡°Mother, Brother¡¯s clothes are torn. Let him wear Yangyang¡¯s clothes.¡±


    Li Yu looked at the three children¡¯s sallow and thin faces and felt a little sad. She said gently, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll get someone to make new clothes for Brother.¡±


    Liu Yi went forward and said to the stunned people, ¡°Auntie Xue, Shui Sheng, this is the magistrate¡¯s wife, and this is Mr. Qian.¡±


    Auntie Xue and Shui Sheng pulled the two children and were about to kneel when Li Yu took a step forward to stop them. She smiled and said gently, ¡°There¡¯s no need to be so polite. I wonder if Team Leader Liu has made it clear to you?


    Auntie Xue and Shui Sheng nodded in fear. ¡°Madam, don¡¯t worry. Team Leader


    Liu told us that we¡¯ll work hard.¡±


    Li Yu looked at Madam Xue¡¯s gray hair. She was less than 50 years old but looked like she was 60 years old. She smiled and nodded. ¡°Alright, when you¡¯re done packing, follow us to pick up the others.¡±


    ¡°Aye!¡± Aunt Xue replied happily.


    The few of them continued forward and suddenly heard a woman¡¯s miserable scream in front of them. Yangyang was shocked and hid his head in Li Yu¡¯s arms. Li Yu patted his back and looked at Seven Pounds who was being carried by Gu Yu. He also looked terrified. Li Yuforted the two of them and said to the vignt Liu Yi, ¡°Team Leader Liu, go and see what happened?¡±


    Liu Yi hesitated and did not move. ¡°Madam, this ce is very chaotic. What if.. ¡±


    Li Yu looked at him and said unquestionably, ¡°Go!¡±


    Liu Yi ran toward the source of the sound. When he reached two wooden houses, he could no longer hear anything. Liu Yi determined that the scream he had heard just now hade from inside. He went forward and knocked on the door. ¡°Open up. The government office is patrolling the streets. Open up.¡±


    Liu Yi went forward and knocked on the door. A man in the house scolded arrogantly, ¡°Get lost, son of a bitch. If you knock again, I¡¯ll tear you apart..¡±

 Chapter 291 - 291: Evil

    Chapter 291: Evil


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Liu Yi was furious when he heard that. He mmed the door and shouted, ¡°The government office is carrying out official business. Open the door quickly.¡± As he spoke, he raised his leg to kick the door open.


    The door shook and opened from the inside. A man in his thirties with a flushed face walked out and looked at Liu Yi with a dark expression. ¡°Liu Yi, how dare you interfere in your Third Master¡¯s business?¡±


    Liu Yi¡¯s expression changed a few times as he suppressed his anger. He bowed and said, ¡°Third Master Wang? A woman was screaming inside just now. Did something happen?¡±


    When Third Master Wang heard this, he stared at Liu Yi with a cold gaze like a poisonous snake and said sinisterly, ¡°I¡¯m ying with my woman here. It¡¯s none of your business!¡±


    Liu Yi gritted his teeth and cupped his hands. ¡°Third Master, let me in and take a look. It¡¯ll be easier for me to report.¡±


    Seeing Liu Yi bow to the arrogant man, Li Yu knew that he probably didn¡¯t dare to go in to check. She said gently to Yangyang, ¡°Yangyang, be good. Let Sister Xinghua carry you. I¡¯ll go over and take a look.¡±


    ¡°Sister Xing Hua, carry me.¡± Yangyang obediently reached out to Xing Hua. Li Yu handed the child to Xing Hua and walked towards Liu Yi.


    When Liu Yi saw Li Yuing over, he blushed and didn¡¯t dare to look at her. Li Yu looked at him and asked with a dark expression, ¡°Team Leader Liu, what¡¯s going on? Have you investigated?¡±


    Third Master Wang turned to look at Li Yu and was stunned for a moment. He wondered why there was a woman who looked so simr to Second Sister-inw. He hurriedly dusted himself off and smiled wretchedly. ¡°I¡¯m


    Wang Chun. May I know which family this Madam is from?¡±


    Li Yu looked at him in disgust and at Liu Yi. Liu Yi cupped his hands and said,


    ¡°Madam, I haven¡¯t checked.¡¯


    Li Yu looked at him indifferently. ¡°Go and see what happened.¡± Liu Yi bowed and walked into the house. Wang Chun took a few steps forward to stop Liu Yi with a fierce gaze. ¡°How dare you barge into my house?¡±


    Seeing that Liu Yi was hesitating, Li Yu walked in. Wang Chun stopped Li Yu and smiled lecherously. ¡°Madam, I advise you not to interfere.¡±


    Li Yu felt that if she took another look at his wretched appearance, she would even vomit out his dinner from the previous night. She snorted and used her Shadowless Kick to kick him in. With a scream, Wang Chun flew out and hit the wall before falling to the ground. His head tilted and he fainted.


    ¡°Ah!¡± Liu Yi¡¯s mouth widened in shock as he watched Li Yu walk straight into the wooden house.


    After Li Yu entered the house, she saw arge table and a few wooden chairs in the wooden house. There were dishes and wine on the table, as well as a small door. The moans should havee from inside. Li Yu walked towards the small door that was ajar and pushed it open. Behind the door stood a flustered young man with greasy hair and a pink face. When he saw someone break in, he hid behind the bed in a panic.


    She saw arge wooden bed with two thin chains hanging at the head of the bed. On the iron rings were the hands of a naked and beautiful girl. From her neck to her toes, she was covered in burns and whip wounds. Her originally tender skin was still oozing blood. There was arge pool of blood on the bed, and various strange torture tools hung on the wall. There was also a brazier and a wine pot in front of the bed.


    Li Yu walked over and ced her hand under the girl¡¯s nose. She realized that she was no longer breathing and hurriedly touched her neck artery. She realized that the artery was no longer pulsating.


    Li Yu was furious and shouted, ¡°Beast.¡± She rushed up and kicked the man a few times.


    When Liu Yi heard Li Yu¡¯s angry shout, he hurriedly ran in. Li Yu hurriedly shouted at him, ¡°Team Leader Liu, tie Wang Chun up.¡±


    Li Yu took out a clean nket from the cab andid it on the ground. She gently took the girl¡¯s hand out of the iron ring and carried her over to carefully ce her on the nket. She pulled the nket over her naked body and smoothed out the hair that was scattered on her cheeks. She looked at her and said gently, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll avenge you.¡±


    A drop of blood flowed out of the corner of the girl¡¯s eye. Li Yu covered her up and stood up to walk to the outer room to see that Liu Yi had already tied Wang Chun up. She said to him, ¡°There¡¯s another one inside. Tie them all up.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± Liu Yi walked into the inner room. When he entered, he saw the girl lying on the bedding and the torture equipment hanging on the wall. Anger surged in his heart. ¡°Beast, bastard¡­ ¡± Liu Yi kept cursing and kicking the man a few more times before tying him up.


    Li Yu walked out and said to Mr. Qian, ¡°Sir, a girl was beaten to death inside. Find the key and lock the door. Go back and report to the Lord to send someone to check.¡±


    ¡°Sir, I have it here.¡± Aunt Xue took out a lock from her backpack and handed it to Mr. Qian. ¡°Thank you, Aunt.¡± Mr. Qian took the lock and walked towards the wooden house.


    Mr. Qian took the lock and walked into the wooden house. When he saw the dead girl and the torture tools on the wall, he retched in disgust and said angrily, ¡°There¡¯s actually such a beast in the world.¡±


    Liu Yi said to Mr. Qian, ¡°That dog Wang San has harmed countless women just because he¡¯s a member of the Wang family.¡±


    Mr. Qian looked at Liu Yi. ¡°Isn¡¯t anyone going to interfere?¡±


    Liu Yi sneered. ¡°You didn¡¯t know that the Wang family hasn¡¯t been so arrogant and domineering in the past two years. The Wang family two years ago was considered the local emperor of Yunzhou. Who dares to interfere? Who dares to say anything?!¡±


    Mr. Qian thought to himself, The Wang family¡¯s ancestors were meritorious officials to Great Yong. In the past, the Wang family was a family that would cause one to tremble when they stomped their feet in Yunzhou City. He felt that Team Leader Liu was right. After Mr. Qian and Liu Yi tied the two of them up, they gagged them and closed the door before returning to Li Yu.


    Liu Yi reported to Li Yu, ¡°Madam, Wang Chun is the third son of the Wang family and also Lord Wang Qinghai¡¯s uncle. That kid inside seems to be his nanny¡¯s son, Liu Moyan. I don¡¯t know why they came here tomit evil.¡±


    Auntie Xue nced at Liu Yi and hesitated. Li Yu saw this and said to her, ¡°Auntie Xue, don¡¯t worry. Tell me what you knowter. No one will dare to take revenge on you.¡±


    Auntie Xue looked at Li Yu¡¯s gaze and immediately became more courageous. ¡°Yes, Madam. I¡¯ll tell you everything I know.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± Mr. Qian bowed and quickly ran out of the alley.


    Li Yu turned to Liu Yi and said, ¡°Guard here. When theye back, send the others to the manor. Remember not to let anyone know. Otherwise, you¡¯ll be the one to me.¡±


    Liu Yi had long disliked Wang Chun, but he did not dare to interfere. He cupped his fists and said, ¡°Madam, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve long disliked that dog. It¡¯s just that we¡¯re all servants. How can we dare to interfere with the Wang family?¡±


    ¡°Alright, remember what you said.¡± Li Yu took Yangyang from Xing Hua and walked out of the alley. The group followed Li Yu out of the alley and got into the carriage to drive towards the government office.


    Mr. Qian returned to the government office and reported to Zhou Jia about nabbing Wang Chun and the woman who was tortured to death in West City. Zhou Jia hurriedly rushed to West City with the coroner and constables..

 Chapter 292 - 292: Root of Evil

    Chapter 292: Root of Evil


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Li Yu brought Auntie Xue and the siblings to the backyard of the government office. When they reached the second door, the siblings looked at the exquisite carvings on the drooping flower door and the corridor nked by flowers and nts in the courtyard and widened their eyes curiously.


    Er Ya and Sanzi nervously grabbed Shui Sheng¡¯s hand and called out uneasily, ¡°Brother.¡± Shui Sheng tightened his grip on his brother and sister¡¯s hands.


    After entering the courtyard, Li Yu handed Yangyang and Seven Pounds to


    Xiaoyu and brought Auntie Xue and the children back to the main courtyard.


    She turned around and looked at the three uneasy children. She said to Gu Yu,


    ¡°Take them to the kitchen and get Granny Liu to cook some food for them.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± Gu Yu looked at the three of them and smiled. ¡°Come on! I¡¯ll take you to Granny Liu.¡±


    ¡°Granny.¡± The siblings looked at Aunt Xue.


    Auntie Xueforted her gently. ¡°Go! Granny and Madam will talk for a while.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Shui Sheng led Er Ya and Sanzi to the kitchen with Gu Yu.


    Li Yu pointed at the chair and said to Aunt Xue, ¡°Aunt Xue, please sit down and talk.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Auntie Xue bowed to Li Yu before sitting down. She said slowly, ¡°Madam, those two wooden houses originally belonged to Zhu Dazhu. Zhu Dazhu was tall and strong. In West City, he relied on his brute strength to make ill-gotten gains on the streets. Last summer, at the beginning of autumn, Zhu Dazhu suddenly suffered from a terrible illness and died after a few days.¡±


    ¡°Zhu Dazhu¡¯s wife, Madam Ye, was not a well-behaved person, to begin with.


    Not long after, she got involved with Master Wang. Master Wang and that servant woulde every few days to fool around with Madam Ye.¡±


    ¡°That day, I washed my clothes and thought that it was getting cold, so I didn¡¯t go out to work. I sat in the house and helped the siblings clean the jackets. Suddenly, I heard Madam Ye¡¯s scream and was so frightened that I trembled. I hurriedly put down the needle and thread and walked out of the house. I stood at the door and listened carefully. There was no sound again. Soon, I saw Master Wang and the servante out of the house together. The servant locked the door and left. I hadn¡¯t seen Madam Ye and the servant since.¡±


    ¡°Before the new year, Master Wang suddenly brought some craftsmen to renovate the house. From then on, he brought women to the house every now and then to fool around. The girl today is not like the ones who came to fool around in the past. I¡¯ve never seen her before.¡±


    When Li Yu heard this, she thought to herself that it didn¡¯t make sense. Madam Ye disappeared just like that. Why didn¡¯t anyone ask? Besides, why didn¡¯t anyone notice that he was beating up those women in the house in broad daylight?


    ¡°Didn¡¯t anyone hear him beating up those women? Don¡¯t Zhu Dazhu and


    Madam Ye have rtives and friends in Yunzhou City?¡±


    Auntie Xue smiled bitterly. ¡°Madam, the people living there have to go out every day to make a living before dawn. No one cane back until it¡¯s dark unless they¡¯re so sick that they can¡¯t get up. Also, I don¡¯t know where that Zhu Dazhu came from, but he relied on some brute force to dominate that area. Everyone was overjoyed when he died! His wife wasn¡¯t officially married to him. The two of them were just lovers. Besides, everyone is afraid of the officials. Even if someone knows something, no one will cause trouble.¡±


    Li Yu understood what Auntie Xue meant. A group of people who had no tomorrow worked hard every day to survive. How could they have the mood to interfere in other people¡¯s business? Moreover, provoking the Wang family would bring about trouble with the government, so everyone looked the other way.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll get someone to bring you to eat something first. Wait for Team


    Leader Liu to pick you up.¡±


    Auntie Xue stood up and bowed to Li Yu. ¡°Thank you, Madam.¡±


    ¡°Go!¡± Li Yu smiled and agreed. She asked Gu Yu to bring Auntie Xue to the kitchen and get someone to pass on Auntie Xue¡¯s words to Zhou Jia, who was in the government office.


    Zhou Jia brought the girl¡¯s corpse back to the government office with Wang


    Chun and Liu Moyan. When Wang Qinghai saw the shackled Wang Chun and Liu Moyan, he was shocked and hurriedly went forward to ask the constable who had returned with him, ¡°Constable Wu, what did the Wang family¡¯s Third Master do?¡±


    Constable Wu pulled Wang Qinghai to the side and said with lingering fear, ¡°Aiya! Lord Wang, Wang Chun did something really outrageous. A good woman was beaten up by him until there was not a piece of good flesh on her body¡­


    The two of them were nabbed in the house on the spot.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Constable Wu. I¡¯ll treat you to a drink another day.¡± Wang Qinghai cupped his hands and thanked him.


    Constable Wu cupped his hands and smiled. ¡°Sure, sure.¡±


    Seeing Constable Wu walk away, Wang Qinghai hurriedly left the government office and rushed towards the Wang family. He thought to himself that Wang Chun was caught by the magistrate¡¯s wife when she went to that godforsaken ce. It seems that the Wang family and the magistrate¡¯s wife are at odds!


    When he arrived at the Wang family, Wang Qinghai got out of the carriage and went straight to Old Master Wang¡¯s study. He barely had time to knock and barged in, before saying to Old Master Wang, who was practicing calligraphy, ¡°Uncle, something bad has happened. Third Uncle has been arrested by the government office. ¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Old Master Wang, who was practicing calligraphy, trembled when he heard that. His words were all smudged. Wang Qinghai told Old Master Wang what had happened.


    ¡°This unfilial son wants to anger me to death!¡± Old Master Wang was so angry that he almost copsed to the ground. Wang Qinghai hurriedly supported him.


    Wang Qinghai advised, ¡°Hurry up and think of a way! I think we might not be able to bribe that Lord Zhou.¡±


    ¡°Let me think about it.¡± Old Master Wang thought for a long time and did note up with anything ideas. He got up and took out a stack of banknotes from the cab. He handed them to him and said, ¡°Qinghai, I can¡¯t think of a way for a while. I can only arrange for him to suffer less inside. Send someone to report as soon as there¡¯s news. I¡¯ll think of a way to get him out.¡±


    Wang Qinghai looked at the stack of banknotes in his hand and thought to himself that the main branch was indeed rich and imposing. The money that leaked through their fingers was enough to sustain the rest of the family. As he thought to himself, he bowed and said to Old Master Wang, ¡°Uncle, you better think of a way quickly. I¡¯m afraid Third Uncle won¡¯t be able tost long before he confesses.¡±


    Old Master Wang pondered for a moment. ¡°It¡¯s good to let him suffer a little so that he won¡¯t cause trouble for me again. Go back and speak with the people doing the interrogation before thinking of a way to get information about this magistrate. I¡¯ll discuss it with your aunt now.¡±


    Wang Qinghai nodded in agreement. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll go back to the government office first.¡±


    After Old Master Wang sent Wang Qinghai off, he returned to the backyard and told Old Madam Wang the news. Heined, ¡°It¡¯s all because you spoiled him. It¡¯s troublesome now that he¡¯s in Magistrate Zhou¡¯s hands.¡±


    Old Madam Wang looked at him and said, ¡°I told him to y at home, but you insisted on scolding him. He ran outside because he was afraid of you.¡± ¡°You doted on him! He was caught red-handed. What should we do now?¡±


    Old Madam Wang thought for a while and said, ¡°Do you think that child from the Liu family was also ying with Third Brother?¡±


    When Old Master Wang heard this, he understood what Old Madam Wang meant. He said to her, ¡°Get someone to call the Liu family over?¡±


    Old Madam Wang nodded and said, ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Old Madam Wang got someone to call Liu Moyan¡¯s mother and Wang Chun¡¯s nanny..

 Chapter 293 - 293: Evil Being in the Human World

    Chapter 293: Evil Being in the Human World


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    When Zhou Jia brought the used back to the government office, he received the news that Li Yu had sent Tiezhu over. He locked Wang Chun and Liu Moyan in the prison of the government office and began the interrogation. Wang Chun looked at Zhou Jia and thought to himself, ¡°This isn¡¯t the first time I¡¯m here. Who are you trying to scare? When the timees, you¡¯ll still obediently let me go.¡±


    Wang Chun looked at the few of them and said arrogantly, ¡°I was ying with my woman there. What right do you have to capture me?¡±


    The constable kicked him and shouted, ¡°This is the magistrate¡¯s prison. If you don¡¯t talk nicely, you¡¯ll be punished.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at him without fear and thought to himself, ording to the news brought by Yu¡¯er, that woman might not be the first woman he killed. He shouted in a low voice, ¡°Tell me! Who is that woman? How did you kill that woman?¡±


    Wang Chun straightened his neck and said, ¡°I spent arge sum of money to buy that bitch. Her life is mine. If I let her die, she has to die.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at his indifferent expression and said indifferently to the scribe, Zhao Zhiwen, ¡°Let him sign his confession.¡±


    Zhao Zhiwen walked up to him with the record and looked at Wang Chun. ¡°Sign


    Wang Chun looked at the scribe and sneered. ¡°Why should I sign? I only said that I bought her. Her life is in my hands. I didn¡¯t say that I killed that bitch. She was fine when I went out. Besides, I¡¯m not the only one in the house. Who knows how she died? If you don¡¯t believe me, ask Liu Yi.¡±


    Zhao Zhiwen turned to look at Zhou Jia. Zhou Jia knew from Wang Chun¡¯s expression that this was not the first time he had been arrested. Seeing his arrogant appearance, he knew that this guy had been arrested in the past. The officials of the magistrate¡¯s office were oppressed by the Wang family¡¯s power and no one dared to torture him.


    Zhou Jia decided to let him experience the martial arts of the jailers in the government office. He sneered and nced at the jailers who were restless at the side. He said to him, ¡°Wang Chun, there¡¯s concrete evidence that you killed that woman, but you still dare to quibble! Someone, bring him to the torture.¡±


    When Wang Chun heard that he was going to punish him, he panicked and shouted, ¡°If you dare, my father won¡¯t let you off.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at him and instructed coldly, ¡°Administer to him everything he used on that woman.¡¯


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± The jailer grabbed Wang Chun with a sinister smile and thought to himself that Lord Zhou had the authority of an official. He had long wanted to beat this dog up.


    Watching the jailer take Wang Chun away, Zhou Jia thought to himself that the Wang family might have already received the news and would soon find a scapegoat. Liu Moyan, who was also captured today, was the best choice. He wondered what method the Wang family will use to force Liu Moyan to take responsibility for this matter alone.


    ¡°Someone, bring Liu Moyan up.¡± Liu Moyan was quickly brought up and knelt there with his head lowered in fear.


    Zhou Jia looked at him and shouted, ¡°Liu Moyan, who is that woman? How did you torture and kill that woman? Tell me honestly.¡±


    Liu Moyan raised his head and looked ahead. He kowtowed and said, ¡°Sir, I only know that the woman¡¯s name is Chun Cao. Third Master bought her from the broker. I didn¡¯t kill her. This is the first time I¡¯vee out to y with Third


    Master.¡±


    Zhou Jia asked coldly, ¡°There were only you and Wang Chun at the scene. If you didn¡¯t kill her, who did? ¡®


    Liu Moyan kept shaking his head. ¡°Sir, I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s really not me.¡±


    Zhou Jia knew from his expression that he would not give Wang Chun away without torture. He said to the jailer, ¡°Take him away and torture him.¡±


    In the Wang family, Wang Chun¡¯s nanny and her husband had already arrived.


    One of them went to see Old Madam Wang, and the other went to see Old Master Wang. Wang Chun¡¯s nanny watched as Old Madam Wang told her about Liu Moyan and Wang Chun being captured by the government office.


    When she heard this, she knelt at Old Madam Wang¡¯s feet and kowtowed. ¡°Old Madam, please spare Moyan. I¡¯ll definitely discipline him strictly in the future and not let him lead Third Master astray.¡±


    Old Madam Wang looked at her and said indifferently, ¡°Wang, you¡¯re the child of the Wang family and Third Brother¡¯s nanny. You can¡¯t just watch as the two children fall into jail, right?¡±


    Old Madam Wang kowtowed and said, ¡°Old Madam, Third Master was raised by me single-handedly. What do you want me to do?¡±


    Old Madam Wang leaned back in her chair and looked down at Wang Chun¡¯s nanny. ¡°Someone will bring you to see your Moyan. You have to persuade him to admit that he killed Chun Cao and it has nothing to do with Third Brother. After this is done, I¡¯ll return the deeds of your entire family to you and give you a manor in Xingfu Town. I remember you saidst time that your youngest son is quite smart. After he¡¯s out of very and has fertilend, you can change the fate of your family.¡±


    ¡°But Yan¡¯er will die.¡± Wang Chun¡¯s nanny looked up at Old Madam Wang and copsed to the ground. Old Madam Wang looked at her and said, ¡°You have to understand that even if your Moyan doesn¡¯t admit it, we still have a way to exonerate Third Brother. Your MO Yan will still be imprisoned.¡±


    ¡°Old Madam, let me think about it.¡± she was conflicted. This was the future way out for the entire family, and it was her biological son she was going to sacrifice. Before she could decide, Old Master Wang came in from outside and said to Old Madam Wang, ¡°Liu Changgen has already agreed.¡±


    Old Madam Wang heaved a sigh of relief when she heard that. Old Madam Wang looked at Wang Chun¡¯s nanny and said, ¡°Leave! Someone will take you to the prison after dark.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Old Madam.¡± After Old Madam Wang left, she saw Liu Changgen at the entrance of the outer courtyard. The couple looked at each other miserably and walked out with their heads lowered.


    After the jailer beat him with a whip dipped in salt water, Wang Chun cried and begged for mercy. ¡°Stop beating. I¡¯ll confess.¡±


    The jailer spat at him. ¡°You dog, you just tasted a salt water whip and you can¡¯t take it anymore? A good girl was beaten to death by you!¡± After saying that, he felt that it was not enough to vent his anger. He whipped him twice more before reporting to Zhou Jia.


    Wang Chun confessed that he had bought Chun Cao from the brokerage. After ying for a few days, he was tired of her and brought her to West City. He called Liu Moyan over to have fun with her and identally killed her. Liu Moyan confessed that Wang Chun fed Chun Cao Five Stone Powder and said that he wanted to see if the torture device he had justmissioned was exciting. When he was ying with Chun Cao with the torture device, Chun Cao suddenly screamed and bled non-stop. When Liu Yi came to check, Wang Chun asked him to clean up the blood inside while he went out to stop Liu Yi. Unexpectedly, a madam came and kicked him unconscious before bringing him back to the government office.


    The few people who participated in the in terrogation felt their blood run cold when they heard that. Was he still human? Thinking about it, the evil ghosts in hell were only so-so! It would be unforgivable if they didn¡¯t kill such a person. Zhou Jia got someone to find the remaining Five Stone Powder from the things they had confiscated and got Wang Chun and Liu Moyan to sign their confessions before locking the two of them in jail.


    After Wang Qinghai found out, he sent the news back to the Wang family. Old


    Master Wang went to the Four Seas Bank, and Second Master Wang went to the jailer, Pei Da. He took out two banknotes worth 20 taels and handed them to Pei Da. ¡°Pei Da, do me a favor and let Liu Moyan¡¯s family send something in.¡±


    Pei Da nced at the banknotes in Wang Zheng¡¯s hand and shook his head. ¡°Master Wang, you know that this is the first case that the magistrate has handled since he took office. If I let them in, I¡¯ll be punished.¡±


    Wang Zheng cursed in his heart. ¡°Dog, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s too little? Haven¡¯t you taken enough bribes while guarding the prison all these years?¡± ¡°Tell me a number. How much silver do you need to agree to help me?¡±


    Pei Da reached out his fingers and flipped them back and forth twice. Wang


    Zheng looked at him and asked, ¡°A hundred taels?¡±


    Pei Da nced at Wang Zheng from the corner of his eye and curled his lips. ¡°A thousand taels. If I help you this time, I¡¯ll definitely offend Lord Zhou. If Lord Zhou mes me, I¡¯ll have to pack up and leave. Besides, I have to gather some brothers under me.¡±


    Wang Zheng looked at Pei Da with a dark expression and said coldly, ¡°You¡¯re taking advantage of the situation.¡±


    The more he thought about it, the more stingy he became. Pei Da mocked, ¡°Everyone in Yunzhou knows that Master Wang¡¯s silver is moldy in the cer. A thousand taels, not a cent less.¡±


    ¡°Dog, just wait. I¡¯ll deal with you sooner orter,¡± Wang Zheng muttered hatefully. He took out banknotes from his pocket and counted them to Pei Da.


    After Pei Da counted them, he said to him, ¡°Master Wang, remember, I¡¯ll wait for you at the entrance of the prison at midnight.¡± Wang Zheng nodded and turned to pull open the door..

 Chapter 294 - 294: Cutting Meat

    Chapter 294: Cutting Meat


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    After Wang Zheng left, Pei Da entered the room and kept the banknotes. He went out to buy some wine and meat and carried them to the prison of the government office. After calling the jailers to eat and drink, he took out the banknotes and distributed them to the few people on duty. Everyone tacitly put the banknotes in their pockets.


    After Old Madam Wang came out of the Four Seas Bank, Chu Feng went to the government office and chatted with Zhou Jia for a while before leaving.


    Twelve of the men Liu Yi sent to the farm were between the ages of 40 and 50. Eight of the women had an average age of about 50. There were more than 20 children between the ages of 4 to 10. There were 16 boys and 7 girls. Ji Xiang divided them into two groups. The women lived in the rooms in the outer courtyard, and the men lived in the long-term workshops in the drying field.


    Mr. Wen even helped take the pulses of those people and check for infectious diseases. He realized that they were all malnourished to varying degrees and had insufficient qi and blood. The older ones all had rheumatism and bone pain.


    Mr. Wen said to Ji Xiang, ¡°I¡¯ll go back and make some medicine. Tomorrow, get the people buying groceries to buy some soybeans and stew them with big bones for those children to eat. These two are the most nourishing.¡±


    Ji Xiang smiled and said, ¡°Thank you, Old Master.¡±


    Mr. Wen said happily, ¡°Why are you thanking me? I¡¯m happy that your Master and Madam are willing to help these poor people.¡±


    Before these people signed the contract, Zhao Cai exined the rules to them. The people who stayed in the manor were not allowed to gamble, fight, or bully the weak. These people were all honest people who had been bullied previously. Seeing that the windows on the manor were clear, they thought to themselves that as long as they did not ck off, they would not worry about not having food to eat or being bullied. They all happily signed the contract.


    After signing the contract, everyone was given a number te. Ji Xiang and Old Madam Yun led them to the bathroom and said to them, ¡°There¡¯s a bathroom inside. Everyone, take turns going in to wash up. Madam has already instructed us to buy cloth to make clothes for you. Everyone, enter the house ording to your numbers and find your beds.¡±


    Everyone replied in unison, ¡°Got it, Manager Ji Xiang.¡±


    After the forty or so people washed up and went to the dormitory, their eyes turned red when they saw the clean bed and cab table in front of them.


    At this moment, they heard Old Madam Yun and Aunt Zhang shouting outside,


    ¡°It¡¯s time to eat.¡±


    Only then did everyone feel their stomachs growl. They swarmed into the dining room. Aunt Zhang and Old Madam Yun pointed at the thick porridge in the wooden bucket and the steamed buns in the steamer. ¡°Everyone,e one by one. Don¡¯t snatch them. Everyone has them.¡±


    The group consciously lined up and soon ate the thick white rice porridge, mixed grain buns, and two side dishes that were prepared. Everyone slowly drank the thick porridge and bit into the soft mixed-grain buns. They ate the vegetables stir-fried with oil and cold shredded radish and thought to themselves how good it was to eat like this every day!


    Ji Xiang watched the children hide the steamed buns and did not scold them. He only smiled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t hoard the steamed buns! Tomorrow morning, everyone will wake up at midnight. After washing up, four people wille to help Granny Yun and Aunt Zhang boil the fire and wash the vegetables. We¡¯ll eat at dawn and work in the fields after eating. Madam will probablye to the farm at nine o¡¯clock. Do you understand?¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡± Hearing that there would be food in the morning, those who had hidden the steamed buns took them out and ate them. Some people still hid them skeptically.


    When Zhou Jia returned to the back office, he saw that Li Yu had set a few rules in the study. After asking, he found out that they were the vige rules. Zhou Jia saw that it said: One, you have to be united and love each other. You are not allowed to fight.


    After Li Yu finished writing, she smiled and said to Zhou Jia, ¡°Don¡¯t be idle!


    Help me transcribe it. I can only show you my handwriting.¡±


    Zhou Jia bowed and smiled. ¡®Madam has instructed me. I will definitely do as you say.¡±


    During the night break, Zhou Jia told Li Yu about the fact that Wang Chun and Liu Moyan had already signed the confession and that Chu Feng hade to look for him. He said to Li Yu, ¡°Yu¡¯er, Old Master Wang said that Wang Chun is innocent and that I tortured him. If nothing goes wrong, Wang Chun will retract his confession tomorrow and Liu Moyan will take responsibility for all the sins.¡±


    Li Yu looked at him and said, ¡°Then what do you n to do?¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu in shame. ¡°Chu Feng came to look for me to ask us not to force the Wang family into a corner. After all, the Wang family has upied Yunzhou City for a hundred years and has long been prosperous. Look, after I interrogated Wang Chun, someone immediately informed Wang Qinghai. We can¡¯t guard against them.¡±


    Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia and smiled faintly. ¡°The world belongs to His Majesty. If he says so, let him go! As for Wang Chun! There will be other ways to deal with him, but before that, we have to cut off some meat.¡±


    Zhou Jia pounced on Li Yu and said in her ear, ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid that the higher-ups will catch us?¡±


    Li Yu bit his ear and said, ¡°We won¡¯t take a single cent. After receiving it, write a note and send it up. Hand most of the things his family gave us to the person above. Use the rest to repair West City. The Wang family¡¯s money was also plundered from others. We¡¯re taking it for civilian use.¡±


    Zhou Jia kissed Li Yu from the corner of her eye and smiled. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll listen to you. I¡¯ll do it tomorrow.¡±


    The next day, the sky was clear. Zhou Jia went to the government office in high spirits. Not long after he sat down, a jailer came to report that Wang Chun had Deen wrongea In prison. LIU moyan lerc a conresslon letter ana wantea to nang himself, but he was saved.


    Wang Qinghai hurriedly found Zhou Jia¡¯s room and said to him, ¡°Sir, my uncle is innocent. Please let him off.¡±


    After Zhou Jia smiled and showed him Wang Chun¡¯s confession, he said with a smile, ¡°Lord Wang, although Liu Moyan took all the me, what did Wang Chun say about the Five Stones Powder? Thete emperor and His Majesty repeatedly ordered us not to consume the Five Stones Powder. What crime do you think one should be sentenced to for disobeying thete emperor and His Majesty¡¯s holy orders?¡±


    Wang Qinghai looked at Zhou Jia. ¡°Sir, what do you mean?¡± Zhou Jia smiled and looked at Wang Qinghai without saying anything.


    Wang Qinghai returned to the Wang family aftering out of the detention room. He told Old Master Wang what Zhou Jia meant. Old Master Wang smiled mockingly and said, ¡°I told you. Everyone wants to be an official for money. Everyone loves white silver! Isn¡¯t it just silver? Give it to him. Go and tell him that I¡¯ll treat him to wine in the Intoxicated Immortal Restaurant.¡±


    Li Yu brought Auntie Xue and the siblings to the farmstead. The fields had already been tidied up. Ruyi brought people to spread the rice seeds. After walking to the field and checking on the seeds, she asked Ji Xiang to gather


    everyone.


    Li Yu said to them, ¡°In the future, the farm will be your home. Your food and amodation will be included in the farm. Adults will receive 200 copper coins a month. When you¡¯re sick, we will hire a doctor for you. When you¡¯re old and can¡¯t do anything anymore, we¡¯ll support you in your old age. Also, I¡¯ll get Manager Ji Xiang to teach you the farm rules. Everyone, remember, those who cheat and gamble will be chased out of the farm as soon as they¡¯re discovered or reported more than three times. For the younger ones, the farm will hire someone to teach you how to cook. We will also hire a teacher to teach you how to read. When you¡¯re old, I¡¯ll let you out to find your own way. Do you understand?¡±


    When everyone heard this, they were so excited that they felt like they were in a dream. They only knew to reply in unison, ¡°I understand..¡±

 Chapter 295 - 295: New Life

    Chapter 295: New Life


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Li Yu looked at everyone and smiled. ¡°There¡¯s a vegetable field behind the manor, a pigpen, and a chicken farm. When Ah Weies back, he¡¯ll teach you how to feed pigs and raise chickens. Alright! Everyone, disperse!¡±


    Everyone said in unison, ¡°Yes.¡±


    After they dispersed, an old woman who knew Auntie Xue called out to her happily, ¡°Sister Xue, you¡¯re here too! I came yesterday and even looked for you!¡±


    Auntie Xue looked at how neat she was and happily held her hand. ¡°Sister Yu, I was dyed by something. When I came, I saw you scattering rice seeds. Is it difficult?¡±


    ¡°The rice seeds on the farm are different from the ones we soaked at home. Every grain of those rice seeds is very full.¡± As she spoke, Madam Yu covered her mouth and smiled. ¡°Did you hear that? Madam said that she got someone to teach us how to raise chickens and pigs. Didn¡¯t we do these since we were young at home?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll listen to Madam and the steward. We¡¯ll do whatever they instruct us to do. They are a schrly family, and their knowledge is different from ours.¡± Madam Yu nodded. ¡°That¡¯s true! Let¡¯s go to work.¡±


    When the two of them arrived at the field, those who were familiar with each other greeted one another. Everyone looked happy!


    Shui Sheng brought Er Ya and San Zi to the foot of the mountain to cut grass with two children of about the same age. A boy who was stuttering said to Shui Sheng, ¡°Brother Shui Sheng, Madam¡­ said¡­ she wants to¡­ give us¡­ a teacher¡­ Do you think it¡¯s true?¡±


    Seeing that his face was red, Shui Sheng smiled and patted his back. ¡°Of course it¡¯s true. Little stutterer, slow down.¡±


    Another child pulled Shui Sheng happily. ¡°Brother Shui Sheng, you don¡¯t know Chen Zhong and those people who often snatch our food wanted toe yesterday when Team Leader Liu came to pick us up. Team Leader Liu ignored them and even warned them not to cause trouble.¡±


    When Shui Sheng heard this, he said to them, ¡°Chen Zhong is a very bad person. We have to be careful lest theye to the farm to cause trouble.¡±


    ¡°Got it, Brother Shuisheng.¡± The children held the sickle and quickly cut it.


    Li Yu called Ruyi, Ji Xiang, and Zhao Cai over and said to them, ¡°I¡¯ve set a few vige rules. When you¡¯re free, teach them how to memorize them and let them develop good habits. Also, choose a few women and let them take turns cooking and doing chores. Also, let Aunt Zhang and the others teach them how to clean the kitchen. They will behave themselves in the first few days. Some people will reveal their true nature in ten to fifteen days. Watch carefully in secret and choose a few good people and capable people from these people. Let them take the lead to manage the rest.¡±


    The three of them said in unison, ¡°Understood.¡± Ruyi asked Li Yu, ¡°Madam, I¡¯ve already decided on the piglets and chickens and ducks in the nearby vige.


    They¡¯ll be sent over in a while. The wastnd is about to bepleted. When we reached the end, I realized that there¡¯s a pond at the foot of the mountain. The water in the pond is flowing down the mountain. I want to hire someone to clean it up and widen it. I¡¯ll raise fish in it.¡±


    Ji Xiang said, ¡°And nt some more lotus roots.¡±


    ¡°Alright, do as you see fit! You have to check the vi at any time.¡± Li Yu looked at Zhao Cai. ¡°Zhao Cai,e back to the city with me. I have something for you to do.¡±


    Ji Xiang looked at Li Yu with a intive expression. ¡°Madam, there must be something wrong with you calling Brother Zhao Cai! Why don¡¯t you ever ask me to go with you?¡±


    Li Yu looked at his narrowed eyes and smiled. ¡°Who asked you to be so handsome and suave? It¡¯s easy for people to remember you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m ignoring you. You tease me every time.¡± Ji Xiang tried his best to widen his eyes and pointed at his eyeballs. ¡°Look, my eyeballs are quite big. Why don¡¯t I ask Old Master if I can pull my eyelids up so that my eyeballs will be exposed?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Hurry up and find Old Master.¡± Ruyi and Zhao Caiughed.


    Li Yu looked at Zhao Cai and thought to herself that it would definitely work in another thousand years. She smiled and said, ¡°Ji Xiang, you¡¯re doing very well.


    It¡¯s better not to pull your eyelids. Gu Yu won¡¯t be used to it.¡±


    ¡°Madam, you¡¯re teasing me again. I¡¯m going to do something.¡± Ji Xiang fled. Ruyi chased after him.


    Li Yu went to the pig farm and chicken pen that had been built to take a look. She saw that the pigsty had been paved with stone bs and the septic tank had been dug. The fertilizer tank behind the septic tank had also been dug. Only then did she feel relieved and walk back with Zhao Cai. In the car, Li Yu told Zhao Cai what had happened in West City. She said to him, ¡°When your master releases that dog from the prison, secretly monitor him and see which ces he likes to frequent. Find out the pattern of his travels. Be careful not to let him notice.¡±


    When Zhao Cai heard this, he understood that Li Yu wanted to deal with Wang


    Chun. ¡°Yes, Madam.¡±


    When Li Yu returned to the government office, she received the package that Chu Feng had gotten someone to send over. After Li Yu opened it, she saw the shoes, socks, and clothes Li Mei had made for Yangyang and two letters. After reading about Li Mei¡¯s memories, Li Yu concluded that Mother Li had been pushed down the mountain stream by Madam Lin and was saved by Father Li by chance. Perhaps Madam Lin had caused her to suffer a heavy blow, so she was unwilling to contact the Lin family again.


    After reading Li Qing¡¯s letter, Li Yu was also a little surprised by Laidi¡¯s change. Li Fengqi might be a schemer for power. She also understood the reason why he came to propose to Laidi. He wanted to rely on her and Zhou Jia. If she and Zhou Jia continued to gain power, he would naturally treat Laidi well. If anything happened with her and Zhou Jia, he would probably be the first to add insult to injury.


    After Li Yu finished writing the reply, she wondered why Zhou Jia had not left the government office. Just as she walked out of the study, Gu Yu walked in with a strange expression and said to Li Yu, ¡°Madam, Master asked Tiezhu to bring a message back. He said that he was going to the Intoxicated Immortal Restaurant to eat meat.¡± After saying that, Gu Yu hesitated for a moment before asking, ¡°Madam, we all eat meat. Didn¡¯t you give Master meat?¡±


    Li Yu looked at her strange expression and smiled. ¡°Silly girl, your master was joking!¡±


    ¡°Oh! Then I¡¯ll pick Young Master up for dinner.¡± Seeing that she had made a fool of herself, Gu Yu blushed and bowed to Li Yu before running away.


    Some of the farmers were carryingrge bamboo baskets, while others were carrying small bamboo baskets. The piglets in therge bamboo baskets were humming, and the small bamboo baskets were filled with fluffy chickens, ducks, and geese. Everyone walked towards the farm with smiles on their faces..

 Chapter 296 - 296: Way to Punish

    Chapter 296: Way to Punish


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    The bamboo baskets carried by the farmers were all filled with five or six piglets. When they arrived at the entrance of the manor, a farmer said quickly to Ruyi, who was waiting there, ¡°Manager Zhou, our families sent a total of 23 piglets. ording to your instructions, we kept a sow and a male pig ungelded. We have now sent them over. Where¡¯s your pigpen? We¡¯ll carry them over for you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, thank you! Everyone, follow me this way.¡± Ruyi politely led them towards the pig farm not far from the foot of the mountain.


    When they arrived at the pig farm, Ruyi took out arge scale. After putting the piglets over the scale, he asked the farmers to help lock the piglets in the pen.


    The farmers looked at the stone bs in the pen and widened their eyes. The farmer who spoke quickly said, ¡°Oh my! Look, there are stone bs in this pigpen. Aiya! The pigs live better than us! ¡±


    One of them looked around and curled his lips. ¡°That won¡¯t do! How can we pad the grass and fatten the pigs?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! It¡¯s a pity that so much manure was wasted.¡± The vigers who sent the chickens and ducks said.


    ¡°So muchnd has been opened in the manor. What will you use to water thend?¡±


    ¡°Steward Zhou, it looks like you don¡¯t know how to farm!¡±


    Someone even taught Ruyi how to pad the pig grass and step on it.


    ¡°Thank you for your kindness.¡± Ruyi pointed at the cesspool. ¡°Our method of fertilizing is different from yours. Look here. This is where the cesspool is discharged. Arge cesspool has been dug outside the wall. There¡¯s another special cesspool outside. It¡¯s much better than putting it in for pigs to step on. Also, pigs don¡¯t grow quickly in wet pigsties. It¡¯s not easy for the pigs to get sick if the pigs¡¯ pens are clean.¡±


    When everyone heard this, they revealed looks of disbelief. ¡°Is there a need to be so particr about raising pigs? Our pigpen is dirty, but we still raise pigs and kill them to sell for money!¡±


    Ruyi smiled and said, ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, you can wait and see if my pigs grow quickly.¡±


    An uncle smiled amiably and said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll learn from Steward Zhou when the timees.¡±


    Ruyi smiled and nodded. ¡°As long as you¡¯re willing to learn, we¡¯ll teach you.¡±


    Everyone smiled politely. Ruyi knew that it was not easy to get them to change their usual breeding method, so he did not persuade them. After paying the money for buying piglets from the vigers, he paid for the chickens, ducks, and geese. The farmers happily took the money and left.


    He bought forty chicks and fifty ducks and geese in total. Ruyi asked a few older children to ssify them and fence them with bamboo to raise in the clearing outside the chicken pen.


    The children threw the tender green wild vegetables they had cut back into it to feed the chicks, ducks, and geese.


    A thin little girl said timidly to Ruyi, ¡°Uncle, my mother taught me that the vegetables the chicks eat have to be cut thin before they can be fed.¡±


    Ruyi squatted down to touch her withered hair and smiled. ¡°Oh! Do you know how to raise chickens? What¡¯s your name?¡±


    The little girl nced at Ruyi timidly and whispered, ¡°Uncle, my name is Little Yezi.¡±


    ¡°Little Yezi, can you help Brother and the others take care of the chicks in the future?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Little Yezi looked at Ruyi with sparkling eyes and nodded heavily.


    Ruyi said to Shui Sheng and the others, ¡°Shui Sheng, there¡¯s a pit behind the chicken pen. Take the little stutterer and find some earth dragons to raise inside.¡±


    Shui Sheng looked at Ruyi curiously. ¡°Uncle Steward, can an earth dragon be raised?¡±


    ¡°Yes, just leave some rotten vegetable leaves and grass in the pit. The earth dragons that are fed to the chickens and ducks have to be boiled and dried. Then, mix them in the rice bran and vegetable leaves to feed.¡±


    Shui Sheng remembered it and said to Ruyi, ¡°Got it, Uncle Steward. Then I¡¯ll bring my younger brothers to dig for earth dragons.¡±


    ¡°Alright, don¡¯t go to the pond. Be careful not to fall in.¡± After Shui Sheng and the others agreed happily, they ran away with the bamboo basket.


    Ruyi looked at the sensible children and decided to bring Seven Pounds up to the farm when he was free. He would y with these children so that he wouldn¡¯t develop an ignorant outlook.


    Ruyi wanted to return to the manor. He asked a crippled uncle weaving baskets in the courtyard, ¡°Uncle Zou, do you know how to raise pigs?¡±


    Uncle Zou put down the bamboo strip and smiled. ¡®Yes, I used to raise them when I was at home.¡±


    Ruyi looked at him and asked curiously, ¡°Uncle Zou, where do you live? Why were you wandering in West City?¡±


    Uncle Zou patted his crippled leg and said sadly, ¡°Steward Zhou, my hometown is near the capital. My leg was crippled during the war. Sigh! I¡¯m a bachelor and don¡¯t want to go back and drag my brother down, so I lived in West city. It¡¯s inconvenient for my leg. The older I get, the harder it¡¯s to find work. Fortunately, I met Madam to help me. I can live a few good days before I age.¡±


    ¡°Uncle Zou, don¡¯t worry. As long as everyone is fine, life will get better. I¡¯ll leave the pig farm to you. I¡¯ll get a few boys to help you.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll fatten up those pigs.¡±


    Ruyi arranged the farm and returned to the field to see that the grain seeds had been scattered. Everyone was packing up the wicker baskets and bags. He said to them, ¡°Everyone, go back and eat and rest for the night. Tomorrow morning, go to the wastnd over there with those short-term workers.¡±


    Everyone agreed happily. They were very satisfied with their new lives. They did not have to worry about starving if they could not find work when they went out. After doing work, they would have hot food when they returned. The ce they lived in was also clean.


    Ji Xiang looked around the construction site and saw that the people brought


    by Craftsman Zou were meticulous. Only then did he return to the farmstead from the construction site in relief.


    Zhou Jia returned to the government office from the Intoxicated Immortal


    Restaurant and took out 50,000 taels of silver. He ced the money in front of Li Yu. ¡°Yu¡¯er, the meat you wanted has been cut and brought back. I thought about it just now and felt that it¡¯s safer to ask for money to repair West City after handing it over.¡±


    Li Yu thought for a moment and nodded. ¡®You¡¯re right. Let¡¯s do as you say!¡±


    Zhou Jia put the banknotes and the written note into the box and said angrily to Li Yu, ¡°We had to let that dog go tonight. If Chu Feng hadn¡¯te to greet me, I would have sentenced him to death.¡±


    Li Yu looked at him and said, ¡°I¡¯ve already asked Zhao Cai to monitor him. When we find a suitable opportunity, we¡¯ll hang him at the entrance of the Wang family. ¡±


    When Zhou Jia heard this, he thought for a while and thought of a method. ¡°Yu¡¯er, your method is too risky. I have a way to make the Wang family swallow their grief in silence.¡±


    Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia and asked in confusion, ¡°Xiao Xi, tell me what method you have.¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled slyly. ¡°Even if that dog is put back, he won¡¯t be obedient for more than a few days. I heard Sir mention a prescription in the past. It¡¯s concocted from patchouli, Five vors Seed, and Yang Locking Grass¡­ Used in appropriate amounts, it is good medicine that can be used to treat illnesses. After preparing the concoction, you can add a secret medicine called Yin Rising Stone. It¡¯s a poison that harms people imperceptibly. I¡¯ll ask Sir to help make that medicine. When Wang Chun goes to the brothel, I¡¯ll get Zhao Cai to sneak in and give it to him so that he can be a groom at all times.¡±


    When Li Yu heard this, she also felt that Zhou Jia¡¯s method was better. ¡°I¡¯ll get Zhao Cai to keep an eye on him and find an opportunity to attack.¡±


    Zhou Jia nodded. ¡°Tell Zhao Cai to be careful. After he seeds, get him to set off for Tongzhou to apany Ah Qing to the capital to prepare for the exam! ¡±


    Speaking of Li Qing, Li Yu was a little worried. ¡°Ah Qing is not long from the autumn examination. I wonder how his preparations are.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, as long as nothing goes wrong, he will definitely ace it this time.¡± Zhou Jia patted Li Yu andforted her.


    Li Yu looked at him and nodded. ¡°I know. I¡¯m just a little worried. Go to the bank and send this away first!¡±


    ¡°Alright, it doesn¡¯t matter if it takes a while. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± Zhou Jia took the box and walked out..

 Chapter 297 - 297: Retribution

    Chapter 297: Retribution


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    After Old Master Wang returned home, he sighed at Old Madam Wang. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Magistrate Zhou to be so sophisticated at such a young age. Only such a person will go far in the bureaucracy!¡± Thinking of his two sons, Old Master Wang sighed again. ¡°I wonder how his children are raised?¡±


    Old Madam Wang rolled her eyes at him. ¡°He dared to hit my son, yet you praised him. Old Master, Third Brother will be released tonight, right? Do you want someone to prepare the medication?¡±


    Old Master Wang red at her and scolded, ¡°Prepare for what? Let him know the severity of the matter for a few days. In my opinion! You¡¯ve spoiled the two children and they¡¯re the same as you. Let me tell you, you have to watch Third Brother this time.¡± With that, he flicked his sleeve and left angrily.


    Old Madam Wang choked. She was so angry that she pointed at Old Master


    Wang¡¯s back and said hatefully, ¡°Are you only satisfied with your vixen¡¯s child?


    Let her give birth! ¡±


    Not long after dark, Wang Chun was dragged to the door of the magistrate¡¯s office by two bailiffs. Wang Zheng hurriedly went up with two servants to support him. Seeing that he was covered in whip wounds, heined briefly and nced fiercely at the guard at the door.


    Zhao Cai watched from the shadows as the brothers got into the carriage and drove unsteadily toward the Wang family.


    He quietly followed the Wang brothers to the Wang family and sneaked in at night to find out Wang Chun¡¯s residence.


    When he returned to the government office, under Li Yu¡¯s guidance, he used the herbs Mr. Wen had given him to smear his skin ck and red. He even stuck on a mustache. He hid in the dark and monitored Wang Chun.


    Zhao Cai realized that in the first few days, Wang Chun was still obediently staying at home. After half a month, he began to sneak out of the small door in the back garden to have fun at the brothel and the dark hut.


    After following him for a few days, Zhao Cai realized that Wang Chun loved to sneak out at night and fool around in a ce called Chun Jiao Restaurant in Willow Flower Alley.


    Zhao Cai patiently followed him for a few days and figured out Wang Chun¡¯s movements. He watched as he unted in front of those prostitutes and bragged that even the magistrate of Yunzhou was afraid of the Wang family. The magistrate could only capture him and locked him up for a night before letting him go obediently.


    By the beginning of May, the remaining wastnd had all been opened and corn seeds had been nted. The seedlings had also been nted. After all thend was nted, Ruyi distributed the wages to the short-term workers one by one. He even gave each of them a bag of sugar and a slice of meat. The short-term workers even said to Ruyi, ¡°Steward Zhou, it¡¯s better to work in your farmstead. You live clean and don¡¯t deduct food. Would you call us brothers over when there¡¯s work in the autumn harvest?¡±


    Ruyi smiled readily and said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll get you here for the autumn harvest.¡±


    The short-term workers happily took their things and left. After farming, Zhou Jia brought Tiezhu and Ji Xiang to check the river. Mr. Wen also followed Ah Wei to the Great Maple Mountain.


    After Mr. Wen went to the Great Maple Mountain, he realized that there were many rare good medicinal herbs on the mountain. Seeing that the older vigers on the mountain all had some illnesses, he decided to stay behind to treat them.


    Li Yu got someone to make clothes and shoes for the children and adults. The children wore clothes made ofke-blue rough cloth, underwear made of thin cloth, and modern sweatpants with drawstrings.


    After the outerwear was made ofke-blue cloth, it was iid with a circle of white with blue floral cloth on the cor. Every child had the same style, with two sets of summer clothes inside and outside.


    The adults were also given two sets of summer clothes each. Everyone was overjoyed with the newly made clothes.


    One day inte June, Zhao Cai followed Wang Chun and watched him enter Chun Jiao Hall in Willow Flower Alley. After Wang Chun fell asleep, Zhao Cai threw a piece of the knockout incense into the incense stove and waited for him to fall asleep. He sneaked into the house and fed the medicine to Wang Chun. He cleaned up the traces and quietly left.


    When Wang Chun woke up, he realized that he was lively and extremely excited, but he could not fall asleep no matter what. It was useless to try all kinds of methods. He became so tired that his mind and body were exhausted. He was sent back to the Wang family in a state of near death.


    A few dayster, Zhou Jia returned from checking the river. After taking a shower and sleeping, Gu Yu came to report that Old Master Wang wanted to see him. Li Yu nced at Zhou Jia. The two of them looked at each other and smiled, guessing Old Master Wang¡¯s motive for looking for Zhou Jia.


    As expected, after Old Master Wang and Zhou Jia exchanged pleasantries, he said to Zhou Jia, ¡°Senior Zhou, I heard that your teacher¡¯s medical skills are impressive. My third son hasn¡¯t been feeling well recently. I want to ask Mr. Wen to take a look at him.¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled politely. ¡°Old Master Wang, my teacher went to Great Maple Mountain to pick herbs so he could avoid the heat inte May. Before he left, he instructed that he would be at the foot of Great Maple Vige. Why don¡¯t you send someone to Great Maple Vige to look for him?¡±


    When Old Master Wang heard this, he cupped his hands and thanked him.


    ¡°Thank you, Lord Zhou. I¡¯ll get someone to look for Mr. Wen in Great Maple Vige when I get back.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re too polite.¡± Zhou Jia politely sent Old Master Wang away and turned to go to the front office. Just as he entered the courtyard, he heard Zhao Zhiwen and a few other schrs discussing. ¡°Old Zhao, have you heard? Third Master Wang has suffered retribution. Rumor has it that the girls he killed are pestering him¡­ It¡¯s useless even if the top prostitute in the brothel is invited. The Wang family has looked for all the physicians in the city, but those physicians are helpless.¡±


    Zhao Zhiwen widened his eyes and asked curiously, ¡°Old Wang, what did he eat? It¡¯s so powerful!¡±


    Old Wang teased, ¡°It¡¯s so powerful! Old Zhao, do you actually want to try it?¡±


    Zhao Zhiwen imagined that feeling and shivered. The others asked anxiously, ¡°How¡¯s Chun Jiao Restaurant?¡±


    Old Wang smiled and said, ¡°I heard that the Wang family destroyed Chun Jiao


    Restaurant. They said that their women harmed Third Master Wang. Chun Jiao¡¯s madam said that Third Master Wang became like this because he consumed Five Stone Powder. She even threatened to go to the government office to report it to the officials before the Wang family stopped.¡±


    Zhou Jia coughed dryly. At this, they looked up and bowed to Zhou Jia awkwardly before returning to the escort room.


    The steward sent by the Wang family waited in Great Maple Vige for two days before meeting Mr. Wen, who had been brought to the mountain by the vigers for consultation.


    When the steward saw Mr. Wen, he hurriedly went forward and bowed. ¡°Doctor Wen, I was sent by the Wang family of Yunzhou City to invite you back to help treat an illness.¡±


    Seeing his anxious expression, Mr. Wen nodded and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go! I¡¯ll follow you back to Yunzhou.¡±


    When Mr. Wen arrived at the Wang family, he saw Wang Chun lying on the bed. His eyes were sunken and his face was abnormally red. He knew that he did not have long to live.


    After Mr. Wen lifted the nket and checked, he shook his head and said,


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing I can do.¡±


    Old Master Wang sent Mr. Wen away in disappointment. He was so angry that he went back andined to Old Madam Wang, ¡°It¡¯s all your fault. You doted on him so much that he became like this. The reputation that my Wang family has umted for a hundred years was lost to that unfilial son.¡±


    Old Madam Wang retorted, ¡°What right do you have to me me? The eldest was carried away by Old Madam the moment he was born. Our second child could only be raised in front of me after he was born. Our eldest was spoiled by your mother and was pushed down the brothel by someone in the capital..¡±

 Chapter 298 - 298: School

    Chapter 298: School


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Old Madam Wang looked at Old Master Wang with hatred in her eyes. ¡°Later on, when we had our third child, your mother snatched him away. In the end, Third Brother took Eldest Brother¡¯s path again. Why didn¡¯t you chide your olddy? Hehe!¡± Old Madam Wang sneered. ¡°At that time, you were bewitched by that bitch. You were just short of doting on your concubine and killing your wife. Now, you¡¯re ming the child for not teaching him well. What were you doing long ago?


    ¡°You, you¡­¡± Old Master Wang looked at the olddy angrily and clutched his chest as he fell.


    ¡°Master, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Old Madam Wang panicked when she saw him copse. She stumbled in front of him and shouted, ¡°Someonee quickly! Master, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    Wang Zheng ran in and picked up Old Master Wang. Fortunately, there was a physician in Wang Chun¡¯s courtyard. After the physician injected Old Master Wang, thetter woke up and became paralyzed. The physician shook his head and said, ¡°Old Master was so angry that he had a stroke. He can only slowly recuperate.¡± When Old Madam Wang heard this, she copsed.


    Wang Qinghai looked at the old man lying on the bed, the olddy who had fallen to the side, and Wang Zheng, who was standing at the side with a


    gloomy expression. He thought to himself that the main branch haspletely copsed and felt relieved.


    News had spread that Wang Chun had caused Old Master Wang to faint from anger. Two dayster, Wang Chun also died.


    Mr. Wen returned to the backyard of the government office and told Zhou Jia and his wife what he had seen in the Wang family. He said in shame and self-reproach, ¡°Although Wang Chun really deserves to die, as a physician, Sir used his medical skills to harm people. Also, that medicine is indeed domineering. I want to try concocting an antidote to save those who shouldn¡¯t be harmed.¡±


    Seeing Mr. Wen ming himself, Zhou Jia and Li Yu felt extremely guilty. They bowed to Mr. Wen and said, ¡°Sir, we were unfilial and made you feel guilty and sad.¡±


    Mr. Wen helped the two of them up. ¡°You¡¯re both good children. In the past, I was worried that Xiao Xi would be cold and not be benevolent or pity the poor.


    Now, it seems that I¡¯m relieved.¡± Mr. Wen patted Zhou Jia in relief and smiled. ¡°Hehe! It¡¯s all thanks to Xiaoyu.¡±


    Zhou Jia hugged Mr. Wen. ¡°Sir, that could not have happened without your teachings.¡±


    Mr. Wen pushed Zhou Jia happily and smiled. ¡°You¡¯re already so old. Why are you still wheedling like Yangyang?


    Zhou Jia smiled shyly. Li Yu said to Mr. Wen, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you wanted to eat sachima? Knowing that you¡¯re back, I¡¯ve already asked Granny Liu to prepare it. I¡¯ll go make it now. See if there¡¯s anything else you want to eat.¡±


    Mr. Wen thought of the mushrooms given by the vigers and smiled. ¡°There are a few monkey head mushrooms in the backpack Ah Wei is carrying. Take them and stew them.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and said, ¡°Oh! Those are good stuff. I haven¡¯t gone up the mountain to hunt in a long time. I¡¯ll go to Mount Spindle to take a look when I have time. ¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled. ¡°Alright, we¡¯re in for a treat.¡±


    At the end of the month, Zhou Jia, Ruyi, and Ji Xiang sent Zhao Cai out of the city. Before they left, Zhou Jia said to him, ¡°I¡¯ve already asked the bank to help bring it to Brother Lin. Send Ah Qing to the capital and propose marriage to your mother-inw. Madam has silver notes in your bag. See if you can buy the betrothal gift and get Ah Qing to help you settle the marriage.¡±


    ¡°Master, I understand.¡± Zhao Cai nodded with red eyes. Ji Xiang smiled and teased, ¡°Brother Zhao Cai, you invite us to the wedding!¡±


    Ruyi smiled and said, ¡°Ji Xiang, ask Madam to help you settle Gu Yu as soon as possible. At that time, you can also attend your own wedding.¡±


    The two of them punched Ruyi. ¡°Okay, drink more when the timees.¡± Theyughed happily, diluting the reluctance to part.


    After sending Zhao Cai and the others back to the city, Li Yu asked Ruyi, ¡°How are the children and old people in the manor? Are they used to it?¡±


    Ruyi smiled and said, ¡°Madam, everyone is fine. It¡¯s just that a few children who have been beggars might be used to being sloppy and don¡¯t like to be clean. Some even have lice on their heads and bodies. After Old Master concocted medicine for them to wash up, they¡¯re much better. Some of the older ones don¡¯t like to be clean. They were punished to wash their clothes andtrines a few times. They¡¯re much better now.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. They haven¡¯t settled down for a long time and no one cared about them. They¡¯ve developed a bad habit and will need to slowly recover.¡± Li Yu smiled at Zhou Jia and said, ¡°Senior Zhou, please help me.¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled and said, ¡°Madam, please instruct me. I¡¯ll definitely do as you say.¡±


    ¡°I want to find two teachers. They don¡¯t need to have much knowledge. It¡¯s fine as long as they can write and calcte.¡±


    When Zhou Jia and Ruyi looked at Li Yu in confusion, Li Yu smiled and said, ¡°I heard from Ji Xiang that there are no schools in the two viges at the foot of the mountain. I want to take out the courtyard in the manor and set up a school so that the children in the manor and the children in the vige can recognize a few words and learn arithmetic. What do you think?¡±


    When Zhou Jia heard this, he looked at Li Yu happily and nodded. ¡°Madam, this idea is good. It¡¯s also good that they can learn to read contracts and calcte when buying and selling things. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll go to the front office to ask someer.¡±


    Li Yu also teased, ¡°Thank you, Lord Zhou.¡±


    Ruyi looked at the two of them and said, ¡°Master, Madam, Ji Xiang and I chose a few children with good bone structures to teach them martial arts so that they can follow Young Master in the future. Also,¡± Ruyi thought for a moment and said, ¡°I want to bring Young Master and Seven Pounds to the farm for a few days. What do you think?¡±


    Li Yu and Zhou Jia thought for a moment and understood what Ruyi meant. They would teach the children to protect Yangyang. They brought the children to the manor to stay because they were afraid that the children would be cooped up in the backyard. They would only interact with Gu Yu, Xing Hua, and a few old women. If this continued, it would be detrimental to the children¡¯s growth. Li Yu thought that Ruyi was right to be worried. Even Mr. Wen didn¡¯t like to stay in the back office. He felt like he was locked in a cage. He came back and rested at home for two days before moving to the manor.


    Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia and nodded. She smiled at Ruyi and said, ¡°You¡¯re right. Send the two children to the manor to stay for a few days. Later, your master will talk to Mr. Lu and invite him to move to the manor to teach the children. I¡¯ll go pack some clothes. Also, Xiaoyu has been suffering from morning sickness these days. Bring her to the manor and ask Sir to get some medicine for her. ¡±


    Ruyi agreed. ¡°Got it.¡± Li Yu then said to Ruyi, ¡°Ruyi, go back and get Carpenter


    Qian to make some desks. Find a bright room to use for ss.¡±


    Ruyi replied, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll do it when I get back. Madam, there¡¯s an auntie in the manor who used to be an embroiderer. Her eyesight is a little bad. I want to ask her to teach those girls needlework. What do you think?¡±


    ¡°Alright, go buy some cloth and needlework and cotton. Let them learn to make winter clothes.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Ruyi left to let Xiaoyu pack her luggage.


    Zhou Jia returned to the front office and thought about the matter of finding a teacher. He suddenly thought of Liu Yi and felt that Liu Yi was upright and reliable. It should be good for him to find two upright people to teach those children.


    After thinking about it, Zhou Jia got someone to call Liu Yi over from the guard room. Liu Yi heard from the person who called him that Lord Zhou was looking for him. He thought to himself that he had not done anything wrong! Did one of the people he sent get into trouble at the manor? Liu Yi went to Zhou Jia¡¯s room uneasily. Seeing Zhou Jia¡¯s pleasant expression, he was relieved..

 Chapter 299 - 299: Manor

    Chapter 299: Manor


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Zhou Jia told Liu Yi about Li Yu wanting to run a school on the farm. He said to him, ¡°You¡¯re reliable, so I¡¯ll leave the matter of finding a teacher to you. The teacher will teach the children how to read and calcte. He doesn¡¯t have to be too knowledgeable. He just has to have an upright character.¡±


    Liu Yi thought for a moment and remembered someone. He bowed and said, ¡°Sir, I know a person with good character and knowledge, but he¡¯s a little disabled. What do you think?¡±


    Zhou Jia thought to himself that it was just teaching the child how to read and calcte. As long as his character was good, it was fine if he was disabled. ¡°Oh!


    What did he do originally?¡±


    Liu Yi bowed and said, ¡°Sir, his name is Liu Hanmin. He¡¯s my nephew. He¡¯s 19 years old this year. That child is smart and good at learning. When he was 15 years old, he obtained a schrly title. He originally had a bright future. Speaking of which, it¡¯s the Wang family¡¯s fault. Three years ago, when he returned home from the academy, he saw Wang Chun teasing a girl and went up to help. Wang Chun flew into a rage out of humiliation and ordered someone to break his leg. After he recovered, he realized that his leg was crippled. Originally, someone invited him to be an ountant, but that damned Wang Chun spread the word that no one was allowed to use him. Just like that, his future was ruined. Seeing that he had no future, Brother and Sister-inw made a fuss about splitting up the family because they were unwilling to support him. His parents were so angry that they cried. He even persuaded them.Now, he¡¯s at home helping his parents farm and selling some vegetables to survive.¡±


    Zhou Jia was satisfied when he heard that. The man originally had a bright future and could put down his pride to help his parents farm after he was disabled. He was an open-minded man. He praised, ¡°Not bad. He¡¯s a child with a good character. Bring him to the farm to find Ruyi and arrange for a good day to teach the children.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, sir.¡± Liu Yi bowed and left. When he went out, he happened to see Ruyi, who was looking for Zhou Jia. Liu Yi smiled and cupped his fists. ¡°What a coincidence, Steward Zhou. Sir instructed me to bring someone to the manor to see you. I met you when I came out.¡± Liu Yi told Ruyi about Liu Hanmin. Ruyi smiled and said, ¡°Team Leader Liu, you¡¯re too polite. Just bring him when you have time.¡±


    Zhou Jia and Ruyi returned to the back office and went to the front yard to look for Mr. Lu to tell him about sending the two children to the manor to stay for a


    few days. They invited him to stay at the manor for a few days so that it would be easier to teach the children.


    When Mr. Lu heard this, he readily agreed. He cupped his hands and smiled. ¡°I heard from Uncle Liu and the guards a few days ago that Madam has taken in some lonely old people and children. I¡¯ve long wanted to take a look.¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled and nodded. ¡°What a coincidence. The scenery at the foot of Mount Spindle is not bad. Mr. Lu, pack up first. After lunch and rest, we¡¯ll set off.¡±


    Mr. Lu cupped his hands and smiled. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go pack up now.¡±


    Li Yu packed the child¡¯s clothes. After dinner, the four carriages left the city and journeyed toward the farmstead. Li Yu saw that the seedlings in the field by the roadside had already begun to be divided. These seedlings looked a little thinner than the ones on the farmstead.


    Yangyang looked curiously at the seedlings in the field and saw two children with long bamboo poles standing by the ditch. There was also a group of ducks with their fur gone.


    Yangyang pointed at the ducks in the ditch and smiled happily. ¡°Father,


    Mother, look at what that is.¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled and said, ¡°Silly son, those are ducks. Theyy the salted eggs you eat.¡±


    Yangyang widened his eyes at the ducks and said in surprise, ¡°Wow! They¡¯re so powerful.¡±


    Li Yu and Zhou Jia looked at each other and smiled. Zhou Jia said thankfully,


    ¡°It¡¯s really not good for the child to be trapped in the backyard. Fortunately, Ruyi thought of it.¡±


    After a while, they arrived at the turn. Li Yu realized that the abandoned house was gone. Vegetable seedlings had been nted on the original ruins. When


    Zhou Jia saw the abandoned house, he realized that he had forgotten to tell Li Yu that he had bought this ce. He patted his forehead. ¡°Yu¡¯er, look, I forgot to tell you that this house is rumored to be haunted. Ever since the owner of the house moved away, it has been abandoned. After I mentioned it to youst time, I went back to find the address of the owner and asked Ruyi to buy it from him. See what use it has?¡±


    Li Yu looked at it for a while and said, ¡°This ce happens to be in the middle of Li City and the foot of Mount Spindle. It takes up quite a lot of space. What do you think if we cultivate it into an inn?¡±


    Zhou Jia nodded and said, ¡°Alright, when we reach the manor, we¡¯ll arrange for Ruyi to hire someone to start work.¡± The couple taught Yangyang about the crops in the fields along the way and quickly arrived in front of the manor.


    Ji Xiang was at the construction site. When he saw the Ma brothers and Ruyi driving the carriage to the manor, he went up and happened to see Zhou Jia getting out of the car with Yangyang, who was wearing a light green coat and bloomers. When Yangyang saw Ji Xiang, he reached out. ¡°Uncle Ji Xiang,


    Yangyang is here.¡±


    Ji Xiang smiled and took Yangyang. ¡®Young Master, the farm is very fun. Ji


    Xiang will bring you to the mountain to pick wild fruits.¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled and said, ¡°Where¡¯s Sir? Your Madam and Yang¡¯er are going to stay in the manor for a few days. You¡¯ll be busy.¡±


    ¡°Sir went to the vige to treat someone.¡± Ji Xiang stole a nce at Gu Yu, who was following behind Li Yu. He pursed his lips and smiled. ¡°Hehe! I¡¯m not afraid of being busy.¡±


    Zhou Jia saw this and smiled. ¡°Brat.¡±


    Ruyi and Mr. Lu, who were behind, also arrived at the entrance of the manor. Everyone carried their luggage out of the car and passed through the corridor into the courtyard. There were two rooms on the left and right of the courtyard. There were five main rooms connected by a corridor. The middle room was used as a hallway. After passing through the hallway, one would see a courtyard the same size as the first room. Further in was the main courtyard. The five main rooms were connected to two side rooms, and there were three rooms on the left and right. This courtyard was much wider. The red earth paint on the eaves and porch pirs shone brightly as they passed through the corner door beside the main room. Behind the main room was a garden. Behind the garden was the greenhouse where Li Yu had requested to nt vegetables.


    Li Yu arranged for Mr. Lu to stay in the main room of the courtyard. She used the east room as a ce for the children to learn. The west room was for the girls to learn needlework. She also got someone to move Mr. Wen¡¯s luggage into the main courtyard and arranged for Ruyi¡¯s family and Ji Xiang to stay in the second courtyard.


    After making the arrangements, Zhou Jia also had to go back to the government office to do official business. Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu and smiled.


    ¡°Yu¡¯er, you and our son are outside the city. I can only run back and forth.


    Remember to leave me food.¡±


    Li Yu looked at Gu Yu and Xing Hua, who were cleaning up the house. She smiled and secretly shook his hand. ¡°It¡¯s been hard on you.¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t be bitter if you reward me tonight,¡± Zhou Jia said in her ear. He kissed her face when no one was looking before turning to leave. Li Yu looked at his back and smiled sweetly.


    Ji Xiang led Seven Pounds to the main courtyard and said to Li Yu, ¡°Madam, I¡¯ll bring Young Master and Seven Pounds out to y with those children for a while. ¡±


    Li Yu looked at Yangyang, who was holding hands with Seven Pounds, and smiled. ¡°Go!¡±


    Ji Xiang took Yangyang and Seven Pounds to the workshop and saw that none of the children were there.


    Old Madam Yun came out of the kitchen and said with a smile, ¡°Brother Ji Xiang, Old Zou and Dashui made two fish baskets. Shui Sheng brought a group of children to drive the ducks and geese to the stream to pick fish.¡±


    ¡°Oh! Let me see.¡± Ji Xiang led the two children toward the fish pond..

 Chapter 300 - 300: Fun in the Stream

    Chapter 300: Fun in the Stream


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Ji Xiang brought the two children out of the manor and turned right. They walked along the stone seed road paved with sand, lime, and yellow mud. The seedlings in the fields on both sides of the stone road had already been divided.


    After a while, the corn in the ground grew a foot. The green corn leaves swayed back and forth with the wind.


    The afternoon sun shone scorchingly on the ground. The heat in the distant forest cried out. Ji Xiang held the hands of the two children with curious expressions. The children touched and looked around. After walking for almost an hour, they saw a group of children ying in the stream in front of them.


    The width of the stream was about seven to eight feet wide, and the water was not deep enough to reach the children¡¯s calves. They took off their clothes and ced them on the bank. All of them were ying in the stream naked. From afar, they could hear the children shouting, ¡°Little stutterer, the fish is about to escape. Hurry up and catch it. There¡¯s one more¡­ Hurry up¡­¡±


    Sanzi stood by the backpack and saw Ji Xianging over with the two children. He hurriedly shouted, ¡°Brother, Brother, get up quickly. Uncle Steward is here.¡± He shouted and but his brother who was catching the fish in the streamughed happily. He could not hear Sanzi¡¯s shout at all.


    Yangyang and Seven Pounds looked curiously at the naked boys in the stream. Some of them had fair skin, while others were already dark red and shiny from the sun.


    Sanzi looked curiously at the two fair and tender fatties and bit his finger, not daring to go over.


    Yangyang retreated and held Ji Xiang¡¯s hand. ¡°Uncle Ji Xiang, y with water.¡±


    A child called Little Loach was the first to notice Ji Xiang and the others. He shyly covered his front with his hand and ran ashore. Ji Xiang smiled and said, ¡°Little Loach didn¡¯t cover Little Sparrow and it flew out.¡±


    Little Loach lowered his head and shouted, ¡°Uncle Steward, you lied to me.¡±


    Only then did the children notice Ji Xiang, Yangyang, and Seven Pounds. They covered their mouths shyly and ran ashore.


    The bold one ran to Ji Xiang with the fish basket. ¡°Uncle Steward, look, we caught half a basket of fish. There¡¯s a dark fish and a few big carp.¡±


    Ji Xiang lowered his head to take a look. There was indeed a ck fish and a few palm-sized carp in the fish basket. There were also some small fish and prawns that kept jumping in the fish basket.


    Yangyang and Seven Pounds were also squatting by the fish basket, looking curiously at the fish and prawns. From time to time, they would poke at them with their fat hands.


    Ji Xiang smiled. ¡°Yes! Not bad. Have you seen the ducks and geese you released?¡±


    Shui Sheng pointed at the corner and said, ¡°Uncle Steward, we went into the water to y after cutting the grass. Little Yezi, Er Ya, and Jizi are watching from below!¡±


    ¡°Alright, you¡¯re all good children.¡± Ji Xiang looked over and saw a few girls sitting by the stream releasing ducks and geese. He held Yangyang and Seven Pound¡¯s hands. ¡°Young Master, you and Seven Pounds can watch the big brothers pick fish.¡±


    Little Loach had already put on his clothes. He walked up to Ji Xiang and looked at Yangyang and Seven Pounds. ¡°Uncle Steward, which family are they from?¡± Ji Xiang pointed at the two of them and said, ¡°This is Master¡¯s young master. This is Seven Pounds. Seven Pounds is Manager Ruyi¡¯s son. They will be living in the manor these days. Madam even invited a teacher to teach everyone. Everyone,e over and greet Young Master. In the future, everyone has to protect Young Master, understand?¡±


    Little Loach, Shui Sheng, and more than ten other boys surrounded Yangyang and Seven Pounds and replied loudly, ¡°Got it, Uncle Steward.¡± They cupped their hands at Yangyang and shouted, ¡°Greetings, Young Master. Seven Pounds.¡±


    Yangyang looked at them and smiled. He led Seven Pounds to Sanzi and held his hand. ¡°Brother, go down and y with the water.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go and y with the water.¡± Seven Pounds also pulled Sanzi back. The three of them walked towards the stream.


    Ji Xiang quickly took off their shoes and smiled. ¡°Go! Have fun for a while.¡± The group of children hugged the two of them and ran into the stream.


    Ji Xiang stood by the stream and smiled at the two children ying happily.


    A child brought the fish basket to the two of them and pointed at the small fish inside. ¡°Young Master, Seven Pounds, catch fish quickly.¡±


    The two children reached out to touch the fish in the fish basket and hurriedly retracted their hands. Sanzi walked up to catch a carp and ced it in the fish basket hanging by the stream.


    When Yangyang and Seven Pounds saw this, they grabbed it.


    Liu Yi brought Liu Hanmin to the manor to see Li Yu. Li Yu saw that Liu Hanmin had good facial features and a thin figure. He walked with his crippled leg.


    Looking at the two people standing at the side after bowing, she said gently to Liu Hanmin, ¡°Mr. Liu, you¡¯re teaching the children on the farmstead and perhaps the children in the nearby vige. There might be a lot of them. You¡¯re mainly teaching the children how to read and calcte. If they have talent and learn well, we¡¯ll focus on nurturing them. Your tuition fee is twelve taels a year, and we cover food and amodation as well as clothes for the four seasons.¡±


    Liu Hanmin bowed and said, ¡°I¡¯ll remember. Thank you, Madam.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and said, ¡°Sir, you¡¯re too polite. It might be a few days before the school tables and chairs are ready. When they¡¯re ready, I¡¯ll get Ruyi to pick you up.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Madam.¡± Seeing that Li Yu had epted Liu Hanmin, Liu Yi bowed gratefully and left with Liu Hanmin.


    When Mr. Wen returned from his consultations, he saw Yangyang returning from the stream. He and Seven Pounds happily followed a group of children back, followed by Ji Xiang, who was carrying a fish basket.


    ¡°Grandmaster, we¡¯re here!¡± When the two of them saw Mr. Wen, they abandoned their group of friends and ran toward him.


    Mr. Wen looked at the two children lovingly. ¡°Run slowly. Don¡¯t fall.¡±


    Yangyang¡¯s round eyes were filled with novelty as he shared happily with Mr. Wen, ¡°Grandmaster, there¡¯s water over there. It¡¯s very fun. We¡¯re ying with water and catching fish.¡± As he spoke, he cupped his chubby hands and pretended to catch fish.


    ¡°It¡¯s like this.¡± Seven Pounds felt that Yangyang¡¯s demonstration was inurate. He spread his fingers and made a grabbing posture.


    Mr. Wen looked at the two children¡¯s cheerful expressions andughed out loud. ¡°Children shoulde out and get down to earth to be healthy.¡±


    Ji Xiang nodded and raised the fish basket in his hand. He smiled and said, ¡°Old Master, the children caught some fish in the stream. They¡¯ll be added to the dishes tonight.¡±


    ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll have fish soup tonight.¡± Mr. Wen nodded happily. Ah Wei smiled and said to Ji Xiang, ¡°Is Madam also here?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re here. Madam and Master will stay on the farm for a few days.¡±


    Mr. Wen led the two children in and smiled. ¡°Alright, it¡¯s cool at the foot of the mountainpared to the humidity in the city. We¡¯ll go back to the city when the weather gets cold.¡±


    Li Yu brought Gu Yu and Xing Hua to tidy up the rooms. Old Madam Yun entered the courtyard and bowed to Li Yu with a smile. ¡°Madam, should we cook in the kitchen in the main courtyard?¡±


    Li Yu thought about how Old Madam Yun and the others had to manage the food of 40 to 50 people and nodded. ¡°Yes, send the ingredients to the kitchen. Sir, Ji Xiang, and the others can eat in the backyard!¡±


    Old Madam Yun smiled and said, ¡°Madam, we¡¯re also free. Aunt Xue and a few others are fighting to work in the outer courtyard. Aunt Xu and I are free in the outer courtyard. Let use back to cook and clean up!¡± Li Yu smiled and said, ¡°Alright,e back to the backyard!¡±

 Chapter 301 - 301: Yun Yin Theatre

    Chapter 301: Yun Yin Theatre


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    When Mr. Wen returned to the courtyard with Yangyang and Seven Pounds, Li Yu looked at their flushed faces and themotion when they were ying with their friends. Looking at their happy expressions, she felt thating to the manor to stay was really a good choice.


    However, the city was not that calm. Ever since Wang Chun passed away and the Wang family¡¯s Old Master fell from a stroke, Old Madam Wang was not in the mood to eat vegetarian food and pray.


    Wang Zheng reced Old Master Wang and became the head of the Wang family. Madam Lin also became the mistress of the family.


    Madam Lin was still brooding about Ah Yue¡¯s disappearance. She wanted to find Ah Yue and firmly believed that Li Yu had kidnapped her.


    On this day, she muttered in front of Wang Zheng, ¡°Master, thest time Kun¡¯er wrote a letter, he asked Ah Yue why she didn¡¯t write to him. Peng¡¯er also asked why his sister died of illness. Master, the person who harmed us must be that bitch. Now that you¡¯re in charge, can you really bear to let our Ah Yue wander outside?¡±


    Wang Zheng sat on the chair with a dark expression and looked at Madam Lin impatiently. ¡°I know what to do. Stop nagging. Also, I heard from Qinghai that Madam Li looks 70 to 80% like you. Tell me, what¡¯s going on?¡±


    Madam Lin was stunned for a moment. She looked up at Wang Zheng and said, ¡°There are so many simr people in the world. How would I know what¡¯s going on?¡±


    Wang Zheng nced at Madam Lin and Granny Han behind her and said, ¡°You better not hide anything from me.¡±


    Madam Lin replied fiercely, ¡°What can I not tell you? Can I ever satisfy you?¡± Wang Zheng snorted and turned to walk out.


    Madam Lin looked at Wang Zheng as he walked away and said to Granny Han, ¡°Nanny, look at him. He hasn¡¯t forgotten all these years. We¡¯re clearly two people with the same appearance. How am I inferior to her?¡±


    Granny Han looked at Madam Lin with pity and thought of the calm Miss


    Jinniang. She thought to herself, It¡¯s true that you have the same skin, but the difference between you and her is in your bones.


    Madam Lin looked up and saw Granny Han looking at her with pity. She said unhappily, ¡°Nanny, even you think I can¡¯tpare to her?¡±


    Granny Han looked at Madam Lin and advised gently, ¡°Madam, no matter how good she is, she¡¯s just a dead person. What¡¯s there to fight with a dead person? Think about it. You¡¯re the one sitting here now.¡±


    Madam Lin felt that it was not pleasant to hear. She thought to herself that she was indeed not as good as Jinniang in Granny Han¡¯s heart. Why was that ghost still haunting her all these years?


    Seeing that Madam Lin¡¯s face was cold and she did not speak, Granny Han thought to herself, I wonder if she listened. Why hasn¡¯t she improved after so many years?


    Wang Zheng came out of the Lin family¡¯s house and got into the carriage to go to the Intoxicated Immortal Restaurant. A shop assistant went up to him nimbly and smiled eagerly. ¡°Master Wang, the private room you reserved is ready. Please.¡±


    Wang Zheng didn¡¯t even look at the shop assistant. He went straight to the private room he had reserved. He leaned against the window sill and saw the pedestriansing and going on the street.


    After a while, a tall and powerful man in his forties came down from the carriage with a follower. He looked up at Wang Zheng, who was sitting by the window. The two of them nodded and the man walked upstairs alone. Soon, the shop assistant brought him into the private room.


    A momentter, the two shop assistants came in, served refreshments, and left.


    Wang Zheng cupped his hands politely at the man and said, ¡°I¡¯ve long heard of


    Leader Lei¡¯s name. Seeing you today, you¡¯re indeed valiant and extraordinary.¡±


    Leader Lei cupped his hands and said indifferently, ¡°Master Wang, you¡¯re too polite. I¡¯ve already helped you investigate that girl. There¡¯s no one in the various brothels or hidden houses. A few private traffickers have also said that they¡¯ve never seen such a person.¡±


    Wang Zheng heaved a sigh of relief when he heard that. He took out a banknote from his pocket and handed it to him. He said politely, ¡°Thank you, Chief.¡±


    The boss took the banknotes, counted them, and put them in his pocket. His smile was a little sincere. ¡°Master Wang, you¡¯re too polite. I¡¯m just doing what I¡¯m paid to do.¡±


    Wang Zheng looked at Leader Lei¡¯s smile and muttered to himself, ¡°I¡¯ve heard that this Lei loves money as much as his life. Today, I see that it¡¯s true. However, it¡¯s also a good thing for me that he loves money.¡± Wang Zheng was a little more confident in what he would ask him to do next. ¡°I want to ask you for another favor.¡±


    Leader Lei looked at Wang Zheng. ¡°Master Wang, let¡¯s hear it.¡± Wang Zheng lowered his voice and said, ¡°I want to ask you to help me abduct someone. I suspect that she hid that girl.¡±


    Leader Lei raised his eyebrows. ¡°Oh! Who would be so bold?¡± Wang Zheng nced at the door of the government office diagonally opposite and leaned in front of him. He whispered, ¡°A wife of an official. After Miss offended her, she disappeared in less than two days.¡±


    Leader Lei refused without hesitation. ¡°No, we won¡¯t provoke the government.¡±


    Wang Zheng did not expect him to reject him without hesitation. He was stunned for a moment. ¡°Chief is unwilling to provoke the government. Do you know any other ways?¡±


    The chief thought for a moment and said, ¡°There¡¯s a theater called Yunyin in Willow Flower Alley. Go find Boss Su, Su Xianyin, and ask her if she¡¯s willing to help you do this.¡±


    Wang Zheng nodded and said, ¡°Alright, thank you, Chief.¡±


    The leader cupped his hands and smiled. ¡°Master Wang, you¡¯re too polite. Let¡¯s meet again.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll meet again, Chief.¡± The two of them cupped their hands politely and bade farewell.


    Wang Zheng sat upstairs for a while before paying the bill and leaving the Intoxicated Immortal Restaurant.


    After getting into the carriage, the coachman saw that Wang Zheng had not instructed him where to go and asked, ¡°Master, are we going back to the residence?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to a theater called Yunyin in Willow Flower Alley.¡± After saying that, Wang Zheng leaned against the carriage tiredly.


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± The coachman raised his whip and drove his horse toward Willow Blossom Lane.


    When they reached the end of Willow Flower Alley, they saw Yunyin¡¯s sign.


    Wang Zheng lifted the curtain and looked at the banner, which was swaying in the wind. Thinking of Ah Yue¡¯s appearance, he seemed to see another woman¡¯s figure. He thought to himself that he had to figure out if she was dead or alive!


    Wang Zheng got out of the carriage and looked at the opera sign hanging at the door. He stood at the door and listened to the opera about a drunken consort in the garden.


    Wang Zheng entered the theater and found a private room to sit down. A smiling waiter walked in. After bowing, he said nimbly, ¡°Master, there¡¯s iced watermelon, pastry, various fruits, and southern melon seeds. Would you like some?¡±


    Wang Zheng nodded in agreement. Listening to the pleasant and clear voice on the stage, he looked at the ¡°noble consort¡± on the stage who was wearing a phoenix crown and ceremonial robe. Her figure was slender and her waist was soft. It was not an exaggeration to say that she was stunning.


    Wang Zheng mutered to himself, ¡°When did a stunning actresse to Yunzhou City?¡± Soon, the waiter brought in all kinds of snacks. Wang Zheng took out a piece of silver and threw it to the waiter. ¡°Is the person singing on stage Su Xianyin?¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your reward. Master, the person on stage is our Boss Su.¡± Wang Zheng waved his hand. The waiter bowed and left with a smile.


    After the scene ended, Wang Zheng found the backstage. He saw that Boss Su was removing her makeup. When she saw Wang Zheng enter, she frowned and said, ¡°Master, guests are not allowed backstage.¡±


    Wang Zheng looked at Boss Su, who had half of her makeup removed. It was obvious that she was a peerless beauty. Her voice was crisp and pleasant to the ear. Wang Zheng smiled and cupped his hands. ¡°Boss Su, Leader Lei introduced me to you. Please forgive me for barging in..¡±

 Chapter 302 - 302: Human Trafficker

    Chapter 302: Human Trafficker


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Su Xianyin frowned and cursed in her heart. ¡°Leiming, that old dog, pushed everything he didn¡¯t dare to do to me.¡±


    Su Xianyin sat back down and began to remove her makeup. She said indifferently, ¡°May I know why you are looking for me?¡±


    Wang Zheng looked around and felt that it was not safe to talk there. He asked curiously, ¡°Boss Su, are we going to talk here?¡±


    ¡°Then you may leave!¡± After saying that, Su Xianyin ignored Wang Zheng. Wang Zheng was a little embarrassed and muttered to himself, ¡°How dare an actress be so unreasonable?¡±


    He turned around angrily and walked to the door. Seeing that Su Xianyin had no intention of keeping him, he thought for a moment and walked back.


    He walked to Su Xianyin¡¯s side and lowered his voice. ¡°Boss Su, I want to ask you to help me abduct someone. I want to ask her something.¡± Su Xianyin said coldly, ¡°My price is very high. Can you afford it?¡±


    Wang Zheng felt that Su Xianyin must be someone with real ability. As long as he could find out Ah Yue¡¯s whereabouts, he was not afraid even if it was a little expensive. Wang Zheng said indifferently, ¡°Boss Su, tell me a number.¡±


    Su Xianyin extended four fingers and said, ¡°4,000 taels of silver. And I want


    4,000 after this matter is over.¡±


    A total of 8,000 taels of silver was really a little expensive! Wang Zheng looked at Su Xianyin and said, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to ask who I want you to kidnap?¡±


    Su Xianyin sneered. ¡°That old dog Leiming never provokes the officials. Do I still need to ask if he is pushing you to me? Tell me! Who are you kidnapping?¡±


    Wang Zheng was relieved. He took a step forward and whispered into her ear, ¡°The wife of the magistrate, Lord Zhou.¡± After saying that, Wang Zheng looked at Su Xianyin intently.


    She said with a changed expression, ¡°Add another 2,000 taels and tell me where to deliver the goods.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll add another 2,000 taels. Remember, in the Wang family vige outside East City, in the manor with a row of osmanthus trees outside the courtyard. ¡±


    Su Xianyin reached out her hand and said, ¡°Bring the silver over. Today is the tenth day of June. I¡¯ll send her to the manor in ten days. When you go back, get someone to wait in the manor. When the timees, you¡¯ll pay and I¡¯ll deliver the goods.¡±


    ¡°Boss Su, women are not inferior to men. I originally prepared the money to ask for Leader Lei¡¯s help. I didn¡¯t expect it to be of use to you.¡± Wang Zheng smiled and took out banknotes from his pocket to count them to Su Xianyin.


    ¡°But I have to remind Boss Su that the magistrate might have hidden guards.¡±


    After Su Xianyin took the banknotes and checked them, she chuckled and said,


    ¡°Thank you for your reminder, Master Wang. Tiger Lei¡¯s teeth are not good and he can only chew good bones. Go back and wait in peace!¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Wang Zheng cupped his hands and turned to leave.


    Su Xianyin pped her hands. A thin man of average appearance and medium height came out from behind the door and walked toward her. It turned out that he had been standing behind the door, but Wang Zheng had not noticed.


    Su Xianyin said to him, ¡°Mute, go and investigate the magistrate¡¯s wife.¡± The man nodded and turned to leave.


    Wang Zheng returned home and went to Old Master Wang¡¯s courtyard. He sat on the bed for a while and looked at Old Master Wang, whose mouth and eyes had be crooked. He went to the small temple hall unhappily and said to Old Madam Wang, ¡°Mother, I¡¯ve found someone to help ask about Ah Yue. We should be able to find out in a few days.¡±


    Old Madam Wang looked up at him and said indifferently, ¡°What¡¯s the use of finding her? Without her innocence, she can only be locked in the temple for the rest of her life. It¡¯s better to let her have her freedom outside.¡±


    Wang Zheng looked at the olddy. ¡°I asked Leader Lei to help look for her. Ah


    Yue wasn¡¯t sold to those dirty ces. I can¡¯t let her wander outside.¡±


    ¡°You know that Ah Yue can only be imprisoned in the temple when shees back, but you¡¯re still so stubborn. I think you¡¯re fulfilling a wish. Ah Zheng, you¡¯re as hypocritical as your father. Let me ask you. If the Lin family really found Jinniang back then, would you really marry her without any grudges?¡±


    Old Madam Wang looked at her son¡¯s changing expression and said mockingly, ¡°Ah Zheng, I know that Jinniang is not unique in your heart. Otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t have agreed to marry Madam Lin when the Lin family suggested that her sister reced her. You¡¯re thinking about Jinniang so much because you have already married Madam Lin.¡±


    After saying that, Old Madam Wang nced at him and closed her eyes, ignoring Wang Zheng.


    Just after dark, the mute walked out of the theater and shuttled through the alley at an extremely fast speed. After a few twists and turns, he arrived at the backyard of the government office.


    Walking around the wall, he grabbed a crack in a wall and kicked himself up the wall. He jumped into the back garden and felt his way into the main courtyard with light footsteps. He stood against the porch pir like a gecko. From the casual conversation between the two bailiffs, he learned that the magistrate¡¯s family was living on the farmstead outside the city.


    The mute retreated from the office and returned to the theater. He gestured and told Su Xianyin the news he had heard.


    Su Xianyin nodded. ¡°Alright, go and rest first. We¡¯ll go out of the city tomorrow.¡±


    After the mute left, an honest-looking and agile old woman walked in and said to Su Xianyin, ¡°Boss Su, the one who was sent over yesterday refused to eat.¡±


    Su Xianyin said coldly, ¡°If she doesn¡¯t eat, she¡¯ll be hungry. If she starves for two days, she¡¯ll be obedient. These girls have already been booked. Watch them carefully and don¡¯t let anything go wrong. After we¡¯re done with the Wang family, we¡¯ll leave.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡± The old woman turned around and went out. She entered a hut and pushed open the cubicle door with an oilmp. Inside was an iron cage containing a dozen gagged, bound, and cowering girls.


    The old woman looked at the girls with a strange smile. ¡°Behave yourselves. Otherwise, I¡¯ll cut off your hands and feet and chop them into minced meat to make fertilizer.¡±


    The girls lowered their heads in fear, not daring to look at the old woman. The old woman ced the oilmp on thempstand and turned to the outer room to bring in a basin of steamed buns. She said to them, ¡°Behave yourself and eat the steamed buns. Otherwise, this day next year will be your death anniversary. ¡±


    The old woman reached into the cage and untied the ropes that tied them to their hands. She pulled the rags out of their mouths and stuffed the steamed buns into their hands one by one. ¡°Eat them obediently. I¡¯ll send you to a good life when we get back.¡±


    The girls held the steamed buns and did not dare to look at her or say a word. After the old woman went out with the oilmp, sad and desperate sobs came from the room after a while.


    The next day, at dawn, the mute carried a pole and sack. Dressed as a farmer, he followed the crowd out of the city. When the sun came out, he was already at the foot of the mountain. He saw someone plucking water weeds in the seed field. The mute carried the pole and sack down the stream and saw Er Ya, Little Yezi, Little Stutterer, Little Loach, and a few others driving ducks and geese by the stream.


    The mute nced at Little Yezi and moved his hand that was holding the sack. But he had second thoughts and left.


    Little Loach watched the mute walk away and said to Little Yezi, ¡°Xiao Yezi, did you see that person just now?¡±


    Little Yezi nodded fearfully. ¡°I saw him.¡±


    Little Loach pulled Little Yezi and instructed them, ¡°The few of you, stay here and don¡¯t leave. I¡¯ll go back and tell the steward.¡± With that, he ran back quickly..

 Chapter 303 - 303: Sharp

    Chapter 303: Sharp


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Er Ya and Little Stutterer asked Little Yezi curiously, ¡°What¡¯s with Little Loach?¡±


    Little Yezi looked at the mute who had walked away and said with lingering fear, ¡°One day, Brother Loach and I were catching field chickens in a ditch outside the city and saw someone in his sack.¡± Little Stutterer said, ¡°Ah! He¡­ he¡¯s a human trafficker.¡±


    Little Yezi nodded. ¡°He looks so scary!¡±


    Er Ya nodded. ¡°My brother said those human traffickers are very bad.¡±


    Little Loach quickly ran back to the manor. When he saw Yangyang and Seven Pounds ying with spinning tops in the drying field, he hurriedly said to Gu


    Yu, who was guarding at the side, ¡°Sister Gu Yu, where did the steward go?¡±


    Gu Yu pointed at the warehouse. ¡°He went to the warehouse to find a rope to make a swing.¡±


    Little Loach hurriedly ran into the warehouse and shouted at the door, ¡°Uncle


    Steward, there is a human traffickering up to the manor.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Ji Xiang didn¡¯t understand. He came out with the rope and looked at Little Loach, who was panting like a cow.


    Little Loach pulled him out anxiously. ¡°Uncle, a human trafficker was here.¡±


    Ji Xiang pulled the flustered Little Loach. ¡°Human trafficker? Where did you see him? How do you know hes a human trafficker?¡± Little Loach told Ji Xiang what he and Little Yezi had seen.


    Ji Xiang was shocked. A human trafficker! How could this be? He hurriedly turned around and said to Gu Yu, ¡°Quickly bring Young Master and Seven Pounds to the backyard and report to Madam that a human trafficker hase to the farmstead.¡± With that, he picked up Little Loach and ran.


    Gu Yu pulled the two of them hurriedly towards the backyard. ¡°Young Master, Seven Pounds, a human trafficker was here. Let¡¯s go back to the backyard quickly.¡±


    Seven Pounds asked as they walked, ¡°Sister Gu Yu, what¡¯s a human trafficker?¡±


    Gu Yu thought for a moment and said, ¡°Human traffickers are evil. They¡¯re bad people who steal kids.¡±


    Seven Pounds looked at Gu Yu. ¡°Do bad people want to steal naughty kids?¡± Gu


    Yu nodded.


    Yangyang waved his small fist. ¡°Sister Gu Yu, don¡¯t be afraid. I learned martial arts from Brother Seven Pounds. Let¡¯s hit him.¡±


    Seven Pounds also clenched his fists. ¡°Yes! I learned martial arts from Young


    Master.¡±


    Gu Yu smiled at the two of them. ¡°Alright, the two of you can hit him together.¡±


    Ji Xiang carried Little Loach and ran to the stream. Little Yezi said to Ji Xiang, ¡°Uncle Steward, that person was walking down with a pole and a sack. Sister


    Xiao Qiu and the others are cutting grass in the wastnd below the cornfield.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not releasing the ducks today. Hurry up and go back.¡± With that, Ji Xiang rushed towards the ce where Xiao Qiu and the others were cutting the grass. When he arrived at the wastnd, he heaved a sigh of relief when he saw the children. He said to them, ¡°Xiao Qiu, Yanzi, go back.¡±


    ¡°Aye!¡± Xiao Qiu looked up at Ji Xiang and agreed. She said to Yanzi and the other three girls, ¡°Sister Yan, Cao¡¯er, Uncle Steward is here to look for us.¡±


    Seeing that their backpacks were filled to the brim, Ji Xiang walked over to help carry one and asked them, ¡°Have you seen a man in ck walking over?¡±


    Xiao Qiu and the two girls shook their heads. Yanzi and Cao¡¯er pointed at the bushes in front of them and said, ¡°We saw a man in ck clothes carrying a pole into the forest.¡±


    Ji Xiang nced at the bushes not far away and instructed, ¡°Go back first. Don¡¯te here to cut grass for the next two days. Let Shui Sheng and a few older childrene. ¡±


    Cao¡¯er asked, ¡°Uncle, is that person a bad person?¡±


    Ji Xiang was afraid that they wouldn¡¯t know the severity of the matter, so he said to them, ¡°It¡¯s a human trafficker. Little Loach said that he saw him put someone in a sack.¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡± The girls jumped and followed Ji Xiang back.


    Gu Yu returned to the main courtyard and found Li Yu, who was scattering rapeseed in the back garden. She told Li Yu the news that a human trafficker hade to the manor. When Li Yu heard this, she frowned and thought to herself she didn¡¯t hear Zhou Jia mention that someone in the city had been kidnapped. Even if there were kidnappers, logically speaking, they wouldn¡¯te to the manor to kidnap children. Could it be that they had other motives? Li Yu recalled her ill-fated rtionship with the Wang family and immediately became vignt.


    Gu Yu looked at the silent Li Yu and picked up the nt ashes in the dustpan to sprinkle on the scattered rapeseed. Yangyang and Seven Pounds held Li Yu¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Mother, Sister Gu Yu said that someone is here to steal children.¡±


    Li Yu squatted down and looked at the two of them. She touched their braids.


    ¡°That¡¯s right! Remember not to run out alone!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam,¡± Seven Pounds agreed obediently. Yangyang waved his fist.


    ¡°Mother, I know martial arts. I¡¯m not afraid.¡±


    Li Yu looked at him and picked him up. She smiled and said, ¡°You¡¯re too young. You won¡¯t be able to move if someone nabs you.¡±


    Yangyang struggled hard a few times. Seeing that he really couldn¡¯t move, he wrinkled his nose and pouted. ¡°Father said that Yangyang will grow faster if he eats more. I¡¯ll eat well in the future.¡±


    Li Yu kissed him. ¡°Yes! Eat well and cultivate well.¡±


    Ji Xiang brought Little Loach and Little Yezi to the back garden and said to Li Yu, ¡°Madam, these two children saw him.¡±


    After Li Yu heard the two children tell her what had happened, she said to the two timid children, ¡°You guys will y in the manor these few days. Don¡¯t run around and don¡¯t go out alone, understand?¡±


    Seeing that Li Yu was as gentle as Ji Xiang and the others, the two of them nodded with a smile. ¡°Got it.¡±


    Li Yu looked at Yangyang and Seven Pounds, who were holding their hands, and said, ¡°Alright, go y!¡± The children ran off hand in hand.


    Looking at the children¡¯s carefree gait, Li Yu told Ji Xiang her worries and said to him, ¡°Ji Xiang, I don¡¯t think this person has good intentions. Think about it, kidnappers usually capture children in ces with a lot of people. It¡¯s impossible for them toe to the vige to abduct children. From tonight onwards, everyone has to be careful. Yangyang and Seven Pounds have to be apanied at all times. You can start teaching the children you¡¯ve chosen.¡±


    Ji Xiang believed Li Yu¡¯s words without a doubt because Li Yu had always been quite sensitive to danger. ¡°Yes, Madam. It looks like we need to take some precautions.¡±


    Li Yu looked at the greenhouse behind the garden and walked around the garden. She chose a location and said to Ji Xiang, ¡°Get someone to dig traps around here and nt spikes inside. Set up traps at all the ces that enter the courtyard. Let Ruyi return to the government office and ask if anyone has reported missing.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± Ji Xiang went to the construction site and found Ruyi. He told him Li Yu¡¯s guess and asked him to return to the city.


    The mute quickly circled from the bushes to the shallow mountain behind the manor and climbed onto a big tree to hide. He looked down at theyout of the houses in the manor and silently remembered it beforeing down from the tree. He returned to the city and showed theyout he had memorized to Su Xianyin. She saw that the mute¡¯s sketch was vivid and realistic in presenting theyout of the manor.


    After Su Xianyin finished studying the sketch, the mute gestured and asked,


    ¡°Boss, do you want to watch for two more days before taking action?¡±


    Su Xianyin shook her head and pointed at the roof of the main courtyard. She said to the mute, ¡°Speed is important in war. Let¡¯s take action tonight. When we get there, we¡¯ll go around the wall behind the manor and go to the roof of the main courtyard. Go down and use the bewitching incense to knock down the guards in the courtyard and the people in the main room. I¡¯ll enter the house and abduct the target.


    The mute nodded and watched her gesture. ¡°Rest at home. I¡¯ll be fine alone.¡±


    Su Xianyin looked at him and smiled. ¡°It¡¯s safer for two people. You have to understand that she¡¯s the wife of the magistrate. She¡¯s worth more than ten thousand taels of silver!¡±


    The mute stared nkly at her flower-like smile for a moment. Suddenly, he blushed and walked away with his head lowered.


    Su Xianyin smiled at the mute¡¯s back and folded the sketch before putting it in her sleeve pocket..

 Chapter 304 - 304: Here

    Chapter 304: Here


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    After Ruyi returned to the city, he went to the front office and told Zhou Jia Li Yu¡¯s guess. After Zhou Jia asked Mr. Qian to call the constable over to ask, he learned that no one hade to report disappearances. He felt that Little Loach and Little Yezi would not lie. Perhaps the families were unwilling to make it public.


    Zhou Jia said to Ruyi, ¡°Go back to the manor first. I¡¯ll rush back after I leave the government office. ¡±


    Ruyi looked at Zhou Jia worriedly. ¡°Master, let me pick you up!¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s not that serious. Besides, I still have constables and guards following me!¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Ruyi bowed and left the escort room, rushing back out of the city.


    Ji Xiang brought people to the bamboo forest to cut a few bundles of bamboo. After cutting them diagonally, he brought them to the trap in the back garden and inserted them into the dug trap. He covered the trap with some bamboo slices and covered it with soil.


    Li Yu returned to her room and took out the crossbow and arrows from her space. She checked the crossbows and distributed them to Ruyi and Ji Xiang. She said to the two of them, ¡°Ruyi will guard the corner door tonight. Ji Xiang and I will hide on the beam at the entrance of the main hall.¡±


    They replied in unison, ¡°Yes, Madam.¡±


    While the adults were busy, the children were obedient. After dinner, they did not go to the courtyard to y. They obediently washed up and returned to their rooms to rest. All the traps had been set, and the farmstead was prepared to face the enemy.


    After Zhou Jia left the government office, he rejected Wu Tingxian¡¯s invitation and asked Mr. Qian to stay in the government office. He brought a few constables and guards back to the manor and returned to the main courtyard.


    He said to Li Yu, ¡°Yu¡¯er, after thinking for a long time, I still think that Wang Zheng must have hired someone. He and Madam Lin still want to know their daughter¡¯s whereabouts. They don¡¯t dare to ask us openly, so they want to find someone to attack you.¡±


    Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia apologetically. ¡°I was too impatient. I kidnapped Ah


    Yue and attracted the Wang family¡¯s counterattack.¡±


    Zhou Jia went forward and hugged her. He kissed her forehead. ¡°Yu¡¯er, sometimes, I also feel that I¡¯m very useless. Every time I encounter trouble, you¡¯re the one who rushes forward to protect me, and I can only watch helplessly but can¡¯t help you. Previously, Miss Wang sent someone to kidnap you. If not for your impressive martial arts, I would be the one searching crazily in the world now. You don¡¯t have to me yourself. Miss Wang deserves it.¡±


    Li Yu felt warmth in her heart when she heard Zhou Jia¡¯s words. She looked up and kissed Zhou Jia. She said gently, ¡°In the past, you were weak and had Ruyi and the other two protecting you. You didn¡¯t think of learning martial arts. You¡¯re not bad now! Ordinary thieves are no match for you.¡±


    The couple looked at each other and smiled. Zhou Jia kissed the corner of Li


    Yu¡¯s eye. ¡°I love you, Yu¡¯er.¡±


    The couple hugged quietly for a while before separating. Li Yu tied the sleeve arrow to Zhou Jia and handed the crossbow to him. She instructed him, ¡°Take Yangyang and Sir to live in the room next door to Ruyi. Other than the constables lying in ambush at the trap, the guards you brought back will stay in the room to protect you. Remember not toe out.¡±


    ¡°You have to be careful.¡± Zhou Jia took the crossbow. After the couple went out,


    Mr. Wen took the pills and distributed them to Li Yu, Ruyi, and Ji Xiang. ¡°Put


    this in your mouth and the assant can¡¯t control you with knockout incense.¡±


    Ji Xiang smiled and said, ¡°Sir, are there any medicine packets to ward off mosquitoes? The mosquitoes in the farmstead bite very hard.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Mr. Wen took out a few medicine packets and handed them to the three of them. ¡°Put this in your pockets. I¡¯ll see that the mosquitoes don¡¯t dare bite you tonight.¡±


    Li Yu took the medicine bag and ced it away. Zhou Jia said to her, ¡°It¡¯ste in the evening. The assants won¡¯te so early. Split up with Ruyi and Ji Xiang and rest for a while. I¡¯ll wake you up at midnight.¡±


    Li Yu nodded and returned to the house to tie up the sleeve arrow and dagger respectively. Shey on the bed and closed her eyes to adjust her breathing to recuperate.


    After Li Yu and the others rested, Zhou Jia went out and instructed the people in the front courtyard not toe out no matter what they heard at night, in case they were identally injured.


    Everyone originally felt that they were redundant people living in the world. But they had been lucky and were brought to the manor by Madam to live a stable life. Now that an assant was about toe to the manor, Master still came especiallye to remind them to keep safe. Everyone was extremely touched and said in unison, ¡°Master, don¡¯t worry. We won¡¯t go out and cause trouble. ¡±


    The mute and Su Xianyin drove the carriage out of the city before it was almost dark. When they reached the foot of Mount Spindel, it was already dark. The mute drove the carriage to the ce he had looked at during the day and the old woman crawled out of the carriage.


    Su Xianyin got out of the car in dark clothes and stood on the mountain bag. She looked at the manor not far away that was lit with dim yellow light and said to the mute, ¡°There must be constables and guards on the manor. Be carefulter. Don¡¯t be rash. After we finish this, we¡¯ll leave Yunzhou City.¡±


    At night, the fields rang with the sound of frogs and insects. A cool breeze blew at the foot of the mountain. Countless mosquitoes pounced crazily on the mute and the old woman sitting on the rafters of the cart. The mute sat motionlessly while the old woman scratched for a short while.


    In the middle of the night, Li Yu opened her eyes and sat up. She changed into dark gray clothes, tied up the dagger and sleeve arrow, and picked up the crossbow by the bed to load the arrows.


    Zhou Jia walked into the room and saw that Li Yu was already up and ready. He watched as she walked to her side and sat down. He instructed, ¡°Yu¡¯er, you have to be careful. Don¡¯t force yourself.¡±


    Li Yu knew that Zhou Jia was worried about her. She put down the crossbow and hugged Zhou Jia. She patted his back andforted him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    Zhou Jia hugged Li Yu back. ¡°Yes! Yang¡¯er is already asleep. Sir is watching him from the room.¡±


    Li Yu let go of Zhou Jia and looked at him. ¡°You know that as long as I start fighting, it will end quickly. If you stay here, I¡¯ll be distracted. Go back to rest!¡± ¡°Alright!¡± Zhou Jia kissed Li Yu and stood up to leave the room.


    Li Yu walked to the door with the crossbow. Ruyi and Ji Xiang were already waiting. The two of them looked at Li Yu, who hade out of the house, in high spirits. ¡°Madam, we¡¯re ready.¡±


    Li Yu instructed, ¡°Be careful and follow the arrangements.¡±


    The two of them nodded. Ruyi went to find a ce to hide outside the corner door. Ji Xiang and Li Yu went up the beam andy on it.


    Halfway through the hour, the sound of insects rang out from where the mute and Su Xianyin were hiding. There was also the rustling of snakes and insects crawling across the grass. Su Xianyin walked out of the carriage and said,


    ¡°Mute, let¡¯s go.¡±


    Before she could finish his sentence, the two of them swept towards the dimly lit farmstead in the distance like ghosts. They leaped up and down like harriers and quickly reached the construction site at the foot of the mountain. The two of them also heard the thunderous snores of the night watchmen at the construction site.


    After a while, the two of them arrived behind the manor and found the position of the main room. The mute took out a grappling hook and threw it onto the wall. He grabbed the grappling hook and quickly climbed up. He grabbed the eaves and flipped onto the roof. He lifted the tiles of the main courtyard and saw that the room below was so dark that no light could be seen.


    Li Yu and Ji Xiangy quietly on the beam like roons. Li Yu suddenly heard a faint sound from the roof. Then, there was no movement. She thought to herself that they were here.


    Li Yu held her breath and listened to themotion on the roof. After more than ten breaths, she realized that someone had gone up to the roof again..

 Chapter 305 - 305: Intense Battle

    Chapter 305: Intense Battle


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Su Xianyin grabbed the rope and followed the mute up. She walked lightly to his side andy on the roof. She pointed at the dimly lit courtyard below. The mute nodded, got up, and jumped down.


    Li Yu turned to look at Ji Xiang and raised two fingers to gesture at him. Ji Xiang nodded and picked up the crossbow. In the blink of an eye, he saw a man covered in darkness, only revealing a pair of ck and shiny eyes. He was standing in the courtyard.


    The mute held a slender spike and nimbly shed behind a pir on the veranda. He looked at the dimmpstand standing in the corner of the veranda and stuck his head out to check around. Seeing no movement, he took out the bewitching incense and walked to the window of the main room. He blew on the lighter and lit the bewitching incense. He burned the window veil and ced it in the window. After the main room was ced, he went to the other rooms before he hid under the eaves of the porch.


    Su Xianyiny quietly on the roof. Seeing that the courtyard was still as quiet as before after the mute went down, she smiled happily when she thought about the banknotes she was about to obtain.


    After about half an hour, Li Yu heard the person lying on the roof move. Immediately after, a woman with an excellent figure jumped down from the roof.


    Without a word, Li Yu picked up the crossbow and shot at the woman in the courtyard.


    Ji Xiang shot arrows at the man rushing towards the door of the main room. The man waved the spike in his hand and dodged like a ghost. He stepped on the wall and jumped up to raise the spike in his hand to stab Ji Xiang. Ji Xiang jumped down from the beam and dodged a blow, fighting the mute who had followed.


    Su Xianyin was shocked when she heard the sharp sound of the arrow piercing through the air. She moved half a step to the left and waved the spike in her hand to knock away the arrow.


    Li Yu quickly pulled the trigger. One arrow after another flew toward Su Xianyin. Su Xianyin waved the spike in her hand and her soft body leaned back like a willow branch. A crossbow arrow brushed past her lower jaw and left a blood mark on the bone spike. Then, with a puff, she was shot in the thigh by the crossbow arrow that followed closely. She retreated two steps back from the impact of the crossbow arrow. The pain of the arrow entering her leg bone made her grunt. Su Xianyin thought that something was wrong and let out a sharp cry to turn around and escape.


    When the mute heard Su Xianyin¡¯s scream, he sped up his attack on Ji Xiang, wanting to escape from his fight. The dagger in Ji Xiang¡¯s hand followed him like a shadow. The mute could not escape, and Ji Xiang could not take advantage of him.


    After Li Yu shot thest arrow. she threw away the crossbow and slid it into her


    hand. She followed the arrow and attacked Su Xianyin like lightning. Su Xianyin red at Li Yu, who was flying over from above and raised her spike to meet her.


    When the spike came at her face, Li Yu twisted her body forcefully and the thin de in her hand pierced into Su Xianyin¡¯s left shoulder. Blood sprayed out. Su Xianyin¡¯s spike also shed across Li Yu¡¯s left arm, causing a blood mist. Li Yu¡¯s arm immediately bled.


    Li Yu¡¯s toesnded on the ground. Without looking back, she stabbed Su Xianyin in the back. The tip of her toes turned and kicked Su Xianyin. This kick was as heavy as a thousand catties. Su Xianyin was sent flying and hit the pir before falling to the ground without a sound.


    When the mute saw Su Xianyin fall to the ground, he raised his spike and stabbed at Ji Xiang¡¯s face. Ji Xiang leaned back and dodged the mute¡¯s attack. The mute kicked Ji Xiang in the stomach and sent him flying to the ground.


    The mute turned around and ran towards Su Xianyin. He was stabbed in the chest by Li Yu, who wasing at him. The mute spat out blood and clutched his chest as he pounced at Su Xianyin. He fell beside Su Xianyin and reached out to touch her neck. He felt his pulse beating weakly. The mute revealed a gentle smile and closed his eyes.


    Li Yu walked over to check and realized that the mute was no longer breathing but Su Xianyin was still alive. She pulled off their masks and saw the ordinary-looking mute and the beautiful Su Xianyin. She clicked her tongue and sighed. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect her to be a vicious beauty.¡±


    She turned around and covered her injured arm as she walked toward Ji Xiang. Before she could reach Ji Xiang, she saw him slowly get up. Li Yu heaved a sigh of relief and smiled. ¡°We won.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam. We won.¡± Ji Xiang nodded and held his stomach as he coughed twice. Suddenly, he looked up and shouted, ¡°Master, Ruyi, we won.¡±


    Zhou Jia and Mr. Wen sat cross-legged in the dark room and listened to Yangyang sleep. Suddenly, they heard Ji Xiang¡¯s shout and heaved a sigh of relief.


    Mr. Wen held Zhou Jia¡¯s hand and said briskly, ¡°Xiao Xi, go out and take a look.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Zhou Jia quickly walked towards the outer room. The guard guarding the outer room also heard Ji Xiang¡¯s shout. Seeing Zhou Jia open the door ande out, he hurriedly went up to him and said, ¡°Sir, we won.¡±


    Zhou Jia nodded and said, ¡°Stay here and guard it.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± A guard went forward and opened the door to see Zhou Jia run towards the main courtyard.


    The lights in the courtyard came on and Xiaoyu pushed open the door. Gu Yu and Xing Hua helped Xiaoyu out and stood in the courtyard looking at the main door.


    Xiaoyu said to Gu Yu, ¡°Madam is going to take a showerter. Gu Yu, go and see if there¡¯s still hot water in the pot.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Gu Yu replied happily. When she reached the corner, she realized that Old Madam Yun and Old Madam Xu were already walking toward the kitchen.


    When Ruyi heard Ji Xiang¡¯s shout, he guessed that the thief might havee from the roof at the back of the house. Thinking that he had already rushed back to the main courtyard, he saw the two people lying on the ground and ran to them. He asked worriedly, ¡°Madam, how are you and Ji Xiang? Are you injured?¡±


    Li Yu smiled and said, ¡°We¡¯re all injured but fine. Go and see if that woman is dead. ¡±


    Ruyi pulled out his saber and walked up to the two of them. He slowly squatted down and felt that the mute¡¯s pulse was no longer beating. He touched Su Xianyin and said to Li Yu, ¡°Madam, one of them is dead. This woman is still breathing. Can we save her?¡±


    When Li Yu heard that Su Xianyin was not dead yet, she thought for a moment and said, ¡°Forget it! I¡¯ll let her live first so that it¡¯ll be easier to ask where she came from.¡± As she spoke, she stood up and walked towards the courtyard door.


    Zhou Jia brought the guards into the main courtyard and saw Li Yu standing behind the door. He rushed over to support Li Yu and checked anxiously. ¡°How is it? Are you injured?¡±


    Li Yu leaned against Zhou Jia¡¯s anxious expression and said with a smile, ¡°Ji


    Xiang was kicked in the stomach. My arm was cut, but it¡¯s fine.¡±


    ¡°Hurry up and go back to the house. I¡¯ll clean your wound and bandage it.¡± Zhou Jia supported Li Yu and walked into the room..

 Chapter 306 - 306: Victory

    Chapter 306: Victory


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    ¡°Master, my stomach hurts. Why didn¡¯t youe and see me?¡± Ji Xiang hugged his stomach and pretended.


    Zhou Jia held Li Yu and smiled without looking back. ¡°Stop pretending. If it hurts badly, go find Sir to take a look at you.¡±


    Seeing Zhou Jia help Li Yu into the house, Ji Xiang held his forehead and sighed. ¡°No one loves a bachelor!¡±


    Ruyi walked over to support him and teased, ¡°Come, Brother Ruyi dotes on you.¡±


    Ji Xiang rolled his eyes in disgust. ¡°I find you clumsy.¡±


    At this moment, Gu Yu and Xiaoyu walked in together. When Xiaoyu saw Ruyi¡¯s lively appearance, she smiled and heaved a sigh of relief. Gu Yu looked worriedly at Ji Xiang, who was hugging his stomach.


    Ruyi smiled at Xiaoyu and lowered his head to say in Ji Xiang¡¯s ear, ¡°Ji Xiang, the person who dotes on you is here. Hurry up and groan more miserably.¡±


    Ji Xiang looked at Gu Yu but couldn¡¯t cry out. He clutched his stomach as if he was constipated.


    Ruyi waved at Gu Yu and said, ¡°Gu Yu,e and help your Brother Ji Xiang to Old Master to take a look.¡±


    Seeing Ji Xiang holding his stomach in pain, Gu Yu hurriedly shouted to Ruyi,


    ¡°Hold him. I¡¯ll go invite Old Master.¡±


    Ruyi nced at Gu Yu¡¯s back and watched as Ji Xiang spread his hands. He smiled and said, ¡°Brother, I can¡¯t help you anymore.¡±


    Xiaoyu walked over and patted Ruyi twice. She smiled and said, ¡°The two of you are always putting up pretenses. Hurry up and let Old Master take a look.¡± Ji Xiang gloated. ¡°Sister-inw, hit him twice more to help me vent my anger.¡±


    Zhou Jia washed Li Yu¡¯s wound and bandaged it. He brought out a loose dress and helped her put it on. He said gently, ¡°Rest. I¡¯ll go see if the hot water is ready. ¡±


    Li Yu smiled at Zhou Jia. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I have to get someone to get that dead thief out. I also have to lock the woman up and interrogate her when she wakes up.¡±


    Zhou Jia nodded and replied, ¡°Alright, lock that woman in the cer. Get the constables to move the men outside.¡± The couple walked out together.


    Su Xianyin had already woken up in the courtyard and realized that the courtyard was already brightly lit. She turned around and saw the mute lying motionless beside her. Su Xianyin sighed to herself and muttered to herself, ¡°Who would have thought that the dignified magistrate¡¯s wife would be so ruthless? Sigh! Who doesn¡¯t wet their shoes when they often walk by the river? Tiger Lei is still the smartest. He never earns money that he shouldn¡¯t have.¡±


    Li Yu and Zhou Jia stood in front of Su Xianyin and looked down at her, who was tied up like a dumpling. Li Yu mocked, ¡°Stop pretending. Tell me! Who are you? Who asked you toe?¡±


    Su Xianyin opened her eyes and looked at Li Yu and Zhou Jia coldly. ¡°I advise you not to waste your breath. I was inferior to you and fell into your hands. It¡¯s up to you to kill me.¡±


    Li Yu said indifferently, ¡°Even if you don¡¯t say it, I know that you were sent by the Wang family.¡± Su Xianyin looked at Li Yu without changing her expression. ¡°I don¡¯t know anything about the Wang and Li families.¡±


    Li Yu squatted down and scratched Su Xianyin¡¯s face with her nails. She sneered and said, ¡°I wonder what it will be like after cutting this beautiful face a few times?¡±


    Su Xianyin nced at the extremely cold Li Yu and looked up at Zhou Jia. She begged sadly, ¡°Magistrate, please give me a quick death!¡±


    That voice would usually make people sad and weep in pity. Zhou Jia took a step back and patted his chest. ¡°Aiya! I just realized that there¡¯s a blood groove on your chin. You scared me to death.¡±


    Li Yu couldn¡¯t help butugh when she saw Zhou Jia¡¯s mischievous appearance. Su Xianyin looked hatefully at the couple flirting in front of her and gritted her teeth.


    At this moment, Gu Yu walked in and reported, ¡°Madam, hot water is ready.¡±


    ¡°Coming.¡± Li Yu turned around and left. Zhou Jia pulled her back and instructed, ¡°Your hand is injured. You have to be careful.¡±


    Li Yu nodded and went to the bathroom. Ruyi brought two constables and a


    guard into the courtyard. A constable looked at Su Xianyin on the ground and touched his head. ¡°Why do I seem to have seen this woman somewhere?¡±


    Zhou Jia and Ruyi looked at him. Ruyi looked at him and said, ¡°Brother He, don¡¯t panic. Think about it!¡±


    Everyone quietened down and looked at Constable He. Constable He circled Su Xianyin a few times. ¡°Oh! I remember now. She sings in the theater at the end of Willow Flower Alley. She sang about the drunk consort very well. I even saw Second Master Wang of the Wang family enter the private room that day. ¡±


    Zhou Jia said happily, ¡°When did you see Second Master Wang? How many theaters are there in Willow Flower Alley?¡±


    Constable He cupped his hands and said, ¡°Sir, it was the day before yesterday that I apanied my grandfather to Willow Flower Alley to watch the show. After the show started, I went out to relieve myself. I happened to see Second Master Wang enter the private room. At that time, I thought that these descendants of the aristocratic families were only so-so. His old master had a stroke and was bedridden, but he was in the mood toe out and watch a


    show.¡±


    Constable He paused for a moment and continued, ¡°Sir, there are two theaters in Willow Flower Alley. This woman has not been in Yunzhou City for long and is singing in a theater called Yunyin. They all call this woman Boss Su. Her singing voice and figure are not bad.¡±


    Zhou Jia thought to himself, I¡¯m afraid Boss Su¡¯s aplice is still in the theater. He instructed, ¡°Constable He, go back and arrange a shift with Protector Chen to protect the manor. Tell everyone that we¡¯ll return to


    Yunzhou city tomorrow morning. As soon as the city gate opens, we¡¯ll go to


    Willow Flower Alley to check on Yunyin Drama Theater.¡±


    Zhou Jia pointed at Su Xianyin and said to Ruyi, ¡°Shut her mouth and lock her in the cer.¡±


    The few of them replied in unison, ¡°Yes, Master.¡± Ruyi carried Su Xianyin to the cer. Constable Liu and his colleagues carried the mute out with a cloth covering him.


    Zhou Jia went to Mr. Wen¡¯s ce to see Ji Xiang again. Mr. Wen leaned against the head of the bed and looked at Ji Xiang, who was with Yangyang. He smiled and said to Zhou Jia, ¡°His blood and Qi were blocked by the kick. I gave him a few injections and gave him a pill to calm him down. He¡¯ll be fine after resting for two days.¡±


    Zhou Jia whispered to Mr. Wen, ¡°Are you going to make do here tonight or go back to your room to sleep?¡±


    Mr. Wen looked at Ji Xiang and Yangyang and said lovingly, ¡°I¡¯ll guard him here tonight. It¡¯ste and someone just died in your courtyard. Don¡¯t carry Yang¡¯er away. Leave him here to sleep tonight.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Yangyang and Ji Xiang and said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll listen to you.


    Rest early too.¡± Mr. Wen waved his hand and watched Zhou Jia close the door and leave.


    The old woman sat in the carriage and waited for Su Xianyin and the mute. She began to panic and muttered to herself, ¡°Did something happen to Boss Su and the mute?¡± As she spoke, she pped her mouth a few more times. ¡°Pfft, pfft, pfft. Touch wood.¡± However, she couldn¡¯t stop feeling that the two of them were doomed.


    The old woman listened restlessly to the sound of voles chirping and eating in the grass and the creepy cries of owls in the forest. She suddenly shivered and had goosebumps all over her body. Fear surged into her heart like a tide. She could not wait any longer and led the horse toward the vige at the foot of the mountain..

 Chapter 307 - 307: Drama Theater

    Chapter 307: Drama Theater


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    The next day, just as dawn broke in the east, Zhou Jia brought Ruyi, Bodyguard Chen, Constable He, and the others into the city.


    The group was almost at the city gate when the old woman from the theater came out of the farmer¡¯s house. She returned to the ce where she had hiddenst night in fear and took a look. There were still no traces of anyone returning. She thought to herself that she had to escape!


    The old woman drove the carriage to the official road. Not long after, she thought again. Boss Su must have hidden a lot of silver. It was not toote to free before retrieving the silver. After thinking about it, the old woman turned around and drove the carriage into the city.


    As soon as the group arrived at the city gate, they saw the city gate slowly open. Zhou Jia said to Constable He, ¡°Old He, send two people to the government office to record that person¡¯s corpse before sending it to the mortuary. The others, follow me to Willow Flower Alley.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Constable He replied with a bow. The two constables pulled the mute¡¯s corpse towards the government office.


    Constable He brought Zhou Jia and the others to Willow Flower Alley. When the pedestrians in the alley saw that the people from the government office had arrived early in the morning, they hurriedly dodged to the side.


    Passerby B asked softly, ¡°What happened? Why are so many officials here so early in the morning?


    Passerby A curled his lips and said, ¡°Who knows? This alley is not a peaceful ce, to begin with. It¡¯s either a dark brothel or a theater.¡±


    Soon, they arrived at the entrance of the opera garden. Constable He said to Zhou Jia, ¡°Sir, the Yunyin Drama Theater is ahead.¡±


    Zhou Jia got out of the car and said to Constable He, ¡°Go in and check.¡±


    Just as they arrived at the entrance of the theater, a thin old man walked out of the hut at the door. He smiled and cupped his hands at Constable He. ¡°Constable He, what happened so early in the morning?¡±


    Constable He pointed at the old man and said to Zhou Jia, ¡°Sir, this old man is guarding the theater here.¡± After saying that, he said to the old man, ¡°Uncle Lin, this is our Prefecture Lord Zhou. Boss Su hasmitted a crime. We¡¯re here to investigate.¡±


    When Old Lin heard this, he hurriedly knelt down to Zhou Jia. ¡°Greetings, sir.¡±


    Zhou Jia took a step forward and helped him up. ¡°Please get up.¡±


    Seeing this, Old Lin didn¡¯t waste his breath. He said eloquently, ¡°Sir, I¡¯ll bring you guys there. This theater belongs to Boss Lin. I¡¯ve been guarding the door here. After Boss Lin couldn¡¯t sing anymore, I rented it to those running the venue. Boss Su and her two servants have been here for almost three months. Those people who yed and sang were temporary hires. Boss Su and the other two live in a row of houses behind the stage. Yesterday afternoon, I saw her old woman driving the carriage out, and hasn¡¯t returned until today.¡±


    When Zhou Jia heard this, he said to Bodyguard Chen, ¡°Old Chen, go and guard the door. Make sure to nab her.¡± Bodyguard Chen cupped his hands and went to the entrance of the theater.


    Walking around the stage, Old Lin pointed at a row of five rooms at the back of the stage and said to them, ¡°Sir, they live inside.¡±


    Constable He led his men over and pried open the lock. There was no one inside with some women¡¯s clothes hanging on a shelf. The bedding on the bed in the inner room was neatly folded and there were some jars on the dressing table.


    Ruyi opened it and took a look. It was some cosmetics and lip gloss. There was also some jewelry in the box. There was arge wooden box on the bed. After knocking off the copper lock on the box, he saw some clothes on it. He lifted the clothes. The two wooden boxes below were filled with gold and silver. On the bottom was a stack of banknotes.


    After Ruyi picked it up and counted, he said to Zhou Jia, ¡°Master, there are


    13,000 taels of silver here.¡±


    Zhou Jia nodded and said, ¡°Put everything into the box and carry it back to the government office.¡± Everyone put everything into the wooden box and carried it out.


    They searched another room and realized that there were only a few men¡¯s clothes inside. They walked towards the room next door.


    After opening the door, he saw some wooden boxes and misceneous items in the outer room. The inner door was locked. Ruyi walked to the door and could vaguely hear heavy breathing inside.


    Ruyi pointed at the inner room and said to Constable He, ¡°Old He, listen. There is someone inside, quickly pry open the door.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re here.¡± Constable He walked to the door and pried open the lock. He pushed open the door and gasped when he saw the situation inside. There was an iron cage in the house. In the small cage were more than ten frightened little girls with gagged and tied hands and feet. These girls looked to be between six and seven years old and some were in their teens. There was a nauseating sour stench on them.


    When the girls saw them enter, they whimpered for help. Constable He went forward and tore the rags from their mouths. The girls burst into tears.


    Zhou Jia then came in and saw these girls. He said angrily, ¡°Damn it! So they¡¯re actually trafficking people in the name of an opera troupe.¡±


    Constable He looked at these children who were about the same age as his daughter andforted them gently. ¡°Youngdies, don¡¯t be afraid. We¡¯re constables from the government office. This is our magistrate, Lord Zhou.


    We¡¯ll let you out now.¡±


    When the girls heard this, they looked at Zhou Jia and the others and nodded.


    Constable He opened the iron cage and the others carried them out one by one. They counted a total of 14 children.


    The few of them untied the ropes binding their hands and feet and asked them, ¡°Where¡¯s your home? How did you get here?¡±


    A little girl in her teens sobbed and said, ¡°I¡¯m from Dingyuan County. That day, I was cutting pig grass in the vige. That old woman stopped me and asked for directions. After I showed her the way, she gave me two candies. I woke up here.¡±


    After asking, they found out that these youngdies had been abducted from the remote county city nearby. Some had been kidnapped when they were at the market with their families, and some had been drugged and kidnapped when they were cutting grass and ying. Although these youngdies had dirty faces, they were all good -looking.


    Old Lin stood at the door. When he saw Constable Heing out of the house with some dirty-looking little girls, he shouted in shock, ¡°Heavens! Where did these childrene from? When were they locked inside? Why wasn¡¯t there any movement?¡±


    Constable He pointed into the room and said to him, ¡°You¡¯ll understand when you enter the room.¡±


    Old Lin ran in to take a look and cursed angrily, ¡°You heartless vicious woman.


    Has your conscience been eaten by a dog? Aren¡¯t you afraid of retribution?¡±


    Bodyguard Chen stood in front of the stage at the entrance of the theater and stuck his head out to see a ck-veiled carriage driving towards the theater. When it was about to reach the entrance, the old woman in the carriage saw the two carriages parked at the entrance and turned around to flee. ¡°Stop,¡± BodyGuard Chen shouted. He rushed over and grabbed the reins, pulling the old woman out of the car.


    The old woman struggled and shouted, ¡°Someonee quickly! Someone is snatching the carriage.¡±


    A few pedestrians surrounded them. A man rolled up his sleeves and red at them. ¡°What are you doing? How dare you block the way and rob in broad daylight?¡±


    BodyGuard Chen took out his waist token and shouted at them, ¡°I¡¯m a guard of the government office. I¡¯m ordered to capture this old woman.¡±


    When the man saw this, he hurriedly retreated and spat at the old woman angrily, ¡°Pfft! You damn old woman..¡±

 Chapter 308 - 308: The Misery of Being a Woman

    Chapter 308: The Misery of Being a Woman


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    At this moment, Zhou Jia walked out with his men. Bodyguard Chen dragged the old woman forward and said, ¡°Sir, I¡¯ve captured her.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at the old woman with Bodyguard Chen and scolded, ¡°You look loyal and honest, but you¡¯re doing evil things behind my back. Bring her back to the government office.¡±


    When the children saw the old woman in Bodyguard Chen¡¯s grip standing there in fear, they did not even have the courage to walk past her. Ruyiforted them. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. Get in the car.¡±


    ¡°Little girl, don¡¯t be afraid. Uncle will hold on tightly.¡± Seeing this, Bodyguard Chen grabbed the old woman and retreated to the side. A bold little girl carefully walked over before the other little girls followed her into the carriage.


    After the children got into the car, Zhou Jia said to Old Lin, who was following behind, ¡°Old man, tell Boss Lin that this garden has to be sealed for a few days. It can only be unsealed after our investigation. Remember to let her go to the government office to settle the procedures.¡±


    Old Lin bowed and said, ¡°Yes, sir. I understand.¡±


    Zhou Jia left a constable guarding the entrance of the theater before leading the rescued youngdies and subordinates toward the government office.


    The people around the theater looked curiously at the dirty and smelly little girls. After Zhou Jia left with his people, the surrounding people surrounded Old Lin and asked for information curiously. Old Lin gestured nimbly and told them that the owner of the theater was a human trafficker.


    Zhou Jia brought his men back to the government office. Wu Tingxian looked at the youngdies who got out of the car and asked curiously, ¡°Sir, didn¡¯t you go to search the theater? Where did these childrene from?¡±


    ¡°I found them from inside¡­¡± Zhou Jia told him the situation and said, ¡°Get someone to register the addresses of these children and send them back.¡±


    Wu Tingxian looked at the youngdies and was worried. He thought to himself, It¡¯s easy if they¡¯re boys, but it¡¯s troublesome if it¡¯s all girls! He pulled Zhou Jia to the side and whispered, ¡°Sir, these are all girls. What if we encounter a pedantic family that refuses to take the child back?¡±


    Zhou Jia thought for a while and pointed at the box to discuss with Wu


    Tingxian. ¡°Senior Wu, there¡¯s silver in the box that we found in the theater. It looks like it¡¯s quite a lot. Look! Why don¡¯t we arrange for someone to send the children back first? My heart really aches for the children¡¯s families. They¡¯re naturally happy to have their children back. If a pedantic family doesn¡¯t want to keep the child, she¡¯ll probably lose her life. Since we saved these children, we can¡¯t just watch them die. We¡¯ll bring them back and give them some silver to those kind families who have no children.¡±


    Wu Tingxian thought for a moment. ¡°Sir, your idea is not bad. They were kidnapped by the people in the theater. It¡¯s just right to use the money we obtained from the confiscation to supplement those children.¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled and cupped his hands at Wu Tingxian. ¡°Lord Wu, arrange for people. I¡¯ll interrogate that old woman.¡± He then said to Ruyi and Mr. Qian, who were waiting at the side, ¡°Ruyi, go to the shop and buy some clothes for these children. Mr. Qian, bring these children to the back office and get Old Madam


    Liu to bring them to wash up and make some food for them.¡±


    The men answered in unison. ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    The old woman was brought to the hall to start the interrogation. Zhou Jia shouted, ¡°Who is kneeling in the hall? What¡¯s your rtionship with Boss Su of Yunyin Drama Theater?¡±


    As the old woman prostrated on the ground, her body was trembling like a sieve. She said with a trembling voice, ¡°Master, I¡¯m Mu Sanniang. I¡¯m doing odd jobs in Yunyin Drama Theater. Those little girls have nothing to do with me. Boss Su instructed me to do the deed after taking a good look at the girls.¡±


    Zhou Jia asked in a low voice, ¡°Did Boss Su instruct you to do this? Why did a youngdy say that she ate the candy you gave her and was locked in a cage when she woke up? What¡¯s going on? Why didn¡¯t you tell me that?¡±


    Mu Sanniang kowtowed and said, ¡°Lord, Boss Su used the excuse of rushing to performances to go to the countryside to find beautiful girls with the mute. When she saw someone she liked, she would ask the mute and me to kidnap her and bring her back to Yunzhou Prefecture. A few days ago, the mute even kidnapped a girl outside the city and identally killed her. I heard that the mute threw her to the mountain to feed the wolves.¡± Mu Sanniang panted and said, ¡°Boss Su also said that these girls were all booked. She originally nned to leave, but she took on another job. She went to the farm outside the city to kidnap an official¡¯s wife. Lord, I¡¯m just an errand woman. Please spare me this time.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at her. ¡°Do you recognize the person who hired Boss Su?¡±


    Mu Sanniang shook her head and said, ¡°I only found outst night that she was going to kidnap someone. Only Boss Su and the mute have seen that master.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Mu Sanniang and was already certain that Wang Zheng had hired Boss Su to kidnap Li Yu. Zhou Jia thought to himself that Old Master Wang had already suffered a stroke and was paralyzed. With Wang Zheng having taken the wrong side, the Wang family had already begun to decline in Yunzhou City. As long as he obtained evidence of Wang Zheng¡¯s crime, he could prevent future troubles. It seemed that he had to return to the manor and let Boss Su confess before he could deal with Wang Zheng.


    Zhou Jia said to Secretary Zhao, ¡°Get her to sign her confession. Bring her down and lock her up.¡±


    Wu Tingxian thought about how Liu Yi had helped find the people Zhou Jia had taken in. He thought to himself that Lord Zhou was at ease with Liu Yi.


    After Zhou Jia returned to the escort room, he stood up and reported to Zhou Jia, ¡°Sir, can you arrange for Liu Yi to bring two people to send those children back?¡±


    ¡°You and I are on the same page. Liu Yi is mature and down-to-earth. It¡¯s appropriate to get him to send those children back. Divert a sum of money from those stolen silver and reward each family with one tael of silver.¡± Wu Ting cupped his hands and said, ¡°Yes, sir. I¡¯ll do it now.¡±


    In the back office, Old Madam Liu and Aunt Zhang stood at the door. Looking at the children sitting at the table and wolfing down their bowls, Old Madam Liu sighed and said, ¡°Sister, the people with the most bitter lives in this world are women. When I was ten or so years old, three children in the vige were kidnapped by a kidnapper during the New Year. A few dayster, the government office caught the kidnapper. The parents of the boy who was sent back burned incense happily and thanked the Buddha. The girl who was sent back was sold to a human broker in a few days.¡±


    Aunt Zhang also sighed and cursed hatefully, ¡°In my opinion, these criminals should be cut into pieces and executed.¡±


    Ruyi walked to the door of the kitchen and saw the two of them sighing in the kitchen. He smiled and said, ¡°Auntie Liu, Auntie Zhang, why are the two of you sighing here?¡±


    The two of them turned around and saw Ruyi. They smiled and said, ¡°Nothing much. I¡¯m just worried about these children.¡±


    Ruyiforted them. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry. Master has made the arrangements. Team Leader Liu is already waiting in the outer courtyard with his men. I¡¯ll bring these children out and send them home now.¡±


    When the children heard Ruyi¡¯s words from inside, they poured the remaining noodle soup into their mouths in two or three mouthfuls. They wiped their mouths and ran to the door. They looked at Ruyi with sparkling eyes. ¡°Uncle, are you sending us back now?¡± ¡°Aye! I¡¯ll send you back now..¡±

 Chapter 309 - 309: Confession

    Chapter 309: Confession


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    A girl touched her new clothes and said uneasily, ¡°Uncle, my clothes are not dry yet. What will we do about these clothes of yours?¡±


    Ruyi smiled and waved his hand. ¡°They¡¯re yours. These clothes were given to you by Lord.¡±


    The childrenughed happily when they heard that. ¡°Ah! That¡¯s great. I¡¯m going back in my new clothes to show my mother.¡±


    Looking at these happy children, Old Madam Liu returned to the kitchen to pack some pancakes and handed them to Ruyi. ¡°These pancakes can be stored.


    Bring them to Team Leader Liu for these children to eat on the way.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Granny. Thank you, Aunt.¡± After the children bowed to Old Madam Liu and Aunt Zhang, they happily followed Ruyi to the outer courtyard. Ruyi handed the pancakes and children to Liu Yi and waved her hand to send the children away.


    After sending Liu Yi off, Ruyi returned to the escort room. Zhou Jia told Ruyi the results of the interrogation of Mu Sanniang and said to him, ¡°Ruyi, go back to the manor and tell Madam what you found out in the city. Let her interrogate Boss Su and see if she will give Wang Zheng away.¡±


    Ruyi walked to Zhou Jia¡¯s side and said in a low voice, ¡°Master, I might as well go all out tonight on that Wang fellow. Let¡¯s see what else he can do.¡±


    Zhou Jia patted him. ¡°Idiot! If you do these things in the dark, you¡¯ll only be exposed. You have to use evidence to arrest Wang Zheng openly and make those Wang family rtives have nothing to say.¡±


    Ruyi understood after Zhou Jia said that. He lowered his head and said, ¡°Master, I was thinking too simply.¡± Zhou Jia patted him and smiled. ¡°Alright, go back quickly!¡±


    In the manor, after Ji Xiang woke up, he realized that his stomach no longer hurt. He turned around and saw Yangyang sleeping soundly beside him. He touched his little face and went out. When he saw Gu Yu waiting at the door, he smiled and said, ¡°Gu Yu, why are you guarding here so early in the morning? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re here to see me?


    Gu Yu rolled her eyes at his energetic appearance after sleeping for a night. ¡°You¡¯re as strong as a cow. What¡¯s there to see? I¡¯m waiting for Young Master to wake up.¡±


    Ji Xiang scratched his head. ¡°Oh! Go in! Young Master is still asleep!¡± With that, he walked towards the outer courtyard.


    Gu Yu stopped him and said, ¡°Where are you going? Old Master prescribed medicine for you to drink. Remember to drink it.¡±


    Ji Xiang turned around and waved with a smile. ¡®Got it. I¡¯ll go outside the wall and see where that thief came in fromst night.¡±


    After dinner, Mr. Wen said to Li Yu, ¡°Xiaoyu, we have many children and a pregnant woman at home. It¡¯s better to believe in something than not. We have to invite a priest back to do a ritual.¡±


    When Li Yu heard this, she thought to herself that there were all kinds of strange things in the world. Even her soul coulde to this world from the future. It seems that the spirit soul really exists.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll get Old Madam Yun to find a nearby Taoist temple and invite a priest back.¡±


    Mr. Wen smiled and said, ¡°There¡¯s no need to go to the Taoist temple. When I was treating the vigers in the neighboring vige, I met a Taoist priest who came out to travel. He looks capable. I¡¯ll invite him over.¡±


    ¡°Alright! I¡¯ll get Ma Gui to apany you to invite that priest back.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good. You have an injury on your hand. It¡¯s best to be wary of spicy things for the next two days.¡±


    Seven Pounds and Yangyang came in from outside. When they saw that Mr. Wen was about to leave, the two of them went over. They each held a hand of his and said, ¡°Grandmaster, we¡¯ll apany you to the doctor.¡±


    nodded. ¡°Alright, bring Ah Wei along.¡±


    Seeing the two children skip away with Mr. Wen, Li Yu went to the study to get a pen and paper and walked towards the cer. When she reached the entrance of the courtyard, she met Ji Xiang, who had returned with a grappling hook. She handed the pen and paper to Ji Xiang and said to him, ¡°Follow me to the cer.¡±


    ¡°Madam, look, that assant left this on the wall.¡± Ji Xiang handed the grappling hook to Li Yu and took the pen and paper.


    Li Yu fiddled with it. ¡°This thing is quite exquisite.¡±


    As they spoke, they arrived at the entrance of the cer. Ji Xiang opened the cer door and lit the torch at the entrance. Su Xianyin sat on the ground with her back against the wall and coldly sized up Li Yu, who had walked into the cer. She felt that she was about 20 years old. Her skin was still fair and translucent without makeup, and she was still charming in a half-worn dress.


    Li Yu walked to her side with the dagger and bent down to take out the rag that was stuck in her mouth. Su Xianyin looked at Li Yu and sneered. ¡°I won¡¯t tell you. Don¡¯t waste your breath.¡±


    Li Yu squatted down and gently drew the knife across her face. Her cold voice was filled with coldness as she threatened, ¡°Let me ask you once. If you don¡¯t tell me, I¡¯ll cut your left cheek. If I ask you a second time, and you won¡¯t tell me, it will be your right cheek and so on. Let¡¯s see how many cuts your face can take.¡±


    Su Xianyin looked at Li Yu¡¯s cold gaze and felt the cold de pressed against her face. She was so frightened that her entire body stiffened and she didn¡¯t dare to move. She asked in a low voice, ¡°Madam, aren¡¯t you afraid that the magistrate will be afraid of you if he finds out?¡±


    ¡°You should worry about yourself!¡± Li Yu narrowed her eyes at her and raised a finger. ¡°Tell me, what¡¯s your name? Where did youe from? Did Wang Zheng send you? Why did he ask you to kidnap me?¡±


    Su Xianyin cherished her beautiful face the most. She looked at Li Yu and cursed fiercely, ¡°You vicious woman, I¡¯m going to kill you¡­¡±


    Li Yu patted her fair face and said sinisterly, ¡°It¡¯s useless to say harsh words.


    Tsk tsk, what a pity for such a beautiful face.¡± Li Yu swung her knife at Su


    Xianyin¡¯s left cheek. Su Xianyin shouted, ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ Don¡¯t. I¡¯ll talk, I¡¯ll talk.¡± Li Yu stopped. ¡°You better tell me the truth. Don¡¯t think about fooling me.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t dare to fool you.¡± After Su Xianyin begged for mercy, she didn¡¯t hide it anymore. ¡°My name is Su Xianyin from the Qingzhou Prefecture¡­ Just as Madam thought, Master Wang spent more than 10,000 taels of silver to hire me to kidnap you¡­¡± Su Xianyin finished speaking in one breath and begged Li Yu, ¡°Madam, my skills are inferior to yours. I only beg you to give me a quick death. ¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, since you¡¯ve told me the truth, I won¡¯t torture you anymore.¡±


    After saying that, Li Yu turned to Ji Xiang and said, ¡°Let her sign it.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± Ji Xiang walked up to Su Xianyin and asked her to press her handprint on the confession. Ignoring Su Xianyin¡¯s pleading gaze, he covered her mouth again.


    Li Yu held the confession in her hand and thought about how Zhou Jia had gone to the theater to check. Now that she had evidence that Wang Zheng had sent someone to the manor to kidnap her, she could go to the Wang family to capture him and see how he would quibble.


    Li Yu brought Ji Xiang out of the cer. Ji Xiang said to Li Yu, ¡°Madam, I¡¯ll send the confession to Master now.¡±


    Li Yu looked at Ji Xiang and shook her head. ¡°You have not recovered yet. It¡¯s not toote to wait for Ruyi toe back and get it. Besides, we have to send


    Su Xianyin to the government office.¡±


    Ji Xiang said, ¡°You¡¯re right. We should teach the children to be wary so that

 Chapter 310 - 310: Exposed

    Chapter 310: Exposed


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    As soon as Li Yu finished speaking, Ruyi entered the courtyard and bowed to Li Yu. ¡°Madam, the theater has been searched. So¡­


    ¡°She actually kidnapped children. This woman is really vicious.¡± Li Yu handed the confession to Ruyi. ¡°This is that woman¡¯s confession. Take it to your master and bring her back to the government office for interrogation.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± Ruyi took the confession and turned to the cer, taking Su Xianyin to the government office.


    Li Yu said to Ji Xiang, ¡°Ji Xiang, go to the next room. Tell those children about Mu Sanniang using candy to knock them out and kidnap them. Tell them not to take food from strangers.¡±


    ¡°Got it, Madam. These children still have to be taught the rules. If only Auntie He was here.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for too many rules. We¡¯re not letting them serve in the government office. Just wait for Sir to teach them some basic etiquette. Go!¡± The news that Yunyin Drama Theater in Willow Flower Alley had kidnapped more than ten youngdies and locked them in cages spread throughout Yunzhou City. When Wang Zheng, who was secretly paying attention to the theater, heard the news, he could no longer sit still. He hurriedly ran to Wang Qinghai to ask for information. After confirming it from Wang Qinghai, his expression changed drastically.


    Wang Qinghai looked at his frightened expression and thought that he was thinking of Ah Yue. Heforted him and said, ¡°Uncle, Sister Ah Yue will be fine.¡±


    Wang Zheng sighed and said, ¡°I hope so! These people deserve to die for harming children. Was the theater owner also captured?¡±


    Wang Qinghai shook his head and said, ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I only know that Lord Zhou asked the constable to send a corpse back to the government office early this morning. He said that it was an assassin who went to the farm to assassinate someone. After registering it, he sent it to the mortuary. I heard that Lord Zhou didn¡¯t even return to the government office before bringing people to search Willow Flower Alley.¡±


    Wang Zheng thought to himself that he was done for. He hurriedly said to Wang Qinghai, ¡°Qinghai, help me pay attention and tell me if there¡¯s any other news. I¡¯m going back.¡±


    Wang Qinghai touched his chin and looked at Wang Zheng¡¯s back. He thought to himself, Could it be that the assassin who attacked the magistrate¡¯s family was rted to Second Uncle?


    Wang Zheng was in a mess when he came out of Wang Qinghai¡¯s ce. After returning, he walked towards Old Master Wang¡¯s courtyard. Halfway there, he turned around and went to the small temple hall. When he reached the temple hall, he saw Old Madam Wang kneeling there and chanting scriptures. He didn¡¯t know what to say and sat there with his head lowered.


    Old Madam Wang waited for a long time but did not hear anything. When she opened her eyes and saw Wang Zheng sitting on the chair, her heart skipped a beat. She scolded, ¡°Look at you. Did you do something stupid again?¡±


    ¡°Mother.¡± Wang Zheng looked at the olddy and hesitated.


    Old Madam Wang walked to his side and sat down. ¡°Tell me! What stupid thing did you do again?¡±


    Wang Zheng stammered, ¡°I¡­ I hired someone two days ago to kidnap the magistrate¡¯s wife¡­ Mother, the theater has also been sealed by the government office. Qinghai said that Magistrate Zhou sent a corpse back to the government office early in the morning. Do you think Boss Su has been captured by


    Magistrate Zhou? What I instructed her to do might have been exposed.¡±


    Old Madam Wang looked at Wang Zheng resentfully and said angrily, ¡°Now that your father has fallen from a stroke, you¡¯re still guilty. I originally thought that Kun¡¯er would go to the capital to prepare for the exam with his uncle¡¯s guuudllce. vvnen ne geLS Ld11Keu 011 une uUdLLer LXd11H11dL1011S nexL year, it means that the muddle-headed things you did have been forgotten and our family has been let off the hook. Yet you still have the guts to provoke the magistrate?¡± Old Madam Wang said exhaustedly, ¡°Forget it, forget it. The Wang family¡¯s ancestral power is over. Let¡¯s leave it to fate!¡±


    At this moment, Granny Tang entered in a panic. ¡°Old Madam, Lord Wu brought the constables over. He said that he wants to bring Master to the government office for questioning.¡±


    When Old Madam Wang heard this, her legs went weak and she almost fell to the ground. Wang Zheng hurriedly supported her. ¡°Mother, what should we


    Master had already fallen. Zheng¡¯er was about to get into trouble again. If she fell again, the other nsmen would eat her alive. When Old Madam Wang thought of this, she stabilized her mind and was helped up by Granny Tang. She said to Wang Zheng, ¡°Stay here and don¡¯t move. I¡¯ll go take a look first.¡±


    Granny Tang helped Old Madam Wang to the front hall and they saw two squads of constables standing at the door. Butler Wang was bowing and talking to Wu Tingxian.


    Old Madam Wang couldn¡¯t help but feel a little sad. She thought about how even the magistrate in Yunzhou City had been respectful to the Wang family in the past. Unexpectedly, they had fallen into such a state.


    When Wu Tingxian saw Old Madam Wang, he took a step forward and cupped his hands. ¡°Old Madam Wang, I¡¯ve offended you. I¡¯m here to bring Wang Zheng back to the government office for questioning.¡±


    Old Madam Wang gave Butler Wang a look. Butler Wang nodded and left. Old Madam Wang looked at Wu Tingxian and pretended not to know. ¡°Lord Wu, what did my Zheng¡¯er do?¡±


    Wu Tingxian cupped his hands and said, ¡°Old Madam Wang, the magistrate¡¯s family is staying in the manor outside the city. Last night, someone went to the manor to assassinate them. After the assassin was captured, she confessed that acted under Wang Zheng¡¯s instructions. I¡¯m here to bring Wang Zheng back for questioning.¡±


    ¡°Sir Wu, there must be a misunderstanding. I¡¯m afraid someone is deliberately framing¡­¡±


    ¡°Old Madam Wang.¡± Wu Ting raised his hand to stop Old Madam Wang from speaking. He cupped his hands and said, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you the truth. Someone saw Master Wang go to Yunyin Drama Theater. The assassin is the owner of Yunyin Drama Garden, Su Xianyin. She personally admitted that Wang Zheng spent more than 10,000 taels of silver to hire her and has already given her 4,000 taels of silver. Please get someone to call Wang Zheng out. I¡¯ll bring him back and question him. If it¡¯s not his fault, I¡¯ll naturally let him back.¡±


    Seeing this, Old Madam Wang knew that there was no room for negotiation.


    She bowed and said, ¡°Lord Wu, please help take care of him.¡±


    Butler Wang went forward and stuffed a pouch into Wu Tingxian¡¯s sleeve.


    Wu Tingxian smiled and cupped his hands. ¡°Old Madam, the assassin has been captured. Fortunately, the magistrate¡¯s family is safe and sound.¡±


    When Old Madam Wang heard this, she thought to herself that since they were safe and sound, Second Brother¡¯s crime wouldn¡¯t be too serious. As long as she made some arrangements and asked the Four Seas Bank to negotiate on ount of their past rtionship, he should be fine. After thinking about it, Old Madam Wang bowed to Wu Tingxian and said, ¡°Lord Wu, please take care of him.¡¯


    ¡°Sure, sure.¡± Wu Ting smiled and agreed. Old Madam Wang got someone to call Wang Zheng over.


    At this moment, Madam Lin also heard the news. She kept muttering to herself, ¡°First it was Ah Yue, and now it was Master. The magistrate¡¯s wife must be a girl from Jinniang¡¯s family. Could it be that Jinniang already knows that it was Granny Han who pushed her down the mountain stream? She must have told the magistrate¡¯s wife all these. This is why she has only attacked my family time and time again.¡±o


    Madam Lin and the maidservant rushed to the front hall. Seeing that Wu Tingxian and a group of constables were about to leave with Wang Zheng, she blurted out, ¡°Master, Jinniang must have instructed her to take revenge on us.¡±


    Master Wang went forward and grabbed her. ¡°What? Where¡¯s Jinniang? Why did she order someone to take revenge on us?


    Wu Tingxian looked at the constable impatiently. The constable walked up to Wang Zheng and cupped his hands. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Master Wang.¡±


    Wang Zheng could only follow Wu Tingxian..

 Chapter 311 - 311: Gift

    Chapter 311: Gift


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Old Madam Wang endured the pain and watched the constable take Wang


    Zheng away. She turned to look at Madam Lin and said, ¡°Follow me.¡±


    Madam Lin did not dare to disobey and could only lower her head and follow them to the backyard. When they reached the backyard, Old Madam Wang looked at Madam Lin and asked, ¡°Tell me, what happened?¡±


    Madam Lin wished she could p herself. Why was she so useless as to say what she was thinking? ¡°I, I¡­ I think the magistrate¡¯s wife looks very simr to Jinniang. The magistrate¡¯s wife always targets us. I suspect that she¡¯s


    Jinniang¡¯s daughter. Now, she¡¯s back to take revenge on me and Master.¡±


    Old Madam Wang walked up to her and looked at her. ¡°Jinniang was separated because of trouble back then. It wasn¡¯t you who harmed her. Besides, our Wang family didn¡¯t do anything to let her down. Why should she take revenge on us?¡±


    Madam Lin recalled that Granny Han had said that she had pushed Jinniang down the mountain stream when she was unprepared. Even if she had been saved, she would not have thought that it was Nanny who had pushed her down. She slowly regained herposure. ¡°Originally, Jinniang was the one who was engaged to Master, but in the end, I was the one who married Master.


    She must have felt that Master and I had abandoned her.¡±


    Old Madam Wang looked at her and sighed. ¡°There was nothing she could do. At that time, there were refugees everywhere. She should have understood that even if she had found her way back then, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to enter the Wang family. ¡±


    When Madam Lin heard Old Madam Wang¡¯s words, she heaved a long sigh of relief. That was right! Even if they had found her back then, it was impossible for her to marry into the Wang family. She pretended to me herself and said, ¡°It¡¯s all my fault. I knew that she had a stomach ache, but I still med her for making the carriage smelly. She ran out in a fit of anger and got lost.¡±


    Old Madam Wang suddenly felt that Madam Lin was much more pleasing to the eye. She said amiably, ¡°Since you think that the magistrate¡¯s wife is Jinniang¡¯s child, you¡¯re her biological aunt. We can go to the magistrate¡¯s family to apologize and find a chance to acknowledge this family. Zheng¡¯er can alsoe back as soon as possible. I heard that they live on a farm outside the city. Hurry up and pack up. I¡¯ll go to the storeroom to pack a few decent gifts. Then, we¡¯ll set off for the farm outside the city.¡±


    Seeing that Old Madam Wang had already said so, Madam Lin could only reply, ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll go now.¡±


    When Madam Lin went out, she saw Granny Han looking for her anxiously. Madam Lin went up to her and told her what the olddy had said. ¡°Nanny, what do you think we should do? She must have kidnapped Ah Yue. Now that she has captured Master, the olddy even asked me to acknowledge her as my rtive. Why am I so miserable? No matter what, I have to be suppressed by her. Also, thest two times I saw her, I didn¡¯t mention that I was rted to her. Wouldn¡¯t she question my actions now?¡±


    Granny Hanforted her. ¡°Madam, you have to think for Master and the two young masters. I remember that Madam put a gourd pendant on each of you. The colors and appearance of the pendants are exactly the same. Show her the pendant. She must have seen it from Jinniang. As long as she¡¯s willing to acknowledge you, even if she ps you in public, you have to swallow it. Let¡¯s get over this first. There will be plenty of opportunities in the future.¡± When Madam Lin heard this, she gritted her teeth. ¡°This is the only way now.¡±


    Yingge listened to Granny Han¡¯s words from behind and muttered to herself, ¡°Madam has a cunning and shrewd person like Granny Han by her side. Why haven¡¯t I seen her learn anything?¡±


    Old Madam Wang chose a pile of gift boxes from the storeroom. She looked at the various jewelry, jade, and artifacts on the shelves and thought to herself that these treasures were all sent over by people when she was in the limelight in the past. At that time, who would have thought that there would be a day when the Wang family would give gifts to someone in Yunzhou!


    After Wang Zheng was brought back to the government office, he could only admit in the face of the evidence that he had hired Su Xianyin to abduct Li Yu. He even argued, ¡°I got someone to abduct the magistrate¡¯s wife without thinking of harming her life. I just want to ask her if she was the one who was responsible for what happened to my family.¡±


    Wu Tingxian did not expect Wang Zheng to say such a thing. He frowned and said, ¡°You hired someone to kidnap a woman from her house and said that you didn¡¯t want to harm her. Wang Zheng, is this how youprehended the sage book? I know that your Miss argued with Madam Li in the shop, but Madam Li didn¡¯t pursue the matter after that! Besides, Madam Li is a First-grade Madam Protector. What does anything that happens to your family have to do with her? How can you instigate that woman to do such a stupid thing?¡±


    After Wu Tingxian finished speaking, he got someone to bring Wang Zheng away. He went to Zhou Jia¡¯s room and reported the interrogation to Zhou Jia. He said to Zhou Jia, ¡°Sir, what do you think is the appropriate verdict?¡±


    Of course, Zhou Jia wanted to kill Wang Zheng to vent his anger, but his family was not injured at all. No matter what, he would only be sentenced to a few years. He said to Wu Tingxian, ¡°Lord Wu, my wife was frightened and didn¡¯t sleepst night. I was also furious.¡±


    Wu Tingxian thought about how the Wang family had plundered a lot of silver in Yunzhou over the years and could not be sentenced for more than a few years. He might as well suggest something practical. ¡°Wang Zheng is indeed despicable, but if he were to be sentenced, he can¡¯t be sentenced for more than a few years. Next, it will depend on the Wang family¡¯s sincerity. Anyway, he has just been arrested. Let¡¯s lock him up for a few days and wait for Madam to calm down. We¡¯ll find a day to sentence him.¡±


    When Zhou Jia heard this, he also understood what Wu Tingxian meant. It was none other than to see how much money the Wang family could fork out to settle this matter. He nodded and said to Wu Tingxian with a bitter expression, ¡°Lord Wu, to be honest, if I don¡¯t let him suffer a little, it won¡¯t be easy for me to exin to my wife¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, we have to lock him up for a few days and make him suffer.¡± Wu Tingxian was silent. He thought to himself that Lord Zhou should not keep talking about how afraid he was of his wife. Did he still want respect?


    After Ji Xiang told the children about Mu Sanniang tricking children with candy, he reminded them again before letting them go out to cut grass and y.


    After Mr. Wen invited Priest Zhang from the neighboring vige to help with the ritual, he hung a peach talisman on the door before leaving.


    At midnight, Old Madam Wang and Madam Lin brought Granny Tang and Granny Han to the manor. Butler Wang got out of the car and saw the children carrying grass and fish baskets into the manor. He went forward and asked, ¡°Child, is this Lord Zhou¡¯s manor?¡±


    Shui Sheng looked at him warily. ¡°Yes. Who are you looking for?¡±


    Butler Wang handed over the visiting card and said, ¡°My Old Madam and


    Madam are here to visit Madam Li. Please help send them in.¡±


    Shui Sheng nodded and said to the children, ¡°Hurry up and go back. Be careful of the kidnappers.¡± With that, he ran into the courtyard with the visiting card. Old Madam Wang and Madam Lin got out of the car. Little Loach looked back at Madam Lin and whispered to a child called Maizi, ¡°Is this person Madam¡¯s mother? She looks like our Madam!¡±


    Maizi looked back at her. ¡°Her eyes are so scary.¡± Little Yezi shouted from the front, ¡°Little Loach, let¡¯s go..¡±

 Chapter 312 - 312: Sour Peach, Sweet Peach

    Chapter 312: Sour Peach, Sweet Peach


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Old Madam Wang watched the group of children enter the manor and asked curiously, ¡°Are these children all from the manor?¡±


    Butler Wang went forward and smiled. ¡°I heard that the magistrate¡¯s family adopted some lonely children. It might be these people!¡± When Madam Lin heard this, she muttered softly, ¡°He¡¯s just fishing for fame.¡± Old Madam Wang nced at her and did not speak.


    Li Yu received the visiting card that Gu Yu had brought in and thought to herself that it seemed that Wang Zheng had already been captured. They came quite quickly!


    ¡°Let Ji Xiang talk to them. I¡¯m still in shock and don¡¯t have the time and energy to see them.


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± Gu Yu found Ji Xiang, who was fiddling with the threshing machine. She told Ji Xiang what Li Yu had said. Ji Xiang patted the dust off his body and walked towards the door.


    Old Madam Wang saw a festive-looking young maning out of the manor. Butler Wang went up to him and cupped his hands. ¡°I¡¯m the butler of the Wang residence, Wang Cheng. May I ask if you¡¯re the butler of the Zhou residence?


    ¡°Greetings, Butler Wang.¡± Ji Xiang cupped his hands at Butler Wang and took a few steps forward. He cupped his hands at Old Madam Wang and said, ¡°Old Madam Wang, my Madam was frightenedtest night and is still in a daze today. My Old Master said she has to recuperate for a few days.¡±


    Old Madam Wang was a little disappointed. It seemed that she could onlye back in two days. She forced a smile and said, ¡°Madam is not feeling well, so I won¡¯t disturb her. I¡¯lle back in two days. I¡¯ve prepared some small gifts for Madam tofort her.¡±


    Ji Xiang cupped his hands and said, ¡°Thank you, Old Madam.¡±


    Butler Wang and a few servants carried the gifts out of the carriage and piled a pile of boxes on the ground.


    Ji Xiang politely sent Old Madam Wang away and brought people to move the gift boxes into the manor. Li Yu looked at the pile of boxes in front of her and opened them. There was top-grade ginseng, lingzhi, knotweed, dendrobium, a beautiful red coral, a pair of chicken blood-red pendants the size of lotus seeds, a string of bracelet with rubies and diamond stones the size of soybeans, a pearl ne, a pair of moist and delicate emerald bracelets, two sets of brush, ink, paper, and inkstones¡­ Li Yu was dumbfounded. At a nce, she knew that the pearl ne was even better and more well-proportioned than the one bestowed by the emperor. No wonder it was said that good things were hidden in the hands of these aristocratic families.


    Li Yu put away the things and prepared to make ns when Zhou Jia returned. After ss, Yangyang ran back and said to Li Yu, ¡°Mother, Brother Shui Sheng and the others are going to the back mountain to pick peaches. I want to go too.¡±


    Li Yu also wanted to take a walk at the back of the mountain. She held his hand and smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s go! I¡¯ll apany you.¡±


    ¡°Alright, Mother will apany me.¡± Yangyang pulled Li Yu out. When they arrived at the drying field, they saw more than ten children waiting in the drying field. Some were even carrying bamboo baskets. When they saw Li Yu, they all went forward and bowed. Li Yu smiled and said, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go!¡± Li Yu asked Yangyang, ¡°Why don¡¯t I see Seven Pounds?¡±


    Yangyang pointed outside the manor and said, ¡°Brother Seven Pounds and


    Grandmaster went to pick herbs.¡±


    When the group arrived at the foot of the mountain, they climbed up the excavateddder. From above, Li Yu saw that the courtyard of the vi at the foot of the mountain had been repaired. The craftsmen were busy inside. The peach trees on the mountain were filled with peaches, and the grass under the trees had been cut clean. However, no one picked the peaches. Perhaps the nearby vigers all knew that the peaches here were sour peaches.


    Little Loach picked two green and white peaches that were slightly red and covered in fine fur. He lifted his cor and wiped them a few times before handing one to Yangyang. He took one and took a bite. After chewing a few times, he hurriedly vomited. ¡°Pfft! Why is it so sour!¡±


    Li Yu saw that his nose and eyebrows were furrowed together. She swallowed her saliva and smiled. ¡°Pick a few that look good and bring them back for


    Auntie He to eat.¡±


    Yangyang held the peach in his hand and looked at Little Loach, then at Li Yu. Li Yu knew that he wanted to try and ignored him. She watched as he took a tentative bite and immediately frowned. ¡°Ah! It¡¯s really sour.¡± The children allughed. Little Loach smiled and said, ¡°Young Master, I wasn¡¯t not lying to you!¡±o


    Yangyang threw away the peaches in his hand and nodded honestly. ¡°Yes!


    They¡¯re sour.¡± Little Loach looked at the mountain of peaches and said fiercely, ¡°I don¡¯t believe they¡¯re all sour. Let¡¯s find a few more to try. There will always be sweet peaches.¡±


    Li Yu thought for a moment and said, ¡°Find the one that is flushed red and pick it to try. If it¡¯s sour, don¡¯t chew it. Otherwise, you won¡¯t be able to eat at night.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡± The children swarmed in. Little Loach picked one first and tasted it. ¡°It¡¯s sour.¡± The children went around tasting peaches in the peach forest.


    Li Yu stood there and looked at the rice fields and corn fields at the foot of the mountain. She thought about nting a season of corn after the autumn harvest and spreading the corn seeds early.


    Suddenly, a loud cheer sounded. ¡°It¡¯s so sweet! Come to my tree quickly!¡±


    Li Yu turned around and saw Maizi standing on a peach tree in the middle of the peach forest. She was cheering with a peach in her hand. The children surrounded her. Shui Sheng and Little Loach held Yangyang¡¯s hand and ran towards the wheat.


    After a while, Shui Sheng held Yangyang¡¯s hand and ran out with a peach. He handed it to Li Yu and said, ¡°Madam, look, the peaches on that peach tree are yellow, but they¡¯re especially sweet.¡±


    ¡°Mother, it¡¯s sweet.¡± Yangyang also handed the peach he had taken a bite of to


    Li Yu. Li Yu took it and took a look. The flesh of this peach was slightly yellow. ¡°It looks like a yellow peach that is not ripe yet. Shuisheng, leave a mark on that tree so that you can look for it next time.¡±


    When Shui Sheng heard this, he said, ¡°Madam, let¡¯s look for more of these yellow peaches. ¡±


    ¡°Okay, don¡¯t go anywhere with too many weeds in case there are snakes and insects.¡±


    Shui Sheng smiled shyly. ¡°Madam, don¡¯t worry. We¡¯re not afraid of snakes. We can even look for snakes to sell to the medical center!¡±


    Li Yu carried Yangyang and smiled. ¡°Yes! You¡¯re all good children.¡±


    When Shui Sheng reached the peach tree, he shouted happily to everyone, ¡°Madam said that this is a yellow peach that hasn¡¯t ripened yet.¡± As he spoke, he pulled out some grass and tied it to the peach tree.


    Maizi jumped down from the peach tree and said to Shui Sheng and the others, ¡°Let¡¯s look for more yellow peaches.¡±


    Li Yu carried Yangyang and watched the children run in all directions. She brought Yangyang, who was about to fall asleep, down the mountain.


    Zhou Jia came back from the government office and told Li Yu about Wang


    Zheng¡¯s confession. Li Yu also brought him to take a look at the gifts sent by


    Old Madam Wang. ¡°Xiao Xi, what do you think we should do with these things?¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at those things and told Li Yu what Wang Zheng had exined. He said indifferently, ¡°The sessors raised by the Wang family for a hundred years are only so-so. Yu¡¯er, the Wang family sent these things to apologize.


    Just ept them in good conscience. The Wang family just wants us to let them off. Wang Qinghai has been working all afternoon just to save Wang Zheng a few years of jail time. Yo can see them after a couple of days.¡± o


    When Li Yu heard this, she also felt that the Wang family¡¯s education was not like that of an aristocratic family. Wang Zheng was already dozens of years old, but he didn¡¯t think before he acted . He still needed Old Madam Wang to clean up after him and beg others to wipe his butt. ¡°Xiao Xi, the Wang family¡¯s matter gave us a wake-up call. Yang¡¯er has to be strictly disciplined in the future..¡±

 Chapter 313 - 313: Heavy Rain

    Chapter 313: Heavy Rain


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Zhou Jia nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. We can¡¯t raise children into hedonistic sons. When the autumn harvestes, we¡¯ll bring them to the fields to help and let them know the hardship of farming.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll listen to you.¡± Li Yu couldn¡¯t help but smile when she thought of Yangyang carrying a small backpack and picking up rice ears in the field with a straw hat.


    Yangyang still did not know that his parents were preparing to put a tight circlet on him because of the Wang family.


    The group of children found it was almost dark on the mountain before returning home. Little Yezi and Yanzi went to the backyard to find Li Yu. Yanzi bowed shyly to Li Yu and said, ¡°Madam, we found two more yellow peach trees and a pear tree. The pears on the pear tree are only half the size of a fist.¡±


    Li Yu looked at the two sweating children and smiled. ¡°Look at how sweaty you are. Hurry up and go back to take a bath to cool down so that you can eat.¡±


    ¡°Aye!¡± The two children agreed and turned around to run two steps. They returned and bowed to Li Yu before running.


    Mr. Wen returned with a bamboo basket of medicinal herbs and said to the two of them, ¡°It¡¯s going to rain. The top of the mountain is already covered by dark clouds. A few people in the farmstead and the vige are also starting to fall ill from rheumatic pain.¡±


    ¡°Is that so? I¡¯ll take a look too.¡± Li Yu stood in the courtyard and looked at the back mountain. Seeing that the top of the back mountain was indeed covered in dark clouds, she said to Gu Yu, ¡°Go and find Ruyi to get some raincoats and send them to the outer courtyard. If it rains, they have to dig up the water in the field and make the ditch wider.¡±


    After Gu Yu agreed, she went to look for Ruyi. Soon, the wind blew, and the hot weather became cool.


    Old Madam Yun came over and reported, ¡°Madam, dinner is ready.¡±


    ¡°Okay, go set it up and we¡¯lle.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± After Old Madam Yun and Old Madam Liu set up the food, they saw Li Yu and the others at the table. They knew that Li Yu and the others didn¡¯t like to be served, so they left.


    Li Yu saw that there was vegetable stir-fried cabbage on the table, cold peas, lotus root pork rib soup, green pepper shredded pork, and stir-fried egg pancakes.


    Mr. Wen smiled and said to Li Yu, ¡°Our lives are too good. The people in the vige eat rough. Are themoners having a hard time?¡±


    Zhou Jia nodded and said, ¡°Those who can eat their fill with coarse rice are all passable families. The people have always suffered the most.¡±


    Li Yu thought to herself, ¡°The rice seeds I cultivated have already been sold in


    Yunzhou City. Why don¡¯t the people outside the city have food to eat?¡±


    ¡°Sir, do you think the rice seeds nted by those people in the vige are the same as those on the farm?¡±


    Mr. Wen shook his head. ¡°Ah Wei said their rice seeds are different from ours.¡±


    Li Yu sighed when she heard that. ¡°I don¡¯t Imow if they don¡¯t trust the new rice seeds or if the rice seeds haven¡¯t been sold to them at all. I¡¯ll go to the vige with you tomorrow.¡±


    Mr. Wen smiled. ¡°It would be good for you to take a look.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Yangyang, who was eating at the table that was filled with food. He thought of how other children were already three years old and still asked the nanny to feed them. He felt that his son was already very sensible.


    Seeing Zhou Jia looking at him, Yangyang obediently scooped a spoonful of rice from the bowl and fed it to his mouth. ¡°Daddy Yangyang¡¯s rice is delicious.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Yang¡¯er.¡± Zhou Jia could only open his mouth and eat. Mr. Wen smiled and said, ¡°The rice in Yang¡¯er¡¯s bowl is very fragrant, right?¡±


    Yangyang put down the spoon and waved his small fist. ¡°Yes! Mother said that


    Yangyang needs to eat more. When I grow up, I¡¯ll beat up bad people.¡±


    After dinner, Li Yu and Zhou Jia held Yangyang¡¯s hand and walked in circles in the courtyard to digest their food. After walking for a while, a strong wind suddenly blew. A strong light streaked across the sky, and muffled thunder rumbled from the horizon. With a crack, a bolt of lightning seemed to have exploded above their heads. Yangyang was so frightened that he cried. Zhou Jia hurriedly picked Yangyang up. Li Yu gently patted Yangyang¡¯s back andforted him. She whispered to Zhou Jia, ¡°Such a strong wind. Fortunately, the corn hasn¡¯t grown tall. Otherwise, the wind would have broken a lot of them.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Zhou Jia looked at the dark clouds above his head and was a little worried. Mr. Wen looked at the sky. ¡°I¡¯m afraid this rain will be terrible. It won¡¯t stop for a while.¡±


    Before he could finish speaking, bean-sized raindrops pattered on the tiles. Yangyang reached out to catch the rain. Li Yu said to Mr. Wen, ¡°Sir, how long will this rainst?¡±


    Mr. Wen shook his head. ¡°As the saying goes, when there¡¯s rain, the sky is bright. When there¡¯s no rain, it tops the light. Look at the sky above us. It¡¯s filled with dark clouds. I¡¯m afraid it won¡¯t stop tonight.¡±


    Li Yu recalled that she had heard this from her grandmother in her previous life. She didn¡¯t expect there to be such a saying in this alternate world.


    The rain was getting heavier. Ah Wei, Old Zou, and Dashui, as well as a dozen others, put on the raincoat Ruyi had sent over and rushed to the field with hoes. The rain seemed to be pouring water from the sky, and the water in the field quickly filled up.


    Under the rain and wind, they couldn¡¯t even hold their straw hats steady. When they lowered their heads, water flowed down their necks. Everyone couldn¡¯t care less. They silently waved their hoes and dug open the drainage hole left on the field.


    One by one, the ditches were dug open. The group of people worked until it was dark before they were all done.


    Ah Wei watched as the stream on the mountain flowed straight down. The water in the ditch rose at a visible rate. Fortunately, the fields on both sides of the ditch had been heightened and widened. Otherwise, it wouldn¡¯t take long for them to flood the fields.


    Everyone ran back to the courtyard barefoot and washed the mud off their feet with the rain in the wooden bucket. Old Madam Yun and Aunt Xue each carried a jar of brown sugar ginger tea to the courtyard.


    Old Madam Yun smiled at them and said, ¡®Madam instructed me to boil brown sugar ginger tea for you. Everyone, drink some to get rid of the cold.¡±


    Old Zou smiled politely and said, ¡°Thank you for sending it over.¡±


    Old Madam Yun took a bowl and poured the tea. She smiled brightly and said, ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard. We should do some work. The hot water in the bathroom is ready. Take a hot shower after drinking the ginger tea.¡±


    Yang Wei wiped the rain off his face and finished the ginger tea in one gulp. He said to Dashui, ¡°Uncle Shui, the rain is too heavy. The stream is almost over the field. If it keeps raining so heavily, I¡¯m afraid it will pour into the field.¡±


    Dashui wiped his mouth and said, ¡°I¡¯m afraid the rain won¡¯t stop for a while, but we¡¯ve cleared the ditch. You don¡¯t have to worry. It won¡¯t flood the fields.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! Young steward, we¡¯ve long cleared the ditch. We¡¯re not afraid of another two days of rain.¡±


    ¡°Pfft, pfft, pfft.¡± Auntie Xue spat twice. ¡°Ah Cai, you jinxed it. Didn¡¯t you think that the Ning River would surge if it rains for two days? We¡¯re fine, but everyone along the river will suffer.¡±


    Ah Cai blushed and pped himself twice. ¡°You deserve it. Who asked you to spout nonsense?¡±


    Ah Wei smiled and said, ¡°Alright, go back and rest. When the rain stops, we still have to see the corn seedlings. We don¡¯t want them to get blown down by the wind.¡±


    Dashui patted Ah Wei. ¡°That¡¯s right. Although we¡¯re young, we¡¯re much better at the work in the field.¡±


    Ah Wei smiled proudly. ¡°Of course. I was brought up by Madam. I can¡¯t embarrass our Madam..¡±

 Chapter 314 - 314: Living a Good Life

    Chapter 314: Living a Good Life


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Everyone came out of the dining room and walked towards the dormitory happily. Dashui let out a long sigh at Ah Cai and the others. ¡°In the past, our days were really difficult to endure on rainy days like this! It was raining heavily outside, and there was no ce in the straw shed that wasn¡¯t leaking. Sometimes, it¡¯s better to bang our heads to death.¡±


    Ah Cai agreed. ¡°That¡¯s right! Thanks to Master and Madam, our lives are even better than those in the vige.¡±


    Old Zou recalled that Boss Liu had found him and said that the magistrate¡¯s manor wanted to take in some homeless widows. He even said that the magistrate¡¯s criterion was that they had to be good and dutiful. Boss Liu reminded him to behave himself and live a good life so he would not let the magistrate and Madam down.


    Although he was very grateful to Boss Liu at that time, he still muttered in his heart. He felt that those officials had always done things on ount of their reputation. Who knew what kind of days they would live once they had moved? Now, it seemed that he had really misjudged the magistrate couple.


    Old Zou looked at them and said, ¡°Among them, I¡¯m the only one who¡¯s older. We¡¯ve been together for a while and know that we¡¯re all honest people. Now that we¡¯re living a stable life thanks to Master and Madam, everyone can¡¯t forget our duty and do those things that embarrass Master and Madam.¡±


    When everyone heard this, they agreed. ¡°Brother Zou, don¡¯t worry. Everyone knows how to cherish their blessings and won¡¯t do anything heartless. We will live a good life.¡±


    The rain continued for more than two hours before gradually subsiding. Zhou Jiay on the bed and listened to the rain lessen. He finally heaved a sigh of relief. He looked at the sleeping Li Yu and Yangyang and closed his eyes to sleep.


    The light rain continued until dawn. Everyone had just felt that the heavy rain was good. After the cold subsided, the heat was not so ufortable.


    Suddenly, there was a rumbling thunder in the sky. In the blink of an eye, the rain became heavier again. The raindropsnded on the ground and sshed. Li Yu woke up and realized that Zhou Jia had already woken up. She looked at Yangyang, who was sleeping soundly. She pulled the thin nket he had kicked off over and covered him. She put it on and walked out. She stood under the roof and frowned at the heavy rain.


    Zhou Jia washed uD and walked to Li Yu¡¯s side. He instructed, ¡°Yu¡¯er, don¡¯t


    worry. I¡¯ve already asked Ah Wei. The water can¡¯t reach the ditch. Your injury hasn¡¯t recovered yet. Don¡¯t get wet.¡±


    Li Yu looked at him and smiled. ¡°I know! You¡¯re nagging!¡±


    Zhou Jia also smiled. ¡°You won¡¯t remember if I don¡¯t nag. After dinner, I¡¯ll go back to the government office and bring people to look at the river. If I¡¯m not back before dark, don¡¯t wait for me and sleep early.¡±


    Li Yu reminded worriedly, ¡°Yes! Be careful by the river. Be careful.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu and said gently, ¡®You¡¯re also nagging.¡±


    Li Yu looked at his gentle gaze and smiled gently.


    In the workshop, everyone was worried to hear that it was raining heavily again. Old Zou, Dashui, and the others put on their raincoats again and picked up their hoes. They rushed to the edge of the field. They were relieved to see that the water in the ditch had not overflowed the field. The water in the field was still flowing into the ditch.


    Uncle Chun realized that big fish were swimming down the ditch from time to time. ¡°Look! The big fish is rushing down.¡±


    Zou looked at the mountain in the distance. ¡°Maybe the fish in the mountain stream were washed down by the flood.¡±


    Everyone suffered because they did not have any tools in their hands. They could only watch helplessly as a few foot-long big fish were washed away by the rapid water.


    Dashui looked at the fish in the ditch and smiled. ¡°Every time it rains, fish will be washed down the mountain. I came out in a hurry just now and forgot to bring a fish basket.¡±


    Ah Cai teased, ¡°You¡¯re young and stable. There¡¯s still time to make a trip.¡±


    Old Zou smiled and said, ¡®You have to pass by the farm to see the cornfield. Later, shout at the door for the children to fish. Those children can run faster than you!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! Let¡¯s go and watch the cornfield.¡± Dashui pulled Uncle Chun, who was standing beside him, away.


    When they arrived at the entrance of the manor, Da Shui shouted loudly. Little


    Loach ran out barefooted. ¡°Uncle Da Shui, where¡¯s the big fish?¡±


    The water pointed in the direction of the ditch. ¡°In the ditch. They were washed down from the mountain. You have to be careful not to be washed down and get fed to the fish.¡±


    ¡°Aye! I understand.¡± Little Loach turned around and ran inside.


    Old Zou and the others arrived at the cornfield and saw that a stalk of corn had been blown to the ground by the wind. Everyone split up and went in to help the corn up. They found small branches and tied them up with grass.


    Uncle Chun looked at the corn and said to Zou, ¡°Brother Zou, what kind of crop do you think this is? Why haven¡¯t we seen it before?¡±


    Old Zou looked at the corn that was swaying back and forth from the wind and rain and shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen it either. I only heard from the young steward that the yield of this corn is high and it¡¯s even resistant to drought.¡± Zou looked at the corn and sighed. ¡°Literate people are better! They¡¯re so


    Imowledgeable that they¡¯re even better than us in farm work!¡±


    Ah Cai said, ¡°I heard from the chief steward that these seeds were nted by Madam. Also, those seedlings in the field were nted by Madam. This is the first time I¡¯ve heard that Madam knows how to farm. She¡¯s even stronger than those farmers.¡±


    Dashui threw a piece of mud at Uncle Zou. ¡°Brother Zou, we can only be blind in this life. Let¡¯s repair ourselves and reincarnate into a good family in our next life. That way, we can also sit in school and learn a few words.¡±


    A group of old men chatted andughed loudly in the heavy rain. They were no longer as sad and uneasy as before.


    Zhou Jia brought Tiezhu, Scribe Zhao, and Bodyguard Chen to the river through the rain. The muddy yellow river water surged past. To Zhou Jia¡¯s relief, the river was still a distance away from the dam. Although the rain had slowly lessened, there were still dark clouds in the sky.


    The vige chief of the vige near the river also rushed to the river. He walked up to Zhou Jia and the others and bowed. ¡°Sirs, as long as the rain continues at this level, the river will be fine ording to today¡¯s situation. It¡¯s just that the dark clouds above our heads haven¡¯t dispersed yet. I¡¯m a little worried!¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at him and asked, ¡°Old man, how was the rain when the rainy season came in the past?¡±


    The vige chief thought for a moment. ¡°In the past, it didn¡¯t rain heavily when the rainy season came. It would clear in an hour at most.¡± The vige chief looked up at the sky and frowned. ¡°In my opinion, there¡¯s still rain. Let¡¯s see if it¡¯s as heavy asst night and this morning.¡±


    ¡°I hope the rain will ease up.¡± Zhou Jia led his men around the dam and did not find anything dangerous. He instructed the vige chief to report to him if he realized that something was wrong in time before leading his men back. When the group returned to the government office, the rain still kept falling. The rain did not increase at night, but it did not stop.


    The next day, the rain continued to fall intermittently. Old Madam Wang braved the rain and brought Madam Lin to the manor. She took out a visiting invitation and a red sandalwood box to Ji Xiang, saying that it was to apologize to Li Yu and calm down..

 Chapter 315 - 315: Apology

    Chapter 315: Apology


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Li Yu received the invitation and rosewood box that Ji Xiang had sent in. She opened it and saw a stack of banknotes inside. She picked them up and took a rough look. Thinking of what Zhou Jia had said, she said to Ji Xiang, ¡°Forget it, let them in!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam,¡± Ji Xiang agreed with a bow.


    Madam Lin was wearing a purple-red embroidered dress and her hair was tied into a peony bun. Her makeup was exquisite and she was wearing vermilion jade. She did not look like her husband had entered the prison and she was here to apologize and beg for mercy.


    Granny Tang helped the haggard Old Madam Wang in with Gu Yu. Behind the two of them were Granny Han, and two maidservants.


    When she arrived at the main courtyard, Old Madam Wang was stunned to see Madam Li sitting at the head of the hall. She was wearing a dark red soft silk shirt and an embroidered dress of the same color. She was wearing a pair of thin embroidered shoes. Her hair was only tied into a bun and she had a jade hairpin that waspletely green. She was wearing earrings of the same color and looked calm.


    Old Madam Wang looked at Madam Li and thought to herself that she was Jinniang¡¯s daughter. Back then, she chose Jinniang because she liked Jinniang¡¯s calm appearance.


    Madam Lin looked at Old Madam Wang¡¯s expression and knew that Old Madam


    Wang had recognized Madam Li as Jinniang¡¯s daughter. Thinking of how Old Madam Wang and her son had bypassed her and decided on Jinniang, she couldn¡¯t help but hate them in her heart.


    Li Yu saw that Old Madam Wang was stunned for a moment after looking at her. Then her expression evolved into one of excitement. She understood that Old Madam Wang knew Mother Li and the two might have an extraordinary rtionship. It seemed that she nned to acknowledge her.


    Old Madam Wang suddenly had confidence in today¡¯s apology. She endured her excitement and walked up to Li Yu. She bowed and said, ¡°Madam Li, I apologize to you on behalf of my good-for-nothing son!¡±


    With that, without waiting for Li Yu to speak, she said to Madam Lin, ¡°Madam


    Lin, you and Zheng¡¯er are husband and wife. Come over and apologize to


    Madam on behalf of Zheng¡¯er.¡±


    Li Yu looked at the haggard Old Madam Wang, who was standing at the side, and said, ¡°Old Madam Wang, please sit.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Madam.¡± Old Madam Tang helped Old Madam Wang sit down.


    Li Yu nced at Madam Lin. ¡°Old Madam Wang, Madam Lin, our family could only be safe and sound under the desperate protection of the guards. If I had been kidnapped by that inhumane murderer, what would have happened to me? You know very well that I have a question in my heart. I don¡¯t have any grudges against Master Wang in the past. Why did they send someone to harm me? Could it be because Madam Lin looks a little like me? Does Madam Lin know the reason?¡±


    Madam Lin nced at Li Yu. She muttered softly, ¡°Why are you pretending? Don¡¯t you understand why? Poor Ah Yue¡¯s life is still unknown. My master has also been arrested by you, but we still have to swallow our anger and apologize to you.¡±


    Madam Lin held it in indignantly for a long time before bowing. ¡°Madam, please forgive us.¡±


    Li Yu looked at her and Granny Han, who was standing behind her, for a while, and said coldly, ¡°I hope this is thest time.¡±


    When Old Madam Wang heard this, she felt relieved. She stood up and bowed. ¡°Madam, I swear there won¡¯t be another one.¡± Old Madam Wang looked at Li Yu and hesitated for a moment. ¡°May I ask where Madam¡¯s mother is from?¡±


    Li Yu shook her head and said, ¡°I only know that my parents got married after meeting each other during their escape. Later, they went to Clearwater Town in Green Mountain County and settled down in West Mountain Vige. I¡¯ve never heard my mother mention her family background. ¡±


    ¡°May I ask if Madam¡¯s mother¡¯s surname is Lin and her maiden name is Jinniang?¡± Old Madam Wang stood up excitedly. ¡°Madam, my daughter-inw¡¯s twin sister, Jinniang, was lost with her family when she fled. Jinniang looks exactly like Madam Lin, and you look so simr to her. I wonder how your mother lost her family.¡±


    When Madam Lin heard Old Madam Wang¡¯s words, she held the gourd jade pendant in her hand and her heart pounded.


    ¡°My mother¡¯s surname is indeed Lin, but she never mentioned her family to us.¡± Li Yu nced at Madam Lin. ¡°I heard from my aunt that my mother fell into the mountain stream for some reason back then. Fortunately, she was discovered and saved by my father, so she survived. After she woke up, she said something about somebody harming her. From then on, she never mentioned her past.¡±


    After saying that, Li Yu looked at Madam Lin and thought to herself that if


    Madam Lin found out about this, she might send someone to West Mountain Vige to gather information. As long as they keep an eye on Madam Lin, they would know who harmed Mother Li back then.


    Madam Lin¡¯s mind buzzed. She nced at Granny Han behind her and lowered her head, thinking, What should I do? So she knows everything!


    Old Madam Wang nced at Madam Lin and thought to herself if it was possible that Madam Lin and Granny Han did harm Li Yu¡¯s mother? Li Yu nced at the mother-inw and daughter-inw as she drank her tea.


    Old Madam Wang tactfully bade farewell. When she reached the courtyard, she didn¡¯t even look at Madam Lin before getting into the carriage and leaving.


    Granny Han nced at the gloomy Madam Lin and carefully helped her into the carriage.


    Madam Lin leaned against the car and thought about Li Yu¡¯s words and Old Madam Wang¡¯s gaze. She felt that her life would not be easy.


    Old Madam Wang returned home and went to Old Master Wang¡¯s courtyard. She dismissed the servants and sat in front of Old Master Wang. ¡°Do you know that we married a vicious woman? She was even capable of murdering the twin sister of the same mother could, but she¡¯s also the mother of Brother Kun and Brother Peng. The Wang family married such a woman, and Zheng¡¯er is a muddle-headed person. What will happen to Brother Kun and Brother Peng if we divorce her? What if we¡¯re wrong¡­¡± Old Madam Wang looked at Old Master Wang, whose mouth and eyes were crooked, and suddenly couldn¡¯t continue.


    After Madam Lin and the others left, Li Yu called Ji Xiang over. ¡°Ji Xiang, hand over the matters in your hand to Ruyi and go back to Yunzhou City to quietly keep an eye on the Wang family. I think Madam Lin will send someone to West Mountain Vige to ask for information.¡± Li Yu recalled the way Madam Lin looked at the old woman behind her. ¡°You can keep an eye on the old woman who apanied the Lin family today. She might know about what happened back then.¡±


    Ji Xiang nodded and asked, ¡°Got it. If she goes to Green Mountain, will I follow


    Li Yu nodded and said, ¡°Follow her and capture her. Ask her the truth.¡± Ji Xiang bowed and left the manor.


    The rain finally stopped after noon. Shui Sheng, Little Loach, and the other boys drove the ducks and geese towards the ditch barefooted with buckets, dustpans, and fish baskets.


    When they reached the ditch, the duck geese sshed into the water and swam happily.


    Shui Sheng and the others saw that the originally clear stream had turned yellow. Below the drain of the paddy field, there were still fish floating on the water. Maizi and Shui Sheng jumped into the water, picked up the basket of fish, and began to fish. Maizi lifted the basket and saw five or six two-finger-wide carps and a few fat loaches. Maiziughed and said, ¡°Little Loach,e and see. Your brother has been picked up by me!¡±


    The little stutterer ran over to take a look. ¡°You really¡­ did.¡±


    ¡°Maizi, how could you catch my brother?¡± Little Loach smiled and grabbed two loaches to throw them into the water.


    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ don¡¯t.¡± The little stutterer pulled Little Loach anxiously. ¡°Feed¡­ chicken,y eggs.¡±


    Maizi and Little Loach saw that the little stutterer was so anxious that his face was red. They patted and imitated him. ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ throw it away. Lay¡­ eggs..¡±

 Chapter 316 - 316: Wild

    Chapter 316: Wild


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    The childrenughed out loud. Shui Sheng picked up the fish basket and shouted, ¡°Everyone,e and take a look! I picked up a big fish.¡±


    Everyone surrounded it and saw a foot-long grass fish, prawns, and an eel in the fish basket. The big grass fish kept jumping so hard that the aquatic fish basket was almost unstable.


    ¡°Wow! There¡¯s really a big fish!¡± Everyone cheered and put the fish into a bucket. Shui Sheng said to them, ¡°Don¡¯t let the small fish go. Take it back and feed it to the chickens and ducks!¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡± Everyone scrambled to load the other fish into buckets.


    Seeing that the rain had passed, Li Yu brought Yangyang out of the farmstead. The rice fields by the roadside emitted vitality, and there was a fresh smell in the air. When she walked to the side of the cornfield, crystal clear dewdrops hung on the tender green corn leaves. Under the sunlight, they became colorful.


    Yangyang shook off Li Yu¡¯s hand and chased after a dragonfly. Yanzi, Cao¡¯er, and the other girls were cutting grass on the field beside the cornfield with backpacks. Cao¡¯er looked up and saw Yangyang chasing after the dragonfly. She shouted, ¡°Young Master Yangyang, Uncle Zou and the others said that there are big fish in the ditch. Brother Shuisheng and the others have gone to the ditch


    to fish.¡±


    When Yangyang heard about fishing, he lost interest in chasing the dragonfly. He ran back and pulled Li Yu. ¡°Mother, I want to watch Brother Shuisheng fish.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Li Yu brought Yangyang towards the ditch. Clouds and fog surrounded Mount Spindle in the distance. From afar, it looked like a fairnd.


    Before they approached the ditch, they heard cheers from Shuisheng and the others.


    When Little Loach saw Li Yu and Yangyang, he ran over and pulled Yangyang.


    He pointed at the fish in the bucket and smiled proudly. ¡°Young Master, look. It¡¯s a big grass fish that Brother Shui Sheng picked up.¡±


    ¡°Wow! What a big fish!¡± He turned around and gestured at Li Yu, who was looking at the seedlings by the field. ¡°Mother,e and see what a big fish it is!¡±


    Li Yu smiled and walked closer to take a look. ¡°This grass fish is really big and fat!¡±


    The little stutterer looked at Li Yu and smiled shyly. He pulled Little Loach and pointed at the prawns. Little Loach understood. ¡°Madam, there are your favorite prawns in the bucket.¡±


    Li Yu saw that their faces and hair were covered in mud. She smiled and instructed Shui Sheng and the others, ¡°Alright! Thank you. Be careful not to go deep into the water.¡±


    The few of them replied in unison, ¡°Madam, we understand.¡± The little stutterer pursed his lips and looked at Li Yu, who kept nodding. He and Little Loach held Yangyang¡¯s hand and ran back and forth along the ditch. They followed Shuisheng and the others and helped pick up the fish to put them into buckets.


    Li Yu yed by the ditch with Yangyang for a while. Just as she was about to walk back, she saw two carriages driving towards the manor.


    Madam Gao and Madam He lifted the curtain and looked at the busy workers at the construction site at the foot of the mountain. They saw that the houses in the manor had beenpleted. Craftsmen were building pavilions, and someone was building rockeries and corridors.


    Madam He said to Madam Gao, ¡°Sister Gao, I heard from Madamst time that she was going to open a leisure vi. I had thought that building it at the foot of the mountain would be too remote. From the looks of it, it¡¯s more fun than ying in the city.¡±


    Madam Gao looked at the construction site in front of her and thought about how Wu Tingxian had first said that Madam Li was a farm girl. However, ever since she interacted with her, she felt that Madam Li¡¯s knowledge and bearing did not seem to be what ordinary farm girls had. Madam Gao thought again, ¡°The Second Madam of the Wang family, Madam Lin, looks so simr to Madam Li. Could it be that Madam Li has some rtionship with the Lin family of Qingzhou? Could it be¡­¡±


    Madam He¡¯s question interrupted Madam Gao¡¯s guess. ¡°That¡¯s right! Madam Li has a unique vision. This ce is only more than two hours away from the city. There will be many peopleing out to y.¡±


    ¡°I heard that the farm is full of food and amodation. There are also ces to fish and climb mountains to pick fruits. When it¡¯s fixed, we¡¯lle and y.¡±


    ¡°Yes! We¡¯lle out here and rx when the timees.


    After walking for a while, Madam He saw Li Yu standing not far ahead. She smiled at Madam Gao and said, ¡°Sister Gao, look, Madam is in front.¡±


    Madam Gao looked in the direction Madam He was pointing and saw Li Yu holding Yangyang¡¯s hand. She smiled and said, ¡°As expected, Madam is simply a natural clothes rack. One¡¯s eyes would light up just looking at her.¡± When the two of them saw Li Yu looking over, they raised their handkerchiefs and waved at her.


    When Li Yu saw the two of them, she said to Yangyang, ¡°Yangyang, Auntie Gao and Auntie He are here. Let¡¯s wee them.¡±


    When the two of them saw Li Yu walking towards them, they also got out of the carriage with a smile Onlv then did the two of them reali7.p that the road on


    the farmstead was not muddy. There was ayer of sand and gravel on the road that was very t. They did not know what it was paved with.


    Madam Gao smiled brightly. ¡°The mountains are beautiful and the foot of the mountain is cool and pleasant. Madam really knows how to enjoy herself.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s indeed quite cool. Stay here for a few days before returning.¡±


    ¡°Sure! Then we won¡¯t leave.¡±


    Yangyang cupped his hands at the two of them. ¡°Hello, Aunt Gao and Aunt He!¡±


    Madam Gao smiled and picked Yangyang up. ¡°Aiyo! Which family is such a handsome young man from?¡±


    Yangyang replied loudly, ¡°From Father and Mother¡¯s family!¡± The three of themughed when they heard that.


    Madam He pointed at the carriage behind and smiled. ¡°Madam, Sister Gao, we heard that you took in some old people and children and we brought something over for them. ¡±


    Li Yu bowed and smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll thank you on their behalf.¡±


    Madam Gao smiled and said, ¡°The two of us only found some cotton and some cloth. It¡¯s not anything good!¡±


    Li Yu shook her head and smiled. ¡°These are all practical good things. Sister


    Gao, Sister He, thank you.¡±


    Madam Gao smiled and said, ¡°There¡¯s no need to thank us! The two of us heard that you nted a crop called corn on your farm. Let us see it as a thank-you gift. ¡±


    Li Yu pointed at the cornfield. ¡°There¡¯s arge area over there! Feel free to take a look.¡±


    Madam He smiled and said, ¡°Aiya! If we had known we could look around freely, we would havee empty-handed.¡±


    The two of them saw Shui Sheng and the others catching fish in the ditch and said to Li Yu, ¡°Are these the children?¡±


    ¡°Yes, they¡¯re all good children. They raise pigs, chickens, ducks, and geese on the farm. They cut grass and feed them.¡±


    ¡°What hardworking children.¡± Madam Gao pointed at the field to look for ducks and geese. ¡°Aiyo! If those ducks go into the field, will they eat the rice?¡±


    Madam He pursed her lips and smiled. ¡°Sister Gao, ducks don¡¯t know how to eat rice seedlings. They only know how to eat rice.¡±


    Madam Gao sighed and said, ¡°I¡¯ve made a fool of myself. These ducks were bullying me for not knowing anything.¡± The three of themughed.


    Ji Xiang returned to the city and went to the government office. He told Zhou Jia about the Wang family¡¯s apology. ¡°Madam suspects that Madam Lin will send her nanny to the West Mountain to gather information and is sending me to keep an eye on the Wang family.¡±


    Zhou Jia said to Ji Xiang, ¡°Alright, the weather is hot. Go back and get the summer medicine before rushing.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master.¡± After Ji Xiang left, he went to the backyard to dress up and went to the Wang family..

 Chapter 317 - 317: Guilty

    Chapter 317: Guilty


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    After Ji Xiang left, Zhou Jia got someone to call Wu Tingxian over to the escort room and said to him, ¡°Is Wang Zheng still obedient in the prison?¡±


    Wu Ting smiled first. ¡°Sir, Wang Zheng is well-behaved in prison. After all, he has only been in there for a few days. In addition, the Wang family has dealt with things behind the scenes. He didn¡¯t suffer much. He was just tortured a few times by a few jailers.¡±


    After being tortured by the jailers a few times, a noble young master like Wang Zheng would suffer. It seemed that the jailers in the prison had a grudge against the Wang family!


    Zhou Jia nodded and said, ¡°Lock him up for another three to five days. Judge him as you see fit!¡±


    Wu Tingxian originally thought that Zhou Jia would still torture Wang Zheng for a few more days. When he heard his words, he cupped his hands and asked, ¡°Sir, what do you think of giving him a year¡¯s sentence and 30 strokes of the cane?¡±


    Zhou Jia was not interested in secretly tormenting Wang Zheng. ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll do as you say.¡±


    After Wu Tingxian left, Zhou Jia wrote and reported that Wang Zheng had hired Su Xianyin to kidnap Li Yu in the manor. There was also the matter of Su Xianyin trafficking people and being hired to kidnap girls to be the wives and concubines of other officials.


    Madam Lin sat on the chair uneasily and waited for Old Madam Wang to ask. She waited for four hours, but there was no movement.


    Madam Lin¡¯s heart was suffering. She knew Old Madam Wang¡¯s personality. If she called her over to scold her, it meant that she had let her off. If she ignored her, it meant that she would not forgive her easily.


    Old Madam Wang returned to the small temple hall and recited the Heart Sutra several times, but she could not calm herself down. She recalled that Li Yu had said that she, Jinniang, and her father had settled down in West Mountain Vige in Clearwater Town in Green Mountain County. She wondered if she should send someone to find Jinniang and ask about the truth.


    Seeing that Madam Lin was unable to sit still, Granny Hanforted her.


    ¡°Madam, don¡¯t worry. No matter what, you¡¯re the mother of Eldest Young


    Master and Second Young Master. The Wang family won¡¯t do anything to you!¡±


    Madam Lin smiled mockingly. ¡°With Kun¡¯er and Peng¡¯er, the Wang family won¡¯t divorce me openly, but don¡¯t forget the people locked in the temple.¡±


    That was right! The Wang family wouldn¡¯t divorce her openly, but they would make Madam fall sick and lock her in the temple to pray for blessings!


    Granny Han suddenly remembered that she had never heard Madam Li mention in the Zhou family¡¯s manor that Miss Jinniang was fine. What if she was no longer around? Then there would be no evidence.


    ¡°Madam, you don¡¯t have to worry. I think Miss Jinniang might be gone.¡±


    When Madam Lin heard this, she looked up at Granny Han. ¡°Nanny, how did you know that Jinniang was gone?¡±


    Granny Han analyzed her findings with Madam Lin. ¡°Look, we¡¯re on the farm..


    After Granny Han¡¯s analysis, Madam Lin felt that it was very likely that Jinniang was no longer alive. However, this was just a guess. What if Jinniang was still around? ¡°Nanny, we have to send someone to take a look. Who do you think should be sent?¡±


    Madam Lin looked at Granny Han and thought for a long time. She felt that no one was as reliable as Granny Han. She held Granny Han¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Nanny, I¡¯ve thought about it and no one is as reliable as you. Please go to Green Mountain and find out if Jinniang is still around?¡±


    Granny Han knew what she had done and knew that this matter concerned whether she could live to old age safely. ¡°Alright, while my old bones can still be tortured, I¡¯ll make this trip for you.¡±


    Madam Lin thought for a moment and got up to go into the house to get the banknotes and silver. She handed them to Granny Han and said, ¡°Alright, don¡¯t use the carriages in the residence. Go to the carriage shop and hire a carriage. Then, go to the escort agency and hire an escort to protect you. Be careful on the way.¡±


    Granny Han took it and said to Madam Lin, ¡°Find an excuse and get Yingge to go to the academy to invite Second Young Master back. On ount of Second Young Master, Old Madam will still be kind.¡±


    Madam Lin looked at Granny Han, who was devoted to her and held her hand emotionally- ¡°Thank von. Nanny!¡±


    ¡°Madam, you¡¯re fine. Nanny is fine.¡± Granny Han patted her hand and turned to go back to the house to pack her luggage.


    Ji Xiang looked at Granny Han, who hade out of the small door in the backyard with her bag, and thought to himself, that he had, fortunately,e in time or he would have missed.


    Li Yu brought Madam Gao and Madam He to the manor. The two of them sat for a while and suggested taking a look at Li Yu¡¯s farm. Li Yu smiled and said, ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of the smell of livestock? I¡¯ll bring you to take a look.¡±


    Madam He smiled and said, ¡°I used to feed them at home, but I didn¡¯t think it smelled much.¡±


    Madam Gao lowered her voice and smiled. ¡°To be honest, I don¡¯t even know what a pig looks like! ¡±


    The two of themughed. ¡°Sure! I¡¯ll let you broaden your horizons today and see what a pig looks like.¡±


    When the three of them arrived at the farm, Madam Gao was shocked to see the pigs in the pigpen. ¡°It¡¯s too ugly. It¡¯s ck, ugly, and has a big mouth. Pork isn¡¯t like this?¡±


    Madam He covered her mouth and couldn¡¯t stopughing. ¡°That¡¯s what live pigs are like. Pork is cleaned up after being killed.¡±


    After looking around, Madam He said to Li Yu, ¡°Madam, this is a good idea. The pig pen is clean, but it¡¯s a pity about the pig fertilizer.¡±


    Li Yu told her the benefits of raising pigs like this and the fertilizer pool behind. When Madam He heard this, she bowed to Li Yu. ¡°Thank you, Madam. I¡¯ll go back and write to the family to let them raise pigs ording to your method.¡±


    The three of them came out of the farm and went to the cornfield. Li Yu smiled and pointed at the thick corn in the field. ¡°Sister Gao, Sister He, look, these are corn. They¡¯ll ripen in two months. At that time, I¡¯ll invite you to the farm to try fresh and tender corn.¡±


    The two of them had never seen corn before and could not imagine what the fruits of such a thick corn seedling would look like. They smiled and said, ¡°This is a precious thing. We have to try it.¡±


    Li Yu apanied the two of them for a walk outside. When there was no one around, she even took off her shoes and socks and yed in the stream beside the cornfield for a while.


    Gu Yu and the girls brought mats andid them on the ground. Li Yu smiled at the two of them and said, ¡°Come, let¡¯s sit and y for a while.¡±


    The three of them sat on the cushions and ate fruits. Looking at the green mountains and rivers, they felt that Li Yu¡¯s simple life was really good.


    Madam He recalled the troubles at home and was furious. ¡°It¡¯s not bad to have such a leisurely life. Sigh! I don¡¯t even want to return to the city.¡±


    Li Yu looked at Madam He and felt that she might have encountered something unpleasant. ¡°If you¡¯re not feeling well in the city, don¡¯t go back! Just stay here for a few days. You can go back when you¡¯re happy.¡±


    Madam He smiled bitterly. ¡°I want to too! But there¡¯s still something terrible at home that hasn¡¯t been resolved. Let¡¯s go back and settle it beforeing back to y.¡±


    Madam Gao patted Madam He¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Sister He, you¡¯re thinking too much. It¡¯s not worth getting angry over such a small matter. She¡¯s just a bitch who came to be a concubine. She¡¯s just a concubine! In our eyes, she¡¯s just a thing. If you¡¯re happy with her, give her a good attitude. If you¡¯re unhappy, you can deal with her however you deem fit!¡±


    Li Yu raised her eyebrows and looked at Madam He. ¡°Sigh!¡± Madam He sighed. ¡°Madam doesn¡¯t know that my master came back yesterday. It seemed he had saved a damsel in distress and brought back Miss Chunjuan. As soon as she arrived yesterday, she wanted to serve me tea. She said that she was willing to serve me and my master. She almost disgusted me to death..¡±

 Chapter 318 - 318: Madam He l s Pain

    Chapter 318: Madam He l s Pain


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    The gentle Madam He finished speaking in one breath. She patted her chest and felt that she could finally vent some of the anger in her heart.


    Li Yu felt extremely disgusted when she heard Madam He¡¯s words, but she didn¡¯t have any experience in fighting with another woman. ¡°It¡¯s indeed quite disgusting. I think it¡¯s right to listen to Sister Gao.¡±


    Madam Gao sighed and said, ¡°Madam, you, Sister He, and I are used to seeing this. Men are different from women and tend to have three wives and four concubines. The upbringing we listened to since we were young was to teach us to learn from the virtuous women in the women¡¯s books. It was only when we went out that my sister secretly taught me that the virtuous women in the books were all written by those wretched men to deceive women. The marriage of wives and concubines was always wishful thinking of men. She asked me to stay true to my heart and not listen to the sweet words of men. Sister¡¯s words overturned everything I had learned in the past. Later, I was pregnant with my eldest son and vomited but still had to thread the face of the dowry girl. I was so angry at that time!¡± Madam Gao still felt a little suffocated in her chest when she thought of the past. She took a deep breath and said, ¡°I even wanted to kill someone with a knife. Later, my nanny pulled me and said, Miss, even those countryside men who had earned some money have to go to brothels. Besides, you¡¯re the wife of an official. You have to look at your identity and treat those concubines as Tom, Dick, and Harry. You should be cunning about it.¡±


    Li Yu could hear the sadness and helplessness in Madam Gao¡¯s words. She recalled that when those men in the modern world earned money, they still wanted to live a colorful life outside and have a stable family at home. In this world where mistresses were legalized, there was no need to mention it. Madam Gao¡¯s nanny said that even country bumpkins had to go to brothels to shop if they earned a couple more coins. Thinking about these powerful men, who didn¡¯t want to live a life with women to tend to them?


    ¡°Sister He, this world has too much malice towards women, to begin with. Even if it¡¯s for the sake of the children, we have to cherish ourselves more.¡±


    When Madam He heard this, she lowered her head and sat in a daze for a while. She looked up at the two of them and revealed a smile that was uglier than crying. She wiped the tears off her face and stood up to bow to Li Yu and Madam Gao. ¡°Thank you for yourfort, Madam. Thank you for Sister Gao¡¯s guidance.¡±


    Madam Gao was a sensible person. She looked at Madam He and smiled in relief. ¡°We rely on our own hard work to survive. Women our age shouldn¡¯t go back to the vows of the past. It¡¯s only good if our children are well.¡±


    Madam He fell into deep thought when she heard Madam Gao¡¯s words. Li Yu felt that Madam Gao was the one who was transparent. Only by not pinning her hopes on men could she live happily.


    The three of them sat there and looked at the distant green mountain. Li Yu pulled the two of them up and smiled. ¡°Sisters,e and shout at the green mountain. ¡±


    The two of them looked at Li Yu with sparkling eyes and nodded heavily. Li Yu shouted at the mountain, ¡°Ah¡­ go to hell! ¡±


    Madam He of the Gao family looked at Li Yu curiously. She looked at the mountain and opened her mouth, but she couldn¡¯t make a sound. Looking at Li Yu¡¯s encouraging gaze, the two of them grabbed Li Yu¡¯s hand to embolden themselves. They took a deep breath and tried to shout. After shouting for the first time, it was much easier. ¡°Ah¡­ go to hell!¡± The two of them shouted at the mountain.


    ¡°Ah¡­ to hell with it!¡± It took all their strength to release the painful repression in their hearts. They didn¡¯t stop until they were hoarse.


    Madam Gao wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and patted her chest.


    She smiled at the two of them and said, ¡°I have never been so rxed.¡±


    Madam He also smiled. ¡°I feel that my heart has lightened.¡±


    Li Yu picked up a piece of fruit and handed it to the two of them. She smiled and said, ¡°Come, sweeten your mouths and moisten your throats.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s sweet.¡± The two of them took it and took a bite. They smiled at Li Yu.


    It was not until it was gettingte that Madam Gao and Madam He smiled and bade farewell to Li Yu. Madam He smiled and said, ¡°Madam, it¡¯s really not bad to y on the manor. We¡¯ll y again after your manor is fixed.¡±


    Li Yu smiled readily and said, ¡°Alright! It¡¯ll be fixed in a few days. You¡¯re wee toe and y anytime.¡±


    The two of them smiled and said, ¡°That¡¯s good. We¡¯lle every day and y until you¡¯re annoyed.¡±


    ¡°Okay! I promise I won¡¯t be annoyed. I¡¯m just afraid you¡¯ll be annoyed.¡±


    Li Yu stood at the door and watched the two of them get into the carriage which drove away slowly. She sighed and slowly walked back.


    The two of them returned to the city and arrived at the entrance of the Wu family¡¯s house first. Madam Gao instructed Madam He, ¡°Sister He, most men in the world are heartless. Only the children are our final support.¡±


    Madam He bowed gratefully to Madam Gao. ¡°Thank you, Sister Gao.¡±


    After Madam He bade farewell to Madam Gao, she returned to the Tongju Residence, which was separated by an alley.


    When the maidservant, Qiu Ju, saw Madam He return, she went up to her and reported softly, ¡°Madam, you¡¯re back! Master is looking for you!¡±


    Hearing Chunjuan¡¯s delicateughter in the house, Madam He¡¯s heart felt as if it had been pulled by a blunt knife. She endured the pain in her heart and said coldly, ¡°Why is Master looking for me? Don¡¯t you know to tell him that I went to West City to visit the magistrate¡¯s wife?¡±


    Qiu Ju stammered, ¡°Before I could say anything, Miss Chunjuan said that she made Master¡¯s favorite spring pancake and called him away.¡±


    Madam He muttered to herself, ¡°Even without Chunjuan, there will still be Qiujuan and Dongjuan. Since you¡¯re in a hurry to be a concubine, I¡¯ll fulfill your wish. I don¡¯t think you, Lin Zicong, dare to dote on a concubine at the expense of your wife.¡±


    Madam He brought Qiu Ju back to the main courtyard unhurriedly. She stood at the door and looked at Lin Zicong¡¯s smug expression and the charming Miss Chunjuan standing beside him.


    Madam He snorted and walked in. Lin Zicong smiled awkwardly and said,


    ¡°Madam,e and try Miss Chunjuan¡¯s spring pancakes.¡±


    Miss Chunjuan also went forward and bowed. ¡°Sister, you¡¯re back!¡±


    Madam He nced at Chunjuan and walked over to sit down. ¡°I don¡¯t have a sister like you.¡±


    ¡°Madam, why do you have to¡­¡± Lin Zicong was a little angry. He looked at the cold Madam He and felt a little guilty.


    Chunjuan looked at Madam He with teary eyes and said, ¡°Madam, it¡¯s all


    Chunjuan¡¯s fault. Please don¡¯t be angry with Lord.¡±


    Madam He looked at the cold Lin Zicong and the flirtatious Chunjuan and said, ¡°Miss Chunjuan, are you really willing to serve me and Master without regard for status?¡±


    Chunjuan knelt shyly in front of Madam He. ¡°Madam, ever since Sir saved


    Chunjuan, Chunjuan has been Sir¡¯s woman.¡±


    Madam He¡¯s heart ached. She couldn¡¯t help but choke and cough. She took a


    deep breath and suppressed the anger in her heart. She looked at Chunjuan and said indifferently, ¡°Miss Chunjuan, you have to understand that the Lin family is not a shady family. Master wants to have a bright future. His every move and action is monitored. If you want to serve Master, I don¡¯t dare to ept you without a contract.. Think about it!¡±

 Chapter 319 - 319: Equal Wife

    Chapter 319: Equal Wife


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    When Chunjuan heard this, she muttered to herself, ¡°Lord promised me that I would be his wife back then, but you want me to sign a contract and be a ve. You even want to have my lifeline in your hands. That won¡¯t do.¡±


    Chunjuan looked at Lin Zicong bitterly and shouted aggrievedly, ¡°Lord, you said that you would marry me as a wife.¡±


    ¡°You must be suffering from hysteria!¡± Lin Zicong blurted out as he red at Chunjuan with a red face. When he looked up and saw Madam He¡¯s shocked gaze, he was ashamed.


    ¡°You said¡­


    This was the man who had gone through thick and thin with her back then and sworn an oath to her. If this woman had a prominent family background today, she would probably not be able to keep her position as the official wife!


    ¡°Hahaha¡­¡± Madam Heughed angrily.¡± Equal wife, do you think my Lin family is on the same level as those merchants?¡± Madam He looked at Lin Zicong with a mocking expression. ¡°Master, are you really going to marry Miss Chunjuan?¡±


    Lin Zicong looked at Madam He awkwardly and cupped his hands at her. ¡°I¡¯m innocent, Madam. How could I agree to such a ridiculous thing? If Miss Chunjuan is willing to sign a contract, we¡¯ll take her as a concubine. Otherwise, she can marry someone else with the dowry!¡± With that, Lin Zicong flicked his sleeves and left.


    Chunjuan looked at Lin Zicong¡¯s back and felt that the sky had copsed. She muttered softly, ¡°How could you forget so quickly?¡­¡±


    In the face of fame and power, the man¡¯s gentleness and sweet words were gone like yesterday.


    Madam He nced at Chunjuan, who was standing there in a daze. Her voice was cold. ¡°Miss, you heard Master¡¯s words. Tell me your choice! ¡±


    Chunjuan thought to herself that she was no longer a virgin. She might as well be a concubine in the Lin residence and live without worry. Otherwise, she would have to marry those peddlers who work hard for three meals.


    Chunjuan swallowed her unwillingness and walked over to kneel at Madam


    He¡¯s feet. She kowtowed and bowed. ¡°Chunjuan greets Madam.¡±


    Madam He looked indifferently at Chunjuan, who was kneeling at her feet. She endured the pain of her heart being bitten and raised her hand. ¡°Qiuju, bring Miss Chunjuan to sign the contract first before she serves tea.¡±


    Qiu Ju brought Chunjuan to sign the contract. As she watched Chunjuan¡¯s back slowly disappear, Madam He did not feel any joy of victory. She only felt that her heart was slowly turning cold, and the gentleness and quietness in her eyes had disappeared.


    The next morning, before the sun rose, Li Yu and Mr. Wen went to the Yang family vige nearby.


    The Yang family vige was built at the foot of Mount Spindle. The entire vige was surrounded by a bamboo forest. There was arge fertile field in front of the vige. The fields in the vige were nted with rice and a portion of vegetables and fruits.


    The houses in the vige had tiled houses and straw huts. There was also a


    rge courtyard built of green bricks and tiles in the middle of the vige.


    Mr. Wen pointed at the courtyard. ¡°Xiaoyu, that manor belongs to a family with the surname Tian. Ah Wei said that the seedlings of the Tian family are the same breed as ours. It¡¯s the same for the vige chief¡¯s family. Ah Wei also asked those vigers. The vigers said that they can¡¯t buy the rice seeds of the


    Tian family and the vige chief¡¯s family.¡±


    ¡°Sir, rich families and vige chiefs can buy it, but ordinary vigers can¡¯t.


    There must be something hidden.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll only know what¡¯s going on after investigating.¡±


    A tall woman walked towards the two of them with a load of grass. When she saw Mr. Wen, she happily put down her burden and bowed respectfully to him. She said quickly, ¡°Doctor Wen, did youe to the vige to treat someone?


    TnanK you! MY motner-lnw?s Kneecap IS m Detter. sne can Sleep peacefully at night.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good. Sister-inw Yang, remember to ask your mother-inw to keep soaking her feet in herbs every night before bed. I¡¯ll take a look at her in a few days.¡±


    Sister-inw Yang smiled. ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to you, Doctor Wen. The vigers praised you for your good medical skills. You¡¯re much better than the doctors in the city. The doctors in the city can¡¯t treat illnesses even if we spend more money. You even taught us how to pull out some herbs to soak our feet.¡±


    ¡°Everyone is too kind. It¡¯s just to reduce everyone¡¯s pain.¡± Mr. Wen smiled.


    Seeing Sister-inw Yang¡¯s honest expression, Li Yu pointed at the seedlings in the field and asked, ¡°Sister-inw Yang, did you keep the rice seeds in the field yourself, or did you go to the seed shop to buy them?¡±


    Sister-inw Yang pointed at the field and said with a hearty smile, ¡°Madam, the seeds you see are all rice seeds left behind by our family every year. My family has also bought good rice seeds like the Tian family a few times, but we haven¡¯t been able to buy them for a while. The new rice that the Tian family collectedst year also left behind rice seeds. This spring, they said that their family also has high-yielding rice seeds for sale, but the price is too expensive for us to afford. Only the vige chief bought new rice seeds from the Tian family.¡±


    Did the Tian family keep rice seeds for sale? Could it be that the shopkeeper of the Four Seas Bank colluded with an aristocratic family like the Tian family to sell grain seeds?


    ¡°Do you know which shop in the city the Tian family bought the rice seeds from?¡±


    The woman nodded. ¡°I know. That would be the city¡¯s Bountiful Grain Bank, which only sold food in the past. The price was also more reasonable than in other shops. The rice seeds were only soldst year. The Tian family nted the rice seeds from the Bountiful Grain Bankst year. The yield is indeed good.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Sister-inw.¡± Li Yu decided to get someone to investigate why these vigers could not buy rice seeds, but big families like the Tian and Wang families could.


    ¡°You¡¯re too polite. It¡¯s just a few words. Doctor Wen, Madam,e to my house to y!¡± The woman picked up her burden and walked towards the vige.


    Li Yu smiled and nodded. ¡°Alright, my house is at the manor at the east end. Come and y when you¡¯re free.¡±


    Mr. Wen also heard some problems in the woman¡¯s words. ¡°Xiaoyu, the shopkeeper of the Four Seas Bank in Yunzhou might be colluding with the aristocratic families.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a possibility.¡± Li Yu had the same guess.


    Li Yu and Mr. Wen walked around the vige and asked a few vigers. Everyone had the same exnation as Mrs. Yang.


    Li Yu and Mr. Wen strolled back to the manor and saw Ruyi bringing people to arrange tables and chairs in the room.


    When Li Yu and Mr. Wen returned, Ruyi smiled and pointed at the tables and chairs. ¡°Old Master, Madam, look, the tables and chairs have been sent over. I¡¯ll go to the city and get Squad Leader Liu to bring a letter to Mr. Liu.¡±


    Li Yu nodded. ¡°Coincidentally, go to the Bountiful Grain Bank in the city and see how their rice seeds are sold. When can you buy them?¡±


    Ruyi looked at Li Yu in confusion. ¡°Madam, the Bountiful Grain Bank is run by the Four Seas Bank. Did something happen?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir saidst time that the rice seeds nted by the vigers are different from ours. I thought it was because the vigers didn¡¯t trust the new rice seeds.


    After going to the vige today, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the case¡­¡±


    ¡°Madam, I¡¯ll go back to the city and ask around.¡± Ruyi understood what Li Yu meant. ¡°Old Zou and the others came home from work yesterday and said that they realized that a few corn seedlings in the field seemed to have been stolen. They went to the cornfield to check early in the morning.¡±


    Li Yu looked at the sky. ¡°ording to the time, they¡¯ve been gone for a while. If anything happens, they¡¯lle back to report. Go to the city first. I¡¯ll get Ah


    Wei to take a look.¡±


    Ruyi nodded and looked at his dusty clothes. He smiled and said, ¡°Then I don¡¯t have to change my clothes. It¡¯s just right to go to the grain shop like this.¡±


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go like this!¡± Li Yu smiled..

 Chapter 320 -

    Chapter 320: Stolen Corn


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Old Zou and more than ten people scattered in the field to investigate. Looking down, they found traces of corn seedlings being dug up in other cornfields. Looking down, everyone estimated that at least a hundred stalks of corn had been stolen.


    Old Zou and Uncle Zhou were angry and afraid. They were angry that so many corn seedlings had been stolen. They were afraid that Madam would me them for not doing their best and chase them away. The stable days they had painstakingly had were gone.


    Old Zou rubbed his face hard and sighed. ¡°Sigh! It¡¯s useless to be angry. If Madam doesn¡¯t chase us away this time, we have to guard the corn seedlings in the field and not let anyone steal them again. How about this? You guys go cut some bamboo and wood first and build a shack. Dashui and I will go back and tell the young steward to bring us to apologize to Madam.¡±


    Ah Cai nodded. ¡°That¡¯s good. Let¡¯s build a few shacks first. We¡¯ll take turnsing out to keep watch tonight.¡±


    Dashui was so angry that he kicked the soil under his feet and said angrily, ¡°Dog, if I catch him, I¡¯ll break his legs.¡±


    Old Zou pulled back the anxious Big Water. ¡°Let¡¯s go! It¡¯s useless to be anxious and angry here. Let¡¯s go back to the farm and report the theft of the corn to Madam first.¡±


    After Old Zou and Dashui left, Ah Cai frowned and thought for a while. He said to a short and thin old man, ¡°Brother Wang, think about it. He stole so much corn from us. He can¡¯t be nting the corn in the courtyard, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! There are hundreds of corn seedlings! Let¡¯s go to the neighboring vige after work and look. We should be able to find the culprit.¡±


    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s do it quickly.¡±


    Old Zou and Dashui returned to the farmstead and found Ah Wei. They told him about the theft of the corn seedlings. Ah Wei was furious when he heard that. ¡°How did he know that it was corn? He even stole so much. He¡¯s too bold! Wait here for a while. I¡¯ll report to Madam.¡±


    Ah Wei reported to Li Yu about the theft of the corn seedlings. ¡°Madam, the vigers feel that it¡¯s rare. At most, they will steal two stalks and bring them home, but this thief stole so much. I think he must know corn.¡±


    Those who could recognize corn should not be from ordinary families. Ordinary families would not know whose farmstead this was. These families would note to steal corn seedlings. They might be rtives of these families or rely on those families to steal them.


    Li Yu thought for a moment and instructed Ah Wei, ¡°Ah Wei, bring people to the next vige to investigate quietly, especially the families with some power in the vige. Remember not to disturb the people.¡±


    Ah Wei patted his chest and promised, ¡®Madam, don¡¯t worry. I often apany Old Master to the nearby vige to treat the vigers. I¡¯m familiar with many families in the vige. I¡¯ll secretly ask them.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and nodded. ¡°Alright, go and ask first. There¡¯s no need for Old Zou and the others to apologize. A thief isn¡¯t something they can control. Let them remember to be more careful in the future.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t know that they were worried that you would chase them away and were still preparing to build a shack to keep watch.¡±


    When Li Yu heard this, she understood their feelings. It was not easy for them to have a stable life when they were old. They were already a little worried that what they had could be taken away from them. Now that the corn seedlings in the farm had been stolen, they would be inevitably anxious that she would chase them away.


    ¡°Tell them that the farmstead is their home. As long as they don¡¯t do those things that involve colluding with outsiders and harm the interests of the farmstead, I¡¯ll never chase them away. It¡¯s good that they want to build a shack to keep watch. That way, the thieves will have second thoughts. In a few days, the crops will be ripe. I¡¯m afraid the wild animals in the mountains wille down the mountain to steal the crops. Let them find time to fence the foot of the mountain.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± Ah Wei left.


    Old Zou and Dashui waited uneasily for Ah Wei toe out of the inner courtyard. When they saw him, they went up to him and looked at him worriedly. ¡°Young steward, what did Madam say?¡±


    ¡°Madam said that the manor is your home. As long as it¡¯s not¡­ I¡¯ll say it! As long as everyone does their job, Madam won¡¯t scold us. Ever since I was bought by Madam, I haven¡¯t been beaten or scolded, but I¡¯m also obedient.¡± Yang Wei smiled proudly after saying that.


    Old Zou and Dashui burst into tears when they heard that. They knelt down in the main courtyard with gratitude. ¡°Thank you, Madam. Thank you, Master. We have a home.¡±


    Ah Wei hurriedly pulled the two of them up and said, ¡°Uncle Zou, Uncle Dashui, get up quickly. Madam doesn¡¯t like us kneeling for no reason.¡±


    Old Zou and Dashui wiped the tears from the corners of their eyes. ¡°We¡¯re not kneeling anymore. Ah Cai and the others are still worried! Let¡¯s go tell them first and make them happy!¡¯


    Ah Wei was also very happy to see them happy. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll check the nearby vige. Uncle Zou, don¡¯t go.¡±


    Old Zou rubbed his hands excitedly. ¡°Aye! We¡¯re not going. Let¡¯s go back and quickly build the shack and fence it.¡±


    Ah Wei watched the two of them leave happily and also walked towards the Yang family vige.


    After entering the vige, he walked through a few families in the vige, but he did not find out anything. Thinking that the vige had an extraordinary rtionship with the Tian family which was arrogant and domineering in the Yang family vige, Ah Wei walked towards the Yang family.


    When he arrived at the Yang family¡¯s house, he stood outside the fence and saw Granny Yang drying vegetables in the courtyard. Ah Wei smiled and shouted, ¡°Granny Yang, are your feet better?¡±


    Grandma Yang looked up and saw Ah Wei. She smiled and went over to open the fence door. ¡°Ah Wei is here! Come in and sit for a while. My feet are much better. I can even sleep soundly in the rain two days ago. Go back and thank Doctor Wen for me.¡±


    Ah Wei walked into the courtyard and helped Grandma Yang spread the vegetables out to dry in the dustpan. ¡°Grandma Yang,st night, someone seemed to have run past our manor in the middle of the night. Did any one in the vige hear any abnormal sounds?¡±


    Grandma Yang smiled and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t hear anythingst night. However, Changgui¡¯s mother next doorined to me this morning that she had just fallen asleepst night when she was woken up by the dog barking from Tian Zhong¡¯s house next door. It caused her to be half-asleep all night. She only fell asleep when it was dawn and was woken up by Tian Zhong¡¯s dog again. She sat here for a while and went back to catch up on her sleep. What¡¯s wrong? Was something stolen from the farm?¡±


    Ah Wei thought for a moment and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t lose anything. It¡¯s just that some of the crops in the field were ruined.¡±


    When Grandma Yang heard this, she pulled Ah Wei to the eaves and said in a low voice, ¡°Ah Wei, Changgui¡¯s mother said that Tian Zhong¡¯s family members each carried a backpackst night. I wonder where they went in the middle of the night. They only came back at dawn today.¡±


    It seemed that those corn seedlings had most likely been stolen by Tian Zhong¡¯s family. But where could they find the stolen corn and catch them red-handed?


    ¡°Granny Yang, how many dogs does Tian Zhong¡¯s family have?¡±


    ¡°They raised one. I heard it was brought over from Master Tian¡¯s manor. It¡¯s extremely fierce..¡±

 Chapter 321 - 321: Blessing

    Chapter 321: Blessing


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    He was not afraid of a vicious dog in broad daylight. He would go take a look first. Ah Wei stood up and bowed to Grandma Yang with a smile. ¡°Thank you, Grandma Yang. I¡¯m going back.¡±


    Grandma Yang smiled and patted Ah Wei. ¡®Why are you being so polite to me?¡± After thinking about it, she reminded Ah Wei worriedly, ¡°Tian Zhong¡¯s family was originally the servants of the Tian family. The entire family worked on the farm of the Tian family. Tian Zhong¡¯s daughter is beautiful, and Master Tian took a fancy to her and took her as a concubine. Two years ago, she gave birth to a son for Master Tian and was very doted on. Master Tian released them from very and they settled down in our vige. Tian Zhong¡¯s wife, Madam Wang, is fierce and unreasonable. His two sons are tsk tsk tsk! Simply put, his family is as fierce as dogs. Don¡¯t provoke them.¡±


    Ah Wei nodded with a smile. ¡°Got it! I¡¯ll go around and go back.¡± Ah Wei came out of Grandma Yang¡¯s house and walked outside Tian Zhong¡¯s courtyard. He saw that the courtyard wall of Tian Zhong¡¯s house was more than six feet tall. He couldn¡¯t see the situation in the courtyard even if he tiptoed.


    Ah Wei circled the courtyard and heard a few dogs barking. Ah Wei realized that Tian Zhong¡¯s backyard was muchrger than those of the others and thought to himself, It shouldn¡¯t be a problem to nt a hundred stalks of corn in this courtyard. Looking at the high courtyard wall and then at his small body, he thought to himself that he should go back and talk to Brother Ruyi and ask him toe to Tian Zhong¡¯s house to check!


    Ah Wei walked back hesitantly. Halfway there, he thought about it and was unwilling to go back just like that. He stood there and hesitated for a moment before turning around and walking towards Tian Zhong¡¯s house.


    When Ruyi arrived in the city and reached the government office, he remembered that Liu Yi had sent those children home. He found a bailiff who knew Liu Yi¡¯s family and asked for Liu Hanmin¡¯s address. He went to Liu Hanmin¡¯s house and told him that the desk and chairs were ready. Liu Hanmin happily cupped his hands and thanked him. ¡°Thank you for making the trip, Chief Steward. I¡¯ll pack my things now.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re too polite.¡± It was inconvenient for Liu Hanmin to retreat. ¡°Mr. Liu, wait for me at the entrance of the government office. I¡¯ll go get something to pick you up.¡±


    Liu Hanmin hesitated for a moment. He smiled and cupped his hands. ¡°Then I won¡¯t stand on ceremony!¡±


    Ruyi came out of the Liu family¡¯s house and went to the East City to find the Fenggu Food Bank on Thin Water Street. He saw that the Fenggu Food Bank had three wide doors and there were no customers in the shop. Ruyi walked in and the shop assistant standing at the door walked in. He looked at Ruyi and asked impatiently, ¡°How many catties of brown rice do you want?¡±


    Ruyi smiled and stuffed a few copper coins into his hand. ¡°Brother, I heard that your grain shop has a high-yielding rice seed that you have toe early to buy. Can I set it for next year now?¡±


    The shop assistant looked at the copper coins in his hand and smiled. ¡°Brother, I advise you to give up on this idea! Not to mention the rice seeds next year, there won¡¯t be any in the year after next. You might as well go to those rich families and ask. They¡¯ll have high-yielding rice seeds to sell this year.¡±


    Ruyi stuffed a few more copper coins into his hand and looked like he was fawning over him. ¡°Brother, the Tian family in our vige is selling rice seeds, but they¡¯re too expensive. There won¡¯t be much of a margin left after nting them.¡±


    The shop assistant looked at the copper coins in his hand and smiled proudly. ¡°On ount of the fact that you know how to do things, I¡¯ll tell you. Before the


    seeds of my grain shon reach Yunzhou Citv. they¡¯ve all been decided by those


    big families to be divided up. How can it be your turn? I advise you to buy the Tian family¡¯s seeds to nt. Although it¡¯s not worth it this season, you can keep the seeds yourself next season!¡±


    These dogs. His Madam gave up 10% of the profits she deserved to benefit the poor people. Now, they had be tools for these aristocratic families to umte wealth. He wondered how many other ces amodate such a phenomenon.


    Ruyi looked disappointed. ¡°Thank you for your guidance, Brother. Even if I want to nt it, I have to wait until next year.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! If you buy it in your vige next year, you¡¯ll only suffer a loss for a season at most!¡±


    Ruyi came out of the grain shop and went to the government office to find Zhou Jia to report to him the news he had heard. ¡°Master, do you think the shopkeeper of the Fenggu grain shop is colluding with the big families or is there another reason?¡±


    Zhou Jia thought for a moment and said, ¡°It¡¯s easy if the shopkeeper colluded with them. I¡¯m afraid a shopkeeper like Chu Feng is also involved. Go back and tell Madam what you found. I¡¯ll ask Chu Feng out to find out.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master. I¡¯ll go back first.¡±


    Ruyi came out of Zhou Jia¡¯s escort room and picked up Liu Hanming in front of the government office. When they arrived at the manor, Ruyi brought Liu Hanmin to the courtyard. ¡°Mr. Liu, we have engaged you and Mr. Lu in the manor. Mr. Lu was invited back by Master to teach Young Master and my son Seven Pounds. The two rooms in the west wing are where you teach your students. Your room is next to Mr. Lu¡¯s. The room at the corner is the bathroom. I¡¯ll bring you to your room first and put down your luggage.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Liu Hanmin followed Ruyi into the courtyard and saw tables and stools neatly ced in the spacious ssroom. In a slightly smaller ssroom, the gentle and elegant Mr. Lu was teaching the two children. Liu Hanming followed Ruyi to the room and saw that it was clean. There was a long square table and two chairs by the window. Behind the table and chairs was a screen embroidered with bamboo branches. Behind the screen was a bed and a tall cab, a small square table, and a chair. The mosquito on the bed had also been hung.


    Liu Hanmin felt that the room was too thoughtful. He cupped his hands gratefully and said, ¡°Thank you, Chief Manager. Please thank Sir and Madam on my behalf.¡±


    Ruyi smiled and cupped her hands in return. ¡°Mr. Liu, you¡¯re too polite. Pack your luggage first. We¡¯ll start eatingter. ¡±


    Liu Hanmin watched Ruyi stride to the backyard and turn around to enter the house to pack.


    Ruyi went to the backyard and saw Li Yu and Xiaoyu sitting at the entrance of the hall. He went forward and told Li Yu the news of the Fenggu Food Bank and Zhou Jia¡¯s words. When Li Yu heard this, she shook her head and sighed. ¡°These families are greedy. We¡¯ll discuss the rest after Master and Chu Feng gather. ¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam. Mr. Liu has already been brought here. The matter of letting the children in the vigee to school hasn¡¯t been publicized yet. Also, it¡¯s inevitable that it will be noisy when the children in the vigee to school in the future. We should let someone guard the second door. What do you think?¡±


    ¡°Alright, just arrange for someone to guard the second door. Old Zou and the others have checked the corn in the field and realized that more than a hundred stalks have been stolen. Ah Wei went to the neighboring vige to ask for information. Go and see as I¡¯m afraid he¡¯ll get into trouble. I¡¯ll start recruiting those children from the vige when I draw up a regtion.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Ruyi bowed and left.


    ¡°Madam, I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on, but I¡¯m especially hungry when I¡¯m pregnant with this child. I¡¯m also hungry for food. This child might be a greedy cat when he¡¯s born.¡± Xiaoyu smiled and pushed herself up from the chair..

 Chapter 322 - 322: Fight!

    Chapter 322: Fight!


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Counting the time, Xiaoyu had been pregnant for three months and it had already begun to show. Li Yu looked at Xiaoyu¡¯s slightly protruding stomach and smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t hold it in. I¡¯ll get the kitchen to make you whatever you want to eat.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Xiaoyu¡¯s face was filled with a blissful smile. ¡°Madam, Aunt Xue and the others said that the women in the vige in the past still worked in the fields with big bellies. They didn¡¯t see much oil and meat until they gave birth. I think I¡¯m already very luckypared to them.¡±


    Li Yu had always liked Xiaoyu¡¯s personality. She was kind and knew when to advance and retreat. She smiled and praised her. ¡°Yes! Ruyi is a lucky woman to have married a good woman like you.¡±


    Xiaoyu blushed. ¡°Madam, I¡¯m telling you the truth, but you¡¯re teasing me again.¡±


    Li Yu replied seriously, ¡°I¡¯m also telling the truth. I¡¯m really not teasing you.¡± After saying that, the two of themughed.


    Ah Wei returned to Tian Zhong¡¯s courtyard and walked around to the back courtyard wall. He looked at the eucalyptus tree outside the courtyard wall and rolled his eyes. He hugged the tree trunk and climbed up. He finally saw the situation in Tian Zhong¡¯s backyard clearly.


    He spotted a loyal-looking man in his thirties or forties who might be Tian Zhong, a shrewd-looking woman, and a burly-looking young man. There were also three backpacks filled with corn seedlings in the shade. A few people were busy digging the ground and nting corn with hoes.


    Ah Wei looked at the corn in the courtyard and roared angrily, ¡°Tian Zhong, you audacious thief. How dare you steal corn from my farmstead?¡± Ah Wei cursed and quickly slipped down the tree and ran towards the entrance of Tian Zhong¡¯s courtyard.


    ¡°Which dog is scolding me?¡± Tian Zhong roared and looked around with his wife and son. He didn¡¯t see anyone. Tian Zhong looked at Madam Wang and her son worriedly. ¡°Oh no, they¡¯re here. I heard that someone in their family is a high official in the government office. Are we in trouble?!¡±


    Madam Wang snorted indifferently and pointed at the corn seedlings. ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear what I said? This is a precious thing. A knot can be sold for dozens of copper coins. If we were as timid as you, we wouldn¡¯t have our current good days, right, Kuan?¡±


    Tian Kuan replied, ¡°That¡¯s right, Father. We¡¯ll definitely listen to Mother. Back then¡­¡± Before he could finish speaking, he heard the dogs in the front courtyard barking crazily. He could vaguely hear the sound of knocking on the courtyard door.


    Tian Zhong and Madam Wang nimbly carried the backpacks and instructed in a low voice, ¡°Ah Kuan, go to the front yard and take a look. I¡¯ll hide the backpacks in the cer.¡±


    Tian Kuan rolled up his sleeves and ran towards the front yard. ¡°Hurry up. I¡¯ll go take a look. Which dog dares toe to my house to cause trouble?¡±


    ¡°Tian Zhong,e out quickly, you coward. Take out the corn seedlings that you stole from my house.¡± Ah Wei roared and kicked the courtyard door a few more times.


    The vigers surrounded him and asked Ah Wei, ¡°Ah Wei, what was stolen by the Tian family?¡±


    Ah Wei was eloquent. ¡°My corn seedlings were stolen by Tian Zhong¡¯s family. I was just in the eucalyptus tree outside his backyard when I saw their family digging the ground to nt the corn seedlings they stole.¡±


    A viger spat. ¡°Tsk tsk¡­ To think they wanedt to steal from your family. Your grandfather actually cured Tian Zhong¡¯s waist pain.¡±


    Tian Kuan was so angry that his face turned red when he heard the discussion outside. He took off the door chain and pulled open the courtyard door. He walked out and pointed at Ah Wei as he shouted, ¡°Dog, which eye of yours saw my family steal your corn seedlings? How dare you spout nonsense here! You¡¯re not allowed to surround my door. Get lost!¡±


    Everyone dispersed awkwardly. Grandma Yang stood outside the fence door and saw Tian Kuaning out. She said to her grandson, Yang Le, ¡°Ah Le, Ah Wei is going to suffer. Hurry up and go to the farm to get Ah Wei¡¯s family.¡±


    ¡°Ah!¡± Le agreed and quickly ran toward Li Yu¡¯s family. Grandma Yang stood here and looked at the Tian family worriedly.


    ¡°Pfft! You¡¯re the dog,¡± Ah Wei spat at him. ¡°Your grandfather climbed up a tree and saw it with his own eyes. The corn seedlings are still in your backyard. You, your mother, and your father were just digging the ground and nting corn seedlings in the backyard. Can you swear that¡¯s not the case!¡± ¡°Who do you think you are? If you want me to swear, I¡¯ll swear!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a thing! That¡¯s true! Your entire family is thieves who steal people¡¯s corn!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll beat you to death,¡± Tian Kuan was not as eloquent as Ah Wei. He raised his fist in anger and shouted as he hit Ah Wei. Ah Wei dodged to the side and kicked him in the leg. Tian Kuan staggered a few times. When he regained his bnce, he turned around and pounced on Ah Wei. He picked him up and threw him to the ground. Ah Wei grabbed Tian Kuan¡¯s bun with one hand and inserted the fingers of the other into his nostrils. He dug hard and blood flowed from Tian Kuan¡¯s nose.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡± Tian Kuan let go of Ah Wei with a cry of pain and grabbed his hand. Ah Wei hung from Tian Kuan¡¯s body and grabbed Tian Kuan¡¯s hair tightly without letting go. Tian Kuan¡¯s scalp hurt from Ah Wei¡¯s grip. He bent down and punched Ah Wei in the back. Ah Wei groaned in pain and grabbed Tian Kuan¡¯s hair to pull him to the ground. He kicked Tian Kuan¡¯s chest. Tian Kuan bent over in pain and pounced at Ah Wei. Ah Wei let go of Tian Kuan and rolled on the ground. Tian Kuan reached out and grabbed Ah Wei¡¯s clothes. The two of them tangled and fought.


    Ruyi had just arrived at the entrance of the Yang family vige when he met Le. Le panted and shouted at Ruyi, ¡°Hu¡­ they¡¯re fighting. Hu¡­ Hu¡­ Your Ah Wei and Tian Kuan are fighting.¡±


    Ruyi thought to himself that something bad must have happened. ¡°Where¡¯s Ah Wei? Take me there!¡±


    ¡°Over there.¡± Ah Le pointed into the vige. Ruyi hugged Ah Le and ced him on his back before rushing towards Tian Kuan¡¯s house.


    Madam Wang and Tian Zhong hid the corn seedlings and ran out of the courtyard to see Tian Kuan fighting with Ah Wei. His face was covered in blood. ¡°How dare you hit my son? I¡¯ll beat you to death, you damn bastard.¡± Madam Wang rushed over and grabbed Ah Wei¡¯s hair. She spread her fingers and scratched Ah Wei¡¯s face. Ah Wei dodged, but Madam Wang opened a few bloody grooves on his neck. The mother and son pressed Ah Wei down and started fighting.


    Ah Le did not dare to let the Tian family find out that he had brought him here. When he reached his door, he pointed at Tian Zhong¡¯s house and said, ¡°Uncle, put me down. Brother Ah Wei is in front.¡±


    Ruyi put down Ah Le and saw that the vigers were watching from afar. No one went forward to stop the fight. Ruyi quickly arrived at the entrance of the Tian family¡¯s house and saw a woman pulling Ah Wei¡¯s hair. A man rained his fists on Ah Wei, who was lying on the ground, beating him until he could not fight back.


    Ruyi stepped forward, grabbed Tian Kuan¡¯s shoulder, and threw him out. Tian Kuan fell to the ground with a bang, raising a cloud of dust.


    Madam Wang¡¯s wrist was grabbed at lightning speed.. It was so painful that Madam Wang let go of Ah Wei¡¯s hair and shouted, ¡°Murder! Outsiders came to the Yang family vige tomit murder¡­¡±

 Chapter 323 - 323: Beating

    Chapter 323: Beating


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    When Tian Zhong, who had been calmly standing at the side and watching the battle, saw that Madam Wang and his son were at a disadvantage, he fiercely picked up the hoe and hit Ruyi. Ruyi shed behind him and kicked him, sending him flying. He also threw Madam Wang out. The family of threey on the ground and cried out.


    ¡°Good fight,¡± the vigers cheered.


    The vigers, who were watching from afar, were excited and began to discuss softly, ¡°Good job. Finally, someone will deal with his family.¡±


    A timid viger dodged to the side. ¡°Everyone, lower your voices. Don¡¯t let his boss, Tian Mazi, hear you ande looking for trouble.¡±


    One of them sighed. ¡°That¡¯s right! Don¡¯t let Tian Mazi see us. He¡¯s a shameless scoundrel.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been beaten up! Who asked you to ck off and not cultivate properly?¡± Ruyi helped Ah Wei up from the ground. After helping him up, he realized that Ah Wei¡¯s clothes had also been torn to shreds by Madam Wang and her son.


    Ah Wei gritted his teeth in pain. He clutched his chest and pointed at the three people from the Tian family. ¡°Brother Ruyi, they were the ones who stole our corn seedlings. I saw them with my own eyes, but they still refused to admit it and even hit me.¡± As he spoke, he covered his chest and groaned. ¡°Aiyo! My chest hurts!¡±


    Ruyi gave Ah Wei a disdainful look. ¡°Are you stupid?! Don¡¯t you know to go home and report to Madam before making a fuss? You deserve to be beaten


    Ah Wei said timidly, ¡°When I saw the corn seedlings that were stolen from them, I didn¡¯t think too much about it in my anger.¡±


    Seeing that he was limping, Ruyi went forward and touched the bones of his legs. When he didn¡¯t find any fractures, she asked with relief, ¡°Where else does it hurt other than your chest?¡±


    Ah Wei grinned and looked bitter. ¡°Brother Ruyi, I hurt all over.¡±


    Ruyi looked at him and said, ¡°Can you bear it?¡± Ah Wei nodded.


    Ruyi walked up to Tian Zhong and looked down at him. ¡°Hand over the corn seedlings obediently. Otherwise, wait for the government office to investigate.¡±


    Madam Wang rolled over and got up. She spat at Ruyi. ¡°Pfft! What right do you have to say that it¡¯s your corn? Do you think it¡¯s only avable on your farmstead? My daughter sent those corns to me as filial gifts.¡±


    Ruyi looked at Madam Wang coldly. ¡°You¡¯d better think carefully before saying anything.¡± Madam Wang took a few steps back in fear. ¡°Someone! The foreigners are going to beat someone to death. Ah Kuan, quickly go to the farm and call your brother.¡±


    When Tian Kuan heard this, he endured the pain and got up. He pointed at Ruyi and shouted, ¡°Bastard, how dare you hit me? Wait here if you have the guts.¡± As he shouted, he limped towards Tian Vige.


    Ah Wei shouted at him, ¡°Bastard, don¡¯t worry. Your grandfather won¡¯t leave.¡± Ruyi rolled his eyes at Ah Wei. ¡°Doesn¡¯t it hurt anymore?


    Ah Wei clutched his chest and sat on the ground. ¡°It hurts. How can it not hurt!¡±


    Ruyi pointed at the arrogant and domineering Madam Wang and Tian Zhong, who had gotten up and was standing beside her. He warned the couple, ¡°I¡¯ll give you another chance to hand over the corn seedlings. Otherwise, don¡¯t me us for being merciless.¡±


    ¡°Pfft!¡± Madam Wang ced her hands on her hips and pursed her lips. ¡°Stop putting on airs for me. If you have the ability, report it to the officials!¡±


    Tian Zhong was a little afraid when he saw Ruyi¡¯s expression. He pulled Madam Wang¡¯s sleeve and pulled her into the house. ¡°Damn it, I don¡¯t think that person is joking. Why don¡¯t we return the corn seedlings to them!¡±


    ¡°Return it to them? It¡¯s equivalent to us admitting to stealing his family¡¯s corn seedlings! That won¡¯t do.¡± Madam Wang saw that the ox cart in the courtyard hade up with a n and recalled that the cow at home had just given birth. It was just right to feed those tender green corn seedlings to the calves. ¡°Hurry up and carry those corn seedlings out and pour them for the cows to eat. Once they are in the cows¡¯ stomachs, we¡± see where he can find corn seedlings. When the timees, we¡¯ll sue them for nder and assault us to make them pay.¡±


    ¡°This is a good idea.¡± When Tian Zhong heard that he could still extort money, his body no longer hurt. ¡°Damn it, your brain is still the best.¡±


    Madam Wang rolled her eyes at him and said proudly, ¡°Of course, my brain is better than yours.¡± The couple walked towards the cer.


    Ruyi watched as Tian Zhong pulled Madam Wang into the house. He muttered that they were up to no good, but he did not expect Madam Wang to take the corn seedlings to feed the cows. Just as he was about to go in to check, Tian Kuan ran to Ruyi with a burly young man with a pockmarked face. Behind the two of them were a few men with clubs.


    Tian Kuan pointed at Ruyi and Ah Wei. ¡°Brother, these two bastards beat me and Father up.¡±


    Tian Mazi pointed at Ruyi and sneered. ¡°You¡¯re quite bold! How dare youe to my Tian family to hit someone? I think you¡¯re itching for a beating!


    ¡°I advise you not to be too arrogant. It was your family who stole the corn seedlings from my farm and injured my farm¡­¡±


    Tian Mazi interrupted Ruyi and shouted arrogantly, ¡°So what if I hit you?¡± As he spoke, he punched Ruyi. The others rushed forward with clubs.


    ¡°Ah Wei, dodge.¡± Ruyi grabbed Tian Mazi¡¯s hand and twisted it back. With a crack, he broke Tian Mazi¡¯s wrist. Tian Mazi screamed in pain. Then, Ruyi pulled him in front of him to block the attack for him. Tian Mazi¡¯s men did not have time to stop and hit him. Tian Mazi was knocked unconscious on the ground.


    Ruyi knocked all of them to the ground with a few punches and kicks. He detained Tian Kuan and entered the courtyard. When he found the cowshed, he saw the corn seedlings that had yet to be eaten in the cowshed. He pushed Tian Kuan away and jumped into the cowshed to snatch the remaining few corn seedlings.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know the immensity of heaven and earth.¡± Ruyi was so angry that she kicked Tian Zhong and Madam Wang to the ground. ¡°Let¡¯s see how you can quibble when you¡¯re caught red-handed.¡±


    Madam Wangy on the ground and shouted, ¡°Ah¡­ someone snatching things! Someonee quickly¡­¡± The dogs tied outside the cowshed of the Tian family also barked.


    Ruyi went forward and pped Madam Wang unconscious. He picked up the rope hanging from the cowshed and tied Tian Zhong and Tian Kuan together. Ah Wei limped in and picked up the corn seedlings Ruyi had ced on the ground. Ruyi pulled them out.


    Tian Mazi and the long-term workers also got up from the ground. Tian Mazi shouted at Ruyi, ¡°Where are you taking my parents?¡±


    At this moment, the vige chief of the Yang family vige walked out of nowhere. He stopped Ruyi and cupped his hands with a smile. ¡°Little brother, I¡¯m the vige chief of the Yang family vige. It¡¯s the Tian family¡¯s fault for stealing crops. The vige will deal with them. Go back first to prevent things from blowing up.¡±


    Ruyi looked at him and sneered. ¡°Get this straight. Who is causing trouble? The Tian family has been caught red-handed, yet you still dare to use me when I wanted to bring the Tian family away. Where were you when my Ah Wei was pressed to the ground by the Tian mother and son? Do you know how useful those hundred or so corn seedlings are? You actually dare to protect a family of thieves and wreak havoc in the vige..¡±

 Chapter 324 - 324: Domineering

    Chapter 324: Domineering


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    ¡°Well said!¡± Ruyi and Ah Wei turned around and saw Li Yu getting out of the carriage. It turned out that Li Yu had alsoe looking for them because she was worried.


    Ruyi and Ah Wei bowed. ¡°Madam, you¡¯re here!¡±


    Li Yu looked at Ah Wei¡¯s tattered clothes and bruised face and frowned. ¡°How did you train your martial arts? How did you get beaten up like this?¡±


    Ah Wei limped to Li Yu¡¯s side and looked pitiful. ¡°Madam, the Tian mother and son hit me.¡±


    Li Yu looked at his pitiful appearance and said gently, ¡°Alright, go back and apply some medicationter. Then, ask Old Master to concoct some medicine for you.¡±


    Ah Wei bared his teeth and smiled. ¡°Thank you, Madam. I will cultivate well in the future.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Li Yu walked in front of the Tian family. ¡°Ruyi, this family stole the corn rice from the farm, right?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true, Madam. They stole those corn seedlings. They were afraid that we would catch them red-handed, so they fed them to the cows.¡± Ruyi pointed at the few corn seedlings in Ah Wei¡¯s hand. ¡°I snatched these back.¡±


    Li Yu nodded and looked at the white-haired and wrinkled vige chief. ¡°You¡¯re the vige chief of the Yang family vige?


    The vige chief of the Yang Family Vige cupped his hands at Li Yu. ¡°I¡¯m Yang Guozhi, the vige chief of the Yang Family Vige. What can I do for you, Madam?¡±


    Li Yu looked at him and asked indifferently, ¡®Why are you asking me? I want to ask you, the Tian family stole the corn seedlings on my farm and even injured the people in my residence. Why did you stop us from sending them to the officials?¡±


    Vige Chief Yang nced at Li Yu and lowered his head, thinking to himself that he heard that this Madam had an extraordinary background, but he couldn¡¯t afford to offend the Tian family. He could only smooth things over and not offend either side.


    ¡°Madam, I know that the Tian family was unreasonable at first. Think about it, they only stole some crops. You said that the people in your residence were injured by them, but the people in your residence also injured his family! What do you think? I¡¯ll make thempensate you for your crops. Can you be magnanimous and spare them this time?¡±


    Li Yu looked at Vige Chief Yang and sneered. ¡°You¡¯re quite good at making peace. Unfortunately, I won¡¯t fall for your tricks.¡± Li Yu looked at Ruyi. ¡°Ruyi, send the Tian family to the government office and sue them for stealing rare crops and gathering to hurt people after the incident. They intended to destroy the crops.¡±


    Ruyi bowed. ¡°Yes, Madam.¡±


    ¡°Madam, why do you have to do this? You don¡¯t know that the Tian family isn¡¯t to be trifled with. Let¡¯s each take a step back to prevent us from fighting in the future!¡± Vige Chief Yang said to Li Yu awkwardly.


    ¡°You¡¯re just an old fool who can¡¯t tell right from wrong. You¡¯re not worthy of being the vige chief. I¡¯ll propose to the government office to remove your vige chief title and choose another capable person.¡±


    ¡°I just want everyone to be harmonious.¡± Vige Chief Yang was so angry that his face turned red. ¡°You¡¯re too domineering!¡±


    Li Yu looked at the vigers who were whispering from afar. ¡°Let some people swallow their anger andpromise. Is this what you mean by getting along well? Then I¡¯ll be domineering. What are you going to do?¡±


    ¡°Since you didn¡¯t listen to my advice and the matter blows up, don¡¯t me me. At that time, whatever you do has nothing to do with me!¡± Vige Chief Yang turned around and left angrily.


    Seeing that the situation was bad, Tian Mazi hurriedly instructed the workers, ¡°Go back to the manor and call for help.¡± He ran over and blocked Ruyi. ¡°You¡¯re not from the government office. What right do you have to arrest people?¡±


    Ruyi sneered. ¡°What right do we have to arrest him? You stole and destroyed our property. You didn¡¯t repent after being caught red-handed and even dared to gather to hurt others. You brought it on yourself.¡± As he spoke, he grabbed Tian Mazi. ¡°You¡¯re not a good person either. You have a share in beating and stealing.¡±


    Tian Mazi struggled and shouted, ¡°My sister is Master Tian¡¯s concubine. If you dare to capture our Tian family, we won¡¯t let you off!¡±


    Seeing Tian Mazi¡¯s arrogant appearance, Li Yu snorted. ¡°Just a concubine¡¯s mother dares to be so arrogant and domineering. Ruyi, send them to the government office immediately. I want to see how the Tian family won¡¯t let me off.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± Ruyi and Ma Gui tied up the Tian family members who had copsed to the ground and threw them into the carriage to be sent to the government office.


    Only then did the vigers, who were standing far away, run out and say to Li Yu, ¡°Madam, this family does all bad things. They¡¯re domineering in the vige and can hit whoever they want.¡±


    ¡°And that Tian Mazi is the most shameless and domineering.¡±


    Li Yu saw that all of them looked unbearably angry, but no one dared to go up and scold the Tian family just now. They only dared toe over andin to her after the Tian family was taken away. Was it so difficult that they were already afraid of being bullied by the Tian family and lost their courage?


    Chang Gui¡¯s mother also said, ¡°Madam, the Tian family¡¯s courtyard is so spacious because it upied my family and the Yang family¡¯s vegetable fields. The old vige chief is afraid of offending the Tian family, so he only knows how to smooth things over. We don¡¯t dare to help when we see Ah Wei being beaten up.¡±


    Someone else said, ¡°That¡¯s right! Logically speaking, Ah Wei often apanied Doctor Wen to treat us. We should have gone forward to help when Tian Zhong¡¯s family suppressed Ah Wei, but the Tian family is too domineering. We don¡¯t dare to cause trouble for our family. We can only watch Ah Wei be beaten up and don¡¯t dare to go forward to stop the fight. We¡¯ve let Ah


    Wei down.¡±


    Did they still remember that Ah Wei often apanied Old Master to treat them? If they didn¡¯t dare to stop the fight, shouldn¡¯t they secretly send someone to report it? Li Yu sighed in her heart and looked at them indifferently without saying anything.


    ¡°That¡¯s right! Who hasn¡¯t been beaten and scolded by the Tian family? Who hasn¡¯t suffered?¡±


    Li Yu looked at them and said, ¡°If any of you have been upied by the Tian family, the Tian family has already been sent to the government office. You can follow the people in my residence toin to the government office. They won¡¯t dare to make things difficult for you.¡±


    The vigers, who had beenining just now, instantly lost their resentment. They chuckled and said, ¡°Madam, just get someone to take them to the government office. We won¡¯t go if youin.¡±


    Li Yu looked at these vigers coldly and knew that it was their instinct to seek advantages and avoid disadvantages. Perhaps many times, even if they were forced to do so, not many people were willing to provoke those powerful families, let alone now that someone had stood up for them. However, such actions inevitably made one¡¯s teeth turn cold.


    At the side, Grandma Yang looked at the bruised Ah Wei with Ah Le¡¯s heart. ¡°Ah Wei, I¡¯ve let you down. I didn¡¯t dare to help when I saw you being beaten up. I¡¯ve let you down, Ah Wei.¡±


    Ah Wei grinned. ¡°Granny Yang, I didn¡¯t listen to your advice and went to provoke the Tian family. I can¡¯t me you.¡±


    ¡°Brother Ah Wei, my grandmother asked me to help you call someone,¡± Le whispered from behind.


    Ah Wei nced at Grandma Yang, who was ring at Le, and patted him with a smile. ¡°Thank you, Le!¡±


    Li Yu nced at the vigers and suddenly felt a little disinterested. She


    shouted at Ah Wei, ¡°Let¡¯s go..¡±

 Chapter 325 - 325: School

    Chapter 325: School


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Just as Li Yu and Ah Wei returned to the manor, the Tian family came to apologize. Ruyi went to the government office, and Ah Wei, who had a bruised face, came out to receive the Tian family¡¯s steward.


    The fair and chubby Manager Tian looked at Ah Wei¡¯s bruised face and smiled awkwardly. He kept apologizing to him, ¡°Little Brother Yang, I¡¯m sorry. My master didn¡¯t know that Tian Zhong¡¯s family actually dared to use his name to cause trouble in the vige. He even dared to go to Madam¡¯s farm to steal corn seedlings. Please tell Madam that our master willpensate Madam for all her losses. Also, these are all medicine and tonics for injuries. Please ept them.¡±


    Ah Wei looked at Manager Tian, who was like a white steamed bun, and declined politely. ¡°Manager Tian, you really don¡¯t have to feel so guilty. The arrogant and domineering person isn¡¯t Master Tian, and the person who did those heartless things isn¡¯t Master Tian. How can we let him take the me?¡±


    Manager Tian thought to himself, ¡°Little brat, why are you speaking with thorns? You¡¯re still too inexperienced to y this trick in front of me.¡±


    Manager Tian bent even lower and looked at Ah Wei with a bitter smile. ¡°Don¡¯t make things difficult for me. Please tell Madam that my master will not shield Tian Zhong¡¯s family.¡±


    Steward Tian and the coachman ced seven or eight boxes on the ground and hurriedly got into the carriage to leave.


    Ah Wei looked at the things on the ground and hurriedly shouted, ¡°Hey, hey, bring them back!¡±


    Manager Tian urged the coachman to drive the carriage quickly as if he had been chased away.


    Ah Wei could only get someone to move the things into the courtyard. Among the things, there was medicinal wine for treating the injured, medicine to revive the blood, some supplements, and two boxes of white silver. Ah Wei counted that there were a total of 40 silver ingots for five taels each, which was 200 taels of silver.


    Ah Wei looked at Li Yu, who was standing at the side. ¡°Madam, what do you think we should do with these things?¡±


    Li Yu looked at the two boxes of silver that were dazzling under the sun and couldn¡¯t help butugh. It seemed that the Tian family treated her as a country woman who had never seen the world. ¡°Return the silver and medicine. Tell them that the theft by Tian Zhong¡¯s family has been reported to the government office. The government office will decide how much they have topensate. ¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± Ah Wei led Ma Qiang to Tian Vige.


    Li Yu returned to the study and changed her mind. She set the criteria for recruiting students to the school. It was simple. The school on the farm only epted children from poor families. These children coulde to the school for free, but they had to prepare the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone for writing.


    After making the decision, Li Yu went to the front yard and saw Yangyang and


    Seven Pounds following Mr. Lu. They were shaking their heads and chanting, ¡°Clouds versus rain, snow versus the wind, evening light versus the clear sky,e and go as birds¡­¡± The mellow male voice and crisp and loud children¡¯s voices made the courtyard seem much livelier.


    Li Yu listened for a while and smiled as she went to the room in the front courtyard. She saw Auntie Xue, a few old women, and the girl sitting under the eaves. A few of them were teaching the little girl needlework. and a woman was


    teaching two older girls to embroider.


    When everyone saw Li Yu, they stood up and bowed. ¡°Hello, Madam!¡±


    ¡°Go ahead. I¡¯ll take a look.¡± Li Yu picked up a pair of shoes and saw a thinyer of cotton on them. ¡°These are cotton shoes for the children, right?¡±


    Auntie Xue smiled and nodded. ¡®Yes, Madam. We want to make cotton clothes and shoes for the children while it¡¯s hot. We¡¯ll let Yanzi and the others practice.¡±


    Li Yu looked at the stitches on the soles of the shoes and walked up to the two embroidered girls. She looked at the flower bands at the side that were embroidered with a few peach blossoms and nodded in praise. ¡°Not bad. I can tell that the children have learned diligently. Where did Shui Sheng and Little


    Loach go?¡±


    Swallow replied with a shy smile, ¡°Madam, some of them went to cut grass. Some said that they went fishing for snails and m shells to feed those chickens and ducks.¡±


    Li Yu nodded. ¡°Oh! Get them toe back and take a shower to see their teacher. You girls should learn too. Not to mention learning a lot, you should at least learn some simple calctions.¡±


    Ah Qiu and Yan Zi looked at Li Yu in surprise. ¡°Madam, are you serious? We can also go to school to study?¡± The other girls also looked at Li Yu in surprise.


    Li Yu smiled and nodded at them. ¡°It¡¯s true. ss will start tomorrow. The children who are going will go to the apprenticeship ceremony when Shuisheng and the otherse back.¡±


    Auntie Xue happily pushed the children. ¡°Yanzi, you guys are lucky to be able to go to the school. Silly children, what are you waiting for? Hurry up and thank Madam.¡±


    The children stood up. Li Yu waved her hand and said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to thank me. Study well with Sir and learn how to be a good person from the few aunties. Only then will you have the ability to settle down when you go out in the future. ¡±


    The children smiled and replied in unison, ¡°Madam, we¡¯ll remember.¡±


    Li Yu returned to the backyard and saw that Mr. Lu had already finished ss and was talking to Mr. Liu under the eaves. Yangyang and Seven Pounds were sweating profusely in the courtyard.


    Li Yu smiled and waved at the two children. ¡°It¡¯s so hot. Only the two of you aren¡¯t afraid of the heat.¡±


    ¡°Madam is back.¡± Seven Pounds pulled Yangyang to Li Yu. ¡°Mother, we¡¯re not afraid of the heat.¡±


    ¡°Greetings, Madam.¡± Mr. Lu and Mr. Liu also came over to greet Li Yu.


    Li Yu smiled and said to them, ¡°The two of you already know each other, so I won¡¯t introduce you much. When those childrene back, let theme and meet the two of you. Just like we said in the past, you don¡¯t have to teach them poetry and songs. Just teach them literacy and arithmetic.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam,¡± the two men agreed, cupping their hands.


    Li Yu held the two children¡¯s hands and smiled at them. ¡°Sirs, continue chatting. I¡¯ll bring them back to wash up.¡±


    Ah Wei arrived at the Tian family¡¯s manor and returned the things to Manager Tian. After rying Li Yu¡¯s words, he turned around and left.


    Manager Tian looked at the things Ah Wei had returned and was worried. Did the Zhou family think that the gifts were too little? Or did they not n to let go of this matter? If it was the former, it would be simple. If it was thetter, it would be troublesome. Sigh! It was all that wretched Tian Zhong¡¯s fault for causing trouble. He was still busy cleaning up after him on such a hot day. Manager Tian hurriedly returned to the city and told Master Tian Kun what Li


    Yu had said.


    Master Tian was a little rich. He had a long face and an aquiline nose and looked very shrewd. He held two round and translucent red jade stones in his hand and sneered. ¡°Isn¡¯t she just a country woman! She was lucky to produce high-yielding food. Just because His Majesty rewarded her with a First-grade Madam status, she really thought that she had be a phoenix.¡±


    Manager Tian bowed and took a step forward with a smile to remind him, ¡°Master, have you forgotten that this countryside woman¡¯s husband is the magistrate of our Yunzhou? It¡¯s better to manage a county official now. You should endure it and think of a way to make her swallow this anger.¡±


    ¡°Fan me harder. Otherwise, watch your skin!¡± Master Tian red at the little girl who was fanning him. The little girl was so frightened that she quickened her movements..

 Chapter 326 - 326: A Mistake

    Chapter 326: A Mistake


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    ¡°It¡¯s so damn hot.¡± Master Tian felt extremely frustrated. ¡°It¡¯s all Tian Zhong¡¯s fault. Isn¡¯t it just some corn seedlings?! When the seeds of the Fenggu Food


    Banke, I can have as many as I want! He¡¯s f*cking causing trouble for me.¡±


    Master Tian wiped his sweat with a sweat towel and instructed Steward Tian,


    ¡°Go to the government office and send an invitation to Lord Zhou. I¡¯ll invite him to the Drunken Immortal Restaurant for a banquet.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master.¡± Manager Tian heaved a sigh of relief when he heard that. He bowed and left.


    Zhou Jia received the invitation from the Tian family and threw it aside. Mr. Qian said to Zhou Jia, ¡°Master, Tian Kun¡¯s second brother, Tian Peng, is working in the Censorate. Aren¡¯t you nning to go?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going. So what if Tian Peng is working in the Censorate? I didn¡¯t do anything illegal. Tian Kun invited me because of the family Ruyi sent to the government office. The Tian family colluded with the grain industry against the interests of the people. I don¡¯t have the patience to deal with such a family.¡±


    Mr. Qian nodded. ¡°That¡¯s true. I¡¯ll go back to him now.¡±


    When Manager Tian heard the reply, he felt that Zhou Jia was too disrespectful to Master Tian. He returned to the Tian family unhappily and told Master Tian that Zhou Jia said that he was not free. When Master Tian heard this, his face darkened and he waved his hand. ¡°Go! Go! I understand.¡¯


    Master Tian leaned back in his rocking chair and thought to himself, Since you don¡¯t know how to appreciate my kindness, I¡¯ll get you out of Yunzhou. He got up and went to the study to write a letter. He handed it to the servant. ¡°Send the letter to the Fenggu Food Bank and ask Shopkeeper Luo to help take it to the capital to hand it to Second Master. Do you understand?¡±


    The servant bowed and agreed. ¡°I understand, Master.¡±


    When it was time to meet Chu Feng, Zhou Jia left the government office in advance and went to the Drunken Immortal Restaurant. Shopkeeper Xu of the Drunken Immortal Restaurant politely weed Zhou Jia in. Chu Feng weed Zhou Jia at the staircase. The two of them went upstairs to a private room and sat on the ground.


    The shop assistant brought melons, iced watermelons, peaches, melons, and a few shortbreads.


    Chu Feng smiled and poured Zhou Jia a cup of tea. ¡°Brother Jiahe, the watermelons have just arrived. Bring a basket back for Madam and Young Masterter. Why aren¡¯t you going back to apany Madam today? Why are you treating me to tea?¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Chu Feng and smiled. ¡°Brother Qingshan, I¡¯ll get straight to the point. My wife¡­¡±


    Zhou Jia told Chu Feng what Ruyi had found out. When he saw Chu Feng sitting there in shock and anger, he knew that Chu Feng did not know the situation at the grain shop.


    Chu Feng was so angry that his face turned green. He thought about the rules set by the bank. The shopkeeper who made a big mistake would first be punished with the loss of his assets and swept out of the house. Then, he would be punished with ten years of hardbor. Fortunately, Madam Li and Lord


    Zhou were kind. Otherwise, his life would be over.


    Chu Feng stood up and bowed excitedly to Zhou Jia. ¡°I¡¯m lucky to have met you and Madam in my three lifetimes. I thank Madam for sending someone to investigate and thank you for telling me the truth.¡±


    When Zhou Jia heard Chu Feng speak so excitedly that he was blessed in three lifetimes, he knew that this matter should have a huge impact on Chu Feng. He smiled and helped Chu Feng up. ¡°Brother Qingshan, we¡¯re both working for His Majesty. We should help each other. You don¡¯t have to be so polite. I¡¯m just a little curious how they deceived you?¡±


    Chu Feng looked at Zhou Jia and smiled bitterly. ¡°Brother Jia, the shopkeeper at the grain shop hired an old shopkeeper who had been hired by the bank for many years. The Head Shopkeeper and I also trust him very much. The grain shop stiptes that all sales of rice seeds have to be recorded. After the rice seeds were soldst year and this year, I even checked the ount book before the spring plowing. I saw that it clearly recorded which vige and which vigers bought the rice seeds. I thought that those rice seeds had really been sold to the vigers. It¡¯s my negligence to be kept in the dark by them for two years. Wait a moment. I¡¯ll give instructions.¡±


    Zhou Jia raised his hand and said with a smile, ¡°Brother Qingshan, let¡¯s not stand on ceremony. It¡¯s more important for you to deal with serious matters first. I¡¯ll go out of the city to apany Madam as soon as possible.¡±


    Chu Feng cupped his hands. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s gather after I find out the truth.¡±


    Chu Feng sent Zhou Jia off and returned to a guest room in the backyard of the Drunken Immortal Restaurant. He pped his hands and an ordinary-looking man walked out. Chu Feng looked at him and said, ¡°Yunyi, please check which families Shopkeeper Luo from the grain shop is close to. Which families did he sell the rice seeds tost year and this year? Check what those families did.


    Find out why he colluded with them?¡±


    Yun Yi nodded when he heard that. Without a word, he turned around and walked out.


    ¡°Shopkeeper, what happened? You actually used Yun Yi.¡± Shopkeeper Xu walked in and asked.


    Chu Feng told Shopkeeper Xu about Shopkeeper Luo forging a sales record and selling the rice seeds to big families. ¡°He actually did such a thing. We trusted him so much.¡±


    Shopkeeper Xu¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°No way! Such an honest and loyal person would actually do such a bold thing?¡±


    Chu Feng said, ¡°When honest people do bad things, they catch people off guard.¡±


    Shopkeeper Xu thought for a moment and recalled something. ¡°Shopkeeper, I heard that Luo Xing in Shopkeeper Luo¡¯s family gambled quite fiercely. Do you think Luo Xing lost arge sum of money? That¡¯s why Shopkeeper Luo colluded with the big families to forge the sales records!¡±


    Shopkeeper Chu looked at Shopkeeper Xu in surprise. ¡°Luo Xing is actually addicted to gambling? When did this happen?¡±


    Shopkeeper Xu recalled, ¡°I heard him mention it two years ago. At that time, he was so angry that he locked Luo Xing up and beat him up. However, Shopkeeper Luo¡¯s mother doted on his grandson very much. When she saw him hit Luo Xing, she sought death. I haven¡¯t heard him mention it since, but someone who came to the restaurant mentioned that Luo Xing yed quite a big game in the casino.¡±


    When Chu Feng heard this, he said, ¡°That¡¯s most likely the reason. I was wondering why such an honest and loyal person would change so easily. In my opinion, someone deliberately tempted Luo Xing to be addicted to gambling.¡±


    Shopkeeper Xu felt the same. ¡°Yes! That¡¯s a possibility. We¡¯ll know when Yun Yies back.¡±


    Chu Feng sighed. ¡°Sigh! Go ahead! I have to report to the Head Shopkeeper that my carelessness caused Shopkeeper Luo to sell rice seeds.¡±


    When Zhou Jia returned to the manor, he saw that the people from the inner and outer courtyards were all looking at the ssroom in the west wing with smiles.


    Zhou Jia looked into the ssroom curiously. When Auntie Xue, Old Zou, and the others saw Zhou Jia return, they hurriedly went forward to greet him. ¡°Master, you¡¯re back!¡±


    Li Yu turned around and saw Zhou Jia return. She smiled at him. ¡°Come and take a look at Yangyang and Seven Pounds.¡±


    ¡°Let me take a look.¡± Zhou Jia smiled and walked to Li Yu¡¯s side. He saw Yangyang and Seven Pounds standing in the front row. Shui Sheng, Sister Yan, and the other children were neat and tidy in the ssroom. They respectfully bowed to Mr. Lu and Mr. Liu..

 Chapter 327 - 327: Disciple

    Chapter 327: Disciple


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Zhou Jia saw the girls standing upright with bright eyes and irrepressible smiles on their faces. He looked at Li Yu. ¡°Are those children going to school


    Li Yu smiled and nodded. ¡°Yes! They¡¯re learning needlework from Auntie Xue and Auntie Lin now. I want them to recognize a few more words and learn some arithmetic. When they¡¯re released in the future, they¡¯ll be looked up to. Sigh!¡± Li Yu sighed again. ¡°Someone taught the girls needlework, but it¡¯s too difficult for those boys to learn skills. Ruyi asked a few craftsmen, but they were unwilling toe to the farm to teach these children.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu¡¯s troubled expression and then at the children in the ssroom who had changed. Thinking of how those children looked when they first came, he sighed and said, ¡°Only you would treat these children so sincerely and think so carefully for them. You don¡¯t have to worry about those craftsmen not being willing to teach you skills. They would learn calligraphy, arithmetic, and some methods of ounting. After learning them, it¡¯s much better to go out and be an ountant than to be a craftsman.¡±


    Li Yu¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°That¡¯s right! Why didn¡¯t I think of that? You¡¯re still the smartest. ¡±


    Zhou Jia chuckled proudly. ¡°Of course. Don¡¯t you know whose husband I am? Li Yu rolled her eyes at him. ¡°You sure know how to ept praise.¡±


    Aunt Xue, who was standing at the side, whispered to Old Madam Yun, ¡°Master and Madam are really a match made in heaven!¡±


    Old Madam Yun smiled and nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right! Madam and Master are fated from their previous life!¡±


    In the ssroom, Mr. Lu and Mr. Liu finished lighting the children¡¯s cinnabar moles. When the two of them saw Zhou Jia return, they hurriedly walked out of the ssroom and greeted him. ¡°Greetings, sir.¡±


    ¡°Sirs, there¡¯s no need to stand on ceremony.¡± Zhou Jia smiled and helped the two of them up. ¡°Madam has already prepared food and wine. Mr. Lu, Mr. Liu, follow me. Let¡¯s celebrate.¡±


    This was Liu Hanmin¡¯s first time interacting with Zhou Jia. Seeing that he was easy-going and amiable, he bowed with Mr. Lu excitedly and said, ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    Zhou Jia left with the two of them. The children came out of the ssroom and pointed at the cinnabar mole on their foreheads for Li Yu and Auntie Xue to see. ¡°Madam, Granny Xue, look at what Sir has done for us. Sir said that this is a cinnabar mole to enlighten us.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and said to them, ¡°You have to study seriously. Go back and eat now. Come to the ssroom on time tomorrow morning.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± After the children agreed in unison, they followed Auntie Xue and the others back to the main room to eat.


    Yangyang ran to Li Yu and pointed at the cinnabar mole on his forehead. ¡°Mother, look, I have another one. Does that count as me bing a student twice?


    Li Yu looked at the cinnabar mole on Yangyang¡¯s forehead and held his hand as they walked back. She smiled and said, ¡°Last time, Mr. Lu did it in order for you to be his student. This time, Mr. Liu did it. This is equivalent to acknowledging two teachers and not bing a student twice.¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡± Yangyang looked up at Li Yu and smiled proudly. ¡°Mother, Sir even said that Brother Seven Pounds and I are Brother Shuisheng¡¯s senior brothers!¡±


    Li Yu looked at his smug expression and smiled. ¡°Alright, after bing a senior brother, you have to set a good example for your junior brothers. When I


    call you to cultivate in the morning, you can¡¯t stay in bed anymore.¡±


    Yangyang lowered his head and hesitated for a while. He nodded and said,


    ¡°Alright, I won¡¯t stay in bed anymore.¡±


    When Seven Pounds heard this from the front, he turned around and looked at


    Yangyang scratching his face with his fingers. He smiled and said, ¡°Young


    Master, you just stayed in bed yesterday morning.¡±


    ¡°Brother Seven Pounds, you¡¯re so bad. You also stayed in bedst time.¡± Yangyang ran forward and grabbed Seven Pounds¡¯ shy fingers. ¡°Look, I won¡¯t stay in bed tomorrow.¡±


    Seven Pounds held Yangyang¡¯s hand. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll wake you tomorrow morning. You can¡¯t go back on your word.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Yangyang nodded heavily in agreement. The two of them ran off hand in hand.


    Xiaoyu looked at their backs and turned to look at Li Yu with a smile. ¡°Madam, Young Master is almost four years old. Why don¡¯t you give him a brother or sister?¡±


    When Li Yu heard this, she thought to herself that she hadn¡¯t used contraception after giving birth to Yangyang. For some reason, she hadn¡¯t been pregnant in the past few years. Perhaps fate hadn¡¯t arrived yet! Li Yu smiled at Xiaoyu. ¡°Let¡¯s leave it to fate!¡±


    Xiaoyu smiled and nodded. ¡°Yes! My father often said that children are fated in their previous lives. Some are here to collect debts, and some are here to repay them. My mother often said that we¡¯re debt collectors.¡± Xiaoyu touched her stomach and said with a mncholic expression, ¡°Seven Pounds is already so old, but he hasn¡¯t met the two elders and his uncle. I wonder how my father and mother are doing?¡±


    Li Yu looked at Xiaoyu¡¯s mncholic expression and missed Li Mei and Ah


    Qing. ¡°They must be fine. Let¡¯s go back and see them when we have the chance.¡±


    Xiaoyu wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and looked at Li Yu with a smile. ¡°Madam, I¡¯m fine. I just suddenly miss them.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and shook her hand. The two of them split up in the courtyard.


    After Xiaoyu returned to the house, Ruyi saw that the corners of her eyes were red. He looked at Xiaoyu worriedly and asked repeatedly, ¡®Xiaoyu, what¡¯s wrong? Are you feeling unwell? Old Master hasn¡¯t returned yet. I¡¯ll go find Master to take a look at you first.¡±


    Xiaoyu hurriedly pulled him back and said with a smile, ¡°I¡¯m fine, silly. When I was chatting with Madam just now, I suddenly thought of my parents far away in Tongzhou. For some reason, my tears fell. Ruyi, ever since I got pregnant with this child, I feel that it¡¯s different from when I was pregnant with Seven


    Pounds. I think this child might be a daughter.¡±


    Ruyi sat at the table with Xiaoyu in his arms and said happily, ¡°Hello, daughter. When you grow up, you¡¯ll be obedient and considerate. You¡¯ll even make shoes and clothes for us. There¡¯ll also be old wine to drink. You¡¯ll be unlike that brat Seven Pounds, who often runs away without a trace. Xiaoyu, don¡¯t worry about Inws. When the child grows stronger, we¡¯ll go back and visit them when we have time.¡±


    When Xiaoyu heard Ruyi¡¯s words, she smiled happily. ¡°Yes! Hurry up and eat!


    Did Seven Pounds follow Young Master to the main courtyard to eat again?¡±


    Ruyi scooped a bowl of green bean porridge and ced it in front of Xiaoyu. ¡°The brat hurriedly drank a bowl of porridge and ran away in a hurry with an egg pancake. He said that he had an appointment with Young Master to go to the drying field and y with Shui Sheng and the others.¡±


    ¡°This brat.¡± Xiaoyu smiled and picked up her bowl. ¡°Let¡¯s not care about him.


    It¡¯s not like he won¡¯t be able to eat his fill when we go to the main courtvard?¡±


    Ruyiughed too. ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±


    After Zhou Jia, Mr. Lu, and Mr. Liu ate and drank their fill, he brought the two of them to the study and said to them, ¡°These children in the manor will be released to start a family when they reach a certain age. Teach them how to read and calcte. Teach the boys some ability to keep track of ounts. After they reach adulthood, they will also have the ability to settle down and support their families when they leave this ce.¡±


    Mr. Lu and Mr. Liu stood up and bowed to Zhou Jia. ¡°Sir, you¡¯re so righteous.


    These lonely old people and children on the farm are all blessed..¡±

 Chapter 328 - 328: The Bootlicking Lord Zhou

    Chapter 328: The Bootlicking Lord Zhou


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Zhou Jia cupped his hands in the direction of the capital and said, ¡°You don¡¯t know the inside story. His Majesty cares about these lonely children and is worried that they will be homeless. His Majesty is busy with government affairs and can¡¯t do these things personally, so he allocated silver from his private stash to subsidize them. We¡¯re all sharing His Majesty¡¯s burdens.¡±


    When Mr. Lu heard Zhou Jia¡¯s words, he felt that he had made the right choice to agree toe to the Zhou Mansion to teach the two children. Now, it seemed that His Majesty really trusted Lord Zhou and his wife. He had a teacher-student rtionship with Lord Zhou¡¯s young master and would have a backer in the future.


    Mr. Liu touched his injured leg and thought about how he had originally thought that he could only be a farmer for the rest of his life. Now that he could pick up books and teach these children, he had not studied for so many years in vain.


    The two of them knelt down excitedly and kowtowed in the direction of the capital. They said in unison, ¡°Your Majesty is wise. Great Yong has hope of prospering.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at the two excited people and thought to himself, ¡°Beloved, it¡¯s not easy to do good! You have to spend the money in your pocket and carry the person above to the front.¡±


    The three of them sat and chatted for a while before Zhou Jia sent the two gentlemen away. When Li Yu came out of the bathroom after taking a shower, he told Li Yu about his meeting with Chu Feng. ¡°When I told him what Ruyi found out, Chu Feng was so angry that his face turned ashen and he sat on the ground. From the looks of it, he didn¡¯t know anything about what the grain shop did.¡±


    ¡°In general, he was too careless.¡± Li Yu was a little disappointed in Chu Feng. ¡°As the Head Shopkeeper of the Four Seas Bank in Yunzhou, why didn¡¯t he think about how many tenants there are in those big families? There are records of how much the grain shopkeeper dealt with.¡±


    ¡°He said that the shopkeeper of the grain shop is an old shopkeeper. I didn¡¯t expect him to do such a thing. He¡¯s already sent someone to investigate. We¡¯ve already told him what we found. Let¡¯s not think about these headaches.¡± Zhou Jia looked at the sky. ¡°Where did Yang¡¯er go? Call him over to take a walk to cool down.¡±


    Li Yu nodded. ¡°That kid has long gone to the drying field to y games with


    Seven Pounds. The two of us will go out for a walk.¡±


    The two of them walked to the drying field and saw a group of children holding bamboo swords made of bamboo. They were divided into two groups and chased each other in the courtyard. A group of old people sat under the eaves and watched happily. From time to time, they instructed, ¡°Be careful not to poke your eyes.¡± The two of them stood at the side and watched the warm and lively scene in the drying field for a while. They smiled at each other and walked out into the fields hand in hand.


    The two of them strolled along the cornfield to the stream. On the way, Zhou Jia told Li Yu what he had said to Mr. Lu and Mr. Liu. Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia seriously. ¡°Xiao Xi, why do I feel that your bootlicking skills are almost at the point of perfection?¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu and replied seriously, ¡°I have the same feeling.¡± The coupleughed out loud.


    The two of them stood by the stream for a while before slowly turning back. Just as they bathed Yangyang and let him sleep, Ruyi came to the main courtyard with a piece of paper and handed it to Zhou Jia. ¡°Master, Madam, Ji Xiang, Zhao Cai, and I have observed these children separately. They are pure and warm, and their bones are suitable for martial arts.¡±


    Zhou Jia took it and took a look. ¡°I don¡¯t stay much at the manor. It should be good if you think it¡¯s okay. Madam, what do you think?¡±


    Li Yu took it and looked at it. She nodded and said, ¡°Little Loach, Maizi, Little Stutterer, Mao Dou. These children are not bad. Let these children practice for a few more days and observe for a while before making a decision.¡±


    Ruyi bowed and agreed. ¡°Yes, Madam. I¡¯ll tell them to wake up tomorrow morning to cultivate.¡±


    Ruyi arrived at the children¡¯s dormitory and stood at the door, shouting, ¡°Little


    Loach, Maizi¡­ The four of youe out for a while.¡±


    Shui Sheng asked Little Loach worriedly, ¡°What did the steward call you for?¡±


    Little Loach thought for a moment. ¡°I don¡¯t know either.¡±


    The children put on their clothes and ran out. Ruyi brought them to the backyard and said to them, ¡°The few of you will get up tomorrow at midnight and go to the backyard to practice martial arts.¡±


    ¡°Practice martial arts?¡± The children widened their eyes at Ruyi. Little Loach asked, ¡°Really, Uncle Yi? Just us?¡±


    ¡°Just the few of you. However, Uncle Yi wants to tell you that the most important thing about martial arts is persistence. That process is very bitter and tiring. Even if it¡¯s windy or rainy, you have to continue practicing. Can you do it?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± they replied in unison without hesitation.


    Ruyi looked at the four of them. ¡°This is a secret you can¡¯t tell anyone. Can you do it?¡±


    They looked at each other and nodded. ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Go back and rest! I¡¯ll call you in the morning.¡±


    ¡°Aye!¡± The children ran towards the dormitory with their shared secrets. Ruyi looked at the backs of the four of them and wondered if they could withstand this. It was the simplest and most difficult test.


    When the four of them returned to the dormitory, Shui Sheng looked at them worriedly. ¡°Is it okay that Uncle Yi looked for you?¡±


    Little Stutterer shook his head and crawled onto the bed to lie down. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± After Maizi, Little Loach, and Mao Dou agreed in unison, they quickly crawled onto the bed andy down.


    Seeing that they were hiding something from him, Shui Sheng smiled and shook his head as hey back down.


    The next day, Ruyi brought four of them to the backyard at dawn and began to teach them the basics. After practicing for a while, Little Loach said to Ruyi awkwardly, ¡°Uncle Yi, why can¡¯t I tell Brother Shuisheng and the others about practicing martial arts?¡±


    Ruyi looked at them and said, ¡°You were chosen by Master and Madam to learn martial arts. Keeping the secret is a test for you, and there are other tests. When you pass the test, I¡¯ll hand over other missions to you. If any of you don¡¯t have confidence in yourself, tell Uncle Yi after you¡¯re done practicing.¡±


    When they heard from Ruyi that Master and Madam had chosen them, they puffed out their chests. ¡°Uncle Yi, we¡¯re confident.¡±


    Zhou Jia had official matters to attend to in the government office and left early. When Li Yu woke up for her morning exercise, she looked at Yangyang, who was sleeping soundly with her small stomach, and called out in his ear, ¡°Good baby, wake up for your morning exercise.¡±


    Yangyang rolled on the bed and rubbed his eyes as he sat up. He looked at Li Yu sleepily and pounced on Li Yu¡¯s body to hug her neck. ¡°Mother, I¡¯m so sleepy!¡±


    Li Yu smiled and kissed him. She said gently, ¡°Why don¡¯t you sleep a little longer? You can get up when Seven Poundses.¡±


    Hearing the mention of Seven Pounds, Yangyang opened his eyes and stood up, he said, ¡°No, I said I won¡¯t stay in bed anymore.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Yangyang is a man of his word.¡± Li Yu smiled and kissed him. ¡°Put on your clothes and wash up. We¡¯ll call Brother Seven Pounds.¡±


    ¡°Alright!¡± Yangyang put on his thin cotton coat and thin cotton pants and jumped out of bed to wash up. He went with Li Yu to get Seven Pounds and ran out of the manor. When they reached the stream, they practiced boxing with Li Yu. The two of them were in the horse stance and their punching and retracting movements were already agile with some strength..

 Chapter 329 - 329: Treat Yourself Well

    Chapter 329: Treat Yourself Well


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Just as Zhou Jia arrived at the government office to settle his official business,


    Lin Zicong and Lin Tong came to Zhou Jia¡¯s room. They ced a dossier on Zhou Jia¡¯s desk and bowed to Zhou Jia. ¡°Sir, the evidence of what Tian Zhong¡¯s family did is conclusive. Other than stealing and destroying thend, I also found out that they forcefully upied the vigers¡¯ farnd. I sentenced Tian Zhong¡¯s family to 20 strokes of the cane, Tian Yin, and Tian Kuan to do hardbor for three months. Tian Zhong willpensate for the damaged seedlings and return the captured farnd. He will also be punished to pay 50 taels of silver.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at the dossier and returned it to Lin Zicong with a smile. ¡°Alright, this way, the ck sheep in the vige should be severely punished as a warning to others.¡±


    Lin Zicong cupped his hands and said, ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    Tian Zhong, Madam Wang, and his two sons were beaten to a pulp with 20 strokes of the cane. Tian Kuan and Tian Mazi were pulled to serve as hardbor. Tian Zhong and his wife were pulled back to the Yang family vige by the servants sent by the Tian family. Under the supervision of the bailiffs, they dejectedlypensated the vigers with the upied fields and went to the Zhou family¡¯s farmstead topensate for the losses and apologize.


    Outside the government office, Liu Yi and the bailiff apanying him brought the two eight or nine-year-old girls back to the government office to report. Wu Ting nced at the two children standing outside and frowned at Liu Yi. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with these two children?¡±


    Liu Yi took two steps forward and reported in a low voice, ¡°Sir, one of these two children is called Su Ling. She¡¯s the youngest daughter of Schr Dong Su of Dingyuan County. She¡¯s just nine years old this year. The other is called Wang Xinrong, the granddaughter of an old schr surnamed Wang in the west of the city. She¡¯s eight years old this year. Their families are not bad, but the elders in the family have long announced to the public that their children have fallen ill and died suddenly. They refuse to acknowledge them no matter what.¡±


    Wu Tingxian cursed in a low voice, ¡°Even a vicious tiger won¡¯t eat its cubs! These two families are either ruthless or pedantic. Fortunately, Sir and I expected it in advance. Take them to eat something first. I¡¯ll report to Sir to settle them in the back office first and find two more families¡­¡±


    Liu Yi looked at Wu Tingxian and said anxiously, ¡°Sir, why didn¡¯t you and Lord Zhou think of this? All children are controlled by their nsmen. It¡¯s not safe to send the children over. In my opinion, it¡¯s better to send them to Lord Zhou¡¯s family and let them grow up with those children before letting them start a family.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! Why didn¡¯t I think of that?¡± Wu Tingxian¡¯s eyes lit up when he heard that. ¡°There¡¯s no need to give up what¡¯s near to seek what¡¯s far. Let¡¯s go and talk to Sir.¡±


    Wu Tingxian brought Liu Yi and the two children to Zhou Jia¡¯s escort room and told Zhou Jia about the two children¡¯s situation, Liu Yi¡¯s words, and suggestions. ¡°Sir, shall we send the money reserved for the children to your manor and send the two children to your manor to be raised? What do you think?¡±


    Zhou Jia thought for a moment. There were already so many children in the manor, and two more would not make a difference. He replied readily, ¡°Alright, get Liu Yi to send them to the manor and let Madam arrange for them to stay.¡±


    Not long after Wu Tingxian and Liu Yi left, Chu Feng came to Zhou Jia¡¯s room. He took out a letter from his pocket and handed it to Zhou Jia. ¡°Brother Jiahe, take a look at this letter left behind by the bank. It turns out that that bastard Tian Kun asked his brother, who is an official in the Censorate, to find something on you and get you out of Yunzhou.¡±


    After Zhou Jia took the letter and opened it, he thought for a moment and felt that if Tian Peng wanted to scheme against him, he could only start from the old residence in the capital. However, the matter between him and the old residence was well known. Tian Peng s ns would probably backfire.


    Zhou Jia threw the letter on the table and smiled faintly. ¡°Brother Qingshan, don¡¯t worry. I can¡¯t think of anything I have done that can¡¯t see the light. I wonder if you¡¯ve found anything?¡±


    ¡°Shopkeeper Luo has already been detained. We found out that he sold most of the rice seeds to the Tian family. The Wang family and the He family also upied a portion of them. The strange thing is that the Tian family¡¯s fields don¡¯t need so many rice seeds. I¡¯m here to ask Brother Jiahe to help me check how many fields the Tian family has registered. How can they take on so many rice seeds?¡± As Chu Feng spoke, he stood up and cupped his hands at Zhou Jia. ¡°Fortunately, Madam discovered it in time. The Tian family has already agreed with the grain shop on the corn seeds for next year. If anything happens to the corn seeds again, I¡¯ll really be in trouble.¡±


    ¡°Sigh! There¡¯s no need for us to go out of our way.¡± Zhou Jia smiled and pulled him to sit down. ¡°Brother Qingshan is quite efficient! You found it in less than a day.¡±


    Chu Feng frowned and sighed. ¡°After Shopkeeper Luo was captured, he confessed everything. He even said that after hemitted the crime, he was on tenterhooks all day and kept ming himself for being foolishly filial. He allowed his silly mother to spoil his good child. Now, in order to pay off the debt of his son, he has caused a huge disaster.¡± Chu Feng thought for a moment and concluded, ¡°Brother Jiahe, you can¡¯t allow an unreasonable woman, especially an elder, to raise a child.¡±


    When Zhou Jia heard this, he thought of the two wastrels in the old residence and felt the same. ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± The two of them sighed before getting up to check on the fish scales.


    Liu Yi sent the two children to the farmstead and stood outside to listen to the sound of readinging from the courtyard. He smiled andforted the two children. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. Madam Li is the best person. The sound of reading you heard was from the children Madam Li took in. Just stay here and live well in the future.¡±


    Wang Xinrong lowered her head and grabbed her cor tightly. Her grandfather¡¯s cold and heartless voice echoed in her mind. ¡°Official, my granddaughter died of an illness a few days ago. I have had no grievances with you in the past and no feud with you recently. Why are you tainting my Wang family like this? ¡±


    Su Ling said in a hoarse voice, ¡°Uncle Liu, even my parents don¡¯t acknowledge me. They say that I¡¯m dead and that I don¡¯t have a home!¡±


    ¡°You child¡­¡± Liu Yi looked at Su Ling with heartache. This was the first thing this child had said since she came out of Dingyuan County. Schr Su hadmitted a sin! He didn¡¯t want his good daughter just like that. His heart would still ache for a few days if he lost a kitten and dog! He really didn¡¯t know what these sour schrs were thinking.


    When Li Yu came out and heard Su Ling¡¯s words, she looked at her and said, ¡°There¡¯s nothing left. You still have yourself! Everyone will encounter different hardships and setbacks in their lives. The hardship is not the hardship itself, but our attitude when facing hardship. Some people face hardships and setbacks, while others give up and can¡¯t recover. It depends on what path you choose.¡±


    Su Ling looked at Li Yu, who was looking at her warmly, and tears flowed down her face. ¡°Madam, why don¡¯t they want me? Is it my fault that I was kidnapped?¡± Wang Xinrong also looked up at Li Yu with tears in her eyes.


    Li Yu walked over and hugged the two crying children. She gently patted their backs. ¡°It¡¯s not your fault. What¡¯s wrong is that this world is too harsh on women. It¡¯s precisely because of this that we have to learn to treat ourselves well and work hard to live a happier life.¡±


    ¡°Wuwu¡­¡± The two children cried loudly in Li Yu¡¯s arms. Liu Yi looked at the two children with red eyes and bowed to Li Yu to thank her before turning to leave..

 Chapter 330 - 330: Staying

    Chapter 330: Staying


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    The two children¡¯s heart-wrenching cries made Auntie Xue and the old women, who were standing at the side, wipe their tears. ¡°What good girls. How can they be so ruthless as to not want them?¡±


    Su Ling and Wang Xinrong turned the grievance and resentment in their hearts into tears and cried. The two of them sobbed and looked up from Li Yu¡¯s arms. They wiped the tears off their faces and bowed to Li Yu shyly. ¡°Madam¡­¡¯


    Li Yu smiled at them with red eyes. ¡°It¡¯s all in the past. You¡¯ll live here in peace in the future. There are also a few girls about your age in the ssroom and some boys. In the future, you¡¯ll be brothers and sisters with different surnames. Let¡¯s live well together. There¡¯s also Granny Xue and Aunt Lin.¡±


    When Auntie Xue, Auntie Lin, and the others heard Li Yu mention them, they walked over and held their hands. They smiled andforted the two of them. ¡°Miss Su, Miss Wang, don¡¯t worry, and stay here. We¡¯re a big family here.¡± ¡°The more the merrier,¡± Aunt Lin said with a smile.


    Su Ling and Wang Xinrong sniffed and bowed shyly to them. Su Ling whispered, ¡°Madam, Granny Xue, Auntie Lin, just call me Ah Ling.¡±


    ¡°My name is Ah Rong,¡± Wang Xinrong said softly.


    Li Yu looked at the two of them and pointed at Auntie Xue and the others. ¡°In the future, you¡¯ll learn needlework from Auntie Xue and Auntie Lin and work and go to school with Yanzi.¡±


    ¡°Yes, we thank you, Madam.¡± The two of them nodded in agreement. Li Yu looked at the two of them and nodded in relief. ¡°Auntie Xue, Auntie Lin will bring them to wash up and tell them the rules here.¡±


    Auntie Xue smiled brightly and said, ¡°Madam, don¡¯t worry.¡± Li Yu nodded and returned to the house.


    Auntie Xue and Auntie Lin brought the two of them to the girls¡¯ dormitory. Auntie Xue pointed at an empty bed and said with a smile, ¡°The two of you will stay in this room. There are also Yanzi and Ah Qiu in this room. In the future, you¡¯ll work with them and do needlework. You¡¯ll also go to school together, understand?¡±


    The two of them curtsied. ¡°Got it, Granny Xue and Aunt Lin.¡±


    Aunt Lin tidied up the hair that had fallen on their faces. ¡°Follow Granny Xue to the bathroom to wash up. I¡¯ll make the bed for you.¡±


    Auntie Xue smiled and nodded. ¡°Come, the bathroom is in the room around the corner. I¡¯ll bring you to freshen up before eating.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± The two of them nodded and carried their small bags to the bathroom with Auntie Xue. They pushed open the door and saw arge pot by the back window. There was hot water in the pot and arge water vat beside it. There were two rows of clean bathtubs against the wall on both sides. There were cloth towels and items for bathing hanging on the bathtub.


    Su Ling wrinkled her nose and walked up to Wang Xinrong to hold her hand. ¡°Ah Rong, we have to live well in the future.¡±


    Wang Xinrong nodded seriously and replied, ¡°Yes! We¡¯ll have to live well.¡±


    In the Yunzhou government office, Zhou Jia got someone to calcte the farnd of the Tian Kun family and found the exact location. Chu Feng thanked Zhou Jia and rushed back to the Four Seas Bank with the records. He brought a few people out to check.


    The two nearby viges learned that the Zhou family¡¯s manor had set up a school and epted children from poor families to study for free. Two families brought the children to the manor with the intention of giving it a try. One was Old Madam Yang¡¯s family, and the other was a family with the surname Shi in the vige at the foot of the mountain.


    Ruyi nced at Le and smiled. ¡°Are you the child who came to report the other


    ¡°Hello, Uncle.¡± Yang Le bowed to Ruyi cautiously. After Old Madam Yang and the woman from the Shi family bowed to Ruyi, they asked nervously with red faces, ¡°Steward Zhou, I heard that you opened a school in your manor. You don¡¯t have to pay school fees, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! Madam said that the children of poor families will be exempted from school fees. You have to prepare the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone yourself.¡± Ruyi looked at the children with them. ¡°Are you nning to send the child here?¡±


    Old Madam Yang and the woman from the Shi family smiled happily and sped their hands together in thanks. ¡°Thank you, Madam. It¡¯s already not bad that we don¡¯t have to pay tuition. We should prepare the other things ourselves. Can we send the children tomorrow morning?¡±


    Ruyi smiled and said, ¡°Alright, ss starts at dawn every day. At that time, bring the child in to meet Sir. After the apprenticeship ceremony, you can stay and study. They can rest every hour.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯lle tomorrow morning.¡± The two of them walked back happily with the children.


    When Old Madam Yang returned to the Yang family vige, she met a smart-looking woman in front of her house. She looked at Old Madam Yang and asked, ¡°Grandma Yang is so happy. Could it be that she picked up silver?¡±


    Old Madam Yang smiled at her. ¡°Chun Niang is back! How can it be so easy to pick up money? I¡¯m just happy that my Ah Le will go to school tomorrow.¡±


    When Chun Niang heard this, she seemed to have heard a joke and sneered. ¡°Hehe! Your Ah Le can go to school too?¡±


    ¡°Grandma, let¡¯s go.¡± Yang Le looked at her and pulled Grandma Yang away unhappily.


    Madam Qian pulled Old Madam Yang. ¡®Grandma Yang, don¡¯t leave! Tell me, where your Ah Le is going to study? That school can even afford your family. I¡¯ll send my Ah Bao over tomorrow.¡±


    Old Madam Yang looked at her indifferently. ¡°The Madam of the school hall said that she only epts children from poor families. Although your father-inw is no longer the vige chief, he¡¯s still different from families like ours.¡±


    Chun Niang rolled her eyes at Old Madam Yang. ¡°So what if my father-inw is no longer the vige chief? It¡¯s all because of you greedy people who got him down.¡±


    ¡°Pfft!¡± Old Madam Yang spat at her. ¡°Make yourself clear. Who was the one who got your father-inw down? If you don¡¯t understand, go back and ask your father-inw. Don¡¯t spout nonsense just because you¡¯re young. Be careful not to be torn apart!¡±


    ¡°You lousy old woman, how dare you spit at me¡­¡± Chun Niang reached out to grab Old Madam Yang.


    Madam Yang came out from behind and grabbed Chun Niang¡¯s hand. She shouted sternly, ¡°Shi Chun Ya, don¡¯t you dare touch my mother-inw. If I don¡¯t peel off ayer of your skin, I¡¯ll take your surname.¡±


    ¡°Let go. I¡¯m just scaring her,¡± Chun Niang said as she looked at the tall Madam


    Yang.


    Old Madam Yang looked at Madam Yang and said, ¡°Daughter-inw, forget it.¡± Madam Yang let go.


    Chun Niang broke free from Madam Yang and ran a few steps from them before looking at Madam Yang and her daughter-inw. She shouted fiercely, ¡°Water buffaloes, I won¡¯t lower myself to your level. Don¡¯t think that I¡¯m afraid of you!¡±


    Madam Yang rolled up her sleeves and shouted at her, ¡°Slut, don¡¯t run if you have the guts.¡±


    The vigers surrounded them and advised, ¡°We¡¯re all from the same vige. Let¡¯s talk nicely.¡±


    Old Madam Yang looked at everyone and wiped her tears. ¡°No matter how poor my family is, I¡¯ve never borrowed a penny from your family. You were the one who forced me to talk¡­ Everyone, listen to me.¡±


    An old woman looked at Chun Niang and curled her lips. ¡°That¡¯s right! Old Madam Yang is right. We know how your father-inw lost his vige chief status. You still have to umte some merit at such a young age!¡±


    Chun Niang looked at them and sneered. ¡°A group of people who tter the strong and trample on the weak. Pfft!¡± She spat at the onlookers and turned to leave.


    The group looked at each other. ¡°Who is she scolding?¡±


    Old Madam Yang shook her head and pulled her grandson and daughter-inw into the courtyard..

 Chapter 331 - 331: Bestowing a Great Name

    Chapter 331: Bestowing a Great Name


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    The next morning, Old Madam Yang waited at the entrance of the manor with Yang Le. Soon, the woman from the Shi family arrived, followed by two families. The children were wearing clean old clothes and stood nervously at the door.


    After a while, the courtyard door opened. Ah Wei saw Old Madam Yang waiting at the door and smiled. ¡°Granny Yang, you¡¯re here so early?¡±


    Old Madam Yang smiled with a red face. ¡°It¡¯s indeed a little early!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Mr. Lu and Mr. Liu are in the ssroom.¡± Ah Wei brought them into the courtyard and handed them to the two gentlemen. He watched as the four children bowed.


    Old Madam Yang and the three families of the Shi family came out of the ssroom and said to Ah Wei, ¡°Ah Wei, we want to kowtow to Master and Madam. What do you think?¡±


    Ah Wei shook his head. ¡°There¡¯s no need. Madam doesn¡¯t like people kneeling here and there.¡±


    ¡°This is a token of our appreciation. Brother Ah Wei, ept it.¡± The few of them ced the two packets of brown sugar they had bought in front of Ah Wei and bowed to the courtyard before leaving.


    A few dayster, Zhou Jia had just arrived at the manor when Chu Feng chased after him in agitation. Zhou Jia was shocked to see him and thought to himself, What did I do to let him down?


    Unexpectedly, Chu Feng pulled Zhou Jia and began toin to him in a low voice, ¡°Brother Jiahe, that bastard Tian Kun chose the rice seeds he harvestedst year and secretly sold them to the caravan from Great Qi. I¡¯m going to be ruined by Shopkeeper Luo and that bastard Tian Kun this time.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at the dejected Chu Feng andforted him. ¡°Don¡¯t be anxious. Sit and rest first. I remember hearing from Madamst time there is a cycle for new rice seeds. Wait for me to invite Madam over to exin to you.¡±


    Chu Feng shouted behind Zhou Jia, ¡°Hev! What¡¯s a cvcle? Whv haven¡¯t I heard


    of it?¡±


    Zhou Jia waved his hand without looking back and hurriedly looked for Li Yu.


    Soon, he brought Li Yu to the hall. Li Yu saw that Chu Feng was frowning so much that he was about to kill a fly. She was about to speak.


    Chu Feng asked anxiously, ¡°Madam Li, quickly tell me what the cycle means.¡±


    Li Yu looked at Chu Feng¡¯s burning eyebrows and couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°Shopkeeper Chu, why have we always kept the breeding field forrge-scale breeding? We don¡¯t encourage themoners to keep the new rice seeds. This is because our rice seeds have an expiry date. The new rice seeds will severely degrade every two to three years. The rice nted will grow unevenly and will also severely reduce production. These shopkeepers know this very well. Shopkeeper Chu, have you investigated clearly? Did Tian Kun sell the rice seeds to Great Qi?¡±


    ¡°It was chosen from the rice harvested by Tian Kun¡¯s family.¡± Chu Feng stood up, feeling a little excited. ¡°ording to Madam, Great Qi will be suffering by next year.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Li Yu looked at Chu Feng strangely. ¡°How did you find out that Tian Kun sold rice seeds to Great Qi so quickly?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! Brother Qingshan, you¡¯re simply swift and decisive!¡± Zhou Jia looked at Chu Feng curiously and smiled.


    ¡°This, hehe!¡± Chu Feng smiled awkwvardly and avoided Li Yu and her husband¡¯s question. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, that dog Tian Kun has already been secretly imprisoned by us. We¡¯ll wait for the news from the higher-ups and see how we deal with him.¡±


    Li Yu nced at him and thought to herself that it must have been a spy! She wondered why he had to be so mysterious.


    Chu Feng was much more relieved when he found out from Li Yu that the rice seeds had a period of efficacy. He cupped his hands at the two of them.


    ¡°Brother Jiahe, Madam Li, I¡¯ll go back to the city while it¡¯s still early.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Li Yu and Zhou Jia stood up. Zhou Jia patted his shoulder. ¡°I know you¡¯re busy, so I won¡¯t keep you.¡±


    When Zhou Jia sent Chu Feng back, Li Yu looked at him and smiled. ¡°Xiao Xi, when did you be so familiar with Shopkeeper Chu? You even call him brother.¡±


    Zhou Jia hugged Li Yu and walked towards the main courtyard. ¡°He¡¯s just a chatterbox. Whenever he¡¯s free, he runs to the government office to talk to me. Slowly, we be familiar with each other.¡±


    In the blink of an eye, half a month passed. Little Loach, Maizi, Little Stutterer, and Mao Dou still gritted their teeth and guarded the secret. At the same time, Ruyi observed them and saw that they had gone back to cultivate. They also persisted and insisted on following Shui Sheng and the others to cut grass to feed the livestock and release the geese and ducks. Ruyi was satisfied with their tenacity. He reported to Li Yu, ¡°Madam, those children seem good. They kept their mouths shut about what I told them.¡±


    Li Yu nodded and said, ¡°These children can survive until now in that ce filled with cows and snakes. They have some grit about them. Let¡¯s wait a few more days before telling them the truth.¡±


    ¡°Yes, the soybeans in the cornfield have already begun to ripen. Old Zou said that some wild beast pried open a part of the fence at the foot of the mountainst night. Fortunately, they discovered it in time. I went to take a look this morning and felt that the hoofprints should belong to a wild boar.¡± Li Yu stood up excitedly. ¡®Wild boar? Let¡¯s go take a look.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll lead the way for you.¡± Ruyi brought Li Yu to the cornfield. Uncle Cai,


    Dashan, and the others were plucking soybean poles in the cornfield. After Li Yu looked around, she was sure that wild boars had been there. She pointed at the circle at the foot of the mountain and said, ¡°Dig a trench here and nt bamboo poles as a trap. Tell Old Zou not to chase after the wild boars if he finds them.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll get them to start digging.¡± Ruyi called Old Zou and the others out of the cornfield. Everyone picked up hoes and shovels and began digging the trap.


    Old Zou even pulled the bamboo poles that he had pulled out from the manor thest time and stuck them in. It took two days to dig the trap. Everyone hid in the shack and waited to catch wild boars for the meat.


    At this moment, Chu Yuhao, who was far away in the capital, received a secret letter from the Four Seas Bank of Yunzhou. There was also the note handed over by Zhou Jia. There were a few incidents between the Zhou family and the Wang family after he arrived in Yunzhou, as well as Zhou Jia¡¯sints.


    When Chu Yuhao saw that Miss Wang had sent someone to kidnap Li Yu but was kidnapped by her instead, heughed out loud.


    ¡°What did Your Majesty see that made you so happy? Why are you smiling so happily?¡± Shen Zhong turned to look at the emperor. The young eunuch standing behind Chu Yuhao also nced curiously at the secret letter in the emperor¡¯s hand.


    Chu Yuhao smiled and handed the secret letter to Shen Zhong. ¡°Ah Zhong, look,


    Madam Li is still so straightforward.¡±


    ¡°Madam Li, I¡¯ve never heard of a minister¡¯s wife who is forthright?¡± The young eunuch stood at the back and lowered his head as he thought.


    Shen Zhong also smiled when he saw this. ¡°Your Majesty, Madam Li¡¯s style is still so forthright.¡±


    Chu Yuhao smiled and nodded. When he saw Li Yu say that she wanted to take in some lonely old people and children and was afraid that people would gossip that she was using his name, heughed to himself. ¡°Why would you be afraid of people gossiping? It is true that you were afraid that I would be suspicious.¡± However, the two of them were so sensible that Chu Yuhao was really in a good mood. He could only wish that all the other officials of Great Yong were as understanding as Zhou Jia and his wife and thought for him all the time.


    When he read that Wang Chun tortured and killed an innocent woman and that Wang Zheng sent people to kidnap Li Yu, he was so angry that he mmed the table and stood up. ¡°Look, these are the descendants of an aristocratic family in Great Yong. One of them disregards human lives andmits all kinds of evil.


    The other is as bold as his daughter. He even dared to send people to kidnap a


    First-grade Madam. I think the Wang family¡¯s good fortune is over.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve already said that the Wang family¡¯s luck has run out, so how can it not end?¡± Shen Zhong bowed and picked up the dossier that Chu Yuhao had flipped to the ground. He ced it back on the table. ¡°Your Majesty, don¡¯t be angry at such a family. You still have many ministers like Lord Zhou!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Chu Yuhao stood up and paced back and forth in the imperial study. Thinking of Zhou Jia¡¯sint, he touched the thumb ring on his hand and muttered to himself, ¡°What should I reward them with? I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve rewarded his son yet. Because the child is a few years old, I¡¯ll give him a name..¡±

 Chapter 332 - 332: Morning Joy

    Chapter 332: Morning Joy


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Chu Yuhao walked over and wrote down the word ¡°Chenxi¡±. He pointed at the words on the table and said to Shen Zhong, ¡°Ah Zhong,e and see how I named Mr. Zhou¡¯s young master.¡±


    Shen Zhong walked closer and praised, ¡°Chenxi, the meaning of morning joy is good! Your Majesty, you¡¯re so good to Mr. Zhou¡¯s family.¡±


    Chu Yuhao was also satisfied when he saw this. He stamped a small seal on it before handing the words to Shen Zhong and instructing, ¡°Go to the storeroom and get a set of the Four Treasures of the Study and some children¡¯s toys. Also, get some cloth and hand it to the Four Seas Bank to be bestowed to Yunzhou.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Shen Zhong bowed and left. Li Yu and Zhou Jia did not know that Chu Yuhao had changed Zhou Xi to Zhou Chenxi with a wave of his brush.


    In early July, Ji Xiang followed Granny Han to Clearwater Town. Seeing that she had checked into an inn in town, he followed her in and quietly monitored her every move.


    The next morning, Granny Han ate in the lobby of the inn and asked the innkeeper for the location of West Mountain Vige. After asking, she left the inn and walked towards West Mountain Vige. At the entrance of the vige, she met a woman carrying grass on her back. She stopped her and asked, ¡°Sister, can I ask you where the Li family is?


    The old woman looked at her for a moment and looked at her in confusion. ¡°The Li family? Do you mean the Li family who lives at the foot of the mountain?¡±


    Granny Han didn¡¯t know where Li Yu lived either. She thought for a moment and said, ¡°Sister, it¡¯s the family where the daughter married someone who became a high official.¡±


    ¡°The one who became a high official.¡± The old woman was enlightened. ¡°You¡¯re talking about Xiaoyu¡¯s family, right? Her family moved away as early as the drought. They returned to the vige a few years ago. I heard that they moved to some other state.¡±


    Granny Han¡¯s heart turned cold when she heard that. She thought for a moment and asked, ¡°What about her parents?¡±


    ¡°Her parents are long gone,¡± the old woman said and left with her backpack.


    ¡°They¡¯re long gone?¡± Granny Han muttered to herself in surprise. When she came back to her senses, she realized that the old woman had walked off. She hurriedly chased after her and ced a string of copper coins in the old woman¡¯s hand. ¡°Sister, please ask where Miss Li¡¯s parents¡¯ grave is! I want to pay my respects.¡±


    ¡°So you¡¯re Xiaoyu¡¯s rtive!¡± The old woman looked at the copper coins in her hand and chuckled. She ced the backpack at the door of a family by the roadside and waved at Granny Han. ¡°Sister,e with me.¡±


    Ji Xiang followed Granny Han from afar. When he saw her following the old woman to her vige, he slowly followed her.


    The old woman brought Granny Han to the ce where Li Yu¡¯s parents were buried. She pointed at the graveyard in front of her, unwilling to go in. ¡°Sister, Xiaoyu¡¯s parents are buried there. I won¡¯t apany you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Granny Han bowed and thanked her. The old woman waved her hand and turned to leave.


    After watching the old woman walk away, Granny Han walked uneasily into the gloomy graveyard. After searching for a while, she found Li Yu¡¯s parents¡¯ grave. When she saw Lin Jinniang¡¯s name, birth date, and death date engraved on the tombstone, she heaved a sigh of relief. She looked at the tombstone and muttered, ¡°Madam Li is indeed Second Miss¡¯s descendant. No wonder Madam Li hasn¡¯t caused trouble for Eldest Miss. It turns out that Second Miss is long gone. Eldest Miss, you can rest assured now.¡±


    Granny Han looked at the dark tombstone and seemed to see a woman smiling at her. ¡°Ah!¡± Granny Han cried out in fear. She hurriedly pressed her palms together and bowed to the tomb before turning to leave.


    ¡°You want to leave just like that?¡± Ji Xiang hid in the bushes and looked at her coldly. He picked up two pieces of gravel and shot them at Granny Han¡¯s calf. Granny Han¡¯s legs went limp and she knelt in front of the grave. She looked around in panic but did not see anyone. She was so frightened that she got up in cold sweat and turned to run. However, the gravel shot out by Ji Xiang hit her numb spot again. Her legs went limp and she knelt down.


    Granny Han was so frightened that she whimpered and trembled. She crawled back to the grave in horror and kept kowtowing to apologize. ¡°Second Miss, I deserve to die ten thousand times. Please spare me. I was just following orders. Please spare my life!¡±


    Ji Xiang waited for her to kowtow a few more times. He watched as she staggered out of the graveyard with a pale face and followed her back to the inn to see her hurriedly check out and leave. He snorted. ¡°Old woman, just you wait. I¡¯ll slowly deal with you when we get back.¡±


    Granny Han leaned against the carriage in shock. She pressed her palms together and muttered to herself, ¡°Amitabha! Could there really be a ghost after death?¡±


    In the blink of an eye, it was the Zhongyuan Festival. After Zhou Jia brought Li Yu and Ruyi¡¯s family to worship their ancestors, the group took the stacked rivermps to the stream and ced them there. Auntie Xue also brought the children at the manor to ce the rivermps by the stream and burn paper money for worship.


    Everyone watched quietly as the rivermps floated down the stream. They prayed silently for the people they cared about.


    After more than ten days in July, the manor began to get busy. Old Zou and the others took out the long-prepared wicker baskets, dustpans, bamboo baskets, brooms, and rakes. Ruyi and Ah Wei began to debug more than a dozen rice grinders with the workers and taught them how to use them and what to take note of.


    Mr. Lu and Mr. Liu gave the children a break and asked them to go to the fields to help harvest the rice.


    At the beginning of August, the group of people carried the threshing machine to the edge of the rice field at dawn. Zhou Jia and Li Yu also brought Yangyang and Seven Pounds to the edge of the field. Everyone stood on the field and looked at the heavy rice ears with joy on their faces. Zhou Jia and Li Yu went down to the field to harvest the first handful of rice and shouted, ¡°It¡¯s time to harvest. ¡±


    ¡°The sickle is ready,¡± the men standing on the field shouted, and went down to the field with the sickle to cut the rice.


    Li Yu smiled at Zhou Jia and said, ¡°We¡¯re here! Go to the government office!¡±


    ¡°Alright, go back to the manor after cutting for a while.¡± After Zhou Jia instructed Li Yu, he got into the carriage and rode towards the government office. Li Yu cut a box of rice and went to the farm over there. After looking around, she turned around and walked back. She saw Yangyang and Seven Pounds carrying a small bamboo basket and picking up the rice ears that had fallen into the field with Sanzi and Er Ya.


    Li Yu stood on the field and smiled at the two of them. She looked around the open space with the children for the rice ears that had fallen into the field. When she found a string, she quickly picked it up and ced it in the bamboo basket. She watched for a while before going to the drying field.


    The older children, such as Shui Sheng and Maizi, learned how to cut grains under the guidance of Auntie Xue and Auntie Lin. Su Ling, Wang Xinrong, Yanzi, and Little Loach moved the cut grains to the adults in front of the rice machine. The rice field was filled with busy figures.


    Ah Wei brought Old Zou and the others to divide the wild rice and cultivated rice in the breeding field to harvest them. They picked up the rice seeds and brought them back to the drying field. Li Yu brought the grain rain, apricot flowers, and the others to the drying field. They spread out the grains and rice seeds they had picked home and dried them in the drying field. Even the pregnant Xiaoyu was busy picking vegetables from the vegetable garden and washing them. She prepared the food for about 80 people with Old Madam Yun and the others. Everyone on the farm all took action, wanting to quickly store the rice in the warehouse while the sky was clear..

 Chapter 333 - 333: Harvesting

    Chapter 333: Harvesting


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Yangyang and Seven Pounds picked up the rice ears for a while before feeling bored. Suddenly, they saw two red-breasted chickens flying out of the middle of the rice field. Yangyang and Seven Pounds stuffed the rice ears in their hands into the bamboo basket and chased after them. Sanzi and Er Ya also carried the bamboo basket and chased after them. The children chased the two red-breasted chickens everywhere. Seeing this, Ruyi picked up two stones and smiled. ¡°Move aside. It¡¯s up to Uncle Yi.¡±


    The few of them hurriedly dodged. They saw Ruyi wave his hand before the two red-breasted chickens fell into the rice field. The children pped and cheered.


    ¡°Wow! Uncle Yi is amazing.¡±


    Seven Pounds looked at Ruyi with admiration. ¡°Father is so powerful.¡± Ruyi smiled proudly and patted his son¡¯s head. ¡°Practice hard and you¡¯ll be even stronger than Father when you grow up.¡±


    Maizi picked up the chickens from the rice field and handed them to Yangyang and Seven Pounds. ¡°Young Master, Seven Pounds. Take it back and let Granny Yun lock them up.¡±


    The two of them reached out and grabbed the wings of their red breasts. They smiled and nodded. ¡°Yes! They would be delicious when stewed with mushrooms. Grandmaster loves them.¡±


    ¡°Yes! Go back and raise it for Grandmaster to eat when hees back.¡±


    Old Madam Yun carried two buckets of herbal tea to the rice field and shouted,


    ¡°The herbal tea is here. Those who are thirsty cane to drink it¡­¡±


    Yangyang pulled Seven Pounds to the field. ¡°Young Master, Seven Pounds, run slowly.¡± Old Madam Yun looked at the two of them, who were sweating profusely, and helped them put on their straw hats. She looked at the chickens they were carrying and smiled. ¡°Young Master, your luck is not bad! You even grabbed two red-breasted chickens.¡±


    ¡°Uncle Yi shot it down. They¡¯re not dead yet! Granny Yun can take it back and stew it when Grandmasteres back.¡± The two of them handed the chickens to Old Madam Yun. Yangyang picked up the gourddle and scooped up a sip of herbal tea. ¡®Wow! It¡¯s a little bitter.¡±


    Seven Pounds took it and took a big sip. He smiled at Yangyang. ¡°I know. This was boiled with herbal tea leaves picked by Old Master.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t taste good.¡± Yangyang shook his head.


    ¡°Be careful not to get heatstroke.¡± After Old Madam Yun reminded the two of them, she carried the chickens and walked back.


    During lunch, Yangyang carried the bamboo basket and ran to Li Yu. He pointed at the small half of the rice ears in the bamboo basket and asked for credit with a smile. ¡®Mother, look, these are the rice ears I picked up.¡±


    Li Yu looked at her son¡¯s red face and took off the straw hat on his head to wipe the sweat off his face. She smiled and said, ¡°Yes! My good son, I¡¯ll make cakes for you when I have threshed the new rice.¡±


    Yangyang smiled happily and held Li Yu¡¯s hand. ¡°Alright, I also have to give it to Brother Seven Pounds.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and said, ¡°Alright! I won¡¯t forget your Brother Seven Pounds.¡±


    For two days, the sky was clear. After lunch and a short rest, everyone went to the field to continue harvesting the rice. After working for more than an hour, the wind began to blow.


    An older short-term worker waved his hand and looked at the sky. He shouted anxiously to everyone, ¡°Oh no, there is a cold wind. It¡¯s about to rain heavily.


    Everyone, hurry up and pick up the rice that has been cut. Hurry up and go back to help collect the grains in the drying field.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s going to rain. Don¡¯t continue cutting grains. Hurry up and go back to collect the grains.¡± The short-term workers shouted at the people cutting the grains.


    Auntie Xue looked up at the ck clouds piled up on the top of the mountain and hurriedly ran back with the sickle. She shouted, ¡°Stop cutting the grains. It¡¯s going to rain. Go back to the drying field and help collect the grains.¡± The people who were cutting the grains stopped when they heard the shout and ran back withrge strides.


    The rice beater also sped up hard. The child from the teleportation valley carried the grain handle and ran. Ah Wei and Ruyi ran back to chase out two ox carts and pull baskets of rice into the drying field.


    Li Yu also realized that the sky was not right in the drying field. She shouted at Gu Yu and the others, ¡°Hurry up and collect the grains. I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s going to rain.¡±


    ¡°Got it,¡± Gu Yu and the others replied loudly. They hurriedly ran to pick up the rake and push the grains together.


    Li Yu, Old Madam Yun, and Madam Xu used pushers to push the grains into the barn. A few others used brooms to sweep the grains scattered on the ground together and put them into the wicker basket.


    Auntie Xue and Auntie Lin ran back to the drying field. Everyone picked up their things and got busy. Just as they put the grains back into the barn, and barely had time to clean up the scattered grains on the ground, they realized that raindrops were falling, pattering on the tiles. Everyone picked up their brooms and quickly swept the grains scattered on the ground into the barn.


    At this moment, Ruyi and the others pulled the remaining grains back. Everyone quickly carried the wicker baskets into the barn, and heavy rain poured down from the sky.


    ¡°We¡¯re a little lucky.¡± Everyone was breathing hard as they leaned against the eaves wall and watched the heavy rain hit the tiles and pour down the eaves. Their faces were filled with triumph.


    The heavy rain stopped after about an hour. After the clouds parted and the fog dissipated, the sun rose again. Everyone split up and got busy again. The threshing was done at the rice field. The drying of the grains cleaned up the rain in the drying field and pushed out the grains in the barn to dry.


    The people on the farm were busy in the rice field. They picked baskets of rice to the field and pulled them back to the farm. Old Zou, Uncle Cai, and the others were extremely excited. They said loudly, ¡°The rice on our farm is much more than the rice we collected when we went out to work.¡±


    Uncle Cai also felt that this was the first time he had seen such good crops in his decades of life. His eyes lit up with excitement. ¡°That¡¯s right! I didn¡¯t expect the soil dug up from the mountains to be so fertile. And those corncobs. Sigh! They look so lovely!¡±


    ¡°Sigh!¡± Little Loach sighed like an adult. ¡°Now I don¡¯t have to worry about not having food to eat.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! When you have enough to eat and drink, there¡¯s hope. When you¡¯re tired, bitter, and sleepy, you forget. Sometimes, I remember the feeling of getting up in the middle of the night to drink cold water in the cold winter of the past. Sigh!¡­¡± Uncle Dashui had an indescribable expression.


    At this moment, Ruyi was on the field. He smiled and shouted at Old Zou and the others, who were sweating profusely, ¡°Everyone, work harder. Let¡¯s wrap up this field and go home. We¡¯ve added two big dishes tonight. Braised trotters and yam-roasted duck. I can smell the fragrance in the drying field. I¡¯m so hungry that I swallow my saliva.¡±


    When Maizi heard that there was a yam-roasted duck, it shouted anxiously,


    ¡°Uncle Yi, ducks are raised toy eggs. It¡¯s a pity to kill them!¡±


    ¡°This kid is good. He¡¯s from the Gu family.¡± Ruyiughed loudly.


    Uncle Cai took the grain handle and teased loudly, ¡°Brat, the roasted duck tastes so good at this season. When you eat it, you¡¯ll forget your heartache.¡±


    Maizi frowned and shouted, ¡®Why don¡¯t you feel sorry? There are so many of us. How many ducks do we have to kill to be enough?!¡±


    ¡°Ha, ha¡­ This kid is not bad. He¡¯ll be a good man who knows how to run the house in the future.¡± Everyoneughed when they saw Maizi¡¯s anxious expression..

 Chapter 334 - 334: Hurry Up and Return at Night

    Chapter 334: Hurry Up and Return at Night


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    After the heavy rain of the afternoon, Ruyi began to worry about whether the weather would remain clear. He looked at therge golden rice field where the gold had not been harvested and calcted how many days it would take to collect all the rice back into the barn.


    Ah Wei walked to Ruyi¡¯s side and looked at him worriedly. ¡°Brother Ruyi, I hope the next few days will be sunny and not rain heavily again.¡±


    The short-term worker who knew how to read the weather walked to the two of them and said with a smile, ¡°Manager Zhou, the heavy rain like in the afternoon will stop as quickly as ites. We don¡¯t have to worry about such rain. We¡¯re just afraid of the continuous rain. If the rice is taken home and dried, it will germinate and rot. If we don¡¯t take it home and leave it in the rice field, the rice stalks will fall and germinate in the field. It should be sunny in the next few days after this heavy rain. Let¡¯s work harder and finish harvesting as soon as possible.¡±


    Ruyi did not expect them to volunteer to work. He cupped her hands gratefully at him. ¡°Uncle Yang, thank you! I¡¯ll report to Madam and give you an additional sry for the extra hours you work.¡±


    Uncle Yang thought to himself that the Zhou family treated people honestly.


    Not only was the food good, but they have never been stingy with the sry . He heard that his master was still a high official in the government office. How could such a family not prosper?!


    Uncle Yang thought to himself and nodded with a satisfied smile. ¡°Your master doesn¡¯t treat us like some people who scolds us as if we¡¯re not human. We¡¯re also willing to work for your family. Of course, it¡¯s even better if we can receive additional money!¡±


    Ruyi cupped his hands and smiled. ¡°Uncle Yang, don¡¯t worry. My master and


    Madam won¡¯t treat you badly.¡±


    ¡°Everyone is willing to rush the work. I¡¯ll tell them now.¡± Uncle Yang happily told the other short-term workers about the processing money.


    When the other short-term workers heard this, they all felt that the Zhou family was honest and put more effort into their work.


    Everyone worked for another two hours until it was dark before they packed up the threshing machine and pulled it and the rice home.


    When they returned to the inverted courtyard, they burned a few torches to brighten it up. Everyone washed their faces in exhaustion and sat at the long table to start eating. There was arge basin of braised trotters, arge basin of roasted duck with taro, a basin of cold peas, a basin of stir-fried eggnt with green beans, and a basin of egg soup. There were also a fewrge basins of vegetables in front of them.


    Little Loach picked up a piece of duck meat and ced it in his mouth. He smiled at the wheat and said, ¡°Brother Maizi, the yam roasted duck is indeed delicious. Also, this hoof is covered in oil.¡±


    Maizi was looking at the roasted duck in the basin and feeling conflicted. Little Loach even came to tease him and rolled his eyes at him angrily. ¡°ck Loach, even the big hooves can¡¯t stop your mouth.¡±


    Old Madam Yun looked at Maizi and smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I chose the male ducks to kill and the female ducks to keep.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± Maizi beamed and put a piece of duck in his mouth. ¡°Mmm! It¡¯s delicious. I didn¡¯t give them so much m meat for nothing.¡±


    Uncle Cai looked at the children at the table and smiled. ¡°These brats are so energetic. Look, those little girls are even dozing off while eating.¡±


    Old Zou nced at the children. ¡°How can we not be tired when we¡¯re busy farming? We¡¯ll only feel at ease after taking the food home. Hurry up and eat and rest. We still have to wake up an hour early tomorrow!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Everyone ate all the vegetables in the basin like a tornado. After going to the bathroom to take a shower, theyy on the bed and slept.


    In the main courtyard, Ruyi told Li Yu and her husband about the fact that the short-term workers were willing to work. Zhou Jia nodded and said to him, ¡°We¡¯ll give them an additional 10% of the sry like you said. Get up early and sleepte and prescribe better food for them.¡±


    Ruyi smiled and said, ¡°These short-term workers have alle to work during the wastnd remation. They all say that we give food, do not scold and hence they were are willing to help us work.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not easy for these people to earn money. They can¡¯t bear to eat or use it even if they earn a little money.¡± Zhou Jia looked at Ruyi¡¯s tanned face and stood up to pat his shoulder. He said gently, ¡°Ruyi, you¡¯ve been tired for a day. Go back and rest!¡±


    Ruyi¡¯s heart warmed. ¡°Got it. Master and Madam, rest early too.¡±


    After Ruyi left, Li Yu carried Yangyang into the room. Yangyang, who was dozing off on Li Yu¡¯s shoulder, suddenly said, ¡°Father, it¡¯s so tiring to work! ¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at his red face and patted his head with a smile. ¡°You know how tired you are from work. How many rice ears did Yang¡¯er pick up?¡±


    Yangyang looked up at Li Yu. ¡°I gave it to Mother. Mother said to make cakes for us.¡±


    Li Yu also smiled and praised, ¡°Not bad. Yang¡¯er and Seven Pounds have been holding on these few days. They didn¡¯t desert.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a good boy.¡± Zhou Jia smiled and kissed him. Yangyang pounced into Zhou Jia¡¯s arms. ¡°Daddy, hug.¡± The family of three smiled and returned to their room.


    The next day, everyone woke up an hour earlier than two days ago. Shui Sheng and a few older children rubbed their eyes and followed the adults to the rice field. They realized that there were already people in the rice field. Ah Wei took a closer look and realized that it was the Yang couple and the family with the surname Shi in the vige at the foot of the mountain.


    Madam Yang smiled brightly and said, ¡°Granny asked us to help with the work for a few days.¡±


    There were a total of 15 people from the Shi family. The white-haired Father Shi smiled honestly and said, ¡°Steward Zhou, my family only has four acres of rice fields. The rest are all sorghum nted in the mountains. My three grandsons are all studying in school, so I brought the children to help.¡±


    Ruyi cupped his hands at Father Shi and the Yang couple. ¡°Thank you, thank you. I was worried that it would start raining before I could take it back. Uncle Shi and Brother Yang have helped a lot.¡±


    Shi Laohan and Boss Yang cupped their hands and smiled. ¡°Steward Zhou is too polite. We only know how to work a little hard. Master Zhou has really helped us a lot.¡±


    Uncle Yang looked at the few people who were exchanging pleasantries and smiled. ¡°Alright! We¡¯re all loyal families. Don¡¯t stand on ceremony!¡±


    Father Shiughed heartily. ¡°Brother, you¡¯re right. The crops are growing so well. They can¡¯t rot in the fields. Let¡¯s dry them!¡±


    Seeing that more than ten strongborers had arrived, everyone shrugged off their shoulders confidently and started working.


    In the evening, Ji Xiang followed Granny Han¡¯s mule cart back to Yunzhou. When she came out of the big cart shop and followed her into an alley, she arrived at a quiet ce. Seeing that no one was around, she quickly put on the sack and carried it out to put it in the carriage. She left the city and drove towards the manor at the foot of the mountain. When it was almost dark, Ji Xiang looked up and saw that the vi that was still under construction had already begun to build a wall. The rice fields were crowded and everyone was still busy harvesting the rice.


    Ji Xiang drove the cart to the entrance of the manor and met Ruyi, who was driving the ox cart out. Ruyi nced at the travel-worn Ji Xiang. ¡°You¡¯re back! Did you bring the things back?¡±


    Ji Xiang looked at Ruyi, who was much tanned, and nodded. ¡°I brought it back.


    Are Master and Madam in the main courtyard?¡±


    Ruyi nodded. ¡°Go! I just went back to the courtyard..¡±

 Chapter 335 - 335: Afraid

    Chapter 335: Afraid


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Zhou Jia took out an official document and handed it to Li Yu. ¡°Yu¡¯er, look, Chu Feng sent this over in the afternoon. I reported it to ask for instructions to use the bribe sent by the Wang family to rebuild the shack in West city. His Majesty agreed. I¡¯ve checked that that piece ofnd is still ownerless. If anyone finds out, they will definitely buy it. At that time, those people might not even have a shack. I¡¯m thinking about how to repair it so that those people can always live there.¡±


    Li Yu looked at the instructions and handed the official document to Zhou Jia. ¡°Then have you thought of a way?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve thought of a way to buy that piece ofnd in someone¡¯s name and rent it to those people at a low price. I just can¡¯t think of a suitable candidate.¡±


    Wasn¡¯t this the low-rent housing in the future? In the future, low-rent housing was a government initiative. If they wanted those poor people to really benefit, they had to find a suitable person to front the purchase of thend. Who was suitable? Li Yu suddenly thought of someone. ¡°Xiao Xi, I¡¯ve thought of the most suitable person. He¡¯s more suitable than anyone.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu and smiled slyly. He felt that he had guessed the candidate Li Yu had thought of. He looked at her in surprise and pointed up. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you want to buy it in the name of the higher-ups?¡±


    Li Yu smiled at Zhou Jia. ¡°You can¡¯t buy it in our name, right? Aren¡¯t you afraid of being criticized for abusing public interests? I don¡¯t think anyone is more suitable to be andlord than him. What do you think?¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu and recalled that although he had always felt that she was not as fearful and respectful as he was to His Majesty, her attitude towards His Majesty was more fearful than respectful. She was careful not to cross the line. Why was she so afraid?


    ¡°Yu¡¯er, I think you¡¯re afraid that the higher-ups will punish us.¡±


    Li Yu rolled her eyes at Zhou Jia and made a throat-cutting gesture on her neck. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid? That¡¯s the person who controls the life and death of our entire family.¡±


    Zhou Jiaughed when he heard that. ¡°Silly! Do you think His Majesty can kill innocent people? That¡¯s something only a fatuous ruler can do.¡±


    Li Yu felt that it was better to be careful in this world where royal power reigned supreme. This was because if one couldn¡¯t do it openly, they could do it secretly!


    ¡°We don¡¯t want to be greedy for money. Don¡¯t leave chances for anyone to gossip about us.¡±


    Seeing Li Yu¡¯s serious expression, Zhou Jia looked at her seriously and replied,


    ¡°Yu¡¯er, I¡¯ll be careful. I¡¯ll discuss what you said with Chu Feng.¡±


    They discussed the implementation of the shack¡¯s transformation for a while longer. Ji Xiang had already driven into the courtyard and lifted the sack out from under the car. He went to the kitchen in the main courtyard to open the stone b that covered the cer. He went down and dumped her in the cer. He turned around and left.


    Granny Han woke up from hera and realized that she had been ced in a sack by someone. It was quiet around her and there was no light. Granny Han was terrified and shouted, ¡°Someone! Come¡­


    When Ji Xiang arrived at the main hall, he saw Zhou Jia and Li Yu standing at the door and looking at him with smiles. His already extremely small eyes smiled at Li Yu and her husband until only a thin crack was left. ¡°Master, Madam, I¡¯m back.¡±


    They looked at him and nodded with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re back. Go freshen up and eat something beforeing back.¡±


    ¡°Madam, I locked that old woman in the cer¡­


    Li Yu raised her hand to stop Ji Xiang. ¡°I saw it. Go wash up and eat something first.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Ji Xiang bowed and left.


    ¡°Looks like we really guessed it. It was indeed Madam Lin and that old woman who harmed your mother. Have you thought of a way to deal with her?¡±


    Li Yu had never really thought about how to deal with Madam Lin. Now that she had something on Madam Lin, it was time to think about how to deal with her.


    ¡°I¡¯ll find out why they targeted my mother first before thinking about how to deal with her.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s go and take a look in the cer now.¡±


    After realizing that no one cared even if she shouted until her throat was hoarse, Granny Han curled up in the sack and slowly calmed down. She began to think about who had put her in the sack.


    After thinking about it, she felt that only Madam Li had the ability. Granny Han suddenly realized that Madam Li had mentioned her maiden home address to Old Madam to lure Madam to send her to investigate. Now that she had been kidnapped by her, how would she deal with her?


    Whether Madam already knew that she had been kidnapped, Granny Han couldn¡¯t help but let her imagination run wild. She suddenly thought of Miss Ah Yue, who had disappeared. Granny Han was terrified of Madam Li¡¯s methods. Just as her imagination was running wild, she heard footsteps approaching. Granny Han was so frightened that she trembled. A foul smell rose in the cer.


    Zhou Jia blew on the lighter and lit the oilmp on the wall. Li Yu saw the trembling sack and thought to herself that it was good that she knew how to be afraid. It would save her a lot of effort.


    Li Yu bent down and untied the sack. She pulled Granny Han out of the sack by the shoulder and looked coldly at Granny Han, whose face was as pale as a ghost.


    Granny Han came out of the sack and knelt on the ground with a thud. She kowtowed heavily. ¡°Please forgive me, Madam¡­¡¯


    Li Yu and Zhou Jia looked at Granny Han, who kept kowtowing, and said coldly, ¡°Looks like you¡¯re sensible. Then tell me everything you¡¯ve done and see if you¡¯re worth my mercy.¡±


    Granny Han nced at Li Yu and her husband and thought quickly. She had been kidnapped here not long after entering the city. It seemed that they already knew what she and Madam had done. It seemed that she could not hide it from them.


    Granny Han thought about it and kowtowed again. Sheposed herself. ¡°Back then, the First Madam of the Lin family gave birth to a pair of twin sisters. I entered the residence and became Eldest Miss¡¯s wet nurse. When the two of them were a few years old, the people around them realized that although the two of them looked identical, their personalities werepletely different. Eldest Miss was impulsive and strong-willed when she encountered trouble. Second Miss was calm, indifferent, andposed when confronting difficulties. She gave in to Eldest Miss all the time. Madam and Master both said that the two of them were born at the wrong time and should change their birth order.¡±


    Granny Han paused for a moment. ¡°At that time, the two youngdies still got along well. It was only when Madam Wang brought Young Master Wang back to Qingzhou for a marriage arrangement that Eldest Miss took a fancy to the handsome and elegant Young Master Wang. ording to the rules of seniority, Eldest Miss thought that her marriage with Young Master Wang was already set in stone. Who knew that Madam Wang and Young Master Wang had already taken a fancy to the calm Second Miss?¡±


    ording to the rules of order, Master originally did not agree to marry


    Second Miss to the Wang family. However, it happened that a family in


    Qingzhou also asked Master and Madam to marry Eldest Miss, so Master and Madam agreed to marry Second Miss to the Wang family.


    When Eldest Miss found out, she became stubborn and schemed to make the young master from Qingzhou and Second Miss a couple. Unexpectedly, she facilitated someone else. In the end, it was Master who came forward to settle this matter, and Eldest Miss¡¯s marriage was put on hold.


    Unexpectedly, the next year, many people in the Lin family were killed by the people suffering from famine. Only Eldest Young Master and the two youngdies of the Lin family were protected and escaped Qingzhou. Eldest Young Master nned to send Second Miss to Yunzhou to marry Young Master Wang first. After dealing with the businesses in Yunzhou, he would bring the eldest youngdy to the capital.


    When Eldest Miss found out that Eldest Young Master was going to send Second Miss to Yunzhou to get married, she had an idea and tampered with Second Miss¡¯s food, causing her to have diarrhea non-stop. She also deliberatelyined that she had made the carriage smelly. That morning, when I apanied her to the grass by the roadside to relieve herself, I pushed her down the mountain stream. When Eldest Young Master found out that Second Miss was missing, there were already hungry people everywhere. After searching everyvvhere to no avail, Eldest Young Master thought that Second Miss had been kidnapped by hungry people. Helpless, he could only bring us away..¡±

 Chapter 336 - 336: Retribution

    Chapter 336: Retribution


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Although Li Yu had long thought that it was Madam Lin who harmed Mother


    Li, she did not expect Madam Lin to viciously plot against her sister for a man. To think that man was also her sister¡¯s fianc¨¦. It could be said that she was heartless. Mother Li was so sad and desperate back then. This old woman who helped the wicked was not a good person either.


    After Granny Han finished speaking, she saw Li Yu looking at her coldly. She was so frightened that she kept kowtowing to the two of them and begging for mercy. ¡°Master, Madam, please spare my life and Eldest Miss. She hasn¡¯t had an easy time in the Wang family all these years.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it unreasonable to live happily after murdering your own sister for a man? Also, an evil ve like you can¡¯t escape punishment.¡±


    Zhou Jia asked Granny Han to press her handprint on the confession document. He looked at her and sneered. ¡°Thinking about it, you are begging us to spare you, but did you ever think of sparing Second Miss Lin back then?


    She was someone you spent time with. The heavens will demand retribution. Wouldn¡¯t it be against the heavens¡¯ conscience to spare you?


    Granny Han looked at Li Yu in horror. As expected, she wouldn¡¯t spare her! Granny Han¡¯s face was ashen as she sat on the ground.


    Seeing that Granny Han was afraid, Zhou Jia was worried that the Wang family would retaliate against them after she died. He simply tied her up with a rope and gagged her before leaving the cer with Li Yu.


    When Ji Xiang came to the main courtyard after dinner and learned that Li Yu had already interrogated Granny Han, he told the two of them what had happened along the way before returning to rest.


    After the couple washed up, they carried the sleeping Yangyang to the small bed to sleep. Seeing that he was sweating profusely from sleep, Li Yu took a fan and fanned him gently. Zhou Jia sat beside Li Yu and took over the fan. He whispered to Li Yu, ¡°Yu¡¯er, you¡¯ve been tired all day. Go and rest.¡±


    Li Yu leaned against Zhou Jia and asked softly, ¡°Xiao Xi, do you think Old Madam Han¡¯s confession can allow us to make Madam Lin¡¯s actions public?¡±


    Zhou Jia shook his head. ¡°Firstly, Mother-inw has already passed away. Madam Lin canpletely push the me on Granny Han or say that she doesn¡¯t know anything. Secondly, the Wang and Lin families will definitely not agree for the sake of their reputation.¡±


    ¡°Reputation? These aristocratic families have fame, but they¡¯ve done all kinds of dirty things behind our backs. They¡¯re really shameless.¡±


    Zhou Jia pulled Li Yu over and fanned the mother and son. ¡°This is how the world is. Those old sour children are talking about rules and etiquette. Actually, they¡¯re the ones who don¡¯t follow the rules the most.¡±


    The next morning, Li Yu brought Granny Han and her confession to the Wang family. Old Madam Wang heard a servant report that Li Yu had brought Granny Han to the Wang family and said that she wanted to see her and Madam Lin. Although she was filled with questions, she still got someone to call Madam Lin and came out to wee her.


    When Madam Lin heard the servant report that Li Yu had brought Granny Han to the Wang family, she was so anxious that she paced around the house. There was only one thought in her mind. What should she do? The nanny had been captured by that bitch Madam Li. She wondered if she had confessed. Old Madam Tang urged outside, ¡°Madam, Madam Li is still waiting!¡±


    ¡°Coming.¡± Madam Lin followed Old Madam Tang to the main hall uneasily.


    When Old Madam Wang arrived at the main hall, her heart skipped a beat when she saw Granny Han tied up by ropes. She vaguely felt that this matter was probably not simple. She pointed at her and asked, ¡°Madam Li, isn¡¯t this the nanny of the Lin family? I wonder what she did?¡±


    Li Yu pointed at Granny Han and said to Old Madam Wang, ¡°Madam Lin colluded with this evil ve to harm her sister just to marry into the Wang family. I¡¯ll hand this evil ve over to the government to deal with her. Madam Lin can¡¯t escape punishment.¡±


    When Madam Lin walked to the door and heard Li Yu¡¯s words, she said sternly, ¡°What right do you have to say that I did it?¡±


    ¡°Whether you did it or not, we¡¯ll know after seeing this.¡± Li Yu took out Granny


    Han¡¯s confession and handed it to Old Madam Wang. ¡°Old Madam Wang, this is


    Old Madam Han¡¯s confession.¡±


    Old Madam Wang looked at the confession and was shocked by the actions of Madam Lin and Granny Han. She stared at Madam Lin with her mouth half-open for a moment and walked forward to p her face. She pointed at her and said bitterly, ¡°How can you be so vicious as to harm her? That¡¯s your twin sister.¡±


    The blood on Madam Lin¡¯s face instantly drained and she turned pale. She stared fiercely at Old Madam Han. ¡°Nanny, I¡¯ve treated you well all these years. How could you do such a crazy thing? After being caught, you came to nder me?¡±


    ¡°Miss, you¡­¡± As Granny Han looked up at Madam Lin, her heart was ashen. That¡¯s right! She could even kill her twin sister. What was she, a nanny?


    ¡°Eldest Miss, I finally understand what it means to repay kindness with evil. It¡¯s not that there isn¡¯t karma, but the time hasn¡¯te. Now that I¡¯ve received retribution, I can¡¯t apany you anymore. I hope that everything will go smoothly for the rest of your life.¡±


    Madam Lin stared intently at the ashen-faced Granny Han. ¡°What retribution?


    Nanny, you can¡¯t go against your conscience and frame me!¡±


    Li Yu looked at the scene in front of her and felt that it was really a dogfight. She looked at Madam Lin and sneered. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be in a hurry to quibble. We¡¯ll settle it when we go to the government office.¡± Madam Lin red at Li Yu. ¡°Stop scaring people here.¡±


    ¡°Hmph!¡± Li Yu stood up. ¡°Just wait and see if I¡¯m scaring you.¡±


    Old Madam Wang sat at the side in a daze. Thinking that her two grandsons would probably be ostracized and looked down upon by others in the future, she hurriedly scolded Madam Lin, ¡°Hurry up and leave.¡±


    These words sounded like heavenly music to Madam Lin¡¯s ears. ¡°Yes, Mother-inw.¡± Mrs. Lin slipped out faster than a rabbit.


    Old Madam Wang bowed to Li Yu shakily and begged, ¡°Madam Li, Zheng¡¯er and Madam Lin still have two sons. If we hand Madam Lin over to the government office to be punished and the world finds out that the two children have such a biological mother, it will be difficult for the two children to establish themselves in the future.¡± Old Madam Wang looked at Li Yu with tears streaming down her face. ¡®Madam Li, the Wang family has always been on good terms with your family. Your mother is the most magnanimous and kind. Your grandmother and I are as close as sisters. Please don¡¯t send Madam Lin to the government on ount of your mother¡¯s family and leave it to our Wang family to deal with in private. This evil ve will naturally be handed over to the government to be punished.¡±


    Li Yu looked at Old Madam Wang, who was crying, and knew that the Wang family would not let anyone take Madam Lin away. She said coldly, ¡°How is your Wang family going to deal with Madam Lin?¡±


    Seeing that Li Yu had relented, Old Madam Wang took a deep breath and rxed. ¡°Madam Li, Madam Lin will go to the temple in the Wang family vige to repent for her sins.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I hope you keep your promise. I¡¯ll bring Old Madam Han to the government office.¡± Li Yu brought Gu Yu in. Ji Xiang came in from outside and brought Granny Han out.


    After returning to the manor, Ji Xiang said to Li Yu, ¡°Madam, do you need to kill Madam Lin?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need. For someone like her, living in a home temple is torture.


    Dying is a relief..¡±

 Chapter 337 - 337: Tracking

    Chapter 337: Tracking


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Ji Xiang thought for a moment and felt that Madam was right. If she died, it would be over. Wouldn¡¯t it be better to let her live and suffer? Ji Xiang cupped his hands. ¡°Madam, I understand what you mean.¡±


    Li Yu waved her hand and smiled. ¡°Alright, go and help!¡±


    After Old Madam Wang sent Li Yu away, she went to Madam Lin¡¯s courtyard angrily. She hit Madam Lin with her walking stick and pointed at her as she scolded, ¡°You vicious woman, you can even bear to kill your own sister. I was really blind to agree to Zheng¡¯er marrying you¡­¡±


    Madam Lin knelt on the ground in a daze and allowed Old Madam Wang to scold her. She did not dare to reply and only hoped that Old Madam Wang would let her off.


    Old Madam Wang was tired of scolding. She looked at Madam Lin in disgust and turned to instruct, ¡°Granny Tang, pack up Madam¡¯s things and send her to the temple.¡±


    ¡°Granny, please spare me for the sake of the two children!¡± Madam Lin knelt in front of Old Madam Wang and begged.


    Old Madam Wang didn¡¯t even want to look at Madam Lin. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for the two children, I would have sent you to the manor. You¡¯d better pray obediently in the temple and leave a good reputation for the children. If you don¡¯t want to go to the temple, take the divorce letter and leave!¡±


    When Madam Lin heard this, her face turned pale and she knelt there on the verge of copse. In an instant, she seemed to have aged ten years. She stammered, ¡°I¡¯ll go, I¡¯ll go.¡±


    On the morning of August 8th, the entrance of Tongzhou¡¯s tribute courtyard was filled with candidates and their rtives. Liu Changmin, Zhao Cai, and Ah Lei also sent Li Qing and Li Fengqi to the examination hall.


    Li Qing looked at them and cupped his hands with a smile. ¡°Uncle, Brother Ah


    Cai, go back! There¡¯s no need to guard outside. I¡¯m not a weak schr.¡±


    Liu Changmin smiled honestly and waved his hand. ¡°Ah Qing, your aunt told me to wait for you to finish the exam before going back.¡±


    When Li Fengqi heard this, he also smiled and bowed to Liu Changmin. ¡°Uncle, please go DaCK! rm line.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll wait outside.¡± Liu Changmin smiled and handed him the examination basket.


    Zhao Cai smiled at Li Qing. ¡°Young Master Ah Qing, Master told you not to be too nervous. Madam said that you¡¯re still young. If you can¡¯t do it this time, you can take the exam next time.¡±


    Li Fengqi looked at Zhao Cai in surprise, but Li Qing smiled happily. ¡°Alright, my sister is still the open-minded one.¡±


    The people sending the candidates looked at Zhao Cai in surprise and thought to themselves, ¡°To be able to say such things on such a day, this family is really generous.¡±


    As they spoke, the door of the tribute courtyard opened. Li Qing and Li Fengqi walked towards the entrance with the examination basket.


    At the corner of the notice wall of the tribute courtyard stood a gray-haired man in dire straits. He looked nkly at Li Qing, who was walking into the tribute courtyard, and thought to himself how Li Qing could participate in the academy examination?


    The man watched as the confident and calm Li Qing entered the examination hall. Then, he turned his gaze to Liu Changmin, who was standing at the side dressed like a rich man. He looked straight at him and muttered to himself,


    ¡°Why¡­¡¯


    Liu Changmin sensed the man¡¯s gaze and turned to see the man under the wall. Their gazes met and the man fled in panic.


    ¡°Why do I feel like I¡¯ve seen him somewhere before?¡± Liu Changmin looked at his limping back and thought for a while, but couldn¡¯t figure out where he had seen him before.


    Zhao Cai turned around and realized that something was strange with Liu


    Changmin¡¯s gaze. He asked, ¡°Uncle, what happened?¡±


    ¡°Someone was staring at me just now. I think I¡¯ve seen him somewhere. I can¡¯t remember where.¡±


    ¡°What kind of person is he? I¡¯ll chase after him and see,¡± Zhao Cai asked cautiously.


    Liu Changmin gestured at Zhao Cai. ¡°He¡¯s this tall. He¡¯s wearing an old gray robe and has gray hair and a crippled leg.¡±


    ¡°Stay here and don¡¯t leave. I¡¯ll take a look.¡± Moneymaker squeezed out of the crowd and looked around.


    He found the man Liu Changmin had mentioned in front of the Teacher Temple and slowly followed behind him. He watched him limp to the two thatched houses in the corner of the west city and saw him stumble into the house.


    Zhao Cai quickly walked around the back of the house and heard a womanining loudly, ¡°Guisheng, where did you go so early in the morning? Your father twisted his waist yesterday. Why didn¡¯t you think of a way to help your father? Oh! Today is the eighth day of the new year. Don¡¯t tell me you went to the tribute courtyard again. You can¡¯t take the exam now, so why are you still going?¡±


    The woman nagged. Zhao Cai muttered to himself behind the house, ¡°Guisheng? Guisheng.¡± Zhao Cai frowned and thought for a while before getting up. ¡°Oh! Zhang Guisheng, isn¡¯t it just the family who despised Madam and broke off the engagement? They even coveted Madam¡¯s parents¡¯ money. It looks like they suffered retribution!¡±


    At this moment, Zhang Guisheng¡¯s hysterical shout came from the house. ¡°How can I help you? How do you want a crippled person like me to help you? Who did I see outside the tribute courtyard? Li Qing! Even that brat went to the tribute courtyard to participate in the academy examination. Also, that good-for-nothing uncle of his is dressed like a rich person. Look at how our family has be like this?¡±


    Zhang Defay on the bed and looked at Zhang Guisheng as he shouted. He sighed heavily. ¡°Guisheng, you only know how to me me. What can I do with my old bones? It wasn¡¯t easy for me to beg the shopkeeper of the grain store to let you be the ountant, but you were unwilling. The family is relying on me to do carrying work and your mother to wash people¡¯s clothes. Do you know that we don¡¯t have enough food at home? I can¡¯t move now. The family at the corner of the grain store¡¯sntern alley is your second uncle¡¯s family. Go find him and borrow some silver from him to buy a few ointments for me. I¡¯ll apply them and go to work.¡±


    ¡°Second Uncle?¡± Chen Zhaodi walked to Zhang Defa¡¯s bed. ¡°Is Second Uncle also in Tongzhou? Why haven¡¯t I heard you mention it?¡±


    Zhang Defa clutched his chest and coughed a few times. He shouted at Chen


    Zhaodi, ¡°How can I have the face to see him? If he asks about Guixiang and Guisheng, what should I say? Should I say that Guixiang was sold by us and that Guisheng¡¯s wife ran away with someone?¡±


    Chen Zhaodi also shouted at Zhang Defa, ¡°Why are you shouting at me? Didn¡¯t you spend money to marry that bitch to Guisheng? I told you that bitch was a jinx. She hasn¡¯t been good ever since she arrived at our house!¡±


    Zhang Defa was so angry that he grabbed the shoe by the bed and threw it at Chen Zhaodi. ¡°I don¡¯t me you, but you still dare to me me. Guixiang has been spoiled by you. If she hadn¡¯t pushed that girl Li Yu into the bathtub, I wouldn¡¯t have topensate the Li family with that silver¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop arguing. I¡¯ll go borrow money.¡± Zhang Guisheng roared at the two people who were making a scene and rushed out the door to Lantern Lane. He found the house at the corner and hesitated before raising his hand to knock on the door. ¡°Who is it?¡± A man¡¯s voice came from the house. Then the door opened and a bearded man looked at Zhang Guisheng and asked, ¡°Who are you looking


    When Zhang Guisheng saw the man, he thought to himself, Could he be Second


    Uncle¡¯s son-inw? He cupped his hands at the man and said, ¡°Big Brother, is


    Zhang Decai here?¡±


    ¡°Zhang Decai, do you think the family that originally lived here? The old couple checked out and went to seek refuge with his eldest daughter.¡±


    ¡°Does Big Brother know where his daughter lives?¡± The man shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. They¡¯ve been gone for half a month,¡± the man said and closed the door.


    Zhang Guisheng walked back dejectedly. When he reached the corner, he saw a thin girl with a backpack walking in front. Zhang Guisheng suddenly thought of the thin girl who was always hiding timidly in the corner and secretly looking at him. An inexplicable sadness surged in his heart..

 Chapter 338 - 338: Harvest and Glory

    Chapter 338: Harvest and Glory


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Zhao Cai came out of the Zhang family¡¯s house and returned to the courtyard. Liu Changmin looked at him and asked anxiously, ¡°Why were you gone for so long? Did you see who it was?¡±


    ¡°Uncle, guess who that crippled man is?¡± Zhao Cai looked at Liu Changmin with a gloating expression.


    Liu Changmin looked at him and smiled curiously. ¡°Who is it? Don¡¯t keep me in suspense.¡±


    Zhao Cai smiled proudly. ¡°It¡¯s Zhang Guisheng, Schr Zhang. I followed him¡­


    ¡°Oh! A few years ago, I heard that someone saw Zhang Defa. I didn¡¯t expect him to be so down and out. Zhang Guisheng¡¯s leg is also crippled. Speaking of which, it¡¯s Zhang Defa¡¯s family¡¯s fault for being too ruthless and betraying their morals. Now, retribution is on their descendants.¡± Liu Changmin thought about Li Shan¡¯s sacrifice to save Zhang Dafa and entrust his daughter to his son before he died. At that, he sighed at what Zhang Defa did to Li Yu and her brother.


    When Zhao Cai heard this, he said emotionally, ¡°Then his family has really received karma.


    Liu Changmin nodded. ¡°Yes, go eat something with Ah Lei. I¡¯ll guard here.¡±


    Zhao Cai agreed readily. ¡°Alright, it¡¯ll be a few days after Young Master finishes his exam! I¡¯m afraid Madam is also worried in Yunzhou!¡±


    Li Yu had been thinking about Li Qing¡¯s exam the entire day. Just as Zhou Jia returned from the government office, Li Yu told Zhou Jia about Li Qing¡¯s exam worriedly.


    Zhou Jia smiled andforted her. ¡°I¡¯ve asked around. It shouldn¡¯t be a problem for Ah Qing based on the examiner who went to Tongzhou to supervise this year. If he has a good mentality, the possibility of him getting into the top few should be very high.¡±


    Seeing that Zhou Jia looked confident, Li Yu was relieved and focused on harvesting the crops.


    The weather in Yunzhou had always been clear. Everyone went out early and returnedte for half a month. Finally, in mid-August, they collected all the rice and dried it at home. The Yang couple and more than ten members of the Shi family helped until it waspleted.


    Li Yu asked Ruyi to buy some meat, sugar, ink, paper, inkstone, and cloth to send to the two families. Many people from the Shi family came. Father Shi looked at the things piled in the cart and rejected them with a red face. ¡°Steward Zhou, there are too many things. We can¡¯t take them. We just did some hard work. How can we make you spend so much money?¡±


    ¡°Father Shi, you can¡¯t say that. Madam said that the autumn harvest is the most tiring work. This is just a token of our Master and Madam¡¯s appreciation.¡± Ruyi smiled and carried the things into the house with Ah Wei.


    Father Shi could only take it with both hands and say with a red face, ¡°Steward Zhou, go back and tell Master and Madam that we can¡¯t eat so much for nothing. When the corn on the farm is ripe, I¡¯ll bring the children to help, but they can¡¯t give us anything anymore. Look, they ate well on the farm. Not only did they not lose weight, but they also gained weight.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re too polite. It¡¯s what we should do. We can¡¯t wait for you to help.¡± Ruyi cupped his hands and smiled.


    Father Shi smiled honestly. ¡°Helping you is the same as helping ourselves. We can also learn farming from you!¡±


    Ruyi also smiled and agreed. ¡°Just ask me what you want to learn.¡±


    ¡°Aye!¡± Father Shi agreed and sent Ruyi and Ah Wei away. When he returned home, he recalled the scene when he was harvesting rice on the farm. He sighed at his sons. ¡°Eldest Brother, Second Brother, Third Brother, think about it. This is the first time we¡¯ve seen such a good harvest after farming for most of our lives. We have to learn from them in the future.¡±


    The three sons of the Shi family agreed respectfully. ¡°Father, we understand.¡±


    The rice was taken home, and the farmstead began to busy itself with plowing the fields again to prepare for the next nting of winter wheat. The corn in the cornfield would be harvested in another month.


    After Zhou Jia and Chu Feng met and discussed, they bought the shack area in West City and registered it under the name of the Four Seas Bank. As long as the bank was around, they were not afraid that anyone would dare to have other thoughts.


    After the contract was set up, Zhou Jia bought thend in the shack area of the


    West City and told Wu Tingxian about preparing to renovate the West City. Wu Tingxian also knew whose business the Four Seas Bank was. He was a little surprised by Zhou Jia¡¯s close rtionship with the Four Seas Bank. He was secretly d that he did not go against Zhou Jia back then. He cupped his hands and bowed to Zhou Jia. ¡°Senior Zhou, it¡¯s beneficial to the people¡¯s livelihood to be able to renovate that dirty and messy ce, but what about the people living there?¡±


    Zhou Jia told Wu Tingxian about the implementation method he had discussed with Li Yu. Wu Tingxian pped his hands and praised, ¡°Good, good. This is a good thing for the people.¡±


    After discussion, the two of them decided that after the shack area was renovated, the rent would be set at eight copper coins a month. The tenants could not move away and sublet the ce.


    Wu Tingxian even excitedly wrote a notice and handed it to Liu Yi to bring the scribes and bailiffs to the shack area to register and promote.


    Liu Yi brought the bailiffs and scribes to the shack area in West city and pasted the notice at a few entrances. The bailiffs stood in front of the notice and read it loudly, demolishing the shack area of the Imperial Court and preparing to rebuild it. The existing residents were given priority to rent¡­ The residents in the shack could alsoe to the construction site to work in exchange for the number of years they would rent in the future.


    When the residents in the shack saw the government officials reading it loudly, they surrounded the area and discussed. The bolder ones asked at the top of their lungs, ¡°Master, will they really rent it to us again? Will we not be able toe back after moving away?


    Liu Yi pointed at the notice and the scribe and said to them, ¡°Everyone, don¡¯t worry. Lord Zhou wrote about your situation to the emperor. When the emperor found out, he issued a decree to build this ce and rent it to you. Every month¡­¡¯


    When the residents of the shack area heard this, they shouted excitedly, ¡°Did everyone hear that? Even the emperor knows that our lives are difficult.¡± ¡°I heard it. The emperor decreed that we should repair the house.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not for us to repair the house. It¡¯s for us to rent.¡±


    ¡°Will the emperor be ourndlord from now on?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re kidding. Go somewhere else and see if you can rent a house for a few copper coins a month?¡±


    The group of people cried and knelt down to kowtow. ¡°Long live our emperor¡­¡±


    There were even people who kowtowed and thought to themselves that the emperor knew that they were poor and was helping them!


    After Liu Yi and the two scribes got up, they shouted at everyone, ¡°Come,e. Households are registered here and workers are registered there. Lord said that those whoe to work in this area are prioritized. Everyone, remember not to report too much. Don¡¯t make up nonsense and impersonate others. I know your area very well! Those who report too much, report nonsense, and impersonate others will be sent to jail!¡±


    Everyone happily queued up to register. Some people who wanted to impersonate for self-interest quietly left.


    Two dayster, Zhou Jia, Wu Tingxian, and Chu Feng arrived at the shack area. The craftsmen and odd-jobborers carried hoes and shovels and began to dismantle the shack under Zhou Jia¡¯s order. Two dayster, the dirty shack was torn to the ground. A few dayster, a wide piece ofnd appeared in front of everyone. After being measured and drawn by the craftsmen, construction began. Wood bricks and tiles were transported to the shack area by cart.


    The residents of the shack area cheered in unison when they saw the bricks and wood. ¡°Everyone, look. We also have tiled houses to live in..¡±

 Chapter 339 - 339: The Beauty of Childhood

    Chapter 339: The Beauty of Childhood


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    The rice in Great Maple Vige was also ripe. The vigers stood under theyers of terraces and looked at theyers of golden rice fields on the mountain with tears of excitement. Uncle Gu shouted at everyone, ¡°Fellow vigers, we have food to eat.¡±


    Everyoneughed. ¡°Haha! We have food to eat too.¡±


    ¡°Oh! There¡¯s white rice to eat!¡± The children also jumped up happily.


    Father Gu looked at the jumping children and wiped his tears. He smiled and patted Uncle Gu. He waved his hand and shouted at the vigers, ¡°Everyone, hurry up and do it! Hurry up and take the rice home to dry while the weather is clear. Hurry up and return the rice that you owe to the owner of the rice house.¡±


    ¡°Alright! Let¡¯s collect the rice!¡± Everyone climbed onto the terraces and got busy.


    After all the rice was stored in the warehouse, Li Yu asked Zhou Jia to send a portion of the rice to the cer of the government office to store it. She put a portion of the rice into the space for emergencies. The rest was stored in the cer and warehouse of the manor.


    After staying for a year, Li Yu asked Ruyi to start registering the farmers in the nearby viges and prepared to sell the remaining rice seeds to those families.


    Li Yu entered the space and walked around. She saw the stored information disyed on it. There were more than 2,000 catties of rice and close to 9,000 catties of grains. There was also a hanging pot, some seasoning salt, oil, and medicinal herbs. After a few additions, there were already around 600 arrows, 10 crossbows, four bows, and more than 200 arrows. There was also the machete passed down in the Li family and a few thin-ded daggers with sleeve arrows.


    The meat and noodles had long been exhausted. The wild animals had long been gone because she had not gone up the mountain to hunt in the past few years. Li Yu nned to take advantage of the autumn wild animals to hunt some meat and store it.


    In the evening, Zhou Jia returned to the manor. Li Yu looked at him and smiled. ¡°Why are you back so early today?¡±


    Zhou Jia walked forward and hugged Li Yu. He looked at her reluctantly. ¡°Yu¡¯er, I have to set off tomorrow morning to check on the taxation situation in some ces. I won¡¯t be back until the public announcement on the second and third day of September. I also want to look for Sir at the same time. I wonder where he and that Daoist priest went to travel?¡±


    Li Yu originally wanted to tell him about hunting in the mountains, but when she heard that he was going out, she didn¡¯t n to tell him so that he wouldn¡¯t worry.


    Li Yu turned to look at Zhou Jia reluctantly and said gently, ¡°Fortunately, Ji


    Xiang is back. I¡¯m more at ease with him following you.¡±


    Hearing Li Yu mention Ji Xiang, Zhou Jia thought of Ji Xiang¡¯s marriage. ¡°How¡¯s he and Gu Yu? Should we make the arrangement?¡±


    ¡°Ji Xiang has been gone for two months. When he came back, he was busy with the construction site. I¡¯m not sure how they¡¯re doing. Ask himter.¡± Speaking of Ji Xiang and Gu Yu, Li Yu smiled. She felt that the two of them were chronic children who were confused about their rtionships.


    Zhou Jia stood up. ¡°Alright, where did Yang¡¯er go? I haven¡¯t seen him since I came back.¡±


    ¡°Him!¡± Li Yu smiled when she mentioned her lively son. ¡°He went to the pond with Shuisheng and the others to look at the lotus flowers. A group of children said that they were going to see if there were any budding lotus flowers. Tomorrow morning, they¡¯ll pick two and put them in a bottle for me.¡± Zhou Jia smiled. ¡°Will the lotus roots nted by Ruyi bloom?¡±


    ¡°I heard that there were a few blooms in the past. There were more yesterday.


    Do you want to take a look?¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Zhou Jia held Li Yu¡¯s hand and nodded with a smile. The couple walked out of the courtyard hand in hand toward the pond.


    Halfway there, the two of them saw a group of children holding a long bamboo pole. The bamboo pole was tied with a ring made of bamboo strips and was wrapped in spiderwebs. They raised the bamboo pole and chased after the dragonflies to y. Li Yu smiled when she saw this. She recalled that she had yed this when she was young in her previous life. When Grandma saw this, she even told her that the dragonflies were raised by the Thunder God. The Thunder God had ced them in the mortal world to help mortals eat mosquitoes. She yed the Thunder God Guild to beat people up. Later on, the more pesticides were used, the fewer dragonflies there were. She didn¡¯t expect the children from a thousand years ago to y this game.


    Zhou Jia looked at the child running crazily in front of him and couldn¡¯t help butugh when he recalled his childhood memories. ¡°Yu¡¯er, look, I yed with them when I was young. At that time, Ji Xiang was short and couldn¡¯t outrun us every time. He often tripped on the ground in a panic and cried.¡±


    When he was young, he thought about growing up every day. When he grew up, he often recalled the beauty of his childhood. Li Yu pointed at the two people standing by the stream in front of her and smiled softly. ¡°Xiao Xi, look. Aren¡¯t Ji Xiang and Gu Yu standing in front?¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled and nodded. ¡°Yes! Looks like the two of them are getting closer!¡±


    When Yangyang saw her parent, he stuffed his bamboo pole into Little Loach¡¯s hand and ran over. ¡°Father, you¡¯re back? Mother, you¡¯re out too?¡±


    Seeing that he was sweating profusely from running, Li Yu took out a handkerchief and wiped the sweat off his face. ¡°Look, you¡¯re sweating profusely. Are you tired?¡±


    Zhou Jia also smiled and asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t you guys go to look at flowers? Why are you catching dragonflies again?¡±


    Yangyang held Zhou Jia¡¯s hand. ¡°Father, we¡¯ve seen the flowers. A few flowers will bloom tomorrow morning. Brother Seven Pounds and I agreed to pick them tomorrow morning. The bamboo poles are ready.¡±


    Zhou Jia squatted down and looked at him. He said gently, ¡°Alright, do you want to y with your friends for a while or go for a stroll with Father and Mother?¡±


    Yangyang hesitated for a moment. He looked at hispanions ying at the side and then at his parents. ¡°I¡¯ll walk around with Father and Mother.¡±


    The family of three walked hand in hand through the field of the cornfield and listened to the rustling of the corn leaves in the wind. Yangyang looked at Li Yu¡¯s stomach andpared it. She asked curiously, ¡°Mother, Brother Seven Pounds said that Auntie Yu has a little sister hidden in her stomach. Why didn¡¯t you hide one?¡±


    When Zhou Jia heard this, he smiled and asked, ¡°Does Yang¡¯er want a little sister?¡±


    Yangyang nced at Li Yu. ¡°I already have Brother Seven Pounds. I want an elder sister and a younger brother.¡± Yangyang looked at Li Yu worriedly. ¡°Mother, can I fit two in your stomach?¡±


    Li Yu looked at her son, who was looking at her worriedly and didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry.


    ¡°Ha¡­ Ha¡­¡± Zhou Jiaughed out loud and picked up Yangyang. ¡°Aiyo! My silly son!¡±


    Yangyang looked at Zhou Jia and retorted seriously, ¡°Father, I¡¯m not stupid. Mr. Lu and Mr. Liu both praised me for being smart. Grandmaster also praised me for being smart and having a good memory.¡±


    Zhou Jia deliberately bumped into Li Yu. ¡°Wife, look, our son is smart! He knows how to have an elder sister and a younger brother.¡±


    Li Yu nced at the foolishly smiling father and son and turned around to roll her eyes.


    When Ji Xiang and Gu Yu heard Zhou Jia¡¯s happyughter, Ji Xiang reached out and secretly held Gu Yu¡¯s hand. ¡°Gu Yu, Master is back. I¡¯ll go find Master and Madam and ask them to host our wedding.¡±


    Ji Xiang looked at Gu Yu uneasily. Gu Yu smiled shyly and nodded. ¡°Okay!¡±


    Ji Xiang looked at Gu Yu and grabbed her hand to kiss it. His already extremely small eyes became thin slits as he smiled. ¡°Gu Yu, you¡¯re the best..¡±

 Chapter 340 - 340: Ji Xiang l s Marriage, Going Up the Mountain

    Chapter 340: Ji Xiang l s Marriage, Going Up the Mountain


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    The family of three walked around and returned to the main courtyard. Soon, Ji Xiang came to the door of Zhou Jia¡¯s study. He looked at Zhou Jia with a red face and wanted to say something but hesitated.


    Zhou Jia looked at his silly expression and smiled. ¡°Come in! Why are you standing there foolishly?¡±


    Ji Xiang smiled sweetly. ¡°Master, I want you to agree to my marriage to Gu Yu.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Ji Xiang and thought that Ji Xiang and Zhao Cai were about to marry the woman they liked. He punched Ji Xiang happily. ¡°I agree, but you have to apany me out to check the taxes before that.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master. I¡¯ll go back and pack my luggage.¡± Ji Xiang bowed to Zhou Jia and left with a smile.


    In the reception hall, Gu Yu also reported the matter between her and Ji Xiang to Li Yu shyly. Li Yu smiled and nodded. ¡°I agree. When Ji Xianges back with Master, I¡¯ll choose a day for you.¡±


    Gu Yu looked at Li Yu and felt that her gratitude for Li Yu was indescribable.


    Her eyes were red as she knelt down and kowtowed to Li Yu. ¡°Thank you, Madam.¡±


    Li Yu looked at her red eyes and pulled her up with a smile. ¡°Why are you crying?


    Gu Yu wiped her tears in embarrassment and smiled shyly at Li Yu. ¡°Madam,


    I¡¯m happy.¡±


    The next morning, Zhou Jia set off with Ji Xiang and Tiezhu. After sending Zhou Jia off, Li Yu packed her things and nned to go up the mountain to hunt while the weather was clear.


    During lunch, Li Yu added a bowl of lotus leaf porridge for Yangyang. She watched as he finished eating the pancakes and cold fish grass. When he wiped his mouth clean, she led him out of the dining hall and discussed with him, ¡°Son, I¡¯m going hunting in the mountain¡­¡±


    ¡°Going up the mountain to hunt.¡± Before Li Yu could finish speaking, she heard Yangyang¡¯s surprised shout. Li Yu looked down and saw Yangyang looking at her with sparkling eyes. ¡°Mother, I want to go up the mountain to hunt too.¡±


    Li Yu picked him up and said gently, ¡°Son, you¡¯re too young. I can¡¯t bring you there. If you want to go, you have to wait until you¡¯re eight years old. You have to practice your martial arts until you canst 20 moves under Uncle before I can bring you there.¡±


    When Yangyang heard this, he pouted and calcted. He felt that eight years old was still a long time away. He sighed and hugged Li Yu, as he wheedled, ¡°Mother, eight years old is still a long time away! I want to go with you now.¡±


    ¡°No, stay at home and eat and study with Auntie Yu, Uncle Yi, and Brother Seven Pounds. I¡¯ll go up the mountain and hunt a little rabbit for you to raise.¡±


    Yangyang looked at Li Yu¡¯s expression and knew that Li Yu wouldn¡¯t agree to him hunting with her. He began to bargain. ¡°Mother, I don¡¯t want a little rabbit. Only girls raise little rabbits. I want a little dog from Shi Lin¡¯s family. Mother, buy one for me.¡±


    ¡°Does the Shi Lin family have puppies? Tell him that I¡¯ll buy one for you when he agrees.¡±


    After saying that, Li Yu looked at Yangyang and instructed, ¡°Son, you have to tell me next time you leave the manor.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll remember.¡± Yangyang opened his chubby little hand and looked at Li Yu in surprise. ¡°Mother, Shi Lin¡¯s family has five puppies. I like that little dog with ck fur and two white patches on its eyes. Father Shi said that he can only raise it for me if you agree.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I agree. You have to remember not to take others¡¯ things for free. If Shi Lin gives them to you, you have to give Shi Lin an item as a gift.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡± Yangyang nodded and yawned. Li Yu carried him to the bed and watched him fall asleep before going to the courtyard in front to tell Ruyi and Xiaoyu that she was preparing to hunt.


    Ruyi and Xiaoyu looked at Li Yu worriedly. ¡°Madam, I heard that there¡¯s no prey in the shallow mountains here. You have to go deep into the mountains. You have to be careful not to stay too long on the mountain.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be back in five to six days at most.¡±


    Li Yu returned to the house and prepared the sleeping bag and snake-repellent medicine. She ced some water, fruits, and dry food in the space to eat. The next day, Li Yu woke up at five o¡¯clock and turned around to kiss the sleeping Yangyang. She got out of bed and put on her clothes. She carefully tied her hair and secured the dagger before leaving the room.


    After instructing Gu Yu and Old Madam Yun, she took the food, water, and some seasonings that Old Madam Yun had prepared and left the manor with the backpack. She walked to the pond to pick a few lotus leaves and walked to a quiet ce to put everything into the space. She walked up the mountain with a machete in her hand.


    The path up the mountain was winding. Li Yu breathed in the fresh and natural air on the mountain and listened to the chirping birds in the forest. She walked up the mountain with light steps. As she climbed up the rugged mountain path, Li Yu did not find any prey on the way. She thought that there were several hunters in the vige at the foot of the mountain. The prey in the shallow mountain might have been hunted long ago.


    When the bright sunlight shone into the shade of the tree, Li Yu climbed under a mountain beam and saw two hunters walking down the mountain with smiles on their faces. They were covered in prey. One of them was carrying a


    wild goat on his shoulder, and the other was carrying a wild deer on his shoulder. Li Yu hid behind a big tree and watched the two of them pant heavily as they walked down the mountain.


    Li Yu looked up at the mountain beam above and found a big rock to take out the rice ball from her space. The rice ball was filled with eggs and pickled vegetables. Li Yu ate four fist-sized rice balls and drank a few mouthfuls of rice soup. She put the water bag back into her space and continued to climb up.


    The higher she climbed, the steeper the mountain path became. Gradually, even the narrow and long mountain path disappeared. The forest was filled with weeds half the height of a person. After walking on the mountain for a day, she only caught a few fat pheasants and hares. She did not see any prey like warthogs or roe deer. Li Yu stayed the night in the wooden house built by the hunters on the mountain. The next morning, she ate something and continued to climb.


    After climbing up a mountain beam, a dense fir forest appeared in front of her. Li Yu looked at the wild grass lying on both sides of the forest and the fresh feces and hoofprints in the grass and concluded that the wild goats had entered the forest. Moreover, not long after they walked over, Li Yu took out her bow, carried the quiver, and chased after them along the fallen wild grass. When she reached the mountain beam, she saw a group of fat and strong wild goats leisurely eating the grass below.


    Li Yu quietly approached the bow and nocked an arrow. She shot a goat and it twitched before falling. The frightened goats fled in all directions. The arrow in Li Yu¡¯s hand was quickly shot out. In a moment, five or six wild goats fell. Li Yu stopped and quickly ran down. She picked up the machete and knocked the struggling goats to death. She picked them up one by one and ced them in the space. At this moment, the sun was already setting in the west and was about to set.


    Li Yu looked around the cave for a while and caught a few pheasants. She chased a hare to a small cave and there was a stream below. Li Yu took out the pheasant¡¯s internal organs and washed them. After smearing the seasoning on the inner cavity, she hung them at the side. She dug some yellow mud by the mountain stream and mixed it with water. She pasted the pheasant into an ellipsoid and wrapped it in the lotus leaves with vines. She used a machete to dig a pit and began to set up a fire to roast the pheasant. She cut a few wooden sticks and set up a pot to boil a pot of hot water. Then, she took a torch to the cave and picked up a few stones to throw into the cave. After waiting for a while, no wild beasts, snakes, or insects came out before she walked in with a torch..

 Chapter 341 - 341: Hunt, Enemy Situation

    Chapter 341: Hunt, Enemy Situation


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    This cave was about 30 square meters in area. There were still traces of fire in the cave. There was also a t big rock near the cave wall. Li Yu looked around and was extremely satisfied with this ce. She prepared to stay here tonight.


    She turned around and went out to cut a bundle of wild grass to clean up the cave. She cut a dead tree and dragged it to the entrance of the cave. After cutting it, she piled it at the entrance of the cave. She found some wormwood and burned a fire to ce it on the fire. Soon, the cave was filled with the fragrance of wormwood. Li Yu waited for the smoke to dissipate before taking down the hanging pot and bringing it into the cave.


    She entered the cave and lit a fire at the entrance. She washed it with hot water in the cave and took out the sleeping bag toy on the stone to rest for a while. When she walked out of the cave, it was already dark. Li Yu went out to dig out the cooled beggar¡¯s chicken from the pit and took it into the cave. She knocked open the wrapped soil. The chicken feathers fell clean with the yellow mud, and the fragrance of the beggar¡¯s chicken assaulted her nose.


    Li Yu tore off a drumstick and ate it. The texture was fragrant and refreshing. As she ate, she thought about roasting it for her son to try after going down the mountain.


    After eating more than half of the pheasant, she felt full. Li Yu chose the remaining delicious parts and tore them off and ced them in her space.


    Li Yu felt waves of fatigue assault her. She walked to the entrance of the cave and dug a pit to bury the remaining meat and chicken bones. She took a few wooden sticks and blocked the entrance of the cave. She added a few thick dead tree trunks to the fire before crawling into her sleeping bag and falling asleep.


    In the middle of the night, she heard wolf howls from the valley, the sound of insects outside the cave, and the hair-raising cries of the owl. Li Yu narrowed her eyes and listened quietly to the strange soundsing from outside the cave. After a while, she slowly came out of her sleeping bag and added a few pieces of firewood to the fire. She went back to lie down and listened for a while before falling asleep again.


    The next day, Li Yu heard the cry of wild deer outside the cave at dawn. She tiptoed to the entrance of the cave and saw a group of wild deer drinking water by the stream. She saw them jumping and ying happily beside the stream.


    Li Yu squatted at the entrance of the cave and took out a crossbow from the space. She half-squatted and aimed at the fat wild deer. The crossbow¡¯s mechanism sounded as the crossbow bolt tore through the air. In an instant, it hit a few wild deer. The wild deer that were shot by the crossbow bolt fell to the ground, and the others fled in all directions.


    Li Yu quickly took away the wooden stick blocking the entrance of the cave and jumped in front of the fallen wild deer. She picked up the wild deer and ced it in the space before returning to the cave to pack her sleeping bag and hanging pot. She washed up briefly, ate a few pieces of rice balls, and drank some rice soup. She left the cave and walked higher and deeper.


    There were few people in the deep mountains and old forests. The shady forest was quiet and lively. Birds jumped around on the branches and sang happily. They stood on the mountaintop and looked at the clouds in the distance like a paradise.


    There was also a lot more prey in the mountains. When she walked to the sun, Li Yu had already hunted more than ten pheasants and picked up some wild eggs, a few deer, and two forest musk.


    Li Yu had just put a wild goat into her space when she looked up and saw a lone wolf standing about five feet away. It was looking at her sinisterly and had already put on an attacking appearance.


    Li Yu raised her machete and watched it confront her coldly. Li Yu and wolf stood there motionless. Only the wind rustled the leaves. Suddenly, a hare darted out of the forest. The lone wolf pounced at Li Yu at lightning speed. Li Yu retreated, dodged, and jumped up. The lone wolf twisted its body and pounced at Li Yu again.


    Li Yu stepped on the tree trunk and jumped up. She shed the lone wolf¡¯s waist from above. The typical characteristic of a wolf was its copper head, iron ws, and tofu waist. The lone wolf was shed on the waist by Li Yu and fell to the ground with a howl.


    Li Yu put the wolf into her space. Worried that there would be more wolves, she auickly walked towards the open area.


    After walking for a while, she found a few dark purple wild lingzhi at the root of a big tree. The big ones were the size of medium-sized dishes, and the small ones were the size of small dishes.


    Just as Li Yu plucked the lingzhi and ced it in her space, she heard a man¡¯s voiceing from the mountain beam. Li Yu hid behind the tree and listened attentively. She was too far away to hear what they were saying. Li Yu quietly hid behind the tree and listened to the discussion get closer and closer. She realized that she couldn¡¯t understand what the two of them were talking about. In between, she understood the words ¡°Mount Spindle¡±, ¡°Great Yong¡±, and ¡°Yunzhou¡±.


    Li Yu hid behind the big tree and saw that one of them was tall and carrying a big bag. He was tall and agile, and the other was short and thin.


    Li Yu looked at the two of them standing there and looking at the terrain. The tall man used a pen to write and draw on the booklet, and the thin man made marks along the way. Li Yu felt that the two of them were most likely here to check the route. She secretly guessed that the two of them were spies of Great Qi. Thinking that Mount Spindle was near Great Qi¡¯s territory, she felt that Great Qi had found the route to cross Mount Spindle and was prepared to catch the garrison of Yunzhou off guard.


    When the two of them walked past, she saw the short man walk ten feet in front and bend down to leave a road sign. Behind him, the tall man lowered his head and focused on writing and drawing. Li Yu held the crossbow and aimed it at the tall man. She quickly pulled the trigger from her leg. The sound of the crossbow bolt breaking through the air rmed the tall man. The man looked up in shock at the crossbow bolts flying toward him. The man quickly dodged. The crossbow bolts came up one after another. In the blink of an eye, the man was shot in the legs and stomach. He fell to the ground in pain. The man endured the pain and raised his sleeve arrow to counterattack.


    The thin man, who had already walked to the front, pulled out his long saber and shouted as he turned around to run towards the tall man. Li Yu dodged the sleeve arrows shot by the man and shot the crossbow bolts in her hand one by one. The tall man was shot in the legs and stomach and staggered as he squatted on the ground.


    After the arrow stopped, the thin man raised his machete and rushed toward Li


    Yu. The tall many on the ground and raised his sleeve arrow to shoot at Li Yu.


    Li Yu hid behind arge rock and switched to a crossbow from her space to continue shooting. An arrow hit the thin man¡¯s chest. The thin man clutched his chest and fell to the ground.


    The tall man had also finished shooting the sleeve arrows. He punched the ground hatefully and looked at the booklet that had fallen in front of him. He wanted to go forward and destroy it. Li Yu jumped in front of him and snatched the booklet.


    ¡°It¡¯s actually a woman.¡± The man nced angrily at the booklet in Li Yu¡¯s hand and looked at Li Yu fiercely. His tone was stiff. ¡°Who are you? How did you discover us?¡±


    Li Yu looked at him coldly. ¡°Who are you? You don¡¯t look like you¡¯re from Great Yong.¡± When the man heard Li Yu¡¯s words , he closed his eyes and stopped talking.


    Li Yu held the dagger and looked at him. Her tone was certain. ¡°You¡¯re Qi soldiers, and you¡¯re here to investigate the route. Tell me! Is Great Qi going to attack Great Yong?¡±


    The man opened his eyes and looked at Li Yu disdainfully. His tone was arrogant. ¡°All the men in Great Yong are like women. Great Yong¡¯s army is also a group of weak women. Just you wait. Great Qi will dominate the world sooner orter..¡±

 Chapter 342 - 342: Wolf Pack

    Chapter 342: Wolf Pack


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    From his tone and fanatical gaze when he mentioned Great Qi, Li Yu knew that she would not be able to get any information from him. She said to herself, ¡°With that booklet in my hand, am I afraid that I won¡¯t be able to find the route for Great Qi to cross the mountain?¡±


    Li Yu knocked him out with a palm and walked up to the thin man. The thin man suddenly opened his eyes and used all his strength to raise the spike in his hand to stab at Li Yu. Li Yu retreated and dodged, but she was still stabbed in the calf. The man looked at Li Yu with a smug smile. Li Yu raised her hand and aimed at the man. She triggered the sleeve arrow and shot the man¡¯s throat. The man twitched twice and stopped breathing.


    Li Yu felt that her calf was a little numb and thought to herself that it was poisonous. She hurriedly took out the antidote pill from her space and swallowed it. She took out a thin rope to tie her injured calf. She cut it with a dagger where the spike had pierced and squeezed out the ck blood forcefully. Only when the blood that she squeezed out turned red did she stop and bandage it with cotton.


    Li Yu sat on the big rock for a while. When her legs no longer felt numb and she felt that the antidote was effective, she walked to the tall man¡¯s side and opened the bag on the ground. She realized that there were two changes of clothes and some herbs that looked like they were used to drive away snakes and insects. There were also some dry food and two jars of pickled vegetables. She opened the pickled vegetables and smelled them. She realized that these pickled vegetables were made from the form she had sold. She found a heavy dagger that shone with a cold light on the man¡¯s body. She ced a sleeve arrow and a purple sandalwood wooden tablet with an eagle pattern were ced in the space. She killed him with a palm strike and lifted him up and threw him off the cliff.


    Only then did she walk to the short man¡¯s side to take off the spike in his hand. She also found a wooden tablet with an eagle pattern on his body. It was a dagger. The texture of the wooden tablet and dagger was not as good as the one just now. Li Yu put the things into her space and threw the short man into the mountain stream.


    She walked to the big rock and sat down. She took out the booklet and flipped through it. She realized that the route and the location of the water source were drawn on it. She looked at the mark left by the roadside. It was also a bird-shaped pattern. Its head was facing Great Yong. Li Yu followed the mark and walked to the mountain beam. She opened the booklet and realized that she still had to climb over two mountain beams. Li Yu looked at the first mountain beam that seemed to reach the clouds. She estimated that it was at least seven to eight days away. After thinking about it, she gave up and decided to quickly go back to report the matter.


    Li Yu took out dry food and ate it. She recalled the pickled vegetables she had found in their bags. She recalled Wei Wencheng, who had bought the pickled vegetables form, and the young man who hade to West Mountain Vige with him. Could they be from Great Qi? If so, Great Qi had long begun to prepare to invade Great Yong. She wondered if Young Master Chu was prepared to deal with the enemy. Once the two countries went to war¡­


    Li Yu thought of her family and couldn¡¯t sit still anymore. She finished the dry food in her hand in two to three bites and checked the wound on her leg. She didn¡¯t find anything unusual and took out the antidote pill to eat. She dashed back the way she came.


    She only stopped in front of the cave where she had restedst night before dark. She washed her face by the stream. Li Yu felt extremely tired. She crawled into the cave and took out the crossbow and machete. She ate a few rice balls and drank some water. She got up and started a fire. She blocked the entrance of the cave with the wooden sticks and went back to lie down and sleep.


    In the middle of the night, the cold moonlight covered the ground and emitted a faint glow. Li Yu heard wolf howlsing from the mountain and men shouting. Li Yu sat up and walked to the entrance of the cave with the crossbow to listen attentively. She heard two men¡¯s voicesing from the mountain. A voice shouted anxiously, ¡°Brother, quickly climb up the tree with the torch.¡±


    Another voice shouted, ¡°Second Brother, don¡¯t worry about me. Climb up and get the arrows to shoot them first.¡±


    His brother replied, ¡°I¡¯m not leaving. We¡¯ll leave together.¡±


    The wolf howls on the mountain rose and fell. Li Yu returned to the cave and picked up a long saber. She took out a crossbow from her space and hung it at her waist. She held the crossbow and quietly climbed towards the fir forest on the mountain.


    As soon as she climbed to the mountain beam, they saw more than ten wolves surrounding the brothers. The brothers stood in front of the fire and waved their torches at the wolves. The wolves were afraid of the fire and did not dare to go forward. Seeing that the fire had already begun to slowly weaken, the wolves no longer had any scruples and looked ready to attack. The two wolves bared their teeth and pounced on the brothers. One of them waved the machetes in his hand to resist and the other raised his torch to hit them. Li Yu shouted at the brothers, ¡°Don¡¯t hit its waist. Hurry up and add firewood to the fire.¡±


    Seeing that someone had helped, the brothers¡¯ confidence soared. Ignoring the fact that they had been scratched by the wolf, one shed at the wolf¡¯s waist with a machete, while the other waved a torch to prevent the wolf from approaching. In an instant, a few w marks appeared on their bodies, and the other hurriedly added firewood to the fire.


    The crossbow bolt in Li Yu¡¯s hand flew out and hit a vicious wolf that was pouncing on the brothers. The vicious wolf fell to the ground. The alpha turned around and looked at Li Yu,manding the two vicious wolves to pounce on Li Yu. Li Yu nced at the alpha¡¯s green eyes and quickly pulled the crossbow to shoot down the two vicious wolves that were pouncing on her. The alpha wolf howled and jumped up to rush at Li Yu. Li Yu dodged and jumped up, stepping on a fir tree at the side. She raised the crossbow and quickly pulled the trigger. The crossbow bolt tore through the air and shot into the eyes of the alpha wolf that was pouncing on her again.


    Sensing danger, the alpha raised its head and pped at the iing crossbow bolt. With a puff, it made a muffled sound as the arrow entered its muscles. The alpha wolf was hit in the abdomen and front ws by the crossbow bolt and wailed. The other wolves abandoned the brothers and pounced on Li Yu. Li Yu stepped onto the fir tree and grabbed a branch to stand on. The wolf pack jumped and grabbed crazily under the tree, trying to paw Li Yu off the tree. Li Yu stood in the shadow of the tree branch and took out arrows from her space to fill the crossbow.


    The brothers looked at each other and suppressed their fear and pain for the wolves. One raised his machete and torch, and the other drew his bow and shot the wolf running behind. The wolf pack split into two. Four or five vicious wolves turned and rushed at the brothers. The brothers quickly retreated to the fire and confronted the scattered wolves.


    Seven or eight vicious wolves were still pouncing on the fir tree and scratching it desperately. The branches of the fir tree swayed from the vicious wolves¡¯ scratching. Li Yu stood steadily on the branch and shot quickly at the wolf pack. With the sound of machinery, the vicious wolves fell one by one, leaving only a few vicious wolves confronting the brothers. When Li Yu shot down those vicious wolves, the sky had already turned white. A trace of dawn shone into the fir forest from the sky.


    The brothers, who had escaped death, looked at the vicious wolves lying everywhere in the forest and looked nkly at Li Yu, who hade down from the tree and walked over. They thought to themselves, ¡°Have we met an immortal?¡±


    The brothers knelt down to Li Yu and kept kowtowing. ¡°Thank you for saving me, Heroine. Thank you¡­¡±


    Li Yu smiled faintly and said, ¡°Hurry up and get up! Hurry up and carry a few wolves home. I can¡¯t resist any more wild beasts .


    ¡°Yes, yes¡­}¡± The frightened brothers hurriedly got up and carried two wolves each. They looked at Li Yu. ¡°Heroine, are youing with us?¡±


    Li Yu shook her head. ¡°There¡¯s no need. Leave quickly and don¡¯t mind me.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Heroine. We¡¯re leaving.¡± The brothers carried the wolf quickly down the mountain.


    Li Yu put the remaining wolves into the space, ate something, and quickly rushed down the mountain..

 Chapter 343 - 343: Report

    Chapter 343: Report


    After Li Yu set off, she soon saw the brothers walking in front. Li Yu avoided them and rushed down the mountain. When she went down the mountain, her speed more than doubled since she didn¡¯t have to look for prey. After dark, she rushed to the shallow mountain behind the manor at midnight with a torch and spent two hours rushing back.


    Ruyi and the others looked at Li Yu, who had rushed home in the middle of the night, and felt that something might have happened. Xiaoyu asked worriedly, ¡°Madam, what happened?¡±


    Li Yu looked at her big stomach andforted her with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m fine! I just missed Yangyang and thought that I wasn¡¯t far from home, so I rushed back.¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡± Xiaoyu heaved a sigh of relief. Li Yu looked at her and smiled. ¡°Go and rest first! ¡±


    Xiaoyu nodded. ¡°Rest early too.¡± Li Yu asked Xing Hua to send Xiaoyu back.


    Ruyi knew from Li Yu¡¯s expression that Li Yu was not telling the truth. When Xiaoyu returned to the courtyard, Li Yu asked Gu Yu to guard the door. She took out the booklet she had snatched from the tall man and handed it to Ruyi.


    ¡°Take a look. I snatched this from a Qi soldier. There are also two waist tokens.


    I¡¯ll show them to youter.¡±


    Ruyi looked at the booklet and his expression became more and more solemn. He was a little afraid and d. He was afraid that the Qi people would silently flip over from Mount Spindle and Yunzhou would suffer. Fortunately, the Qi people¡¯s plot had been discovered by his Madam and they could use this route to catch them off guard.


    Ruyi returned the booklet to Li Yu. ¡°Madam, it seems that the Qi People have found a way to cross the mountain. The city gate is already closed. The city gate will open in an hour. Go wash up first. We¡¯ll go to the government office and the bank to report.¡±


    Li Yu took the booklet. ¡°Alright. Although speed is important in war, we can¡¯t enter the city without Master at home.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll get Old Madam Yun to make something for you. Eat some first.¡± Ruyi quickly went to call Old Madam Yun.


    Li Yu returned to the house to take a look but didn¡¯t see Yangyang. Only then did she remember that he might have gone to Ruyi¡¯s ce to sleep with Seven Pounds. She took her dress and went to the bathroom. Gu Yu had already mixed the water. She nced at Li Yu and said softly, ¡°Madam, let me scrub your back! ¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Li Yu stepped into the bathtub. Gu Yu washed her hair and dried it with a handkerchief before realizing that Li Yu had already fallen asleep leaning against the bathtub. Her heart ached as she looked at Li Yu¡¯s tired appearance, but she still gently pushed Li Yu. ¡°Madam, you should go in and sleep! You won¡¯t catch a cold.¡±


    Li Yu woke up and looked back at her. She smiled and shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ve already felt much better after sleeping for a while. Help me wipe my back quickly. I still have something to do.¡±


    Gu Yu nodded and helped Li Yu scrub her back clean. Li Yu washed up in two moves, put on her dress, and went to her room to tie her hair. After fixing it with a jade hairpin, Old Madam Yun sent the noodles over. ¡°Madam, I cooked a bowl of minced pork noodles for you. Eat some to fill your stomach first.¡±


    Li Yu nodded. ¡°Alright, it¡¯s still early! Go and rest for a while.¡±


    Old Madam Yun knew that Li Yu didn¡¯t like to be waited on. She smiled and replied, ¡°Yes, eat slowly. I ced an egg under the noodles.¡±


    Li Yu nodded and ate in big mouthfuls. She finished the big bowl of noodles.


    Ruyi came in and reported, ¡°Madam, let¡¯s go!¡±


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go!¡± Li Yu took the lead and walked out. Gu Yu hurriedly followed.


    The three of them left the manor and drove the carriage towards the city gate.


    When they arrived at the city gate, the guard had just opened the city gate a


    crack and was waiting for it to slowly open. Ruyi drove the carriage in. The city guard was shocked and turned to shout at the carriage, ¡°Are you rushing to reincarnate!¡±


    Ruyi turned to look at him coldly. The city guard was so frightened that he stopped talking.


    The carriage quickly arrived at the back door of the Four Seas Bank. Ruyi knocked on the door and shouted, ¡°Shopkeeper Chu, please open the door.¡± ¡°Who is it? It¡¯s so early in the morning.¡± The shop assistant guarding the door muttered and ran to the door. When he opened the door and saw Ruyi standing at the door, he smiled and weed him. ¡°Steward Zhou, pleasee in. My shopkeeper is still resting! I¡¯ll get someone to call him for you.¡±


    Ruyi cupped his hands and said, ¡°Thank you. Please hurry up. My Madam has something urgent to tell him.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go now.¡± The shop assistant ran into the courtyard. Li Yu and Gu Yu got out of the car and walked towards the main hall where Chu Feng entertained guests.


    When Chu Feng heard the shop assistant report that Madam Li was looking for him urgently, he hurriedly got up. He put on his clothes and wiped his face before rushing to the entrance of the main hall. When he saw Li Yu standing at the door, he hurriedly went forward and bowed. ¡°I didn¡¯t know Madam was here. Sorry for not weing you.¡±


    Li Yu waved her hand and said, ¡°Gu Yu, stand at the door. Other than Ruyi, no one is allowed to enter.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± Gu Yu knelt down and agreed. Seeing Li Yu¡¯s expression, Chu Feng knew that something big had happened and hurriedly followed Li Yu into the main hall. Li Yu took out the booklet and the two waist tokens and handed them to Chu Feng. ¡°Shopkeeper Chu, an urgent matter has cropped up. Hurry up and send someone to inform the garrison generals in Yunzhou.¡±


    Chu Feng took the waist token and his expression changed drastically. ¡°This belongs to the Qi Eagle Guards. I heard that they specialize in investigating routes.¡± As he spoke, he flipped open the booklet again. His face turned pale. He pped his hands and Yun Yi walked out of the darkness. He looked at Chu Feng. ¡°Yun Yi, quickly go to the garrison office and inform General Shen that there¡¯s an urgent matter.¡±


    Yun Yi nodded and left the main hall. In the blink of an eye, he disappeared. Li Yu watched Yun Yi disappear with admiration and muttered to herself, ¡°Looks like this is the qinggong on television.¡±


    Chu Feng bowed to Li Yu. ¡°Madam Li, where did you get Qi people¡¯s secret?¡±


    Li Yu nced at Chu Feng and told him about meeting two Qi soldiers when she went hunting in the mountains. ¡°Shopkeeper Chu, as soon as I realized that the situation was wrong, I rushed back overnight. This is a big matter rted to Great Yong.¡±


    Chu Feng couldn¡¯t help but admire Li Yu¡¯s sharp instincts and judgment. He bowed to Li Yu again. ¡°Madam Li, you saved the people of Yunzhou.¡±


    Li Yu smiled faintly. ¡°It¡¯s not my credit. It¡¯s because His Majesty is the destined person. This is why heaven protected me and guided me to discover those Qi soldiers. Otherwise, why didn¡¯t I go earlier orter?¡±


    When Chu Feng heard Li Yu¡¯s words, he was a little stunned. Who said that Madam Li was a farm girl who only knew how to farm and didn¡¯t know how to socialize? Let him who said it so confiden tly hear who was better at talking than her!


    ¡°Madam is right. Our emperor is the destined one. Those schemes of the Qi people will never seed.¡±


    When Li Yu heard this, she smiled and nodded. However, she said to herself, ¡°I have to see if your garrison general is really capable. If he¡¯s just an armchair strategist, I have to make preparations early..¡±

 Chapter 344 - 344 Preparing

    Chapter 344 Preparing


    Editor:


    After half an hour, a tall and energetic middle-aged man strode in. Li Yu took a closer look and felt that he looked a little like General Shen Yu of Tongzhou. She wondered if he was also from the Shen family. The Shen familyprised generals, and the emperor isn¡¯t wary of the Shen family. He seems to be really broad-minded.


    Chu Feng pointed at Li Yu and said to General Shen, ¡°General Shen, this is


    Madam Li, the Madam Protector conferred by His Majesty.¡±


    General Shen looked at Li Yu and recalled that his brother had mentioned this Madam Li to him. He praised her for her martial arts and simplicity. She was good-looking and a good person. Seeing her today, she was indeed good-looking.


    General Shen cupped his fists and bowed to Li Yu. ¡°I¡¯m Shen Shuo. I¡¯ve heard a


    lot about Madam.¡±


    Li Yu bowed to him. ¡°General Shen, greetings.¡±


    ¡°Greetings, Madam Li.¡± Shen Shuo cupped his fists.


    After they greeted each other, Shen Shuo stopped being polite and went straight to the point. He asked Chu Feng, ¡°Shopkeeper Chu, what urgent matter is it?¡±


    Chu Feng looked at Li Yu. Li Yu handed the waist token and booklet to Shen Shuo. ¡°General Shen, take a look at these things?¡±


    Shen Shuo took the waist tag and booklet with both hands and frowned at it. ¡°This waist tag is the waist tag of the Qi Dynasty Eagle Guards. This is even made of sandalwood. Only a high-level person can hold it. This booklet.¡± Shen Shuo flipped it open and stood up in shock. ¡°Madam Li, where did thise from? Is it reliable?¡±


    ¡°I snatched it¡­¡± Li Yu told him about meeting Qi soldiers while hunting.


    When Shen Shuo heard this, he was first terrified, but then he rejoiced. If these two Qi soldiers had not been discovered by Madam Li, he would have be Great Yong¡¯s eternal sinner and brought shame to the Shen family when the Qi soldiers attacked Yunzhou.


    Shen Shuo bowed gratefully to Li Yu. ¡°Madam Li, you¡¯re indeed the Madam Protector personally conferred by His Majesty. The situation is urgent, so I¡¯ll take away this booklet and waist token. Please keep all of this a secret.¡±


    Li Yu and Chu Feng replied at the same time, ¡°General Shen, don¡¯t worry. It won¡¯t be leaked!¡±


    ¡°Madam Li, Shopkeeper Chu, I¡¯ll take my leave.¡± Shen Shuo cupped his fists at the two of them and left in a hurry.


    Li Yu understood that Shen Shuo had gone back to make arrangements. Thinking that Shen Shuo had to keep the matter under tight secrecy, she stood up and said to Chu Feng, ¡°Shopkeeper Chu, sorry to disturb you. I¡¯ll go back too.¡±


    Chu Feng smiled and sent Li Yu out. When he returned to the study, Yun Yi shed out and Chu Feng said to him, ¡°Yun Yi, go and ask why there¡¯s no news from Great Qi. Send everyone out to investigate the city. Capture anyone with suspicious identities. Move quickly.¡±


    Yun Yi turned around and left without a word. Chu Feng began to write a secret missive to report Li Yu¡¯s discovery. He even sent secret letters to the shopkeepers of banks everywhere. An hourter, many messenger pigeons flew out of an inconspicuous house outside the city.


    Yangyang woke up early in the morning. Ah Wei brought him and Seven Pounds to the backyard to practice. The two of them looked at Ah Wei¡¯s clumsy appearance and couldn¡¯t stopughing. Ah Wei smiled awkwardly with a red face. ¡°Young Master, when I practice, my hands and feet seem to be covered in glue. Madam, Brother Ruyi, Brother Ji Xiang, and the others all said that I¡¯m not suitable for martial arts.¡±


    Yangyang and Seven Pounds looked at him with pity and nodded seriously. ¡°Uncle Wei, you¡¯re indeed not suitable.¡±


    Ah Wei looked at the two of them and did not know whether tough or cry.


    ¡°Young Master, Seven Pounds. I can¡¯t practice martial arts, but I grow crops. Even Madam and Master said that I manage the farm well. Madam said that everyone has his area of expertise. My forte is growing crops.¡±


    Yangyang smiled proudly when he heard that. ¡°My mother is good at many things. She knows how to farm, kung fu, cook, and even make clothes for me and Father. I like my mother the most.¡± Seven Pounds and Ah Wei looked at him and smiled and nodded.


    Li Yu sat in the carriage with Gu Yu. She felt that this battle between Great


    Yong and Great Qi was inevitable. She regretted not paying attention to Great Qi¡¯s national strength and the emperor¡¯s ability in the past. Thinking about how Zhou Jia was now an official and couldn¡¯t irresponsibly find a ce to hide with the family, it seemed that she could only think of a way to deal with the unknown crisis.


    When the three of them returned to the manor, Li Yu said to Ruyi, ¡°Ruyi, bring all the food in the manor back to the city first. Set aside 80 to 90 people¡¯s rations for a year and hide them in the cer under the stove in the kitchen. Also, send Xiaoyu and the two children back to the city to stay. It¡¯s best if you buy a house not far from the government office. If a fight really breaks out, bring them all back to the city. Also, after you return to the city, find a few trustworthy cksmiths to forge a few more crossbows and weapons. Prepare as many arrows as possible. Store more rapeseed oil and strong wine at home. Do it immediately.¡±


    Ruyi nodded and was about to leave. ¡°Ruyi.¡± Li Yu stopped him again. Ruyi looked at Li Yu and saw that she was frowning and waited quietly for her instructions. Li Yu thought for a moment and said, ¡°Go buy some saltpeter and sulfur and get Old Madam Liu to collect the grass and tree branches and not throw them away.¡±


    Ruyi nodded solemnly and turned to go to the storeroom. Li Yu¡¯s heart felt a little heavy when she saw Ruyi leave. She hoped that she didn¡¯t need the things she had prepared. She looked up and saw that she had already arrived at Xiaoyu¡¯s door. Xiaoyu looked at her and smiled. ¡°You¡¯re back! You didn¡¯t even rest when you returned and rushed into the city with Ruyi. Did something happen?


    ¡°Xiaoyu, it¡¯s not a big deal.¡± Li Yu looked at her and smiled. ¡°Xiaoyu, bring the two children back to the city to live first.¡±


    Xiaoyu nced at Li Yu and held her hand worriedly. ¡°Madam, it¡¯ll be fine! Right?¡±


    Li Yu smiled at her. ¡°Maybe I¡¯m thinking too much. You have to believe me that it¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    Xiaoyu looked at Li Yu¡¯s smile and felt at ease. ¡°Yes! I¡¯ll pack my things now.¡±


    Li Yu came out of Xiao Yu¡¯s ce and went to the ssroom. Mr. Lu happened to be standing in the courtyard. Li Yu walked over and said to him with a smile, ¡°Mr. Lu, the autumn harvest is over. We n to return to the city. Please pack your luggage. We¡¯ll return to the city after noon.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± Mr. Lu smiled and cupped his hands. ¡°I also think you and Sir should be returning to the city. I¡¯ll pack my things now.¡±


    Li Yu looked at Yangyang, who was sitting in the front row of the ssroom and listening attentively to Mr. Liu¡¯s lecture. She smiled and turned around to go to Zhou Jia¡¯s study to search the bookshelf. She found a dossier that recorded Great Qi¡¯s geographical environment. From the records on it, Great Qi had a very cold climate, was prone to drought andcked water. There were few crop varieties that could be nted. Be it the yield of the crops or the living environment, they were not as good andfortable as Great Yong. The emperor of Great Qi was ambitious and had always been eyeing Great Yong covetously. If he had not suffered a heavy blow from the drought a few years ago, the two countries might have fought while the old emperor was still alive. Now that things had looked up a little, Great Qi began to stir again..

 Chapter 345 - 345 Gift

    Chapter 345 Gift


    Editor:


    It seemed that Great Qi was already prepared. Li Yu sighed and sat on the chair, missing Zhou Jia a little. Only things that could be recorded in writing were recorded here. She had to ask Zhou Jia about the secret. Li Yu thought that there were only a few days left until the beginning of September, so she could only leave ording to her n.


    In Yunzhou¡¯s garrison office, Shen Shuo sent a letter of danger to Yunzhou and sent another team to Mount Spindle.


    After discussing with a few subordinates, they began to gather their men. After dark, they followed the route Li Yu had mentioned and advanced towards Mount Spindle.


    Ruyi, Ah Wei, and Da Shui drove the ox cart and carriage back to the government office with the food. Everyone ced the food in the cer. Ruyi said to Ah Wei, ¡°Ah Wei, bring Uncle Shui and the others back to bring the food over. I¡¯ll go to the shop to buy something.¡±


    ¡°Got it, Brother Ruyi.¡± Ah Wei nodded and led them to the manor.


    Ruyi went to a few grocery stores and medicinal herbs to buy a cart of saltpeter and sulfur. He even ordered a few hundred catties of rapeseed oil. The grocery store owner smiled and teased, ¡°Steward Zhou, is your old master going to change professions and refine pills?¡±


    Ruyiughed loudly and said, ¡°If Old Master orders it, we¡¯ll buy it. We can¡¯t make him unhappy!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true! Your Old Master is capable.¡± The shopkeeper helped Ruyi move the things to the car and instructed, ¡°Tell your Old Master to be careful when refining pills. It¡¯ll be troublesome if the house is burned down.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for the reminder, shopkeeper.¡± Ruyi cupped his hands at the shopkeeper and drove the cart to the backyard door of the government office. The waiter who delivered the oil drove the cart behind him and returned to the government office. Ruyi stored the saltpeter and sulfur in the back wing and the rapeseed oil in the kitchen.


    Old Madam Liu looked at the so much rapeseed oil and smiled. ¡°Brother Ruyi, are we selling food?¡±


    Ruyi smiled. ¡°It¡¯s not that Madam wants to sell food. Old Master brought a letter back and said that he is learning how to refine pills from a Taoist priest. He wanted these things.¡±


    Old Madam Liuughed when she heard that. ¡°Those taoists like to refine pills for immortality!¡±


    Ruyi came out of the back office and went to the winery to buy two hundred catties of strong wine before going to the cksmith shop. He ran through the cksmith shops in Yunzhou City and paid a high price to order small arrows for crossbows, bows, and other things before returning to the back office to put the strong wine in the cer. Ruyi did not know that someone had followed him all the way. When he saw Ruyi return to the back office, he turned around and went to the Four Seas Bank.


    Yangyang knew that he was going back to the city and sat there unhappily. Li Yu touched his little face and carried him to sit on her knee. ¡°Son, think about it. It¡¯s about to get cold. Father wakes up two hours early to return to the government office to work. Let¡¯s return to the government office to stay so that Father can sleep a little longer. Don¡¯t you think so?¡±


    Yangyang nodded. ¡°It¡¯s very difficult for Father to earn money. Let¡¯s go back and stay! Mother, can I bring the puppy back?¡±


    Li Yu looked at the four-eyed ck dog sleeping soundly in the small wicker basket and nodded with a smile. ¡°Sure. Tell yourpanions not to be sad. We¡¯lle to the farm in June next year.¡±


    Seven Pounds stood outside the door and stuck his head out to look at Li Yu and Yangyang. He said to Li Yu, ¡°Madam, my mother said that our luggage is already packed.¡±


    Yangyang got off Li Yu and ran to the door. He pulled Seven Pounds in. Li Yu looked at him and smiled. ¡°Brat, why are you hiding at the door?¡±


    Seven Pounds nced at the four-eyed ck dog in the wicker basket. ¡°I want a puppy too, ma¡¯am. My mother won¡¯t let me.¡±


    ¡°Did you bring one back too?¡± Li Yu squatted down and looked at him.


    Seven Pounds nodded. ¡°Yes! Mine are just ck dots.¡±


    ¡°Alright, your mother has a baby. Don¡¯t keep the puppy at home. Take it back and put it in the backyard. We¡¯ll build a small house for the two of them to live in. ¡±


    ¡°Oh, oh, we can build a small house for the puppies!¡± The two of them jumped up happily.


    Ruyi returned to the manor to haul the food. Halfway there, he saw Chu Feng¡¯s carriage driving over. Chu Feng lifted the curtain and smiled at Ruyi. ¡°Steward Zhou,e to my carriage to take a look.¡±


    ¡°Sure! Shopkeeper Chu, what treasure are you hiding in the carriage?¡± Ruyi joked as he got into Chu Feng¡¯s car and saw a wooden box in it.


    Chu Feng watched Ruyi open the box and saw a few shiny ck crossbows and other arrows inside. Chu Feng picked one up and handed it to Ruyi with a smile. ¡°Look, how does thispare to the ones you ordered?¡±


    Ruyi took the crossbow and realized that it was much heavier. The small arrow was also dark and heavy in his hand. ¡°Not bad. These things are good. They¡¯re more than twice as good as the ones I ordered.¡±


    Chu Feng smiled and asked Ruyi, ¡°Steward Zhou, how fast is Madam Li at shooting arrows? How many targets does she hit in one shot?¡±


    Ruyi paused for a moment and said, ¡°She can shoot seven to eight arrows in ten breaths. ¡±


    Chu Feng thought to himself that this speed was not bad, but there were fewer targets.


    Ruyi looked at him and smiled. ¡°Shopkeeper Chu, where are you going?¡±


    ¡°You already know the answer.¡± Chu Feng smiled. ¡°Send this to your Madam. Don¡¯t go to the cksmith. If you need anything in the future,e to the bank to look for me.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Shopkeeper Chu.¡± Only then did Ruyi know that he was being followed.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothingpared to what your Master and Madam helped me with!¡± Chu Feng smiled in embarrassment. ¡°It¡¯s an emergency. Investigate more closely. I won¡¯t dy your return to the city.¡±


    ¡°Everyone, be careful.¡± He cupped his hands at Chu Feng. ¡°See you, Shopkeeper Chu.¡±


    The two of them went in opposite directions. Chu Feng arrived at the foot of the mountain and stuck his head out to look at the leisure vi that was still under construction. He sighed and thought to himself, ¡°General Shen should have set off, right?¡±


    Li Yu looked at the wooden box that Chu Feng and the coachman had carried in. Seeing Chu Feng standing there panting, she smiled and said, ¡°Shopkeeper Chu, what treasure did you send me?¡±


    Chu Feng smiled and pointed at the wooden box. ¡°A little something you can


    use. ¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡± Li Yu raised her eyebrows and nced at Chu Feng. She saw him bend down and open the wooden box. ¡°Madam Li, do you like it?¡±


    Li Yu looked at the crossbows in the wooden box in surprise. She picked one up and flipped through it. Then, she picked up a small arrow and nodded with satisfaction. ¡°Not bad. This thing is good. I like it very much.¡±


    Chu Feng bowed and smiled happily. ¡°As long as you like it. You and Brother


    Zhou have helped me so much. I¡¯ve never known how to thank you and Brother


    Zhou. Since you like weapons, I¡¯ll help you keep an eye out in the future.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Shopkeeper Chu. I won¡¯t stand on ceremony,¡± Li Yu said with a smile..

 Chapter 346 - 346 Discovery

    Chapter 346 Discovery


    Editor:


    Chu Feng looked at the boxes and cages piled in the courtyard. ¡°Are you moving back to the city?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! The weather is about to turn cold, and the hours in the day are short. I want to return to the city to save Lord Zhou the trouble of rushing to the city early in the morning.¡±


    ¡°You should. You should. Those corns are almost ripe, aren¡¯t they?¡±


    ¡°They would bepletely ripe in early October. I¡¯ll pick someter for you to try the tender corn. The tender corn tastes better than when it¡¯s ripe.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I won¡¯t stand on ceremony,¡± Chu Feng said with a smile.


    Li Yu smiled and turned to Gu Yu. ¡°Go to the front yard and Shui Sheng to pick a basket of corn.¡± Gu Yu agreed and left.


    After Gu Yu left, Chu Feng nced at Xing Hua and a few old women standing in the courtyard packing their luggage. He lowered his voice and said to Li Yu, ¡°Madam, don¡¯t worry. They might have already set off. We¡¯re also cleaning up the city.¡±


    Li Yu couldn¡¯t wait for them to capture all the spies in Yunzhou City and resolve the crisis as soon as possible.


    She smiled and suggested to Chu Feng, ¡°Shopkeeper Chu, I think you should focus on cleaning up the big carriage shop and those coachmen. It¡¯s very easy for them to send news. There are also those ces where people from all walks of life stay. For example, the big tea shop opposite the government office and the news about the Drunken Immortals Restaurant should be sorted out by someone.¡±


    Chu Feng looked at Li Yu in surprise. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Madam Li to study these things.¡±


    Li Yu smiled faintly. ¡°I like to read misceneous books when I¡¯m free. I¡¯ve embarrassed myself in front of an expert.¡±


    ¡°What you¡¯re saying makes sense. We¡¯re also sorting out the news about the restaurant and started investigating the carriage dealership, but we forgot to check the big tea shop.¡± Chu Feng stood up. ¡°I¡¯ll go back and get someone to investigate.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and said, ¡°There¡¯s no hurry. Gu Yu brought people to break the corn. She should be back soon.¡±


    Chu Feng smiled and cupped his hands at Li Yu. ¡°I¡¯m not waiting anymore. Just bring some back to the city!¡±


    ¡°Business is more important!¡± Li Yu agreed with a smile and sent Chu Feng away.


    After noon, Li Yu left Ah Wei to manage the farmstead and the construction work beside it. Under everyone¡¯s reluctant gazes, she brought Yangyang back to the city.


    After arriving home for a while, Uncle Liu came to report that Gu Yu¡¯s uncle had brought the vigers back to return the rice. When Gu Yu heard this, she looked up at Li Yu happily. Seeing her anxious expression, Li Yu smiled. ¡°Go! Tell your uncle about you and Ji Xiang.¡±


    ¡°Aye!¡± Gu Yu agreed and ran a few steps. She ran back and looked at Li Yu. She asked in a low voice, ¡°Madam, I want to give my monthly money to Uncle and ask him to buy something for Grandpa and Grandma.¡±


    ¡°Make your own arrangements.¡± Li Yu smiled.


    Two of the 20 to 30 people were holding the hands of the only two cows in the vige. The others were all leaning on wooden sticks and carrying sacks. They were sweating profusely as they stood at the entrance of the backyard of the government office, attracting passersby to stop and watch.


    Someone asked a viger, ¡°Brother, are you tenants of the magistrate¡¯s family?¡±


    The viger chuckled. ¡°We¡¯re not tenants ot the magistrate¡¯s family. We¡¯re here to return the food to him.¡±


    ¡°Return food?¡± The passerby looked at him in confusion.


    ¡°It¡¯s like this¡­¡± The viger smiled and told him the reason. ¡°Oh! I see!¡± Everyone discussed softly.


    When Uncle Gu saw Ruyie out, he went forward and bowed with a smile.


    ¡°Steward Zhou, these grains are for Madam. Thank you, Madam.¡±


    Ruyi looked at these vigers leaning on wooden sticks and smiled as he cupped his hands. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go in and eat something to fill your stomachs first.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, thank you.¡± Uncle Gu led everyone in with Ruyi.


    ¡°Uncle.¡± Gu Yu came out and called out to Uncle Gu, whose hair was tanned and red. Uncle Gu looked at Gu Yu and chuckled. ¡°Gu Yu! Kowtow to Madam for everyone and thank her. The vigers will be able to eat white rice this year.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Yu girl, thank Madam for us.¡±


    Uncle Gu took off the wicker basket on the cow¡¯s back and handed it to Ruyi. ¡°Steward Zhou, please ept these mountain goods and thank Madam for everyone¡¯s help.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re too polite.¡± Ruyi took the wicker basket and saw that it was filled with delicious mushrooms and two bowl-sized purple lingzhi.


    Ruyi thought to himself that these two Lingzhi were worth more than ten taels of silver. Yet these vigers were actually willing to send them to Madam. It was touching.


    After everyone put the food away, Old Madam Liu also cooked the noodles. Gu Yu brought them to the dining room.


    Ruyi carried the wicker basket to the backyard and handed the lingzhi to Li Yu. After seeing it, Li Yu said to Ruyi, ¡°Go buy some meat and brown sugar and some cold and cough pills from the pharmacy. Buy some Golden Injury Medicine and medication for snake and insect bites for them to take away. Tell them not to sell their food.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Ruyi retreated.


    Li Yu thought about how Li Qing would set off for the capital to take the exam if he became a High Schr. Worried about the safety of Li Mei¡¯s family after the war between the two countries broke out, she turned around and went to the study to write a letter to Li Mei in Tongzhou. After writing the letter, Li Yu sat in front of the desk and looked at it, feeling that something was wrong. Li Yu stood up and stood there for a long time, but she couldn¡¯t remember what the problem was. Li Yu thought to herself that perhaps she didn¡¯t rest well and was too nervous. She shook her head and walked out with the letter.


    When Ruyi returned after buying medicine and food, Uncle Gu and the others were already preparing to set off for home. Ruyi smiled at Uncle Gu and said, ¡°Uncle Gu, Madam instructed me to buy these things for everyone. Take them back and share them with everyone. Also, Madam suggests that you don¡¯t sell the food.¡±


    ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll listen to Madam.¡± Uncle Gu turned to look at Gu Yu and bowed to Ruyi. ¡°Manager Zhou, please tell Madam that Little Brother Ji Xiang is a good young man. My Yu girl is blessed. I¡¯ll have to trouble Madam to decide their marriage.¡±


    Ruyi smiled and replied, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll tell Madam.¡±


    Gu Yu sent Uncle Gu and the others to the door and stuffed her monthly money into Uncle Gu¡¯s hand. She turned around and ran back. Uncle Gu looked at the pouch in his hand and pinched it to know that there was money inside. He put it in his pocket with red eyes and turned to leave with everyone.


    Li Yu waited for Ruyi to return and asked him to send the letter and corn to the Four Seas Bank. She asked Gu Yu to send some corn to Madam Gao and Madam


    He.


    After dark, teams of soldiers quickly went up the mountain from a hidden ce and rushed towards the location marked on the map.


    After dinner, she carried the sleeping Yangyang to the bed. Li Yuy on the bed and thought about the strange feeling she had in the study. She fell asleep in a daze. She suddenly remembered that the dolls Zhou Jia had ced on the desk were ced in the wrong direction.. Who had entered the study? What did he want to check?

 Chapter 347 - 347: Discovery

    Chapter 347: Discovery


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Li Yu thought that other than the gardener, Old Madam Liu, Aunt Zhang, and the guards who stayed in the government office had all been brought over from Qingchuan. There shouldn¡¯t be a problem with these people.


    The rest were the people they had bought in Yunzhou. The old women had all gone to the manor, and only the gardener had stayed in the back office. Could it be that the gardener had entered the study?


    Li Yu sat up and lit the oilmp. She went to the dressing table and sat down. She looked at the makeup box on the dressing table and opened it one by one to check. She realized that the position of some things had also changed slightly. Someone hade to check in the room and study. It seemed that someone was watching the back office, What was this person trying to do?


    The more Li Yu thought about it, the more she felt that something was wrong. She nced at the sleeping Yangyang, put on her clothes, closed the door, and walked towards the backyard.


    When she arrived at the entrance of the back garden, Li Yu saw that the moon cave door was already locked. She kicked the wall and flipped over like a ghost. Shended under the back window of the servant¡¯s room where the gardener lived alone.


    She stood there quietly and listened attentively. She did not find anyone in the house. Li Yu was about to turn to the front to open the door to check when she suddenly heard the door to the back garden open with a bang. Then, it was closed again. Someone walked over quickly. Listening to the heavy breathing and footsteps, she felt that he did not seem to be a professional spy. Then, she heard the sound of the door being pushed open, followed by the sound of someone taking off shoes and getting into bed. After 15 minutes, she heard snoring.


    It turned out that they had long fought their way into the back office. Li Yu returned to her room and reflected on herself. She began to think about what the gardener wanted to do. Did he want to steal information or harm her family? Li Yu looked at Yangyang¡¯s red face from sleep and became worried.


    The next morning, Li Yu asked Gu Yu to call Ruyi over and tell him about herte discovery. When Ruyi heard this, his eyes widened. Seeing that Li Yu had already realized that something was wrong with the Jiang guy but didn¡¯t arrest him, he knew that Li Yu had a n. He whispered, ¡°Madam, what are your


    Li Yu raised her hand to stop Ruyi. ¡°We don¡¯t have enough manpower, and I can¡¯t watch the gardener all the time. You have something to do too. How about this! I¡¯ll stay at home and watch the children these days. I¡¯ll go look for


    Shopkeeper Chu and ask him to send someone to monitor the gardener.¡±


    ¡°Got it, Madam. I¡¯ll be careful. He lives alone in the servants¡¯ room at the back. We don¡¯t usually pay much attention to him. I wonder what he¡¯s done behind our backs?¡± Ruyi felt that he had been too careless.


    ¡°Don¡¯t me yourself. You can watch people, but you can¡¯t see their hearts. We can¡¯t let Yangyang and Seven Pounds get close to him.¡± Li Yu suddenly remembered that she had promised the two children to build a kennel in the back garden. She hurriedly instructed Ruyi, ¡°Find some wood to make a kennel for the two of them in the corner of the eaves.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡± Ruyi retreated.


    Li Yu went out to the Four Seas Bank and told Chu Feng about the problem with her gardener. ¡°Shopkeeper Chu, my family doesn¡¯t have enough people. Find someone to follow me back and be a rough servant for a few days. Have this person watch the gardener and see what is up with him.¡±


    Chu Feng thought to himself, ¡°Only Lord Zhou and his wife are so open. They clearly know our identities, but they still asked me to send someone to stay at their house and follow their servants.¡±


    Chu Feng thought for a while about the people in his hands and remembered a suitable one. ¡°Madam Li, I have a subordinate called Yan Niang. She knows some work on the stove. Let her follow you back and help you do some work on the stove.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and thanked Chu Feng. ¡°Thank you, Shopkeeper Chu.¡±


    Chu Feng instructed the servant outside the door. Soon, an extremely ordinary-looking woman in her thirties rushed to the main hall. The woman cupped her fists at Chu Feng and bowed. ¡°Shopkeeper, I¡¯m here.¡±


    Chu Feng pointed at Li Yu and said to Yan Niang, ¡°This is the magistrate¡¯s wife.


    Follow Madam Li back and listen to her instructions. You can¡¯t disobey!¡±


    Yan Niang bowed and replied, ¡°I understand!¡± She turned around and bowed respectfully to Li Yu. ¡°Greetings, Madam.¡±


    Li Yu smiled politely and said, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re too kind, Madam.¡±


    Now that she had found someone, Li Yu didn¡¯t sit any longer. She smiled and stood up to bid farewell. ¡°Shopkeeper Chu has many things to do at home, so


    I¡¯ll bring Yan Niang back.¡±


    ¡°Alright, Madam, take care.¡± Chu Feng smiled and sent Li Yu out the door.


    In the carriage, Li Yu told Yan Niang about the situation at home and said to her, ¡°When Gardener Jiang first came, we still observed him for a few days and didn¡¯t find anything unusual. When we returned from the manor, I felt that something was wrong. We didn¡¯t have enough people at home, so we could only ask Shopkeeper Chu for help and find someone to keep an eye on him.¡±


    Hearing Li Yu¡¯s gentle tone, Yan Niang had a good impression of her. She smiled andforted Li Yu. ¡°Madam, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not very skilled but I¡¯m best at spying. I promise to keep a close eye on him.¡±


    Li Yu brought Yan Niang back to the back office. She pointed at Yan Niang and said to Gu Yu and the others, ¡°This is Yan Niang. She¡¯s here to help take care of Yangyang and Seven Pounds. In the future, when you work together, everyone has to get along well.¡±


    Gu Yu, Old Madam Liu, and the others replied loudly, ¡°Yes, Madam.¡±


    Yan Niang followed Li Yu around the back garden and saw the gardener. She noted his appearance and began to keep an eye on him.


    Ruyi found a wooden board and made a kennel for the puppies of Yangyang and Seven Pounds ording to Li Yu¡¯s blueprint. He smiled and asked the two children who were ying with the puppies, ¡°Young Master, you and Seven Pounds both have names. What names did you give the two puppies?¡±


    When Yangyang and Seven Pounds heard this, they looked at the puppies and thought for a long time. Seven Pounds pointed at the white spots which looked like flowers on the puppy and said, ¡°Father, I¡¯ll name it Da Hua.¡±


    ¡°Da Hua.¡± Ruyi looked at the white spots on the puppy and nodded with a smile.


    ¡°Yes! That¡¯s true. Da Hua is not bad. Young Master, haven¡¯t you thought about


    Yangyang looked at Ruyi and said with a smile, ¡°Uncle Yi, I¡¯ve thought about it.


    I¡¯ll call it Xiao Bai (Little White).¡±


    ¡°Xiao Bai?¡± The father and son looked at ¡°Xiao Bail¡®, who was chasing and biting Da Hua. Seven Pounds looked at Yangyang and smiled. ¡°Young Master, it¡¯s clearly Little ck!¡±


    Yangyang ran over and picked up the little ck dog. He pointed at the white spots above its eyes. ¡°Look! It¡¯s white here. Shouldn¡¯t it be called Xiao Bai? Mother said that this is its other two eyes. She said that it has four eyes. Four eyes doesn¡¯t sound good, but Xiao Bai sounds good.¡±


    Seven Pounds raised his hand in agreement. ¡°Yes! Xiao Bai sounds good, but


    Four Eyes doesn¡¯t.¡± Yangyang looked at Ruyi, who smiled and said, ¡°Yes, Xiao Bai sounds good. I¡¯ll call it Xiao Bai in the future.¡±


    Yangyang looked at Ruyi. ¡°Uncle Yi, Granny Liu made two straw mats for them.


    When you finish building Da Hua and Xiao Bails small houses, Brother Seven


    Pounds ana I will pad them. It won¡¯t De cold at nignt. Father she said that they¡¯re the young of hunting dogs and will watch the house to catch thieves.¡±


    ¡°Father Shi also said that they will also hunt when they grow up!¡± Seven Pounds pulled Yangyang and reminded him.


    ¡°Okay, when they grow up, we¡¯ll take them hunting in the mountains.¡± Ruyi smiled. The two children held hands and jumped up happily..

 Chapter 348 - 348: Capture

    Chapter 348: Capture


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    During the day, there wasn¡¯t anything unusual with Gardener Jiang. He was diligent in his work. In the few days when he was being watched, there were no abnormal movements. On August 29th, the peddler¡¯s call to sell sounded outside the backyard. When the ginger gardener heard this, he looked around nervously.


    At midnight, Gu Yu and Xing Hua turned out the lights in the courtyard, leaving only amp in the corner of the eaves. After an hour, only the puppies¡¯ snores could be heard in the courtyard. Even the streets had be deserted.


    The garden was dark, and the wind gently stirred the flowers and leaves in the backyard, making them look a little terrifying. Yan Niang stood by the golden bamboo forest beside the servants¡¯ room and quietly looked at the servants¡¯ room with the oilmp lit. It was as if she had be one with the golden bamboo.


    After half an hour, the lights in the house went out. After a dozen breaths, the thin Gardener Jiang appeared at the door. He looked around warily and quickly walked towards the back door of the garden.


    Yan Niang followed behind and watched as he opened the small door and walked out, closing it behind him. Yan Niang jumped out of the wall and followed him around to a house in North City¡¯s Lantern Alley. She heard him knock three times. The door opened and Gardener Jiang went in.


    Yan Niang waited outside for a while. After hearing footsteps, she jumped into the courtyard and quietly arrived under the lighted window like a ghost. She quietly listened to the voices inside.


    A man said in a low voice, ¡°The people from the Imperial Court have been sniffing around like dogs these days. Old Jiang, you¡¯re living in the government office safely and in stability.¡±


    ¡°What stability? Madam is back. I couldn¡¯t find anything useful after searching a few times. I was surprised. I didn¡¯t find anything in his house. Other than Madam¡¯s few pieces of jewelry, I haven¡¯t even seen any valuable treasures,¡± the gardener said in frustration.


    ¡°From your tone, it¡¯s not bad to stay at his house! You weren¡¯t bribed by that wretched official, were you?¡±


    ¡°You.¡± The gardener stood up angrily. The friendly-looking man sitting beside him pulled Gardener Jiang and advised, ¡°Forget it. He¡¯s been frustrated these days.¡±


    Gardener Jiang looked at the burly man in front of him and said resentfully, ¡°I won¡¯t argue with you on ount of Uncle Huang.¡±


    The burly man looked at Gardener Jiang. ¡°The higher-ups ordered you to find the blueprint. You¡¯ve been working in the backyard of the government office for so long, but you haven¡¯t found anything useful. If you really can¡¯t, kidnap that wretched official¡¯s son and force him to hand over the city defense blueprint.¡±


    Gardener Jiang was stunned for a moment before looking at Uncle Huang. ¡°Uncle Huang, are we really going to do this?¡±


    Uncle Huang looked at him and nodded helplessly. ¡°We can only do this as ast resort. I asked you to find out what kind of person your Madam is.


    ¡°I¡¯ve asked the few people who followed them to Yunzhou, but I can¡¯t get anything out of them. I only know that Madam¡¯s family came from the countryside of Green Mountain. I can¡¯t get anything else out of them. If I ask again, I¡¯ll be exposed.¡± After saying that, Gardener Jiang nced at Uncle Huang and smiled ingratiatingly. ¡°Uncle Huang, is Qiao Xiu alright?¡±


    Uncle Huang smiled and nced at the gardener. ¡°She¡¯s fine! I¡¯ll get her to look for you tomorrow night. Go back and find out if there¡¯s a secret room in the back office. If you really can¡¯t, abduct that child. Isn¡¯t he the only child in his family?¡±


    When Gardener Jiang heard that he would meet Qiao Xiu in two days, he replied happily, ¡°Alright, if we can¡¯t find it, we can only do this.¡±


    The burly man looked at Gardener Jiang with disdain. Uncle Huang smiled and stood up. ¡°Alright, disperse! I¡¯lle back next time when there is news.¡±


    Yan Niang was hiding in the dark. She saw Old Huang, Gardener Jiang, and a burly man walk out of the house. Old Huang opened the courtyard door and went out to look around. Then he returned to the house and nodded at the two of them. The two of them quickly walked out. Old Huang returned to the courtyard and closed the door. A gorgeous woman walked out of the room. Old Huang instructed her, ¡°Qiao Xiu, see Old Jiang tomorrow night.¡±


    Qiao Xiu walked over and hugged Old Huang¡¯s arm. ¡°Letting me see him again. It¡¯s disgusting.¡±


    Huang touched her face and smiled wickedly. ¡°I had no choice. He wouldn¡¯t have done his job properly without you seducing him.¡± The two of them walked in hugging.


    When Yan Niang returned to the back garden of the government office, she saw Gardener Jiang looking around nervously before opening the courtyard door and slipping in. Yan Niang waited for a few breaths before entering the back garden. When she returned to the main courtyard, she saw that the door of the main room was ajar. Just as she reached the door, Li Yu opened the door and let her in.


    ¡°How is it?¡± Li Yu looked at her and asked.


    ¡°One is the shopkeeper of therge tea shop in North City, and the other is the coachman of therge cart shop. The gardener searched your house for the city defense map, but I don¡¯t think he could find it after searching a few times.¡± Yan Niang nced at Li Yu and hesitated for a moment. ¡°The shopkeeper of therge tea shop instructed him to kidnap Young Master and threaten you and Sir if he really couldn¡¯t find it. The shopkeeper of therge tea shop used a woman to seduce the gardener to work for them. The gardener has already agreed. That woman will meet him tomorrow night. I guess they will attack Young Master after tomorrow night.¡±


    Li Yu¡¯s gentle eyes became murderous. ¡°Inform Shopkeeper Chu after dawn that we¡¯ll capture them tomorrow night.¡±


    Yan Niang was stunned by the killing intent emitted by Li Yu. She stood up and bowed respectfully. ¡°I understand.¡±


    The next morning, Yan Niang went to the Four Seas Bank and reported her findings to Chu Feng. Chu Feng immediately got someone to keep an eye on therge tea shop and carriage shop in North City. Yan Niang returned to the back office and continued to keep an eye on the gardener.


    At night, Gardener Jiang impatiently went to the courtyard of Lantern Lane in North City. Shopkeeper Huang opened the door again. After a while, no one came. Yun Yi and two people entered the courtyard and grabbed Shopkeeper Huang. In the west wing, they caught Qiao Xiu and Gardener Jiang.


    That night, they caught the burly coachman and another person in therge carriage shop. After a series of torture, the shopkeeper of therge tea shop confessed that the higher- ups had asked them to find the city defense map of Yunzhou and prepare to cooperate from the inside and outside to take down Yunzhou City. They would have to wait for notice on when they should take action and how they should cooperate from the inside and outside.


    After interrogation, they realized that Gardener Jiang was only a pawn who had been lured by Qiao Xiu to help Shopkeeper Huang steal the city defense map from the back office.


    He was captured by the secret guards of the government office and has already been imprisoned. Everyone, you must remember the rules of the residence and not ask about Master¡¯s official business. If anyone deliberately approaches the residence to ask about the news,e back and report.¡±


    Old Madam Liu hurriedly said, ¡°Madam, the gardener asked me a few days ago what you used to do. What does your family do? He said that you seem to have some skills. We refused to say anything.¡±


    Aunt Zhang also said to Li Yu, ¡°That¡¯s right! These days, when you and Master lived in the manor, he even bought things for us to eat. As we ate, he asked all kinds of questions. So he had evil intentions!¡±


    Li Yu smiled at them. ¡°Alright, I know that everyone is quite good. Remember our family rules and don¡¯t gossip about me and your master. You¡¯ll be rewarded with a monthly sry.¡±


    When everyone heard this, they bowed to Li Yu happily. ¡°Thank you, Madam.


    Thank you, Master..¡±

 Chapter 349 - 349: Holy Bestowment

    Chapter 349: Holy Bestowment


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    The crisis in Li Yu¡¯s family had been resolved, but there was still no progress with Chu Feng. Shopkeeper Huang¡¯s higher-ups were nowhere to be seen. The curfew had already begun in Yunzhou City, and there were more patrolling soldiers in the city. The citizens of the border city were already used to days that alternated between strict and rxed enforcement. Everyone was still busy with their own matters.


    In the blink of an eye, it was the second day of September, the day Zhou Jia had agreed with Li Yu to go home.


    Li Yu asked Old Madam Liu to prepare the favorite dishes of Zhou Jia and Mr.


    Wen. Yangyang widened his round eyes and looked at Li Yu¡¯s happy expression.


    ¡°Mother, these are Father and Grandmaster¡¯s favorite food. Are Grandmaster and Fathering back?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! Father and Grandmaster areing back. Be good and go to ss, understand?¡±


    Li Yu had been guarding him these days, making the little guy feel a little strange. He looked at Li Yu strangely. ¡°Aiya, Mother, you¡¯ve be naggy these past few days. You¡¯re looking for me after not seeing me for a while, just like Auntie Yu.¡±


    Li Yu was dumbfounded and couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°Are you despising your mother?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m going to school.¡± Yangyang turned around and ran.


    After a while at noon, Zhou Jia arrived at the city gate. When Ji Xiang saw Ruyi weing him at the city gate, he turned to Zhou Jia in the carriage and said loudly, ¡°Master, Ruyi even came to pick us up. Isn¡¯t it troublesome to go back and forth?¡±


    Ruyi knew what Ji Xiang was talking about by the look on his face. He smiled and went up to him. ¡°Brat, you¡¯ll have made a wasted tripter if I don¡¯t pick you up.¡±


    Zhou Jia lifted the curtain and looked at Ruyi. ¡°Have you moved back to the


    Ruyi led the horse by the car. ¡°Yes, Master. It¡¯s been a few days since we moved back. Why didn¡¯t Old Mastere back with you?¡±


    Speaking of Mr. Wen, Zhou Jia couldn¡¯t help but smile and sigh. ¡°When I reached his ce, he left again. It was like he was hiding from me.¡±


    Ji Xiang smiled and said, ¡°Our Old Master is used to being unrestrained. He doesn¡¯t like to stay in the city all day and likes to travel around.¡±


    As they spoke, they arrived at the city gate. Zhou Jia saw that the number of city guards had increased greatly and guessed that something might have happened. Seeing that Zhou Jia had bailiffs and constables following him, the city guards casually looked around and let him go.


    The group returned to the government office. Before Zhou Jia could enter the back office, Wu Tingxian sent someone to pick him up. Zhou Jia looked at the official document that Wu Tingxian had handed him. It said that the garrison office would send someone to take over the city defense.


    Zhou Jia was stunned. Could it be that the Qi soldiers were here? He asked Wu


    Tingxian anxiously, ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not very sure either.¡± Wu Tingxian looked at Zhou Jia with a worried expression. ¡°General Shen only said that he discovered the enemy and had to be wary. He asked me not to leak it to avoid causing panic. He even said that he had already reported it to the Imperial Court.¡±


    Zhou Jia walked around the detention room a few times. No wonder Yu¡¯er had moved back to the city. At the city gate, Ruyi looked like he wanted to say something but hesitated. It seemed that they knew the inside story. Zhou Jia calmed himself down andforted Wu Tingxian. ¡°Old Wu, don¡¯t worry too much. We¡¯ll do as General Shen says.¡±


    Wu Tingxian was in a hurry to see Zhou Jia because he wanted to get information from him. Seeing that Zhou Jia was calm andposed, he calmed down and reported the progress of the reconstruction of the West City to Zhou Jia. ¡°Sir, those who are working don¡¯t hesitate to work. The construction site is different every day. At this speed, themoners in the West City shacks will have new residences before winter.¡±


    Zhou Jia nodded and smiled. ¡°This is a good thing! It proves that what we did is well-liked by the people. Old Wu, you contributed to it. I¡¯ll report it.¡±


    Wu Tingxian smiled in satisfaction and politeness. ¡°This was all nned by Sir. I don¡¯t dare to take credit. Sir has been tired from the long journey. Go back to the back office to wash up and rest first.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Zhou Jia cupped his hands at him and turned to walk towards the back office.


    When Zhou Jia returned to the back office, he saw Li Yu and Yangyang waiting for him. He looked at Li Yu with a smile and picked up his son, who was running towards him. Yangyang hugged his neck and kissed him. He smiled and said, ¡°Father, Mother asked Granny Liu to buy what you and Grandmaster like to eat. Where¡¯s Grandmaster?¡±


    ¡°Father and Grandmaster missed each other and I couldn¡¯t pick him up.¡± As Zhou Jia spoke, he reached out and held Li Yu, who was smiling at him. The family of three returned to the main courtyard.


    Li Yu waited for the father and son to be intimate for a while before saying to Yangyang, ¡°Yang¡¯er, go y with Brother Seven Pounds for a while ande back. Mother and Father have something to discuss.¡±


    Yangyang nced at Li Yu and turned to kiss Zhou Jia. ¡°Alright.¡± The couple watched him cross the threshold to leave.


    ¡°Yu¡¯er, what happened?¡± Zhou Jia went forward and hugged Li Yu. Li Yu told


    Zhou Jia what had happened these days. When Zhou Jia heard that she had met Qi soldiers, he was shocked and held Li Yu¡¯s hand tightly. After Li Yu finished speaking, he looked at her disapprovingly and said, ¡°Yu¡¯er, you¡¯re too bold.


    What if something happens to you? What will happen to Yang¡¯er and me?¡±


    Li Yu thought to herself that Zhou Jia didn¡¯t know that she had space to hide, but she still didn¡¯t want to tell Zhou Jia that she had a mysterious space. Seeing that he was angry, she smiled and kissed him. She raised her hand and promised, ¡°Don¡¯t be angry. I found a way out before taking action. Xiao Xi, let me tell you, I found the pickled vegetables I made in the past in those two people¡¯s bags. That year, I sold the pickled vegetable recipe to the Wei family. Do you think it¡¯s possible that the Wei family is serving as the eyes and ears of Great Qi like the Four Seas Bank in Great Yong?¡±


    When Zhou Jia heard this, he thought for a moment. ¡°The Wei family has been rising in Great Yong for a long time. If the Wei family is serving as Great Qi¡¯s eyes and ears, the emperor of Qi Country would have long begun to n. The Wei family¡¯s shops are all over Great Yong¡¯s state capital. If it¡¯s really¡­¡± Zhou Jia felt that this was a serious matter. ¡°Yu¡¯er, we have to quickly tell Chu Feng this news and ask him to send someone to investigate the Wei family.¡±


    ¡°Alright, let Ruyi go quickly,¡± Li Yu said. Zhou Jia pulled Li Yu back. ¡°Let¡¯s go personally.¡±


    The two of them had just walked out of the study when Ruyi ran in. ¡°Master, Madam, Grandmaster Chu is here. He said that His Majesty gave you something.¡±


    ¡°His Majesty has bestowed something?¡± Zhou Jia was stunned for a moment. ¡°Hurry up and wee him.¡± The two of them hurriedly walked out.


    Chu Sihai stood in the courtyard looking travel-worn. Zhou Jia cupped his hands and smiled at Chu Sihai. ¡°Looks like Shopkeeper Chu has just arrived in


    Yunzhou?¡±


    ¡°Greetings, Lord Zhou and Madam Li.¡± Chu Sihai cupped his hands at the two of them and pointed at the boxes beside him with a smile. ¡°These are all given to Lord Zhou and the young master by His Majesty. His Majesty even gave the young master a name.¡±


    As Chu Sihai spoke, he took out the scroll written by the emperor. Zhou Jia pulled Li Yu to kneel and receive the scroll bestowed by the emperor. After thanking him, he stood up.


    Chu Sihai looked at the couple and said with a smile, ¡°His Majesty also gave the little master some trinkets, ink, paper, inkstone, and some cloth jewelry.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty.¡± Zhou Jia looked at the two words ¡°Chenxi¡± written on the scroll gratefully. Li Yu heaved a sigh of relief when she saw them. Zhou Xi and Zhou Chenxi only had a difference of one word. The name given by the emperor was quite reliable..

 Chapter 350 - 350: Capture

    Chapter 350: Capture


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Zhou Jia and Li Yu took the words and bowed. When they came out, they couldn¡¯t be bothered to exchange pleasantries with Chu Sihai. Zhou Jia looked at Chu Sihai solemnly. ¡°Head Shopkeeper, please follow me. I have something to discuss. ¡±


    When Chu Sihai arrived at Yunzhou City, he also realized that there were many more guards at the city gate. Seeing that Zhou Jia had just epted the emperor¡¯s reward, but wanted to discuss something with a solemn expression, he had a feeling that something big had happened.


    He nodded with a heavy heart and followed Zhou Jia to the study in the main courtyard. Li Yu was already waiting in the study.


    After the three of them sat down, Zhou Jia asked Li Yu to tell Chu Sihai what she had discovered. Chu Sihai stood up in shock. ¡°I was still wondering why there were more guards at the city gate. Lord Zhou, General Shen¡­¡±


    ¡°Shopkeeper, calm down. General Shen has already brought people to Mount


    Spindle. There¡¯s another big matter.¡± Zhou Jia raised his hand to stop Chu Sihai. ¡°I arrived at the government office just before you did. Madam just told me about her finding Qi soldiers when she went hunting in the mountain. She also said that she found two jars of pickled vegetables made from her form in the bags of the two Qi soldiers.¡±


    ¡°Is there a problem with pickled vegetables?¡± Chu Sihai asked curiously.


    ¡°Head Shopkeeper, you might not know this, but my wife made the pickled vegetables in the West Mountains. Later, she sold the form to the Wei family¡¯s head shopkeeper, Wei Wencheng. My wife stopped making the pickled vegetables after that. Think about it. The Wei family¡¯s pickled vegetables fell into the hands of the Qi army¡¯s Eagle Guards, and then think about the Four


    Seas Bank, don¡¯t you think the Wei family and the Four Seas Bank are simr?¡±


    When Chu Sihai heard this, he was enlightened. ¡°That¡¯s right! His Majesty can have the Four Seas Bank, and the State of Qi can also have the Wei family¡¯s tradingpany. The Wei family has shops in all the state capitals of Great Yong and the Four Seas Bank in Great Qi¡­ ¡± The more Chu Sihai spoke, the more terrified he became. Before he could finish speaking, he suddenly stood up and cupped his hands at the two of them. ¡°Senior Zhou, Madam Li, thank you. I¡¯ll take my leave.¡±


    Zhou Jia stood at the door and watched Chu Sihai leave quickly. He turned around and returned to the study. Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia and sighed. ¡°If you¡¯re not the magistrate of Great Yong, we¡¯ll bring people to find a hidden ce to live in seclusion and not care about these terrible things.¡±


    Zhou Jia went forward to hug Li Yu andforted her. ¡°Yu¡¯er, no matter where we go, there will be disputes. Don¡¯t worry too much. Great Yong is not defenseless against Great Qi.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡± Li Yu leaned against Zhou Jia and smelled the sweat on his body. She smiled and pushed him away. ¡°Alright, go wash up and eat something before we talk. ¡±


    Zhou Jia shook his head. ¡°Get someone to send it to the front officeter. I still have to go to the front office to check how many shops the Wei family has in Yunzhou City and the other viges and counties.¡±


    Li Yu nodded. ¡°Alright! Business is more important.¡±


    Chu Sihai rushed back to the Four Seas Bank. Chu Feng went up to him. Chu Sihai looked at him and instructed, ¡°Hurry up and send someone to investigate the Wei family¡¯s shop.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Chu Feng did not know why it was necessary to investigate the Wei family, but he quickly arranged the matter. He turned around and found Chu Sihai to talk about Li Yu.


    Chu Sihai said to him, ¡°I already know what you want to say. You sent news that the Tian family colluded with the shopkeeper of the grain shop to control the new rice seeds and even sold them to the Qi people¡¯s caravan. How did the Tian family know in advance that grain seeds would be transported? When did they start luring the son of the grain shopkeeper to gamble?¡±


    Chu Feng was stunned by a series of questions. He hurriedly bowed and apologized, ¡°Head Shopkeeper, please punish me. It¡¯s my negligence.¡±


    Chu Sihai looked at him and thought about how he had only just learned from Zhou Jia that there was something wrong with the Wei family. That was why he thought of what had happened with the Tian family and the grain shop. He had agreed to the shopkeeper¡¯s arrangements, so he could not me himpletely.


    ¡°We¡¯ll talk about your dereliction of dutyter. Let¡¯s go and interrogate Tian Kun again. Ask him who told him the news?¡±


    Chu Feng¡¯s heart was gloomy. He felt that it must be the Wei family¡¯s doing. Only they were so well-informed. In that case, their rice seeds might have long fallen into Great Qi¡¯s hands.


    When the two of them arrived at the dungeon, Tian Kun, who used to be fair and fat as a white steamed bun, had already lost a lot of weight. His originally arrogant appearance had be humble and submissive.


    When Chu Sihai asked, he told him the reason for the matter. ¡°When I was drinking in the garden, I happened to hear Shopkeeper Wei and a few merchants discussing how good the rice seeds on their farmstead were and how high the yield was. They even said that there would be new grain seeds on the market in Yunzhou¡¯s Fenggu Food Store soon. Shopkeeper Wei was the one who introduced me to that traveling merchant in Great Qi. Shopkeeper Chu, I¡¯m really innocent! I just wanted to sell them for two more taels of silver. I never thought of doing anything to let Great Yong down.¡±


    Chu Feng looked at him and asked, ¡°Tian Kun, do you know that the son of the grain shopkeeper is addicted to gambling?¡±


    Tian Kun looked at Chu Feng with a confused expression. ¡°How would I know if he gambled or not? I bought the grain from his father.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t even know that you¡¯ve been used.¡± Chu Sihai and Chu Feng turned around and left.


    Seeing the two of them turn around and leave after asking, Tian Kun shouted anxiously, ¡°Shopkeeper Chu, I was set up by that bastard Wei Wenzhong.


    Please spare me this time, Shopkeeper Chu¡­¡±


    The two of them ignored Tian Kun¡¯s shout and quickly left the dungeon.


    Chu Sihai said to Chu Feng, ¡°I¡¯ll go spread the news. Send more people to quietly surround the Wei family¡¯s shop and don¡¯t let anyone go. Go to the government office and ask Lord Zhou to bring more people to seal the Wei family¡¯s shop immediately.¡±


    Chu Feng arranged for Yun Yi to check the blueprint and realized that the Wei family actually had more than 20 shops in Yunzhou. They were involved in all kinds of industries, including inns, fur, cloth shops, and grocery stores¡­ The two of them hurriedly copied it down and marked the locations. Everyone in the Four Seas Bank was mobilized and quietly rushed towards the Wei family shop on the street.


    The weather was getting cold. The Wei family¡¯s fur shop on East City Street was doing well. There were peopleing and going into the shop, and they were all customers and hunters trading fur. The misceneous shops on West Street were much quieter. asionally, customers woulde to visit¡­


    Chu Feng rushed to the government office. Zhou Jia was leading Wu Tingxian and a few schrs to investigate the Wei family¡¯s shops. He realized that there were fur shops in Great Yong County, which were close in proximity to Great Qi. Zhou Jia felt that some of the hunters were their spies.


    Seeing Chu Feng rush over anxiously, Zhou Jia guessed that they had already found out something and hurriedly returned to the escort room with him.


    ¡°Brother Zhou, quickly bring the people from the Wei family¡¯s shops and the families and servants of those shopkeepers back to the government office. We have to check the household records of people leaving the city at the city gate. Those who are suspicious can¡¯t be let in.¡±


    Zhou Jia immediately replied, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll send someone over now. I¡¯ll inform the bailiffs guarding the city gate. You have to rush over and inform the city guard generals.¡±


    The two of them split up. Zhou Jia sent out bailiffs and prefecture soldiers ording to the location Chu Feng had marked. Everyone split up and rushed towards the shops Chu Feng had marked. Fortunately, there were soldiers patrolling the streets every day these days, so it did not cause much panic. The Wei family¡¯s fur shop was thergest and had the most traffic. The soldiers suddenly arrive and surrounded the shop..

 Chapter 351 - 351: Seizure

    Chapter 351: Seizure


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    The officials rushed into the shop and shouted at the people in the shop, ¡°Don¡¯t move. Behave yourselves. After following us back to the government office to investigate, we will release those who have nothing to do with the Wei family¡¯s fur shop immediately.¡±


    Some shouted in horror, ¡°Sir, we¡¯re here to buy leather. We didn¡¯tmit any crimes. ¡±


    Some shouted, ¡®We¡¯re here to get the fur.¡±


    The leading official looked at them amiably. ¡°Everyone, don¡¯t panic. I¡¯ll bring you back to the government office. As long as we find out that you have nothing to do with the Wei family¡¯s shop, I¡¯ll let you go back immediately.¡±


    When the people in the shop who had nothing to do with the Wei family saw the leader¡¯s pleasant expression, they heaved a sigh of relief and stopped resisting. They obediently let the soldiers tie them up.


    Wei Wenzhong, who was discussing matters with two hunters in the backyard, heard panicked shouts from the shop outside and thought that something was wrong. He hurriedly twisted the stone lion on the table and a cracking sound was heard. A secret door behind the high cab on the wall opened. Wei Wenzhong said to the two of them, ¡°Wei Shan, Wei Lin, quickly escape and spread the news.¡±


    ¡°Shopkeeper, you should leave with us.¡± The two of them cupped their fists and shouted at Wei Wenzhong.


    Wei Wenzhong shook his head sadly. ¡°It¡¯s toote. I have to destroy the things. No matter what, you have to send the news.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Wei Shan and Wei Lin went down the secret passage and turned to look at Wei Wenzhong. ¡°We¡¯re leaving. Take care, shopkeeper.¡±


    Wei Wenzhong nodded at the two of them and closed the secret passage, anxious to pack the letters and destroy them. At this moment, Yun Yi had already appeared in the backyard with ttwo dark scouts. The dark scouts fought with the guards in the backyard while Yun Yi leaped in front of Wei Wenzhong¡¯s door and kicked it open.


    Wei Wenzhong hurriedly threw the letters in his hand into the incense burner. Yun Yi arrived in front of him at an amazing speed, grabbed his wrist, and twisted it back to snatch the letters. Wei Wenzhong kicked Yun Yi, but he was pped to the ground by Yun Yi.


    Wei Wenzhongy on the ground and looked at Yun Yi. He shouted, ¡°Who are you? How dare you barge in andmit assault for no reason? Do you have any respect for thew?¡±


    Crack.


    Yun Yi lifted his hand and dislocated Wei Wenzhong¡¯s chin. He took out a rope and tied him up. He began to search the house. Two apanying dark scouts subdued the guards outside and entered the house to help Yun Yi search.


    Yun Yi nced at the fur casually thrown at the door, then at the wooden chair in the house. He turned to look at the high cab and bed in the house and searched everywhere. Finally, he came to the desk and looked at the stone lion on the table. He reached out and tried to twist it. After a cracking sound, the secret passage behind the high cab opened again.


    Yun Yi said to the other men, ¡°Take him away. Take the things away.¡± Betore he finish speaking, he had already darted into the secret passage.


    The secret passage could only allow one person to bend down and pass through. Yun Yi bent down and chased for a while before realizing that there was light in front of him. He realized that he had already reached the exit. He jumped onto the exit but did not find the two people who had escaped. Only then did he realize that the exit was in the backyard of a house.


    Wei Shan and Wei Lin had already fled to an alley. The two of them quickly walked towards the city gate. When they reached the city gate, the two of them realized that there was a long queue of people leaving the city. The number of officials at the city gate had increased significantly. They searched everyone who left the city very carefully and had to check their household documents before letting them go. The two of them looked at each other and quietly retreated from the crowd.


    Yun Yi checked the courtyard and realized that the house was empty. The furniture in the house was covered in dust. It seemed that no one had lived in it for a long time. He remembered the location of the house and retreated to the secret passage. The two scouts had already carefully searched the house and found crossbows and swords neatly arranged in the wall behind the high cab.


    Yun Yi said to the tall and thin scout, ¡°Let¡¯s bring the letter back. Take these weapons and Wei Wenzhong away to the officials.¡±


    The two of them bowed and agreed, Yun Yi put the letters into a bag. Zhou Jia had already rushed to the Wei family¡¯s fur shop with his men. Yun Yi retreated with his men. Zhou Jia looked at the neatly ced weapons against the wall and felt a chill run down his spine. The Wei family had actually prepared so many weapons. It seemed that the cooperation the tea shopkeeper referred to were managed by these people in the Wei family¡¯s shop.


    Zhou Jia instructed the bailiffs behind him, ¡°Move these weapons back to the government office. The Wei family¡¯s tradingpany is suspected of rebellion.


    Bring all of them back.¡±


    Yun Yi returned to the Four Seas Bank and told Chu Sihai the news that someone had escaped through the secret passage. Chu Sihai looked at Yun Yi. ¡°What kind of person do you think escaped?¡±


    ¡°There are two bundles of fur at the door. They should be people pretending to be hunters.¡±


    Chu Sihai looked at Chu Feng. ¡°Inform the guards at the city gate that they must check carefully. Lord Zhou, please interrogate the shop assistant and shopkeeper immediately and find out how many people escaped. Bring Wei Wenzhong to us.¡±


    After Chu Feng received the order, he went to the government office. Chu Sihai brought people to check the letters.


    By sunset, all the Wei family¡¯s shops had been sealed up. The shopkeepers, the shop assistants, and even their families had been brought back to the government office. There were hundreds of weapons seized from the shops. It was unknown how the Wei family would feel if they knew that the scheme they had worked hard for many years on would have seeded if not for two jars of pickled vegetables.


    Li Yu listened to the news Ruyi had brought back home and knew that all the Wei family¡¯s shops had been sealed. Then, she returned to the house and packed up the things bestowed by Chu Sihai. There were exquisite cloth, jewelry, and inkstones for Zhou Jia. The toys given to Yangyang by the emperor included a golden and beautiful boat, a rattle with gems, a small sword, a small bow, and an exquisite kite¡­ Li Yu looked at the exquisite toys inside and praised them.


    When Zhou Jia learned from Chu Feng that someone had escaped, he immediately interrogated the shop assistants in the fur shop one by one. ¡°Tell me the appearance of the hunters who came to the shop today, especially the people who came to the shop dressed as hunters. When we find out that you have nothing to do with the Wei family¡¯s shop, we¡¯ll let you go home immediately.¡±


    The shop assistant knelt with a frightened expression. When he heard Zhou Jia¡¯s words, he whispered, ¡°Sir, before you came today, the two hunters who came to the shop to sell fur were about five feet tall. They were a little fierce.


    Zhou Jia looked at him and asked gently, ¡°Do you remember their appearance?¡±


    Seeing that Zhou Jia¡¯s words were gentle and he was not as afraid as before, the shop assistant frowned and thought for a while. ¡°One of them has thick eyebrows and big eyes, but his nostrils are a little big. The other is older and has a round face. His eyes are not big, and his lips are a little thick.¡± After saying that, the shop assistant kowtowed to Zhou Jia. ¡°Sir, believe me. I¡¯m just a shop assistant earning a sry. I didn¡¯t rebel against the country.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at them. ¡°I didn¡¯t say that you guys were rebelling. I¡¯ll bring you back to investigate. I won¡¯t wrong you. When the scribe draws the portraits, help me identify them.¡±


    The clerk nodded. ¡°Thank you, sir..¡±

 Chapter 352 - 352: Sleepless

    Chapter 352: Sleepless


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    The scribe beside Zhou Jia noted down the appearance of the hunters that the shop assistant had mentioned. He drew a few for the shop assistant to see, but he shook his head and said that they didn¡¯t look like them.


    Zhou Jia took the pen and paper and started drawing. After editing it twice, the shop assistant¡¯s eyes lit up when he saw the blueprint. ¡°Sir, this is about it.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at the shop assistant and smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry and stay inside for a few days. I¡¯ll let you out after finding out the truth.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, sir.¡± The shop assistant followed the bailiff gratefully. Zhou Jia drew a few more and got someone to paste them at the city gate. Chu Feng secretly took Wei Wencheng away. Yun Yi and the other spies looked around for traces of Wei Shan and Wei Lin.


    It had only been four hours since they escaped; Wei Shan and Wei Lin saw that the city was filled with their portraits. There was not even a ce to eat and stay. The two of them hid around the city like rats. Wei Shan thought of the house when the secret passage led to and discussed with Wei Lin, ¡°The house where we escaped is empty. I think we¡¯ll go there for two more days.¡±


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s hide there for two days and find an opportunity to leave the city. Hide here. I¡¯ll scout ahead.¡± Wei Lin came out of their hiding ce and saw that the alley in front of him was filled with people. He lowered his head and walked past the crowd. When he saw the portrait of himself and Wei Shan on the wall, he cursed in his heart and turned back through another alley. Wei Shan saw that his face was ashen. ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. The government office has our portraits everywhere.¡±


    The two of them came out of their hiding ce and had just reached the entrance of the alley when they encountered a few officialsing from the front. The two of them lowered their heads and turned to leave. Constable He, who was leading the team, saw the two of them turn around and leave. He shouted at the two of them, ¡°The two people in front, stop.¡± Wei Shan and Wei Lin ran.


    ¡°It¡¯s those two. Hurry up and chase after them.¡± Constable He led his men after them. The group chased after them until they reached a dead end. Looking at the high courtyard wall, Wei Lin pushed Wei Shan up the wall and shouted, ¡°Leave quickly. Don¡¯t worry about me.¡±


    Wei Shan nced at him and jumped down. Constable He chased after him with his subordinates. Wei Lin drew his dagger and went up to him, stabbing at Constable He. Constable He dodged and shed. The de cut through Wei Lin¡¯s arm. The two bailiffs and two constables behind caught up. Wei Lin rushed forward fearlessly and grabbed one of the bailiffs. He ced the dagger on his neck and threatened, ¡°Let me go, or I¡¯ll kill him.¡±


    The four of them looked at the bailiff and could only retreat to the sides. They watched as he dragged the bailiff out of the alley and retreated to the entrance. Wei Lin sneered at them and shed the bailiff¡¯s neck. He pushed the bailiff away and turned to run.


    Constable He was so angry that his eyes almost popped out. He couldn¡¯t care less about checking on the bailiff and rushed up to chase Wei Lin to the street.


    Wei Lin was surrounded by the patrolling officials. He looked at the soldiers who had surrounded him and raised his dagger tomit suicide. A plum blossom dart flew out and hit the dagger in Wei Lin¡¯s hand. The dagger fell to the ground with a ng. Constable He and a few soldiers rushed forward and pushed Wei Lin to the ground. They took out ropes and tied him up.


    After Wei Shan jumped off the wall, he crawled out of the alley and fled towards the empty house. Yun Yi was already hiding inside and waiting for him to return. Just as he jumped into the courtyard, he was caught by Yun Yi.


    Constable He brought Wei Lin back to the government office. The bailiffs and constables who had stayed at the entrance of the alley had already sent the dead bailiffs back to the government office. When they saw Wei Lin, who had been captured, they rushed up and beat him up.


    It was not until Wu Tingxian came out and stopped them that he brought the bruised Wei Lin in.


    Wei Shan was brought back to the dungeon of the Four Seas Bank by Yun Yi. From the inteyer of his clothes, he found a blueprint of Yunzhou City. When it was time to hand over to the officials at the city gate, Wei Wenzhong could not bear the torture of the Four Seas Bank. He exined that these blueprints were obtained from the soldiers guarding the city, as well as the spies and spies he knew in Great Yong.


    Chu Sihai brought people to verify Wei Wenzhong¡¯s words from those letters. He also found the list of hidden spies of the Wei family¡¯s tradingpanies in the various county cities of Yunzhou. The spies of the Yunzhou government and the Four Seas Bank were busy capturing and removing the Wei family¡¯s spies everywhere.


    Zhou Jia was so busy in the government office that he only returned to the back office to rest on the night of the first day of the countryside examination. Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia, who had fallen asleep as soon as hey on the bed after speaking to her. She felt that he had lost a lot of weight again. Her heart ached as she gently covered him with the thin nket. She wondered how Li Qing was doing in Tongzhou.


    On the same night, Li Qingy in bed and couldn¡¯t sleep. He was worried that he wouldn¡¯t be able to get on the ranking tomorrow. After sleeping for a while, he couldn¡¯t sleep, so he simply got up and took out Li Yu and Yangyang¡¯s portraits to look at. He looked at his sister¡¯s letter which asked if he had any girls he liked. She asked if her nephew was good -looking. Was he more like his sister or his brother-inw? She told him not to pay too much attention to the results of the countryside examination and just work hard. Looking at Li Yu¡¯s lighthearted words, Li Qing smiled and wondered when he would be able to reunite with his sister and brother-inw.


    Li Fengqi, who was waiting for the results in the Li family, also tossed and turned. Unable to sleep, he simply put on his outerwear and walked to the courtyard. Seeing that the oilmp in Li Qing¡¯s room was lit, he smiled thinking that Li Qing was worried like him and walked to Li Qings door. He knocked on the door. ¡°Cousin Ah Qing,e out and talk for a while.¡±


    When Li Qing heard this, he opened the door and smiled at him. ¡°You¡¯re not asleep either?¡±


    Li Fengqi looked at Li Qing¡¯s rxed appearance and smiled self-deprecatingly. ¡°I was feeling uneasy and couldn¡¯t sleep no matter what. I wanted toe out for a walk, but I saw that the lights in your house were still on, so I came to call you.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t sleep either. I might as well get up and read for a while. It¡¯s useless to worry after the exam. We¡¯ll know the results tomorrow.¡± Li Qing pulled the door closed and walked to the courtyard with Li Fengqi.


    Li Fengqi looked at Li Qing enviously. ¡°Ah Qing, you¡¯re young and have the help of your sister and brother-inw. Even if you can¡¯t do it this time, you can do it again. Unlike me, I¡¯m older than you and have a grandmother. If I don¡¯t get on the ranking this time, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have to wait another three years. I¡¯ll let Laidi down.¡±


    When Li Qing heard Li Fengqi¡¯s sour words, he suddenly didn¡¯t want to stay with him anymore. He stood up and said indifferently, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry. You¡¯ll know the oue after sleeping for a night.¡±


    Li Fengqi could tell that Li Qing was a little unhappy and echoed, ¡°Ah Qing is right. We¡¯ll know the oue tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°There are many mosquitoes outside. You should sleep early too!¡± Li Qing turned around and walked towards his room.


    Li Fengqi looked at Li Qing¡¯s back and thought about how he had to rely on the Li family for everything now. Just like this countryside examination, there were two test questions that were exined in the notes of the Top Scorer. Although his answer was slightly inferior to Li Qing¡¯s response when they exchanged notes, he still had hope of bing a High Schr. A poor student like him would probably not be able to take another step forward in his life without the guidance of a master..

 Chapter 353 - 353: High Scholar

    Chapter 353: High Schr


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Before dawn the next day, Zhao Cai, Liu Changmin, Ah Lei, and the others went to the tribute courtyard. They saw that under the Dragon and Tiger Wall on the west side of the tribute courtyard, there were already more than ten people upying the best positions to read the rankings.


    A few of them stood not far from the ranking list. Zhao Cai looked at Liu Changming and said, ¡°Uncle, there¡¯s still more than two hours before the rankings are released. Go back to the carriage and rest for a while it¡¯s still early. Ah Lei and I will watch over this ce.¡±


    Liu Changming recalled seeing Li Qing up until midnightst night and muttered worriedly, ¡°Could it be that this kid didn¡¯t do well? Also, I wonder how that kid from the Li family did. Laidi is still waiting for me to report the good news!¡±


    ¡°Forget it. I won¡¯t be able to sleep even if I go to sleep. I might as well stay here and keep watch.¡±


    A gray-haired man standing under the Dragon and Tiger Wall took over. ¡°Yes! It¡¯s safer to guard here. To be honest, I came to keep watchst night. I couldn¡¯t sleep at home and fell asleep under the Dragon and Tiger Wall.¡±


    Zhao Cai looked at his dark circles and thought he had been worrying too much. Ah Lei looked at him and asked, ¡°Uncle, have you not slept well for a few days?¡±


    The man said worriedly, ¡°How can I sleep?! This is the third time my brother has taken the exam. If he doesn¡¯t get promoted this time, I won¡¯t be able to support him.¡±


    Another person beside him took over. ¡°So what if he took the exam three times? That schr of mine took the exam from the age of 30 to 60 and hasn¡¯t passed. Aftering back from the entrance of the tribute courtyard, hey on the bed. He still can¡¯t get up today.¡±


    The people standing there waiting started discussing. Most of them wereining about how hard it was for the candidates and their families at home. If they didn¡¯t be High Schrs soon, they would go crazy.


    Liu Changming couldn¡¯t help but think of Zhou Jia when he heard everyone¡¯s discussion. He thought to himself, ¡°It¡¯s so difficult for others to take the exam, but Young Master Zhou clinched the Top Scorer in one go. It¡¯s really not difficult for him! ¡±


    The sky gradually turned white. Li Fengqi couldn¡¯t wait any longer. He went out and came to the tribute courtyard. He saw that the people waiting outside the tribute courtyard were so crowded that not even Zhao Cai, Liu Changmin, and the others could be seen.


    After another hour, the door of the tribute courtyard opened. A team of bailiffs escorted an official out with the list. The crowd automatically made way for the official to post the list.


    Everyone looked at the bailiffs and officials who calmly and slowly pasted the rankings on the wall. The entrance of the tribute courtyard was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop.


    After waiting for the officials to post it, people swarmed to the front of the rankings. Ah Lei and Liu Changmin were squeezed to the back. Zhao Cai used a lot of effort to reach the bottom of the rankings. When he looked up, he saw Li Fengqi¡¯s name written below thest ce. Zhao Cai shouted, ¡°Aunt, your future son-inw has clinched thest ce.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s Ah Qing? (Where¡¯s my young master?)¡± Liu Changmin and Ah Lei asked anxiously from behind.


    Zhao Cai slowly looked over, but he still did not see Li Qing¡¯s name. At this moment, the people beside him squeezed out. Zhao Cai also saw the person in the lead. When he saw the word Li Qing written below the first ce, he wave its hand happily and shouted, ¡°Young Master Ah Qing is the first Top Scorer.


    Ahaha! My family has two Top Scorers.¡±


    When Liu Changmin heard Zhao Cai¡¯s cheers, tears streamed down his face. ¡°Ah


    Mei, Ah Qing clinched first ce. Ah Shan, did you see that?¡±


    Someone at the side started discussing. ¡°Look, an orphan like him received first ce. It¡¯s already a blessing if my family can be on the list.¡¯


    Ah Lei was also overjoyed. ¡°Brother Zhao Cai,e out quickly. We¡¯ll go back and report the good news to Young Master.¡±


    The person watching the rankings behind him looked at Zhao Cai enviously. ¡°Brother, the first andst ce belong to your family. How many people from your family are here to take the exam?¡±


    Zhao Cai proudly raised two fingers. ¡°Two, both of them hit the jackpot.¡± Zhao Cai smiled and squeezed over to Liu Changmin and Ah Lei.


    Liu Changmin and Ah Lei pulled Zhao Cai happily. ¡°Brother Zhao Cai, let¡¯s go back and tell Ah Qing the good news. I have to rush back to the vige and get his aunt to prepare a big banquet to celebrate for Ah Qing.¡±


    Zhao Cai said excitedly, ¡°I still have to go to the Four Seas Bank to ask the shopkeeper to help me bring a letter to Master and Madam so that they can know this good news as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°Alright, go to the bank. We¡¯ll go home and tell Ah Qing the good news.¡± They discussed happily and forgot about Li Fengqi.


    Li Fengqi watched from outside for a long time but could not squeeze in. He stood there noisily but could not hear clearly. Thinking about how he had seen Li Qing¡¯s family¡¯s carriage parked outside the Teacher Temple, he felt that he should go there and wait. They should being out soon.


    Zhao Cai, Liu Changmin, and Ah Lei squeezed outside. Zhao Cai called a carriage to the Four Seas Bank and asked someone to bring the letter. Liu Changmin and Ah Lei hurriedly ran towards the alley where the carriage was parked at the Teacher Temple. Just as they reached the carriage, Li Fengqi lifted the curtain. Seeing their happy expressions, he asked uneasily, ¡°Uncle, how did I do?¡±


    Liu Changmin looked at him and smiled honestly. ¡°You got it. Last ce.¡±


    When Li Fengqi heard this, he jumped out of the carriage in ecstasy. He knelt on the ground and looked up at the sky. He shouted, ¡°Father, Mother, did you see that? I got promoted.¡±


    Liu Changmin looked at Li Fengqi and felt a little sad. Sigh! He was a filial child. No matter what, he was Laidi¡¯s fianc¨¦. As long as he was loyal to Laidi, the two of them could live well.


    Ah Lei looked at Li Fengqi and thought to himself that it was fortunate that he got on the rankings. Otherwise, how long would Miss Laidi have to wait before she could get married?!


    Liu Changmin went forward to help Li Fengqi up. ¡°Fengqi, this is a good thing. Don¡¯t be sad. Let¡¯s go back!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Uncle.¡± Li Fengqi followed Liu Changmin into the carriage. Ah Lei drove the carriage back. Li Fengqiposed himself and looked at Liu Changmin opposite him. He asked with a smile, ¡°Uncle, how did Ah Qing do?¡±


    Liu Changmin looked at Li Fengqi and smiled proudly. ¡°Hehe! First ce. He¡¯s the Top Scorer like his brother-inw. Hehehe, this child, his hard work was not in vain.¡±


    ¡°Ah Qing got first ce. What¡¯s my ranking?¡± Li Fengqi asked bitterly.


    It turned out that he had only heard the first half of the sentence just now! Liu Changmin looked at him and suddenly couldn¡¯t say it. He waited for a moment before saying, ¡°You¡¯re in thest ce. You¡¯re already very goodpared to the others. Among the family who watched the rankings with me today, one person¡¯s brother took the exam three times. I don¡¯t know if he passed this time. There are still some people who haven¡¯t passed even after their hair and beard turned white.¡±


    Li Fengqi felt that Liu Changmin¡¯s words were very ear-piercing. Could it be that he should take the exam a few more times? If he had a brother-inw like Top Scorer Zhou, the first ce would be in his pocket.


    Liu Changmin looked at Li Fengqi¡¯s changing expression and patted himfortingly. ¡°Fengqi, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Oh! I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m just too happy and haven¡¯t recovered yet.¡± Li Fengqi looked at Liu Changmin and revealed a smile that was uglier than crying.


    When Liu Changmin heard his insincere words, he nced at him and thought to himself that Li Fengqi must have felt that he was too inferior to Ah Qing. Didn¡¯t he consider that he wouldn¡¯t even be in thest ce if Ah Qing didn¡¯t show him Young Master¡¯s notes,? Yet he was not satisfied! It seemed that he would have to be careful of this person..

 Chapter 354 - 354: The View of an Honest Person

    Chapter 354: The View of an Honest Person


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    In the house in Osmanthus Lane, Li Qing heard the sound of firecrackers in the distance and paced around the courtyard anxiously. His heart was in turmoil as he muttered to himself, ¡°The sound of the celebratory firecrackers has already sounded a few times. Uncle and the others haven¡¯t returned yet. If I had known, I would have followed them to take a look.¡±


    ¡°Young Master, Young Master¡­¡± Ah Lei started shouting before he entered. Li Qing rushed to the door and looked at Ah Lei. Ah Lei looked at Li Qing with sparkling eyes. ¡°Young Master, you got it. You clinched first ce like Master.¡±


    Li Qing couldn¡¯t believe his ears. He widened his eyes at Ah Lei. ¡°Really? You¡¯re notforting me, are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m really notforting you.¡± Ah Lei shook his head like a rattle.


    Liu Changmin walked in and patted Li Qing¡¯s shoulder. He said in relief, ¡°Silly kid, can this be used to make you happy? You clinched first ce like your brother-inw.¡±


    When Li Qing heard this, he cried tears of joy. He turned around and ran towards the study, shouting, ¡°I¡¯m going to write to Sister and Brother-inw and tell them to be relieved and happy as soon as possible.¡±


    Liu Changmin ran over and hurriedly pulled him back. ¡°Zhao Cai has already gotten someone to bring a letter. Uncle has to go back and get your aunt to prepare a big banquet first. Ah Lei, go and take out the celebratory money you¡¯ve prepared. The person reporting the good news isingter.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Aunt.¡± Ah Lei ran in happily.


    Li Qing looked at Liu Changmin and said with a smile, ¡°I¡¯d better write a letter to Sister and Brother-inw.¡±


    Li Fengqi went forward and cupped his hands with a smile. ¡°Brother Qingbai, congrattions on being the top Top Scorer in high school.¡±


    Li Qing patted his head. ¡°Aiya! I¡¯m sorry, Brother Chun Shan. Look, I was a little too smug and forgot to ask how you did.¡±


    ¡°I was lucky,¡± Li Fengqi said with a red face.


    ¡°Congrattions, congrattions. Cousin is relieved now,¡± Li Qing said with a smile.


    Li Fengqi smiled faintly and thought to himself, ¡°Grandmother will soon know that I¡¯m a High Schr. I wonder how happy she will be. I wonder if Aunt will regret chasing me away when she finds out. I really want to see her regret it.¡± Li Qing¡¯s eyes darkened. He turned around and went in to write his letter.


    Liu Changmin smiled politely and asked Li Fengqi, ¡°Fengqi, I¡¯ll go back to the vige now. Your grandmother might already know about the good news. Do you need to prepare anything at home?¡±


    Li Fengqi still smiled faintly. ¡°I don¡¯t have any rtives or friends at home. Grandmother¡¯s eyes are inconvenient, so there¡¯s no need to prepare.¡± ¡°Alright,e back with Ah Qing. I¡¯ll leave first.¡± Liu Changmin left.


    Soon, the good news came. Li Qing happily handed the red envelope to the bailiff who reported the good news. The bailiff touched the silver horn inside


    and thanked him with a satisfied smile. ¡°Top Scorer, it¡¯s worth it to buy this house. The feng Shui of this house is good. I remember that it was also the young master of this house who scored first ce.¡±


    Ah Lei looked at the bailiff and smiled proudly. ¡°Big Brother, the person who passed the imperial examination a few years ago was my Master. This is my aster residence.¡±


    ¡°Oh! Then this residence is a treasurend.¡± The bailiff pped his hands and smiled. The old gatekeeper looked at him and chuckled. ¡°I¡¯ve been living in Master¡¯s house for a long time. When can I take the exam?¡± Everyoneughed when they heard that.


    When Liu Changmin drove back to the vige, the person who reported the good news had already sent the news of Li Qing clinching first ce back to Phoenix Vige. Uncle Zhou, the old vige chief, Chen Yaohui, and the vigers all went to Li Mei¡¯s house. Everyone discussed excitedly how to celebrate.


    In the end, it was decided that the Li family would hold the main banquet. The vige would pay for a day¡¯s banquet, and the Zhou and Liu families would each hold a day¡¯s banquet. After everyone agreed, Chen Yaohui helped the old vige chief and the vigers home to prepare.


    Liu Changmin told Li Mei his opinion of Li Fengqi after interacting with him in Tongzhou for the past few days. He sighed and said, ¡°Ah Mei, I think that guy is an ingrate. He has his eyes on Laidi. If Laidi doesn¡¯t change, we¡¯ll treat her as a married daughter that is separated from the family in the future. The two families should interact less to avoid causing trouble for Xiaoyu and Ah Qing.¡±


    Li Mei got angry when he mentioned it. ¡°That wretched girl, don¡¯t mention her.


    If I hadn¡¯t stopped her, she would have run to Tongzhou long ago. However, you¡¯ve gained some experience. If you go back now, who will be able to tell that you were the honest man who was indecisive and couldn¡¯t do anything back then?¡± Li Mei looked at Liu Changmin and teased.


    Liu Changming was also amused. ¡°I¡¯ve been around those shopkeepers of the bank. Even a fool will learn.¡±


    Laidi walked to Li Mei¡¯s side and smiled at Li Mei and Liu Changmin. ¡°Father, Mother, Fengqi isn¡¯t back yet. No one in his family is holding a banquet to celebrate, right?¡±


    ¡°If no one is doing it, do you want to do it?¡± Li Mei nced at her.


    Laidi was so happy that she did not hear the mockery in Li Mei¡¯s words. ¡°Mother, Grandmother¡¯s eyes are not good. As Fengqi¡¯s fianc¨¦e, I should go and help.¡±


    Li Mei and Liu Changmin looked at Laidi. They could not understand how a child who was quite smart when she was young had be like this.


    Liu Changmin nced at her. ¡°Go back to your room and stay there. You¡¯re not allowed to go out without our permission.¡±


    ¡°Father, why? Aren¡¯t you happy about Feng Qi getting on the rankings?¡±


    Liu Changmin looked at her and sighed. ¡°Let me tell you, I asked if his family in Tongzhou needed preparations. He said that his family doesn¡¯t have many rtives and friends. His grandmother¡¯s eyes are inconvenient, so she didn¡¯t prepare. Are you still in a hurry to help?¡±


    Laidi looked at Liu Changmin with a smile. ¡°Father, he might be too embarrassed to trouble us! We¡¯re family in the future. Why fuss about it?¡±


    Li Mei was furious. ¡°You¡¯re the one who¡¯s throwing yourself at him. Do you still want to give your parents¡¯ faces to him? Go back to your room. When someone from the Li familyes to take you over, go and be a family. Don¡¯t tie my Liu family to the Li family in Phoenix Town.¡±


    Laidi looked at Li Mei and tears flowed down her face. ¡°Mother, you¡¯ve never liked Fengqi because his family is poor. Now that he¡¯s already a High Schr, why don¡¯t you like him?¡±


    Seeing that she was ndering her mother for a man, Liu Changmin was so angry that he mmed the table and reprimanded, ¡°I think you¡¯re obsessed and don¡¯t understand humannguage. Let me tell you today. As long as you dare to sneak to Li Fengqi¡¯s house to help, I¡¯ll dare to chase you out of the Liu family and sever ties with you.¡± After saying that, Liu Changmin pulled Li Mei away angrily.


    Laidi shouted at the two of them, ¡°You¡¯re ming me for not listening to you and getting engaged to Fengqi. Do you think I don¡¯t know that you¡¯ve always looked down on him¡­¡±


    With a bang, Liu Changmin turned around angrily and pped Laidi. ¡°Your cousin congratted him and said that you would be relieved that he got promoted. He didn¡¯t even reply. You¡¯re rushing to throw yourself at him. Are you still going to let him p our faces?¡±


    Li Mei looked at Laidi, who was staring nkly at Liu Changmin, with heartache. ¡°I think you only see what happens in front of your nose. In your heart, only Li Fengqi¡¯s family matters are your business. Where did your quick-wittedness go? When did you be like this?¡±


    Li Mei looked at Laidi and couldn¡¯t understand. If Li Yu had witnessed this, she would understand that Laidi was a ssic love-struck fool..

 Chapter 355 - 355: Reaping What She Sowed

    Chapter 355: Reaping What She Sowed


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    At this moment, Brother Pig ran into the courtyard from outside and shouted, ¡°Mother, Mother, Uncle Zhou told you to hurry up. There are peopleing to congratte Cousin.¡±


    Li Mei and Liu Changmin could not care less about the crying Laidi and hurriedly went out to wee the guests. It turned out that Zhu Zhencheng, a few country squires, and the shopkeepers of some shops hade to congratte them.


    Laidi stood there in a daze for a while. She was still afraid that Liu Changmin would really chase her out of the Liu family. She returned to the room unhappily andy on the bed.


    Li Mei was worried that Laidi would go to Li Fengqi¡¯s house to help without care. She hurriedly asked Brother Pig to go back and watch Laidi. Brother Pig returned from Li Qing¡¯s house and looked at the sulking Laidi on the bed. He looked at her like he was an elder. ¡°Second Sister, I didn¡¯t understand what Sir meant by extroverted girls. Now I understand. It means women like you.¡±


    ¡°Brat, even you are bullying me.¡± Laidi was so angry that she grabbed a pillow and threw it at him.


    After Li Qing and Li Fengqi returned from Tongzhou, they returned home separately. When Li Fengqi reached home, he realized that his arrogant aunt, Madam Ye, had actually brought her cousins and a woman over. When she saw him, she kept ttering him.


    ¡°Aunt, I knew it. My Fengqi is capable, but he needs tempering. Look how he is now.¡±


    Madam Ye looked at Li Fengqi and chuckled. ¡°If I had known earlier, I would have persuaded your uncle to let youe out and sharpen yourself sooner. You might have been ranked on the Golden Ranking List long ago.¡±


    Li Fengqi took a look. Madam Ye¡¯s thin lips flew up and down as he thought to himself that she seemed to believe her own words!


    Old Madam Li listened to her eldest daughter-inw¡¯s words and couldn¡¯t hear her grandson¡¯s reply. Afraid that her grandson would lose his reputation if the two of them quarreled, she shouted from the house, ¡°Fengqi,e in quickly. Grandmother has something to tell you.¡±


    Li Fengqi cupped his hands at Madam Ye, his two cousins, and walked into the room.


    Madam Ye whispered to her beautiful niece, who was standing at the side,


    ¡°Look, who knew that in the blink of an eye, he would be a hot High Schr? If you marry him, you¡¯ll be the wife of an official. Don¡¯t be embarrassed.¡±


    Miss Ye nodded shyly. ¡°Father and Mother said that Aunt can make the decision ¡±


    Li Fengqi entered the room and saw the olddy sitting on the bed. She touched the bed with a smile.


    When Old Madam Li heard her grandson enter the room, she chuckled. ¡°Feng


    Qi, our Li family finally has a sessful descendant. Even if I die immediately,


    I will be able to face my ancestors and your grandfather and parents.¡±


    Li Fengqi looked at this olddy who never left his side. His eyes were a little sore. ¡°Grandmother, the good days areing. How can you say such things to hurt my heart?¡±


    Old Madam Li smiled from ear to ear and waved at Li Fengqi. ¡°Look, these things were sent by someone else. Your aunt is jealous! Don¡¯t let her take advantage of you.¡±


    ¡°Granny, how can you say such a thing? I didn¡¯t do anything to let Fengqi down.¡± Madam Ye¡¯s voice sounded at the door.


    Li Fengqi nced at the shy woman standing behind Madam Ye and muttered to himself, ¡°Isn¡¯t this Madam Ye¡¯s niece? Why is she at my house?¡±


    Old Madam Li pursed her lips and said, ¡°If you¡¯re a good person, why are we living here?¡±


    Madam Ye pretended not to hear Old Madam Li¡¯s words. Her eyes lit up as she stared at the room full of gift boxes for a while. She walked up to Li Fengqi with a smile and looked at him as if he was a moving piece of gold. ¡°Fengqi! In the past, I told you that I would betroth Feng¡¯er to you. Look, it¡¯s really fate in my previous life that both your names have the word Feng.¡±


    Li Fengqi nced at Madam Ye¡¯s niece. ¡°I¡¯m already engaged.¡±


    Madam Ye looked as if she had been struck by lightning. ¡°Ah! When did you set up the engagement? Why didn¡¯t I know? Didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± Madam Ye turned to look at Old Madam Li. ¡°Grandma, why haven¡¯t I heard you mention it these two days?¡±


    ¡°Aunt.¡± Miss Ye ran out with a red face.


    The corners of Old Madam Li¡¯s mouth curled up. ¡°You didn¡¯t ask me. Why should I tell you?¡±


    ¡°You.¡± Madam Ye red at Old Madam Li unhappily and chased after her.


    Old Madam Li held Li Fengqi¡¯s hand proudly. ¡°Fengqi! It seems that the girl from the Liu family brings good luck to her husband. If she can be the first wife, don¡¯t take her too seriously. You have to keep her hanging. Otherwise, she¡¯ll climb onto your head after passing the door! I¡¯ve seen that girl from the Ye family when I wasn¡¯t blind. She¡¯s good-looking. She can still be your concubine.¡±


    ¡°Of course, she brings luck to her husband. Without her, would that kid Li Qing help me? Where would I see those solutions?¡± Li Fengqi thought to himself. He looked at the olddy and smiled proudly. ¡°Grandmother, just wait to enjoy life!¡±


    ¡°Aye!¡± Old Madam Li agreed crisply. The grandfather and granddaughter¡¯s faces were filled with smiles.


    Li Qing¡¯s family returned home to pay respects to their ancestors and parents. Li Mei looked at the memorial tablet in the house and cried. ¡°Ah Qing, remember to inform me as soon as possible when you have passed the next examination. I¡¯ll bring you to move the graves of your grandmother, grandfather, and your parents to Phoenix Vige. In the future, Phoenix Vige will be the root of our Li family.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Aunt.¡± Li Qing helped Li Mei out of the small ancestral hall and asked her curiously, ¡°Aunt, where did our Li family originally live?¡±


    Li Mei looked up at the mountain outside and smiled bitterly. ¡°There¡¯s a small county city called Tang County under the Qingzhou Prefecture. At that time, we lived in a small vige. It took two days to go to the county city. It took a month and a half to walk to the Qingzhou Prefecture. That year, the vigers came out to flee together. Before they could flee to Qingzhou, they were separated.¡±


    Li Qing looked at Li Mei. ¡°Aunt, when my next examination is over, we¡¯ll move the graves of Grandfather, Grandmother, and Father.¡±


    Li Mei looked at Li Qing in relief. ¡°Also, I wonder what Yu¡¯er and your brother-inw n to do with your marriage?¡± Li Mei wanted to ask Laidi


    again. ¡°Sigh! Also, that Li guy. Even your uncle, that honest person, can tell that he doesn¡¯t take Laidi seriously, but that wretched girl is focused on that person. Write to Yu¡¯er and Master and tell them that they don¡¯t have to care about Laidi¡¯s feelings in the future. I don¡¯t want to care about Laidi anymore. She will have to reap what she sowed. She won¡¯t wake up unless she suffers.¡±


    Li Qing was also worried about Laidi. ¡°Aunt, Li Fengqi is very utilitarian. Right now, he¡¯s not tactful enough or good at hiding his thoughts. We can still sense it, but I¡¯m afraid that he¡¯ll be arrogant in the future. Cousin Laidi will suffer if she¡¯s too sentimental, but she won¡¯t listen to our reminders and advice now..¡±

 Chapter 356 - 356: Good Days

    Chapter 356: Good Days


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    That was right! When Li Mei thought about how Laidi did not even care about her biological mother and father who had given birth to and raised her, she could not help but feel sad. She suddenly realized why everyone in the world loved their sons. It was really a different feeling to receive a person and send one away through marriage.


    Seeing Li Mei¡¯s sad expression, Li Qing held her hand worriedly. ¡°Aunt, don¡¯t be sad. We¡¯ll take care of her.¡±


    Li Mei looked at Li Qing and shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m not sad. I mean, I don¡¯t want you to help that Li guy anymore. You also said that the general examination is much more difficult. Can he get into the imperial examination just because he¡¯sst? I think he¡¯s made up his mind to rely on you and Yu¡¯er to climb up. I think he can rely on you and Young Master to climb up here. If he goes too far, I¡¯m afraid he¡¯ll implicate you,¡± Li Mei said seriously to Li Qing.


    Li Qing felt that Li Mei made sense. ¡°I¡¯ll write to Sister and Brother-inw and tell them what you mean.¡±


    Seeing that Li Qing understood, Li Mei was relieved. ¡°Alright, it¡¯s the main banquet tomorrow. The owners of those shops and the country squires came to congratte you on the day the good news came. Aunt still has to go and watch over them. Go and rest too!¡±


    On the day of the main banquet, Li Fengqi¡¯s house at the foot of the mountain outside the town was also filled with guests. Zhu Zhencheng and a group of country squires also sent congrattory gifts. Even the rtives and friends of the Li family, who had not been around for many years, came to congratte them. Li Fengqi saw this and thought about how glorious Li Qing would be on this day in Phoenix Vige.


    The Li family in Phoenix Vige was filled with guests. Even the General¡¯s Mansion and the Tongzhou magistrate despatched stewards to send congrattory gifts. The officials of the government office also sent gifts to congratte him. Zhu Zhencheng hade to the Li family early in the morning to help greet the guests. Seeing that these high-ranking officials of the government office had sent people to congratte him, he was so happy that it was as if these people were here to congratte him.


    After the banquet ended, Li Qing, who reeked of alcohol, sent away his rtives and friends who hade to congratte him. Manager Yue of the Four Seas Bank said to Li Qing with a smile, ¡± Top Scorer, before the head shopkeeper left, he instructed that Top Scorer will go to the capital to participate in the examination next year. September 19th is an auspicious day to travel. Someone from the bank is going to the capital. Please go with him.¡±


    Li Qing smiled and cupped his hands in thanks. ¡°Thank you, Steward Yue. Sorry to trouble you on the way.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re too polite.¡± Steward Yue looked at Li Qing happily. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to get first ce. I wish you the best in high school.¡±


    Li Qing smiled humbly and said, ¡°I was lucky to obtain the top ranking this time. Next year, there will be a gathering of heroes in the capital. I¡¯ll be satisfied if I can be ranked among the vouths.¡±


    Manager Yue looked at the humble and polite Li Qing and secretly felt that it was a pity that his family background was not worthy of such a son-inw.


    After Li Qing sent off the guests who hade to give their congrattory gifts, he returned to the house and told Li Mei and Liu Changmin about going to the capital with the Four Seas Bank on September 19th.


    Li Mei nodded and said, ¡°I¡¯m much more relieved that you are able to go to the capital with the people from the bank. Don¡¯t worry and go to the capital for your examination. Your uncle, Uncle Zhou, and I will help take care of the family matters. Look, you smell of alcohol. Go wash up and sleep first!¡± Li Qing looked at Li Mei and her husband and smiled foolishly. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Liu Changmin patted Li Qing happily. ¡°Silly kid, go quickly!¡±


    Li Qing had just walked to the corner outside the house when he was grabbed by Laidi. ¡°Ah Qing, are you going to the capital for the examination? Does Fengqi know? Have you asked Fengqi? Aren¡¯t you going to wait for Fengqi?¡±


    Li Qing listened to Li Fengqi¡¯s every word and nced indifferently at Laidi, who was lost in love. ¡°Cousin, I don¡¯t remember you congratting me, right? Also, I remember that Li Fengqi only got someone to send a congrattory gift after he returned. He hasn¡¯te to see you and Aunt, right?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Laidi was tongue-tied by Li Qing¡¯s question. Under Li Qing¡¯s reproachful gaze, she smiled awkwardly. ¡°Look, I forgot that I haven¡¯t congratted you! It¡¯s all my mother¡¯s fault for locking me in the house and making me so angry.


    Ah Qing, don¡¯t be angry with Cousin. I¡¯ll apologize to you. Don¡¯t be angry with Fengqi. His family doesn¡¯t have many people. Many guests might have gone to his house. He¡¯lle after two days.¡±


    Li Qing could not understand what magic love had to make a woman who was originally shrewish and agile be obsessed with someone as if she had been bewitched. Li Qing looked at Laidi with pity. ¡°Cousin, if Li Fengqi has you in his eyes, he should be thinking for you in every way like how you are. He should be thinking of sharing what he¡¯s proud of with you, but how did he do it? Li Fengqi should have his own considerations about going to the capital for the examination. You don¡¯t have to worry about him.¡±


    Laidi looked at Li Qing and revealed a look of realization. She tugged at Li


    Qing¡¯s sleeve angrily. ¡°Ah Qing, so you¡¯re the same as my parents. Do you think


    I should find a businessman or a countryside man to marry? Do you also think


    I shouldn¡¯t find a schr like Fengqi?¡±


    Li Qing looked at Laidi¡¯s sarcastic expression and sighed. ¡°Aunt and Uncle never thought that you shouldn¡¯t find a schr to marry. We felt that you should find a man who reciprocates your feelings. Even if he can¡¯t do it like you, he should give you the corresponding respect and repayment. He shouldn¡¯t wait for you to bring it to him and hand it over with both hands like this and think that you¡¯ve insulted him.¡±


    Laidi pulled Li Qing¡¯s sleeve and smiled ingratiatingly. ¡°Ah Qing, you¡¯re now the Top Scorer. I can¡¯t win against you. I only hope that you can help us out on ount of our rtionship as cousins. I¡¯ll be grateful if you can.¡±


    Li Qing was a little speechless when he saw Laidi fawning over him. It felt like he had said so much and it was all a waste of effort. Li Qing pulled his sleeve out of Laidi¡¯s hand. ¡°Cousin, I¡¯m very tired and want to rest.¡±


    Laidi watched Li Qing enter the bathroom and stand there for a while before walking back dejectedly. Li Mei stood at the door of the central room and kept sighing and shaking her head.


    Two dayster, Li Fengqi arrived at Phoenix Vige with a few gift boxes. Li Mei and Liu Changmin received him politely. Li Fengqi bowed to the two of them. ¡°Uncle, Aunt, now that I have the ability to support my family, I want to ask the two of you to allow Laidi and me to get married as soon as possible.¡±


    Li Mei said readily, ¡°Sure! If you hire someone to look at the auspicious days and get the matchmaker toe and invite us, we¡¯ll agree.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Uncle and Auntie.¡± Li Fengqi blushed. ¡°My grandmother hired a matchmaker to choose a date on the eighth of next month. I wonder what you think?¡±


    ¡°The eighth of next month is a good day. What do you think?¡± Li Mei looked at Liu Changmin and said.


    Liu Changmin also turned cold to Laidi and replied happily, ¡°Alright, just get


    the matchmaker to settle the invite.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, two elders.¡± Li Fengqi blushed and looked at Liu Changmin.


    ¡°Uncle, Auntie, can I see Laidi?¡±


    ¡°If you want to see her, so be it! I¡¯ll call her over for you now.¡± Li Mei agreed readily and stood up to leave.


    Li Fengqi watched Li Mei walk out and felt that Li Mei and her husband were easier to talk to than before. He thought that it was because he had been promoted to High Schr. He felt a little smug..

 Chapter 357 - 357: Lovestruck

    Chapter 357: Lovestruck


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Li Mei took a few steps to Laidi¡¯s door. She looked at Laidi, who was anxiously circling the room and said indifferently, ¡°Go out and see him. You¡¯ll be married on the eighth of next month.¡±


    ¡°Aye!¡± When Laidi heard that Li Fengqi wanted to see her, she hurriedly adjusted her dress in front of the bronze mirror. She nced at Li Mei, who was standing at the door, and ran into the central room. Li Mei wondered if she had heard her words.


    Li Mei watched as Laidi ran happily to the central room. Her eyes could not help but turn red. ¡°Children are all debts!¡±


    Laidi ran to the door of the central room and saw Li Fengqi, whom she had been thinking about day and night. She asked shyly, ¡°You¡¯re here!¡±


    Li Fengqi nodded. He looked at Laidi, who was looking at him with glowing eyes and was a little happy. He smiled and said, ¡°I want to tell you that I¡¯ve already asked Uncle and Aunt for a date. It¡¯s set to be on Uncle and Aunt have also agreed.¡±


    Liu Changmin muttered to himself, ¡°We¡¯re not mutes. That¡¯s how you coaxed that wretched girl away.¡±


    When Laidi heard that the two of them were getting married on the eighth of the next month, she looked at Li Fengqi, who was smiling at her, in surprise and was speechless.


    How disgraceful could she get? Liu Changmin red at the two of them angrily. ¡°Alright, the two of you have met. There¡¯s not much time left until the eighth of October. Go back and prepare!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Uncle. Then I¡¯ll go back first.¡± Li Fengqi stood up and bowed.


    Seeing that Liu Changmin did not even let Li Fengqi eat, Laidi was a little unhappy. On second thoughts, she was about to marry Li Fengqi. She smiled happily at Li Fengqi and said, ¡°I¡¯ll send you off.¡±


    Li Fengqi nced at the happy Laidi and was also a little happy. He secretly nced at Liu Changming, who was eyeing him antagonistically and shook his head with a smile. ¡°There¡¯s no need to send me off. I still have to go to Ah


    Qing¡¯s house and tell him about our wedding day.¡±


    ¡°Fengqi, Ah Qing seems to be going to the capital to participate in the examination,¡± Laidi said to Li Fengqi, who had walked out of the central room.


    Li Fengqi was stunned. He turned around and nced at Laidi and Liu Changming. ¡°Is that so? I¡¯ll ask him when we¡¯ll set off.¡± Laidi watched Li Fengqi walk out of the courtyard.


    ¡°Li Qing was about to go to the capital. Why didn¡¯t Laidi tell me? I wonder if it¡¯s toote to leave after we get married.¡± Li Fengqi arrived at the Li family¡¯s door.


    The Li family¡¯s courtyard door was open and they stood at the door. He saw Li Qing lying on a rocking chair and leisurely flipping through a book.


    ¡°Ah Qing,¡± Li Fengqi called. Li Qing looked up and saw Li Fengqi. He smiled and stood up. ¡°What a rare guest. Have you been busy?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no one at home to help. I haven¡¯t been able to find time toe over.¡± Li Fengqi cupped his hands at Li Qing. ¡°Let me tell you, Laidi and I are getting married on the eighth of October. I¡¯m here to invite you to a wedding banquet.¡±


    ¡°Eighth of October.¡± Li Qing looked at Li Fengqi and was about to speak when he saw Li Mei rush into the courtyard.


    ¡°Ah Qing, your cousin and Feng Qi are getting married on the eighth of October. You¡¯re going to the capital to prepare for the exam on the 19th of October. The date is unlucky. Your uncle and I discussed it and felt that it¡¯s more important for you to take the exam. You don¡¯t have to wait for the wedding banquet. Set off with Steward Yue and the others on the 19th!¡±


    Li Fengqi suppressed the displeasure in his heart and forced a smile. ¡°Auntie, Ah Qing can also wait for Laidi and me to get married before we go to the capital to prepare for the exam!¡±


    ¡°Ah Qing and Steward Yue of the Four Seas Bank agreed to set off together. His sister and I are relieved that they can take care of each other when they travel together. Your uncle and I can be around for the wedding. You can leave with the convoy from the government office after the wedding!¡± Li Mei looked at Li Fengqi and said indifferently.


    Li Fengqi looked at Li Mei and thought to himself that it was no wonder she agreed to the wedding date so readily.


    Li Qing looked at Li Fengqi¡¯s dark expression and bowed to him in apology. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Brother Chunshan.¡±


    Li Fengqi looked at Li Qing and thought that he still needed his help in the future. He suppressed the displeasure in his heart and smiled. ¡°Brother Qingbai, there¡¯s no need to be so polite. When Laidi and I get married, we¡¯ll be rtives. I¡¯ll look for you when I reach the capital. There¡¯s not much time left until the wedding day. I have to go back and prepare the things I need for the wedding. I¡¯ll send you off on the 19th.¡±


    ¡°Auntie, I¡¯ll take my leave first.¡± Li Fengqi bowed to Li Mei and left.


    ¡°Thank you, Brother Chunshan.¡± Li Qing politely sent Li Fengqi back to the courtyard and said to Li Mei, ¡°Aunt, why did you set the wedding date so quickly?¡±


    Li Mei smiled bitterly. ¡°It¡¯s good to let them get married early so that I won¡¯t have a headache watching her. I¡¯ve told you! He just wants to rely on you to climb up. Those who are ranked higher than him are not going to the exam. What right does he have to go? Remember, if he goes to the capital to look for you, don¡¯t help him anymore.¡±


    Li Qing could only reply, ¡°Yes, Aunt.¡±


    After Li Fengqi returned home, he told Old Madam Li that Li Qing was leaving. Old Madam Li asked in surprise, ¡°He doesn¡¯t have many rtives at home. Why wouldn¡¯t he set off with you after the wedding? You can take care of each other on the way.¡±


    ¡°He has the manager of a big bank taking care of him all the way to the capital.


    He doesn¡¯t need me to take care of him.¡±


    ¡°Feng Qi! Are you still going to the capital to participate in the examination?¡± Old Madam Li asked worriedly.


    ¡°Grandmother, the reason why I was able to get promoted this time is all thanks to Li Qing¡¯s help after I got engaged to Laidi. I don¡¯t have any confidence in going to the capital to participate in the examination next year, but if I don¡¯t go next year, I¡¯m afraid it¡¯ll be even more difficult to think about it in the future.¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡± Old Madam Li was a little worried when she heard that. ¡°Then what should we do? Are you going or not?¡±


    Li Fengqi said, ¡°I¡¯ll go. While Li Qing is preparing for the exam in the capital, I¡¯ll bring Laidi along. On ount of Laidi, Li Qing will also take care of me. While Li Qing can umte some connections in the capital, if I don¡¯t pass next year, I¡¯ll wait another three years. If I still can¡¯t, I¡¯ll get Laidi to ask the Li family for help to obtain an official position. However, Grandmother, can your body withstand a long journey?¡±


    Old Madam Li shook her head. ¡°I won¡¯t burden you with you. I¡¯ll go back to your uncle¡¯s house and wait for your good news.¡±


    ¡°Will Aunt agree to let you go back if she can¡¯t propose marriage? I¡¯m also worried that thev won¡¯t serve vou well. I think vou should stav in the house


    Minister Liu gave me yesterday,¡± Li Fengqi said worriedly to the olddy.


    Old Madam Li smiled indifferently and said, ¡°If I live in your house in town, Madam Ye would bring your two cousins to live there! I would go to live with them. How would she dare not serve me? Besides, you¡¯re now a High Schr. They can¡¯t wait to curry favor with me! You¡¯re about to get married, so you still have to call them over to help. Tell them about you entering the capital to take the exam. When the good days are over, Grandmother will follow them back.¡±


    Li Fengqi looked at his grandmother and thought of himself all these years. If not for the care of his grandmother and uncle, he would not have been where he was today. After his uncle left, his grandmother even followed him back here and took out her savings to build these thatched houses. Only then did they have a ce to stay. Li Fengqi nodded with red eyes. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll listen to you. I¡¯ll give you all the money you need to live for the next few years.¡±


    ¡°Sigh! As long as you¡¯re living well, anything is fine for me.¡± Old Madam Li patted her grandson¡¯s hand in relief.


    After discussing it, Li Fengqi went to town and asked someone to bring a letter to Madam Ye to ask her for help..

 Chapter 358 - 358: Chu Sihai’s Help

    Chapter 358: Chu Sihai¡¯s Help


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    In the Liu family, Li Mei had returned from town and was tidying up the dowry with Zhaodi. Laidi ran over and smiled at the two of them. ¡°Mother, let¡¯s bring a letter to Cousin! Tell Cousin about my marriage.¡±


    Li Mei nced at her wordlessly. Zhaodi nced at her and smiled. ¡°Aren¡¯t you ashamed? Can¡¯t you wait to get married?¡±


    Laidi nced at Li Mei and said unhappily, ¡°It¡¯s not that I can¡¯t wait to get married. Father and Mother can¡¯t wait to kick me out of the house so that I won¡¯t be an eyesore at home.¡±


    ¡°Alright, don¡¯t act like you can¡¯t bear to part with your parents. Your father has already gone to Tongzhou to hire someone to bring a letter to your cousin. Your sister is also here. Let me make things clear. The two of you have the same amount of dowry. The 20 acres ofnd in the vige will be used to marry you, but the title deed has to be ced in your mother¡¯s house. I¡¯ll give you the silver on time. Also, I¡¯ll bring you the additional box of gifts your cousin brought back in the past.¡±


    As Li Mei spoke, she walked up to Laidi and looked at her coldly. ¡°I only hope that after you marry over, your mind will be clearer and you won¡¯t let others mess with you. Don¡¯t cause trouble for your cousin¡¯s family and your cousin. What they did for our Liu family is a kindness that can¡¯t be repaid for generations. If I find out that you were urged by someone to cause trouble for Ah Qing and the others, our Liu family will cut ties with you.¡±


    Laidi looked at Li Mei¡¯s cold gaze and took two steps back. She said sadly, ¡°Mother, Fengqi is already your son-inw. Why do you look down on him so much? Why are you so sure that he can only rely on Cousin¡¯s family and Ah Qing to be sessful?! Alright! Today, I swear here that after I, Liu Laidi, marry into the Li family, I won¡¯t cause trouble for Cousin and Ah Qing even if I die of poverty, let alone cause trouble for them. If I vite the heavens, may I be struck by lightning!¡± After saying that, Laidi ran out crying.


    Li Mei held Zhaodi¡¯s hand. ¡°I heard that Li Fengqi epted the silver, house deeds, and shops from those squires andndlords. Your cousin and cousin-inw also only received some gifts. The money and shops have been returned to them. He¡¯s just a junior High Schr, yet he dares to ept these things. Also, why did those people give him suchvish gifts? They just want to use him to cozy up to your cousin¡¯s family! They¡¯re causing trouble for your cousin and the others!¡± Li Mei cried sadly.


    Zhaodi patted Li Mei andforted her. ¡°Mother, tell Cousin all this and let her be on guard. Laidi doesn¡¯t listen to you now. Don¡¯t be too sad. She chose the path herself. If anything really happens in the future, we¡¯ll just bring her home.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve already asked your father to bring a letter to your cousin. I wonder if they¡¯re doing well. I keep dreaming about your uncle and aunt these days.¡±


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t it be good?! You¡¯re the one who¡¯s happily talking about Uncle and Aunt. You must have dreams at night!¡±


    Li Yu still did not know that Li Mei had fallen out with Laidi in order not to let


    Li Fengqi drag them down. Since she had nothing to do, she was tinkering with the sulfur and saltpeter at home. She even used a small y pot to try making a few homemade bombs. Just as she was about to find a ce to test the power, Chu Sihai came looking for her. Li Yu hurriedly stored the y pot and gunpowder in her space and went to the front hall.


    When Chu Sihai saw Li Yu, he bowed and said, ¡°Madam Li, I have a presumptuous request.¡±


    Li Yu nced at Chu Sihai. ¡°Shopkeeper Chu, please speak.¡±


    Chu Sihai smiled apologetically. ¡°I want to ask you to make a trip to Mount


    Spindle.¡±


    ¡°Oh! Why do you want me to go to Mount Spindle? I know that General Shen has already gone to Mount Spindle.¡±


    ¡°Madam, it¡¯s true that everyone in the bank has been sent out. There¡¯s no one left to use. We received an urgent report from Great Qi saying that General Shen¡¯s deputy general, Yang Rui, is from Great Qi. Yang Rui also followed General Shen to Mount Spindle this time. I can only ask for your help.¡± Chu Sihai looked at Li Yu in a daze.


    ¡°General Shen and the others have been gone for so many days. Whether I can catch up is a problem. If General Shen has already been murdered by Yang Rui, how can I make the other soldiers believe that Yang Rui is a traitor?¡±


    Chu Sihai took out a ck wooden token and a copied blueprint from his sleeve pocket. He bowed and handed them to Li Yu. ¡°Madam Li, with this token, you can order those soldiers.¡±


    Li Yu took it and saw that the blueprint was printed with a road map copied from the booklet. The wooden token was made of the same material as the small wooden sword given to her by the emperor. There were four words engraved on it.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll set off for Mount Spindle now. Shopkeeper Chu, please go to the front office and help me call Lord Zhou,¡± Li Yu replied to Chu Sihai.


    Chu Sihai bowed to Li Yu and strode away.


    Li Yu went to the room to pack two sets of clothes and tied up the hidden sword and dagger. She asked Gu Yu to get Old Madam Liu to prepare water bags and food while she went to the storeroom to put the crossbows and arrows Chu Feng had given her into the space.


    When Zhou Jia saw Li Yue out of the storeroom, he rushed over worriedly and grabbed Li Yu¡¯s hand. He said anxiously, ¡°Yu¡¯er, did you promise Shopkeeper Chu?¡±


    Li Yu smiled at him and showed the wooden token to Zhou Jia. She hugged Zhou Jia and whispered in his ear, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯ll definitelye back safe and sound. Wait for me at home with your son.¡±


    Zhou Jia choked and nodded. He kissed the corner of her eye. ¡°Yu¡¯er, my son and I will wait for you toe back. You have to be fine.¡±


    When Chu Sihai saw Zhou Jia and his wife hugging each other affectionately, he suddenly felt like a bad person and prayed in his heart that Madam Li could return safely.


    Old Madam Liu came out with the water bag and pancakes. When she saw Chu


    Sihai standing at the side with red eyes, and observed Master looking at


    Madam worriedly, she looked at Li Yu uneasily. ¡®Madam, can you not go?¡±


    Li Yu shook her head. ¡°Take good care of Young Master and Master at home. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡¯


    Old Madam Liu nodded heavily. ¡°Got it. Madam,e back early.¡±


    Li Yu took the bag containing the food and returned to the house to pick up the clothes she had prepared and the crossbow and arrows outside. She walked out of the ssroom with Zhou Jia and the others and nced at Yangyang and Seven Pounds, who were obediently teaching. The few of them walked to the outer courtyard and saw Ji Xiang and Ruyi waiting there with their luggage.


    The two of them looked at Zhou Jia and Li Yu and smiled. ¡°Master, Madam, we will go with Madam.¡±


    Li Yu smiled at the two of them. ¡°You have to stay behind to protect Master and


    Young Master. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡±


    Ji Xiang smiled at them. ¡°Brother Ruyi, stay. I¡¯ll apany Madam.¡± ¡°Alright, Ji Xiang will apany Madam. Ruyi will stay at home,¡± Zhou Jia decided.


    ¡°Alright! Then let¡¯s set off!¡± Li Yu could only agree helplessly.


    Zhou Jia watched Li Yu and Ji Xiang leave. After seeing them get on the horse and quickly disappear, he turned round sadly.


    Chu Sihai bowed apologetically to Zhou Jia. ¡°Brother Zhou, when the people from the bank return, I¡¯ll send someone to pick up Madam.¡±


    Zhou Jia helped Chu Sihai up. ¡°Brother Sihai, you don¡¯t have to feel guilty. You had no choice at this critical moment.¡±


    Chu Sihai felt even more guilty. He wanted to report everything that Zhou Jia and his wife had done for Great Yong when he returned and let His Majesty know their loyalty..

 Chapter 359 - 359: Pursuit

    Chapter 359: Pursuit


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Li Yu and Ji Xiang rode their horses out of the city and galloped towards Mount Spindle. The two of them quickly arrived at the foot of the mountain and rode their horses up the mountain path. At midnight, they arrived at the wooden house where the hunters rested.


    Li Yu dismounted and tied the horse to the tree outside the house. Ji Xiang picked up firewood from the front of the wooden house and built a fire. He took out horse feed and fed the horses.


    Li Yu entered the house and took out the hanging pot from her space. She went to the stream beside the house to scoop some water and hung the hanging pot on the fire to burn.


    Ji Xiang looked at the dark hanging pot and felt that it was a little familiar. He asked curiously, ¡°Madam, why does this hanging pot look like the one we used when we fled?¡±


    Li Yu smiled dryly. ¡°Sigh! I forgot to bring it backst time. I only realized that it was still there when I entered the house.¡±


    Ji Xiang had no doubts about Li Yu¡¯s words. ¡°Perhaps there aren¡¯t many people going up the mountain these days. Our haste toe out is just right.¡±


    The two of them took out dry food and ate. Ji Xiang said to Li Yu, ¡°Madam, sleep for a while. I¡¯ll watch the horses.¡±


    Li Yu looked around and entered the house to take out a sleeping bag from her space. She handed it to Ji Xiang. ¡°You didn¡¯t rest well at night. Your body won¡¯t be able to take it if you have to rush tomorrow morning. I think you should bring the horse to the door and tie it up. Go in and rest for a while!¡±


    Ji Xiang took the sleeping bag and felt that Li Yu¡¯s bag was like a treasure chest. ¡°Alright, Madam. I¡¯ll add a few morerge logs to the fire.¡±


    After the two of them packed up, Li Yu ced the crossbow beside her andy on the wooden bed to adjust her breathing before quickly falling asleep.


    Ji Xiangy in the sleeping bag and felt that this thing was really good. It was like a biz cotton iacket. He fell asleep listeninz to the insects in the forest.


    The two of them slept for two hours before getting up and continuing on their way. Li Yu held the torch and led the horse in front, following the traces left behind by Shen Shuo and the others. When the sky turned dark, the two of them got on the horse and quickly rushed forward. At midnight, they arrived at the ce where Li Yu had encountered the two Qi soldiers.


    The two of them dismounted. Li Yu nced at Ji Xiang, who was feeding the horses, and said to him, ¡°I¡¯ll go to the forest to get some wild animals.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll build the fire. Be careful.¡±


    Li Yu entered the forest and sat down to rest for a moment. She took out two pheasants from her space and tidied them up by the stream before carrying them back. Ji Xiang looked at the pheasants in Li Yu¡¯s hand and smiled. ¡°Madam, you¡¯re so fast. You¡¯ve already tidied them up.¡±


    ¡°I was lucky to meet these two unlucky fellows as soon as I entered the forest.¡± As Li Yu spoke, she skewered the chicken on a wooden stick and roasted it. After eating, the two of them got on their horses and rushed forward. They arrived under the first mountain beam when it was dark.


    The mountains in September were already cold. The two of them walked to a big tree, tied up the horse, and picked up some firewood to build a fire. Ji Xiang began to roast a roe deer he had caught on the way. Li Yu looked at the blueprint. ¡°Our one-day journey might beparable to two days taken by General Shen and the others. When we reach the top of this mountain beam, we should be able to catch up to them. I wonder how General Shen is? Did you notice that there are Qi spies around?¡±


    Ji Xiang spun the wooden stick in his hand, and his originally cheerful expression turned worried. ¡°Madam, can you survive such a hard journey?¡±


    Li Yu recalled that when she was on a mission in her previous life, she sometimes didn¡¯t sleep for two to three days in a row. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Let¡¯s hurry up and eat. We¡¯ll start traveling after resting for an hour.¡±


    Ji Xiang nodded and picked up his dagger to cut the roe deer meat and smear the seasoning on it. Suddenly, in the distance, there was a faint wolf howl and a faint tiger roar. The horses tethered to the tree became restless.


    Li Yu walked over and stroked the horse. She said softly, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, don¡¯t be afraid. They¡¯re far from us!¡± The horse slowly settled down.


    After the two of them ate, they leaned against the big tree and began to rest. After two hours, Li Yu opened her eyes and woke Ji Xiang up. The two of them led the horse and continued on their way.


    A few dayster, on the same ridge, there was a series of snores. Shen Shuo¡¯s men were lying on the ground. Everyone was very tired from the rapid march. Other than the soldiers on night duty, all the soldiers had fallen asleep.


    Shen Shuoy quietly on the ground and felt that something was wrong. The guiding marks left behind by the Qi people in the past two days seemed to have been altered by someone. Who was it? Who caused everyone to walk in the wrong direction a few times? If he had not discovered it early, he would not have known where to turn. Could it be that there was a spy from Great Qi among the people he had brought? Thinking of this, Shen Shuo felt a chill in his heart. Shen Shuo thought to himself that he had to follow the blueprint or the traces left behind by the scouts. He could not follow the road signs left behind by the Qi people anymore.


    Before dawn, the military quartermaster in the army began to make food. A tall and strong man quietly hid in the dark. When the leader was not paying attention, he ced a handful of fruit fragments into tworge noodle soup pots and quietly ran along the mountain path when no one was paying attention.


    Everyone ate their dry food and drank some hot soup to pack their things. After reorganizing the team, they began to travel. Only then did Shen Shuo realize that someone had disappeared. Thinking of what had happened on the way, his expression changed drastically. ¡°Hurry up and chase after him. Yang Rui is a traitor!¡±


    Before he could finish speaking, Shen Shuo felt a cramp in his stomach. Then, there was a rumble. He could not help but relieve himself. He hurriedly hid under a tree. Immediately after, most of the soldiers began to do the same. For a moment, the forest emitted a nauseating stench.


    When Shen Shuo came out of the forest holding his stomach and looking at the situation in front of him, Shen Shuo understood that these soldiers had probably been drugged.


    The military physician walked up to Shen Shuo and said gratefully, ¡°General, that Yang Rui picked beans for us to put in the pot on the way. Fortunately, he doesn¡¯t know poison. Otherwise, we¡­¡±


    Looking at his dizzy subordinates, Shen Shuo could only order them to rest again. He said to the military physician, ¡°physician He, quickly boil herbs to stop everyone¡¯s diarrhea.¡±


    Physician He looked at Shen Shuo with a frown. ¡°General, so many people have been drugged. The anti-diarrhea medicine I brought is not enough. I¡¯m afraid it won¡¯t stop for a while.¡±


    Shen Shuo looked at Physician He and thought that only Shen Hui and Chen Lin seemed to be in better condition. He would treat the two of them first and chase after that bastard Yang Rui. ¡°Make Shen Hui and Chen Lin drink the medicine first and let them chase after Yang Rui. Hurry up and find medicine to stop everyone¡¯s diarrhea. Oh¡­¡± Before Shen Shuo could finish speaking, he crawled into the forest again.


    After a while, he came out of the forest holding his stomach and called Shen Hui over to instruct him, ¡°Ah Hui, you¡¯re the only one among the generals who wasn¡¯t affected so seriously. Bring Chen Lin to capture Yang Rui.¡±


    Shen Hui looked at Shen Shuo and whispered, ¡°Second Uncle, I remember that you promoted Yang Rui. Who rmended him to you?¡±


    ¡°I have some friendship with Third Young Master Wei of the Wei family. He came to me and said that Yang Rui was betrothed to his sister by his grandfather. Now that the Yang family has fallen behind, Yang Rui wants to have a background so that Miss Wei can marry in a more morous manner. I saw that Yang Rui¡¯s martial arts are not bad, so I agreed. It seems that the Wei family doesn¡¯t know that there¡¯s a problem with Yang Rui.¡± Shen Shuo¡¯s stomach hurt again. ¡°Ah Hui, go quickly. It¡¯ll be troublesome if he escapes.¡±


    Physician He handed the medicine bowl to Shen Hui and Chen Lin. After Shen Hui and Chen Lin drank the medicine, Physician He even brought a bamboo tube for them to get on the road..

 Chapter 360 - 360: Traitor

    Chapter 360: Traitor


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Shen Hui and Chen Lin endured the abdominal pain and slowly chased after Yang Rui with a wooden stick.


    Yang Rui found the road signs and changed directions with his knife. As he climbed up the mountain, he suddenly realized that there were two hungry wolves staring at him.


    Yang Rui pulled out his waist knife. The wolf rushed over and bit Yang Rui¡¯s leg. Yang Rui shed the wolf¡¯s head and cut off the wolf¡¯s scalp. However, the wolf bit a lump of flesh on his calf, instantly revealing white bones and blood. The other wolf grabbed Yang Rui¡¯s chest with its ws and opened its fangs to bite his neck. Yang Rui hurriedly pulled out his knife and shed the wolf¡¯s back. The wolf wailed and copsed. The wolf, whose scalp had been cut off, pounced on Yang Rui and bit his wrist. Yang Rui pulled out a dagger with his left hand and stabbed the wolf¡¯s neck. He stirred it twice and the wolf wailed and fell to the ground.


    Yang Rui sat on the ground and knew that he couldn¡¯t stay there for long. He staggered forward with the hilt of his saber.


    When Li Yu and Ji Xiang walked along the army in front of them, the increasingly obvious traces left behind continued to pursue them. Ji Xiang shouted at Li Yu from behind, ¡°Madam, it looks like we¡¯re about to catch up to General Shen. Why do I feel that their marching speed is too slow? Could something have already happened?¡±


    Li Yu had long discovered this situation and was wondering if Shen Shuo and the others had already been plotted against.


    Physician He had already found all the herbs and began to boil them. The forest was filled with exhausted soldiers.


    Shen Shuo looked at the soldiers lying on the ground and thought of the wolves and tigers howling at night. He began to worry. He thought that he had to prepare firewood while it was still early. Otherwise, his army would probably be the first in history to be wiped out by tigers and wolves because of diarrhea.


    Shen Shuo gathered a few soldiers who were in a better situation and instructed, ¡°The few of you, find more firewood nearby and pile them up.¡±


    ¡°Yes, General.¡± They quickly moved to cut down the dead trees and pick up firewood to pile it up.


    Yang Rui dragged his injured leg forward and sat down on a huge rock. He panted as he looked at the deste deep mountains and forest in front of him. Then, he looked at his wrist and calf. Blood kept seeping out from the ces where he had been bitten by the wolf. There was also a faint pain in his chest. Looking at the gloomy dense forest in front of him, Yang Rui¡¯s heart was a little heavy. He took out the Golden Injury Medicine and sprinkled it on his wrist where a piece of flesh was hanging. He also felt dizzy from the pain in his exposed white bone calf. Yang Rui tore his clothes and bandaged his wound. He ate some dry food and continued to rush forward.


    Shen Hui and Chen Lin drank the medicine twice in a row before they felt that their stomachs were not so ufortable anymore. Chen Lin said to Shen Hui sadly, ¡°General Shen, I never expected that Yang Rui was actually a spy from the Qi family. If we didn¡¯t know the news before we set off, wouldn¡¯t we be finished had Yang Rui prepared some poison for us on the way?¡±


    Shen Hui thought about it and suddenly felt a little d. If it really had been a pot of poison, it would be f*cking embarrassing to have more than a thousand soldiers poisoned to death by a spy. ¡°Old Chen, I didn¡¯t expect you to be such a wonderful person. After hearing what you said, my mood improved a lot. Tell me! This Yang Rui looked like a good person! Look, he¡¯s already been promoted to general and is also the fianc¨¦ of Miss Wei. I heard that the Wei family is as rich as a country and has endless money. Would one be afraid of not having a good future after marrying Miss Wei? How could he be a spy for the Qi family?


    If I didn¡¯t see it with my own eyes, I would not have believed it.¡±


    Chen Lin suddenly felt a little worried. ¡°General Shen, do you think there will be spies like Yang Rui under our general?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine if you and I say this. When everyone arrives, don¡¯t spout nonsense. You can¡¯t afford to shake the morale of the army,¡± Shen Hui reminded Chen


    Lin.


    Chen Lin turned his head and cupped his hands at Shen Hui. ¡°Thank you, General Shen. I¡¯ve followed you for so many years before I spoke without thinking in front of you. In front of others, I¡¯m just a saw-mouthed gourd.¡±


    ¡°I called you along because I know you¡¯re steady,¡± Shen Hui said with a smile.


    As the two of them spoke, they were on Yang Rui¡¯s trail. When they reached a mark, Shen Hui and Chen Lin looked at the traces that had been changed and were worried. Chen Lin looked at Shen Hui and said, ¡°General Shen, what do you think?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take a look around before making ns.¡± Shen Hui walked around and saw the traces left behind by the scouts in front. ¡°Old Chen, let¡¯s follow the traces left behind by the scouts! Look, these marks were obviously left not long ago.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll do as you say.¡± Chen Lin swallowed the dry food in his hand and quickly followed.


    On the other side, Physician He had already given the soldiers the herbs. After drinking the herbs for more than an hour, most soldiers stopped having diarrhea. Only then did Shen Shuo heave a sigh of relief. He thought that Yang Rui had been raised by him. If he continued to dy the military ns and the Qi people barged in, he could only pay for his mistake with his death.


    After a few days of traveling day and night, coupled with Shen Shuo and the others¡¯ dys, Li Yu and Ji Xiang arrived not far from Shen Shuo and the others before dark.


    At night, Shen Shuo got someone to light a fire and gathered all the officials in an open space to sit together in a circle to prevent wild beasts from attacking. At the beginning of the year, the forest in the distance was already dark. A soldier looked at the forest above for a while and shouted to Shen Shuo, ¡°General, look at the green lights on the slope above. Are they the eyes of wolves?¡±


    Shen Shuo and everyone turned around and realized that there was indeed a wolf pack. The wolf pack stood on the mountain and stared at the crowd below with their green eyes as if they were weighing whether they could defeat thisrge group of humans.


    Shen Shuo estimated that there were probably 30 to 40 wolves in this group. ¡°Soldiers on the periphery, prepare your crossbows and long sabers and prepare to face the enemy.¡±


    The soldiers at the periphery prepared crossbows and long sabers after hearing the order. They confronted the wolf pack at the periphery. The soldiers in the inner circle burned the fire even brighter. The fire illuminated a nearby forest. The wolf pack saw the fire and arge group of people and watched as Shen Shuo and the others stopped. Li Yu and Ji Xiang could also see it on the mountain ridge below.


    Ji Xiang climbed up the tree and looked at the fire in the distance. He said excitedly to Li Yu, ¡°Madam, General Shen and the others might be ahead. Why don¡¯t we continue chasing?¡±


    Li Yu drank a few mouthfuls of warm water and nced at Ji Xiang on the tree. ¡°Don¡¯t be agitated and tire yourself out. You should rest for a while so that we can be on our way.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Ji Xiang slid down the tree unhappily. He picked up the water bag and drank two mouthfuls of water. He gave some horse feed to the horses before leaning against the tree and closing his eyes to rest.


    Shen Hui and Chen Lin each climbed onto a tree and sat on a branch to rest. Chen Lin suddenly saw a fire in front of them and shook Shen Hui. He whispered, ¡°General Shen, look ahead.¡±


    Shen Hui opened his eyes and saw that it was indeed the case. He thought to himself, Why did this dog only travel so little? Shen Hui pulled Chen Lin and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go down the tree and quietly sneak up to catch this traitor..¡±

 Chapter 361 - 361: Captured

    Chapter 361: Captured


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    The two of them slowly slid down the tree and quietly walked towards where


    Yang Rui was hiding. With a crack, Shen Hui stepped on a dead branch. Shen Hui and Chen Lin hurriedly hid behind the tree. The crisp sound from the silent forest and woke Yang Rui up.


    Yang Rui, who was exhausted after being injured, got up in panic. He raised his knife and looked around. ¡°Who, who¡¯s there? Come out.¡±


    Shen Hui and Chen Lin looked at Yang Rui¡¯s panicked expression and stood up from behind the tree to look at him in disgust. Shen Hui held the crossbow and looked at the panicked Yang Rui. He spat, ¡°Pfft! Wretched traitor, I¡¯m your Grandpa Shen.¡±


    Yang Rui was stunned for a moment when he saw the two of them. He did not expect the two of them to find him so quickly after drinking so much soup.


    Taking advantage of the moment when he was stunned, Shen Hui pulled the trigger of the crossbow. The crossbow bolt flew out and hit Yang Rui¡¯s wrist, which was holding the waist knife. With a ng, the waist knife fell on the fire and sparks flew. Yang Rui staggered back and fell to the ground.


    Shen Hui and Chen Lin realized that Yang Rui was already injured from his clumsy actions. Chen Lin raised his bow and walked up to Yang Rui. ¡°Pfft! Wretched spy. Traitor. You were injured as soon as you escaped! Looks like the heavens are not on your side!¡± Chen Lin looked at Yang Rui and gloated.


    Yang Rui was injured in several ces and knew that he was no match for Shen Hui and Chen Lin. He looked at the two of them indifferently and said with a smile, ¡°I¡¯m from Qi, so how can I talk about selling my country? Hehe! Ba Bean noodle soup is delicious, right? It¡¯s a pity that there¡¯s no arsenic poison. Tsk tsk tsk, look at the men of Great Yong. From top to bottom, they look like pussies. I advise the two of you to follow me to Great Qi. Otherwise, wait for Great Qi to destroy you.¡±


    ¡°Dog, what¡¯s the use of being strong? Look at you Qi people. All of you are as stupid as bears and think you¡¯re smart.¡± Shen Hui punched Yang Rui over and stepped on his chest. ¡°You¡¯re a Qi? Then why did the Wei family help you enter the military camp?


    Yang Rui looked at Shen Hui with disdain. ¡°Miss Wei doesn¡¯t like women like you. What¡¯s wrong? You¡¯ve also taken a fancy to Miss Wei. Unfortunately, she doesn¡¯t like gigolos like you who are neither male nor female. She likes strong and powerful men like me.¡±


    Shen Hui watched as Yang Rui kept using words to anger him and Chen Lin. He looked at him coldly. ¡°You don¡¯t believe me when I say that you¡¯re stupid. I know you are just trying to spite us into killing you.¡± As Shen Hui spoke, he kicked Yang Rui, who tilted his head and fainted.


    Shen Hui looked at Yang Rui, who had fainted on the ground, and felt that there was something wrong with Yang Ruiing to the military camp. The Wei family was just a merchant family, Why would they ask Wei San to beg Second Uncle for a son-inw that had yet to go through the marriage rites? Could it be that the Wei family was colluding with the Qi¡¯s? If this matter was true, Second Uncle could not escape responsibility this time.


    Chen Lin went forward and tied him up with a rope. Only then did he realize that his calves and wrists were exposed. He couldn¡¯t help but shiver. ¡°General Shen, so this dog was attacked by wild beasts. I think we should go to the tree to rest.¡±


    Shen Hui looked at the gloomy forest and felt that Chen Lin¡¯s words made sense. He pointed at the big tree beside the fire and said, ¡°Let¡¯s gag Yang Rui and hang him on the tree. We¡¯ll go up the tree to rest for a night and go back to look for the general and the others tomorrow morning.¡±


    At the foot of the mountain, Shen Shuo was still confronting the wolf pack. Seeing that Shen Shuo and the others had more people, the wolf pack did not dare to attack rashly. Because most of the soldiers were still very weak, Shen Shuo did not dare to attack rashly.


    The group of wolves and Shen Shuo confronted each other. A team said to Shen


    Shuo, ¡°General, let¡¯s kill these dogs with crossbow bolts.¡±


    Shen Shuo shook his head. ¡°Look, they¡¯re smart! They know that we have the numbers and don¡¯t dare to act rashly. As long as the fire doesn¡¯t go out, they¡¯ll naturally retreat at dawn.¡±


    ¡°Yes, General.¡± The squad looked back at the huge pile of firewood and decided it shouldst until dawn.


    Zhou Jia sat on the edge of the bed and looked at Yangyang, who had only fallen asleep after being coaxed for a long time. He went out to get a hot handkerchief to wipe the tears off his face. Seeing that his son was asleep and still sobbing from time to time, Zhou Jia thought of how the garrison general guarding the border of Linshan County had sent someone to say that there was something wrong with the Qi army yesterday. A war was about to break out. He wondered where Yu¡¯er was. Thinking of this, Zhou Jia¡¯s heart felt like it was being stabbed by a knife. He suddenly had the intention to retreat. He thought that when the peace was over, he might as well resign and go back to Phoenix Vige to set up an academy. He would not be an official anymore and would not let Yu¡¯er take such risks. The family would live a leisurely life.


    The next morning, Ruyi went to the farmstead and saw that more than half of the corn had been collected. It would be finished in two days at most.


    Little Loach and the children helped put the corn into the wicker basket. Ah Wei tied the wicker basket with ropes and asked Ruyi, who was standing at the side to help, ¡°Brother Ruyi, why are you hauling all these corn back to the city?


    There¡¯s nowhere to dry them in the city. Is something going to happen?¡±


    Ruyi patted him. ¡°Don¡¯t make wild guesses. Madam instructed me to do so before she left. I bought a house in the alley behind the government office and will be hauling the corn back to dry there. ¡±


    Ah Wei nced at Ruyi. He felt that he was not telling the truth and was hiding something from him. ¡°Brother Ruyi, I understand. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll guard it well and haul all the corn back. Don¡¯te back this time. Stay in the residence and protect Master and Young Master.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Ruyi swallowed the words he was about to say and pulled the corn back.


    Shen Shuo and the others confronted the wolf pack for the night. The wolf pack only retreated unwillingly after dawn. After a day and night of rest, the soldiers had already recovered a little. Shen Shuo led his men and rushed forward.


    Halfway through, they encountered Shen Hui and Chen Lin, who were bringing


    Yang Rui back.


    Shen Hui told Shen Shuo that Yang Rui was from Qi. Shen Shuo looked at Shen Hui in a daze for a moment, his mind spinning. How could the Wei family not know Yang Rui was from Qi. ? Wei San had deliberately stuffed Yang Rui under hismand. How much information had Yang Rui sent back to Great Qi? Shen Shuo shivered and understood that he had been schemed against.


    Shen Hui watched as Shen Shuo¡¯s expression changed and asked worriedly, ¡°Second Uncle, how much does Yang Rui know about the military? Is there any way to salvage the situation?¡±


    Shen Shuo nced at the troops moving forward and gritted his teeth. ¡°He shouldn¡¯t know about the secret. It¡¯s just that he knows about our defense. General Ouyang and I have already changed our defense. Fortunately, we came out in a hurry and he doesn¡¯t know about the new defense. Let everyone leave first. We¡¯ll bring Yang Rui into the forest to interrogate him.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Shen Hui asked Chen Lin to bring Yang Rui into the forest and tie him to a tree. Shen Shuo instructed the lieutenant to continue forward with his men while he returned to the forest to interrogate Yang Rui.


    Shen Shuo stared at Yang Rui, who was slowly waking up, like a wolf. He pinched his chin and asked angrily, ¡°Where are you from? What does the Wei family have to do with Great Qi? Why did they send you under mymand?¡±


    ¡°Haha¡­¡± Yang Rui broke the jar and looked at Shen Shuo as heughed proudly. He looked at Shen Shuo mockingly.. ¡°How does it feel to be yed by someone?¡±

 Chapter 362 - 362: Catching Up

    Chapter 362: Catching Up


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Shen Shuo looked at Yang Rui and was so angry that his eyes were about to split open. He pulled out a dagger and stabbed it into Yang Rui¡¯s arm. He slowly twisted it and stared at him as he asked, ¡°Tell me, what n do you have? Do you know this route?¡±


    ¡°You guys¡­ just wait for Great Qi to conquer Great Yong! If you want to get anything out of me, you must be¡­ delusional!¡± Yang Rui trembled in pain and looked at Shen Shuo with a sinister smile.


    Shen Shuo pulled out his dagger and slowly stabbed Yang Rui¡¯s ribs. Yang Rui screamed in pain and fainted. Shen Hui sshed some water on his face. Yang Rui slowly woke up and smiled. ¡°The Great Qi army has already set off. Just wait for death!¡± With that, his head tilted and he stopped breathing.


    Shen Hui nced at the dead Yang Rui and thought to himself that it was a pity that such a loyal and brave person was not a soldier of Great Yong.


    ¡°Throw him into the forest to feed the wolves,¡± Shen Shuo instructed Chen Lin angrily.


    ¡°Yes, General.¡± Chen Lin untied Yang Rui and dragged him into the forest.


    Shen Shuo looked at Yang Rui, who was being dragged by Chen Lin, and thought for a moment. He looked at Shen Hui and said, ¡°Ah Hui, it seems that we¡¯re about to start a war with the Qi people. I guess the Qi people might attack the border of Mount Spindle openly and secretly enter Yunzhou from here to catch us off guard.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s only mid-September, but the mountain is already cold. It¡¯s going to start snowing at the top of Mount Spindle in early October. Can the people of Great Qi pass? Besides, Great Qi has been waiting for the two Qi soldiers to return. Will they still act rashly?¡±


    Shen Shuo took out the booklet and pointed at the mark on the highest mountain. ¡°Look, there¡¯s a long and narrow rift valley halfway up the mountain. They n to pass through here and cross this mountain to reach the mountain we¡¯re resting on. They must have sent more than two Qi soldiers. Even if those two Qi soldiers didn¡¯t return to Great Qi on time, they would conclude that they encountered wild beasts on the mountain and wouldn¡¯t think that they were killed. The road map even fell into our hands. Otherwise, why would Yang Rui be in a hurry to escape? He was rushing to inform them.¡±


    Shen Hui pointed up and said, ¡°Second Uncle, the terrain of this rift valley is so steep. If the Qi soldiers are really crossing the river openly, we canpletely wait for the Qi soldiers to enter and cut off their rations from the front and back. We can destroy them at Mount Spindle.¡±


    Shen Shuo looked at Shen Hui in relief. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Ah Hui to have such an opinion. We were made to walk a lot by that bastard Yang Rui and our itinerary was dyed. When the scouts return, we¡¯ll know the situation in front of us. When the timees, we¡¯ll send someone back to inform Ouyang to send soldiers.¡±


    At this moment, Chen Lin had already turned around. Shen Shuo waved his hand and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go! Hurry up and chase after them.¡± The three of them quickly rushed toward the main group.


    Li Yu and Ji Xiang rushed to Shen Shuo and the others¡¯ resting ce at noon. Ji Xiang looked at the burned ashes. ¡°Madam, General Shen and the others should have rested herest night.¡±


    Li Yu looked at the unfinished firewood. ¡°Yes! Let¡¯s work harder to catch up to them as soon as possible.¡±


    The two of them rushed until midnight and caught up to Shen Shuo and the others, who had stopped to rest after running all the way. When the soldiers behind saw someone chasing after them with their horses, they shouted, ¡°Who is it? Stop immediately.¡± They raised the knives in their hands and surrounded them.


    Ji Xiang raised his hand and shouted, ¡°Don¡¯t panic. My Madam is here to look for General Shen.¡±


    When Shen Shuo heard themotion behind him, he retreated and saw Li Yu with her horse. He asked in surprise, ¡°Madam Li, what happened? Why are you here?¡±


    ¡°General Shen, please let us talk in private,¡± Li Yu said to Shen Shuo with a faint smile.


    Shen Shuo nodded and followed Li Yu to the forest at the side. ¡°Madam Li, did something happen?¡±


    Li Yu took out the note Chu Sihai had given her and handed it to Shen Shuo.


    ¡°Shopkeeper Chu received a tip that Yang Rui, your subordinate, is a spy for the Qi people. Please deal with him as soon as possible.¡±


    Li Yu saw that Shen Shuo was not surprised to hear that Yang Rui was a spy. When he only took the note indifferently, she knew that Shen Shuo already knew that Yang Rui was a spy.


    Shen Shuo blew on the fire and looked at the note. He looked up at Li Yu in shame and cupped his hands at her. ¡°Thank you foring all the way here to tell me, Madam Li. I already know that Yang Rui is a spy. That dog even drugged us before he left, causing us to be dyed for another day.¡±


    Li Yu nced at Shen Shuo and thought they must have suffered more than this. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have caught up to them so quickly. Fortunately, it wasxative. If it had been poison, that would be the greatest joke in the world. It seemed to Li Yu that the Shen family¡¯s army, which dominated Great Yong, was only so-so.


    Li Yu suppressed the disappointment in her heart and smiled faintly. She cupped her fists at Shen Shuo and said, ¡°General Shen, since you already know Yang Rui¡¯s identity, I¡¯vepleted my mission. Goodbye.¡±


    Shen Shuo looked at the dark mountain in embarrassment and cupped his hands at Li Yu. ¡°Madam Li, it¡¯s already sote. Why don¡¯t you and that young man rest here for the night and travel tomorrow morning?


    ¡°Alright.¡± Li Yu agreed and went to Ji Xiang. ¡°Ji Xiang, let¡¯s rest here for the night and travel tomorrow morning.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± Ji Xiang went to tether the horses.


    Shen Shuo also got someone to send hot soup over. After Li Yu and Ji Xiang ate, Shen Shuo came over and asked, ¡°Madam Li, I wonder if Yunzhou will be stable after I leave?¡±


    ¡°Something that happened in Yunzhou City. The Wei family¡¯s shop was sealed. The Wei family is probably spying for Great Qi. They found many weapons in the Wei family¡¯s fur shop and even captured two spies¡­¡± Li Yu told Shen Shuo what had happened in Yunzhou City these days.


    ¡°The Wei family is indeed spying for Great Qi.¡± Shen Shuo¡¯s heart sank when he heard Li Yu¡¯s words. No wonder his brother said that it was a taboo for soldiers to believe others easily. Sooner orter, he would suffer a huge loss.


    Seeing that Shen Shuo was stunned, Li Yu stood up and returned to the fire Ji Xiang had started. Seeing that Ji Xiang had already wrapped himself in a sleeping bag and fallen asleep, she also took out a sleeping bag and wrapped it around her body before leaning against the tree.


    When Shen Shuo turned around and saw Li Yu leave, he returned to Shen Hui¡¯s side with a heavy heart and whispered Li Yu¡¯s words to him. When Shen Hui heard this, heforted Shen Shuo and said, ¡°Second Uncle, Yang Rui is indeed capable. We can¡¯t me you. Besides, there are many people rted to Great Yong and the Wei family. The most important thing now is how to block the Qi people in the mountains and destroy them.¡±


    Shen Shuo thought to himself that he could only make up for it. ¡°Call a few generals over to discuss it,¡± Shen Hui instructed. ¡°Yes, General.¡± Shen Hui stood up and called for someone.


    Li Yu and Ji Xiang slept until the next day when Shen Shuo and the others woke up. When Shen Shuo saw Li Yu and Ji Xiang starting to pack their things, he walked up to Li Yu with a letter and cupped his hands. ¡°Madam Li, please help me bring this letter back to Yunzhou and hand it to General Ouyang.¡±


    Li Yu took the letter and replied readily, ¡°General Shen, you¡¯re too polite. It¡¯s nothing. ¡±


    ¡°General, General.¡± Shen Shuo cupped his hands and was about to speak when a shout came from ahead..

 Chapter 363 - 363: Determination

    Chapter 363: Determination


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Shen Shuo turned around and saw that it was two of the scouts he had sent out earlier. He hurriedly rushed forward and saw that the two scouts almost fell when they saw him. The people beside him hurriedly supported them.


    One of them sat on the ground and panted as he took the water bag from Shen Hui and took a sip. ¡°General, we¡¯re at the top of the mountain separated by a mountain beam in front of us. We realized that a frightened bird had flown up from the opposite mountaintop. Liu Bao climbed onto a tree and vaguely saw arge group of people walking down the mountain. After the few of us returned, Liu Bao and Uncle Lei stayed at the top of the mountain in front to continue investigating and asked us toe back to report.¡± After the scout reported, he also fell.


    Shen Shuo said anxiously, ¡°Physician He, quickly take a look at them.¡± Doctor He hurriedly went forward. After taking a look, he said, ¡°General, they¡¯re already exhausted. They¡¯ve fallen asleep.¡±


    When Li Yu heard the scout¡¯s words, she felt that it was very likely that the Qi people had already split into two groups to attack Great Yong. One group was fighting the Great Yong garrison at Linshan County at the border of Mount Huozhi. The other group had actually already crossed the mountains and came this way. She didn¡¯t know how good thebat ability of the Great Yong soldiers was. From Li Yu¡¯s observation, she really didn¡¯t think highly of the Great Yong generals. Li Yu began to worry about Zhou Jia and Yangyang in Yunzhou City.


    Shen Shuo did not expect the Qi army to arrive so quickly. He thought to himself, ¡°It¡¯s no longer feasible to wait for the main army to attack from the front and back. With my current manpower, it¡¯s impossible to block the Qi army in the mountains unless we use fire¡­¡±


    The n in Shen Shuo¡¯s heart had already begun to form. He looked at the soldiers and said loudly, ¡°Soldiers, we have to block the Qi people in the cave.


    Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Shen Hui got someone to carry two scouts and set off with his men.


    Shen Shuo turned around and cupped his fists at Li Yu. ¡°Madam Li, please hurry up and send the letter to General Ouyang.¡±


    Li Yu was about to speak when Shen Shuo took out another jade pendant from his pocket and nced at it with tears in his eyes before handing it to Li Yu.


    ¡°Madam, please help me bring the jade pendant to my wife.¡±


    Li Yu took the jade pendant and said to Shen Shuo, ¡°General Shen, you can tie some branches to your bodies to disguise yourselves. I wish you a triumphant return.¡±


    Shen Shuo looked at Li Yu and nodded. He turned around and strode away. Li


    Yu looked at Shen Shuo¡¯s men and estimated that there were no more than 3,000 of them. From Shen Shuo¡¯s expression just now, Li Yu felt that he was already determined to die.


    Li Yu looked at the dead branches and leaves in the forest and the waist-high withered grass. She thought to herself that the best way to win in this winter forest was to attack with fire. If they used fire to block the Great Qi army, Shen Shuo and these warriors could only pray for themselves.


    No matter what era it was, war was always so cruel. Li Yu sighed when she thought of this. She turned around and took the reins from Ji Xiang. She strode down the mountain and only got on her horse and galloped when she reached a t ce.


    Shen Shuo and the others also quickened their pace. The group finally arrived at the top of the mountain before noon the next day. Shen Shuo hid everyone in the forest. The scouts left on the mountain, Uncle Lei and Liu Bao, each wore a hat made of branches and came out of the forest.


    When Shen Shuo saw Uncle Lei¡¯s hat, he suddenly remembered that Madam Li had reminded him to get some branches to disguise himself. He decided to let everyone do as Uncle Lei and Madam Li suggestedter.


    Uncle Lei went forward and reported, ¡°General, their speed has already slowed down. ording to my estimate, it will take them about two to three days to reach the top of the mountain from the opposite side. General, we¡¯ve investigated that they can only pass through this ce to go up the mountain.


    Only the terrain here is not so steep. There are cliffs on both sides.¡±


    Shen Shuo looked around and said to Uncle Lei, ¡°Your observation is not bad. You contributed greatly to this battle.¡± Uncle Lei smiled and nodded. He knew that his group was doomed this time, but for the sake of his children and family, he could only die for the country.


    Shen Shuo returned to the forest and said to the soldiers sitting in the forest to rest, ¡°We¡¯ll take advantage of the past few days to move all the nearby rocks here. When the Qi soldiers climb halfway up the mountain, we¡¯ll use stones to smash them to prevent them from discovering that everyone has been eating dry food for the past few days. Shen Hui, wrap kerosene on the arrows and find some firewood to wrap them in oil. When the Qi soldiers attack, we¡¯ll throw them down and burn them to death in the forest. Can everyone do that?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± everyone replied in unison, understanding that this battle was all or nothing. Everyone got busy and looked around for rocks and dry wood. They cut back a lot of withered grass with a knife and braided it and wrapped it around the wooden stick, preparing to soak it in kerosene.


    The garrison of Linshan County at the border of Mount Spindle had already started fighting with the Qi people. The refugees who had escaped from


    Linshan were arranged to stay in the newly repaired residences in West City.


    Many merchants and rich families in Yunzhou City were selling their houses andnd to escape elsewhere. Those shops and fields were more than half as cheap as usual. Ruyi took the opportunity to buy many shops and fields at a low price.


    Before the city gate closed, Ruyi went to the residence at the foot of Mount


    Spindle. When Ah Wei saw Ruyi, he said to Ruyi with a worried expression, ¡°What should we do, Brother Ruyi? The leisure vi beside is about to be repaired. If these thieves attack, our vi, farmstead, and these wastnds that have just been opened will be abandoned again.¡±


    Ruyi patted Ah Wei. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. Get everyone to pack up and go back to the city to stay.¡±


    Seeing that Master had not abandoned them, Uncle Dashui and Auntie Xue were so touched that they cried. They said to Ruyi, ¡°Manager Zhou, just bring Shuisheng and those children back to the city to stay. We¡¯re all old bones. In any case, we don¡¯t have many years to live. We¡¯ll guard the vi and manor here.¡± When Shuisheng and the children heard Auntie Xue¡¯s words, they also cried.


    ¡°Everyone, don¡¯t waste time. Master said to let everyone go back. Uncle Cai, Auntie Xue, quickly kill the remaining pigs and those chickens and ducks. Everyone, hurry up,¡± Ruyi shouted.


    Auntie Xue said to Ruyi, ¡°Manager Zhou, that courtyard is so big. I think we should keep more than ten chickens and ducks thaty eggs! The eggs are also for Young Master and Master to eat so that they don¡¯t have to go out to buy them. Besides, Auntie Yu still needs them when she gives birth!¡±


    Ruyi looked at them, not knowing whether tough or cry. ¡°Alright, alright.


    We¡¯ll do as you say. Pack up and go.¡±


    ¡°Sigh!¡± Everyone got busy after agreeing.


    They moved out the remaining food in the cer and loaded it onto the ox cart. They also packed up the pots, pans, mosquitos, and bedding into the bamboo baskets. After they were done, they all moved to the ox cart. Ruyi locked the door. Everyone looked at it reluctantly. They walked out of the manor that had given everyone warmth andughter.


    The children silently climbed into the carriage. The adults followed the cart into the city and watched the people fleeing into the city with their families. Only then did everyone really feel like they were in a war..

 Chapter 364 - 364: Success

    Chapter 364: Sess


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Yunzhou City was already filled with troops. Ruyi looked at the busy master that was getting thinner and thought to himself, What if Madam doesn¡¯te back?


    Xiaoyu brought Old Madam Liu, who was carrying a bowl of small wontons, to Ruyi¡¯s side. She said to Ruyi, ¡°Ruyi, bring Young Master to send a bowl of his favorite wontons to Master. Persuade Master to eat more. He¡¯s so busy every day and doesn¡¯t eat much. Look, Master has lost weight. If this continues, Master will probably be seriously ill when Madames back.¡±


    Old Madam Liu couldn¡¯t help but nod. Yangyang looked at Ruyi sensibly. ¡°Uncle


    Yi bring me to the front office so I can get Father to eat. Auntie Yu said that


    Mother will be back in two days.¡±


    Ruyi carried Yangyang and nodded with a smile. ¡°Alright, Uncle Yi will bring


    Young Master to treat Master.¡±


    They passed through the corridor and went to Zhou Jia¡¯s room in the front


    office. Looking at Zhou Jia, who was engrossed in his work, Yangyang knocked on the door and called out, ¡°Father, Yangyang is here.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked up and saw them standing at the door. His thin face was unshaven. ¡°Yang¡¯er is here!¡±


    Ruyi ced Yangyang on the ground. Yangyang brought Old Madam Liu in and ced the small wontons on the table. He walked to Zhou Jia and snuggled up to him. Zhou Jia picked him up and sat him down. Yangyang leaned against Zhou Jia¡¯s neck and kissed his face. ¡°Father, Yang¡¯er and Granny Liu made your favorite wontons. Try them and see if they¡¯re delicious.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at his son¡¯s smiling face and then at Ruyi and Old Madam Liu, who were standing at the door and looking at him worriedly. He knew that he had made them uneasy. He pulled himself together and kissed Yangyang. He smiled at Yangyang. ¡°Alright, Father happens to be hungry. Let¡¯s see how my Little Yang¡¯er¡¯s culinary skills are.¡±


    Yangyang pointed at the wontons in the bowl. ¡°Father, look, I made those ugly ones. Try them.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Zhou Jia scooped up an ugly little wonton and ate it. He nodded. ¡°Oh! It tastes good. Father likes it very much.¡±


    Yangyang looked at Ruyi and Old Madam Liu happily. ¡°Uncle Yi, Granny Liu, look, Father said it¡¯s delicious.¡± Ruyi and Old Madam Liu looked at the father and son and their eyes suddenly turned red.


    Zhou Jia watched as his son ate all the wontons. Yangyang looked at him and said, ¡°Father, Mother will be back in two days. She¡¯ll be angry if you don¡¯t eat properly! ¡±


    ¡°Father knows. Father will eat well.¡± Zhou Jia hugged Yangyang and promised.


    The Qi soldiers arrived at the foot of the mountain opposite at the time Uncle Lei had estimated. At noon this day, Shen Shuo and the soldiers on the mountain stood at the top of the mountain like moving bushes. They watched as the Qi soldiers at the foot of the mountain opposite slowly reached the depression and slowly moved up.


    Shen Shuo felt that the Qi soldiers were already exhausted after many days of crossing mountains and long distances. Uncle Lei, who had returned from scouting for information, said to Shen Shuo, ¡°General, I realized that those Qi soldiers are much slower. It seems that they are already very tired.¡±


    Shen Shuo nodded and praised Uncle Lei. ¡°That¡¯s right! You¡¯re very attentive.


    We¡¯ll wait here and give them a head-on blow.¡±


    Shen Hui looked at the slowly moving Qi soldiers at the foot of the mountain and said to Shen Shuo, ¡°Second Uncle, I want to bring a group of people down to ambush them and burn them to death below before they recover.¡±


    Shen Shuo looked at the team that was slowly moving through the depression like a long dragon and thought that they would definitely rest in the col below. After standing up and looking around, he returned to the forest and made a decision.


    Shen Shuo looked at the stones, wood, and wooden sticks wrapped in straw braids behind him. He turned to look at the soldiers sitting in the forest in twos and threes and said, ¡°I¡¯ve decided to burn the camp. Those who are agile, follow me. Bring the arrows wrapped in kerosene and the remaining kerosene. Everyone has to remember to retreat as soon as you seed. If I don¡¯te back, Shen Hui will rece me.¡±


    ¡°General, we¡¯ll go with you.¡± Chen Lin, a few guards, and soldiers stood up from the team. Shen Hui looked at Shen Shuo and said, ¡°Second Uncle, I want to go¡­¡±


    ¡°This is a military order,¡± Shen Shuo said to Shen Hui. Shen Hui looked at Shen Shuo¡¯s red eyes and puffed out his chest. ¡°Yes, General.¡±


    Shen Shuo looked at the hundreds of soldiers who had stepped forward in relief and said, ¡°Good job! The sons of Great Yong are all exemry! When we reach the Qi army¡¯s camp, everyone has to listen to my orders.¡± Everyone nodded heavily in agreement.


    Shen Hui walked up and hugged Shen Shuo. ¡°Second Uncle, I¡¯ll wait for you toe back.¡±


    Shen Shuo patted him and smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Second Uncle will be fine.¡±


    Everyone hugged each other and bade farewell. Chen Lin said to Shen Hui,


    Shen Hui wiped his tears and patted Chen Lin with a forced smile. ¡°I can¡¯t be bothered to help you. Come back and give it to them yourself.¡±


    The others silently handed the arrows wrapped in kerosene and water bags filled with kerosene to Shen Shuo and the other soldiers and guards. Everyone watched with tears in their eyes as more than a hundred soldiers went down the mountain toward the Qi army.


    Shen Shuo led his men to the top of the Qi army¡¯s camp at midnight. Shen Shuo looked at the bonfires in the col and estimated that at least tens of thousands of Qi soldiers hade.


    Shen Shuo gestured to the soldiers beside him. Everyone sat down silently to rest for more than an hour. When the Qi soldiers let out waves of sound sleep, they carried kerosene arrows and water bags filled with kerosene on their backs and quietly moved toward the camp.


    The Qi soldiers had never dreamed that Great Yong¡¯s soldiers would alsoe to Mount Spindle. A group of officialsy by the fire without any scruples. Some were curled up, some were sleeping with their limbs spread out, and snoring sounded everywhere. The officials on night duty leaned against the tree trunk and were half asleep. Some heard themotion and stood up sleepily to look around. Thinking that they had not found anything, they assumed that it was a wild creature in the mountains. They yawned and sat back down. Shen Shuo and the others, who were covering their bodies, slit their throats and gently ced them on the ground.


    After dealing with the sentries, Shen Shuo, Chen Lin, and the others torched the ces where the supplies were parked. Some were near the camp. Everyone quietly poured the kerosene from the water bags on the supplies and around the camp, as well as on the trees around the camp.


    After everything was ready, they climbed up a nearby tree and lit the arrows wrapped in kerosene. They lit them on the supplies that had been sshed with kerosene and everywhere in the camp.


    Whoosh¡­ The sound of arrows tore through the air. The supplies and the camp instantly burned. The raging fire instantly ignited the withered grass and dead branches in the camp. The forest that was sprinkled with kerosene instantly burned. The Qi soldiers woke up from their sleep and shouted dizzily, ¡°Fire! Hurry up and fight the fire. It¡¯s on fire¡­


    The sound of arrows piercing through the air was even more intense as they flew toward the Qi army. For a moment, the people on the mountain neighed, cried, and shouted like a fire tornado. Wherever they passed, there was a crackling sound of burning. In the blink of an eye, the trees and withered grass that were sprinkled with kerosene burned and fire spread everywhere when the wind blew.


    Shen Hui and the soldiers on the mountain looked at the towering mes below, illuminating the foot of the mountain as if it was daytime. Everyone looked down the mountain silently with tears in their eyes, eager to see those familiar figures appear in front of them. They watched helplessly as the raging mes spread towards the depression and half of the mountain, but there were still no familiar figures.


    Shen Hui wiped his tears and turned to the crying soldiers. ¡°Everyone, retreat to a safe area with me. We¡¯ll go down the mountain to take a look after the fire is extinguished..¡±

 Chapter 365 - 365: Return

    Chapter 365: Return


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    The garrison on the city wall of Yunzhou also saw the towering fire on the top of the mountain. Those who did not know the truth were guessing what was going on. Chu Sihai, Zhou Jia, and the garrison general stood on the city wall and looked at the red sky that was burned by the mountain fire. They were worried about Li Yu and Shen Shuo.


    Deputy General Ouyang, the garrison general, turned to look at Chu Sihai and


    Zhou Jia. ¡°Lord Zhou, Shopkeeper Chu, we received news this morning that the Qingzhou Prefecture has also discovered the abnormal movements of the Qi soldiers. A war is about to break out. The general ordered us to defend Yunzhou City to death. Seeing that the war is about to break out, it will be troublesome if someone colludes from the inside and outside. Shopkeeper Chu, have you captured the Wei family who colluded with the Qi people?¡±


    Chu Sihai cupped his hands at the two of them and said, ¡®General Ouyang, don¡¯t worry. That day, I sent a pigeon to spread the news everywhere and even sent out all the people in the bank. Otherwise, why would I ask Madam Li to take the risk to send a letter to General Shen and make Lord Zhou worry?


    Zhou Jia muttered to himself,¡± You still know that I¡¯m worried? Then why didn¡¯t you let the military go? Why did you let my wife help?¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at the two of them and smiled bitterly. ¡°It¡¯s a small matter that I¡¯m worried about. As long as we can eliminate those evil people from the Wei family as soon as possible and eliminate the Qi soldiers.¡±


    Chu Sihai and Ouyang said in unison, ¡°Yes, let¡¯s work together and destroy the


    Qi army as soon as possible.¡±


    After a few days of traveling, Li Yu and Ji Xiang had already arrived at the wooden hunters¡¯ shack. Li Yu looked at the equally exhausted Ji Xiang. ¡°Let¡¯s rest for four hours tonight before setting off.¡±


    Ji Xiang panted. ¡°That¡¯s good. Rest first, Madam. I¡¯ll get something to eat.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll take a long time if you do it alone. I¡¯ll go get water too.¡± After saying that, Li Yu carried the hanging pot to the stream and fetched water to boil. The two of them ate some dry food with boiling water and prepared their sleeping bags before falling asleep.


    Four hourster, it was already dawn. Li Yu turned over and sat up. Ji Xiang also turned over and sat up. The two of them packed their things and led the horses down the mountain with torches. They arrived at the cornfield before noon.


    Ji Xiang looked at the bare cornfield and said to Li Yu with a smile, ¡°Madam, the corn is all collected.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! In the blink of an eye, we¡¯ve been gone for more than half a month.¡± The two of them arrived outside the manor. Seeing that it was so quiet that no sound could be heard, Li Yu thought that Ruyi had already brought them back to the city. It seemed that the situation was very serious.


    ¡°Giddyup!¡± The two of them whipped the horse twice and rushed toward Yunzhou City. The two of them rushed to the city gate and saw the closed city gate and the garrison standing on the city wall.


    Ji Xiang raised his hand and shouted at the defenders on the city wall, ¡°Please open the city gate.¡±


    Ruyi, who was sitting against the battlement of the city wall, suddenly stood up. He turned around and saw the two people riding horses under the city wall. He waved at Ji Xiang and Li Yu excitedly and shouted, ¡°You¡¯re back! Open the city gate quickly. Madam is back.¡± Ruyi ran towards the city gate as she shouted.


    The guards slowly opened the city gate a little. Li Yu and Ji Xiang rode their horses past the city gate. Ruyi rushed in front of the two of them and pulled the bridle. He looked at the two of them happily and muttered, ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯re back. It¡¯s good that you¡¯re back. Madam, Ji Xiang, you must be tired! I rushed the carriage over. Go sit in the carriage for a while. Master has gone to settle those who fled into the city.¡±


    Li Yu nodded. The two of them smiled as they watched Ruyi get off the horse. Ruyi took the reins from the two of them and walked to the carriage. He tied the reins to the shaft of the carriage. The horse moved leisurely with the carriage. Li Yu leaned against the carriage and fell asleep. Ji Xiang leaned against the carriage door and narrowed his eyes. Ruyi smiled and looked at Ji Xiang from time to time.


    When the few of them returned to the entrance of the government office, Li Yu handed Shen Shuo¡¯s letter to Ruyi and asked him to send it to Chu Sihai. Just as she was about to go home, she thought of the jade pendant that Shen Shuo had given her. She felt that Shen Shuo¡¯s wife should still be looking forward to Shen Shuo¡¯s news. She said to Ji Xiang, ¡°Ji Xiang, go back first. I¡¯ll go to General


    Shen¡¯s house first!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± After Ji Xiang agreed, he watched Li Yu ride her horse to Shen Shuo¡¯s house.


    When Li Yu arrived at the general¡¯s residence, she said to the doorman, ¡°Please inform the general¡¯s wife that the magistrate¡¯s wife is here to visit.¡±


    The doorman looked at the travel-worn Li Yu and returned the greeting politely. ¡°Madam, please wait a moment.¡± With that, he turned around and ran inside.


    After a while, Li Y saw a middle-aged woman in an embroidered dress rushing out. Her beautiful face was a little haggard.


    When the general¡¯s wife saw the exhausted Li Yu in brown, her heart skipped a beat. She hurriedly went forward and bowed. ¡°Sorry for the dy. Madam Magistrate, please.¡±


    Li Yu and the general¡¯s wife entered the general¡¯s residence and passed through the drooping flower door into the courtyard. The general¡¯s wife brought Li Yu into the living room and said politely to Li Yu, ¡°Madam, please sit.¡±


    ¡°Madam General.¡± Li Yu nced at her and handed her the jade pendant in her hand. ¡°General Shen asked me to bring this back to Madam.¡±


    Madam General took the jade pendant and tears flowed down her face involuntarily. She looked at the jade pendant in a daze and asked Li Yu in a choked voice, ¡°Madam Li, what happened to my master?¡±


    Li Yu nced at Madam General¡¯s tear-stained face and suddenly felt a little guilty. She told her about what had happened on the mountain with a heavy heart. ¡°Madam, when I left, General Shen and the others were still advancing towards their destination. I¡¯m not sure about the current situation.¡±


    Madam Shen held the jade pendant tightly in her hand. She thought about how the general had said that the mountain fire on Mount Spindle would burn for a


    few days before it was extinguished. Then she thought about how this pair of fish pendants was a token of love between her and Master. The two of them had agreed to pass the jade pendant to their son in a hundred years. Now that Master had asked the magistrate¡¯s wife to help pass the jade pendant to her, he was probably doomed.


    When Madam Shen thought of this, her heart ached. She suppressed the sadness in her heart and bowed to Li Yu. ¡°Thank you, Madam. You¡¯ve been running around for days and are very tired. I¡¯ll visit you after you¡¯re done.¡±


    ¡°Goodbye, Madam. Please wait.¡± Li Yu stopped the general¡¯s wife from sending her off. After bowing, she came out of the Shen residence and mounted her horse to return.


    When she arrived at the entrance of the government office, she saw Xiaoyu holding Yangyang, who was wearing a red silk jacket, and a pair of thin cotton pants, and Seven Pounds, who was wearing a big red jacket, waiting for Li Yu at the door.


    When Yangyang saw Li Yu riding closer, he called out to Li Yu and ran toward her.


    Li Yu jumped off the horse and quickly walked forward to pick him up. She kissed him. ¡°Good baby, I miss you so much. Did Yang¡¯er miss me at home?¡±


    Yangyang kissed Li Yu. ¡°I miss you. Yang¡¯er and Father miss you together. Father is not obedient and refuses to eat properly.¡± With that, he looked at Li Yu and pouted.


    Li Yu looked at him and smiled. ¡°Yes! Father is not obedient. Yang¡¯er is


    obedient.


    Xiaoyu walked up with Seven Pounds and smiled at the mother and son.


    ¡°Madam, you¡¯re back!¡± Li Yu touched Seven Pounds¡¯ smiling face. ¡°I¡¯m back.¡± Everyone walked into the house happily..

 Chapter 366 - 366: Preparing

    Chapter 366: Preparing


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Xiaoyu looked at the tired and shriveled Li Yu and said to Yangyang with heartache, ¡°Young Master, go y with Xiao Bai and Dahua with Brother Seven Pounds. Let Madam eat something and wash up.¡±


    Yangyang looked at Li Yu and nodded. ¡°Mother, eat well. I¡¯m going to y with


    Brother Seven Pounds.¡±


    ¡°Go! Good boy.¡± Li Yu touched his bag and put him down. She watched the two of them run to the back garden hand in hand.


    ¡°Madam, Gu Yu, Xing Hua, and the others have all gone to the house over there to help dig up the corn. Ji Xiang came back and fell asleep after eating porridge. Granny Liu made lean meat porridge for you. Go and eat some porridge before sleeping well.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Li Yu nced at Xiaoyu¡¯s stomach. ¡°Is the child obedient? Are you tired?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not tired.¡± Xiaoyu smiled and shook her head. Old Madam Liu happily ced the porridge and side dishes. ¡°Madam, you must be hungry! Hurry up and drink some porridge. I¡¯ll get you a bath.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Li Yu drank the porridge and washed up briefly. She returned to the house andy on the bed. A familiar smell came from the tip of her nose. She rxed and fell asleep.


    Shen Hui led his men to retreat to a mountain beam below. They could still see the burning fire. This time, the mountain fire burned for a few days before it was extinguished by sleet.


    Ruyi came out of the Four Seas Bank and went to West City but could not find Zhou Jia. Mr. Qian told him that Zhou Jia had been invited back to the government office by Lord Wu.


    Just as Zhou Jia returned to the government office, Wu Tingxian went up to him in a panic. ¡°Sir, bad news. General Ouyang sent an urgent report. The Qi army¡¯s strength suddenly doubled in the wee hours of the morning. Linshan City was attacked by the Qi army and the county magistrate of Linshan County died. The Yunzhou Prefecture immediately prepared for war and asked us to start recruitingmoners to move rolling wooden stones to the city wall. There are also doctors from various pharmaceutical shops who have to be recruited. Do you think General Shen was the one who set off the wildfire over the past few days? I think those Qi people saw that they couldn¡¯t go through Mount Spindle, so they transferred their troops to Linshan to attack with all their might.¡± Wu Tingxian sighed. ¡°Sigh! Even the Qingzhou Prefecture is fighting. The Qi people areing aggressively!¡±


    When Zhou Jia heard this, he recalled that Li Yu, Ji Xiang, and Sir had yet to return to the city. He was extremely worried and said in a low voice, ¡°It¡¯s useless even if we¡¯re worried. We¡¯ll deal with whateveres our way. When the timees, we¡¯ll have a way to deal with it. Do the recruitment of migrant workers and doctors first. Every family has to send a person between the age of


    16 and 50.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Wu Ting nced at Zhou Jia after agreeing. He suddenly realized that Zhou Jia had suddenly lost a lot of weight these days. He looked at Zhou Jia worriedly. ¡°Sir, did you encounter any difficulties? I only realized today that you¡¯ve lost a lot of weight!¡±


    Zhou Jia cupped his hands at Wu Tingxian. ¡°Thank you for your concern. I¡¯m fine. I just don¡¯t have a good appetite. Tell General Ouyang that we¡¯ll cooperate with him fully.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Wu Ting left first. Ruyi rushed to Zhou Jia¡¯s room from outside. Seeing that Zhou Jia was rubbing his temples and working, he shouted excitedly, ¡®Master, Madam and Ji Xiang are back. Old Master is still not back.¡±


    Zhou Jia held the pen and looked at Ruyi in a daze for a few breaths beforeing back to his senses. He held the pen and ran towards the back office. Ruyi watched as Zhou Jia ran away like a gust of wind. He smiled and pulled the door closed, muttering to himself, ¡°Madam is back, and Master is alive.¡±


    Zhou Jia ran to the courtyard. Gu Yu sat at the door of the main room and said to him with a smile, ¡°Master, you¡¯re back! Madam is already back and is asleep.¡±


    Zhou Jia nodded and gently pushed open the door to enter the room. He sat on the edge of the bed and looked at his sleeping wife in a daze. He leaned down and kissed her forehead. The huge rock in his heart was instantly relieved. Only then did he realize that he was still holding the pen tightly in his hand. He shook his head and smiled. Only then did he remember that he still had to go and see how Wu Tingxian was recruiting workers and doctors. He looked back at Li Yu reluctantly before gently closing the door and leaving.


    When Chu Sihai received the letter from Shen Shuo, he hurriedly took it and sent it to Ouyang, who was guarding the garrison office. The two of them saw that Shen Shuo¡¯s letter said that Yang Rui had been killed as a spy for the Qi people. They nned to take advantage of the winter weather to burn the Qi soldiers to death in the dense forest and let Deputy General Ouyang take over from him after receiving the letter and order the three armies to guard Yunzhou to the death and not let the Qi people enter Yunzhou.


    Chu Sihai thought of the mountain fire that had just been extinguished on Mount Spindle and felt a deep respect for Shen Shuo. He looked at the letter on the table and said, ¡°Members of the Shen family are indeed close to His Majesty. They are indeed loyal and brave, not afraid of death.¡±


    General Ouyang was extremely sad when he thought of the 3,000 soldiers perishing with the Qi soldiers on Mount Spindle. He put Shen Shuo¡¯s letter away respectfully and said to it, ¡°General, I ept your order. I swear that I will keep the city safe.¡±


    Chu Sihai looked at the tall and heroic General Ouyang with admiration. ¡°General Ouyang, with loyal soldiers like you and General Shen in Great Yong, we will definitely chase the Qi people out of Great Yong.¡±


    General Ouyang looked at Chu Sihai and said to him, ¡°Shopkeeper Chu, I don¡¯t believe that all the soldiers have died in the sea of fire. Please send someone to see if there are any surviving soldiers on the mountain. Also, Madam is still waiting for news from General Shen. Shopkeeper Chu, please take General Shen¡¯s letter to Madam. I¡¯ll go up the city wall to inspect.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll send someone over now.¡± Chu Sihai cupped his fists and agreed. He went out and rode his horse toward General Shen¡¯s residence.


    General Ouyang arrived at the top of the city wall. At this moment, the entire city was on guard. There were soldiers everywhere at the top and bottom of the city wall. General Ouyang looked at the generals of the three armies standing at the top and bottom of the city wall and raised his arms to shout, ¡°Soldiers of the three armies, the Qi people tried to pass through Mount Spindle to ambush us. The mountain fire a few days ago was caused by our General Shen leading his soldiers to take a risk. He ignited the kerosene and burned the forest to perish with the Qi soldiers. Now that the lives of General Shen and the 3,000 soldiers are unknown, do you have the confidence to defend Yunzhou City and protect the country?¡±


    The soldiers of the three armies shouted in unison, ¡°Protect Yunzhou, protect the country, protect Yunzhou, protect the country!¡± The soldiers¡¯ inspiring shouts pierced through the clouds.


    Liu Yi and Mr. Qian went to each pharmacy and informed them about the recruitment of doctors during the war. When the shopkeeper of the pharmacy heard this, he frowned and said, ¡°There are doctors in the army! Why should we help?¡±


    Liu Yi was so angry that he mmed the knife on the cab. He looked at him and asked, ¡°Shopkeeper Luo, those soldiers fought in front to protect you. They asked you to treat their injuries. Can¡¯t you do it?¡±


    The shopkeeper of the Dharmacv trembled in fear and hurriedlv came out from


    behind the cab. He bowed and smiled awkwardly. ¡°Constable Liu, I was just saying. Don¡¯t worry, my physician will definitely go.¡±


    Mr. Qian nced at the shopkeeper of the pharmacy who was smiling awkwardly. After taking out a piece of paper and registering it, he asked him to press his fingerprint. He looked at him and said righteously, ¡°Shopkeeper Luo, if everyone is like you, can Yunzhou City still be defended? If Yunzhou City can¡¯t defend against the Qi Dynasty, where will you escape to when the Qi Dynasty massacres the city?¡±


    Shopkeeper Luo kept cupping his hands. ¡°Sir is right. I understand.¡± Mr. Qian and Liu Yi came out of the pharmacy and rushed to another medical center.


    Chu Sihai sent a secret guard out of the city to Mount Spindle to look for survivors. He hesitated for a moment and thought to himself, I should wait for the secret guard to locate the people before telling Madam Mu.. If General Shen is lucky enough to escape the sea of fire, won¡¯t I make Madam Mu sad for nothing?

 Chapter 367 - 367: Warmth

    Chapter 367: Warmth


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    General Ouyang brought a few generals down from the city wall and said to an older man, ¡°General Tian, immediately send some sergeants out of the city with their men and get themoners along the way to hide in the city or the mountains. Tell them to take all the food away and not leave anything for the Qi people. Tell them to move quickly. It will only take two days at most.¡± ¡°Yes, General.¡± General Tian strode away.


    ¡°General Du, go and check the bows, crossbows, carriage crossbows, arrowheads, and kerosene.¡± General Ouyang looked at the strong General Du and instructed.


    ¡°Yes, General.¡± General Du cupped his fists and retreated. Ouyang watched the remaining generals make arrangements.


    Zhou Jia and Wu Tingxian were busy until it was dark before returning home. When he returned to the house, he saw Yangyang lying beside Li Yu and sleeping. Just as he was about to carry Yangyang, Li Yu woke up. She opened her eyes and looked at the thin Zhou Jia. Li Yu frowned and touched his face worriedly. ¡°Xiao Xi, why have you be so thin?¡±


    Zhou Jiay sideways beside Li Yu and hugged her tightly. Looking at her thick ck hair, he said softly, ¡°Yu¡¯er, I¡¯m fine. I was just too busy and I was a little worried about you. Look, you¡¯ve also lost weight. Rest well at home these days.¡±


    ¡°Yes! You have to nourish yourself too. Isn¡¯t Sir back yet?¡± Li Yu hugged Zhou Jia and asked.


    Zhou Jia said in a low voice, ¡°No. When you went to Mount Spindle, he got someone to bring a letter back. He said that he went to Clear Wind Temple in Tongzhou to visit his friends. He might not know about the Qi Dynasty¡¯s invasion.¡±


    Speaking of Tongzhou, Li Yu recalled that Li Qing had just taken the countryside examination. She looked up at Zhou Jia and said, ¡°Yes! Tongzhou should be peaceful. I wonder how Ah Qing did?¡±


    Zhou Jia said confidently, ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be a big problem for the High Schr. We¡¯ll see whether he can get a good ranking.¡±


    Yangyang was woken up by his parents¡¯ conversation. He turned around and sat up. When he saw Zhou Jia, he smiled proudly. ¡°Father, you¡¯re back! I told Mother that you were not obedient and didn¡¯t eat properly.¡± As Yangyang spoke, he pulled Li Yu and squeezed between the two of them to grab their hands.


    The couple looked at the naughty boy who had squeezed into the middle. Li Yu kissed the top of his head and said with a smile, ¡°Alright, how about we punish Father to eat two bowls of rice tonight?¡±


    ¡°Have you eaten?¡± Yangyang looked at his parents and nodded, before shaking his head. ¡°I want to eat more with Father and Mother.¡±


    ¡°Alright, eat some more with Father and Mother.¡± Zhou Jia smiled and stood up to carry Yangyang. ¡°Mother is tired. Let Mother get up and eat.¡±


    ¡°Yes! Mother, get up and eat.¡± Yangyang pulled Li Yu toward the dining room.


    Old Madam Liu and Auntie Zhang happily arranged the dishes. Auntie Zhang said to Li Yu, ¡°Madam, we have pork ribs stewed with lotus roots. These lotus roots were dug back from the pond on the farmstead and stored.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll try my own lotus roots. They¡¯ll definitely be delicious.¡± Li Yu smiled and felt relieved to see the two of them happy.


    Old Madam Liu smiled and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go, Aunt Zhang. Let Madam and Master


    eat well. ¡±


    Yangyang scooped some eggs and stir-fried chives and handed them to Li Yu. ¡°Mother, the eggs wereid by the hens at home. There are hens and ducks in the courtyard over there. The piglets have all been killed and turned into meat.¡±


    Li Yu looked at the eggs and chives on the table and shook her head with a smile. ¡°Son, why are you still dropping food?¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled at Li Yu and looked at Yangyang dotingly. ¡°Yang¡¯er is already very obedient. He has already eaten by himself. Some people are already six or seven years old and still have to be fed. After you left, he even wrapped small wontons for me to eat.¡±


    Li Yu looked at Yangyang happily. ¡°Yes! My son is really capable. He¡¯s a filial and obedient child.¡±


    ¡°Mother, I¡¯ll make it for you in the future.¡± Yangyang smiled at Zhou Jia.


    ¡°Father, I¡¯ll make it for you too. You have to eat obediently.¡±


    When the couple heard their son¡¯s words, they looked at each other and smiled in unison. ¡°Alright, Father. Mother would be waiting for Yang¡¯er to make wontons. ¡±


    Old Madam Liu and Auntie Zhang smiled happily when they heard theughter in the dining room. Auntie Zhang looked at Old Madam Liu happily. ¡°Auntie Liu, look, as soon as Madames back, Master has a smile on his face and his appetite has improved.¡±


    Old Madam Liu also sighed. ¡°That¡¯s right! Master and Madam are really close. This is how a couple should live! I wonder how many lifetimes it takes for such fate to develop?¡±


    Aunt Zhang nodded with a smile. ¡°Auntie Liu, you¡¯re right. Madam and Master must have cultivated their fate for several lifetimes.¡±


    The family ate and walked around the courtyard a few times. After Li Yu washed Yangyang up, Gu Yu brought him to sleep. Only then did Li Yu go to the bathroom to n to wash her hair properly.


    Zhou Jia entered the bathroom with the bath towel and looked at Li Yu¡¯s waist-length ck hair. He walked over and hugged Li Yu. He muttered in her ear, ¡°Yu¡¯er, I miss you so much that my heart hurts.¡±


    Li Yu leaned against him and held his hand. ¡°I missed you too. After knowing Qi people¡¯s intentions, I was worried about your safety!¡±


    ¡°The Qi people came aggressively. The general ordered General Ouyang to retreat to Yunzhou to avoid them. Most of the citizens of Linshan County fled with their families. Magistrate Liu has already died. The Qi people actually massacred the city and plundered to deter Great Yong¡¯s subjects. They didn¡¯t even let off young children,¡± Zhou Jia said with a heavy heart.


    When Li Yu heard this, she thought about how many massacres had happened in history. For example, in Yangzhou in her previous life, the Qing army led troops to ughter. They burned, killed, and plundered everywhere. The prosperous city was instantly reduced to ruins. She just didn¡¯t know if the courage of Great Yong¡¯s soldiers still existed after a long time. Could the soldiers of Yunzhou resist the Qi army? Could they defend Yunzhou City? Li Yu fell into deep thought.


    Seeing that Li Yu was silent, Zhou Jia secretly med himself for telling her this to make her worry. Zhou Jia took a deep breath and pulled Li Yu¡¯s body over with a smile. ¡°Little Yu¡¯er, do you need Xiao Xi to scrub your back?¡±


    Ll YU 100Ked at znou Jia ana Knew tnat ne wanted ner to De nappy. sne alsoposed herself and looked at Zhou Jia with a smile. ¡°I¡¯ll permit it.¡± The couple looked at each other and smiled, their eyes filled with love.


    The next morning, Zhou Jia went to the government office. After Li Yu returned from cultivating in the backyard, she went to the cer and took out the gunpowder and bombs that had been concocted in the space. She looked at the earth jar and gunpowder in front of her and hesitated. Then, she thought of the massacre Zhou Jia mentioned and made up her mind.


    Aftering out of the cer, she called Ji Xiang over. After a moment of silence, she pointed at the round-bellied wine jars on the table. ¡°Go buy dozens of such wine jars and ask someone to make wooden stoppers with wood. Make a small hole twice as thick as amp wire in the middle of the stopper. Go and ask Master to approve a note to buy some iron sand from the cksmith.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± Ji Xiang didn¡¯t ask Li Yu why she wanted these things. Without hesitation, he picked up the small wine jar on the table and left.


    Li Yu brought Gu Yu to the servants¡¯ room in the backyard and took out a basket of charcoal ash that Old Madam Liu had stored there. She said to Gu Yu and Aunt Zhang, ¡°Sift out this charcoal ash with fine powder and put it in a clean wicker basket.¡±


    ¡°Got it, Madam.¡± The two of them went to get the thin wicker and began to sieve..

 Chapter 368 - 368: Earth Bomb

    Chapter 368: Earth Bomb


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Li Yu returned to the cer and took out two baskets of saltpeter and some sulfur. She asked Old Madam Yun, Old Madam Xu, and the others to grind the saltpeter and sulfur separately into powder. Before they could grind them, Ji Xiang and Ruyi returned with the wine jar and iron sand.


    When the two of them saw Li Yu rolling up her sleeves and pushing the mill, they hurriedly put down the wicker basket. Ji Xiang walked forward. ¡°Madam, let us do it.¡±


    Ji Xiang looked at the saltpeter powder that Old Madam Yun and the others had sifted out. Ruyi asked Li Yu curiously, ¡°Madam, is it useful for you to grind these things?¡±


    Li Yu looked at the two of them. ¡°It¡¯s very useful. When I¡¯m done configuring it, I¡¯ll test it for you to see.¡±


    Ji Xiang looked at these things and was enlightened. ¡°Are you going to use those wine jars to store these things? The cork won¡¯t be ready for another four hours!¡±


    Li Yu smiled and said, ¡°Four hours is fine. Let¡¯s get these done first.¡±


    Ji Xiang smiled and said, ¡°I have nothing to do now.¡±


    They worked for a long time before grinding the saltpeter and sulfur. Li Yu brought a few old women to sift through them twice before asking Ruyi and Ji Xiang to carry everything to the warehouse. They took the scale to the warehouse and began to configure the gunpowder.


    Li Yu configured the saltpeter, sulfur, and charcoal ash ording to the ratio. After softening the fur-lined paper, she wrapped it in gunpowder and ced it in the fuse. Then, she added some oil to the configured gunpowder to wrap the iron sand inside.


    After it was done, Li Yu looked at the two of them and instructed them solemnly, ¡°These things can¡¯t be tainted, or they will cause immeasurable consequences. We can¡¯t let anyone with ulterior motives know of the existence of these things. At that time, I¡¯m afraid it will bring an unimaginable disaster to the entire family. Got it?¡±


    Seeing Li Yu¡¯s serious expression, the two of them also replied solemnly,


    Outside the city, themoners brought back by the sergeants sent by General Tian had all arrived at the east city gate. Themoners dragged their families and food into the city one after another. The ce that had just been repaired in West City was already filled with people. More and more people wereing to live there. Wu Tingxian thought of the sealed shops, inns, and residences of the Wei family and said to Zhou Jia, ¡°Sir, we can requisition those residences of the Wei family for thosemoners to live in temporarily.¡±


    ¡°Lord Wu is still the smartest,¡± Zhou Jia replied with a smile. Then, he asked Liu Yi and the bailiffs to find the abandoned empty houses in the city and get someone to tear off the seals on the Wei family¡¯s shop and inn and ce them inside.


    Li Yu brought a can of concocted explosives to Ji Xiang and Ruyi. After noon, they left the city and went to a small hill outside the East City. The two of them watched as Li Yu blew on the lighter, lit the fuse on the wooden stopper, and threw it out. They heard a loud bang. Ji Xiang and Ruyi were shocked and hurriedly ran over to take a look. A huge pit was sted open where the wine can had fallen. The iron sand inside shot into the tree at the side. The two of them looked at the huge pit and were dumbfounded. A momentter, they understood why Li Yu had made this thing.


    The two of them looked at Li Yu, who was slowly walking over. ¡°Madam, do you want to use this bomb to deal with Qi people?¡±


    Li Yu sighed. ¡°Yes, your master said that after the Qi people attacked Linshan


    County, they ughtered everyone in the city, even the children. If Yunzhou


    City can¡¯t be defended, the citizens in the city will suffer.¡±


    Ruyi nced at Li Yu. ¡°Madam, not long after you left, Madam Gao came to look for you before the city gate closed. I told her that you went to look for Sir. I don¡¯t think she believes me. The next morning, she brought her luggage out of the city and went to the capital. Also, I heard that Madam Wang and the others are still locking Madam Lin in the farm in front. I wonder if they followed thosemoners into the city.¡±


    No wonder he didn¡¯t see Madam Gao when she came back this time. It turned out that she had long run away. Even Wu Tingxian didn¡¯t have the confidence?


    ¡°Disregard Madam Lin. Let¡¯s go back to the city! I don¡¯t want Master to worry.¡± Li Yu walked back.


    After the few of them returned to the city, they began to fill the remaining wine jars with gunpowder and iron sand. Zhou Jia returned from the front office exhausted. When he saw them filling the wine jars with those ck things in the warehouse, he looked at them strangely. ¡°Madam, I thought you were tinkering with something delicious in the warehouse. So it¡¯s such a ck thing. ¡±


    Ji Xiangughed and thought to himself that it would be amazing if he ate this. Li Yu alsoughed when she heard that. ¡°You can¡¯t eat this.¡±


    Ruyi smiled at Zhou Jia and said, ¡°Master, this thing is like a firecracker, but it¡¯s not much more powerful than a firecracker. Madam is preparing to use it to deal with those Qi soldiers.¡±


    ¡°You are using these things to deal with Qi soldiers? How?¡± Zhou Jia looked at the three of them in confusion. Ji Xiang squeezed to Zhou Jia¡¯s side and told him about their test on the mountain outside the city.


    ¡°Really?¡± Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu in surprise. ¡°Madam, did your master tell you all this?¡±


    Li Yu nodded and thought to herself, that she had fortunately found a mysterious master for herself back then. Otherwise, how could she have hidden it?!


    Zhou Jia looked at the jars in the wicker basket and thought to himself, With these things, would he be afraid of not being able to defend Yunzhou City? It would not be a problem to chase the Qi people back to the north.


    Li Yu nced at Zhou Jia and knew what he was thinking. She looked at him and said, ¡°Xiao Xi, you can¡¯t expose these things. You should know that an ordinary person¡¯s wealth is his sin. You have to know that no matter how wise the person above is, there will be times when he¡¯s muddle-headed. If someone with evil intentions provokes us in the middle, even if we empty our assets and offer them up, they will still suspect us. They will still think that we have something more powerful hidden and haven¡¯t given it up. At that time, we will


    only be faced with the disaster of annihtion. Unless you have¡­¡±


    Zhou Jia knew what Li Yu was about to say. Unless you had the ambition to dominate the world. Thinking of this, Zhou Jia felt that it was a funny thing. Even his magistracy had brought so much trouble to Yu¡¯er. Could there be a stable life when fighting for supremacy in the world? Forget it, he should wait for Qi people to be chased away before resigning and returning to Phoenix Vige to open an academy. It was good to be a teacher.


    ¡°Not exposed? Madam, people will know if we use it! If we don¡¯t use it, what¡¯s the use of making these?¡±


    ¡°Master, we can¡¯t use it openly. We can secretly use it and help!¡± Ji Xiang looked at Zhou Jia and said. Ruyi looked at Zhou Jia and kept nodding.


    Li Yu also nodded and said, ¡°Ji Xiang is right. Although General Ouyang is already leaving nothing usable to the enemy, if the Qi army really has 200,000 soldiers as you estimated, I¡¯m worried that the tens of thousands of soldiers in the city won¡¯t be able to defend Yunzhou City.¡±


    Zhou Jia also understood. ¡°Yes, what you say makes sense. When the timees, we¡¯ll disguise ourselves as prefecture soldiers and go up the city wall to help in the corner.¡±


    Everyone unified their thoughts about dealing with Qi soldiers. Ji Xiang smiled and said, ¡°Master, then you have to get a few sets of soldiers¡¯ clothes and hide them at home as soon as possible. At that time, we¡¯ll carry these things and blow up Qi soldiers on the city wall.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll get it back tomorrow.¡± Zhou Jia smiled and patted Ji Xiang. ¡°This has dyed your marriage. Otherwise, our Ji Xiang would probably have be a groom.¡±


    ¡°Master, seriously, you went off-topic too quickly.¡± Ji Xiang ran out with a red face..

 Chapter 369 - 369: Ambush

    Chapter 369: Ambush


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    The next day, Li Yu went to the courtyard behind the government office. It was a two-in-one house with a garden at the back. The men lived in the courtyard. Auntie Xue brought the girls to live in the two-in-one courtyard and raised chickens and ducks in the back garden. The corn was also peeled off and dried. It was packed in sacks and filled two houses.


    Li Yu looked around and instructed Uncle Dashui and Uncle Li, Aunt Xue, and the others, ¡°The world isn¡¯t peaceful now. You have to watch the door and not let anyone in casually. Especially those girls at home, you have to be careful. If there¡¯s anything,e to the government office and tell Ruyi or Ji Xiang.¡± The few of them said respectfully, ¡°Yes, Madam. Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll be careful.¡±


    Li Yu returned to the government office. After noon, Zhou Jia asked Tiezhu to send back a few sets of soldier clothes. The ck rough clothes looked quite firm. When Li Yu saw the ck clothes, she remembered that she had not returned the token Chu Sihai had given her. Li Yu also wanted to go to the street to take a look, so she greeted Ruyi and brought Gu Yu out.


    Gu Yu pointed at the Intoxicated Immortal Restaurant and said to Li Yu,


    ¡°Madam, look, the Intoxicated Immortal Restaurant has be cold.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! After those rich merchants in the city fled, the lively Intoxicated Immortal Restaurant building became like this.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about the Intoxicated Immortal Restuarant. I heard Tiezhu and Mr. Qian muttering that even Willow Flower Alley is no longer lively.¡±


    ¡°The two of them went to Willow Flower Alley together?¡± Li Yu looked at Gu Yu in surprise.


    ¡°Aiya!¡± Gu Yu looked at Li Yu¡¯s red face. ¡°Madam, what are you thinking? Mr.


    Qian and Tiezhu helped Master settle those refugees in West City.¡±


    ¡°Hehe.¡± Li Yu smiled awkwardly. ¡°I was thinking too much.¡±


    The two of them turned down a street and realized that there were still manymoners pushing and carrying their belongings on the street. They rushed into the city with their families. The pedestrians on the road were also in a hurry. Their faces were no longer as calm and smiling as before.


    When Li Yu arrived at the entrance of the Qian Manor, she happened to see Chu Sihai and Chu Feng rushing out. When the two of them saw Li Yu, they smiled. Chu Sihai cupped his hands and smiled. ¡°Madam Li, what a rare guest. Pleasee in.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and returned the bow. ¡°Head Shopkeeper, I see that you¡¯re quite busy, so we don¡¯t have to go in and sit. I came today to return the token to you.¡±


    ¡°Alright, thank you for your help, Madam.¡± Chu Sihai cupped his hands and smiled.


    Li Yu took out the token and handed it to Chu Sihai. ¡°When I found General Shen, he had already caught the spy, so this token was useless. I only thought of returning it to you today.¡±


    Chu Sihai took the token respectfully and bowed to Li Yu. ¡°Thank you, Madam.¡±


    ¡°Head Shopkeeper, you¡¯re too polite.¡± After Li Yu bade farewell, she brought Gu Yu back to the government office and asked Old Madam Liu and the others to make some dry rations and biscuits. She stir-fried some oil tea noodles and ced them in case of emergencies.


    Zhou Jia returned from the front office and said to Li Yu, ¡°The Qi army is about to arrive. Head Shopkeeper sent a secret guard to kill the Crown Prince of Great Qi. I heard from Head Shopkeeper that Ouyang Xiong is the descendant of Great General Ouyang. He said that he¡¯s resourceful, knowledgeable, and good at using people.¡±


    That was good. There was only one soldier and a nest of generals. The general was resourceful and had a high chance of winning in Yunzhou. However, would it be so easy for Chu Sihai to send people to someone else¡¯snd to kill the Crown Prince of Great Qi? Li Yu asked curiously, ¡°Are they going to Qi Country to kill the crown prince?¡±


    Zhou Jia shook his head. ¡°I didn¡¯t make myself clear. How about this? This time, the Qi State sent troops to attack Great Yong. The Crown Prince of the Qi State is supervising the army in Yunzhou. The Great General, Yang Huaiyi, is leading the army. Yang Huaiyi is also the elder brother of the Qi State¡¯s noble consort. The prince under the noble consort¡¯s knee is young and intelligent and is very doted on by the Prince of Qi.¡±


    ¡°If we kill the Crown Prince, won¡¯t the Prince of Qi make his beloved son the Crown Prince?¡±


    ¡°Yu¡¯er, you don¡¯t know that the Prince of Qi has three legitimate sons. The Crown Prince was appointed as the Crown Prince at a young age. He has been the crown prince for almost 30 years. The officials of the Qi Kingdom privately teased him that he was an old Crown Prince. Also, the rRght minister of the Qi Kingdom is the crown prince¡¯s maternal grandfather. Even if the Crown Prince dies, the son of the noble consort won¡¯t be the next Crown Prince.¡±


    Li Yu understood. Chu Sihai and the others wanted to kill the Crown Prince and make the princes of the Qi Kingdom kill each other for the throne. They would also cause conflict between the Right Minister and the General of the Qi Kingdom. It was a dy tactic.


    ¡°It¡¯s a good n. Can the secret guards seed?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure either.¡± Zhou Jia held Li Yu¡¯s hand, secretly worried that Chu Sihai woulde to Li Yu for help.


    On a deserted mountain path on the Tianjia Ridge outside the Tianjia Dam, Yun Yi and Yan Niang were dressed as Qi subjects. The two of them were wearing washed-out linen clothes. The two of them pushed and pulled a handcart filled with food as they struggled forward. The soldiers supervising them at the side used a horsewhip to whip the slow-movingmoners from time to time.


    Yun Yi and Yan Niang pushed the handcart and secretly recorded the number of provisions. Yun Yi looked up at the covered carriage in the distance and his eyes darkened when he thought of his mission.


    In a house not far from the city wall of Yunzhou, General Ouyang was listening to General Tian¡¯s report. ¡°General, the citizens along the wav in Xinqfu Town


    have all entered the city to settle down¡­¡±


    Suddenly, a scout barged in and reported loudly, ¡°General, the Qi army is only a hundred miles away from Yunzhou. The one leading the troops is Yang Huaiyi, and the supervisor is the Crown Prince of Great Qi, Wu Jin. The informant says that the Qi army will probably set up camp near the Yang family vige.¡±


    Even the old crown prince hade to earn military merits. Did the Qi people really think that Yunzhou City was meat on their chopping board?


    Ouyang Xiong recalled that Chu Sihai had already sent someone to assassinate the Crown Prince of the Qi Kingdom. He would take advantage of the chaos when they were setting up camp to let the secret guards take action. If he could kill some Qi soldiers along the way, it would be an unexpected gain.


    Ouyang Xiong made up his mind and swept his gaze across the generals sitting together. He stood up and looked at General Yun Can. ¡°General Yun Can, lead 2,000 cavalries to attack the Qi soldiers. Remember, don¡¯t fight. After disturbing the Qi soldiers, return to the city immediately. I¡¯ll meet you at the city gate.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± After General Yun Can agreed, he gathered the troops and galloped away.


    In the government office, Zhou Jia also received the quarterly report. ¡°Sir, the


    Qi army is only a hundred miles away from us.¡±


    Zhou Jia instructed, ¡°Send more people to patrol and pay more attention to those quiet alleys. I¡¯m afraid there will be local hooligans taking advantage of the situation. Once you discover that there are local hooligans taking advantage of the situation and capture those who refuse to be persuaded and send them to perform hardbor.¡±¡®


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± The prefect hurried away.


    General Yun Can sped along with 2,000 cavalrymen and arrived at the Yang family vige in less than an hour. The formerly lively Yang family vige had be a wastnd. All the houses had been burned down by the hard-walled officials and soldiers. There were dpidated walls everywhere. General Yun Can waited quietly with his men in a small forest outside the Yang family vige.


    After a while, they heard the sound of countless iron hooves pounding on the ground in the distance. A momentter, a team of cavalry scouting the way quickly sped over. Everyone waited quietly for them to enter the vige. General Yunshen waved his arm and drew a circle. All the cavalry were on guard. Seeing that the team of cavalry was getting closer and closer, General


    Yun Can led the cavalry to outnk them. The soldiers raised their crossbows.


    After the mechanism sounded, the crossbow bolts tore through the air and the Qi soldiers on the horses fell from their horses..

 Chapter 370 - 370: War

    Chapter 370: War


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    General Yun Can led his men toward the marching Qi soldiers. When the Qi soldiers in front saw a group of peopleing at them, they were shot down by crossbow bolts before they could react. The Qi soldiers in front were so frightened that they turned around and fled in panic. They squeezed together with the infantry behind them. The Qi army shouted, ¡°There¡¯s a cavalry ambush. There¡¯s a cavalry ambush.¡±


    In just a dozen breaths, arge group of cavalry rushed out of the cavalry formation behind. Those cavalrymen carried crossbows and passed the fleeing infantrymen to rush toward the troops led by General Yun Can. General Yun Can turned his horse around and shouted, ¡°Retreat, retreat!¡±


    Everyone turned their horses around and fled quickly. The cavalry crossbow bolts chasing after them flew over like raindrops. The cavalry were all on their horses, and the arrows fell from their positions. General Yun Shen led 2,000 people and ran towards Yunzhou City like the wind. The Qi army raised their crossbows and chased after them. General Ouyang, who was standing on the city wall, saw that General Yun Can had returned. There were still Qi soldiers chasing after him. He raised his g and waved it. General Yun Can led the cavalry toward the city gate.


    One of the crossbowmen waiting on the city wally on the ground with his foot on the crossbow string and kicked it open. The other crossbowman quickly loaded the arrows. In an instant, ten thousand arrows were fired at the same time. The pursuing Qi soldiers instantly fell to the ground. The remaining Qi soldiers spurred their horses back and turned to escape. In this battle, Great Yong had not lost a single soldier. Great Qi had lost thousands of cavalry.


    Ouyang Xiong and the crossbowmen stood on the city wall and watched as the soldiers cleaning up the battlefield loaded the horses and arrows onto the handcarts. Looking at the corpses of the soldiers under the city wall, the soldiers on the city wall did not seem so afraid.


    Less than half of the Great Qi soldiers had fled back. Yang Huaiyi nced at the carriage in front of him and was dissatisfied with the crown prince who had bypassed his order to let the soldiers give chase.


    The deputy general behind him, Jiang Cheng, whispered, ¡°Great General, the Crown Prince only knows how to talk on paper. We should have stopped him.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t be rude to the Crown Prince,¡± Yang Huaiyi said in a low voice.


    Yun Yi and Yan Niang had no chance toe into contact with Crown Prince Qi at all. Yan Niang looked at the stagnant supplies in front of them and then at the grain cart the two of them were pushing. She whispered to Yun Yi, ¡°We¡¯ve been busy for so many days and haven¡¯t even touched a single hair of Crown Prince Qi. How can we assassinate him? We should have brought some kerosene to burn the rations back then.¡±


    She wanted to bring kerosene, but she had not even seen a spark. Yun Yi nced at Yan Niang as if he was looking at a fool. Despite that, he felt that Yan Niang¡¯s idea of burning rations was a feasible method. At this moment, the supply cart in front moved. Yun Yi bent down and lifted the cart to pull the grain cart forward.


    Zhou Jia hurriedly returned to the back office to eat and said to Li Yu, ¡°Before midnight, the Qi army¡¯s cavalry attacked and were beaten back.¡±


    Li Yu scooped a bowl of chicken soup for him. ¡°Are the Qi soldiers here so quickly?¡±


    Zhou Jia swallowed the food in his mouth. ¡°General Ouyang sent General Yun


    Can to attack the Qi army and killed more than a thousand Qi cavalry.¡±


    ¡°Oh! That¡¯s good. A small victory can boost the morale of the army. Is the city stable?¡±


    ¡°A few local hooligans gathered more than ten people and robbed a provision store. I got someone to make them do hardbor. Yu¡¯er, I¡¯m on duty in the government office tonight. Rest early,¡± Zhou Jia said to Li Yu.


    Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll send you supperter.¡±


    Yangyang raised the spoon and said to the two of them, ¡°Father, Mother, I want to be a general in the future.¡±


    Li Yu wiped the rice off his face and asked him with a smile, ¡°Why do you want to be a general? Do you know what a general is?¡±


    Yangyang looked at the two of them with sparkling eyes. ¡°Sir told us that a general is a great hero who protects the country. I want to be a great hero in the future. ¡±


    Zhou Jia stood up and patted his head. ¡°A great general is good at both literature and martial arts. Study hard in the future and work hard to cultivate with Little Loach and Brother Seven Pounds before you have a chance to be a


    great general, understand?¡±


    Yangyang nodded. ¡°Got it, Father.¡±


    The night passed peacefully. The next morning, the sky was gloomy. Zhou Jia stood on the city wall with Ruyi and Ji Xiang, who were wearing the clothes of the prefecture soldiers. They looked at the Qi Kingdom¡¯s infantry in the distance, which was neatly arranged. They raised their shields and the tip of their spears slowly moved toward Yunzhou City.


    In the distance, there was also the sound of iron hooves stepping on the ground. It was like a distant muffled thunder in the gloomy sky.


    Ouyang Xiong was fully armored. Under his dark helmet, his expression was solemn. Behind him stood a group of generals from Yunzhou City. The new deputy general, Shen Liang, was wearing white armor and holding a strong bow.


    Ji Xiang looked at the Qi army and whispered to Zhou Jia, ¡°Master, I might as well go out of the city tonight and blow up the Qi army.¡±


    Ruyi patted Ji Xiang and Ouyang Xiong walked towards Zhou Jia. He cupped his fists at Zhou Jia and said, ¡°Lord Zhou, the Qi army doesn¡¯t have the 300,000 troops they were rumored to have. The informant said that at most, 150,000 soldiers are counted along with the old, weak, and crippled soldiers.¡±


    Zhou Jia thought to himself that there were only 50,000 of them. 50,000 against 150,000. The odds of winning were not high! Thinking this, he said heroically, ¡°General Ouyang, as long as we¡¯re civil and military, we¡¯re not afraid of even 300,000 soldiers!¡±


    Ouyang Xiong looked at this magistrate, who was even more handsome than a woman and patted Zhou Jia¡¯s shoulder happily. Seeing that Zhou Jia was still standing motionless, he smiled and said, ¡°That¡¯s right. Lord Zhou, we are of the same mind. The outside of Yunzhou City is the burial ground of these Qi dogs.¡±


    Zhou Jia¡¯s shoulder hurt from his fan-like hand. He thought that when he returned, he would get his wife to help him p Ouyang Xiong back. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s their burial ground.¡±


    Deputy General Shen, General Yun Can, and the generals raised the weapons in their hands and shouted, ¡°The ce where the Qi perish.¡±


    ¡°The ce where the Qi dogs perish!¡± Tens of thousands of soldiers raised the spears in their hands and shouted in unison. Their shouts rang through the clouds and reached the ears of the Qi army.


    Zhou Jia and Ouyang Xiong went down the city wall together under the deafening shouts.


    When the citizens and Li Yu in the city heard the shouts, they knew that the Qi army had arrived. The Qi soldiers quickly arrived at the foot of the city and set up a formation. The infantry raised their shields to protect the crossbowmen carrying the bed crossbows behind them.


    Deputy General Shen, who was standing on the city wall, raised his g. The crossbowmen and archers began to shoot at the Qi army. The Qi army raised their shields to block the iing arrows. Some soldiers still fell from the arrows.


    The Qi general waved the g and the drums shook the sky. The infantry carried thedder and rushed towards the city wall. The crossbowmen¡¯s arrows flew toward the city wall like rain. The infantry on the city wall raised their shields to protect the crossbowmen. Some soldiers fell after being shot.


    A deafening drumbeat sounded on the city wall. Under the cover of the shield, Deputy General Shen drew his bow and shot arrows. The arrows tore through the air and shot at the Qi crossbowmen, who fell one after another.


    Under the cover of the infantry shields, the archers shot arrows at the Qi infantry like raindrops. The infantry fell one by one. The Qi soldiers who rushed to the foot of the city wall set up adder. After being overturned by the Great Yong soldiers, they fell. The rolling wooden stones on the other side also smashed into the Qi soldiers who had climbed up the clouddder. The Qi soldiers fell one by one..

 Chapter 371 - 371: Cruel

    Chapter 371: Cruel


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Li Yu stood at the door and listened attentively to the shouts from the city wall. Gu Yu said to Li Yu worriedly, ¡®Madam, do you think these Qi soldiers will go


    to Great maple vige C¡±


    ¡°No, they¡¯re still busy attacking the city!¡±


    Gu Yu looked in the direction Li Yu was looking worriedly and asked softly,


    ¡°Madam, do you think our soldiers can defend Yunzhou City?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Li Yu decided to go to the city wall to take a look. She turned around and strode into the house to change her clothes. She took out the bow from her space and carried the quiver. When she came out, she said to Gu Yu, ¡°Guard the house well. When Ruyi and the otherse back, tell them that I¡¯ve gone to the city wall to take a look.¡±


    Gu Yu chased after Li Yu. ¡°Madam, I¡¯ll go with you.¡±¡®


    ¡°Be good and stay at home. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± Just as Li Yu reached the door, she saw Chu Sihai jump down from the horse.


    Chu Sihai¡¯s eyes lit up when he saw Li Yu¡¯s outfit. It seemed that he had made the right choice toe. Madam Li would not stand by and do nothing.


    Chu Sihai cupped his hands at Li Yu and smiled. ¡°Madam Li, I still want to go to your house for a cup of tea. Looking at your clothes, are you going to the city wall?¡±


    Could it be that the secret guard did not seed in assassinating the crown prince of the Qi Kingdom? Was Chu Sihai seeking her help? Li Yu looked at him and smiled faintly. ¡°Head Shopkeeper, you¡¯re too polite. We can have some tea. Please!¡±


    Li Yu brought Chu Sihai back to the courtyard and sat down in the living room. Chu Sihai bowed to Li Yu and said, ¡®Madam Li, Sihai wants to invite you out of the city tonight to burn the Qi army¡¯s rations at the Tian family dam. We¡¯ve already received news from the secret guards that the Qi army¡¯s rations are at the Tian Family Vige. Yan Niang will cooperate with you there.¡±


    It turned out that Yan Niang was among the people who went to assassinate the crown prince of the Qi Kingdom. Li Yu looked at Chu Sihai. ¡°Burn the Qi army¡¯s rations? How do we attack?¡±


    Chu Sihai took out a map and said frankly, ¡°Yan Niang and Yun Yi have infiltrated themoners escorting the provisions of the Qi army. After you and Yan Niang burn the provisions, Yun Yi will find an opportunity to infiltrate the Qi army and assassinate the Crown Prince of the Qi country. The terrain of the Tian family Vige not far from Linshan County is wide. It¡¯s where the Qi army stores the provisions. You can approach the Qi army¡¯s provisions along the south hill. Yan Niang will meet you there.¡±


    Li Yu nodded after reading the map. ¡°Get someone to bring me some rockets and kerosene. I¡¯ll set off when it¡¯s dark.¡±


    Seeing that Li Yu had agreed to his request without hesitation, Chu Sihai thought to himself that in this chaotic period, most of the officials in the city had fled with their children. The ones left behind had nowhere to go. Only Madam Li was still guarding Yunzhou and secretly helping the Imperial Court do these extremely risky things. Madam Li¡¯s actions in the face of righteousness were really admirable.


    Chu Sihai took out a bamboo whistle from his pocket and handed it to Li Yu respectfully. ¡°Madam Li, this bamboo whistle can blow out the cries of turtledove birds. When you arrive, blow two short calls and one long cry. Yan Niang will go back and receive you. The rockets and kerosene will be sent to youter.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Li Yu took it and blew on it. The bamboo whistle made a cooing sound.


    ¡°Madam Li, I¡¯ll go back and get someone to send you the rockets and kerosene. I¡¯ll also send you two bows. Bring one to Yan Niang.¡±


    ¡°Alright, take care.¡± Li Yu sent Chu Sihai to the entrance of the main courtyard and turned around to go home to lie on the recliner. It turned out that the Qi soldiers had used the Tian family dam as a grain warehouse. ording to the distance, it would take twelve to fourteen hours to ride a horse. She had to rest wellter.


    The two armies were still fighting on the city wall. A tall and strong man who looked like an iron tower had a big saber on his back and a meteor hammer wrapped around his hand. The man was trying his best to climb up the city wall. The soldiers on the city wall pushed thedder with all their might. The man threw his meteor hammer and hit a soldier on the head. Ji Xiang carried a basket of stones up and saw the soldier¡¯s brain explode and fall to the ground.


    Ji Xiang was so angry that he picked up a stone and aimed it at the man on thedder. The tall and strong man on thedder raised his hand to block it. With a crack, the man¡¯s arm was broken under the powerful impact of the stone. Ji Xiang immediately raised his sleeve arrow and shot it at the man. The sleeve arrow flew out and hit the man¡¯s neck. The man fell from thedder.


    General Yun Can shouted happily at Ji Xiang, ¡°Good job, young man.¡± Ji Xiang smiled and turned around with amoner to carry the injured soldiers off the city wall. He sent the injured soldiers down and handed them to the doctor. He looked at the moaning injured soldiers and walked back with his head lowered.


    When he returned to the government office, he told Li Yu about the intense battle on the city wall. She said sadly, ¡°Madam, it¡¯s only the first intense battle today. I heard that many people have already died.¡±


    Li Yu said indifferently, ¡°War is very cruel and heartless, to begin with. As long as we fight, it¡¯s inevitable that we¡¯ll fight to the death. Once we attack, we have to advance bravely. Those who cower will lose their lives.¡±


    ¡°Madam, I¡¯m worried that after those rolling logs are used up, the Qi soldiers wille to attack the city again. What will we use to smash those Qi soldiers? I¡¯ve been thinking along the way that we can tie ropes at both ends of the rolling logs. After we smash them down, we won¡¯t have to drag them up so quickly.¡±


    Li Yu thought for a moment. ¡°Your method is not bad. Actually, if it¡¯s simpler, you can sharpen the bamboo pole and throw it. However, ordinary bamboo seems to be too light.¡± Li Yu turned around. ¡°Oh! I remember that there¡¯s a bamboo called a hard-headed spring. This bamboo grows tall and straight. The bamboo joints are thick and hard, and it¡¯s just right for an adult to hold them. In the past, in the vige, everyone specially nted it to pick things or repair houses. Go to the bamboo shop and buy some. Cut it and pull it to the city wall to try. ¡±


    Ji Xiang¡¯s happy eyes smiled into slits. ¡°Aye! I¡¯ll go now.¡±


    Ji Xiang found the hard-headed spring that Li Yu had mentioned in the bamboo shop. He saw that this bamboo was indeed as thick as a bamboo pole as Li Yu had said. It felt heavy in his hand.


    When the shopkeeper of the bamboo shop saw that someone was stilling to buy bamboo in the chaos, he happily sold it to Ji Xiang at a low price. Ji Xiang said to him, ¡°Shopkeeper, please help me pull these hard-headed springs to the courtyard of the prefectural soldiers beside the government office. I¡¯m in a hurry to get them.¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright. I¡¯ll send it to you immediately,¡± the shopkeeper replied politely.


    After the bamboo was pulled to the courtyard, the soldiers in the courtyard looked at the bamboo piled up in the courtyard and looked at Ji Xiang curiously. ¡°Brother Ji Xiang, why did you buy so many hard-headed springs?


    ¡°It¡¯s very useful. Big brothers, help me cut them all at an angle and cut them into spikes of this length. When they¡¯re done, we¡¯ll move them to the city wall to deal with those Qi soldiers.¡± Ji Xiang smiled and called out to the prefecture soldiers. The prefecture soldiers asked in confusion, ¡°Little Brother Ji Xiang, can your thing work?¡±


    Ji Xiang quickly peeled and said affirmatively, ¡®Yes, it definitely can¡¯t be used to break shields. It¡¯s still possible to pierce a big hole in those Qi soldiers climbing the wall. If you don¡¯t believe me, let¡¯s try.¡±


    Everyone ran to the target and stood in line to throw the bamboo pole at the target in the courtyard. With a bang, the target swayed and the bamboo pole pierced into it and was firmly fixed.


    A few prefecture soldiers smiled and said, ¡°Aye! That¡¯s really good. Then let¡¯s hurry up and cut it and send it to the city wall..¡±

 Chapter 372 - 372: Tian Family Village

    Chapter 372: Tian Family Vige


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    An hourter, Chu Sihai personally sent two bows, arge bundle of rockets, and a wooden bucket of kerosene. Li Yu looked at these things and said to Chu


    Sihai, ¡°Alright, send someone to send me out of the city when it gets dark.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam Li.¡± Chu Sihai bowed respectfully to Li Yu. ¡°Thank you, Madam Li. I¡¯ll go to the government office to look for Lord Zhou and tell him about asking you for help.¡±


    Li Yu nodded and sent Chu Sihai to the drooping flower door to see him go to the backyard of the government office. Then, she turned around and returned to her room to recuperate.


    When Chu Sihai arrived at Zhou Jia¡¯s room, he told Zhou Jia about asking Li Yu for help with a red face. Zhou Jia nodded when he heard that. ¡°Ever since you told me that you sent a secret guard to assassinate the Crown Prince of Great Qi, I¡¯ve been guessing when you woulde to ask my Madam for help?¡±


    ¡°Lord Zhou, you¡¯re really a confidant of the Four Seas Bank. If you and Madam Li weren¡¯t in Yunzhou, I¡¯m afraid the Wei family would have already cooperated with the Qi army to open the city gate. I¡¯m afraid Yunzhou would have also fallen into the enemy¡¯s hands. Great Qi didn¡¯t gain an advantage in today¡¯s battle but we¡¯ve also suffered a lot of casualties. If we don¡¯t end the battle as soon as possible, I¡¯m afraid the people will be unstable.¡±


    ¡°Great Qi has prepared its troops for today¡¯s battle. As long as the people of


    Great Yong are afraid, they won¡¯t be able to chase away the Qi army.¡± As Zhou Jia spoke, he patted Chu Sihai. ¡°Let¡¯s not stand on ceremony. I¡¯m the Magistrate of Yunzhou. Can I watch Yunzhou fall into the hands of the Qi army?¡±


    Chu Sihai bowed to Zhou Jia. ¡°I still want to express my gratitude. Thank you!¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll ept it. You¡¯re busy too, so I won¡¯t keep you.¡± Zhou Jia smiled.


    Chu Sihai cupped his hands at Zhou Jia and turned to leave inrge strides.


    When Li Yu woke up, it was almost dark. After packing up, she went to the Second Institution. She found Ji Xiang and Ruyi and instructed, ¡°I¡¯m going to help the bank do something tonight. The two of you, stay at home and pay attention to the battle on the city wall. Don¡¯t let Master go to the city wall alone. If the battle on the city wall is tight, act ording to the situation. You have to be careful when you use it and don¡¯t collide violently. That will also cause an explosion. I¡¯m worried that the two of you will blow yourself up.¡±


    Ruyi turned to Ji Xiang and winked. ¡°Little Ji Xiang, you have to be careful not to be blown up. When the timees, Gu Yu won¡¯t want you.¡±


    ¡°Bad egg.¡± Ji Xiang rolled his eyes at Ruyi and said to Li Yu with a smile, ¡°Madam, don¡¯t worry. I don¡¯t want to be blown into a sieve. I¡¯m still waiting to get married after the war! Also, I brought those prefectural soldiers to cut up the bamboo. I moved some to the city wall. When I came back, those prefectural soldiers were still moving. We¡¯ll know if they¡¯re useful when the war starts tomorrow morning.¡±


    ¡°Alright, instruct the guards at the door to be more vignt at night. Ruyi, if


    Master can¡¯te back to sleep, let Yang¡¯er stay in your house.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± Ruyi smiled at the door. ¡®Young Master is here.¡±


    ¡°Mother, I¡¯m looking for you.¡± Li Yu smiled and walked out to carry him toward the main courtyard.


    When she returned to the house, she said to Yangyang, ¡°Son, I¡¯m going to help beat up the bad guys. Be obedient at home and supervise Father¡¯s meals, okay?¡±


    Yangyang kissed Li Yu. ¡°Mother, you have toe back early. Don¡¯t dy too long. Father and I will miss you.¡±


    Li Yu kissed him. ¡°Alright, I promise toe back early.¡±


    Zhou Jia walked in and hugged the mother and son. He smiled and said,


    ¡°Yang¡¯er, tell your mother not to worry. The two of us will eat well at home. Father still has to wait for Yang¡¯er to massage Father¡¯s back and make small wontons for me to eat.¡±


    Yangyang looked at Li Yu. ¡°Mother, don¡¯t worry. Come back early.¡±


    Just as the family of three finished eating, Chu Sihai arrived. Old Madam Liu


    put the dry food she had prepared for Li Yu in her bag and instructed Li Yu, ¡°Madam, I¡¯ve prepared two water bags. One is filled with boiling water, and the other is filled with rice water. I¡¯ve picked up sauce meat, eggs, and food on the way. Don¡¯t starve yourself.¡±


    ¡°Alright, you have to be careful at home.¡±


    Zhou Jia took the bag and carried it in his hand. He held Yangyang¡¯s hand and sent Li Yu to the door. Yangyang watched Li Yu get into the carriage and walk away. He burst into tears.


    No wonder Yu¡¯er didn¡¯t let Yang¡¯er know that she was going out in the past. Zhou Jia looked at his crying son and picked him up to touch his head. ¡°Father heard that our Zhou Chenxi is a man. He won¡¯t cry casually.¡±


    Yangyang stopped crying and pouted at Zhou Jia. ¡°I didn¡¯t cry casually. When we fell while cultivating, Brother Mai cried. I didn¡¯t even cry. I missed Mother as soon as she left, so I cried.¡±


    ¡°Yes! Yang¡¯er only cried because he missed Mother. Yang¡¯er is still a man. As men, let¡¯s go home and wait for Mother toe home obediently.¡±


    Li Yu and Chu Sihai arrived at the south city gate and went up the city wall. Chu Sihai pointed at the hill outside the city and said to Li Yu, ¡°Madam Li, you can walk past the Qi army¡¯s camp after passing through that hill. I wish you a safe journey.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Li Yu cupped her hands at Chu Sihai and entered the basket to let Li Yu down.


    Li Yu came out of the barricade and waved at the city wall. She carried the backpack and strode towards the forest not far away. When she reached a hidden ce, she put everything on her into her space and quickly walked towards the forest.


    After walking for more than an hour in the forest, she saw the camp set up by the Qi army in the Wang family vige. There were bright bonfires everywhere in the camp, and a dense crowd was sitting together.


    Li Yu passed through the forest and walked on the official road for more than an hour. Suddenly, she heard the faint sound of horse hooves in front of her. It was sote, so it must be a Qi soldier. She thought she might as well snatch his horse over and immediately took out a crossbow from her space. She shed to the side and waited for Qi soldier to ride his horse over.


    After more than ten breaths, she heard the sound of hooves approaching. Li Yu held the crossbow and waited quietly in front of her. After a few breaths, she saw the horseman. Li Yu pressed the mechanism without hesitation. After a soft sound, the rider fell off the horse and the horse neighed. Li Yu jumped in front of the horse and grabbed the bridle to control the horse. She held the Qi soldier, who was hanging in the stirrup, down the stirrup and found a letter and waist token on him. Li Yu thought for a moment and simply changed into the Qi soldier¡¯s clothes. She carried the Qi soldier and threw him into the forest by the roadside. She mounted the horse and quickly rushed towards Tianjiaba.


    After midnight, Li Yu had already left Xingfu Town and rushed towards the Tian Family Vige. The citizens of the Tian Family Vige fled into the city when the Qi soldiers broke through Linshan County. The houses left behind were all burned down by the Qi soldiers, leaving behind a charred and bare earth wall. Arge area of fields outside the vige was surrounded by wooden stakes by the Qi soldiers. Two meters away from the wall, themoners were still waving shovels and hoes with all their might to dig trenches.


    Yan Niang and Yun Yi each carried a sack of food into the tent. Yun Yi lowered his head and watched as an endless stream ofmoners carried provisions, spears, and arrows to the warehouse beside them.


    Yan Niang muttered softly, ¡°This Yang Huaiyi ced the rations so far away. It will take more than ten hours to go back and forth. Also, that damn Crown


    Prince ced that canopy cart in front of us to bait us, but he ran far away and I couldn¡¯t even see a strand of hair of his. I¡¯m so tired from doing manualbor here every day.¡±


    When Yun Yi heard Yan Niang¡¯s muttering, he thought to herself that this woman was really too scary. On the one hand, she said that she was exhausted, and on the other hand she kept talking..

 Chapter 373 - 373: Power

    Chapter 373: Power


    As Studios Editor: As Studios


    At dawn, the Qi soldiers cursed outside. Seeing that no one was paying attention, theyunched arge-scale attack. The Qi soldiers rushed down the city wall like crazy. Densely packed crossbow bolts shot toward the city wall. Arge number of Qi soldiers carrieddders and rushed toward the city wall. The Great Yong soldiers drew their bows and shot arrows, fighting back with all their might.


    Ji Xiang brought more than a dozen prefecture soldiers to the city wall and picked up a bamboo stick to throw at the Qi soldiers on thedder. The bamboo tip pierced the neck of a Qi soldier. Seeing this, the other prefecture soldiers also mustered their courage and picked up the bamboo stick to throw at the Qi soldiers on thedder.


    On the west city wall, a Qi soldier climbed up the chopping hole and shed at the soldiers on the city wall. Ji Xiang watched as the Qi soldiers continuously climbed up and took out two earthen bombs from his pocket. He blew on the fire and lit the fuse together. He threw them at the Qi soldiers who were rushing up below. Boom, boom! The soldiers who were fighting only heard two deafening bangs and saw the Qi soldiers below being sted into pieces. Dark red blood sttered on the faces of the Qi soldiers who were standing at the side.


    Seeing this, Deputy General Shen had an idea. He raised his arm and shouted, ¡°The heavens sent lightning and fire to punish the Qi soldiers. The heavens sent lightning and fire to punish the Qi soldiers!¡±


    ¡°The heavens have sent thunder and fire to punish the Qi soldiers!¡± The soldiers on the city wall raised their weapons and shouted. The Qi army camp began to withdraw. The aggressive Qi soldiers retreated dejectedly.


    Only then did Deputy General Shen ask General Yun Can on the city wall, ¡°Brother Yun, did you notice what caused the loud sound? I think it looks like the Heaven Shaking Thunder used by martial artists, but I know that the power and sound of the Heaven Shaking Thunder are not that loud.¡±


    General Yun Shen was also shocked by the two loud bangs. When he heard Deputy General Shen¡¯s question, he shook his head in confusion. ¡°I was busy killing the enemy and didn¡¯t pay attention to the surrounding situation. Go and ask the people watching from the city tower if they found anything.¡±


    Deputy General Shen looked at the Qi soldiers retreating toward the military camp. ¡°Forget it. We¡¯ll go after it¡¯s over to prevent the Qi soldiers from attacking again. ¡±


    In the Qi military camp, the thin Crown Prince Qi looked at Yang Huaiyi with a dark expression. ¡°General Yang, what were those two loud sounds just now?¡±


    Yang Huaiyi bowed and said, ¡°Your Highness, I¡¯m not sure either. It sounds like the Heaven Shaking Thunder used by those martial artists, but it¡¯s not that powerful.¡±


    ¡°Grand General Yang, please quickly send someone to investigate.¡± Crown


    Prince Qi looked at Yang Huaiyi with a mocking expression. ¡°Grand General Yang, I remember that you said that you had already nned everything with the Wei family. Then who leaked the news? Before the battle, the Wei family was wiped out by Great Yong. Even the soldiers who went to Mount Spindle tounch a sneak attack were buried in a sea of fire. How did Great Yong know such a secret? I think there¡¯s an 80% chance that someone leaked the news.


    Otherwise, how could Great Yong know in advance?¡±


    The other soldiers looked at Yang Huaiyi, who was bowing, and lowered their heads in indignation. Some thought to themselves that the Crown Prince¡¯s words were shaking the morale of the army! Some thought that the Crown Prince was right! Who leaked such a secret? Also, the loud bang just now had torn everyone apart. What was going on? Who would dare to go into battle to kill the enemy again?


    Ji Xiang was also scared silly by the power of the bombs. After going down the


    city wall, he pulled Ruyi to the cer. ¡°Ruyi, Madam is right. We have to put these things away. You didn¡¯t see it!¡±


    Ruyi nodded and said, ¡°You still have some ignition in your pocket! If it explodes, you¡¯ll be minced meat.¡±


    ¡°The same goes for you. Keep the cer locked,¡± said Ji Xiang. The living example was there, making them both more cautious.


    On the foggy October morning, Li Yu led the horse along a rugged winding path and avoided the Qi soldiers transporting the food. Walking on the path, she saw frost hanging on the withered grass along the way. Birds jumped and chirped on the treetops in the forest. In the morning, the air people in the forest seemed to be immersed in natural oxygen.


    At noon, the sky was still gloomy. Li Yu looked at the sky and prayed in her heart that it would not rain. Otherwise, she would have worked for nothing. She walked to a big tree and tied the horse to the side. She climbed onto a big tree branch and sat on it. After taking out dry food to eat, she took out the letter she had found on the Qi soldier. Li Yu looked at it for a long time but could not understand what was written. She thought that it might be a secret letter. She could only go back and hand it to Chu Sihai and the others to study.


    Li Yu sat on the tree and leaned against the branch for a while beforeing down from above to continue traveling. She arrived at the forest in Tian Family Vige before dark. Standing in the forest, she saw that there were 30 to 40 simple tents like yurts on the open t ground. There were also dozens of haystacks piled high. It seemed that they were all piled with grass. There was a soldier standing in every few tents. There were much fewer people on duty.


    Li Yu looked at the Qi soldiers circling the periphery. There were probably more than 2,000 people standing guard. There were three soldiers standing in a position in the watchtower in front of the wooden door. There were also civilians busy in the trench outside the tent and Qi soldiers standing around with spears.


    Li Yu began to consider what method to use to burn all the provisions and supplies. If she acted alone, she would sneak in after dark and pour kerosene on the tent to take out each military camp before lighting it up. Now that she was going to attack with Yan Niang, she wondered if Yun Yi and Yan Niang knew that she had arrived so quickly. It seemed that she could only inform them after dark.


    After Li Yu thought about it, she led the horse deep into the forest and tied it to a tree. After eating the dry food, she found some mud and smeared it on her face. She found a big tree and climbed up to start recuperating. She nned to take action at midnight.


    The sky gradually darkened. Yun Yi pulled Yan Niang out of the ditch and whispered to her, ¡°I received news that you¡¯re to receive the magistrate¡¯s wife and cooperate with her to burn the rations. I¡¯ll find a servant to transport the rations to the military camp in Yang Vige tomorrow morning. The magistrate¡¯s wife will arrive at the Tian Family Vige tomorrow night at the earliest. Before midnight, you have to sneak into the forest in the south and hear two short cries and one long cry of the turtledove. That¡¯s the magistrate¡¯s wife.¡±


    Yan Niang took note of Yun Yi¡¯s words and nced at him. ¡°Look, you¡¯re quite eloquent! ¡±


    Yun Yi didn¡¯t even look at Yan Niang as he strode toward the dining room.


    Yan Niang chased after him and went to eat something that looked like pig food with Yun Yi. When she came out, she said to Yun Yi in a low voice, ¡°Damn it, it¡¯s even worse than pig food. There¡¯s also a rotten smell. It must be leftovers from those people.¡±


    Yun Yi nced at her and turned to leave. Yan Niang stopped talking and went with Yun Yi to the tent where the migrants of the Qi military camp were staying. They saw that it was filled with exhausted migrants lying everywhere. The tent smelled disgustingly of feet and sweat.


    Yan Niangy down against the tent. Yun Yiy beside her to separate her from the others. After the two of themy down, they slowly fell asleep..

 Chapter 374 - 374: Warrior

    Chapter 374: Warrior


    As Studios Editor: As Studios


    It was just past midnight. The forest was so dark that one could not even see their fingers. The wind blew the branches non-stop. The leaves of the two eucalyptus trees beside Li Yu rustled. There was also the sound of dry branches falling. The forest was filled with rustling sounds.


    Li Yu walked to the edge of the forest and took out the whistle to blow the secret signal. After blowing it a few times, she didn¡¯t see Yan Niang. She felt that they were too far from the camp and the wind was blowing in her direction. They definitely couldn¡¯t hear the whistle.


    Li Yu stood there quietly. She could feel that the humidity in the air was very heavy. The cold wind blew on her face with pain. Li Yu concluded that it would rain in the next two days and decided not to wait for Yan Niang to act alone.


    Looking at the dark sky and the biting cold wind, she suddenly thought of that saying about the dark night and high winds facilitating assassination. It seemed that even the heavens are on Great Yong¡¯s side.


    She looked up at the soldiers walking back and forth on the watchtower at the entrance of the camp and the few bonfires burning at the entrance. The mes were blown by the wind. Li Yu quickly advanced toward the Qi army¡¯s ration camp.


    Suddenly, a team of night patrolmen holding spears appeared opposite the trench. Li Yu hurriedly hid in the space and silently calcted the steps of the Qi soldiers outside. She felt that she had already dodged them beforeing out of the space. She jumped over the trench, jumped over the wooden fence that was as tall as a person, and entered the Qi military camp.


    Li Yu saw faint light seeping out of some tents. After crouching down and approaching, she heard snoringing from inside. Some tents were dark and quiet. There were also a fewrge vats filled with water beside them. Li Yu said to herself, ¡°So there¡¯s a fireproof facility. Sigh! You¡¯re unlucky to have met a person with a peerless treasure.¡±


    Li Yu put the water vats into her space and came out of the corner. A Qi soldier, who was on night duty, felt that he had seen a woman appear and suddenly disappear. He rubbed his eyes and thought that he had seen a ghost.


    After more than ten breaths, Li Yu came out of the space and shed the Qi soldier¡¯s neck. She held his body under her arm and opened the tent, letting him in. This tent was filled with arrows. Li Yu came out of the tent and realized that the tent was made of oilcloth. She was even more confident in burning the rations.


    After Li Yu used the space to deal with the Qi soldiers on night duty and the water vats, she took out the kerosene bucket from the space and moved quickly around the camp. Just as she doused more than ten tents, someone covered his crotch and hurriedly walked over. It turned out to be a Qi soldier who was in a hurry to pee. Li Yu hid in the space and calcted the time. She happened to see that person leaning over the tent and sniffing. He was even muttering, ¡°Why do I smell kerosene?¡±


    Li Yu didn¡¯t understand what he was saying, but she understood the word kerosene. She ced the oil bucket in the space and took a step forward to break his neck. She carried him into the tent. The tent was dark. Li Yu touched the sacks in it and felt that there was chestnut rice in the sacks.


    Li Yu carried the oil bucket out and quickly poured kerosene onto the silent tents. The remaining oil was poured on two haystacks that were piled up like small hills. When the Qi soldiers patrolling the periphery walked around again, Li Yu had already doused all the tents.


    Li Yu hid in the space and waited for the night patrolling soldiers to pass beforeing out. She felt that it was faster to use a rocket to light a fire. After thinking about it, she decided to blow the secret signal twice more. She hid in front of the dpidated tent in the dark and listened to the snoringing from inside. She took out a whistle and blew the secret signal.


    Yun Yi nudged Yan Nianq when he heard the signal and the two of them quickly left the tent. Li Yu hid in the corner and saw the two of theme out. She came out of the corner and raised the lighter in her hand. She pointed at the tents. The two of them nodded and took out the lighter. The three of them bent down and split up.


    The lighter swept past the tent like a ghost fire and lit up everywhere. The tents were originally made of mmable oilcloth. Coupled with the kerosene, it instantly burned when it touched the fire and the wind. The haystacks also instantly burned.


    When the Qi soldiers standing on the watchtower and patrolling the night saw the fire, they rang the gong in panic and shouted, ¡°Put out the fire! The provisions are on fire! The Yong people are here to burn the provisions!¡±


    Themoners and soldiers in the tent woke up from their sleep and ran out of the tents in a panic. The soldiers ran to the ce where the water vat was ced withdles in their hands to ssh water and extinguish the fire, but they could not find any traces of the water vats. In a moment of shock, the wind increased the intensity of the fire spreading to tents and grass. The people who were extinguishing the fire could not get close at all. They could only hear the crackling sound of the fire.


    Li Yu and the others had already rushed to the fence. Yun Yi whispered, ¡°I still have a mission. You guys leave first.¡± With that, he disappeared after a few jumps.


    The two of them jumped over the fence at lightning speed. The Qi soldiers on the watchtower raised their bows and shot at Li Yu and Yan Niang. The two of them dodged and jumped over the ditch.


    ¡°Quick, quick, the ones who set fire to the food are here. Catch them quickly.¡±


    More than ten soldiers patrolling the night shouted and raised their long sabers and spears to sh at the two of them. Li Yu raised her leg and kicked away the long saber. The dagger slipped from her hand and she lowered her waist to dodge the spear that was stabbing at her. She leaned forward and shed the dagger across the throat of the Qi soldiers. Blood sprayed on Li Yu. She did not even blink. She looked up and raised her eyebrows at the Qi soldiers in front of her. A sharp aura instantly appeared and she activated the sleeve arrow to shoot down the few Qi soldiers in front.


    She dodged a Qi soldier¡¯s spear and grabbed it at lightning speed. She pulled it back and pushed it forward. Her movements were smooth. The Qi soldier fell on his hands and knees. She raised her leg and kicked away a long saber that the Qi soldier had shed at her. She strode forward and raised her elbow to hit the Qi soldier¡¯s chest. There was a cracking sound. The Qi soldier covered his chest and fell to the ground with a bang.


    Li Yu took a step back and cut open the neck of the Qi soldier. She snatched the spear from his hand and waved it horizontally. The spearhead swept past the few Qi soldiers surrounding her and they fell to the ground.


    Li Yu quickly retracted the spear in her hand. With a bang, the handle of the spear stabbed heavily into the ground. She held the spear with both hands and leveraged the force to rise into the air. She raised her leg and kicked away the Qi soldiers surrounding Yan Niang. She shouted at Yan Niang, ¡°Go!¡± She leaped out with the spear and jumped into the forest with a few leaps. Yan Niang stabbed thest Qi soldier who rushed over to stop her. She drew her saber and kicked him away, following Li Yu¡¯s escape.


    Li Yu and Yan Niang quickly ran into the forest. The Qi soldiers on the ground were powerless to chase after them. The other Qi soldiers were blocked by the raging fire. They wanted to rush out, but they could not jump over the ditch. If they fell into the ditch, they would die. The people inside were in a dilemma.


    Suddenly, amoner pushed the handcart out forcefully. The handcartnded on the trench and allowed everyone to flee. Those who fled thanked themoner who only knew how to shake his head and not say a word.


    Amoner at the side pointed at him and said, ¡°I know him. He¡¯s the mute who works with that small man. He¡¯s very strong and often helps that short man. Hey! Where did that short man go?¡±


    When the mute heard this, he searched anxiously. When he couldn¡¯t find the short man, he wanted to rush towards the camp. Themoners hurriedly stopped the mute. ¡°Mute, don¡¯t go. You¡¯ll be burned to death in such a big fire.¡± When the mute heard this, he fell to the ground and stared nkly at the fire.

 Chapter 375 - 375: Help on the City Wall

    Chapter 375: Help on the City Wall


    As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Li Yu brought Yan Niang to the hiding ce. Yan Niang looked at Li Yu and smiled. ¡°Madam snatched the Qi soldier¡¯s horse, right? No wonder Madam came so quickly.¡±


    ¡°I met this Qi soldier not long after I left the city.¡± Li Yu led the horse out of the forest. When the two of them left the forest, they suddenly heard an earth-shattering bang. They turned around and saw a towering fire. The soaring fire illuminated the Tian Family Vige like it was daytime.


    Yan Niang looked at the fire and said to Li Yu, ¡°The kerosene stored by the Qi soldiers has probably ignited.¡±


    ¡°Ignore it. Let¡¯s leave quickly.¡± Li Yu got on the horse and rode with Yan Niang.


    The Qi soldiers who had fled sat on the ground and watched helplessly as the rations were burned.


    A chiliarch got up from the ground. ¡°Quick, let¡¯s go report to the general.¡±


    Three Qi soldiers also got up from the ground. They turned to the stable outside the camp gate and led the horses toward Yunzhou.


    Li Yu and Yan Niang rode for a while. Seeing that the horse was tired, she dismounted and continued walking. Yan Niang nced at Li Yu. ¡°Madam, where did the fireproof water vats go? After lighting the fire, I was still worried that the fire would be extinguished. Later, I thought about how I didn¡¯t see thoserge water vats when I started the fire.¡±


    ¡°Were there vats?¡± Li Yu nced at Yan Niang and spouted nonsense in all seriousness. ¡°I didn¡¯t see any vat when I poured the kerosene.¡±


    ¡°Yes, we have to check every day for water. We only checked at night.¡¯


    As Yan Niang spoke, she suddenlyy on the ground and listened. She looked up and said to Li Yu, ¡°Madam, horses areing. Should we snatch them?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Li Yu said briefly and forcefully as she led the horse horizontally in the middle of the road.


    ¡°Madam, look at me.¡± Yan Niang took out a slender rope from her pocket and unrolled it. She ced it in Li Yu¡¯s hand and grabbed one end herself. She turned around and ran. ¡°Madam, let¡¯s tie one end each to a tree by the roadside.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Li Yu patted the horse and ran over to tie the thin rope of unknown material. She hid by the roadside and saw four ck shadows rushing over. She counted in her heart. ¡°One, two, three.¡±


    ¡°Ah, ah.¡± The person on the horse fell down and the horse neighed. Li Yu and Yan Niang jumped out and killed a few people. They grabbed the reins and restrained the horse. They got on the horse and galloped away.


    Outside Yunzhou City, the Qi soldiers suddenlyunched a violent attack. The crossbowmen shot tens of thousands of arrows that rained at the city wall. The soldiers waved their spears and shot down the rockets. The crossbowmen also began to fight back. The clothes of the soldiers on the city wall were also set on fire after being shot. They let out miserable screams. Some rockets even flew into the inner city and caused a fire. The bailiffs on patrol hurriedly organized people to extinguish the fire.


    When Ji Xiang and Ruyi were about to reach the city wall with a small bamboo basket filled with grain chaff on each of their backs, they hurriedly took off the bamboo basket and hung it around their necks. They protected the bamboo basket and went up the city wall. They saw rockets with sparks everywhere on the city wall. The arrows of the Qi army were still flying toward the city wall. The soldiers on the city wall were fighting back with all their might. The ground was filled with dead and injured soldiers. Themoners were busy carrying the injured soldiers down.


    The two of them hid under the chopping hole and stuck their heads out to see the Qi soldiers stepping on thedder and climbing endlessly up the city wall.


    Below them stood a dense group of Qi infantry. Ruyi nodded at Ji Xiang and the two of them began to split up. They hid in the dark and lit the fuse to throw the mud bombs at the Qi soldiers below the city. Boom, boom, boom. Explosions kept sounding. The Qi soldiers below the city were blown away in batches. The living were terrified and ran. The Qi generals could not stop the fleeing soldiers.


    When Ouyang Xiong heard the explosion, he knew that the opportunity hade. He instructed the gatekeepers to open the city gate and arge group of cavalry rushed out of the city gate. The cavalry in front held crossbows and aimed at the Qi soldiers. The cavalry behind raised their spears and machetes to stab the defeated Qi soldiers.


    Arge number of Qi cavalrymen ran out of the camp to help the defeated infantrymen. Looking at the cavalrymen who were at least twice their size, Ouyang Xiong, who was on the city wall, immediately ordered the soldiers to retreat in order to preserve the strength of the cavalrymen. The cavalrymen turned their horses around and ran wildly. The Qi cavalrymen shot at the cavalrymen with crossbows. The archers on the city wall drew their bows and shot arrows to help the cavalrymen. The Qi cavalrymen and horses in front were shot. Ji Xiang and Ruyi threw thest can of earth bombs in the frame at the Qi cavalrymen as they slipped down the city wall. With a bang, the Qi cavalrymen fell on their horses. The cavalrymen did not dare to continue fighting and turned their horses to escape toward the camp.


    In this battle, the Great Yong soldiers defeated the Qi army with the secret help of Ji Xiang and Ruyi. Deputy General Shen sighed and said to Ouyang Xiong, ¡°General Ouyang, it seems that there must be a hidden expert in our army who came to help. Otherwise, why would we be saved in times of danger? I wonder what will happen without the Heaven Shaking Thunder tonight?¡±


    Ouyang Xiong looked at the casualties on the city wall and said, ¡°Fortunately, they¡¯re friends and not enemies. Otherwise, the consequences would be unimaginable. God bless Great Yong!¡±


    In General Qi¡¯s tent, Yang Huaiyi was scolded by Crown Prince Qi, who was sitting at the head of the table. Yang Huaiyi thought to himself that with such a crown prince in Great Qi, the country would have no hopes of dominating the world. Now that even the Heavenly Dao is not on Great Qi¡¯s side, he felt that Great Qi could only retreat after losing.


    Li Yu and Yan Niang had five military horses to change rides. When the two of them came out of Xingfu Town at midnight, they went up a mountain path and walked through the forest to avoid the Qi military camp at the Yang Vige. Standing on the mountain, they did not see the two armies fighting. Yan Niang muttered softly, ¡°Madam, what do you think happened? Did the two sides stop fighting?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure either. We¡¯ll know when we return to the city.¡± When the two of them arrived at the south city gate, Li Yu waved at the city wall. When the guards waiting at the city wall saw Li Yu and Yan Niang putting down the basket, Li Yu looked at the horses behind her and felt that it was a pity to abandon such military horses, so she tied the reins to a big rock.


    When they reached the top of the city wall, she pointed at the horses below the city wall and said to the guards above, ¡°Little brother, look, there are five military horses below. It¡¯s a pity to let them go like this. Put some grass down to feed them. When it rains, bring them into the city.¡±


    The guard looked at the horses at the foot of the city wall and looked a little troubled. ¡°Madam, sending some fodder is a small matter. I have to report to the higher-ups for approval before I can open the city gate and lead the horses in.¡± The guard thought that his higher-ups were all respectful to this madam and looked a little uneasy after saying that.


    ¡°Alright, you can go after your superior agrees!¡± Li Yu replied readily.


    The guard cupped his hands happily. ¡°Thank you for your understanding,


    Madam.¡±


    Li Yu waved her hand and went down the city wall with Yan Niang. She suddenly remembered that there was still a letter in her space. She said to Yan Niang, ¡°Follow me to the government officeter. I found a letter and a waist token on that cavalryman- I don¡¯t know what it says. hilt I¡¯ll give it to you to bring back to your Head Shopkeeper.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam. It¡¯s so satisfying to work with you. When I retire in the future, take me in! I¡¯ll make food and help you protect Young Master.¡± Yan Niang smiled at Li Yu.


    Li Yu looked at her straightforward appearance and smiled. ¡°Sure! As long as you¡¯re willing toe, I¡¯ll definitely wee you..¡±

 Chapter 376 - 376: Morale

    Chapter 376: Morale


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    When Li Yu appeared in front of the courtyard door with Yan Niang, Uncle Liu shouted, ¡°Madam, you¡¯re back!¡± He turned around in surprise and ran in.


    ¡°Master, Young Master and Madam are back.¡±


    Yan Niang looked at Uncle Liu and the servants¡¯ happy expressions when they saw Li Yu and was even more determined toe to Li Yu¡¯s house.


    ¡°Madam, you¡¯re back!¡± Xiaoyu, Gu Yu, and the others weed her.


    Li Yu looked at Xiaoyu and the others and smiled. ¡°I¡¯m back.¡± She quickly entered the room and took the letter out of her space. She went out and handed it to Yan Niang. Yan Niang looked at Xiaoyu and the others, who were waiting at the side, and bowed to Li Yu before leaving with the letter.


    Xiaoyu supported her waist and said to Li Yu with a smile, ¡°Madam, Ruyi has just gone out to the city wall to check on the war. Ji Xiang is apanying Master to work in the government office. Master was in the front office all nightst night. Auntie Liu said that it was rumored that those Qi soldiers have been punished by the heavens. Great Yong will definitely win.¡±


    Gu Yu and the others nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right! The noisest night was so loud that we all heard the sound of thunder in the inner city.¡±


    ¡°Mother, Mother.¡± Li Yu looked at Yangyang, who was shouting as he ran towards her. She picked him up and kissed his face. ¡°Son, Mother is back.¡±


    Yangyang hugged Li Yu¡¯s neck and smiled at her. ¡°Mother, I¡¯m obedient. Father is also obedient. I¡¯m going to tell Father that you¡¯re home.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Li Yu put down Yangyang and smiled as she touched Seven Pounds¡¯s face. She looked at Little Loach and the others standing at the door. ¡°Were you guys obedient at home?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re all obedient.¡± Seven Pounds held Li Yu¡¯s hand and asked, ¡°Madam, my father said that you went hunting. Where did you hunt your prey?¡±


    Li Yu smiled dryly. ¡°Prey! They¡¯re all hiding when the weather gets cold. I didn¡¯t find them. I¡¯ll go when the weather gets warmer.¡±


    ¡°Sigh!¡± Seven Pounds sighed. ¡°Madam, you shouldn¡¯t go in the future! Last time, you went for so long and came back empty-handed. This time, it¡¯s the same. I think the wild animals in the mountains are all hiding from you.¡±


    Li Yuughed when she heard that. ¡°You¡¯re so smart. Why didn¡¯t I think of that! I knew it! Why didn¡¯t I catch them after going a few times? So they were hiding from me and not letting me catch them!¡±


    Xiaoyu looked at theughing Li Yu and stroked Seven Pounds¡¯s head. She chuckled and said, ¡°This silly kid was asking his fatherst night if those wild animals were hiding from you. Otherwise, you would not havee back empty-handed a few times.¡±


    At this moment, Yangyang ran back through the corridor alone. ¡°Mother, the bailiff said that Father and Mr. Qian went out to busy themselves with official business. ¡±


    Li Yu smiled and held his hand. ¡°There¡¯s a war outside. Father is busy with work! Go to ss with your brothers. Mother will eat something, wash up, and sleep. Let¡¯s wait for Father, okay?¡±


    ¡°Alright. Mother. rest well.¡± Vangvang kissed I and went to ss with


    Seven Pounds. At this moment, Old Madam Liu had also prepared food for Li


    Zhou Jia brought Mr. Qian and Ji Xiang around the city and went to the city wall. He saw Chu Sihai and Ouyang Xiong standing on the city wall and looking at the Qi camp. When the two of them saw Zhou Jia, they weed him with a smile and bowed. ¡°Lord Zhou, thank you, husband and wife. The provisions of the Qi army have been burned to ashes.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at the two of them in surprise. ¡°There¡¯s no need to be so polite. Have you seeded? Is my wife back?¡±


    ¡°It was Madam Li who came back to inform us.¡± Chu Sihai smiled and said, ¡°I happened to rush over to inform General Ouyang that the Qi army¡¯s rations had been destroyed. ¡±


    ¡°Then shouldn¡¯t we take this opportunity to catch them off guard?¡± Zhou Jia looked at Ouyang Xiong and said.


    Ouyang Xiong smiled in high spirits. ¡°That¡¯s right. I heard from the secret guards that they¡¯ve also kidnapped and killed the people who sent the news to the Qi army. The Qi army still doesn¡¯t know the news. I¡¯ll get someone to shout at the city tower and tell those Qi soldiers that the Qi army¡¯s provisions have been destroyed. ¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Zhou Jia and Chu Sihai cupped their hands and smiled.


    After Ouyang Xiong left with a smile, Chu Sihai walked to Zhou Jia¡¯s side and said in a low voice, ¡°Madam Li also brought back a secret letter written in code by the Qi people. I¡¯ve already gotten someone to investigate the news of the code. I think it should be a confidential matter. That waist token is the waist token of the internal guards of Great Qi. There might be changes in Great Qi.¡±


    Zhou Jia thought for a while and looked at Chu Sihai. ¡°Head Shopkeeper, do you think there¡¯s something wrong with the old emperor¡¯s body?¡±


    ¡°Not long before the battle, the secret guard sent back news that the Great Qi emperor was obsessed with medicinal pills and even conferred a position to an expert to be the State Preceptor. Could it be that he had taken too many medicinal pills and was overworked?¡± Chu Sihai smiled wretchedly.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a good sign for Great Qi that the emperor is obsessed with medicinal pills. It¡¯s good news for us. After this battle, we should recuperate and prepare our troops to unify the world.¡± Ouyang Xiong¡¯s voice suddenly sounded. Ouyang Xiong looked at the two of them with glowing eyes. ¡°If there¡¯s the Heaven Shaking Thunder fromst night, we don¡¯t have to worry about not being able to unify the world! I¡¯ve already asked the military to find some Heaven Shaking Thunder to try and get them to try making the same Heaven Shaking Thunder fromst night.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Ouyang Xiong¡¯s eyes and thought to himself that Yu¡¯er was the wisest. That thing was too fascinating. General Ouyang wanted to make contributions. His Majesty wanted to expand his territory and unify the world. Seeing that the Qi army is about to be defeated, they could not leave traces of those things in the future to prevent misuse.


    The war drums on the city wall suddenly sounded. Zhou Jia saw General Yun and a tall general riding out of the city with their horses. The war drums were thundering, but the Qi army did not move at all.


    General Yun Can shouted, ¡°General Yang, have the rations been burned? Do you not have the strength toe out and fight without food?¡± The soldiers behind continued to shout.


    In Great Qi¡¯smander¡¯s tent, an impatient general asked, ¡°Great General, the supplies this morning have yet to be delivered. Have our provisions really been burned by Great Yong¡¯s spies?


    ¡°Our General Yang has already sent scouts to investigate. There will be news tonight.¡± Crown Prince Qi looked at the soldiers and smiled.


    Some soldiers lowered their heads and did not look at the Crown Prince, but some soldiers kept expressing goodwill to him. Yang Huaiyi looked at these coldly and said in a low voice, ¡°The Great Yong soldiers outside are challenging us. Which soldier is willing to go forward and fight?¡±


    After a moment of silence, a rough general stood up and cupped his fists in a rough manner. ¡°I¡¯m willing.¡±


    Yang Huaiyi looked deeply at the generals and nodded. ¡°Go!¡±


    The rough general left themander¡¯s tent and took the mace from his personal guard. He mounted his horse and spurred his horse forward. Without a word, he raised the mace and smashed it down. With a ng, the tall and strong general beside him raised his crescent saber to parry the rough general¡¯s mace. He swept the de across the rough general¡¯s face. On both sides, one was brave, and the other was skilled in martial arts. The two of them fought back and forth. After more than ten rounds, the rough man¡¯s mace was sent flying by the crescent saber and he was beheaded by the horse.


    ¡°Great victory, great victory¡­¡± Thunderous cheers came from the city wall..

 Chapter 377 - 377: Good News

    Chapter 377: Good News


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    After the cheers ended, Zhou Jia and Chu Sihai looked at Ouyang Xiong and gave him a thumbs-up. Chu Sihai smiled and said, ¡°General Ouyang, thismander¡¯s martial arts are not bad. The Qi army¡¯s rations have been cut off, so they should retreat, right?¡±


    Ouyang Xiong looked at the Qi army tent in the distance with worry in his eyes.


    ¡°We can¡¯t let down our guard yet. We have to be on guard against the Qi army.¡± Chu Sihai nodded in agreement. ¡°As the saying goes, it¡¯s better to be careful.¡±


    Zhou Jia recalled that Li Yu had already returned home. He cupped his hands at Chu Sihai and Ouyang Xiong and said, ¡°General, I¡¯ll take my leave and return to the city.¡±


    Chu Sihai stopped Zhou Jia. ¡°Lord Zhou, I won¡¯t dy General Ouyang here anymore. Let¡¯s leave together.¡±


    Zhou Jia and Chu Sihai bade farewell to Ouyang Xiong and walked down the city wall. Zhou Jia looked at Chu Sihai and asked, ¡°Head Shopkeeper, do you know how the war in Qingzhou is?¡±


    Speaking of the battle in Qingzhou, Chu Sihai was a little worried. He looked at


    Zhou Jia and shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not sure about the recent battle situation in Qingzhou. There should be news in the next two days.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Chu Sihai¡¯s expression and felt that it was not optimistic. He patted Chu Sihai andforted him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. We are winning in Yunzhou. It¡¯s possible that we have also won the war in Qingzhou.¡±


    Chu Sihai thought about it and agreed. He cupped his hands at Zhou Jia and smiled. ¡°Thank you for your blessings.¡± The two of them cupped their hands and did not get into the carriage separately.


    After getting into the car, Mr. Qian looked at Zhou Jia¡¯s face and smiledfortingly. ¡°Sir, in my opinion, the Qi army will break camp soon. Now that the Qi army has run out of food, it would be great if a general and General


    Ouyang attacked from both sides and wiped out Yang Huaiyi and Crown Prince


    ¡°That¡¯s right! But where can we find an army to attack from both sides? We¡¯ve wasted such a good opportunity.¡± Zhou Jia nced at Mr. Qian, who had lost a lot of weight these days. ¡°Sir has been tired these days.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been hard on you too,¡± Mr. Qian said, rubbing his face and smiling. ¡°Sigh!


    When Qi dogs withdraw and get lost, I have to sleep well.¡±


    ¡°Have a good sleep before getting Old Madam Liu to make soup for you,¡± Zhou Jia said with a smile.


    Ji Xiang turned to look at Zhou Jia and pointed at his face. ¡°Master, look, I¡¯ve lost weight. I have to nourish myself.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at him and smiled. ¡°Alright, nourish yourselves. Tiezhu has also lost weight.¡±


    Everyone chatted andughed as they returned to the government office. Zhou


    Jia jumped out of the carriage and ran towards the back office. The guard at the entrance looked at Zhou Jia¡¯s back and smiled. ¡°The magistrate probably ran so quickly because he knew that the Madam is back.¡±


    Another guard nodded in agreement. ¡°Yes! This is the first time I¡¯ve seen a magistrate treat his wife so well.¡±


    Lord Zhou was already sitting on the edge of the bed. He looked at his sleeping wife and thought that after the Qi soldiers left, Yu¡¯er would no longer be exhausted.


    Zhou Jia sat for a while and quietly left the room. He stood on the veranda and looked at the gray sky. It was about to snow. ¡°Master!¡± When Zhou Jia heard Ruyi¡¯s call, he turned around and saw Ruyi walking in happily with tworge travel bags in his hands.


    Ruyi looked at Zhou Jia happily and smiled. ¡°Master, Shopkeeper Chu Feng sent it over. He also said that Young Master Ah Qing took the top scorer and has already gone to the capital with the bank¡¯s convoy to take the exam. I invited them to bring these things.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha! Not bad! Not bad!¡± Zhou Jiaughed excitedly when he heard that. He said two good things in a row. ¡°This kid is not bad. He¡¯s diligent and motivated.


    Looks like he¡¯s really going to surpass his teacher.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s not bad? Is there news of Ah Qing?¡± Zhou Jia¡¯sughter woke Li Yu up. She walked out of the house and asked the two of them.


    Zhou Jia grabbed Li Yu¡¯s hand excitedly and shouted happily, ¡°Yu¡¯er, Ah Qing clinched first ce.¡±


    Ruyi also congratted Li Yu. ¡°Congrattions, Madam. Young Master Ah


    Qing won the first ce.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Li Yu looked at the two of them in surprise and joy. The two of them kept nodding.


    Zhou Jia pointed at the two travel bags Ruyi was carrying. ¡°It¡¯s true. Look, there are even letters.¡±


    ¡°Ruyi, quickly show me the bag. What does the letter say?¡± Li Yu said with a smile and took the bag from Ruyi. She carried it into the house and opened the bag. She saw that it was filled with fur coats, sweaters, clothes, shoes, and a few pairs of leather boots. Finally, she took out a small bag wrapped in oil paper. After opening it, she saw the letters inside. There were a total of three letters. One was written by Zhao Cai, one was written by Li Qing, and thest was from Li Mei.


    Li Yu smiled and handed the letter to Zhou Jia. ¡°Zhao Cai must have written the good news.¡±


    As she spoke, she opened Li Qing¡¯s letter. She saw that it said that he missed his sister, his brother-inw and Little Yang¡¯er. After that were the words to report the good news, followed by Li Mei¡¯s words and his evaluation of Li Fengqi. After reading it, Li Yu handed the letter to Zhou Jia.


    After opening Li Mei¡¯s letter, she saw that the content in front was simr to what Li Qing had written. It also mentioned the disappointment of Li Mei and her husband in Laidi. There was also a reminder to the couple not to help Laidi and his husband. In the end, she wrote dryly that Laidi would get married on the eighth day of October.


    When Li Yu saw this, she thought to herself that it seemed that Laidi¡¯s actions had broken Aunt¡¯s heart. Even her big day was so casually mentioned. Today was the eighth of October! It was already this hour, and Laidi had already been happily married to the man she liked!


    After Zhou Jia finished reading Li Qing¡¯s letter, he said to Li Yu, ¡°Yu¡¯er, ording to Ah Qing, this Li Fengqi is making use of Cousin Laidi and doesn¡¯t like her much. I remember that this little cousin used to be quite sensible and smart. It¡¯s only been a few years since west met. How did she be so confused?¡±


    Li Yu thought for a moment. ¡°Her thoughts can¡¯t be judged bymon sense anymore. It¡¯s as if she¡¯s entered an illusion now. She¡¯s already lost in her fantasy world. She¡¯s blinded and covering her ears. She doesn¡¯t want to hear or think. When her illusion shatters, if Li Fengqi is a mountain wolf in disguise¡­¡±


    Zhou Jia nodded and said, ¡°Most of such people are selfish people. Write to Ah Qing and tell him to be wary of Li Fengqi.¡±


    Li Yu looked at it and smiled. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll write to Shopkeeper Chuter to ask him to help bring it to Ah Qing. Why didn¡¯t you go to the government office? Is


    the Qi army retreating?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Zhou Jia walked to Li Yu¡¯s side and sat down. He told Li Yu what he had seen on the city wall and reached out to hold her hand. Yu¡¯er¡¯s hand was warm and soft. Zhou Jia felt that even his heart was warm. ¡°Yu¡¯er, I¡¯m thinking that after the war is over and stabilized, I¡¯ll resign. Let¡¯s go back to Tongzhou and open an academy to teach two to three naughty children and live a leisurely life. What do you think?¡±


    Li Yu was a little touched when she heard that. She knew that she had worried him by helping the military twice, but she could not tell him that she had the space which served as a means to escape. She could only tell him her thoughts and let him decide..

 Chapter 378 - 378: The Changed West City Shack

    Chapter 378: The Changed West City Shack


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia and reached out to shake his hand. She said seriously, ¡°Xiao Xi, if you¡¯re tired of living like this, we¡¯ll resign and go back. If you only have this thought because I¡¯ve helped the military twice and made you worry about my safety, there¡¯s no need. Because no matter what, I understand that I have you and Yang¡¯er waiting for me at home. I won¡¯t let myself fall into a desperate situation.¡±


    Zhou Jia was silent for a moment when he heard that. He looked up at Li Yu. ¡°You have to promise me that your safety is the most important no matter what. ¡±


    ¡°I promise you, but I have other opinions about the Qi army¡¯s ns.¡± ¡°Oh! Tell me about it.¡± Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu seriously.


    ¡°Think about it. You said that it takes more than two months to travel from


    Yunzhou to Great Qi. Even if Great Qi¡¯s supplies are immediately set off from Great Qi, it will be toote. What will the Qi army eat in these two months? Are they going to wait for a hundred thousand soldiers to starve to death? You estimate that there are still two days of rations in the Qi camp. Even if there are not enough arrows, there should still be other weapons. If Yang Huaiyi breaks out of his means of retreat and tells those soldiers that the rations have been destroyed, bewitching them that as long as they enter the city, they will have food to eat and won¡¯t starve to death on the way back to Great Qi. If they win, they will also have military merits to confer titles to their wives and children. If that¡¯s the case, Yunzhou will probably face a fierce battle.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! How could I have forgotten that under the pressure of ridicule, people will destroy and be evil demons in order to survive? No wonder Ouyang Xiong said that we have to strengthen our defenses. I was too optimistic. I¡¯ll go back to the government office and ask them to tighten their defenses. When Ie back, I have to go to West City. I¡¯lle backter to pick you up and take a look at West City. Are you going?¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll wait for you at home,¡± Li Yu replied with a smile. She watched as he and Ji Xiang strode away. She turned around and went back to look at the clothes Li Mei had made for her and Zhou Jia, as well as Yangyang¡¯s small jacket, cotton pants, and cotton slippers. She then read Li Mei¡¯s letter again. From the letter, she could feel Li Mei¡¯s heartache when she faced Laidi. From anger to sadness and disappointment, to being powerless and letting it go. Now that Laidi had married Li Fengqi as she wished, she wondered if Laidi¡¯s marriage was really as beautiful as she had imagined.


    When Zhou Jia arrived at the east city wall, he saw that themoners were carrying arrows and stones and some bamboo poles to the top of the city wall. When he climbed to the top of the city wall, he saw that the soldiers were all busy in an orderly manner. There was still no movement in the distant Qi camp. Zhou Jia was relieved and went home to pick Li Yu up to the west city.


    When the carriage reached the entrance of the alley, Li Yu got out of the carriage and realized that the smelly puddles had already disappeared. The alley was paved with limestone roads. The residents on both sides of the alley also opened their doors. Some even set up stalls at the door to sell snacks. When they saw Zhou Jia¡¯s carriage pass by, they stood up and bowed to the carriage.


    From their actions and expressions, it could be seen that they respected Zhou Jia very much. Li Yu saw this and felt proud of Zhou Jia. She smiled and said to


    Zhou Jia, ¡°Lord Zhou is not bad!¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu with shining eyes. ¡°Go in and take a look again. Are you satisfied?¡±


    ¡°Yes! I¡¯ll take a good look when we go in,¡± Li Yu replied solemnly.


    When they walked into West City¡¯s shack, the originally smelly and dirty shack was gone. What appeared in front of them were rows of small courtyards with unified green brick and tile houses. The entrance was clean and tidy. There were also two wells in the corner. There were even sinks and limestone bs beside the wells. When the people who came out of the houses to check heard themotion, they hurriedly bowed when they saw the carriage. Liu Yi, who was patrolling this area, also went forward to greet Zhou Jia¡¯s carriage when he saw it.


    Zhou Jia pointed at the small courtyards. ¡°There are a total of seven main rooms and rooms in a house. They¡¯re separated into two small kitchens. The rooms are not as big as ours, but they¡¯re still spacious and bright. Also, a toilet has been built at the head of every row of houses. ording to your method on the farm at the foot of Mount Spindle, a man¡¯s room and a woman¡¯s room are separated into small rooms with water vats. Every family in the row of houses will take turns cleaning.¡±


    Li Yu nodded in satisfaction. ¡°Not bad. How many families live in this courtyard?¡±


    Zhou Jia pointed at Liu Yi and said, ¡°Old Liu, tell me.¡±


    ¡°Madam, now that the original families have been settled in this area, as well as the refugees of Linshan County and the citizens who entered the city after clearing the nearby towns and cities, there are three families living in a courtyard. The others are all living in the abandoned houses in the city. The Wei family¡¯s shops, inns, and houses are all filled with people. Look, no one in our city lives under the eaves. Everything is clean.¡±


    Liu Yi hesitated for a moment. ¡°The only bad thing is themoners who came from the mountains. Some of them are about to run out of food that they hurriedly brought out, and they don¡¯t have the money to buy rice to eat. I heard that a few families only drink one meal of brown rice porridge a day. Although it¡¯s called porridge, it can even reflect a person¡¯s shadow.¡±


    ¡°I see!¡± Li Yu thought of the food in the cer and space and said to Liu Yi, ¡°Go and calcte the total poption. After the statistics are done, hand it to Mr. Qian. I¡¯ll go back and discuss a way with your master to inform you as soon as possible. ¡±


    ¡°Liu Yi thanks Madam on behalf of thosemoners and I also thank Sir and Madam on behalf of the Han people. In the chaos of war, they even got someone to teach the children. Without that money, their lives would be difficult.¡± Liu Yi bowed gratefully.


    Li Yu waved her hand. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be polite. After we discuss it, we¡¯ll ask Mr. Qian to tell you the news.¡±


    Liu Yi excitedly went to check with the families.


    The two of them walked around inside. Seeing that it was orderly inside, they turned around and walked back. After getting into the carriage, Zhou Jia said to Li Yu, ¡°Yu¡¯er, we have to give the food to those soldiers first. I¡¯m afraid there won¡¯t be so much food to provide to thosemoners for the entire winter.¡±


    ¡°Have you forgotten that we¡¯ve just collected so much food? In addition, what Uncle Gu Yu gave us can also support some people.¡± Li Yu sat beside Zhou Jia and looked at him with a sly smile. ¡°If it¡¯s really not enough, have you forgotten that there¡¯s still the Wang family and the big families that fled the Tian family!


    Who knows where the food went in the chaos?¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu and smiled dotingly. ¡°You! It¡¯s all up to you. The Tian family has already been wiped out by Chu Sihai. In my opinion, we¡¯ll use the Wang family¡¯s food first and distribute it to themoners who can¡¯t afford to eat in the name of the government office.¡±


    ¡°Alright, use the Wang family¡¯s first. Do you know where his cer is?¡± Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia.


    ¡°The cer is a small matter. We¡¯ll know when Ruyi goes to those ces tonight. My main consideration is that we can¡¯t let thosemoners take the food away just like that. That will develop a kind of inertia. I want them to help clean the streets. After the Qi army retreats, we have to reorganize the city wall and rebuild the families of those people who have been cleared.¡± Zhou Jia pped his hands and smiled. ¡°Yes, let them work. We¡¯ll distribute the food ording to the amount of work they do.¡±


    Li Yu thought to herself, ¡°Isn¡¯t this simr to gaining relief from work in the future?¡±


    ¡°Your idea is not bad. We¡¯ll do as you say. Let Ruyi investigate tonight and quietly get the food out.¡±


    ¡°Alright!¡± Zhou Jia sighed. ¡°I wonder if we¡¯ll survive tonight?¡±


    After Li Yu heard Zhou Jia¡¯s words, she also wanted to see how the soldiers of this era fought. She looked at Zhou Jia and whispered, ¡°Xiao Xi, I want to go to the city wall to see if Yang Huaiyi will be desperate tonight..¡±

 Chapter 379 - 379: One Arrow to Determine the Victory

    Chapter 379: One Arrow to Determine the Victory


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Zhou Jia recalled Ouyang Xiong¡¯s fanatical gaze when he mentioned the Sky Shaking Thunder. He looked at Li Yu worriedly and instructed, ¡°Yu¡¯er, if the war is tense, if you want to help, don¡¯t let anyone find out that those bombs came from you. I think your worry is right. What if they think that you still have more powerful weapons that you haven¡¯t used and want to harm you? They¡¯ll use Yang¡¯er, Ah Qing, and the others to threaten you. What should we do then?¡±


    Li Yu knew that Zhou Jia was telling the truth. The most terrifying thing was not ghosts but the human heart. You would never know what a person would be.


    ¡°I understand. Ruyi and Ji Xiang have used a lot of it. There¡¯s not much left in the cer. I won¡¯t be discovered if I go quietly tonight. If the war isn¡¯t urgent, I won¡¯t take it out to use. I¡¯ll take it to the ditch after it¡¯s over.¡±


    Ji Xiang, who was sitting on the carriage rafters, suddenly stood up. ¡®Master, Madam, there¡¯s an rm bell on the west wall. There¡¯s an enemy attack on the west wall.¡±


    ¡°Turn the carriage around and go to the west city gate.¡± Zhou Jia and Li Yu walked to the door of the carriage. The dense rm bells seemed to have hit their hearts. ¡°Yang Huaiyi is indeed desperate and scattered his forces to attack the west city gate. Oh no, there shouldn¡¯t be many garrison troops in the west city.¡±


    ¡°Go back.¡± Li Yu decisively jumped out of the carriage. ¡°Ji Xiang, send Master back to the government office. I¡¯ll go to the city wall to take a look.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡± Zhou Jia also jumped out of the carriage with Li Yu. Li Yu stopped and looked at him. ¡°Zhou Jia, you¡¯re the magistrate. Why don¡¯t you go back and send soldiers to help instead of following me to the city wall?¡± Before Li Yu could finish speaking, she had already run far away.


    ¡°Hurry back to the government office.¡± Zhou Jia could only jump back into the carriage.


    Li Yu ran to the city gate and took out the strong bow and crossbow arrow from a secluded corner. She jumped onto the city wall in a few strides and saw that there was already arge army under the city gate. It turned out that Yang Huaiyi had feinted to the west city gate.


    Li Yu saw rows of archers standing in the middle of the shields on the city wall. They drew their bows and nocked arrows. The arrows fell into the Qi army¡¯s camp at the front like a rain. Arge number of Qi soldiers fell to the ground.


    The crossbowmen of the Qi army quickly arrived and fired at the city wall under the cover of the infantry shields. The soldiers on the city wall who could not dodge in time were shot and fell to the ground. The injured soldiers were still gritting their teeth and fighting back with arrows.


    The Qi army below the city wall rushed towards the city wall one after another. Densely packed Qi soldiers carrieddders and carried crossbow beds towards the city wall.


    Arge red g with the word ¡°Yang¡± on it was inserted into the chariot and fluttered in the wind. On the chariot stood a tall and powerful man. He was wearing ck armor and a head armor of the same color with a dark red hat. He stood majestically on the chariot with a long saber in his hand andmanded the Qi army. Beside the chariot was a maroon horse that was obviously not ordinary. The Qi army below the city were boisterous under the thundering war drums.


    Immediately after, a group of Qi soldiers pushing a huge piece of wood walked out of the military formation and struggled towards the city gate. Li Yu knew that this was used to hit the city gate.


    Li Yu stood at the chopping point and looked at the general on the war chariot.


    She thought to herself that this extraordinary general was probably Yang Huaiyi. If it was really him, it seemed that the Qi army was determined to fight to the death since Yang Huaiyi was participating personally.


    Li Yu looked at him and narrowed her eyes. She decided that whether he was Yang Huaiyi or not, she would use him to deter the Qi soldiers.


    Li Yu looked at the g fluttering on the chariot and the general¡¯s dark red hat. She tested the direction and speed of the wind and quickly moved to find the best shooting position. She slowly exhaled and drew her bow. She aimed the arrow at his face. The dark arrow tore through the air with a whoosh. Li Yu saw the dark red hat tip back and fall into the chariot.


    Li Yu threw away the bow and picked up the crossbow. Her movements were smooth. She aimed the crossbow at the Qi soldier who was pushing the cart towards the city gate and pulled the trigger. After a few clicks, the cart stopped.


    At this moment, the g soldier on the city wall waved his g and pointed at the war chariot. He shouted, ¡°Yang Huaiyi has been killed. Yang Huaiyi has been killed. ¡±


    In a breath, the soldiers on the city wall looked at the empty war chariot and shouted in unison, ¡°Yang Huaiyi has been killed. Yang Huaiyi has been killed¡­¡¯


    The Qi army, who had rushed to the foot of the city wall, turned around and saw that the tall war chariot was empty. The bay horses beside the war chariot knelt on the ground and wailed into the sky. The morale of the Qi army was instantly smashed into the dust.


    Ouyang Xiong, who had led his troops to the west city wall, raised his arms and shouted, ¡°Fight, kill, kill, fight, kill the enemy¡­¡± The morale of the Great Yong soldiers was like a rainbow. An inspiring and dense drumbeat sounded from the city wall. More than ten thousand arrows were fired at the same time from the city wall. The infantry picked up the stone and smashed it at the Qi army. The Qi army covered their heads and fled. Groups of cavalry galloped out from the city gate.


    The shouts of the Great Yong soldiers shook the sky. The Qi army was defeated swiftly. The soldiers and generals fled in all directions. When it was dark, a huge battle ended and Great Yong won.


    After searching everywhere, they found nothing. Someone said that Crown Prince Qi and Yang Huaiyi did not see eye to eye and had long fled with his followers.


    Ouyang Xiong sent troops to Linshan County to recover the lostnd.


    Yunzhou City was filled with cheers. Someone had set off firecrackers. The cheering people snapped up the firecracker workshop. The closed doors opened to congratte each other. The sound of happy firecrackers was everywhere.


    Chu Sihai arrived at Zhou Jia¡¯s room under the sound of firecrackers. He looked at Zhou Jia andughed loudly. ¡°Congrattions, Lord Zhou. Yunzhou has achieved a great victory. Your wife is indeed worthy of being the Madam Protector conferred by His Majesty. She has the courage to easily eliminate a fierce battle. I think we should celebrate. Lord Zhou, what do you think?¡± ¡°Congrattions, congrattions.¡± Zhou Jia had a proud smile on his face as he returned the greeting humbly. ¡°You tter me, Head Shopkeeper. I¡¯m not as divine as you say. There are still a lot of matters outside the city that need you and me. The damaged city walls and houses need to be repaired and rebuilt.


    There¡¯s still time to celebrate.¡±


    Chu Sihai thought about it and felt that it made sense. He suddenly thought of something and added a trace of bitterness to his joy of victory. He sighed and said, ¡°That¡¯s true. When I go back, I have to send someone to Mount Spindle to take a look. Why haven¡¯t the secret guards we sent returned to report? Did General Shen and his nephew meet with misfortune?¡±


    Zhou Jia also sighed and said, ¡°That¡¯s right! Madam Shen is still waiting for news of General Shen! I heard that she also sent her family guards to find news of General Shen. I think she should be back in a few days!¡±


    Chu Sihai could not stay any longer and hurriedly bade farewell to Zhou Jia. ¡°I¡¯ll go back and send someone to check first. See you, Lord Zhou!¡±


    Zhou Jia watched as Chu Sihai left in a hurry and shook his head with a smile. He went out and called the scribe to go to the city wall.


    Ruyi and Ji Xiang went to the Wang family when the entire city was celebrating their victory. They saw the two guards of the Wang family ying boxing and drinking in the house after releasing firecrackers. The two of them sneaked into the courtyard and found the Wang family¡¯s cer in the woodshed in the outer courtyard. When they opened it, they saw that it was filled with food and chestnut rice. The two of them began to move the items..

 Chapter 380 - 380: Who Are You Serving?

    Chapter 380: Who Are You Serving?


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    After midnight, Li Yu and her husband also followed the two of them to the Wang family¡¯s cer. Seeing the nervous and excited Zhou Jia bend down and enter the cer, she chuckled and patted him. ¡°Xiao Xi, don¡¯t we look like thieves robbing the rich to help the poor?¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu, who was only showing her eyes, and then at himself. He nodded nervously and excitedly. ¡°Yes! It really looks like that.¡±


    Li Yu was overjoyed when she heard that. When she touched the chestnut rice in those sacks, Li Yu suddenly thought of the chestnut rice she had touched in the Qi camp. Her mood at that time was really indescribable. She pped herself and kept shaking her head. Why didn¡¯t she react in time and burned them all? She could have taken some into the space! It was really a waste of treasure!


    When Zhou Jia and the other two heard the sound, they looked at Li Yu in surprise. ¡°Madam, what¡¯s wrong?


    ¡°Hehe! Bugs bit me.¡±


    Ji Xiang and Ruyi looked into the cer with nk expressions. Were there mosquitoes down here too? If Madam said there were, there definitely were.


    Li Yu touched her aching face and smiled awkwardly. ¡°Let¡¯s move quickly while the firecrackers are going! When the guards wake up, they won¡¯t be so easy to carry.¡±


    ¡°Yes, quickly move it!¡± Zhou Jia carried a bag of food. Ruyi and Ji Xiang also carried it and left. When the ox cart was filled, Li Yu quickly touched the sack and stored all the food in the space while the three of them were sending it back. She ran to the door where the guards were sleeping and pinched her nose as she shouted, ¡°It¡¯s water, it¡¯s water.¡±


    When she heard the two of them, she turned around and ran. She went back and said to them, ¡°We can¡¯t go anymore. The Wang family¡¯s guards have already discovered us.¡±


    ¡°Aye! We should have done it sooner,¡± Ji Xiang said dejectedly.


    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Zhou Jia touched his chin and felt like he had not had enough.


    In a two-in-one house in Phoenix Town, Laidi sat alone on the wedding bed. She listened happily to the sound of drinking and merrymaking outside. After a while, she heard two women muttering at the door.


    A momentter, she pushed open the door and walked in. Laidi saw a woman in her thirties and a sixteen-year-old girl. The woman had prominent cheekbones and thin lips. The girl¡¯s skin was fair, and beautiful, and she looked timid as she followed behind the woman. Could she be a servant that Feng Qi had just bought? Laidi thought to herself that this woman looked troublesome. This girl was quite good-looking. Would she work well with a delicate appearance?


    Seeing Laidi looking at them, Madam Ye smiled dryly and said, ¡°Niece-inw, you still don¡¯t recognize me, right? I¡¯m Feng Qi¡¯s aunt. Feng Qi asked me to help take care of you when you got married.¡±


    Laidi was enlightened and looked at Madam Ye and the girl mockingly. So she was the aunt who chased Feng Qi and Old Madam out of the house! What did she mean by Feng Qi asking her to help? It was more likely that she sucked up to him when she saw that Feng Qi had be sessful.


    At the thought of this, Laidi smiled proudly. ¡°Oh! Thank you, Aunt.¡± As she spoke, she looked curiously at the girl beside Madam Ye. ¡°Yo! Such a beautiful girl? Is she Aunt¡¯s sister?¡±


    Madam Ye did not care about Laidi¡¯s expression at all. She happily pushed the girl in front of Laidi. ¡°I also think that Feng¡¯er is good -looking! Hehe! This is my niece, Feng¡¯er. Granny said that Feng Qi is going to the capital to take the exam after you get married. She¡¯s afraid that no one will take care of you on the way. She asked Feng¡¯er to go with you so that she can take care of you along the way.¡±


    Her niece! Laidi looked at Ye Feng¡¯er¡¯s shy expression and felt that something was wrong. She thought to herself that although Ye Feng was not Fengqi¡¯s cousin, she was Madam Ye¡¯s niece. She was also good-looking. How could she be willing to work for her family?


    ¡°Aunt, how can we let Miss Ye serve us? I know how to wash clothes and cook. Besides, we won¡¯t be able toe back from the capital for two to three years. At Miss Ye¡¯s age, it will dy her if she leaves with us.¡±


    Madam Ye looked at Laidi and thought to herself that as expected, she didn¡¯t know anything havinge from the countryside! Didn¡¯t she think that such a delicate little girl was here to serve a country girl? Of course, she was here to serve the future schr.


    Madam Ye nced at Laidi with disdain and said with a fake smile, ¡°My niece-inw is indeed a kind person. Don¡¯t worry, she won¡¯t be dyed. Old Madam said that Feng Qi is going to take the schrship. She¡¯s afraid that she¡¯s too old to follow Fengqi to the capital. If anything happens to her on the way, Feng Qi¡¯s future will be dyed. Old Madam and Feng Qi have already told me that I¡¯ll bring Old Madam home to fulfill my filial piety. Feng¡¯er will follow you to the capital to serve you.¡±


    Madam Ye walked up to Laidi and held her hand. She smiled at Laidi and said, ¡°Niece-inw, don¡¯t you know that when Feng Qi¡¯s parents were still alive, they even said that Feng¡¯er and Feng Qi were a match made in heaven! Hehe¡­ Feng¡¯er will serve you. Niece-inw, on ount of Aunt, you have to take care of my Feng¡¯er in the future. Don¡¯t let anyone bully my Feng¡¯er.¡±


    Laidi looked at Madam Ye and did not understand what it had to do with Ye Feng¡¯er to bring the olddy back to do her filial duty. Then, she heard Madam Ye say proudly that Li Fengqi and Ye Feng¡¯er were a match made in heaven. Now that she was here to serve them, she did not want them to bully her. Laidi looked at the smug Madam Ye and the shy Ye Feng without blinking and understood who Ye Feng¡¯er was here to serve.


    Laidi was so angry that she clenched her fists. She looked at Madam Ye and Ye Feng¡¯er with a pale face and thought to herself, ¡°Why didn¡¯t Fengqi mention it to me? Did Old Madam and Madam Ye discuss it, or did Madam Ye deliberately sow discord?¡±


    At this moment, footsteps sounded outside the door. Madam Ye went forward and pushed open the door. She saw her two sons supporting the drunk Li Fengqi to the door.


    The Li brothers said to Madam Ye. ¡°Mother. Cousin is drunk.¡±


    ¡°Aiyo! Why is Feng Qi so drunk?! Hurry up and help him to the bed.¡± Madam Ye smiled and pointed at the wedding bed.


    After the Li brothers helped Li Fengqi to the bed andy down, they walked out with red faces and lowered heads. Madam Ye pulled Ye Feng¡¯er, who wanted to go forward to help. ¡°Feng¡¯er, we¡¯re leaving too. Let¡¯s not dy Fengqi¡¯s wedding night with my niece-inw.¡±


    Laidi watched Madam Ye leave with a smile. She got up and closed the door. She returned to the bed and looked at the drunk Li Fengqi. She patted him a few times. ¡°Fengqi, Fengqi, wake up and wash up.¡±


    Li Fengqi nced at Laidi drunkenly and waved his hand. ¡°Drink, drink¡­¡± He muttered and fell asleep again.


    Laidi fell into a chair and felt that it was different from what she had imagined. She had never seen Ah Qing drunk. How could a schr be so unrestrained?


    Laidi looked bitterly at Li Fengqi, who was sleeping soundly. She whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t sleep! Tonight is our wedding night.. How can you be like this? Tell me, what¡¯s going on with that Ye Feng¡¯er?¡±

 Chapter 381 - 381: Liu Changmin’s Warning

    Chapter 381: Liu Changmin¡¯s Warning


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Laidi sat on the chair in a daze and watched Li Fengqi sleep until dawn.


    Li Fengqi woke up from his hangover and rubbed his swollen head as he looked at the big red wedding nket on the bed. Only then did he remember that he had gotten married yesterday. Why was there no one on the bed? Had Laidi already woken up?


    Li Fengqi sat up and looked up to see Laidi sitting on the chair in a daze. He asked curiously, ¡°Laidi, why are you sitting there? Why aren¡¯t you on the bed?¡±


    Laidi looked at him and asked faintly, ¡°You clearly know thatst night was a good day for us to get married. Why did you drink like that? What will others think of me?¡±


    Li Fengqi looked at Laidi¡¯s aggrieved gaze and felt that he shouldn¡¯t have gotten drunk on their wedding night. He looked at her apologetically. ¡°Laidi, I didn¡¯t do it on purpose. I was so happy to marry you that I drank a few more sses. In addition, they kept drinking and I identally drank too much.¡±


    Laidi¡¯s heart warmed when she saw his apologetic expression. Thinking of what Madam Ye had saidst night, she was furious again. She angrily told Li Fengqi what Madam Ye had said. She looked at him unhappily and asked,


    ¡°What¡¯s going on with that Ye Feng¡¯er? What is your aunt thinking?¡±


    Li Fengqi rubbed his throbbing temples. Looking at Laidi¡¯s aggressive appearance, he was extremely annoyed. As expected, she was an ignorant vige girl. She couldn¡¯t see her husband¡¯s headache and only knew how to pester about those things. If he had known¡­


    Li Fengqi suppressed the frustration in his heart and said to Laidi nicely, ¡°You and I are going to the capital for the exam. Grandmother is old and can¡¯t travel long distances. She can¡¯t live without someone to serve her. Grandmother said that she will return to Aunt¡¯s house and let Aunt serve her. Aunt said that she can serve Grandmother. Her only request is for Feng¡¯er to follow us to the capital to take care of us. Laidi, don¡¯t worry. I just treat her as a sister.¡±


    Laidi pursed her lips and thought to herself that he had even called Feng¡¯er sister. What kind of sister was the niece of the Ye family?


    ¡°Go and tell Aunt that it¡¯s not good to let a little girl like her follow us to the capital. That will ruin her reputation. If you¡¯re afraid that no one will take care of us, I¡¯ll go to the brokerage to buy an old woman and a rough servant to follow us to the capital to take care of us. Ye Feng¡¯er will stay at home to take care of Grandmother. We¡¯ll give her sry and silver.¡±


    Li Fengqi stood up and pointed at Laidi angrily. ¡°You¡¯re just being unreasonable. Grandmother and I have already promised Aunt. How can we go back on our word? Alright! Since you disagree, stay at home and take care of Grandmother. I¡¯ll go to the capital alone.¡± Li Fengqi mmed the door angrily and left.


    Laidi watched in shock as Li Fengqi mmed the door and left. Tears welled up in her eyes as she muttered to herself, ¡°I married you at all costs. How can you treat me like this?¡±


    Li Fengqi regretted it after mming the door angrily and leaving. If she really stayed at home, how was he going to enter Li Qing¡¯s house in the capital? He heard that the emperor had even given her cousin¡¯s family a house. Li Qing would definitely stay there if he went to take the exam. If he stayed there, wouldn¡¯t he be able to get to know someone with status?


    Li Fengqi gritted his teeth and could only turn around to coax Laidi. When he entered the house and saw her sitting there motionless with her head lowered, he walked up to her and reached out his hand. He said softly to her, ¡°Let¡¯s go!


    Don¡¯t throw a tantrum. We still have to serve tea to Grandmother and Father.¡±


    ¡°Am I throwing a tantrum?¡± Laidi pped Li Fengqi¡¯s hand away in disappointment. ¡°Go find your Sister Feng¡¯er to serve tea with you! Why are you looking for me?! You were drunkst night, and we didn¡¯t have any intercourse.


    It¡¯s not toote for you to go back on your word.¡±


    Li Fengqi hugged her and said softly, ¡°I¡¯ll regret it if I let you go. Besides, I don¡¯t want anything to do with Feng¡¯er. I only want you.¡±


    Seeing him smile shyly, Laidi pushed him gently. ¡°Annoying¡­¡± Li Fengqi smiled and carried her to the bed. He leaned over and pressed her down.


    When she returned home three dayster, Laidi told Li Mei that she and Li


    Fengai were going to the capital to prepare for the exam. Li Mei looked at her


    indifferently. ¡°What¡¯s the use of telling me about the preparation exam in the capital? I¡¯m an old woman from the countryside and can¡¯t help you. When the timees, we won¡¯t send you off. Have a safe trip!¡±


    Laidi looked at Li Mei ingratiatingly. ¡°Mother, why are you still angry with me? I want to ask you for my cousin¡¯s address. I¡¯ll go see Ah Qing when we reach the capital.¡±


    ¡°My nephew won¡¯t trouble you, an outsider. Didn¡¯t you swear never to cause trouble for Ah Qing and Yu¡¯er? It¡¯ll be less trouble if we don¡¯t interact with each other. I¡¯ve already instructed Ah Qing and Xiaoyu to interact less with you so that they won¡¯t be used,¡± Li Mei said indifferently.


    Laidi looked at Li Mei and thought of how Li Fengqi had repeatedly instructed her that as long as she got Li Qing¡¯s address and Li Mei¡¯s letter, he would tell the Old Madam not to let Ye Feng¡¯er go to the capital with her. Thinking of this, Laidi begged patiently, ¡°Mother, I was just angry! We¡¯re mother and daughter. How can we have overnight grudges? I was wrong!¡±


    Li Mei looked at Laidi and sighed. ¡°Sigh! I¡¯m not angry at you. Be good on the way. Follow the people in the government office closely and don¡¯t ck off. It¡¯s not safe to be alone.¡±


    Seeing that Li Mei¡¯s tone had softened, Laidi held her hand and wheedled, ¡°Got it, Mother. Give me Ah Qing¡¯s address. When I go to the capital, I can help Ah Qing pack up and take care of his food. We have Ah Qing there. If anything happens, we can take care of each other.¡±


    Li Mei was so angry that her face turned pale. In the end, she still wanted to count on the support of Ah Qing and his sister!


    Li Mei looked at Laidi coldly. ¡°If you want help, just say it. Why are you talking about these things? Who did you learn these superficial things from? I thought you really knew your mistake. It turns out that you¡¯re only apologizing because of Ah Qing¡¯s address. Leave!¡± With that, she turned around and left. Zhaodi followed worriedly.


    Brother Pig rolled his eyes at Laidi. ¡°Second Sister, you¡¯re an ingrate. I woke up early in the morning and cooked your favorite food. You made me angry when you came back. I¡¯m ignoring you.¡±


    After saying that, Brother Pig ran to the central room andined to Liu Changmin, ¡°Father, Second Sister made Mother angry when she came back. Mother¡¯s face turned pale from anger.¡±


    When Liu Changmin heard this, he stood up and looked at Li Fengqi with a smile. ¡°Fengqi, bring Laidi back! Her mother has a problem with palpitations. It¡¯s easy for her to fall ill when she¡¯s angry. My Liu family is just a family that digs food from the ground. We can¡¯t help you much. We don¡¯t want to drag you down. In the future, everyone should interact less. My girl suffered too much when she was young and has a bad temper. You¡¯re a schr, so you have to bear with it.¡±


    Li Fengqi was about to respond when Liu Changmin said coldly, ¡°There¡¯s something I have to tell you. If there¡¯s anything wrong with my daughter, tell me. I¡¯ll discipline her personally. If something bad happens in your Li family, I won¡¯t agree.¡±


    Li Fengqi was speechless by Liu Changmin¡¯s words. He knew that Liu


    Changming was threatening him. In the past few days after bing the High Schr, Li Fengqi knew the difference between having a backer and not having one..

 Chapter 382 - 382: Wounded Soldiers

    Chapter 382: Wounded Soldiers


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Li Fengqi did not dare to give Liu Changmin a hard time. He still bowed respectfully to Liu Changmin. ¡°I¡¯ll follow Father-inw¡¯s instructions. I¡¯ll take my leave.¡± With that, he turned around and walked out. Seeing this, Laidi hurriedly chased after him.


    Laidi got into the carriage and looked at the livid Li Fengqi uneasily. ¡°Fengqi, don¡¯t be angry. I¡¯ll ask her when she¡¯s done being angry.¡±


    Li Fengqi nced at Laidi. ¡°Forget it! Didn¡¯t you say that your cousin likes you very much?! Go back and write a letter to her to ask her about the address of the Tongzhou Guild Hall in the capital. We can also receive a reply when we go to the capital. When we reach the capital, your cousin¡¯s letter will have arrived.¡±


    ¡°Then what will you tell Grandmother about Ye Feng¡¯er? Will Grandmother agree?¡± Laidi couldn¡¯t forget about Ye Feng¡¯er.


    In the end, she was a narrow-minded person. Otherwise, how could she leave


    Feng¡¯er at home to serve his grandmother? Li Fengqi smiled faintly and said, ¡°I¡¯ll naturally do what I promised you. When I go back, I¡¯ll tell Grandmother to leave her at home to serve her.¡±


    Laidi smiled sweetly and leaned on Li Fengqi¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Fengqi, you¡¯re so good. I¡¯ll write to my cousin when we get back.¡±


    Li Yu, who was being thought about by Laidi and her husband, brought Madam He and the families of some officials who had not escaped to the tent for the injured soldiers to visit them.


    Madam He saw a teenage soldier with a leg cut off by the Qi army who rushed up the city wall. Madam He asked with heartache, ¡°Child, where are you from? Why are you a soldier at such a young age?¡±


    The soldier nced at Madam He with a red face. ¡°Madam, my family is from Guangtong County. I¡¯m not young anymore. I¡¯m already 17 years old. The elder brothers in the family all have children. I don¡¯t want my nephews to be born without a father.¡¯


    ¡°Little brother, when are you going back? I can help you find a convoy and bring you back to Guangtong County.¡± Li Yu looked at him and asked.


    When the soldier heard that Li Yu could bring him back, his eyes lit up. Then, he shook his head and smiled bitterly. ¡°I don¡¯t n to go back like this. Madam, can you help me bring thepensation money to my parents? They¡¯re old and sick. With two silver coins in their pockets, they can live a rxed life for two years.¡±


    When Madam He heard this, she wiped her tears and said, ¡°What a filial young man. He¡¯s already like this, yet he¡¯s still thinking about his parents. How sad would his parents be if they found out?¡±


    When the injured soldiers in the tent heard this, they lowered their heads sadly. One of the injured soldiers with a broken arm sighed and said, ¡°I still have a wife and child at home. If I don¡¯t go back, I¡¯m afraid the child won¡¯t have a good life without a father. Let¡¯s go back! It¡¯s not convenient to work with only one hand. I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll drag them down. Sigh! I might as well die without worrying. At the very least, I can get more pension money.¡±


    When a crippled veteran heard this, he sneered indignantly. ¡°Do you think you can get all the pension money given to you by the Imperial Court? Those who can give you 80 to 90% of the pension money can be considered officials with a conscience. Damn it, not even half of it was received by the families of those dead soldiers. There are many people who eat human blood buns!¡±


    A general who looked like a centurion looked at Li Yu and the others and scolded awkwardly, ¡°Cripple Xu, what nonsense are you talking about again? Hurry up and get to work.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not spouting nonsense. I can find out anything by asking around,¡± Cripple Xu muttered and walked out.


    Li Yu knew that they were deliberately saying this to the wives of the officials. However, looking at the warriors with missing arms and legs, she thought to herself, Why should they bleed and cry? The officials even wanted to use them to make a windfall when they were dead. Were such officials still human?


    Li Yu asked Old Madam Liu to distribute the food to them and left the tent with Madam He and the others. After bidding farewell, everyone got into the carriage and went back.


    Li Yu leaned against the carriage and closed her eyes in thought. What should she do for them? Li Yu thought of the bushes under the wastnd in West City. She wondered how wide and long it was. Thinking of this, Li Yu said to Old


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± Old Madam Liu told Ah Wei what Li Yu had said. Ah Wei smiled and asked Old Madam Liu, ¡°I wonder if Brother Ruyi and Brother Ji Xiang have finished giving out those grains?¡±


    Old Madam Liu smiled and said, ¡°It should be soon! I saw that the city wall was filled with people working. I heard from those old people that this is the first time they haven¡¯t been hungry after living for so many years.¡±


    ¡°I thought it would take a few more days!¡± Ah Wei smiled.


    In the warehouse of the government office, Ruyi looked at the food in the warehouse and felt that it was strange. These food exchange workers had already imed so much. Why wasn¡¯t it all distributed yet? He pulled Ji Xiang and pointed at the sacks with a mysterious expression. ¡°Ji Xiang, I¡¯m afraid there are five gods living in this warehouse. Do you remember that we didn¡¯t move much food back that night? Why hasn¡¯t it been distributed after two to three days?¡±


    Ji Xiang looked at the food. ¡°Yes! It¡¯s a little strange. The old man often said that there¡¯s no need to worry about food and clothes at home.¡± Ji Xiang sped his hands and bowed. ¡°I hope the Five Gods can raise enough food for those victims before leaving.¡±


    Ruyi smiled and patted him. ¡°Don¡¯t be greedy. It¡¯s already not bad to have such food. Look, there are also people repairing the city wall. When springes, those refugees will return to their hometowns. The pitiful ones are the disabled soldiers. Some of them might as well not go back. Master is worried sick about making arrangements for these injured soldiers.¡±


    Ji Xiang was not worried at all. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Madam and Madam He went to see those injured soldiers today. When Madames back, she will help Master think of a way.¡±


    Li Yu stood at the door of the warehouse andughed in her heart when she heard Ji Xiang¡¯s words. ¡°Ji Xiang, why don¡¯t you invite your immortal to blow a breath of immortal energy to help you treat the injured soldiers?¡±


    ¡°Hehe! I was just saying. Madam, what are you doing in the barn?¡± Ji Xiang asked with a smile.


    ¡°I wanted to ask if the bushes at the other end of our wastnd are big. Have they been drowned by the rain?


    Ruyi thought for a moment. ¡°Madam, thest time it rained, it was almost half flooded. Do you want to buy it and reim it?¡±


    Li Yu hesitated for a moment and shook her head. ¡°I haven¡¯t thought about it.


    Have Auntie Xue and the others finished moving? Have you pulled the food away for them?¡±


    ¡°Madam, I know.¡± Ah Wei jumped in from behind. ¡°Yesterday morning, we brought the food back to the farmstead. There were also those chickens and ducks. Uncle Cai and the others said that they would set up the greenhouse when they returned and nt some vegetables to send to the city to save on buying vegetables. If there¡¯s extra, they can sell some. You don¡¯t know, but Mr. Liu also returned to the farmstead. He even obtained Master¡¯s permission to bring his parents to stay on the farmstead. He said that he would send them home when springes.¡±


    Li Yu looked at Ah Wei and smiled. ¡°Go back to the farm and take a look at the bushes on the wastnd. How long and wide is it below? How far is it from the foot of the mountain? Come back and tell me when you¡¯re done.¡±


    Ah Wei smiled happily at that. ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am. I love exploring the wastnds. There¡¯s morend as I look at it.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll leave it to you to lead people to explore the wastnd.¡± Li Yu smiled..

 Chapter 383 - 383: Idea, Novelty

    Chapter 383: Idea, Novelty


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Ji Xiang watched as Ah Wei jumped out. He narrowed his eyes and looked at Ruyi proudly. ¡°Brother Ruyi, look. I knew that Madam could think of a way to settle those injured soldiers who were unwilling to return to their hometown.¡±


    Ruyi nodded in agreement and looked at Li Yu. ¡°Madam, do you want to buy that wastnd to settle those injured soldiers?¡±


    Li Yu shook her head. ¡°I haven¡¯t thought about what to do exactly. I just have a vague idea. I¡¯ll go back and think about it first. Have those refugees who are short of foode to exchange for food?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re all here to exchange. I just find it strange that there¡¯s not a lot of food in the storeroom.¡± Ruyi smiled and patted Ji Xiang. ¡°I told this kid today that it¡¯s still there!¡±


    Li Yu thought to herself that other than those grain seeds, there was definitely a lot of food in her space! She smiled at the two of them. ¡°It¡¯s fine as long as there¡¯s no less. Go ahead. I¡¯ll go back.¡±


    After Li Yu returned home, she sorted out her thoughts and took notes. She thought of the veteran called Cripple Xu and nned to look for Uncle Liu to ask him to find out more.


    When she went to the entrance of the outer courtyard, she saw Uncle Liu sitting there and weaving something with a thin bamboo.


    ¡°Madam, are you going out? I¡¯ll go get a carriage.¡± When Uncle Liu saw Li Yue out, he hurriedly put down the bamboo strip in his hand and limped to get a car.


    Li Yu stopped him. ¡°Uncle Liu, you don¡¯t have to set up the carriage. I¡¯m here to ask you something.¡±


    ¡°Madam, please speak.¡± Uncle Liu bowed and stood at the side.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to do this.¡± Li Yu looked at the polite old man and smiled. ¡°I want to ask you how much pension money you mentioned when you retired from the army. How much silver did you actually get?¡±


    Uncle Liu smiled bitterly when he heard that. ¡®Madam, when I retired from the army with crippled legs, the higher-ups said that I could receive 20 taels of silver. I didn¡¯t go home and didn¡¯t know how much money my family had received. However, when I was in Clearwaterter, I heard from the injured soldiers who had retired and returned home that I only received less than 10 taels of silver. I heard that this is not considered greedy. In some ces, they only received five to six taels of silver. Madam, why are you asking about this?¡±


    Li Yu told Uncle Liu what Cripple Xu had said. ¡°I want to know if it¡¯s really as he said.¡±


    ¡°Madam, there are many tricks involved. He doesn¡¯t dare to tell anyone,¡± Uncle Liu said with a bitter smile.


    Li Yu nodded. ¡°I know, so I came to look for you to find this veteran called Cripple Xu in the medical tent. Make friends with him and tell me more about the situation. At the same time, ask if those injured soldiers who don¡¯t want to return to their hometown know how to do farm work.¡±


    Uncle Liu looked up at Li Yu in surprise and bowed. ¡°Madam, are you nning to help them?¡±


    Li Yu looked at Uncle Liu¡¯s surprised expression and smiled. ¡°I have this thought. I can only confirm it after discussing it with Master. Don¡¯t leak the news. Just mention it to them as usual. I¡¯ll get Ruyi to pay for the food and drinks. ¡±


    Uncle Liu chuckled. ¡°Madam, there¡¯s no need for money. I¡¯ve never used my monthly money! ¡±


    ¡°Oh! Do you want to take it back to your hometown?¡±


    Uncle Liu shook his head sadly. ¡°No, Father and Mother have left. The brothers at home think I¡¯m dead. I won¡¯t go back and drag them down.¡±


    ¡°You can make the decision yourself. As long as you¡¯re at home, Master and I won¡¯t leave you to your own devices.¡± Li Yu smiled.


    Uncle Liu bowed. ¡°Thank you, Master and Madam.¡±


    Li Yu really couldn¡¯t stand this old man¡¯s courtesies. She waved her hand and returned to the backyard. She saw Xiaoyu, Gu Yu, and the others sitting in the courtyara DasK1ng In tne sun ror needleworK. ?rne early winter sun was no longer so scorching and dazzling. Instead, it became gentle and warm.


    When Xing Hua saw Li Yu return, she stood up and asked Li Yu, ¡°Madam, I¡¯ll bring you a chair. Do you want to rest too?¡± Li Yu nodded. ¡°Go!¡±


    Xiaoyu smiled and looked up at Li Yu. ¡°Madam, you¡¯ve been busy for so many days. You should rest well. Make a cup of tea, eat some snacks, and bask in the sun. Listen to the interesting things on the street.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and nodded. ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. Tell me what you heard.¡±


    Xiaoyu smiled and said, ¡°There are really rare things. Sit down and I¡¯ll tell you slowly.¡±


    Xing Hua brought the rocking chair out for Li Yu. Li Yu sat down andy on it, watching Xing Hua and Gu Yu busy themselves.


    The two of them brought out a small table and made tea. They carried some pastries, stir-fried peanuts, pumpkin seeds, and pine seeds and ced them on the small table. Gu Yu even took a thin nket and covered Li Yu¡¯s legs. Li Yu narrowed her eyes and leaned against the rocking chair to slowly rock, enjoying the warm sun in the early winter.


    Gu Yu looked at Li Yu, who was squinting and pretending to sleep. She smiled at Gu Yu and said, ¡°Auntie Yu, tell me what rare thing Grandma Liu told you.¡±


    ¡°Anxious girl.¡± Xiaoyu smiled. Before she could start, Yangyang, Seven Pounds, and Little Loach returned from the back garden. On the veranda, Yangyang saw Li Yu. He left the other children behind to run to Li Yu. He held his hand and asked, ¡°Mother, Brother Shuisheng and the others have returned to the manor. When are we going back to the manor to stay?¡±


    ¡°Look at you, you¡¯re sweating profusely from running.¡± Li Yu reached out to touch his vest. Seeing that it was not wet, she wiped his sweat with a handkerchief. ¡°We¡¯ll go back next spring. Otherwise, it¡¯s too cold for Father to go to the government office.¡±


    Yangyang took the handkerchief from Li Yu¡¯s hand and wiped his face a few times before cing it in Li Yu¡¯s hand. ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll go y then.¡±


    Li Yu nced at the children waiting on the veranda and grabbed some snacks and handed them to him on a te. ¡®Go! Don¡¯t run outside.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡± Yangyang turned around and ran. Li Yu looked at the children who had split the snacks after meeting up andughed. ¡°It¡¯s better to be children! You can cry andugh whenever you want.¡±


    When Gu Yu heard this, she stopped the needle and thread in her hand and looked at Li Yu. ¡°Madam, it hurts to look at an obedient child. He¡¯s so naughty that he¡¯s rolling on the ground and making a scene! Young Master is really very sensible. You don¡¯t know that those children in the vige have been spoiled. I want to p him twice.¡±


    Xiaoyu looked up and smiled. ¡°That¡¯s true. Our young master has been taught so well! He¡¯s good-looking, sensible, and polite. He¡¯s not like the sons of some families who spoil their children too much. There¡¯s a family in the vige where my maiden family used to live. There was a precious child who is the only boy in his family. His mother doted on him too much. He ordered his sisters around like they are cows and horses and often rode his three sisters like they were big horses. If things didn¡¯t go his way, he¡¯ll throw a tantrum and roll around. That guy rolled from one end of the earth dam to the other. He refused to stop unless he got his way.¡±


    ¡°Then won¡¯t this child be useless when he grows up?¡± Xing Hua asked in surprise.


    Xiaoyu smiled. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. He¡¯s probably useless by now. My family moved next door to Madam¡¯s house in less than two years.¡±


    ¡°Doting will result in unfilial children,¡± Li Yu said indifferently..

 Chapter 384 - 384: Tragic

    Chapter 384: Tragic


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Gu Yu still remembered what she had heard. She patted Xiaoyu and said with a smile, ¡°Sister-inw Yu, didn¡¯t you say that you had something rare to tell Madam? Tell me quickly.¡±


    ¡°What an impatient girl.¡± Xiaoyu smiled and patted the apricot flower. She slowly said, ¡°I also heard from Granny Liu, who came back from buying groceries. She likes to go to the vegetable market in West City to buy groceries. She said that the vegetables there are cheap. Two days ago, she came back and told me that thedy boss of the Lin family¡¯s grocery store, who often buys things, had gone crazy. She didn¡¯t even sell her things and painted her face like a ghost. She sat at the door and cried andughed sometimes. She crazily said that she was a great immortal who had descended to the mortal world.¡±


    When Li Yu heard this, she felt that thedy boss of the grocery store might have eaten hallucinogenic medicine by mistake, causing her to hallucinate and do those unreasonable things.


    ¡°What about her family? Didn¡¯t anyone care about her?¡± Apricot asked.


    ¡°Her husband was conscripted and went to the city wall. Her three daughters are all married, leaving only that silly son and her daughter-inw at home. This morning, Granny Liu came back from buying groceries and said that she was fine. She was selling things in the shop with her husband like before. She doesn¡¯t remember what she did either. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s strange? Everyone near the grocery store said that thedy boss provoked an immortal. They said that the immortal didn¡¯t intend to take her life, so he teased her.¡±


    Xing Hua and He Yu shivered. Gu Yu rubbed her face. ¡°It¡¯s not strange. It¡¯s a little scary. It makes my hair stand on end.¡± Xing Hua couldn¡¯t help but nod.


    Li Yu looked at Xiaoyu and asked, ¡°Does Granny Liu know how stupid thedy boss¡¯s silly son is? Why would her daughter-inw marry a fool?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure about that. I¡¯ll get Granny Liu to ask.¡± Xiaoyu shook her head.


    Li Yu ced the peanuts back on the fruit te, took a sip of tea, andy back on the chair. She said to Xiaoyu, ¡°There¡¯s no need for Granny Liu to ask. I¡¯m just asking. ¡±


    Li Yuy on the rocking chair and thought to herself that thedy boss of the grocery store should have taken a hallucinogenic drug. The person who did it should be her daughter-inw. She had already done it once and should attack again. Should she investigate the daughter-inw of the grocery store?


    Before Li Yu could make up her mind, Gu Yu said to Li Yu, ¡°Madam, what happened? Why did Ah Wei run so quickly?¡±


    Li Yu stood up and saw Ah Wei running to the courtyard door. He shouted excitedly, ¡°Madam, those people are back!¡±


    Li Yu was confused by his words. ¡°Which people came back without rhyme or reason?¡±


    ¡°General Shen¡¯s nephew and many soldiers have returned with many charred people. I heard that they were the corpses of General Shen and the soldiers who burned the Qi army, ¡± Ah Wei said sadly.


    ¡°Where are they? Quickly inform Master,¡± Li Yu said with a solemn expression.


    ¡°They¡¯re almost at the ce where the inn is being repaired. Themoners we encounter along the way followed behind to send them into the city. Madam, I¡¯ll report it to Master.¡± Ah Wei ran towards the front office.


    Shen Shuo and a group of soldiers must have given up their lives to burn the Qi army to win the lives of these soldiers. Li Yu thought with a heavy heart and quickly walked out. Gu Yu and Xing Hua followed behind Li Yu.


    When Li Yu reached the door, she saw Zhou Jia leading Wu Tingxian and a group of officials into the carriage and rushing towards the city gate. Li Yu¡¯s carriage could not go halfway. She saw that themoners were all rushing towards the west city gate. Li Yu got out of the carriage and walked to the city gate. She saw everyone standing on both sides of the road and looking at the group of people slowly walking toward the city gate.


    Zhou Jia, Chu Sihai, the officials, Ouyang Xiong, and General Yun stood on both sides of the city gate. Li Yu saw that Madam Shen was wearing a white flower on her head. With the help of a girl and an old woman, she looked at the slowly approaching soldiers with a sad expression.


    The four soldiers walking in front raised their heads and carried the corpses of the soldiers covered in battle robes. The soldiers¡¯ sallow faces were solemn. A young soldier walked up to Madam Shen and knelt down. ¡°Auntie, Ah Hui brought Second Uncle back.¡±


    Madam Shen touched Shen Hui¡¯s head with a pale face and couldn¡¯t say a word. She looked nkly at the corpse carried by the slowly approaching soldiers. Li Yu¡¯s nose turned sour and tears fell.


    Ouyang Xiong went forward and took over the stretcher from the shoulders of a soldier. The other soldiers also walked over and took the stretchers on the shoulders of the soldiers bearing the corpses. Zhou Jia brought Wu Tingxian and the others forward to take the corpses of the soldiers. The war drums sounded on the city tower. Ouyang Xiong shouted, ¡°The soldiers of Great Yong have returned home.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re back,¡± the soldiers shouted in unison. Ouyang Xiong sang loudly, ¡°Qiyue Wuyi? We¡¯re on the same side. Wang Yu and Xingshi, repair my spear. We¡¯re enemies! Qiyue Wuyi? We¡¯re on the same side!¡± Tears welled up in the eyes of the soldiers and themoners on both sides of the road. Everyone sang along, and a deste and tragic chant resounded through the clouds. Everyone solemnly carried the corpses of the soldiers toward the garrison office.


    After themoners sent the soldiers to the government office and bowed, they dispersed in an orderly manner.


    Li Yu also brought Gu Yu and Xing Hua home and asked Ruyi to buy sacrifices to pay respects to the soldiers before returning home. As soon as she reached home, Zhou Jia asked Tiezhu to bring a letter back and said that he wouldn¡¯t be going home at night. Ah Wei came to tell Li Yu about the situation of the bushes under the manor. ¡°Madam, if we go down from the end of the cornfield, that wastnd is half the size of our manor. It¡¯s also far from the foot of the mountain. The forest is filled with rocks. It¡¯s much moreborious to explore it than ours.¡±


    Li Yu nodded and said, ¡°As long as we can purge the rocks, what¡¯s there to be afraid of? It¡¯s getting colder every day and we can¡¯t get to work. Yes! It¡¯s easy if you know where it is. Go down and rest!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± After Ah Wei bowed and left, Li Yu brought Yangyang back to the house to rest.


    Zhou Jia didn¡¯t return home until half-past nine the next day. Li Yu carried the sleeping Yangyang to the small bed and went out to greet the exhausted Zhou Jia. She hurriedly prepared food for him. After Zhou Jia washed up, he said to Li Yu, ¡°Sigh! The corpses of those soldiers were all found by Shen Hui and more than 2,000 soldiers. They searched the valley bit by bit. In the end, with the sabers of the dead soldiers and the thumb ring on General Shen¡¯s hand, they found all the corpses. More than 120 soldiers died in the sea of fire. I heard that there are countless corpses of the Qi army in the col.¡±


    ¡°Then where do you n to bury the corpses of these soldiers?¡± Li Yu asked.


    Zhou Jia sighed. ¡°Other than the ring on General Shen¡¯s thumb that can be identified, we can¡¯t ascertain the identity of the other soldiers. There are also the guards who apanied General Shen to protect him. They have been discussing how to bury them. They argued non-stop and discussed for a day before deciding..¡±

 Chapter 385 - 385: Hall of Loyalty

    Chapter 385: Hall of Loyalty


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia curiously and asked, ¡°What method have you decided to use to bury these heroes?¡±


    ¡°In the beginning, there were suggestions to let them return to their ns and bury them in the ns¡¯ graveyards to be worshiped by the descendants. Shen Hui said that it was impossible because no one could recognize them. In the end, Ouyang Xiong suggested finding a good ce with feng shui on Mount Spindle and burying the soldiers there.¡±


    Zhou Jia paused for a moment and continued, ¡°I agree with his suggestion. I suggested that we build a loyal temple in the graveyard to worship these soldiers. We¡¯ll bury all the soldiers who died in battle at Mount Spindle so that they can all be worshiped by the citizens of Yunzhou. After Shen Hui agreed, everyone also agreed. We¡¯ve already sent Wu Tingxian and General Yun to the Taoist temple to find the priest to look for a good piece ofnd on Mount Spindle. Now, outside the tent where the corpses are ced are themoners who came to pay their respects.¡±


    Li Yu felt that Zhou Jia¡¯s suggestion was the same as the mausoleum in the modern world. After the construction was sessful, it would also give future generations a ce to reminisce about the achievements of their ancestors. It would let everyone know that these soldiers had exchanged their bodies for their current stable days.


    Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia and said solemnly, ¡°Lord Zhou, these soldiers should enjoy this honor.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I also think they deserve this honor,¡± Zhou Jia replied solemnly.


    Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia and said, ¡°I went to visit the injured soldiers with Madam He and the wives of some officials today. They¡­ I think these injured soldiers andmoners should be properly settled by the Imperial Court. We can¡¯t let them bleed and cry.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu, who was standing tall and straight. In a daze, he felt that there was a hot-blooded warrior standing opposite him. He looked at Li Yu emotionally. ¡°Madam, what you said makes sense. We can¡¯t let them return to their hometown in a sorry state. We should settle them properly and not let everyone¡¯s hearts turn cold.¡±


    Zhou Jia thought of how Li Yu suggested giving money to the injured bailiffs and constables in Qingchuan for treatment. She even gave money to the families every month.


    Zhou Jia held Li Yu¡¯s hand. ¡°I remember that Madam also thought of a way in Qingchuan. Have you thought of a way to settle these injured soldiers who are unwilling to return to their hometown?¡± Li Yu nodded and said, ¡°I¡¯ve thought of a way, but I wonder if it can work?¡±


    ¡°Tell me about it,¡± Zhou Jia said to her.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think we should let those injured soldiers wander around. Remembering that there¡¯s a patch of bushes under our farmstead, we¡¯ll let Ah Wei check it out¡­ I suggest that you cut out that area to settle those injured soldiers and reserve a few acres of fields and foundations for them to make homesteads and farm their privatend. These acres ofnd will not be taxed. The othernds are taxed ording to normal standards.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu in confusion. ¡°What do you mean by privatend?¡±


    Only then did Li Yu realize that she had used the words of the future. She thought for a moment and exined, ¡°The privatend is thendpensated by the Imperial Court to these injured soldiers. However, there should be a rule that they are not allowed to trade thend. These acres ofnd are exempt from all taxes in the lifetime of these injured soldiers. Consider it a reward from the Imperial Court!¡±


    Zhou Jia thought for a moment. ¡°Your method is feasible. I¡¯ll discuss it with


    Ouyang Xiong and Wu Ting tomorrow and submit a letter to His Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Xiao Xi, there¡¯s one more thing I want to tell you. I asked Uncle Liu to look for that veteran called Cripple Xu.¡±


    ¡°Did you ask Uncle Liu to look for that veteran to work at home? Are Uncle Liu and him from the same hometown?¡± Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu nkly.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you just now? Those injured soldiers and dead soldiers didn¡¯t get enoughpensation money at all. Thepensation money distributed from the court was stripped by those corrupt officials. In the end, the silver in their hands wasn¡¯t even as much as what those officials deducted. Why should they bleed and sacrifice themselves on the frontline while those corrupt officials are eating human-blood steamed buns? When I¡¯ve investigated, I want to report these corrupt andwless matters to His Majesty. Xiao Xi, if His Majesty investigates, it might affect the interests of those powerful people. I¡¯m afraid


    ¡°Yu¡¯er, you¡¯re too simple-minded. You can¡¯t tolerate sand in your eyes. The deductions of the fallen soldiers and injured soldiers¡¯pensation money were all done by officials. Those nobles don¡¯t care about that little bit of money. They¡¯re all fishing for silver from the armament. It won¡¯t affect me if I report it.¡± Zhou Jia smiled and went forward to hug Li Yu. He said gently, ¡°Even if there is, at most, I¡¯ll go back to teaching and farming and let you support me.¡±


    Li Yu hugged Zhou Jia gratefully and leaned on his shoulder. She said gently,


    ¡°Xiao Xi, thank you.¡±


    It was rare for Zhou Jia to see Li Yu like this. He kissed Li Yu and said in her ear, ¡°Yu¡¯er, the war is over now. Let¡¯s give Yang¡¯er a brother or sister!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all up to you!¡± Li Yu replied gently.


    Two dayster, the Taoist priest that Wu Tingxian had first invited chose a cemetery to bury those soldiers. Not far from the vige at the foot of the mountain, there was an open mountain ridge. It looked like a good ce against the backdrop of the mountains and water.


    After choosing the location, the nearby vigers and citizens in the city spontaneously went to help. Everyone opened up the area before the date set by the Taoist priest and buried those soldiers. Only then did they start building the loyal shrine. There was strength in numbers. A solemn and loyal shrine waspleted at the end of October by arge number of craftsmen andmoners.


    The Taoist priest sent disciples to take care of the loyal temple. There was an endless stream of people who came to pay their respects.


    After Zhou Jia discussed with Ouyang Xiong, Wu Tingxian, and the other officials, he followed Li Yu¡¯s suggestion and joined forces with Wu Tingxian and the others to settle the disabled soldiers who were unwilling to return to their hometown. He wrote a note for Chu Sihai to send to the capital. Chu Sihai also brought the news that the war in Qingzhou had been won. Great Yong won both wars with Great Qi.


    After Uncle Liu befriended Cripple Xu, he also asked about the secret of the deduction pension. Li Yu wrote a note and sent it to the Four Seas Bank before getting someone to send it to the capital.


    Yunzhou City gradually returned to its usual calm, and the Intoxicated


    Immortal Restaurant became lively. Li Yu and Zhou Jia called Ji Xiang and Gu


    Yu forward and asked with a smile, ¡°When do you n to hold your marriage?¡±


    Ji Xiang and Gu Yu looked at the two of them with red faces. Ji Xiang smiled and said, ¡°Master, Madam, we want to go back to Great Maple Vige to take a look. You and Madam can decide on the rest!¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu and looked at the two of them with a smile. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll invite Mr. Qian to go with you to Great Maple Mountain tomorrow to discuss your marriage. Go back with Gu Yu to visit Gu Yu¡¯s elders and agree on a good day before we settle your marriage.¡±


    Ji Xiang and Gu Yu knelt down and kowtowed. ¡°Thank you, Master. Thank you,


    Madam.¡±


    Li Yu looked at the two of them¡¯s excited expressions and said with a smile,


    ¡°There¡¯s a gift prepared for you in the storeroom. Gu Yu¡¯s ve status has also been eliminated. Get someone to paint the new residence Ruyi bought for you to use. Bring Gu Yu and the gift up the mountain tomorrow morning to propose marriage!¡±


    ¡°Got it,¡± Ji Xiang replied with a smile. Gu Yu wiped the tears from her face.


    ¡°Thank you, Master and Madam!¡±


    Li Yu smiled and said, ¡°Alright, stop crying. The two of you should go to the storeroom to see if there¡¯s anything else you need to buy.¡± The two of them could not hide their joy. After agreeing, they left..

 Chapter 386 - 386: Joyous Event, Surpris

    Chapter 386: Joyous Event, Surpris


    A few dayster, Mr. Qian and Ji Xiang returned home. Mr. Qian said to Zhou Jia, ¡°Gu Yu¡¯s grandparents said that they have no objections. Please make the decision with Master. I followed Master¡¯s instructions and chose three days. In the end, I chose the sixth day of the twelfth lunar month. Old Master Gu said that whether you have money or not, you can marry a wife ande home for the new year. Ji Xiang can look forward to hugging his wife!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! Our little Ji Xiang is also getting married.¡± Zhou Jia smiled and calcted. ¡°There¡¯s not much time left until the sixth day of December. Fortunately, I¡¯m already preparing. Ji Xiang, go and see if there¡¯s anything else you want to buy.¡±


    ¡°Yes, my lord.¡± Ji Xiang retreated with a red face.


    In the blink of an eye, it was the sixth day of the new year. The new residence on East Street was decorated withnterns and decorations. Ji Xiang and Gu Yu got married happily. There was an endless stream of peopleing to congratte them. Zhou Jia and Li Yu also went to the new residence to bless the couple.


    The next day, it was snowing heavily. Ji Xiang and Gu Yu returned and kowtowed to Zhou Jia and Li Yu to thank them.


    After the two of them thanked him and left for a while, Ji Xiang ran into the main courtyard again and shouted in surprise, ¡°Master, Madam, Old Master is back.¡±


    ¡°Who did you say came back?¡± Zhou Jia thought that he had heard wrongly.


    Ji Xiang smiled. ¡°Old Master is back.¡±


    Zhou Jia ran out and saw Mr. Wen at the door. Ruyi followed behind with Tiezhu and Ah Wei each carrying arge basket of herbs.


    Yangyang and Seven Pounds pounced on Mr. Wen and hugged him.


    ¡°Grandmaster, you¡¯re back! We missed you so much.¡±


    ¡°Grandmaster misses you too.¡± Mr. Wen smiled and patted the two little ones¡¯ heads.


    Zhou Jia and Li Yu looked at him in surprise. ¡°Sir, you brought a letter back and said that you went to Tongzhou¡¯s Clear Wind Temple. Why did you rush back on such a snowy day? What¡¯s with these herbs?¡±


    Ji Xiang reminded the two of them, ¡°Master, Madam, it¡¯s cold outside. Let¡¯s go into the house to warm up first.¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled and said, ¡°Yes, yes!¡± Everyone hugged Mr. Wen and walked towards the hall.


    ¡°This trip was really a surprise.¡± Mr. Wen happily led the two children in. ¡°Taoist Lin and I walked to a ce called Ling Mountain. Taoist Lin was invited to perform a ritual. I was so bored that I hired two hunters to go up the mountain to pick herbs. When I reached the mountain, I saw that there were many and good herbs on the mountain. I was also lucky. Not long after I went up the mountain, I encountered more than ten aged dendrobium bushes and picked a few mulberry lingzhi mushrooms. Also, those 30 to 70 pieces were very old. I even collected some mountain ginseng and celestial hemp from the vigers.¡±


    Zhou Jia said happily, ¡°Oh! You¡¯re really lucky to have so many good things.¡±


    Everyone escorted Mr. Wen into the warm hall and sat down. Mr. Wen smiled and said, ¡°Haha! Extreme joy begets sorrow. When I went down the mountain, I identally fell and could only stay at the viger¡¯s house to recuperate. I let Priest Lin go to Tongzhou alone, and I bought the herbs from the viger. As soon as my legs recovered, I couldn¡¯t wait to hire the viger¡¯s ox cart to rush back. After I left the mountain, I heard people discussing that Yunzhou was in a war. I was so anxious that a few big blisters grew on the corners of my mouth. Heh! When I arrived at Yunzhou, I realized that the city was safe and sound.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯re back. It¡¯s good that you¡¯re back. Eat something first. I¡¯ll help you take a shower. Oh! You still have to heat the bed,¡± Zhou Jia said repeatedly.


    Mr. Wen patted Zhou Jia¡¯s hand. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m not hungry. I¡¯m just wondering why we won the battle so quickly and chased away the Qi army. It was really a


    false rm.¡±


    Yangyang and Seven Pounds looked up at Mr. Wen. ¡°Grandmaster, it wasn¡¯t a false rm. They fought so fiercely. Father and that big general chased the bad guys away. Brother Seven Pounds, we even secretly ran out to take a look¡­¡± Yangyang and Seven Pounds realized that they had let it slip and hurriedly covered their mouths.


    What was going on? When did the two boys run out? Why didn¡¯t anyone know? Fortunately, they returned safely. Otherwise, the oue would be unimaginable.


    Li Yu, Zhou Jia, Ruyi, and Ji Xiang were all stunned. The few of them looked at each other in confusion. When did these children go out?


    Zhou Jia was stunned for a moment before helping Mr. Wen towards the dining room. ¡°Sir, let¡¯s go eat something and take a shower to warm up. I¡¯ll leave these two boys to Madam.¡±


    Mr. Wen looked at the two children and turned to look at Li Yu. ¡°Ask the reason properly. You can¡¯t let them go out quietly in the future.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Li Yu smiled and agreed. After Zhou Jia helped Mr. Wen out, Li Yu took a deep breath and smiled at the two of them standing side by side. ¡°Which one of you will tell me?¡±


    Seven Pounds took a step forward and said with a red face, ¡°Madam, it was my idea. Young Master was behind me.¡±


    Yangyang squeezed in front of Seven Pounds. ¡°Mother, Uncle Yi, I was the one who said that I wanted to see the general go into battle to kill the enemy. I insisted that Brother Seven Pounds and the others apany me. Brother Seven Pounds and Little Loach had no choice but to agree to me. I want to see if those generals really have three heads and six arms.¡±


    Li Yu looked at the two of them. ¡°Yes! You¡¯re quite loyal. Then tell me, how did you find the city wall outside? How did you go home safely?¡±


    ¡°The few of us crawled out of the hole in the garden. Little Loach and the others knew where the east gate of the war was, so we went there. Just as we climbed up the city wall, we were seen by an uncle carrying a log.¡± Yangyang imitated themoner. ¡°Aiyo! Which family¡¯s little brat is this? He even ran up the city wall. Do you know that you might die? Fortunately, the battle has stopped now.


    What are these parents doing? All of you, wait here and don¡¯t move.¡±


    Seven Pounds continued, ¡°That uncle stopped us and didn¡¯t allow us to go up. Then, an uncle came up. He even knew Little Loach and the others. That uncle even scolded Little Loach and the others for being insensible and shouldn¡¯t have followed us to fool around. He should have told you and Master. Then, that uncle carrying the log came down. Then, we were sent out of the backyard.


    We even crawled through the dog hole. Madam, we know our mistake.¡±


    Yangyang also looked at Li Yu and said seriously, ¡°Mother, I was wrong. I shouldn¡¯t have dragged Brother Seven Pounds out. Little Loach and the others were afraid that we will be sold by human traffickers if we went out, so they could only apany us. Don¡¯t punish them.¡±


    Li Yu looked at Yangyang and Seven Pounds, then at Little Loach, Maizi, and the others, who were standing uneasily at the door. ¡°Alright, I think you¡¯ve all realized your mistake. You¡¯re good children if you know your mistake and can change for the better but you can¡¯t avoid punishment. You¡¯ll be punished to copy ten small scripts a day and clean the ssroom and corridor for a month. Little Loach and the others will clean the courtyard for a month.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Yangyang and Seven Pounds replied loudly.


    ¡°Madam, we understand! Thank you, Madam,¡± Little Loach, Maizi, Little Stutterer, and Mao Dou replied in unison.


    After the children left, Li Yu looked at Ruyi. ¡°Is there a dog hole in the garden?¡±


    Ruyi nodded. ¡°There¡¯s one. It¡¯s in the west corner. I¡¯ll go over and plug it up.¡±


    Li Yu thought for a moment. ¡°Forget it. It¡¯s been more than a month. It¡¯s toote to make up for it. When we go back, don¡¯t punish Seven Pounds anymore. He¡¯s already very obedient and sensible.¡± ¡°Yes, Madam,¡± Ruyi replied with a bow..

 Chapter 387 - 387: Good Tidings from Chu Sihai

    Chapter 387: Good Tidings from Chu Sihai


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Mr. Wen ate a bowl of hot chicken soup noodles and took a shower under Zhou Jia¡¯s service. Sitting on the bed, Zhou Jia helped him dry his hair. Mr. Wen patted Zhou Jia¡¯s hand and said in relief, ¡°Xiao Xi! I didn¡¯t have a family in my life and have taught several disciples. The most loyal people are you and your wife. I¡¯m very gratified. Aftering back from this trip, I don¡¯t n to travel far anymore. I¡¯m prepared to organize those medical cases at home and record my experiences.¡±


    Zhou Jia sat in front of Mr. Wen and looked at him with admiration. ¡°Sir, you¡¯re already old. Although your body is strong, you have to walk so far every time you go out. Yu¡¯er and I are really worried about you climbing mountains and wading in water. It¡¯s good that you¡¯re at home sorting out the medical cases. If you¡¯re bored, choose a child with good character from the farm and slowly train him.¡±


    Mr. Wen nodded happily. ¡°I know you¡¯re filial. I¡¯ll listen to you and help you take care of Yang¡¯er and Seven Pounds at home. However, I still don¡¯t like living in the city. I¡¯ll still move to the farm after the new year.¡±


    What an old child. Zhou Jia looked at Mr. Wen¡¯s tired expression. ¡°Alright, the manor is not far away. If you like to stay on the manor, I¡¯ll leave it to you. Look, your eyes are bloodshot. You must have been busy traveling and didn¡¯t sleep well. Sleep well first. We¡¯ll talk tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Alright, tell your wife not to hit and scold the children. You have to be reasonable. It was not appropriate for me to say this in front of the children just now. I¡¯m afraid it won¡¯t be easy for you to teach the children.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡± Zhou Jia pulled the nket away. After Mr. Wen fell, he smiled at him and said, ¡°Go!¡±


    Zhou Jia nodded and went to the main hall. Seeing that Ruyi and the children were gone, he smiled and asked Li Yu, ¡°Yu¡¯er, how did the children slip out?


    How did you punish them?¡±


    Li Yu told Zhou Jia about the children crawling out of the dog hole and how she punished them to write and sweep the floor. When Zhou Jia heard this, he told Li Yu what Mr. Wen had said. ¡°Sir was still worried that you would beat them up. I realized that Sir is not as energetic as before when he came back this time. I¡¯m a little worried about his health.¡±


    Li Yu patted Zhou Jia¡¯s hand and said considerately, ¡°He promised you that he wouldn¡¯t go far and would stay on the farmstead. After the new year, we¡¯ll also move to the farmstead to apany him. This way, you¡¯ll have to work harder. ¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu with a smile on his face. ¡°What¡¯s so hard about waking up two hours a earlier daily? I¡¯ll go see the two children. Oh! Old Madam Liu said that it¡¯s the 8th of December. She asked how much Laba Congee you want to prepare as a gift.¡±


    ¡°Alright, it¡¯s good for you to go and talk to them. There aren¡¯t many families to send Laba Congee to, but we have to prepare more. I¡¯m afraid that people who don¡¯t usually interact with us will send Laba Congee over. We have to return the favor!¡± Li Yu said with a smile. The couple left the main hall. One went to the small study, and the other went to the kitchen.


    When Li Yu saw Old Madam Liu, she suddenly thought of the new thing that


    Xiaoyu had mentioned. After arranging for the Laba Congee, she asked Old Madam Liu, ¡°Granny Liu, how¡¯s thedy boss of the Linji grocery store? Did she offend the immortal again?


    ¡°No, there was something else new at her house. Her daughter-inw ran away with someone. On the second day after Shopkeeper Lin returned, she couldn¡¯t find her for a few days. Thedy boss was furious. Her daughter-inw¡¯s family even came to her family to ask for her. They said that her family harmed her daughter. Thedy boss said that she spent more than a hundred taels of silver on her daughter-inw. Why would she harm her? In the end, she still insisted that she saw her daughter-inw run away with the shop assistant ot the pharmacy, so that tamily gave up.¡±


    Old Madam Liu sighed and said, ¡°Madam, actually, the Lin family is quite honest. Thedy boss is straightforward, Shopkeeper Lin is smart and capable, and their son is not bad-looking. The only w is that the son woke up with a high fever when he was six years old. Such a tall young man actually speaks and does things like a child of a few years old. He¡¯s also an only child. They originally wanted to spend some money for their son to marry a wife, but who knew that a daughter-inw would be unfaithful? Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re sad?¡±


    Li Yu thought to herself that the adulterer was a shop assistant of the pharmacy. No wonder thedy boss was drugged with hallucinogenic herbs. Perhaps the two of them originally thought that Shopkeeper Lin would die on the city wall after bing amoner, so they attacked thedy boss. Seeing that Shopkeeper Lin had turned around, they stopped. It was better for such a woman to escape. Otherwise, the lives of the Lin family would be in their hands.


    ¡°He¡¯s quite sad. His son¡¯s brain might have been affected by the high fever. Teach him based on his age. With a few sisters to help him, he won¡¯t have to worry about not having a good life in the future.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! The Lin family is still considered kind. They didn¡¯t even let that family return the betrothal money. These days, I saw thedy boss bringing her son to help in the shop. I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s the n you mentioned.¡± Old Madam Liu smiled.


    ¡°Alright, pack the Laba Congee ording to my list. Send it over tomorrow with Aunt Zhang and the others.¡±


    Old Madam Liu smiled and agreed. Li Yu came out of the kitchen and went to the small study. She saw that the two children were still writing seriously, and that Zhou Jia was already gone.


    Xing Hua said to Li Yu, ¡°Madam, Master went to see Grandmaster Chu.¡±


    In the living room in the front courtyard, Chu Sihai was looking at Zhou Jia happily. ¡°Lord Zhou, we¡¯ve been receiving good news one after another these days. We already know what was written in the letter Madam Li sent backst time. It was to inform Crown Prince Qi that the old emperor of Great Qi is seriously ill.¡±


    When Zhou Jia heard this, he smiled and said, ¡°The Crown Prince of Great Qi has nted spies beside the emperor. Looks like the old Crown Prince can¡¯t wait anymore!¡±


    Chu Sihai smiled and said, ¡°Crown Prince Qi is afraid that his father will cripple him and pass the throne to his younger brother. This time, we nted a spy beside Crown Prince Qi. In the future, we will know everything about Great Qi. General Shen Yu of Qingzhou led the troops to conquer the border city of Great Qi. Great Qi sent an envoy to negotiate. We¡¯re just waiting for the emperor¡¯s


    ¡°Haha!¡± Zhou Jia pped his hands andughed. ¡°It¡¯s indeed good news. The Shen family are all valiant generals.¡±


    Chu Sihai chuckled and leaned toward Zhou Jia. He said in a low voice, ¡°There¡¯s also good news for you. I received news that you¡¯re going to the capital.¡±


    ¡°Going to the capital?¡± Zhou Jia widened his eyes and looked at Chu Sihai in surprise. ¡°Head Shopkeeper said that I am to go to the capital, but I¡¯ve only been in Yunzhou for a year! Could you have made a mistake?¡±


    Chu Sihai looked at Zhou Jia with certainty. ¡°It¡¯s definitely not wrong. I also know that the imperial edict is already on the way. You¡¯ll receive it after the new year. Tell Madam Li that His Majesty has already sent someone to investigate the matter of her submitting a letter. Also, His Majesty has also approved your joint proposal with Lord Wu to settle those veterans who are unwilling to return to their hometowns. From now on, the disabled military service from the battlefield will be settled ording to that method. Lord Zhou, I heard that His Majesty praised you and Madam Li for working for the Imperial Court and sharing His Majesty¡¯s worries!¡±


    Seeing Chu Sihai¡¯s confident expression, Zhou Jia also believed that Chu Sihai had legitimate news. He was overjoyed and thought that if he could really return to the capital, his family would be able to reunite with Ah Qing. Yang¡¯er had yet to see his uncle! He wondered if that kid had a woman he wanted to marry..

 Chapter 388 - 388: Snow

    Chapter 388: Snow


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Seeing Zhou Jia¡¯s stunned expression, Chu Sihai thought that he was happy because the emperor praised him. He smiled and patted him. ¡°Lord Zhou, your future is bright! ¡±


    Zhou Jia reacted and stood up to bow excitedly in the direction of the capital.


    Then, he turned around and cupped his hands at Chu Sihai to thank him. ¡°Head Shopkeeper, thank you for taking care of us.¡±


    Chu Sihai looked at Zhou Jia and thought to himself that Lord Zhou was still as humble and polite as ever. No matter how much the couple did, they never fought for credit. Actually, this was the real smart person.


    ¡°Lord Zhou, I should be the one thanking you. If you and Madam hadn¡¯t helped me many times, I wouldn¡¯t have been so stable. Tell Madam Li that Chu Feng will take care of the leisure vi at the foot of Mount Spindle after you leave.¡± Chu Sihai said affectionately, ¡°To be honest, His Majesty also praised me this time. Without your help, I wouldn¡¯t have been praised! You don¡¯t have to be so polite.¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled and said, ¡°Head Shopkeeper, I¡¯ve never been polite to you.


    You¡¯ve been polite to me and have always addressed me respectfully.¡±


    ¡°Lord Zhou, it¡¯s not that I¡¯m being polite to you. Although I¡¯m also working for


    His Majesty, I¡¯m only His Majesty¡¯s servant. I can¡¯t be rude and embarrass His


    Majesty. Besides, you and Madam Li are people I admire.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re too polite, Head Shopkeeper. I also admire your fairness and loyalty to His Majesty.¡±


    ¡°Haha! It sounds like we¡¯re ttering each other. I¡¯ll take my leave. I¡¯m setting off for the capital tomorrow morning. See you in the capital after the new year,¡± Chu Sihai said with a smile.


    After Zhou Jia sent Chu Sihai off, he returned to the main courtyard and told Li Yu what Chu Sihai had said. Li Yu looked at him in surprise. ¡°If it¡¯s true, we can reunite with Ah Qing! But what about the people in the manor? Also, that vi is about to be repaired.¡±


    Zhou Jia thought for a moment. ¡°Head shopkeeper said that the vi can be handed over to Chu Feng to manage. The people on the farm? I think Schr Liu is an upright person. We can ask him to be in charge and select two people to help Schr Liu. What do you think?¡±


    When Li Yu heard this, she felt that Zhou Jia¡¯s suggestion was not bad. She nodded and said, ¡°Let¡¯s instruct Ruyi and Ji Xiang to prepare first. Don¡¯t let it slip to the others. If the news is wrong, we¡¯ll make a fool of ourselves.¡±


    ¡°I think so too. I¡¯m thinking about Ah Qing¡¯s marriage. I wonder what this kid is thinking. Is there a woman he wants to marry?¡±


    Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia with an arrogant expression. ¡°My Ah Qing is outstanding in looks. Is he afraid of not having a wife?¡±


    ¡°That depends on his character. A virtuous wife will help the family prosper for three generations. If he marries that kind of mean, greedy, and selfish woman, our Ah Qing¡¯s life will be ruined.¡± As Zhou Jia spoke, he smiled at Li Yu. ¡°Thank goodness I have good taste and targeted my wife swiftly. My wife is outstanding and virtuous.¡±


    ¡°You give me goosebumps.¡± Li Yu nced at Zhou Jia. ¡°Are you kissing my ass?


    Tell me honestly, did you do something bad?¡±


    Zhou Jia pulled Li Yu¡¯s hand and ced it on his chest. He looked at Li Yu lovingly and said with a gentle voice, ¡°Wife, you can¡¯t use me like this. Do I look like someone who does bad things?¡±


    Li Yu¡¯s heart warmed as she looked at the sincere Zhou Jia. She smiled and kissed his cheek. ¡°I know. I was joking! Xiao Xi, go and see if Sir has woken up. He slept too much during the dav. I¡¯m afraid he won¡¯t sleep well at ni?ht.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at the smiling Li Yu and hugged her to kiss her cherry-red lips before reluctantly letting go of her. ¡°You¡¯re right. Let me take a look. Go and see Yang¡¯er and Seven Pounds and let theme out to rest before writing.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Li Yu watched as Zhou Jia went to Mr. Wen¡¯s room. He stood under the eaves and looked at the snowkes dancing in the sky. In half a day, the courtyard was covered in snow, and the roof was also covered in snow.


    Li Yu walked to the small study and saw that the two children were still writing seriously. She walked in and looked at the two of them gently. ¡°You¡¯ve been writing for so long. Come out and rest your eyes.¡±


    ¡°Alright, Mother. Is Grandmaster up?¡± Yangyang put down the pen and asked. Seven Pounds also looked up at Li Yu.


    Li Yu touched their hair and said gently, ¡°Father has already gone to wake


    Grandmaster up. Go and talk to him.¡±


    ¡°Aye!¡± The two of them replied crisply. When they reached the door, they turned to look at Li Yu. ¡°Mother, can we carry Xiao Bai and Da Hua for Grandmaster to see?¡±


    Li Yu smiled and nodded. ¡°Yes, you can¡¯t run into the snow. Grandmaster is old and it¡¯s easy to slip in the snow.¡±


    ¡°Got it,¡± they agreed in unison, and ran happily toward Mr. Wen¡¯s room.


    Li Yu came out of the small study and went to the second courtyard. She saw Xiaoyu holding her waist and clumsily pacing back and forth under the eaves. Only then did she remember that Xiaoyu was about to give birth in two months. If the imperial edict came earlier, Xiaoyu and Ruyi¡¯s family probably wouldn¡¯t be able to enter the capital together.


    Seeing Li Yu standing there looking at her, Xiaoyu smiled and walked over to hold Li Yu¡¯s hand. She said apologetically, ¡°Madam, Seven Pounds has troubled you.¡±


    Li Yu looked at her and smiled reproachfully. ¡°Seriously, why are you so worried?! You taught Seven Pounds very well. How can a child not be naughty? I remember Uncle He often said that you were as naughty as a kid.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. When I was young, I was even more mischievous than my brother. My brother was honest and was often bullied by me. Sigh! I¡¯ve never seen my sister-inw, nephew, and niece!¡± Xiaoyu said in a low mood.


    Looking at Xiaoyu¡¯s depressed expression, Li Yu¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°Xiaoyu, it¡¯s only a month¡¯s journey from here to Tongzhou. When you give birth and he grows stronger, let Ruyi bring you and the two children back to


    Tongzhou to see your parents and brother!¡±


    ¡°Can I really?¡± Xiaoyu looked at Li Yu in surprise.


    Li Yu looked at her with a smile. ¡°Sure, why not? It¡¯s peaceful now. You can go if you want.¡±


    Xiaoyu looked at Li Yu gratefully. ¡°Thank you, Madam. I¡¯ll talk to Ruyi. When the child is half a year old, we¡¯ll go back to Tongzhou to take a look.¡±


    As Li Yu walked in with Xiaoyu, she smiled and said, ¡°Alright, quickly go into the house to warm up. Look, your hands are cold. When Sir is done resting,e to the main courtyard and ask him to take your pulse.¡±


    Xiaoyu nodded. ¡°I understand, Madam. Go ahead!¡±


    When Li Yu returned to the main courtyard, she saw Mr. Wen sitting at the entrance of the main hall. He looked lovingly at Yangyang and Seven Pounds building snowmen in the courtyard. When the two of them saw Li Yuing over, they cupped the snowballs a few times and shouted at Li Yu with a smile, ¡°Mother, (Madam), look out for the darts.¡±


    Before the snowball could reach Li Yu, it fell into the snow with a bang. Li Yu smiled and walked down the courtyard. She grabbed a handful of snow with one hand and held it for a moment. She gently threw it at the two of them and warned them with a smile, ¡°Bad boys, the snow bullets areing. Hurry up and dodge!¡±


    The snowball hit the two of them and they flew in all directions. Yangyang shouted at Seven Pounds, ¡°Brother Seven Pounds, the enemy is attacking.


    Hurry up and nk the attack.¡±


    Li Yuughed when she heard that. ¡°Oh! Good kid. Who did you learn it from?


    You¡¯re so good.¡±


    Seven Pounds said loudly, ¡°Madam, Sir taught me. I learned it in a military book.¡±


    Mr. Wen smiled as he watched the first and second children y in the courtyard. From time to time, he would remind Yangyang and Seven Pounds to be on guard against Li Yu¡¯s attack..

 Chapter 389 - 389: Brilliant Sunlight

    Chapter 389: Brilliant Sunlight


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    After the Laba Festival, Zhou Jia told Mr. Qian, Ji Xiang, and Ruyi that he might enter the capital.


    Li Yu said to Ruyi, ¡°Ruyi, if Master is really going to go to the capital to work after the new year, Xiaoyu¡¯s body is not suitable for a long journey. When Xiaoyu¡¯s child is a little older, you¡¯ll be on the way. Take Xiaoyu back to Tongzhou to visit your inws and bring Uncle Zhou and Auntie He into the capital. If my aunt and the others are willing to enter the capital with you, bring them to the capital to reunite with us. Also, sell the shops and fields you bought here.¡±


    Ruyi hesitated for a moment. ¡°Madam, those fields are all good farnd. It¡¯s a pity to sell the shops in good locations. I think we can keep them. We have to leave a reliable person here to manage them.¡±


    Li Yu thought for a while and turned to discuss with Zhou Jia. ¡°I think we¡¯ll leave Ah Wei behind to take care of it for two years. When we find a reliable shopkeeper, we¡¯ll get him to look for us. What do you think?¡±


    Zhou Jia shook his head. ¡°Ah Wei is still young and not reliable enough. If we want to keep him in Yunzhou to manage, we have to find a steady and reliable shopkeeper to help him.¡±


    Li Yu suddenly thought of Schr Liu and said to Zhou Jia, ¡°Look, we originally nned to ask Schr Liu to help manage the farmstead. Now that we n to leave Ah Wei here to manage it, we¡¯ll ask Schr Liu to be the shopkeeper to manage the harvest of the farmstead, shops, and fields. What do you think?¡± Ruyi nodded and said, ¡°Mr. Liu is indeed not bad. He¡¯s upright and not pedantic.¡±


    ¡°Alright, Schr Liu has to teach and manage the farmstead and shops. I think we should hire another teacher to teach those children.¡± Zhou Jia also agreed to Li Yu¡¯s suggestion.


    Li Yu said to Ji Xiang, ¡°Ji Xiang, when the sky is clearer, bring your wife back to visit your grandparents. If we really leave, I don¡¯t know when we¡¯ll see each other again.¡±


    Ji Xiang bowed. ¡°Yes, Master, Madam.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at the two of them. ¡°Alright, don¡¯t leak anything about this to your wives first. Just do as we discussed just now. Prepare yourselves first!¡± ¡°Yes,¡± they replied, bowing.


    In the blink of an eye, it was New Year¡¯s Eve. The family gathered together for a lively New Year¡¯s Eve dinner. They sat together happily and listened to Mr. Wen tell them about some strange things he had encountered when he was practicing medicine. Roasting on the stove were peanuts, broad beans, and yams. Yangyang and Seven Pounds listened with wide eyes and eximed from time to time.


    After half an hour, the two children fell asleep on Zhou Jia and Ruyi¡¯s knees. Li


    Yu whispered to everyone, ¡°Sir, rest early too. I¡¯ll carry Yang¡¯er in to rest first.¡±


    ¡®¡±Leave after Sir gives you the New Year¡¯s money.¡± Mr. Wen stopped Li Yu and took out the pouch containing the money. He smiled and waved at them. ¡°Come,e,e. Sir will give you the New Year¡¯s money first. I wish you a safe and smooth life in the future.¡¯


    Zhou Jia and Li Yu smiled and said, ¡°We have one too?¡±


    ¡°Yes, all of you. You¡¯re all good children.¡± Mr. Wen happily ced the pouch in everyone¡¯s hands. Everyone bowed to Mr. Wen to wish him a happy new year.


    Li Yu and Zhou Jia gave Seven Pounds more New Year money before carrying Yangyang back to his room. Li Yu ced Yangyang¡¯s New Year money under his pillow and kissed him to press the nket for him. She went to the inner room to sleep.


    The next morning, Ruyi, Ji Xiang, Ah Wei, Tiezhu, Old Madam Liu, and Little Loach stood in the courtyard and bowed to Li Yu and her husband. Zhou Jia smiled and said, ¡°The new year has begun. Everyone is fine. You¡¯ll be given double your monthly sry during the first month. As long as you don¡¯t dy family matters, arrange your own time to go out and y.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir, ma¡¯am.¡± Everyone dispersed with smiles, discussing where to y.


    Li Yu and Zhou Jia were busy receiving the children of the officials who came to visit for the new year. They were busy until the ninth day of the new year.


    On the ninth day of the new year, the sun was shining brightly. Zhou Jia and Wu Tingxian had just arrived at the room. Chu Feng hurriedly came to the government office and said to Zhou Jia with a smile, ¡°Lord Zhou, quickly prepare the incense case to receive the decree.¡±


    ¡°So fast? Are they still traveling during the new year?¡± Zhou Jia hurriedly instructed Wu Tingxian to get someone to prepare the incense case.


    Chu Feng smiled and said, ¡°That¡¯s right! Before Head Shopkeeper left, he instructed me to pay attention to Eunuch Wang¡¯s schedule. I heard that His


    Majesty even personally wrote a que for the loyal temple and asked Eunuch


    Wang and the others to deliver it quickly. Sigh! I heard from the Head Shopkeeper that you¡¯re also going to the capital to take up your post. I wonder when we¡¯ll meet again?¡±


    Zhou Jia patted Chu Feng and smiled. ¡°Why are you being so polite to me again?


    We¡¯ll be able to see each other when you return to the capital in the future!¡±


    Chu Feng smiled awkwardly. ¡°Head Shopkeeper said that I broke the rules and dared to call you brother. I¡¯m just too rude. Fortunately, you and Madam don¡¯t lower yourself to my level.¡±


    ¡°Sigh! We¡¯ve been friends for so many years. Head Shopkeeper has always been so polite.¡± Zhou Jia sighed.


    Just as Wu Tingxian prepared the incense table, the eunuch who issued the decree, Eunuch Wang, arrived. Everyone knelt down and epted the decree.


    They summoned Zhou Jia to the capital to serve as the Minister of Revenue. Wu Tingxian was promoted to the Magistrate of Yunzhou. After receiving the decree, the group of people were busy sending a que to the loyal temple. They asked the Taoist priest to choose an auspicious day to hang the que written by the emperor.


    On the way back, Chu Feng and Eunuch Wang went to the garrison office to issue the decree. Zhou Jia and Wu Tingxian returned to the office together. The officials of the government office went forward to congratte the two of them. Wu Tingxian also bowed to Zhou Jia. ¡°Lord Zhou, congrattions on your promotion to the Ministry of Revenue. I thank you for your guidance.¡±


    Zhou Jia hurriedly helped him up. ¡°Lord Wu, you¡¯re too polite. Congrattions on being promoted to the Magistrate of Yunzhou. I¡¯ll go back and arrange for it to be handed over to you.¡±


    ¡°Please,¡± Wu Tingxian replied respectfully. He watched Zhou Jia go to the backyard of the government office and thought to himself that Lord Zhou was really a lucky star! It was too easy for him to be promoted! Although they were both fifth-grade, the difference between fifth-grade capital officials and fifth-grade state officials was too great. Fortunately, he had always supported him and did not secretlypete with him.


    Mr. Qian followed behind Zhou Jia happily. ¡°Sir, I¡¯ll organize the ounts and documents. I¡¯ll hand them over to Lord Wu when youe back.¡± ¡°Okay, organize it first. I¡¯ll go back to the back office and tell Madam and Sir the news. ¡±


    When Zhou Jia returned to the back office, he smiled and said to Li Yu, ¡°Yu¡¯er, I just received an imperial edict. His Majesty sent me back to the capital to take up a position as a minister in the Ministry of Revenue. Wu Tingxian will take over as the Magistrate of Yunzhou. We are given four months. We have to start packing in the next few days and set off for the capital as soon as possible.¡±


    Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia in surprise and said with a smile, ¡°Alright! We can go to the capital to reunite with Ah Qing. It¡¯s already the ninth day of the new year today. Fortunately, Chu Sihai revealed the news to us back then. The luggage is almost ready. There aren¡¯t enough people at home to drive the carriage. I¡¯ll get Ruyi to hire a few carriages at the carriage shop so that you won¡¯t have to drive the carriage yourself. You¡¯ll also have to buy two spacious carriages for Sir and the children to ride.¡±


    ¡°Alright, go ahead! I¡¯ll talk to Sir before going to the front office to hand over the official seal and documents to Wu Tingxian.¡± After Zhou Jia finished speaking, he called left in a hurry..

 Chapter 390 - 390: Set Off, Goodbye

    Chapter 390: Set Off, Goodbye


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    After a while, Mr. Wen returned from the garden and began to organize his medical cases. Zhou Jia asked Tiezhu to help Mr. Wen.


    Li Yu looked at the brilliant sunlight and felt her mood brighten. She excitedly arranged for people to start packing her luggage.


    Old Madam Liu, Auntie Zhang, and the others were stunned by the sudden news. In the blink of an eye, Old Madam Liu smiled at Auntie Zhang and the others in surprise and said, ¡°Master is going to the capital to take office. Sister Zhang, Sister Yun, the few of us should quickly pack up and prepare the food on the way.¡±


    After Li Yu made the arrangements, she went to the manor in the west of the city and called Ah Wei over to tell him about leaving him to manage the manor and shop in Yunzhou and how she nned to invite Schr Liu to be the shopkeeper.


    ¡°Yes, Madam. I¡¯ll take good care of the manor and shop.¡± After saying that, Ah Wei asked Li Yu reluctantly, ¡°Madam, when should I go to the capital to reunite with you?¡±


    Li Yu looked at Ah Wei, who had already grown up, and smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t you like to manage farmsteads? There¡¯s no farmstead for you to manage when you return to the capital!¡±


    Ah Wei thought for a moment and said, ¡°Madam, remember to call me over when you buy fields in the capital.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and nodded. ¡°Alright,e if you¡¯re willing to go to the capital. Let¡¯s look for Schr Liu first. In the future, if you have anything you don¡¯t understand, you have to consult Mr. Liu. Don¡¯t be unreasonable to him.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± Ah Wei followed Li Yu to the front yard. Seeing that Schr Liu was teaching the children, Li Yu and Ah Wei went to the opposite room and called Auntie Xue and Uncle Liu together. They told them that Zhou Jia was going to the capital to take up his post. Everyone was happy but worried about their own situation. Auntie Xue looked at Li Yu in anticipation. ¡°Madam, can we still stay on the farm?


    Seeing their uneasy expressions, Li Yu smiled and said to them, ¡°Stay in the manor well. I¡¯ll leave those children to you to take care of, especially those girls. Auntie Xue, you and Auntie Lin have to worry about them. I¡¯m leaving Ah Wei behind to take care of the manor. I¡¯m also prepared to invite Mr. Liu and Ah Wei to take care of it together. Uncle Liu, Uncle Cai, you¡¯re older and more knowledgeable. In the future, guide Ah Wei and assist Ah Wei in building the manor.¡±


    ¡°Aye!¡± Everyone agreed happily.


    After ss, Liu Xiucai returned to the room and bowed to Li Yu. ¡°Madam, what instructions do you have for me?¡±


    After Li Yu told him why she was there, she smiled and asked him,


    Schr Liu replied readily, ¡°Madam, I¡¯m willing.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯ll have to trouble Mr. Liu in the future. Ruyi will only leave a few dayster. He¡¯ll find another teacher to teach the children with you. You¡¯re knowledgeable, mature, and steady. In the future, I hope you can take care of these old people and children on the farm. Please teach Ah Wei if there¡¯s anything wrong with his actions.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam. I¡¯ll do my best, ¡± Schr Liu replied with a bow.


    Li Yu said to the children waiting at the side, ¡°In the future, you have to listen to Mr. Liu and the elders and aunties and build the farmstead well. Girls have to have self-respect and love. Boys have to be responsible and learn from Sir. If you have the ambition to take the schrly examination, Master and I will nurture you.¡±


    The children agreed loudly with red eyes. ¡°Yes, Madam.¡±


    Everyone reluctantly sent Li Yu out of the manor. They stood there and watched the carriage leave before returning to the manor.


    When Li Yu returned to the back office, Gu Yu and Xing Hua had already brought people to put the things into the box cage. Zhou Jia had already exined the situation to Mr. Lu. When Mr. Lu heard that Zhou Jia would be a minister-in-charge of the Ministry of Revenue after going to the capital, he was also extremely happy. He felt that he would have someone to rely on in the capital in the future.


    After Madam He received the news, she also came to the government office to congratte Li Yu. She said sadly, ¡°Madam, when will I see you again?¡±


    Li Yu smiled and told her the address in the capital. ¡°Come and find me when your Lord Lin goes to the capital to report. I¡¯ll wee you.¡±


    Madam He looked at Li Yu gratefully. ¡°Thank you, Madam. I¡¯ll definitely look for you when he goes to the capital to report.¡±


    Three dayster, it was a good day to travel. More than ten carriages quickly came out of the back office and walked towards the city gate. Just as they left the city gate, they saw Wu Tingxian, Lin Zicong, and themoners and bailiffs who hade to send them off. The Shi family, the Yang family, and the old and young on the farm were also there.


    Li Yu looked at the crowd standing on both sides of the city gate and was extremely touched. Why did they rush out of the city to send her family off on such a cold day?


    Zhou Jia got out of the car and cupped his hands in thanks. ¡°Fellow colleagues and fellow vigers, there¡¯s no need to send me off. Let¡¯s meet again if we¡¯re fated.¡±


    Wu Tingxian went forward and smiled. ¡°Lord Zhou, everyone has suggested sending you off. I wish you a safe trip.¡±


    Everyone bowed. ¡°Have a safe trip, Lord Zhou.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, colleagues. Thank you, vigers. The weather is cold. Please go back!¡± Zhou Jia cupped his hands and thanked everyone.


    ¡°Have a safe trip, Master and Madam.¡± Ah Wei, Auntie Xue, and Uncle Cai knelt down and kowtowed together with everyone.


    ¡°The ground is cold. Ah Wei, quickly help everyone up,¡± Zhou Jia and Li Yu hurriedly shouted.


    Seven Pounds held Yangyang¡¯s hand and looked at Little Loach and the others who were reluctant to part. Xiaoyu stood beside the carriage and looked at the few people in the car with red eyes. She smiled and said, ¡°Be good. In a few months at most, we¡¯ll go to the capital to meet with Young Master. Otherwise, you¡¯ll have to say goodbye to Father and Mother.¡±


    Seven Pounds looked at Xiaoyu¡¯s struggling waist and nodded. He said to Yangyang, ¡°Young Master, don¡¯t be naughty when you go to the capital. You have to apany Old Master more.¡±


    Yangyang nodded vigorously. ¡°Got it. Come to the capital early. I¡¯ll wait for you.¡±


    ¡°Seven Pounds, we¡¯ll wait for you in the capital with Young Master. Come quickly!¡± Little Loach and the others also bid farewell to Seven Pounds.


    ¡°Alright, wait for me.¡±


    ¡°Little brat, where did you get so much to say? Come and say goodbye to Old Master and Madam. Young Master will go to Old Master¡¯s carriage to talk to him.¡± Ruyi smiled and carried Yangyang and Seven Pounds out of the car to Mr.


    Wen¡¯s car. Yangyang climbed into the car and leaned into Mr. Wen¡¯s arms. ¡°Seven Pounds! Be good and apany your parents back to see Grandfather and Grandmother. I¡¯ll wait for you in the capital.¡±


    ¡°Yes! Old Master, when I go to the capital, I want to learn medicine from you,¡± Seven Pounds said to Mr. Wen.


    Mr. Wen smiled happily. ¡°Really? Then Old Master will be waiting for you.¡±


    ¡°Really, I¡¯ve thought about it. I want to study medicine,¡± Seven Pounds said solemnly, like a little adult.


    Mr. Wen looked at Ruyi, who was carrying Seven Pounds, and Xiaoyu, who was standing beside him. He smiled and asked, ¡°Do the two of you also agree to Seven Pounds learning medicine from me?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Ruyi and Xiaoyu also smiled happily. ¡°Old Master is willing to teach Seven Pounds medicine. It¡¯s an opportunity that others can¡¯t even beg for. We can¡¯t be happier!¡±


    ¡°Alright, when youe to the capital, I¡¯ll teach Seven Pounds Medicine.¡± Mr. Wen stroked Seven Pounds¡¯ head and said happily.


    Yangyang looked at Seven Pounds and then at Mr. Wen. ¡°I like being a general and not learning medicine. What should I do in the future?¡±


    Ruyi looked at Yangyang and said, ¡°Young Master, if you want to be a general, you have to study well first. You¡¯re at most a martial artist with martial strength if you don¡¯t study. You have to be well-versed in both civil and military strategies to be a general.¡¯


    ¡°Got it, Uncle Yi,¡± Yangyang replied loudly..

 Chapter 391 - 391: Rescue

    Chapter 391: Rescue


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    After Zhou Jia bade farewell to everyone, Wu Tingxian said to those who came for the send-off, ¡°Everyone, make way so that they don¡¯t miss the auspicious time.¡± Everyone retreated to both sides of the road.


    Ruyi hugged Ji Xiang and said, ¡°Have a safe trip and be vignt on the way.¡±


    Ji Xiang said reluctantly, ¡°Got it. Come to the capital early to reunite.¡±


    Zhou Jia returned to the carriage. Ruyi and Xiaoyu carried Seven Pounds and bowed to the two of them. They watched as the carriage slowly started and ran.


    Li Qing and the Four Seas Bank¡¯s convoy arrived in the capital before the new year and lived in the house bestowed by the emperor. More than ten days ago, the person from the bank who came to the Zhou family to deliver the new year gift told Ah Qing that Li Yu and the others were going to enter the capital after the new year. Li Qing was pleasantly surprised and hurriedly told Zhao Cai the news.


    Zhao Cai thought of Zhou Jia¡¯s instructions when he left and began to look for residences not far from the imperial residence. He found a few brokers and looked at a few residences. Together with Li Qing, they found a few residences a street away from Li Yu¡¯s residence. They were in two alleys near the street. Their location was slightly off, but the courtyard was quite big. The price was much more expensive than in West City and they were a little dpidated.


    When he returned home, Zhao Cai was still hesitating about whether to buy it.


    Li Qing said to him, ¡°Brother-inw is right. You should have your own home. Those houses are not far from Brother-inw¡¯s house. It¡¯s convenient for you to go back and forth. The broker is right. It¡¯s very difficult to buy so many houses near the Imperial City. Buy them!¡±


    Zhao Cai nodded in agreement. ¡°Alright! I¡¯ll listen to Young Master-inw and buy it.¡±


    The two of them went to the brokerage house in the afternoon to buy the house. When the broker called thendlord over, they realized that it was Chu Zhong. Four of the houses were from the Four Seas Bank. Chu Zhong made the decision and gave a 10% discount.


    There were five courtyards, two with three entrances, and two with three entrances. They cost nearly 20,000 taels of silver in total, and it was the price after the bank discounted it. Li Qing handed it to Zhao Cai and asked him to hire someone to repair and paint it. He began to prepare for the exam in peace.


    Laidi and Li Fengqi brought the Huang couple they had bought and followed the convoy from the government office to the capital city. Because they did not have much money, the two of them did not dare to waste it on the way. After entering the city, they were dazzled by the bustling city. The convoy arrived at the Tongzhou Courier Station, which was the designated amodation for the High Schrs.


    Li Fengqi and Laidi were given a small courtyard, three huts, and a small kitchen. They only needed to pay 200 copper coins a month for the rent. After Laidi brought the Huang couple to settle down, it was already the next day.


    On this day, Li Fengqi hurriedly returned from the courtyard of the posthouse and said to Laidi enviously, ¡°It¡¯s spread in the posthouse that your cousin-inw has been ordered to return to the capital to take up a post as a fifth-grade Minister of Revenue.¡±


    Laidi looked at Li Fengqi in surprise. ¡°Really? That¡¯s great. Then my cousin ising to the capital. Fengqi, you don¡¯t know that my cousin is the best. She treats me like a biological sister. She will definitely help you. Have you found out where Ah Qing lives?¡±


    Li Fengqi shook his head dejectedly. ¡°No, after Ah Qing came to the capital, that follower called Zhao Cai reported to the posthouse. He didn¡¯t say where he lived.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Since Ah Qing has already arrived in the capital, we will meet him sooner orter.¡± Laidi smiled andforted him.


    Li Fengqi nodded with a dark expression, but he was not as optimistic as Laidi. He felt that Li Mei was the one who had caused trouble and stopped Li Qing from helping him. He also resented the unfairness of the heavens. Why was it so easy for Zhou Jia to advance even though they were both from poor families? Even Li Qing had it much easier than him. Along the way, he had been escorted to the capital and lived in a residence bestowed by the emperor. However, he had to listen to others.


    Li Qing sneezed a few times in the study. Ah Lei hurriedly went to carry the bedsheet over. ¡°Young Master, is it too cold? Be careful not to catch a cold.¡±


    Li Qing smiled and waved his hand. ¡°No, I¡¯m not cold. My ears itch. Someone must be talking about me.¡±


    Ah Lei smiled and said, ¡°I think Master and Madam must be talking about you. Are they in the capital?¡±


    Li Qing shook his head and recalled that Li Fengqi should have arrived in the capital. He wondered if Laidi hade with him. Li Qing could not help but have a headache when he thought of Li Mei¡¯s attitude toward Laidi.


    He walked around the garden and watched the koi swimming in the lotus pond. He wondered if he could get one up to try. Was it more delicious than ordinary fish?


    When Zhao Cai returned home, he saw Li Qing standing by the lotus pond and teasing the fish in the pond with a stick. He smiled and went forward. ¡°Young Master-inw, do you want to eat fish? The fish meat here is thick, beautiful, and delicious.¡±


    Li Qing threw away the stick in his hand and stood up to wipe his hands. ¡°I was just wondering how it tasted! You came back so early today because the house was renovated and painted, right?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s allpleted. We¡¯re just waiting for Ruyi and Ji Xiang to arrive before we can move in.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the end of the month. Sister and the others should have set off already.


    Sigh! How¡¯s your mother-inw?¡±


    Zhao Cai blushed and said, ¡°I told her that Master wille to the capital soon. When Masteres, he will host the marriage for us. Her parents said that as long as her daughter lives a good life, it¡¯s fine no matter what.¡± ¡°Oh! Since your parents-inw are so reasonable, your wife should have a good upbringing. Most importantly, Brother Zhao Cai, you have a good character and are steady in your actions.¡±


    Zhao Cai looked at the handsome and elegant Li Qing. ¡°Young Master-inw, don¡¯t tease me. When Madam and Mastere, your marriage should be on the agenda. You¡¯re so good-looking. What kind of woman is worthy of you? Have you thought about what kind of wife you¡¯ll marry?¡±


    Li Qing smiled indifferently. ¡°Sigh! I don¡¯t know either. I¡¯ll marry whoever Sister thinks is good. I wonder when Sister and Brother-inw can reach the capital. I can¡¯t take it in today. While I still have time, I¡¯ll go to the street to buy a few things for Yang¡¯er.¡±


    Zhao Cai nodded. ¡°Young Master likes some knives and guns. I¡¯ll apany you!¡±


    Li Qing and Zhao Cai arrived at the street where they had finished buying things. After walking around the street, Li Qing saw a shop selling porcin y dolls. They chose a few pairs with silly expressions and bought windmills, mud squeaks, tumblers, and a wooden sword and knife. The two of them carried them back excitedly.


    Not long after, a carriage suddenly ran out of control on the street. Panicked shouts came from the carriage. ¡°Miss, are you alright? Help, save our Miss.¡±


    Zhao Cai and Li Qing followed the horse for a while. Zhao Cai grabbed the bridle. Li Qing jumped into the cart and grabbed the reins. Together, the two of them subdued the galloping horse.


    ¡°Good, good,¡± the passersby chorused.


    Seeing that the coachman had run off, Li Qing jumped out of the carriage and said to Zhao Cai, ¡°Brother Zhao Cai, give them a ride. Ah Lei and I will drive the carriage home.¡±


    Zhao Cai looked at the sweating Li Qing and suddenly felt that he shouldn¡¯t have rashly saved him. If Young Master-inw was injured, it would dy his examination. Fortunately, he was fine. Zhao Cai nodded in fear. ¡°Yes, Young


    Master..¡±

 Chapter 392 - 392: Examination

    Chapter 392: Examination


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    ¡°Thank you for saving us.¡± A frightened and hoarse female voice sounded. ¡°Ling


    Dang, go thank the two strong men.¡±


    A little girl with messy hair crawled out of the car. Her round face and hands were covered in bruises. She bowed to Li Qing and Zhao Cai in shock. ¡°Thank you for saving me. My Miss¡¯s leg is injured and she can¡¯te out to bow to you. Please forgive her! ¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Miss, you¡¯re too polite.¡± Li Qing cupped his hands at the little maidservant and turned to leave.


    Zhao Cai looked at the maidservant. ¡°Youngdy, my young master asked me to send you home. May I know where you live?¡±


    When Ling Dang heard this, she bent her knees happily and bowed. ¡°Thank you, Strongman. My house is in the Lin Mansion on East Street, Guihua Alley.


    Big Brother, thank you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. We¡¯re going the same way,¡± Zhao Cai said politely.


    ¡°Thank you, Big Brother.¡± Bell got into the car gratefully. The car slowly drove towards Guihua Alley on East Street.


    Li Qing only remembered that he had just bought the trinket when he reached


    the carriage. In a moment of desperation. he had thrown it somewhere. He


    turned around and went back to buy it before getting into the carriage and walking back.


    Zhao Cai drove the carriage to the entrance of the Lin residence and stopped it.


    So the Lin family was the Hanlin family? Sigh! The Four Seas Bank had helped Madam find out about Madam¡¯s mother¡¯s family. The eldest young master of the Lin family in Qingzhou had arrived in the capital and entered the Hanlin Academy after high school. It couldn¡¯t be such a coincidence!


    Ling Dang got out of the car and bowed to Zhao Cai. ¡°Thank you, Big Brother. May I ask where you live?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. There¡¯s no need to be so polite, youngdy.¡± Zhao Cai waved at Ling Dang and turned to walk home.


    Seeing that Zhao Cai had left, Ling Dang stood beside the car and said, ¡°Miss, that strong man has left. Wait a moment. I¡¯ll call Old Madam Zhang out to carry you in.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be in a hurry. Follow him and see where that strongman lives. When Fatheres back, he can go to thank him!¡± The person inside said indifferently.


    ¡°Yes, mydy.¡± Ling Dang quietly followed Zhao Cai.


    Ah Lei was driving the carriage and saw Zhao Cai walking back in front. He slowed down and shouted at Zhao Cai with a smile, ¡°Brother Zhao Cai,e up so we can go back together.¡±


    Zhao Cai jumped into the car and looked at Ah Lei strangely. ¡°Didn¡¯t you go back long ago? Why are you still here?¡±


    In the carriage, Li Qing smiled and teased, ¡°You were too busy saving the damsel in distress and forgot about the thing in your hand!¡±


    Zhao Cai patted its head in frustration. ¡°Sigh! I was busy saving people just now. I don¡¯t know where I threw it. Master, did you go back to buy it again?¡±


    The carriage arrived at the door and the two of them got out. Li Qing smiled and nodded. ¡°Yes! I bought it again. You¡¯ve walked here so quickly. Does thatdy live nearby?¡±


    Zhao Cai looked like it was hard to exin. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s on Guihua Alley just ahead. The Lin residence.¡±


    Li Qing looked at Zhao Cai in confusion. ¡°Lin Manor? From the looks of it, there¡¯s nothing wrong with the Lin Manor.¡±


    Li Qing was about to take the exam. He couldn¡¯t let him lose his mind. Zhao Cai swallowed the words that were about toe out of its mouth. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I just feel that the Hanlin family isn¡¯t stable either. The carriage Miss was in shocked the horse, but the coachman actually disappeared.¡± Li Qing concluded, ¡°A rich family has many wives and private matters.¡±


    Li Qing returned to the house and began to prepare for the uing examination. Li Fengqi could not find Li Qing¡¯s address, and the examination was approaching. Thinking that those high-ranking officials and nobles lived in the East City, the residence bestowed by the emperor should be in those ces. Hence he instructed Laidi to go to the East City to look for Li Qing and settle down to prepare for the examination.


    Laidi hired a carriage to the East City. It was even more prosperous here. There were rows after rows of shops on both sides of the street, and there were also extravagant pavilions and buildings. Laidi clicked her tongue in wonder and was dazzled. She was also secretly worried. The East City was so big. Where could she find Ah Qing? After shopping in the East City for a few days, she did not even see Li Qing. Seeing that the date of the examination was approaching, Laidi could only give up searching and start preparing the things that Li Fengqi would need for the examination.


    On the afternoon of the eighth day of the new year, Chu Fu came to the Zhou family to deliver the medicinal powder to calm the mind. Li Qing smiled gratefully and said, ¡°Uncle Chu, these things you gave me are too useful. Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Young Master Li, you¡¯re too polite. Madam Li and Mr. Zhou are not in the capital. We should take care of you.¡± Chu Fu smiled and cupped his hands at Li Qing. ¡°Young Master Li, I wish you the best.¡±


    Li Fengqi brought Laidi and the servant, Huang Lin, to a street away from the tribute courtyard. The carriage could not go past. Li Fengqi said to Laidi, ¡°Stay here and watch the carriage. Huang Lin will apany me to the tribute courtyard. Watch carefully to see if you can find Li Qing¡¯s servants.¡±


    Laidi nodded happily. ¡°I understand. Fengqi, take the exam well. You will definitely get on the Golden Ranking List. ¡±


    When Li Fengqi saw an old High Schr with white hair and beard walk past, he thought to himself that if it were so easy, those white-haired people would have gotten on the Golden Ranking List. The corners of his mouth twitched twice when he looked at Laidi. He grunted and turned to leave with the examination basket.


    Laidi looked carefully at the endless crowd. Her eyes ached, but she could not find Zhao Cai and Ah Lei. She cowered and sighed as she sat back in the carriage. After two exams in a row, she did not see Zhao Cai and Ah Lei. Today was thest round. Thinking of Li Fengqi¡¯s increasingly bad expression, she secretly med Li Mei for being unreasonable and even guarding against her biological daughter for her nephew and niece. Could she harm them? At most, Li Fengqi would look at his cousin-inw¡¯s notebook. It was not a loss to his family.


    Laidi was thinking indignantly when a familiar figure suddenly appeared in front of her. Wasn¡¯t that Ah Lei? Laidi hurriedly shouted, ¡°Ah Lei, Ah Lei¡­¡±


    Ah Lei turned around and saw Laidi sitting on the carriage rafter. He smiled and bowed. ¡°Miss Cousin, when did you arrive in the capital?¡±


    Laidi looked angrily at Ah Lei, who had grown much taller. ¡°I¡¯ve been looking for you for a long time. Where does Ah Qing live? Bring me to recognize the door.¡±


    Ah Lei thought about how Young Master knew that his cousin and the others hade to the capital, but he didn¡¯t visit them to pick them up and bring them back to the residence to stay. He didn¡¯t know why, but he decided to wait for Young Master toe out and ask him.


    After thinking about it, Ah Lei looked at Laidi with a troubled expression. ¡°Miss, it¡¯s thest day today. I have to guard the entrance of the tribute courtyard. I can only walk away when Brother Zhao Caies to rece me.


    Wait for me. I¡¯ll look for you as soon as Brother Zhao Caies.¡±


    Laidi nodded. ¡°Okay, Ah Lei. I heard that my cousin¡¯s family is about to return to the capital. Do you know when my cousin¡¯s family can reach the capital?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know either. It¡¯ll probably take another two months!¡± Ah Lei bowed apologetically to Laidi. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Miss Cousin. I have to go first.¡±


    At midnight, the door of the tribute courtyard was wide open. Thest round of the examination had beenpleted. Zhao Cai and Ah Lei looked eagerly at the entrance of the tribute courtyard. When they saw the exhausted Ah Qing walk out with the examination basket, they hurriedly squeezed over and held Li Qing.


    After three consecutive exams, the two of them saw a few schrs who had fainted and were sent out of the examination hall by the officials. Afraid of agitating Li Qing, they did not dare to ask him how he did. They supported Li Qing and walked towards the carriage..

 Chapter 393 - 393: He’s Your Uncle

    Chapter 393: He¡¯s Your Uncle


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    After Li Qing went home to wash up, he forced himself to write down questions and answers in the exam papers. After eating something, hey on the bed and slept soundly.


    He did not wake up even after noon the next day. Zhao Cai and Ah Lei were worried after seeing him a few times and ran to invite a physician to take a look. The physician said that Li Qing was just sleeping too soundly. Perhaps he had been too tense in the past and rxed after the exam.


    The two of them were relieved to hear the physician¡¯s words. Just as they sent the physician away, the doorman brought in a visiting card and reported that Schr Lin hade to visit Li Qing.


    Zhao Cai took the visiting card and thought for a moment before following the door to the entrance. He saw a refined man who looked like Li Qing and his sister, as well as the little girl on the carriage that day. They were standing at the door with a rough servant carrying a stack of gift boxes. Schr Lin looked up at the climbing vines on the courtyard wall.


    Zhao Cai thought to himself that Schr Lin should recognize Young-Master-inw as soon as he saw him.


    When Ling Dang saw Zhao Cai, she smiled sweetly and said to Schr Lin, ¡°Master, this big brother saved us that day.¡±


    Zhao Cai smiled at the bell and bowed politely. ¡°Greetings, Schr Lin. My young master hasn¡¯t woken up from the examination yesterday. He can¡¯t receive you personally.¡±


    It turned out that the schr who had saved Wan¡¯er was also preparing to participate in the examination. It was reallymendable that he could risk their own safety to save her in that situation.


    Lin Zexu smiled and cupped his hands at Zhao Cai. ¡°Little brother, thank you and your young master for saving my daughter. I¡¯lle back to visit when your young master wakes up. Please ept this small gift!¡±


    The clerk bowed politely in return. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Schr Lin, don¡¯t take it to heart. When my young master wakes up, I¡¯ll tell him. Please forgive me for not being able to ept these things. Please take them back.¡±


    Seeing that Zhao Cai insisted on not epting it, Lin Zexu did not force it. He cupped his hands and smiled. ¡°Little brother, then I¡¯lle back when your young master wakes up.¡±


    ¡°Take care, Schr Lin.¡± Zhao Cai bowed.


    Lin Zexu cupped his hands at Zhao Cai and turned to Ling Dang. ¡°Ling Dang, take the things back. We¡¯lle back when Young Master wakes up.¡± Ling Dang nodded and bowed to Zhao Cai before following Lin Zexu into the carriage.


    Zhao Cai sent Lin Zexu off and returned to the courtyard. Ah Lei said happily to Zhao Cai, ¡°Brother Zhao Cai, Young Master is awake. I¡¯ll go to the kitchen and bring some porridge and side dishes.¡±


    ¡°Oh! That¡¯s good. Hurry up and bring it over!¡± Zhao Cai smiled and waved at Ah Lei before running to see Li Qing.


    Li Qing came out dressed neatly. Seeing Zhao Cai leaning against the door of his room and waiting for him, he smiled and teased him, ¡°Brother Zhao Cai, I¡¯m not a girl. Why are you guarding me? Besides, I¡¯ve already finished the exam. It¡¯s time for you to see your little wife. I heard from Ah Lei that a schr sent a visiting card. Is it the Lin family you mentionedst time?¡±


    Zhao Cai nodded. Seeing that he wanted to say something but hesitated, Li Qing asked in confusion, ¡°I felt that something was wrong with your expression that day. Is there something wrong with the Lin family?¡±


    Master had already finished the exam. Telling him the truth that Madam had found out and the grudges between Madam, Madam Lin, and the Wang family would not affect him.


    Zhao Cai told Li Qing what had happened when Li Yu met Madam Lin in Yunzhou. Li Qing was furious when he heard that. He was relieved to hear that Li Yu did not suffer.


    Li Qing stopped in his tracks and pondered for a moment. He raised his eyebrows and said, ¡°ording to you, this Lin Zexu is my uncle!¡±


    Zhao Cai was amused. ¡°Young Master-inw, what do you mean? He¡¯s still your uncle. He¡¯s your biological uncle, to begin with. Now that you¡¯ve saved his daughter, it depends on whether you and Madam are willing to acknowledge him. You didn¡¯t see Schr Lin¡¯s appearance. He really looks like you.¡±


    Li Qing felt that after his mother disappeared, Lin Zexu was actually busy going to Yunzhou instead of staying behind to search for her. He was too selfish. After arriving in Yunzhou, he actually let his sister, who had harmed her twin, marry thetter¡¯s fianc¨¦. He couldn¡¯t even tell what was obvious. He was simply a muddle-headed worm who couldn¡¯t tell right from wrong.


    Li Qing did not have a good impression of Lin Zexu at all. He said indifferently, ¡°Whether I acknowledge him or not can only be decided when Sisteres back. If Sister is willing to acknowledge him, I will. If Sister is unwilling to acknowledge him, I won¡¯t.¡±


    Zhao Cai felt that it made sense. ¡°I¡¯m afraid he¡¯ll visit you tomorrow. Also, Ah Lei said that he met Miss Cousin. Do you want to see her?¡±


    Li Qing hated Li Fengqi for using Laidi, but he still felt pity for her. He thought to himself that his aunt had painstakingly brought up Laidi, so he was still worried about her.


    Li Qing looked at Zhao Cai and smiled bitterly. ¡°Sigh! Let¡¯s go meet her! It¡¯s too unreasonable to really ignore her. As long as it¡¯s not too out of line, we¡¯ll help if we can!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true! After all, you¡¯re biological cousins.¡± Zhao Cai pointed at the dining room. ¡°Young Master-inw, go to the dining room first. Ah Lei asked the chef to prepare food. You should eat something before going!¡±


    Li Qing nodded and went to the Tongzhou Courier Station after dinner. The shop assistant eagerly brought Li Qing to a small courtyard and knocked on the door. When Laidi saw Li Qing, she mocked unhappily, ¡°Yo! Young Master Li Qing, why are you so free today?¡±


    Li Qing nced at the sarcastic Laidi and said indifferently, ¡°I¡¯m relieved to see that Cousin is full of energy. Ah Lei, put down the gift box, and let¡¯s go!¡±


    Ah Lei really ced the gift box at the door. Seeing that Li Qing was about to turn around and leave, Laidi hurriedly pulled Li Qing back and said with a smile, ¡°Ah Qing, I¡¯ve been looking for you for a long time. When I finally see you, I¡¯m not allowed toin! Why are you so angry now?¡±


    Li Qing turned to look at Laidi and sighed. ¡°I live in the house at the east end of Guihua Alley on East City Street. Cousin, look for me there if you need anything.¡±


    Laidi noted it down and looked at Li Qing in embarrassment. ¡°Alright, aren¡¯t youing in to sit?¡±


    As Li Qing shook his head, Li Fengqi suddenly ran out of the house. ¡°Ah Qing,e in and sit!¡±


    Li Qing turned to look at the pale Li Fengqi and hesitated for a moment. Before he could reply, he saw Li Fengqi looking at him with a pleading expression.


    ¡°Ah Qing, I want you to take a look at the questions I¡¯ve memorized andpare the answers with you. It won¡¯t take up too much of your time.¡± Li Qing looked at Li Fengqi and nodded. ¡°Alright, Cousin-inw.¡±


    Li Fengqi happily weed Li Qing into the house and said to Laidi, ¡°Madam, quickly make Ah Qing a cup of tea.¡±


    Li Qing looked at Li Fengqi¡¯s fawning expression and suddenly felt a little sad. He recalled his days with his sister in the Zhang family. At that time, he had been looking forward to someone helping him and his sister every day. Li Fengqi wanted to make a name for himself and used Laidi to achieve his goal. It was indeed repulsive, but Laidi had to bear a portion of the responsibility. Forget it! As long as Liu Fengqi could treat Laidi well and not do anything outrageous, he would help if he could!


    After thinking about it, Li Qing smiled politely at Li Fengqi. ¡°Cousin-inw, show me your answer!¡±


    ¡°Ah Qing, thank you. Sit here. I¡¯ll take it out now.¡± Li Fengqi turned around and walked towards the room..

 Chapter 394 - 394: Ranking

    Chapter 394: Ranking


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Li Qing looked at the clean small courtyard. There were some onions and coriander nted in wooden frames at the foot of the courtyard wall, as well as a basket of green rapeseed. The side dishes and seasonings in the capital were not cheap. It seemed that Laidi had developed a good habit of being thrifty with her aunt. If Li Fengqi did not have bad intentions and were of the same mind as Laidi, the Li family would not have to worry about not being able to live a good life.


    Laidi brought over tea and interrupted Li Qing¡¯s thoughts. Laidi looked at Li


    Qing and smiled at him gratefully. ¡°Ah Qing, thank you. Do you know when


    Cousin and the others will return to the capital?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know either,¡± Li Qing said, shaking his head. Li Fengqi walked out with the test paper he had written and handed it to Li Qing. Li Qing sat on a chair and read it seriously. He realized that there were several ces that were inconsistent with his answers. After reading it, Li Qing felt that Li Fengqi¡¯s hopes of getting on the rankings were very slim.


    When Li Fengqi saw Li Qing¡¯s expression, he knew that he did not have much hope. Thinking about how thest ce was also unexpected, he felt a trace of luck. Even if he had the background of a schr, it would be good!


    After Li Qing finished reading, he pointed out the areas that were different from his answer. Then, he discussed two ces with Li Fengqi that he was not sure of before bidding farewell and walking back. Just as he reached home, it started to rain heavily. Li Qing looked at the heavy rain and was worried about Li Yu and the others¡¯ safety on the way.


    Zhao Caiforted him. ¡°Young Master-inw, don¡¯t worry. Master and Madam are experienced. They will definitely arrive safely.¡± Li Qing thought about it and was relieved.


    The next day, Lin Zexu brought the gift box to the residence again. This time, Li Qing saw Lin Zexu. When Lin Zexu saw Li Qing, he was stunned for a moment and thought to himself why he looked so familiar. Could he be the son of an old friend?


    Li Qing greeted Lin Zexu with an indifferent expression and epted his thank-you gift. Seeing that Li Qing did not want to talk to him, Lin Zexu bade farewell and left with Ling Dang.


    After March, it was soon time for the rankings to be released. Zhao Cai and Ah Lei were already waiting in the tribute courtyard. Zhao Cai recalled that thest time, it was for Young Master. This time, it was for Young Master-inw. In the future, it would be for the Young Master and the children at home. Zhao Cai felt proud as he thought about it.


    A group of people stood there talking. The door to the Zhonggong Academy opened to the anxious anticipation of the waiting people. Zhao Cai saw soldiers with sabers hanging from their waists; they were guarding officials in dark official robes. They took the list and went straight to the stone wall of the list. Just as one was pasted, the waiting people swarmed forward and searched the list for the name they wanted to see.


    The first one did not have Li Qing and Li Fengqi¡¯s names. Zhao Cai was not as nervous asst time. He calmly looked at the second list. The second list did not have their names either. Ah Lei nervously grabbed the corner of Zhao Cai¡¯s shirt and looked at the third list. Ah Lei¡¯s breathing became rapid. Zhao Cai saw Li Qing¡¯s name in fifth ce on the A list at a nce. Ah Lei also saw it and was so excited that he was incoherent. ¡°Brother Cai, you got it. Fifth ce, Ah!


    Hahaha¡­


    Zhao Cai pinched Ah Lei¡¯s nose excitedly and shouted with a smile, ¡°Brat, it¡¯s not me. It¡¯s Young Master¡¯s brother-inw.¡±


    The two of them came out and walked back. Laidi, Li Fengqi, and Li Qing were all waiting in the alley. Seeing their happy expressions, Li Fengqi¡¯s heart burned with hope. Then, he saw Ah Lei pounce on Li Qing and hug him. He said excitedly, ¡°Young Master, you got it. Fifth ce, fifth ce!¡±


    Li Qing let Ah Lei hug him in a daze. His tears couldn¡¯t stop flowing. He looked at the sky and shouted, ¡°Sister, did you hear that? I got onto the rankings. I didn¡¯t let you down. Brother-inw, Ah Qing didn¡¯t let you down!¡±


    Everyone by the road looked at Li Qing. Zhao Cai smiled at the tearful Li Qing.


    Laidi also congratted Li Qing with tears in her eyes. She turn and asked, ¡°Zhao Cai, how did my Fengqi do?¡±


    Zhao Cai said apologetically, ¡°Young Master Li, you didn¡¯t clinch it this year. You¡¯ll definitely get it next time.¡±


    Although Li Fengqi had long expected that it was impossible for him to be on the rankings in one go, he felt even more upset when he saw Li Qing obtain such a good ranking. He felt that if Li Qing had looked for him before the exam, he would be in the rankings no matter what. He nced at Li Qing and could not help but feel a trace of jealousy. Zhao Cai looked at Li Fengqi and shook his head in his heart. He thought that he had to remind his Young Master-inw to be wary of this person when he returned.


    Li Qing also saw the sh in Li Fengqi¡¯s eyes and smiled self-deprecatingly. He found his thoughts a few days agoughable and felt again that he was still too inexperienced and not as urate as his aunt.


    Zhao Cai looked at Li Qing and smiled. ¡®Young Master-inw, let¡¯s go back! Be careful not to be captured by the people below the rankingster.¡±


    Li Qing smiled and said, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go back first. The bailiff who reports the good news will beingter.¡±


    Li Fengqi thought that no one had discovered his dissatisfaction with Li Qing. He even forced a smile and thanked Li Qing. Laidi looked at Li Fengqi worriedly andforted him with a smile. ¡°Fengqi, it¡¯s fine. We¡¯ll take the exam next time.¡±


    Li Fengqi could only nod in agreement. The group went to Guihua Alley on East Street. Li Fengqi and Laidi saw the majestic stone lion and vermilion door at the door and praised them in their hearts. After entering, they saw an exquisite shadow wall. The flowers and grass in the courtyard were fragrant. Laidi clicked her tongue in admiration.


    The Zhou family was really lucky. His Majesty had rewarded their family with such a good house. Li Fengqi heard that the people living here were all high-ranking officials and nobles, rtives of the emperor. A house like this in the capital could not be bought with money. If he could live here and befriend some high-ranking officials and nobles, he would benefit a lot.


    After Li Qing invited the two of them to sit down, the bailiff who had reported the good news arrived. Zhao Cai gave the celebratory money and Ah Lei and the doorman set off a firecracker. Soon, someone sent a congrattory gift to their door.


    After the pce examination, Li Qing was ranked third. The Top Schr was an uncle in his thirties. On that day, the handsome and elegant Third Honors Schr rode on his horse confidently in the streets, causing those watching along the way to throw all their flowers at Li Qing. For a moment, the limelight of the Third Honors Schr was even greater than that of the Top Schr. It was really as the saying went ¡ª he who has attained sess would see all the flowers in Chang¡¯an in a day.


    Li Yu, Zhou Jia, and the others had already left Qitong County. After leaving the city, it was drizzling for a few days. The mountain path was slippery and foggy in the forest. Ji Xiang reminded everyone to slow down.


    In Li Yu¡¯s carriage, Yangyang was studying with Zhou Jia. Li Yu leaned against the small table in the carriage and fell asleep. Xiao Baiy in the carriage and watched as its little tail kept swinging back and forth.


    Coming down the mountain, Ji Xiang saw an overturned carriage in the ditch at the side of the road in front of him. Two middle-aged men and a man in a leather hat stood near the carriage and exerted force. It seemed that they were trying to lift the carriage from the ditch. The heavy carriage only swayed a little. The old woman and the girl anxiously rolled up their sleeves and wanted to go down to help. The woman holding the horse on the way said something to the person standing in the ditch..

 Chapter 395 - 395: Encounter

    Chapter 395: Encounter


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    The middle-aged man in the leather hat looked up and saw the convoy. He got up from the ditch in surprise and stood by the roadside to wait for the convoy to approach. He cupped his hands at Ji Xiang with a smile and shouted, ¡°Little brother, please help me move the carriage out.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± After Ji Xiang agreed readily, he stopped the carriage and jumped out.


    He shouted at the people behind, ¡°Can a few of youe over to help?¡±


    A few coachmen in raincoats got out of the carriages and walked towards Ji Xiang. The woman leading the horse took the girl and hid in the carriage in front.


    Yangyang saw that there was something lively ahead and mored to go down and take a look. Zhou Jia put on his bamboo hat and carried him out of the car. Xiao Bai also wanted to follow them down, but Li Yu grabbed it. ¡°Little thing, the ground is covered in mud. Don¡¯t even think abouting up if you go down. Go to the forest and rely on yourself.¡± Xiao Bai red at Li Yu and cried out a few times aggrievedly. Ity in the car and didn¡¯t dare to act rashly.


    Ji Xiang led a few coachmen to help lift the carriage. After lifting it, the man in the leather hat panted and bowed to everyone in thanks. Everyone helped carry the boxes that had fallen into the ditch onto the cart.


    When the man saw that Zhou Jia, who was carrying the child, had an extraordinary bearing, he went forward and cupped his hands. ¡°Thank you, sir.


    My surname is Fan, Fan Wenzheng. May I know your name?¡±


    Zhou Jia saw that the man was about 1+0 years old. He had a kind face and a gentle temperament. He did not seem to have ulterior motives. He handed Yangyang to Ji Xiang, who carried the child back to the car. He smiled at him and said, ¡°Mr. Fan, my surname is Zhou, Zhou Jia.¡±


    The man¡¯s eyes lit up when he heard that. He asked in surprise, ¡°Sir, are you the Magistrate of Yunzhou, Lord Zhou?¡±


    Zhou Jia nced at him and nodded with a smile. The man bowed to Zhou Jia.


    ¡°Greetings, Lord Zhou. I¡¯m the County Magistrate of Zheng County in Liangzhou. I¡¯ve long heard of your name. Seeing you today, you¡¯re indeed extraordinary.¡±


    Zhou Jia helped him up and said, ¡°Lord Fan, you¡¯re too polite. Coincidentally, I¡¯m also returning to the capital. I wonder if Lord Fan is willing to travel together?¡±


    Fan Wenzheng bowed and said, ¡°I¡¯m afraid of troubling you.¡±


    ¡°Lord Fan, you¡¯re too polite. The rain is getting heavier. Please.¡± Zhou Jia smiled.


    Everyone got into their carriages separately. Zhou Jia sat in the carriage and took off his muddy boots. Yangyang obediently handed over a bamboo stick.


    ¡°Father, I¡¯ll scrape the mud for you.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and nced at Zhou Jia. ¡°Xiao Xi, did you meet an acquaintance?¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡± Zhou Jia smiled and exined what had happened. He returned to the carriage and everyone began to hurry.


    After midnight, the group rushed to an inn. Li Yu carried Yangyang and Zhou Jia helped Mr. Wen into the inn.


    After staying, Fan Wenzheng brought a girl downstairs to the hall. Li Yu saw the girl. She had bright eyes, white teeth, and a natural demeanor. Her skin was fair, and she was tall. Even though she was dressed in in clothes, she was as beautiful as a peony.


    After Fan Wenzheng bowed to Li Yu, he pointed at the girl and said, ¡°Madam Li, this is my daughter, Mingfang.¡± Then, he turned to Fan Mingfang and said, ¡°Mingfang, greet Madam.¡±


    Miss Fan walked up to Li Yu gracefully and bowed. ¡°Greetings, Madam.¡±


    Li Yu got Xing Hua to give her a greeting gift. She smiled and said, ¡°Miss Fan, there¡¯s no need to be so polite. Everyone can do whatever they want.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Madam.¡± Fan Mingfang stood up and smiled at Li Yu. She stood at the side and waited for Fan Wenzheng to greet Mr. Wen.


    Fan Mingfang squatted down with a red face. She looked at Yangyang and smiled gently. ¡°Little brother, you¡¯re also very good-looking.¡±


    Li Yu looked at Fan Mingfang, who was squatting there gracefully and talking to Yangyang, and pondered.


    After Li Yu watched them exchange pleasantries, the shopkeeper came out and shouted, ¡°Dear guests, the food is ready.¡±


    After everyone ate in the hall, they politely said their greetings and returned to their rooms to rest. After returning to their rooms, Zhou Jia told Li Yu that the


    Fan family was from the capital. Fan Wenzheng¡¯s father was a schr from the Hanlin Academy. Before the new year, he had a stroke and was paralyzed at home. Madam Fan Wenzheng brought her child home to attend to his illness before the new year. Because her daughter caught a cold, they returned to the capital with Fan Wenzheng after the new year.


    Li Yu had interacted with Fan Wenfang a few times and felt that this girl was knowledgeable and her appearance and character were top-notch. Li Yu felt that this girl was the best candidate for a sister-inw. She didn¡¯t know if this girl was betrothed or not. She also didn¡¯t know if this girl and Li Qing would like each other.


    On the way, Li Yu discussed with Zhou Jia, ¡°Xiao Xi, what do you think of Fan Wenzheng?¡±


    ¡°He seems not bad.¡± Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu and smiled. ¡°Why? Do you want to get his daughter engaged to Ah Qing?¡±


    Li Yu nodded and said with a smile, ¡°I¡¯ve interacted with that girl a few times and feel that she¡¯s not bad in all aspects. I have this thought, but most of them are already engaged. It¡¯s so awkward to ask her rashly! Besides, I don¡¯t know if she and Ah Qing will like each other!¡±


    When Zhou Jia heard this, he looked at Li Yu confidently. ¡°How can Miss Fan look down on our Ah Qing? Our Ah Qing¡¯s character and appearance are all top-notch. He¡¯s worthy of Miss Fan no matter what. I shall go and find out if Miss Fan is engaged, if she¡¯s not, I¡¯ll mention Ah Qing¡¯s situation to him. If he¡¯s willing to wait until we return to the capital, I¡¯ll let the two of them take a look.¡±


    Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia¡¯s protective expression and pursed her lips into a


    smile. She instructed, ¡°Don¡¯t be in a hurry. If there¡¯s a suitable opportunity, you can find out more. There¡¯s still a month¡¯s journey ahead. There¡¯s always a chance to find out.¡±


    Zhou Jia nodded in agreement and said to Li Yu with a smile, ¡°Rest first. I¡¯ll go to Sir¡¯s ce to take a look. Yang¡¯er, Little Loach, and the others are there!¡±


    Li Yu leanedzily on the bed. ¡°Xiao Xi, I don¡¯t think Sir ate much tonight. Go and ask Sir what he wants to eat. Get Grandma Liu to find the innkeeper so she can borrow the inn¡¯s kitchen to make some more food for Sir.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Zhou Jia agreed and went down to Mr. Wen¡¯s room next door. He saw him leaning against the head of the bed and telling stories to the children. Yangyang and Little Stutterer were massaging his back. Little Loach and Maizi were massaging his legs. Mao Dou sat there obediently with Xiao Bai in his arms.


    Zhou Jia looked at everyone and smiled. ¡°Aiya! Where did so many good childrene from?¡±


    Little Loach and the others shouted shyly, ¡°Master, you¡¯re here!¡±


    Yangyang went forward and tugged at Zhou Jia. ¡°Father, Grandmaster is not feeling well.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Mr. Wen worriedly. ¡°Sir, Xiaoyu said that you didn¡¯t eat much tonight. Is the food not to your liking?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m just a little tired and don¡¯t have an appetite.¡± Mr. Wen looked at Zhou Jia lovingly and patted the children¡¯s bags with a smile. ¡°Good children, go to sleep! We still have to travel tomorrow morning!¡±


    Little Loach nodded and replied, ¡°Yes, Old Master should rest early too.¡±


    Yangyang waved at the children. Zhou Jia walked out and saw them go downstairs to their rooms before turning to Mr. Wen and saying, ¡°Sir, I¡¯ll go make you a bowl of tea noodles. What do you think?¡±


    Mr. Wen looked at Zhou Jia¡¯s worried gaze and felt warmth in his heart. ¡°Go! I¡¯ll eat less. It¡¯s less harsh on the stomach.¡±


    After Zhou Jia served Mr. Wen tea noodles, Zhou Jia brought Yangyang back to the room to rest. The next morning, everyone began to travel again at dawn..

 Chapter 396 - 396: Hard to Marry

    Chapter 396: Hard to Marry


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Along the way, Zhou Jia often chatted with Fan Wenzheng. Fan Wenzheng also liked to talk to Zhou Jia. After everyone became familiar with each other, Zhou Jia intentionally mentioned to Fan Wen that he had a good-looking brother-inw at home. He even said that his inws were no longer around. In order to find a good wife for his brother-inw, he and his wife were worried sick.


    However, Fan Wenzheng said that it was easy to find a wife, but not a son-inw. If they pick the wrong candidate, it might even harm his daughter for the rest of her life.


    Zhou Jia felt that it was troublesome if one¡¯s wife didn¡¯t please him. It would be just like how his grandfather and his wife didn¡¯t look like husband and wife but were more like enemies. In order to fight with his grandfather, the olddy harmed her descendants and ruined the Zhou family.


    After staying at the posthouse that day, Fan Wenzheng said to his daughter in private, ¡°Wanwan (Fan Mingfang¡¯s nickname), Lord Zhou has mentioned to me a few times about his brother-inw¡­ Do you think he wants to set up a match between his brother-inw and you? Lord Zhou has a good official life and Madam is reasonable. If his family has that intention, we¡¯ll do it when we reach the capital.¡±


    When Fan Mingfang heard this, she smiled reproachfully. ¡°Father, you¡¯re thinking too much! Everyone has walked so far together and has said most of what needs to be said. You can only talk about the children at home after that.¡±


    Fan Wenzheng nodded. ¡°What you said makes sense, but I still feel that Lord


    Zhou has the intention to connect with us through marriage. If that¡¯s the case, I think it¡¯s good. They¡¯re not locals of the capital, so they shouldn¡¯t know those rumors. Sigh! It¡¯s all Father¡¯s fault. Why did he arrange a marriage for you? Now you have the reputation of bringing bad luck to your husband. Otherwise, with my Wanwan¡¯s character and looks¡­¡±


    ¡°Father.¡± Fan Mingfang interrupted Fan Wenzheng. Looking at his apologetic expression, sheforted him. ¡°Don¡¯t entertain such thoughts. I don¡¯t want a marriage that is established through scamming. Even if I marry over, I will be looked down on when others find out eventually. Besides, that was not your fault. What happened with the Feng family is not something you can control. Isn¡¯t it good for me to be like this? Father and Mother dote on me, and my brother is close to me. Our family is better than anything else. Those troublesome things are in the past. Don¡¯t take it to heart.¡±


    Fan Wenzheng looked at his obedient and sensible daughter and nodded in relief. ¡°Alright, Father, don¡¯t take it to heart. My Wanwan is good-looking, has a good character, and is pure. She will definitely meet good a good man.¡±


    The nanny was right. In the eyes of her parents, their child was good no matter what, even the child¡¯s cries were louder than those of others. Fan Mingfang smiled at the thought. ¡°Father, we¡¯re only a few days away from the capital.


    Rest well. I¡¯ll go back to my room to sleep.¡±


    ¡°Go!¡± Fan Wenzheng looked at his daughter¡¯s back and said to himself,¡± At present, we are still here. Lin¡¯er is still young. When he reaches the marriageable age in a few years, Wanwan won¡¯t be betrothed to anyone yet. How can she stand those rumors? What if Lin¡¯er¡¯s wife despises Wanwan for being an old girl who can¡¯t get married and vents her anger on her?¡± Thinking of this, Fan Wenzheng¡¯s heart ached. ¡°No, I have to think of a way to find out what Lord Zhou means. Why don¡¯t I¡­¡¯


    Zhou Jia also told Li Yu about Fan Mingfang not being engaged. ¡°Yu¡¯er, I think


    Lord Fan is willing to discuss the match with us.¡±


    Li Yu and Fan Mingfang interacted a few more times. She felt that this girl was steady and generous, and she was even more satisfied. Sometimes, she felt that she had been here for a long time. She seemed to feel that it was not bad for couples to meet in private and let the elderse forward to set the marriage alliance.


    ¡°It¡¯s good that she¡¯s not engaged. When you return to the capital, find someone to make matchmake and let the two children meet before settling the marriage for Ah Qing.¡±


    Zhou Jia nodded and said to Li Yu, ¡°Yu¡¯er, I think you¡¯re prone to sleepiness these days. Are you pregnant? I¡¯ve taken your pulse a few times, but I can¡¯t be sure. I want to ask Sir to take a look at you. Is that okay?¡±


    Li Yu was also looking forward to it. Yang¡¯er was too lonely. She smiled and said, ¡°Is that so? I just feel that I get tired easily these days. Please let Sir take my pulse.¡±


    The couple went to Mr. Wen¡¯s room. Zhou Jia told Mr. Wen about it. Mr. Wen happily took out his pulse pillow and began to take Li Yu¡¯s pulse. After a while, he smiled at the two of them. ¡°Yes, but it¡¯s still early. You have to pay more attention to the road ahead. Xiaoyu, sleep if you want and eat as much as possible. We¡¯re about to reach the capital and the road is peaceful. Don¡¯t worry anymore.¡±


    The couple nodded happily when they heard that. Yangyang looked at the two of them. ¡°Father, Mother, am I going to be an older brother?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Li Yu smiled and patted Yangyang¡¯s butt. ¡°Little smart, how do you know everything?¡±


    ¡°I read Grandmaster¡¯s medical book! ¡± Yangyang smiled proudly. Suddenly, he sighed like an adult. ¡°Sigh! I wonder if Brother Seven Pounds¡¯ sister is out?¡± Mr. Wen smiled and nodded. ¡°It¡¯s out, but it¡¯s not a sister. It¡¯s a baby brother.¡±


    Yangyang¡¯s eyes widened as he looked at Mr. Wen in surprise. ¡°Wow! Grandmaster is so powerful. You even know that it¡¯s a younger brother from so far away.¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled and shook his head. ¡°Brat, when he was in Yunzhou,


    Grandmaster took Auntie Yu¡¯s pulse, so he knew it was a younger brother.¡±


    When Yangyang heard this, her eyes darted around. He pulled Mr. Wen¡¯s arm and shook it back and forth. ¡°Grandmaster, you took Mother¡¯s pulse just now. Grandmaster, tell me, is it a younger brother or sister hiding in my mother¡¯s stomach?¡±


    Mr. Wen and Li Yuughed out loud when they heard that. Zhou Jia picked up Yangyang. ¡°Good son, Grandmaster doesn¡¯t know now. He won¡¯t know for a few months. Alright, let¡¯s go back and let Grandmaster rest.¡±


    Following that, Zhou Jia was very careful with Li Yu along the way. On the way, he kept instructing Tiezhu to drive slower and get Old Madam Liu to make soup for Li Yu with a mud stove to improve her nutrition. Old Madam Liu, Aunt Zhang, and the others also sensed it and guessed that Li Yu was pregnant. They changed their methods to make soup for Li Yu.


    Fan Wenzheng only found an opportunity to y chess and chat with Zhou Jia when he was about to reach the capital.


    After one round, Fan Wenzheng said to Zhou Jia, ¡°Brother Zhou, I have a rtive¡¯s daughter who is good-looking. When she was young, her muddle-headed father betrothed her to the son of his ssmate. Unexpectedly, the son of that ssmate¡¯s good friend was seriously ill when he was 14 years old and left. The wife of my ssmate asked my rtive to marry her daughter to his family to observe the rites for her son. After being rejected by my rtive, the two families became enemies.¡±


    ¡°That woman and her rtives spread rumors everywhere that my rtive¡¯s daughter is unfaithful and a jinx. She said my rtive¡¯s daughter jinxed her son to death, but she¡¯s still unwilling to observe the rules for her son. As long as someonees to propose marriage, she will cause trouble, causing that daughter to be unable to establish herself locally. She can only hide far away.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Fan Wenzheng and knew that he was talking about his own family. He really felt that it was not that girl¡¯s fault. He felt that what he said was nonsense..

 Chapter 397 - 397: Honesty

    Chapter 397: Honesty


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Zhou Jia said to Fan Wenzheng, ¡°Lord Fan, people can also get sick from eating mixed grains. It¡¯s a pity that their son left at such a young age, but they can¡¯t push the me onto his daughter! It was too unreasonable of them to even spread such news. To put it bluntly, fortunately, your rtive¡¯s daughter didn¡¯t marry over. She won¡¯t have a good life if she marries into such a family!¡±


    When Fan Wenzheng heard Zhou Jia¡¯s words, he felt that these words had hit home. He bowed gratefully to Zhou Jia. ¡°Lord Zhou, thank you!¡±


    Zhou Jia cupped his hands and said, ¡°Brother Fan, you¡¯re too polite. One should not be polite to such a family. Your rtive should Imock on their door and p her. Let¡¯s see if she still dares to spout nonsense outside in the future.¡±


    ¡°Yes, if she dares to spout nonsense again in the future, I¡¯ll go and¡­¡± Fan Wenzheng looked at Zhou Jia awkwardly, his face red and he didn¡¯t know what to do.


    Zhou Jia looked at him and thought to himself that no wonder he was bullied. He wondered how he managed as a county magistrate in the past few years.


    Zhou Jia patted his shoulder and said warmly, ¡°Lord Fan, to be honest, my wife has taken a fancy to your daughter. If you have that intention, we¡¯ll find an opportunity to let the two children take a look when we return to the capital. If they¡¯re interested in each other, we¡¯lle to propose marriage.¡±


    Fan Wenzheng said seriously, ¡°Lord Zhou, as long as you and your wife don¡¯t care about those rumors, my daughter¡¯s character is definitely fine.¡±


    Fan Wen looked at Zhou Jia with red eyes. ¡°Back then, my wife and I didn¡¯t agree to marry the child over, but that woman was unreasonable. She went around saying that my daughter was promiscuous and unwilling to observe the rules for her son. Back then, my daughter was still a child less than ten years old. What did she know?! His family kept harping on this matter until the child was 14 or 15 years old. She was already sensible and was even criticized when she went out as a guest. In the end, I could only n to go out and bring her to Zheng County with her mother. This was the first time she returned to the capital in three years.¡±


    Zhou Jia deeply sympathized with the Fan family¡¯s encounter. He felt that the Fan family was too gentle. If it were him, he would have confronted whoever dared to ruin his daughter¡¯s reputation like this.


    Zhou Jia sighed and said, ¡°Lord Fan¡¯s family are all gentle and honest people. It¡¯s just that the child has suffered.¡±


    Fan Wenzheng said gloomily, ¡°Back then, I was also sad for them. I felt that it would be inappropriate for my family to do things when they were sad about losing their son. I advised my wife to try her best to understand them. Who knew that it would indulge them and harm our daughter?¡±


    The two of them chatted for a while more. Zhou Jia got out of the carriage and returned to his carriage. He told Li Yu what Fan Wenzheng had said. ¡°Yu¡¯er, the Fan family dotes on their children. Fan Wenzheng is also a gentle and honest person. We don¡¯t have much to worry about getting married to such a family, so I told Fan Wenzheng the truth. I agreed with him to let the two children see each other when we reach the capital.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine as long as you¡¯ve decided. Why did that horrible family agree to the marriage if they insisted that she jinxed her husband?¡± Li Yu scoffed at those words. ¡®We¡¯re all parents. We¡¯re all worried about our children. How can we bear to be nasty to another child? We¡¯ll find time to let them see each other when we arrive.¡±


    It was less than a day away from the capital. Ji Xiang drove the carriage forward and watched as the farnd on both sides of the road was filled with busy farmers. The two horses in front sped over. On closer look, Ji Xiang saw that they were Zhao Cai and Li Qing.


    Ji Xiang looked at the two of them andughed. He waved at them and shouted,


    ¡°Young Master Ah Qing, Brother Cai, we¡¯re here.¡±


    Li Qing rode his horse to Ji Xiang¡¯s carriage and dismounted. He smiled at Ji Xiang and cupped his fists. ¡°Brother Ji Xiang, long time no see. It¡¯s been hard on you.¡±


    ¡°How can it be hard? Master and Madam are in the carriage behind,¡± Ji Xiang said with a smile.


    Li Qing had already seen Li Yu and Zhou Jia walk to the carriage door. He quickly ran forward and bowed. He looked at the two of them and choked.


    ¡°Sister, Brother-inw, I¡¯m here to pick you up.¡±


    ¡°Alright, it¡¯s been hard on you.¡± Zhou Jia looked at him and smiled. ¡°The Spring Quarter Examination is over. How did you do?¡±


    Li Yu got out of the carriage and looked at him. She felt that Li Qing had grown taller again. He was almost 1.80 meters tall! He was handsome and tall. Li Yu thought of Li Qing when she first came and looked at him with some poignancy and pride. She couldn¡¯t help but tear up. ¡°That¡¯s right! How did you do? It¡¯s fine if you didn¡¯t do well. At most, we¡¯ll take the exam in two years.¡±


    Li Qing saw tears flickering in Li Yu¡¯s eyes. He lifted his robe and knelt down to kowtow to the two of them. Zhou Jia helped him up and said reproachfully, ¡°The ground is wet. Get up and talk.¡±


    Li Qing stood up and looked at the two of them with a smile. ¡°Brother-inw, Sister, Ah Qing didn¡¯t let you down. I got third ce in the fifth pce examination. His Majesty appointed me as the Third Honors Schr.¡±


    Zhou Jia was overjoyed. He hugged him and patted his back excitedly. ¡°The student surpasses the master. My Ah Qing is indeed a good person. He¡¯s a veritable Third Honors Schr.¡±


    Li Yu was so happy that she couldn¡¯t close her mouth. She looked at Li Qing with a gratified expression. ¡°How did you know that we would arrive today?


    Aren¡¯t you tired? Hurry up and get in the carriage.¡±


    Li Qing looked at Li Yu with a smile and shook his head. ¡°Sister, I¡¯m not tired. Brother Zhao Cai and I rode over. It won¡¯t take long.¡±


    ¡°Master, Madam, Young Master-inw wanted toe over these few days. I only managed toe and pick you up today,¡± Zhao Cai said and bowed.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Zhou Jia patted Li Qing in relief and turned to look at Zhao Cai. ¡°Zhao Cai, did you marry your wife?¡± Li Yu also smiled at him.


    Zhao Cai smiled and bowed. ¡°Master, Madam, I want to wait for you to reach the capital before holding the marriage.¡±


    At this moment, Yangyang rubbed his eyes and walked out of the carriage. He looked at them curiously. ¡°Father, I want to pee.¡±


    Li Qing looked at Yangyang, who was wearing a bright red thin cotton shirt and pants. His skin was fair and rosy. He smiled and strode forward to hug him.


    ¡°Come, Uncle will take you to pee.¡±


    Yangyang widened his dark and shining eyes and looked at Li Qing curiously. ¡°Are you Uncle Ah Qing?¡±


    ¡°Yes! I¡¯m Uncle Ah Qing. Yang¡¯er also knows Uncle Ah Qing.¡± Li Qing touched his head and smiled.


    ¡°Father and Mother often talk about you. Mother said that she misses you and wants to matchmake you. Mother has a younger brother or sister hidden in her stomach.¡±


    The carriage behind also caught up. When Fan Wenzheng saw the young man carrying Yangyang, he nodded in satisfaction. ¡°He¡¯s indeed an outstanding man. He¡¯s worthy of my Wanwan.¡±


    After the group gathered, they greeted each other again. Zhou Jia pointed at


    Fan Wenzheng and smiled at Li Qing. ¡°Ah Qing,e and meet Lord Fan.¡±


    Li Qing went forward and bowed. ¡°Li Qing greets Lord Fan.¡± Fan Wenzheng smiled and cupped his hands. ¡°Greetings, Young Master Li.¡±


    Zhou Jia pulled Fan Wenzheng to the side and whispered to him proudly, ¡°Lord


    Fan, my Ah Qing was appointed Third Honors Schr at the Spring Quarter Examination High School this year. What do you think? Is he still worthy of your attention?¡±


    Fan Wenzheng was extremely satisfied with Li Qing. He looked at the handsome Li Qing and nodded in satisfaction. ¡°Lord Zhou, when I go home, I¡¯ll only tell Madam. I¡¯ll give you the news after asking my daughter.¡± Zhou Jia smiled and nodded at him. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll wait for your news..¡±

 Chapter 398 - 398: Help You Coax Your Wife

    Chapter 398: Help You Coax Your Wife


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Fan Mingfang, who was sitting in the car at the side, saw Li Qing holding Yangyang through the gap in the curtain. She muttered to herself, ¡°He looks quite good. I wonder if he¡¯s as pedantic and old -fashioned as the others.¡±


    Li Qing felt that someone was looking at him and turned to look at Fan Mingfang¡¯s carriage. Fan Mingfang hurriedly retracted her head.


    Li Qing looked around and did not find anyone. Yangyang hugged his neck and whispered in his ear, ¡°Uncle, let me tell you a secret. Father and Mother want to coax Lord Fan¡¯s daughter to your house to be your wife. Sister Fan is very good-looking. Yangyang also likes her to be your wife.¡±


    Li Qing looked at Yangyang and could not help butugh. He pressed his forehead and whispered with a smile, ¡°My Yangyang is so smart. You can¡¯t say this in front of outsiders, understand?¡±


    Yangyang looked at Li Qing with a smile. ¡°I know. Uncle is not an outsider.


    Uncle Yi, Uncle Cai, and Uncle Xiang are not outsiders either. There¡¯s also Brother Seven Pounds and Auntie Yu. Sister Fan will not be an outsider in the future.¡±


    Li Qing looked at Yangyang in surprise. Li Yuughed when she heard Yangyang¡¯s childish words.


    Yangyang looked at Li Yu and pouted. ¡°Mother and Father thought that I was a child and didn¡¯t know what they were talking about. Actually, I know everything. Hmph!¡±


    Li Yu thought to herself that she had to pay more attention in the future. Children didn¡¯t know what they could and couldn¡¯t say. It would be terrible if they made a fool of themselves.


    After everyone rested for a while, they continued to get into the carriage and rushed to the city before midnight. The two families said farewell to each other and walked back separately.


    When Zhou Jia and the others returned to Guihua Alley on East Street, the door of the Zhou Mansion opened. Ah Lei, the kitchen maid, and the servants all stood at the door to wee their master¡¯s return. Zhou Jia and Li Qing supported Mr. Wen. Li Yu held Yangyang¡¯s hand and entered the courtyard. She was very satisfied to see that the courtyard was well-managed.


    Yangyang looked at the flowers and nts in the courtyard and praised, ¡°Wow! They¡¯re so beautiful! They smell so good! Father and Mother, they¡¯re even bigger than our house in Yunzhou. Uncle, where do you live?¡±


    Li Qing pointed at the courtyard in front and smiled. ¡°Uncle lives in the first courtyard. There¡¯s also a garden with a lotus pond behind it. There are also red, white, and ck koi in the lotus pond. They¡¯re extremely beautiful. When you have washed up, Uncle will show you.¡±


    Yangyang held Mr. Wen¡¯s hand. ¡°Grandmaster is going too.¡±


    ¡°Alright, Grandmaster will go too.¡± Mr. Wen looked at Zhou Jia¡¯s family and felt veryforted.


    Li Yu smiled and said to Yangyang, ¡°Yang¡¯er, Grandmaster is tired. Let Father serve Grandmaster to wash up and rest for a while.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go too.¡± Yangyang held Mr. Wen¡¯s hand and left.


    Li Yu said to Xing Hua, ¡°When theye in with the luggage, get everyone to go wash up and greet Master. Go back and rest for a while before returning to their posts. Ah Lei and Zhao Cai will bring Grandma Liu and Uncle Liu to familiarize themselves with the house.¡±


    Li Qing said to Li Yu, ¡°Sister, Chu Fu lent us the kitchen maid. Now that Grandma Liu and the others are here, Sister, when do you think we can send her back?¡±


    Li Yu thought for a moment. ¡°Send her back tomorrow! She has worked hard


    tor so many days. Remember to give her a red envelope.¡±


    ¡°Alright, go wash up and rest first. I still have a lot to tell you and


    Brother-inw.¡±


    ¡°I have something to say to you too. That little baddie Yang¡¯er has already told you, right? What do you think?¡±


    Li Qing recalled that Yang¡¯er had also said that he liked that girl and trusted Li Yu and Zhou Jia¡¯s judgment. ¡°If I think she¡¯s good, she must be good. You and Brother-inw can make the decision,¡± Li Qing said with a red face.


    Li Yu looked at him in amusement when she saw that even his ears were red. ¡°You have to be satisfied yourself. After all, she¡¯s the person who will share your life with you. I¡¯ll go take a shower first. Think about it yourself.¡±


    ¡°Got it,¡± Li Qing agreed and followed Li Yu in.


    Li Yu saw that the main room was clean. Gu Yu, Xing Hua, Ji Xiang, and Zhao Cai carried the luggage in. Li Yu entered the room and went to the bathroom with a change of clothes.


    Ji Xiang called Little Loach and the other neers over to greet Li Qing. Li Qing looked at Little Loach and the others and smiled. ¡°You¡¯re all good children. Go wash up and eat something before Uncle Cai brings you to rest.¡±


    The few of them looked at Li Qing with admiration. Mao Dou said to Li Qing, ¡°Young Master, you¡¯re really amazing. You¡¯ve even seen the emperor.¡±


    Li Qingughed when he heard that. ¡°Our emperor is very young. He¡¯s a wise and mighty ruler.¡±


    The children did not understand what it meant to have a wise ruler. They only understood that His Majesty was very young. Zhao Cai smiled and said to them, ¡°Alright! You¡¯re covered in sweat after sitting in the carriage for so long! Go take a shower.¡±


    The children chattered as they followed Zhao Cai to a room. Zhao Cai looked at the little children around it in surprise and pointed at the room at the side. ¡°That¡¯s the bathroom. The few of you will share a room. If you don¡¯t have enough bedding, look for me to get new ones. The capital isn¡¯t as strict as the border city. Don¡¯t befriend those shady people outside. You have to follow the rules and not embarrass Master and Madam, understand?¡±


    The few of them replied in unison, ¡°Got it, Uncle Cai.¡±


    Zhao Cai looked at them and smiled. ¡°Alright, quickly wash up and go eat. Come back and have a good sleep.¡±


    After Li Yu was done showering, Zhou Jia came out of the bathroom with Yangyang. The kitchen maid sent by Chu Fu, Old Madam Liu, and the others prepared food and sent it to the dining room. Li Yu smiled and said to the cook, ¡°Aunt Xu, sorry to have troubled you these days.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Madam and Master, for the reward.¡± Aunt Xu smiled brightly and bowed to thank Old Madam Liu and the others before leaving.


    Li Yu said to Xing Hua, who was standing at the side, ¡°Go eat and have a good sleep.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± Xing Hua bowed and withdrew.


    Aunt Xu and the others made porridge and a few side dishes. After they finished eating, Mr. Wen said to Zhou Jia and the others, ¡°You guys chat. I¡¯ll go lie down.¡±


    ¡°Old Master, I¡¯ll send you to your room,¡± Zhao Cai said with a smile.


    Mr. Wen looked at the happy Zhao Cai and patted him. ¡°Alright, look, Ji Xiang and Ruyi are already married. When do you n to treat us to a wedding banquet?¡±


    ¡°Soon, soon,¡± Zhao Cai said with a smile, touching his head in embarrassment.


    Zhou Jia carried Yangyang, who had fallen asleep during the meal, to bed.


    After they sat down together, Li Qing said, ¡°Sister, Brother-inw, Brother Cai and I have already bought houses. They¡¯re two streets away. Two big ones are on Baohua Street, and the three smaller ones are two streets away. We spent¡­¡±


    Zhou Jia said, ¡°Alright, since they¡¯re already painted, let Ji Xiang live there with his wife. Zhao Cai¡¯s marriage is also held there.¡±


    Li Yu recalled the letter Li Mei had brought and asked, ¡°Did Laidi and her husband alsoe to the capital to participate in the examination?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re here¡­¡± Li Qing told Li Yu and her husband what Li Mei had said..

 Chapter 399 - 399: Another Immortal Jump

    Chapter 399: Another Immortal Jump


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Li Qing paused for a moment and said, ¡°Sister, Brother-inw, Li Fengqi is a narrow-minded person. He has an inferiorityplex and is arrogant. Moreover, he¡¯s utilitarian. After bing a High Schr, he really thought that he was a genius under those people¡¯s ttery. He drank and dined with those country squires all day long. He didn¡¯t even enter Aunt¡¯s house and neglected Laidi. I heard that he even epted the properties and items sent by the country squires. After hanging out with those country squires for a few days, he became much more tactful. He might realize that it¡¯s very difficult for him to improve by himself and turned around to go to Aunt¡¯s house to request marriage. Aunt turned cold to Laidi and agreed to him without hesitation. Laidi listened to everything he said and didn¡¯t heed Aunt¡¯s advice. She even resented Aunt. I think Aunt¡¯s concern is that we can¡¯t support Li Fengqi. Not only would it be thankless, but we might even be stabbed in the back.¡±


    When Zhou Jia heard this, he nodded and said, ¡°We really can¡¯t help someone like Li Fengqi. Once he seeds with our help, he will bite back.¡±


    Li Yu thought to herself that her family was prospering and her family business was thriving. As long as she, Xiao Xi, and Ah Qing did not court death, Li Fengqi¡¯s hope of surpassing the Zhou family and the Li family was slim. As long as the Zhou family and the Li family did not fall, Li Fengqi could only keep supporting Laidi and be a loving couple with her. However, for a man, Laidi could disregard the many years of nurturing by her aunt and uncle. Such a person was not worth helping. She would let the man she loved torture her and let her see Li Fengqi¡¯s true colors clearly. Also, Li Fengqi was only a High Schr, but he dared to ept properties. She did not know what he would do when he advanced to the next level.


    Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia and Li Qing. ¡°Li Fengqi is such a greedy and immoral person. After he achieves his ambition, he will definitely prey on themoners. Let¡¯s not help the wicked.¡±


    The two of them felt that Li Yu was right. Zhou Jia said, ¡°As long as they behave themselves, with Li Fengqi¡¯s status as a High Schr, they can totally live a good life when they return to Tongzhou. I wonder what will happen if they stay in the capital and continue to take the imperial examination?¡±


    ¡°Brother-inw is right. Sister, when Laidies to see you, try to persuade her.¡± Li Qing saw that the two of them were a little tired and swallowed the words that were on the tip of his tongue. ¡°Sister, Brother-inw, it¡¯s gettingte. You¡¯re tired after traveling for so long. We¡¯ll talk tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not tired. Your brother-inw let me rest all day long. How can I be tired?¡±


    Seeing Li Yu¡¯s expression, Zhou Jia knew that she still wanted to talk to Li Qing. He smiled and said to Li Qing, ¡®Your sister wants to talk to you for a while. Are you tired? If you¡¯re not, sit for a while longer.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not tired.¡± Li Qing smiled and shook his head.


    ¡°Ah Qing, did you have something to say just now?¡± Li Yu looked at Li Qing and asked.


    Li Qing told the two of them about his meeting with Lin Zexu and said, ¡°A few groups of people havee to the house to propose marriage in the past few days, but I¡¯ve rejected them all. There might be more peopleing to your door. Sister, Brother-inw, since you think Miss Fan is not bad and I don¡¯t have a woman I like myself, I shall just follow your thoughts and get engaged to Miss Fan to save the trouble.¡±


    ¡°Marriage is a matter of life. How can you be afraid of trouble!¡± Li Yu smiled at


    Li Qing. ¡°My Ah Qing must be the most handsome and refined Third Honors Schr in history. Unfortunately, Sister and Brother-inw didn¡¯t get to see your glory at the streeyt parade. Alright, if we want to marry someone¡¯s daughter, let¡¯s take the initiative. Tomorrow, I¡¯ll get your brother-inw to bring you to the Fan family to meet Lord Fan and his wife. If the Fan family agrees, the two of you can take a look before we go through the official means to propose marriage.¡±


    ¡°Sister,¡± Li Qing said with a red face, then said, ¡°I¡¯ll listen to you. Sister, what about the Lin family? Do you think we should acknowledge them or not?¡±


    Li Yu frowned and thought for a moment. ¡°The Lin family, we¡¯ll talk about it when he understands andes looking for us. Alright! You¡¯ve been running for a few days to pick us up outside the city. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re tired. Go and rest!¡± Li Qing nodded and replied, ¡°Yes! Sister, Brother-inw, rest early too.¡±


    ¡°Alright!¡± Zhou Jia carried Li Yu back to the room and saw Yangyang sleeping soundly on the bed. Xing Hua was already asleep leaning against the bedpost. Li Yu smiled and patted her. She whispered, ¡°Xing Hua, go to sleep!¡±


    Xing Hua stood up and wiped the saliva from the corner of her mouth. She smiled in embarrassment and bowed. ¡°Master, Madam, I¡¯ll go down.¡±


    ¡°Go!¡± After Xing Hua left, the couple got into bed and leaned against each other. Zhou Jia gently patted Li Yu¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Yu¡¯er, Zhao Cai said that the concubine of that person in the old residence took away the remaining assets. The child in her stomach belongs to someone else.¡±


    ¡°Ah! Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia in surprise, ¡°He¡¯s been hit by an immortal¡¯s jump! It¡¯s really like tofu with brine. Everything has its weakness. Your father actually fell into the hands of a liar. It¡¯s really retribution.¡±


    Zhou Jia recalled those days in the past and sighed. ¡°That¡¯s right! My mother was sincere toward him back then. That vicious woman also yearned for him. He said that he had found his true love, but it turned out to be such a thing.¡±


    In the Fan family¡¯s house on East Street, Fan Wenzheng and Madam Wu were leaning against the bed. Fan Wenzheng told Madam Wu about meeting the Zhou family and the Zhou family¡¯s intention to get married. Before he could finish speaking, Madam Wu interrupted him. ¡°Master, why are you still so confused? It¡¯s just that we met on the way. How do you know what kind of person his brother-inw is? You grew up with that Feng guy and were so close that you could wear the same pants. In the end, how did his family treat you? They wanted our Wanwan to stay at his house as a widow and even ruined Wanwan¡¯s reputation outside¡­¡± Madam Wu recalled the pain her daughter had suffered all these years and cried sadly.


    Fan Wenzheng hurriedly hugged Madam Wu and said to her with a smile, ¡°Madam, it won¡¯t be wrong this time. Lord Zhou¡¯s reputation as an official is not bad. Along the way, I feel that the couple are both gentle and kind people. I told Lord Zhou the truth and he even said that we should go knocking on that person¡¯s door. I even saw his brother-inw with my own eyes. That child is indeed extraordinary. I heard that he¡¯s the Third Honors Schr.¡±


    ¡°What? You said that his brother-inw is the Third Honors Schr?¡± Madam Wu stopped crying and looked up at Fan Wenzheng.


    Fan Wenzheng smiled and nodded. ¡°Yes! Lord Zhou told me himself.¡±


    Madam Wu shook her head in disbelief. ¡°How is that possible? Sister-inw and I went to see the schrs. The Top schr is a middle-aged man in his thirties or forties. The Third Honors Schr is barely in his twenties and is peerlessly handsome. Everyone says that the Third Honors Schr is well-deserved. Why would he marry us?¡±


    ¡°Madam, believe me. I saw him with my own eyes. That child¡¯s name is Li Qing.


    He¡¯s only in his twenties. Think about it. Is his surname Li and name Qing?¡±


    Madam Wu thought for a moment. ¡°I don¡¯t care about his name. I only heard them call him Schr Li. I heard that he¡¯s from Tongzhou.¡±


    Fan Wenzheng looked at his wife and pped his hands with a smile. ¡°That¡¯s right. They¡¯re from Tongzhou..¡±

 Chapter 400 - 400: Meeting

    Chapter 400: Meeting


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    When Madam Wu heard this, she recalled that after she returned to the capital, the people who came to propose marriage were either old widowers or lechers. She held Fan Wenzheng¡¯s hand excitedly. ¡°Master, if it really works, our Wanwan will be able to hold her head high and let those talkative people p their own mouths.¡±


    Fan Wenzheng felt proud just thinking about it. He smiled and held Madam Wu¡¯s hand. ¡°Madam is right. We can sleep well now.¡±


    Madam Wu sped her hands together and prayed to the heavens, ¡°Heaven, please bless my Wanwan. Let her find a good husband!¡±


    The next day, Zhou Jia brought Li Qing to the Fan family residence in General Alley to meet Fan Wenzheng with the gifts prepared by Li Yu.


    Fan Wenzheng received the invitation and said happily to Madam Wu, ¡°Madam, quickly prepare the tea. Lord Zhou is here with that child.¡± He hurriedly went out to wee her.


    Madam Wu hurriedly instructed the maidservant, ¡°Shan Hu, quickly get Miss to dress up to meet the guests.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± Shan Hu withdrew.


    After Madam Wu prepared the refreshments, Fan Wenzheng brought Zhou Jia and Li Qing to the main hall. Madam Wu recognized at a nce that Li Qing was the Third Honors Schr who charmed the street parade that day. Madam Wu was so happy that her mouth could not close.


    When Fan Wenzheng saw Zhou Jia and Li Qinging personally, he knew that the marriage would definitely be sessful. He was so happy that he wanted to throw his head back andugh.


    After a round of polite greetings, both parties sat down. Zhou Jia did not stand on ceremony and went straight to the point to exin his intentions. Both families had the intention to get married, so they naturally hit it off.


    Zhou Jia smiled and said, ¡°Lord Fan, Madam Fan, I¡¯ll be honest with you. After


    Ah Qing got onto Golden Ranking List, many people came to propose marriage. In order not to offend anyone, we want to settle the marriage of the two children as soon as possible. I wonder what the two of you are thinking?¡±


    The Fan couple was about to speak when Shanhu came over and reported in Madam Wu¡¯s ear, ¡°Madam, Miss wants to meet Young Master Li personally to talk to him before discussing the marriage.¡±


    When Madam Wu heard this, she felt that it was unreasonable. Thinking of the grievances her daughter had suffered all these years, she still told Fan


    Wenzheng about Fan Mingfang¡¯s request. After pondering for a moment, Fan Wenzheng cupped his hands at Zhou Jia and said, ¡°Lord Zhou, my daughter requests to meet Young Master Li to say a few words. What do you think?¡±


    When Zhou Jia heard this, he nced at Li Qing. Li Qing felt that it was good to meet her and nodded. ¡°Alright, please lead the way.¡±


    Madam Wu instructed Shanhu to bring Li Qing to the garden. There was a cluster of Xiangfei Bamboo nted in the corner of the Fan family¡¯s garden. There were also a few banana leaves. At the end of the stone path was a pavilion. A slender girl was standing there. When she saw Li Qing, she bent her knees and bowed to him. ¡°Greetings, Young Master Li.¡±


    Li Qing cupped his hands and said, ¡°Greetings, Miss Fan. May I know why you want to see me?¡±


    Fan Mingfang bowed apologetically and said, ¡°Mr. Li, I want to make some things clear to you before you consider whether to get engaged to me.¡±


    Li Qing nced at the candid Fan Mingfang and smiled. ¡®Miss Fan, you want to tell me about the rumors about you¡­¡± Li Qing felt that he couldn¡¯t say it. ¡°You don¡¯t have to care. Lord Fan has already mentioned it to my brother-inw. We don¡¯t think it¡¯s your fault. If you wanted to see me because of this, you can rest assured. If you¡¯re doing it for something else¡­¡±


    Fan Mingfang looked at Li Qing and said, ¡°That¡¯s exactly why I wanted to speak with you. Thank you. I¡¯m willing to marry into your family.¡±


    Li Qing suddenly felt that it was not bad to marry such a wife. At the very least, she was not the melodramatic woman that his ssmatesined about. Li Qing smiled at Fan Mingfang. ¡°Miss Fan, please take care of me in the future.¡±


    Fan Mingfang also had a good impression of Li Qing and looked forward to the future. She smiled and returned the greeting. ¡°Please take care of me for the rest of my life, Mr. Li.¡±


    Shanhu stood at the side and watched as her youngdy and Young Master Li ced themselves in each other¡¯s hands. She pursed her lips and smiled.


    Li Qing bade farewell to Fan Mingfang and returned to the main hall. He bowed to Fan Wenzheng and his wife and said, ¡°Uncle, Auntie, please allow Ah Qing to invite a matchmaker to propose marriage.¡±


    Fan Wenzheng and Madam Wu kept nodding happily. ¡°Alright, alright. We¡¯ll wait for you.¡± Zhou Jia and Li Qing came out after bidding farewell to the Fan family and got into the carriage to head back. Zhou Jia looked at Li Qing and smiled. ¡°How do you feel about seeing your wife?¡±


    Thinking of Miss Fan, Li Qing blushed and his heart skipped a beat. ¡°Not bad, right? She should be an easy woman to get along with.¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled proudly. ¡°Your sister¡¯s intuition is very good and she¡¯s very good at judging people. Just look at Brother-inw and you¡¯ll know.¡±


    ¡°Sigh!¡± Li Qing pointed at Zhou Jia and smiled. ¡°I remember that it was you who pestered my sister! At that time, you even followed my sister to pick tea fruits and bewitched her to do business together. Brother-inw, tell me honestly, when did you start having designs on my sister?¡±


    Zhou Jia thought of Li Yu rolling her eyes at him and the small hand that reached out to him. He still remembered that although that small hand was a little rough, it was very warm and strong. Could this be love at first sight?


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Qing and said seriously, ¡°To be precise, it started with your sister rolling her eyes at me. Do you believe it?¡±


    Li Qing looked at Zhou Jia¡¯s serious expression and said seriously, ¡°I believe you.¡±


    Li Yu saw Laidi at home. She hadn¡¯t seen her for a few years. After seeing her, she felt that she had changed. When she spoke, her eyes flickered, and there were even worry and resentment in them. She was no longer as optimistic and cheerful as before.


    When Laidi saw Li Yu, she thought to herself that her cousin had be a First-grade Madam, and her cousin-inw is an official. Her family is doing well and can even live in a good house in the capital. Moreover, it was rewarded by the emperor. How glorious was it? When could she live such a life?


    The two of them sat and chatted. After a while, Laidiined to Li Yu, ¡°Cousin, you don¡¯t know that after Fengqi and I got married, I wanted toe to the capital to look for Ah Qing. Mother didn¡¯t tell me your address. Mother didn¡¯t like Fengqi and even urged my father to dislike him. Now, they¡¯re not even willing to see me. This time, they didn¡¯t even send me off. Cousin, write a


    letter to my mother and help me persuade her not to be biased against Fengqi. Cousin, believe that my Fengqi is really a good person. He really didn¡¯t use me.¡±


    Li Yu saw that Laidi¡¯s eyes were darting around as she spoke. Her words pushed all the me onto her aunt and framed the person who treated her best as an enemy. She felt that she had grown a smart face in vain.


    Li Yu quietly pulled her hand out of Laidi¡¯s hand and looked into her eyes. ¡°Your man will apany you for the rest of your life. It¡¯s fine as long as you think he¡¯s good. You don¡¯t need unrted people to believe you. Also, your mother didn¡¯t abandon you in the past when life was tough. Now that her life is better, why doesn¡¯t she like you anymore? You must have done something to make her sad. If your husband is really as good as you say, prove it with practical actions. In time, she will definitely forgive you.¡±


    Laidi didn¡¯t know why she didn¡¯t dare to look Li Yu in the eye. She dodged and said, ¡°Cousin, why are you unrted? I¡¯m the closest to you. If you don¡¯t help me, no one will help me.. Also, Fengqi¡­¡¯

 Chapter 401 - 401: Chased Away

    Chapter 401: Chased Away


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    ¡°Laidi,¡± Li Yu interrupted Laidi. ¡°I¡¯m not the closest person to you. I¡¯m just your cousin. You have to understand that Aunt and Uncle are the closest people to you. You don¡¯t even listen to your parents¡¯ words and feel that they¡¯re targeting you and looking down on the man you found. Are my words more important than your parents¡¯ words? Laidi, touch your heart and ask yourself if Aunt and Uncle are really that unreasonable. Did they not like your Fengqi from the beginning? If you¡¯re here to catch up with me, your cousin, I wee you. If it¡¯s anything else, you don¡¯t have to mention it.¡±


    Laidi looked at Li Yu and didn¡¯t expect her to reject her directly. She looked at Li Yu in a daze and couldn¡¯t say anything.


    Li Yu nced at Laidi¡¯s stunned expression and couldn¡¯t bear to see her like this. She said earnestly, ¡°Laidi, don¡¯t think that others are targeting you. You have to think about why it¡¯s the same you, yet everyone¡¯s attitude towards you is so different from the past. You have to think about what you did wrong. You have to look at the problem from the other party¡¯s perspective. I believe that with your intelligence, you¡¯ll understand after thinking about it. Also, we have to take things one step at a time.¡±


    When Laidi heard this, she thought to herself that her cousin was the same as Ah Qing. They were both on her mother¡¯s side. Even her tone was the same as her mother¡¯s. However, how could her high and mighty cousin understand her heart¡­


    Laidi looked at Li Yu in disappointment and shouted, ¡°Cousin, I don¡¯t understand. Is it wrong for me to want to live a more dignified life? Why do you think like my mother that I can only marry those sweaty vigers or merchant families with abacuses? I also want to be as high and mighty as you and be envied by others. Is there anything wrong with that? Fengqi also has the ability to let me live a good life. Cousin, please let Cousin-inw guide him. Why should my mother stop you and Ah Qing from helping us?¡±


    Was this still the Laidi who had shouted that she wanted to be the head shopkeeper and said she could live a good life on her own? When did this child be so self-righteous and vain? Li Yu looked at Laidi in disappointment. No wonder her aunt and uncle were so disappointed in her. Compared to the days when they didn¡¯t have enough food to eat and didn¡¯t have enough clothes to cover their body, Phoenix Vige was now protected by the Four Seas Bank and the Zhou family. Everyone could live and work in peace. If someone sheltered her, she would also want to live like that.


    Li Yu looked at Laidi and finally understood what it meant to be greedy. She looked at Laidi coldly. ¡°Why did Aunt stop Ah Qing and me from helping you? You have to ask yourself. Also, why should Ah Qing and I help you? Let me tell you, helping you is a favor, but not helping you is my duty. I¡¯m not your Heavenly Ladder. The kind of life you want is your business. You don¡¯t need others¡¯ approval. Leave! Don¡¯te to my house again.¡±


    Laidi panicked when she heard Li Yu¡¯s words. ¡°Cousin, I didn¡¯t mean that. I¡­¡±


    Li Yu looked at Laidi and said calmly, ¡°I know what you mean. It¡¯s useless to say anything else. Xing Hua, send the guest off!¡±


    Seeing that Laidi had angered Li Yu, Xing Hua walked up to her angrily. ¡°Miss


    Cousin, please.¡±


    Seeing Li Yu¡¯s expression, Laidi knew that it was useless no matter what she said. She regretted being so brainless to say what she was thinking.


    Laidi arrived at the outer courtyard dejectedly. When Li Fengqi saw Laidi¡¯s expression, he knew that something bad had happened. The couple came out of the Zhou family and got into the carriage to head back.


    Li Fengqi looked at her and asked, ¡°Did you tell your cousin? What did she say?¡±


    Laidi didn¡¯t dare to tell him that Li Yu had chased her away, so she could only make things up. ¡°Cousin¡¯s family just arrived and haven¡¯t sorted out the matters at home. Seeing that she¡¯s busy, I¡¯m too embarrassed to talk about it.


    Let¡¯s do so in a few days!¡±


    Li Fengqi heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°From the looks of it, I thought you were chased out by your cousin.¡±


    Laidi turned to look out of the window and said quietly to herself, ¡°Didn¡¯t I get chased out? How can my cousin say no so directly? She doesn¡¯t leave anyone any leeway. Mother, what did I do wrong to help my husband? Why aren¡¯t you willing to put in a good word for me?¡±


    When Zhou Jia and Li Qing returned home, they told Li Yu about the marriage proposal to the Fan family. Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu worriedly. ¡°We don¡¯t have any good friends in the capital. Who should we invite to propose marriage to Ah Qing?¡±


    Li Yu smiled and said, ¡°What¡¯s there to worry about? You¡¯re Ah Qing¡¯s teacher and brother-inw. Wouldn¡¯t it be better if you personally went to propose marriage?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the one who deals with things cleanly. While there are still a few days, let¡¯s quickly settle Ah Qing¡¯s matter and Zhao Cai¡¯s matter so that I can report to the Ministry of Revenue.¡± When Zhou Jia mentioned reporting, he suddenly remembered that he still didn¡¯t know where Li Qing worked. He turned to look at Li Qing. ¡°Ah Qing, have you decided where you¡¯ll work?¡±


    Li Qing smiled and nodded. ¡°It¡¯s fixed. I¡¯ll be a seventh-grade editor at Hanlin Academy.¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled and said, ¡°Good kid, work hard and fight to stay in office.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Brother-inw.¡± Li Qing looked at Li Yu again and said, ¡°Sister, Aunt also said that after I obtain the schrly title, I¡¯ll make a trip back to West


    Mountain Vige and move the graves of our grandparents and parents to Phoenix Vige. In the future, Phoenix Vige will be our root. What do you think?¡±


    Li Yu nodded. ¡°That¡¯s good. Father and the others originally fled to West Mountain Vige from other ces. Phoenix Vige¡¯s environment is better than that of West Mountain Vige. How¡¯s Brother Pig doing with his studies? Can that child study?¡±


    Li Qing smiled at the mention of Brother Pig. ¡°That child is very smart but mischievous. When he was studying in school, he was often pped in the palm by his teacher whoined about him. Once, he angered Aunt so much that she fainted. He was so frightened that, from then on, he became much more sensible. If he could calm down and study, someone should be able to change the Liu family¡¯s path.¡±


    ¡°I asked Ruyi to ask Aunt and Uncle. We¡¯ll know the oue when Ruyies back. Go and ask for marriage and also check on Zhao Cai. Settle it quickly while you¡¯re free these few days. Remember to invite a teacher for Yang¡¯er.¡± After Zhou Jia agreed, he brought Li Qing to propose marriage.


    Li Yu watched the two of them leave and felt that they had just gotten familiar with one ce in the past few years and had started to move. In this era, they had to travel a long way every time they moved. It was simply too tiring to travel for a few months. Li Yu sighed to herself. ¡°Sigh! I hope it¡¯s settled this time and we don¡¯t have to move again.¡±


    Zhou Jia and Li Qing had just walked through the door when Uncle Liu walked in. ¡°Master, someone from the pce said that he¡¯s here to announce the decree. ¡±


    Zhou Jia hurriedly said, ¡°Zhao Cai, quickly invite him in. I¡¯ll go back and prepare to receive the decree.¡±


    Just as Zhou Jia returned to the main courtyard and was ready with Li Yu, Zhao Cai brought Shen Zhong in. Zhou Jia smiled when he saw Shen Zhong. ¡°General


    Shen, long time no see.¡±


    Shen Zhong cupped his fists and said with a smile, ¡°Lord Zhou, Madam Li, I¡¯m here today to read the empress dowager¡¯s decree and the emperor¡¯s decree. I shouldn¡¯t havee to announce them, but I thought that we hadn¡¯t seen each other for a long time, so I snatched Eunuch Zheng¡¯s emissary.¡±


    After the couple cupped their fists at Shen Zhong, they knelt down and kowtowed to ept the decrees. Shen Zhong read the empress dowager¡¯s decree which was an invitation to Li Yu to the pce two dayster. Zhou Jia also would also enter the pce two dayster. One of them would meet the emperor, and the other would meet the emperor¡¯s mother..

 Chapter 402 - 402: Visit

    Chapter 402: Visit


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    After Shen Zhong read the empress dowager¡¯s decree and handed it to Li Yu, he smiled and said to the two of them, ¡°I heard that Lord Zhou and Madam Li contributed a lot to the Battle of Yunzhou.¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled and cupped his hands at Shen Zhong. ¡°I don¡¯t dare to take credit. It¡¯s all because of General Shen, General Ouyang, Head Shopkeeper, and our colleagues from the government office, as well as those soldiers who galloped through the battlefield. Everyone fought together to win.¡±


    Li Yu really didn¡¯t want to enter the pce to be a kowtowing worm. Her scalp went numb when she thought about how she had to pay attention to the posture of kneeling. However, the olddy was the mother of the big boss, so she couldn¡¯t refuse. She looked at Shen Zhong with a headache and smiled.


    ¡°Brother Shen, is there anything to pay attention to when I enter the pce?


    You know, I¡¯m just a boor and don¡¯t have much knowledge. I¡¯m just afraid that


    I¡¯ll make a fool of myself and embarrass the empress dowager.¡±


    Shen Zhong smiled gently. ¡°Madam Li, don¡¯t worry. After I go back and hand over the job, a nanny will guide you in the etiquette of meeting the Empress Dowager. You don¡¯t have to be nervous. The empress dowager is amiable and easy to get along with.¡±


    Li Yu nodded. ¡°That¡¯s good. I¡¯m really afraid that I¡¯ll scare the empress dowager.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu. Thinking that she was still pregnant, he was secretly worried.


    Shen Zhong sat with the Zhou family for a while before bidding farewell and returning to report. Zhou Jia sent him out and said unhappily, ¡°General Shen, I want to ask you for a favor.¡±


    Shen Zhong looked at Zhou Jia¡¯s embarrassed expression and nodded with a smile. ¡°Lord Zhou, please go ahead.¡±


    Zhou Jia whispered, ¡°General Shen, my wife is pregnant and it¡¯s still early. Please help me send a message and find a good-tempered nanny to teach the rules.¡±


    Shen Zhong smiled and cupped his hands. ¡°Congrattions, Lord Zhou. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll report it to the empress dowager.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, General Shen.¡± Zhou Jia bowed. Shen Zhong helped Zhou Jia up and said with a smile, ¡°Lord Zhou, you¡¯re being too polite.¡±


    After Zhou Jia sent Shen Zhong off, he hurriedly brought Li Qing and Zhao Cai to propose marriage. When Li Yu returned to the house to change her clothes, she thought about preparing a betrothal gift for Li Qing and entered the space without even changing her clothes. When she saw the prey stored in the space, she had a headache and thought that she had to find a chance to get them out and eat them.


    Li Yu chose some jewelry and cloth from the box cage to be Li Qing¡¯s betrothal gift. Before she could choose a few betrothal gifts for Zhao Cai, she was ejected from the space. Li Yu went in to choose again.


    Shen Zhong returned to the pce and handed over the job. He smiled and reported to the emperor, ¡°Your Majesty, I think Madam Li doesn¡¯t like to enter the pce. She said that she¡¯s clumsy and doesn¡¯t know the etiquette. She¡¯s afraid of embarrassing the empress dowager. When Lord Zhou sent me out, he even told me that Madam Li is early in her pregnancy. He was afraid that she would affect the fetus and asked me to help deliver a message to find a good-tempered nanny to teach Madam Li etiquette.¡±


    When Chu Yuhao heard this, he smiled and said, ¡°There are many rules in the pce. Given Madam Li¡¯s personality, she really doesn¡¯t like to enter the pce. Lord Zhou still dotes on his wife as usual. I remember that Granny Yang is going to leave the pce and return to her hometown. Go tell Zheng Fu to send Granny Yang to the Zhou family to guide Madam Li for a few days before apanying her to the pce to meet the empress dowager.¡±


    Shen Zhong bowed. ¡°Yes.¡±


    Shen Zhong came out of the imperial study and thought to himself that His Majesty was really good to Lord Zhou and his wife. Granny Yang had taught etiquette in the pce for decades and knew the situation in the pce the best. She also had a good personality. It was indeed not bad to send her.


    After Li Yu found the jewelry and cloth, she called Ji Xiang over and handed the jewelry to him. She instructed, ¡°Take these jewelry items and have them cleaned. Ask which shop¡¯s clothes are good. Then, go take a look at those residences and make up for whatever needs to be added. Then, go to the broker shop and bring back some rough servants. Also, you and Zhao Cai can buy an old woman on the stove for your residences. Ruyi can buy two rough servants to watch the garden first.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡± Ji Xiang retreated.


    Li Yu was about to go see Mr. Wen and Yangyang when Gu Yu came in with a letter and reported, ¡°Madam, a Madam is here to see you.¡±


    Li Yu opened it and saw Madam Gong of the Lin residence written on it. She thought to herself, Could it be that he knows about our rtionship? On second thought, if he knew, he wouldn¡¯t have asked his wife toe. Looking at the gown she was wearing, she said to Gu Yu, ¡°Take her to the reception hall. I¡¯ll goter. ¡±


    Madam Gong sat in the hall and saw green rosewood tables and chairs in the hall. There was a rosewood flower rack in the corner. On the flower rack was a pot of purple-red flowers that emitted a fragrance. Warm sunlight seeped in through the carved wooden window and sprinkled on the flower rack in pieces. She touched the smooth rosewood armrest on the chair. Madam Gong thought to herself that many people wanted this house back then. She heard that Lord Zhou was just an abandoned child of the Zhou family. For some reason, he caught His Majesty¡¯s eye.


    Li Yu walked to the entrance of the reception hall and saw a benevolent-looking woman sitting inside. She was wearing a long dress with golden threads embroidered on it. Her hair wasbed into a high bun with pearls and emeralds in it, making her look noble and dignified.


    Madam Gong was stunned when she saw Li Yu. Master said that Young Master Li looked a little like him. Why was this Madam Li so simr to Aunt? Could they really be children of the Lin family? No wonder Master asked her to ask around.


    Seeing her expression, Li Yu knew that Lin Zexu still didn¡¯t know about their rtionship. After today, it might not be the case. Li Yu smiled and said to her, ¡°May I know why Madam is here?¡±


    When Madam Gong saw that Li Yu had asked without greeting her, she was a little displeased. On second thought, she couldn¡¯t me her aftering rashly without informing her. She smiled and said, ¡°Please forgive me foring rashly. After knowing that Young Master Li has obtained a ranking, my master asked me to send a congrattory gift to congratte you.¡±


    Li Yu looked at Madam Gong in surprise. This reason was too far-fetched!


    ¡°Thank you, Madam. Thank you, Schr Lin,¡± Li Yu said with a smile.


    Madam Gong looked at Li Yu and smiled. ¡°Madam Li, to be honest, ever since my master saw Young Master Li, he had a lot on his mind when he returned home. However, no matter how he thought about it, he couldn¡¯t understand. Seeing that he was frowning, I came rashly to ask where Young Master Li was from and where he lived. However, when I saw you today, I realized that you actually look a lot like my sister-inw. Madam, do you know what rtionship you siblings have with my master?¡±


    Seeing her peaceful expression and sincere attitude, Li Yu knew she would find out as long as she asked the Wang family. ¡°Madam Gong, please go home and ask Schr Lin if he still remembers his missing sister.¡±


    When Madam Gong heard this, she stood up in surprise and looked at Li Yu excitedly. ¡°Are you Jinniang¡¯s children?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Li Yu also stood up and looked at Madam Gong. ¡°Madam also knows my mother?¡±


    ¡°I know. I met Jinniang and Granny when they came to the capital that year.¡±


    Madam Gong smiled happily. ¡°That¡¯s great. I have to go back and tell my master this news.¡±


    Madam Gong said excitedly and turned around to walk out. The woman behind her bowed to Li Yu and followed Madam Gong.


    Li Yu didn¡¯t ask her to stay. She smiled and sent her to the door. ¡°Take care, Madam.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go back. It¡¯s windy outside.¡± Madam Gong smiled and got into the carriage.


    Li Yu watched the carriage leave and thought to herself that Madam Gong looked easy to get along with. She wondered what kind of person Schr Lin was. On second thought, who cares! If they were easy to get along with, everyone would meet often. If they were not, she would stay away..

 Chapter 403 - 403: Lin Zexu, Granny Yang

    Chapter 403: Lin Zexu, Granny Yang


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Madam Gong hurriedly returned to the Lin residence and went to Lin Zexu¡¯s study with a glowing face. Lin Zexu looked at Madam Gong¡¯s glowing face and stood up excitedly. ¡°Wanru, did you find out?¡±


    Madam Gong said happily to Lin Zexu, ¡°Master, guess whose children they


    Lin Zexu didn¡¯t want to guess at all. He looked at Madam Gong anxiously. ¡°Aiya! Don¡¯t keep me in suspense. Tell me quickly.¡±


    Madam Gong told Lin Zexu what Li Yu had said. Lin Zexu looked at Madam Gong in a daze. Madam Gong looked at him awkvvardly. ¡°To be honest, when I saw her, I thought she was Aunt¡¯s child who had wandered outside. After asking, I found out that they were Jinniang¡¯s children. Master, how did


    Jinniang disappear back then¡­¡±


    Before Madam Gong could finish speaking, she saw Lin Zexu run out.


    Lin Zexu ran to the entrance of the Zhou family¡¯s house straight away. For some reason, he stopped again. The doorman looked at Lin Zexu strangely. This Master Lin had rushed over, but why didn¡¯t he enter?


    Lin Zexu stood at the door for a while before saying to the doorman, ¡°Tell your Madam that the head of the Lin family in Qingzhou, Lin Zexu, wants to see her. ¡±


    The doorman nced at him and came out after a while to say to him, ¡°Sir Lin, please.¡±


    Lin Zexu looked at the woman standing at the entrance of the reception hall and knew that she was Jinniang¡¯s child. Tears flowed down his face uncontrobly. It was great that Jinniang was still here.


    Then he muttered to himself, ¡°Why didn¡¯t Jinniang go to Yunzhou to look for me back then? Where has she been all these years? What happened back then?¡±


    Li Yu looked at Lin Zexu, who was standing there and looking at her with tears in his eyes. She felt that Lin Zexu was not on the same side as Madam Lin of Yunzhou, but why was he deceived by Madam Lin? Instead of searching for his missing sister, he left a weak woman in a hurry.


    Lin Zexu looked at Li Yu for a while and asked in a trembling voice, ¡°Where is


    Jinniang now? I want to see her.¡±


    Li Yu nced at him and said softly, ¡°My mother is no longer around.¡±


    Lin Zexu never expected Jinniang to be no longer alive. When he heard Li Yu¡¯s words, he swayed as if he had been struck by lightning and fell to the ground. Li Yu walked up to him worriedly. ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    Lin Zexu shook his head and looked at Li Yu sadly. ¡°When did this happen? Why didn¡¯t she look for us? She knew that we went to Yunzhou.¡¯


    Li Yu looked at him with pity. ¡°She¡¯s been gone for more than ten years. I don¡¯t know why she didn¡¯t look for you. After my father saved Mother from the mountain stream, Mother only said one thing when she woke up. Why did you treat me like this? Ever since then, Mother hasn¡¯t mentioned her background. Why did she fall into the mountain stream? Where¡¯s her family? Recently, I found out the reason why my mother disappeared and fell into the mountain stream.¡±


    Lin Zexu got up and looked at Li Yu. ¡°You found out the reason? What¡¯s the reason? Could it be Yuchang¡­¡±


    Li Yu nodded. ¡°Just as Schr Lin guessed, I heard that the Wang family has also arrived in the capital. You can also go to the Wang family and ask Old Madam Wang. She knows everything.¡±


    Lin Zexu shook his head. ¡°There¡¯s no need to ask around. I believe you. Where is your father from? What does he do? Where is he? Can I see him?¡± Lin Zexu looked at Li Yu and asked.


    ¡°My father is a hunter. After saving my mother, he settled down in West Mountain Vige. He¡¯s not around anymore.¡±


    Lin Zexu looked at Li Yu and thought to himself that the two children lost their parents at such a young age. He wondered how much hardship they suffered to have their current achievements.


    Lin Zexu looked at Li Yu lovingly and touched his body to give her a greeting gift. Only then did he realize that he was still wearing casual clothes at home. He looked at Li Yu and said guiltily, ¡°I came in a hurry today and didn¡¯t even bring you a greeting gift. I¡¯lle back and acknowledge you after I¡¯ve gone home and prepared. I wonder if you can forgive me and acknowledge me as your uncle.¡±


    Li Yu looked at his guilty gaze and lowered her head. Lin Zexu looked at this child who looked 80 to 90% like his sister worriedly, afraid that she would reject him.


    After thinking for a long time, Li Yu looked up at him and said, ¡°Can you wait for me to discuss it with Ah Qing before replying?


    ¡°Okay, okay.¡± Seeing that Li Yu was willing to discuss it with Li Qing, Lin Zexu rubbed his hands happily. ¡°I¡¯ll go back and change my clothes first. I¡¯lle back when Ah Qinges back.¡±


    Li Yu looked at Lin Zexu, who had turned around and left excitedly, and thought to herself that It seemed that he really wanted to acknowledge them.


    At this moment, Gu Yu walked in with a gentle-looking old woman wearing light blue armor and a simple white jade hairpin. The old woman put down the small bag in her hand and went forward to bend her knees. ¡°Greetings, Madam. My surname is Yang. I was sent by the empress dowager to teach Madam etiquette.¡±


    Li Yu looked at Granny Yang and smiled. ¡°Thank you, Granny Yang.¡±


    Granny Yang bent her knees and bowed. ¡°Madam, you¡¯re too polite. It¡¯s my duty. When do you want to start learning?¡±


    Li Yu looked at her natural and smooth movements when she bowed and felt that they were much better than those of Gu Yu and the others. She smiled slightly. ¡°Granny Yang, there¡¯s no need to be so polite. Go and rest for a while before we start.¡±


    Granny Yang also smiled and said, ¡°When I came, Eunuch Zheng told me what the empress dowager said. He said that you¡¯re not feeling well and asked me to teach you a few times. You can figure it yourself afterward.¡±


    Li Yu bowed and said, ¡°Thank you, Empress Dowager.¡±


    Granny Yang looked at the straightforward Li Yu and thought to herself that


    Old Zheng was right when he said that Madam Li was easy to get along with. She was not like other official madams from small ces who pretend to be polite.


    Li Yu felt that after she got pregnant, she would be more tired. She asked Gu Yu to bring Granny Yang to the west wing to stay. She returned to the room to rest for a while before going to learn etiquette from Granny Yang.


    Li Yu looked at Granny Yang¡¯s smooth movements and pped her hands with a smile. ¡°Nanny¡¯s movements are as beautiful as a dance.¡±


    After Granny Yang was done, she smiled at Li Yu. ¡°Madam, I entered the pce at the age of six. I¡¯m already 52 years old this year. These movements are already engraved in my bones. Madam, I¡¯ll do it a few times.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Li Yu watched her every move quietly and yed it over and over in her mind. After Granny Yang stopped, Li Yu did it for her to see. Granny Yang smiled and nodded. ¡°Madam is very perceptive. It shouldn¡¯t be a problem for you to enter the pce in two days.¡±


    ¡°Nanny taught me well.¡± Li Yu watched as Granny Yang did it a few times before Ji Xiang returned from the street. He said to Li Yu, ¡°Madam, the jewelry will take two days to clean. There are a few shops in the capital with good materials. One is Splendid House, and the other is Beautiful Robes Garden. The prices of these shops are about the same. They all say that Splendid House¡¯s workmanship is better.¡±


    ¡°Alright, have you found out how many betrothal gifts are needed to get married in the capital?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t asked about that yet. I¡¯ll ask again.¡±


    Li Yu suddenly thought of Granny Yang, who hade from the pce, and thought that she should know such etiquette better. She said to Ji Xiang, ¡°Go and make up for theck of things and people in the courtyard over there first.


    The pce has sent an instructor nanny over. She should know the etiquette.


    I¡¯ll ask Granny Yang.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± Ji Xiang bowed and left..

 Chapter 404 - 404: Reunion

    Chapter 404: Reunion


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Li Yu found Granny Yang and told her why she hade. Granny Yang didn¡¯t expect Li Yu to not even know about this. Thinking that Li Yu had just entered the capital from elsewhere, she realized it was normal for her not to know the rules of the capital. She thought to herself that others were afraid that the people from the pce would know about the things in their residence. Madam Li even asked her for help. She was indeed a straightforward person who didn¡¯t care about trifles.


    Granny Yang smiled and said, ¡°Madam, the majority of the betrothal gifts are betrothal gifts, seafood, three animals, and¡­ the rest will depend on the groom¡¯s family¡¯s attitude.¡±


    Li Yu was dumbfounded when she heard that. She thought to herself that it was soplicated. When she and Xiao Xi were engaged, Xiao Xi¡¯s betrothal gifts could be considered unprecedented in the vige. Now, it was a simplified versionpared to the ones in the capital.


    Li Yu couldn¡¯t help but sigh. ¡°It¡¯s really not easy to get married. Fortunately, it¡¯s only once in a lifetime. If the man is soplicated, what about the woman¡¯s dowry?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! Fortunately, it¡¯s only once in a lifetime.¡± Granny Yang was amused when she heard Li Yu¡¯s words. She pursed her lips and said, ¡°No matter if it¡¯s a man or a woman, they have to see if their family background is rich. There are also people from poor families who are only given a set of clothes as betrothal gifts. There are also people from the female family who carry a small bag containing two pieces of old clothes to marry into the man¡¯s family.But the families of officials and merchants in the capital usually have 64 dowries, including fields, shops, and trump cards. Every box is filled to the brim. There are also families who have even prepared the food and clothes that their daughters need in their lives after getting married. Those youngdies from big families have been preparing dowries since they were a few years old. Those families with poor family backgrounds can¡¯t even fill half these.¡±


    When Li Yu heard this, she felt that her dowry was also a reduction. When she heard Granny Yang¡¯s words, she said with a headache, ¡°Granny Yang knows so much. To be honest, I don¡¯t know anything about this. I¡¯m afraid that I won¡¯t know even if I offend someone. Unfortunately, you¡¯re going back to the pce


    in two days. If only you coulde backter and guide me for a few days.¡±


    Granny Yang looked at Li Yu¡¯s troubled expression and thought to herself that she had not thought of where to go after leaving the pce. It would be good toe to the Zhou family to help. ¡°I won¡¯t hide it from you, Madam. I¡¯m going to leave the pce and return to my hometown in two days. If you don¡¯t mind,


    I¡¯ll shamelessly help you for a few days.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Granny,¡± Li Yu said with a smile.


    As Li Yu was asking Granny Yang about some things to pay attention to when holding a wedding, Mr. Wen returned with Yangyang, who ran to Li Yu and leaned against her.


    Mr. Wen nced at Granny Yang, who was sitting in the hall. Granny Yang was also staring at Mr. Wen. Suddenly, Mr. Wen pointed at Granny Yang with a surprised expression. ¡°You¡¯re from the Yang family?¡±


    Granny Yang also recognized Mr. Wen. She stood up and bowed. ¡°Hello,


    Physician Wen.¡±


    Mr. Wen chuckled. ¡°Yang Gongren, we haven¡¯t seen each other for more than


    20 years. We¡¯re all old, but you haven¡¯t left the pce yet?¡±


    Granny Yang smiled and said, ¡°Yes, I¡¯m old. Physician Wen, I¡¯m leaving the pce in two days.¡±


    Li Yu saw Yangyang leaning against her and yawning. She smiled at the two of them and said, ¡°What a coincidence. So Sir and Granny Yang are old friends.


    Sir, catch up with Granny Yang. I¡¯ll bring Yang¡¯er to sleep.¡±


    Mr. Wen stroked Yangyang¡¯s head. ¡°Let him go and sleep for a while. He¡¯s already impatient.¡± Granny Yang retreated to the side and sent Li Yu and Yangyang to the door.


    Li Yu held Yangyang¡¯s hand and returned to her room. After Yangyang climbed onto the bed andy down, she said to Li Yu, ¡°Mother, Grandmaster brought me to watch the drama. Those people¡¯s faces were painted with many colors. They didn¡¯t talk properly and sang at the top of their lungs for a long time. It wasn¡¯t as good as the song you sang.¡±


    Li Yu smiled at his wrinkled nose and kissed his forehead. ¡°If you don¡¯t like it, you don¡¯t need to watch it next time.¡±


    Yangyang narrowed his eyes and said, ¡°Then Grandmaster won¡¯t have anyone to apany him. I promise Brother Seven Pounds to y well with Grandmaster.¡±


    ¡°My Yang¡¯er is a good and filial child. Go to sleep! I¡¯ll sing a song for you.¡± Li Yu patted him gently and hummed a tune as she waited for him to fall asleep before leaving the room.


    Seeing that Mr. Wen and Granny Yang were still talking in the reception hall, Li Yu went to the kitchen and looked at the dishes. When she returned to the main courtyard, she saw that Li Qing and Zhou Jia had already returned.


    Zhou Jia said to Li Yu, ¡°Two dayster is an auspicious day for proposing marriage. How¡¯s the nanny from the pce?¡±


    Li Yu nodded. ¡°Very good. Granny Yang and Sir are still old friends.¡±


    Zhou Jia was relieved when he heard that. Li Yu told Li Qing and Zhou Jia about Lin Zexu¡¯s visit and discussed with Li Qing, ¡°Ah Qing, he wants to acknowledge us. I think he¡¯s sincere to Mother. Do you want to acknowledge this uncle?¡±


    Li Qing thought to himself what Brother Zhao Cai had said about those people in his brother-inw¡¯s old residence. Although his brother-inw had gone out, that person was still his biological father. When they reached the end of the line and found out about his situation, they would definitelye looking for trouble. His brother-inw was now an official in the capital and his every move was watched! With an elder at home, someone would speak on their behalf.


    After thinking about it, Li Qing smiled at Li Yu. ¡°Sister, Brother-inw, if he really wants to acknowledge us, let¡¯s acknowledge him!¡±


    Zhou Jia nodded. ¡°They¡¯re elders after all. Since we¡¯ve decided to acknowledge them, let¡¯s take the initiative and not wait for them toe¡­


    Before Zhou Jia could finish speaking, Zhao Cai reported from the door,


    ¡°Master, Madam, Schr Lin and his wife have sent someone to bring gifts.¡±


    Li Yu, Zhou Jia, and Li Qing hurriedly went to the front hall. They saw Lin Zexu and Madam Gong with two men and two girls. Behind them were a few servants carrying gifts. They had just passed the screen wall.


    Zhou Jia and Li Qing went forward and bowed. ¡°Schr Lin, Madam Lin, pleasee in.¡±


    When Lin Zexu heard Li Qing call him Schr Lin, he looked at Li Yu and Li Qing with red eyes. ¡°Ah Yu, Ah Qing, are you still unwilling to forgive me, your uncle?¡±


    Madam Gong took a step forward and said to Li Yu, ¡°Your uncle has never forgotten your mother all these years. He has always med himself. He feels that he has let down his inws and failed to fulfill his brother¡¯s responsibility.¡±


    Li Yu looked at the Lin couple¡¯s red eyes and felt a little sad. She bowed to Lin Zexu and said, ¡°Ah Qing and I have forgiven you. If you hadn¡¯te to my house first, we would have gone to your residence to meet the two elders.¡±


    ¡°Then you¡¯ve forgiven me? You¡¯re willing to acknowledge me as your uncle?¡± Lin Zexu looked at Li Yu and her brother in surprise.


    Seeing that Li Yu couldn¡¯t say anything with a red face, Li Qing took a step forward and bowed to Lin Zexu. ¡®Yes, Uncle.¡¯


    Lin Zexu helped Li Qing up. ¡°Ah Qing, Ah Yu, thank you for being willing to forgive me.¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled and said to Li Qing, ¡°Ah Qing, let¡¯s invite the two elders and these people to sit in the main hall first!¡±


    Li Qing nodded and said to Lin Zexu¡¯s family with a smile, ¡°Uncle, Aunt, please..¡±

 Chapter 405 - 405: Reunion

    Chapter 405: Reunion


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    After the group entered the living room and sat down, they invited Lin Zexu and his wife to sit at the head of the table. Li Yu, Zhou Jia, and Li Qing knelt down and kowtowed to the Lin family. After recognizing the Lin family¡¯s uncle and aunt, the Lin family¡¯s couple took out a greeting gift and gave it to the siblings.


    When it was Zhou Jia¡¯s turn, Lin Zexu looked at Zhou Jia and nodded in satisfaction. He took out a jade ring and handed it to Zhou Jia.


    ¡°Nephew-inw, thank you for taking care of Ah Qing and his sister.¡±


    ¡°Uncle, you¡¯re treating me like an outsider. This is my duty.¡± Zhou Jia took the delicate and oily jade ring and realized that it was a warm jade. He handed it back and said, ¡°Uncle, it¡¯s too expensive. Jiahe can¡¯t ept it.¡±


    Lin Zexu said with a fierce expression, ¡°Take it. It¡¯s a gift from an elder.¡±


    Madam Gong also smiled and said, ¡°Nephew-inw, your uncle gave it to you.


    Take it!¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Uncle and Aunt.¡± Zhou Jia could only thank them and ept it.


    After acknowledging their rtionship, Lin Zexu pointed at the older man and smiled. ¡°Ah Yu, Jiahe, and the one wearing the ck hairpin is your eldest cousin, Lin Lan, from the Hanlin Academy. The one wearing the white jade hairpin is your second Cousin, Lin Yun, who works in the Ministry of Works. The two of them are twins. There¡¯s less than a quarter of an hour between them. The two of them are already engaged and will get married at the end of the year. The one wearing an apricot yellow dress is called Lin Yi. She was engaged at the beginning of the year. The other girl¡¯s called Lin Jia and hasn¡¯t found a suitable family.¡±


    She had been too busy exchanging pleasantries to pay attention just now because she felt that the two brothers were quite simr. Now that he mentioned it, she realized that the Lin brothers were identical. They had the same dignified and gentle appearance. If they wore the same hairpin, she really could not tell.


    She had two female cousins. The eldest, Lin Yi, was beautiful, gentle, and pleasant. The youngest, Lin Jia, was pretty and cute.


    ¡°Hello, Cousin. Hello, Cousin-inw and Cousin.¡± Lin Lan and Lin Yun smiled and cupped their hands.


    Li Yu and the others also smiled and greeted the twins.


    After Li Yu and the others greeted their two cousins, Lin Yi took a step forward and bowed deeply to Li Qing. ¡°Thank you for saving my life, Cousin.¡±


    Li Qing smiled and cupped his hands in return. ¡°We¡¯re all family. Cousin, you¡¯re too polite. Have you found out why the horse went crazy?¡±


    Lin Zexu sighed and said to Li Qing, ¡°That day, when your cousin came out of her good friend¡¯s house, the horse pulling the carriage was fed mad cow grass by someone. After moving for a while, it began to run wildly and threw the coachman off, breaking his leg. Fortunately, Ah Qing and the others helped. Otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable.¡±


    Madam Gong patted Lin Zexu and said with a smile, ¡°Fortunately, it was Ah


    Qing. Otherwise, how could we acknowledge each other? They should be happy.


    I heard that Ah Yu¡¯s family has a kid. Nephew-inw¡¯s teacher is also here. Why didn¡¯t I see them?¡±


    Li Yu smiled and said, ¡°Yang¡¯er and his grandmaster went out to y and fell asleep. Sir and Granny Yang from the pce are catching up in the reception hall. I¡¯ll invite him to get to know everyone.¡±


    Lin Zexu waved his hand to stop him. ¡°How can I disturb you from catching up with an old friend? There will be plenty of opportunities in the future.¡±


    ¡°Uncle is right.¡± Li Yu smiled at Lin Zexu and Madam Gong. ¡°Uncle, Aunt¡¯s family will have a simple meal at my house tonight to celebrate the reunion.¡±


    ¡°Alright, we won¡¯t stand on ceremony,¡± Lin Zexu and Madam Gong agreed readily.


    When Yangyang woke up, the two elders and the Lin brothers gave the child a greeting gift. Lin Yi and Lin Jia teased Yangyang.


    During the meal, Lin Zexu and Mr. Wen chatted happily. The two families had a reunion meal happily. After the meal, Lin Zexu smiled at Zhou Jia and said, ¡°Jiahe, Ah Qing, Ah Yu, Uncle will invite you to Uncle¡¯s house on an auspicious day in two days to inform your rtives and friends about our families reuniting.¡±


    ¡°Uncle, Aunt, Ah Yu and I are going to the pce to pay our respects to the empress dowager and the emperor in two days. Also, Ah Qing has arranged a marriage with the youngdy of Lord Fan ¡®s family and invited the official matchmaker to the Fan family to propose marriage.¡± Zhou Jia and Li Qing stood up and bowed.


    Lin Zexu said happily, ¡°It¡¯s a supreme honor to be able to enter the pce to meet the empress dowager and the emperor. It¡¯s a good thing for Ah Qing to marry thedy from the Fan family. We¡¯ll postpone the gathering for two days.¡±


    Madam Gong looked at Li Yu and said hesitantly, ¡°Ah Yu, Ah Qing, Miss Fan is not bad-looking. Her reputation is a little bad. I wonder if you¡¯ve asked around? It¡¯s your first time in the capital and you made a rash decision without understanding it. I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll go back on your word when you find out.¡±


    Lin Zexu looked at Madam Gong and said, ¡°The descendants of the Fan family have good character. If it¡¯s gossip, don¡¯t mind it. If she really has a bad character, you have to be careful.¡±


    Fortunately, it seemed that Uncle Lin was not the pedantic kind. Li Qing looked at the two of them and smiled. ¡°Uncle, Aunt, Lord Fan has told us the reason for the matter. I don¡¯t care about those rumors and have decided to marry Miss Fan.¡±


    Lin Yi and Lin Jia looked at Li Qing with sparkling eyes. Lin Jia smiled and said,


    ¡°Cousin, I support you. Those gossipy women are very annoying.¡±


    ¡°Jia¡¯er.¡± Madam Gong knocked on him and turned to look at Li Qing. ¡°Ah Qing,


    Ah Yu, since you¡¯ve already asked around and don¡¯t care about those rumors,


    Aunt will apany Ah Qing on the day of the marriage proposal.¡¯


    ¡°Thank you, Aunt.¡± The few of them bowed happily to Madam Gong. Mr. Wen looked at the Lin couple in satisfaction. He felt that Li Yu, Zhou Jia, and Li Qing finally had two more elders who were sincere in thinking for them and contributing.


    After sending the Lin family off, Mr. Wen took Li Yu¡¯s pulse and said to her, ¡°Xiaoyu, don¡¯t work too hard. Leave the matter to Xiao Xi and the others. Rest for a few more days.¡±


    Li Yu nodded. ¡°Got it, sir.¡±


    Mr. Wen stood up and smiled at Zhou Jia. ¡°Xiao Xi, send me back.¡±


    Zhou Jia helped Mr. Wen towards his room. ¡°Xiao Xi, Xiaoyu is most likely having twins. You have to pay attention to let her rest well. After the diagnosis, I have to think of a way to not let the children grow too big in the next few months but let them grow well.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Mr. Wen worriedly. ¡°Sir, will Xiaoyu be fine?¡±


    Mr. Wen thought for a moment. ¡°As long as the children are not big, there won¡¯t be a big problem. The Lin family has a bloodline of twins. The two young masters of Schr Lin¡¯s family are also twins. Go and ask Schr Lin how they recuperated back then?¡±


    Zhou Jia recalled that the Lin family¡¯s aunt had given birth to two children and was still fine. He felt a little relieved. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll go look for Uncle Lin tomorrow.¡±


    Seeing Zhou Jia¡¯s worried expression, Mr. Wen smiled andforted him. ¡°Don¡¯t be anxious. There¡¯s still time to go after the diagnosis. Just let her rest well these days. You don¡¯t have to worry too much. Sir is here.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Zhou Jia looked at Mr. Wen and felt that he looked much older. His heart ached as he helped him toward the bathroom. ¡°I¡¯ll help you wash up and rest early.¡±


    Zhou Jia helped Mr. Wen into the bathroom to help him wash up. After he got into bed and rested, he returned to his room. When he returned, he saw that Li Yu was already sleeping soundly. He sat on the edge of the bed and looked at her for a while before lying down beside her to sleep.


    The next day, Zhou Jia woke up early and found Granny Yang. He told her that Li Yu might be pregnant with twins and bowed to her. ¡°Nanny, please help me take care of my wife.¡±


    Granny Yang returned the greeting and said, ¡°Lord Zhou, don¡¯t worry. I will definitely take care of Madam Li..¡±

 Chapter 406 - 406: Entering the Palace

    Chapter 406: Entering the Pce


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Zhou Jia told Li Qing and Ji Xiang what Mr. Wen had said and asked them to make their own decisions in the future. If they couldn¡¯t make their own decisions, they would wait for him toe back and decide. They would try their best not to let Li Yu worry and let her rest well.


    ¡°Yes, Master,¡± Ji Xiang and Zhao Cai agreed in unison.


    Li Qing said to the worried Zhou Jia, ¡°Brother-inw, Aunt¡¯s two cousins also have twins. I¡¯ll ask them how they recuperated back then.¡±


    After saying that, Li Qing turned to leave. Zhou Jia hurriedly pulled him back and said, ¡°Ah Qing, don¡¯t be anxious. I mentioned it to Sirst night. Sir asked us to wait for the diagnosis before going. He said to let her rest more these days.¡±


    Li Qing thought to himself that Mr. Wen¡¯s medical skills were so good. Since he said that there was an 80% chance that his sister was having twins, the probability of a misdiagnosis was not high. He instructed them to wait for the diagnosis before going.


    ¡°Got it. I still have to buy things for the new house. I have to report to the Hanlin Academy in a few days. I want to take advantage of these few days to save Sister the trouble.¡±


    Zhou Jia nodded and said, ¡°Alright, go! Tell the guards and Uncle Liu not to let unfamiliar people disturb Madam.¡±


    The next day, Li Yu and Zhou Jia woke up early in the morning. Zhou Jia put on his court clothes. Li Yu put on a gown and rushed to the pce with Granny Yang.


    When they arrived outside the pce, it was about time. The three of them got out of the carriage and walked to the entrance of the pce to see Shen Zhong and a small eunuch waiting at the entrance. Shen Zhong cupped his fists at Zhou Jia and smiled. ¡°Lord Zhou, I was waiting for you to enter the pce with you. This is Xiao Shengzi from Empress Dowager¡¯s pce. He¡¯s bringing Madam Li to Empress Dowager¡¯s Ci Rui Pce.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, General Shen.¡± Zhou Jia cupped his hands and smiled. Zhou Jia followed Shen Zhong to Zhengde Hall.


    Xiao Shengzi smiled at Granny Yang and bowed to Li Yu. ¡°Madam Li, please.¡±


    ¡°Little brother, thank you.¡± Li Yu smiled at him and stuffed a pouch into his hand.


    Xiao Shengzi looked at Li Yu in surprise and took two steps back with a smile. He followed Li Yu and Granny Yang toward Ci Rui Pce. Granny Yang saw that Li Yu was walking forward calmly and did not care about the things on both sides. She nodded secretly. It was right not to be curious after entering the pce.


    The three of them arrived at the hall of Ci Rui Pce. The servant went in to report. A momentter, an ordinary-looking granny in ochre came out with a smile. She bent her knees and bowed. ¡°Madam Li, please follow me.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Granny.¡± Li Yu nced at Granny Yang and turned to follow her into Ci Rui Pce.


    In Ci Rui Pce, the Empress Dowager sat on a chair and watched the tall woman enter the hall. She thought that it was all thanks to her help that her son could be safe. She heard from her son that the couple were people who stuck to their duty. They had made great contributions to the battle of Yunzhou. It was rare that they were not arrogant.


    Li Yu entered the hall and saw the Empress Dowager sitting on a chair. She was wearing a dark purple silk dress and had a simple bun on her head. She was wearing it with a jade hairpin. Li Yu lowered her eyes and walked not far from the Empress Dowager. The pce maid put down the cushion and Li Yu knelt down and kowtowed. The Empress Dowager looked at Li Yu, who was kowtowing below. ¡°You¡¯re not feeling well. Hurry up and get up!¡± She then said to the nanny who had brought Li Yu in, ¡°Ah Cai, help Madam Li.¡±


    The nanny called Ah Cai smiled and supported Li Yu. After Li Yu got up, she bent her knees and bowed. ¡°Thank you, Empress Dowager.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to stand on ceremony. Sit down and talk!¡± The Empress Dowager looked at Li Yu in satisfaction. ¡°You and your husband are both good people. In the end, you took the initiative to give up personal gains in favor of the greater good. With an official position, you can still speak up for those poormoners. I heard that the rice seeds you cultivated are very good. There are also corn seeds. I heard that they can even be nted on those barren slopes. I also nted a few in the imperial garden. The corn that has matured is not bad to grind into powder and eat.¡±


    Li Yu thought to herself that the corn flour consumed by the Empress Dowager had been ground a number of times and had been improved with eggs. It had to taste good.


    Li Yu looked up at the Empress Dowager and smiled at her. ¡°Your Majesty, I¡¯m just a boorish person who doesn¡¯t know how to recite poems or draw. I only know how to hunt and farm. Perhaps I¡¯ve been afraid of starving all those years and have always liked to nt food. Vigers like us have an old saying. If there¡¯s food in your stomach, you have to look good. If there¡¯s no food in your stomach, you¡¯re shameless.¡±


    When the Empress Dowager heard this, she smiled and said, ¡°Your words are rough, but your logic is not rough. In the words of a schr, you know etiquette as well as honor and disgrace. Indeed, a person can¡¯t go hungry. If you go hungry for too long, something will happen. It¡¯s a good thing that you like farming. With food, you can eat your fill and wear warm clothes. Only then will you have a sense of culture.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and replied, ¡°Empress Dowager is right.¡±


    The Empress Dowager looked at Li Yu. ¡°Alright, it¡¯s not convenient for you. I won¡¯t keep you any longer. Go back and recuperate.¡±


    The Empress Dowager said to Granny Ah Cai, ¡°Ah Cai, bring that set of clothes to Madam Li.¡±


    Li Yu stood up and bowed. ¡°Thank you, Empress Dowager!¡±


    After Zhou Jia met the emperor, he came over from Zhengde Hall. When he saw Li Yu and the little eunuch carrying a stack of things and waiting for him at the entrance of the pce with Li Yu, Zhou Jia took the gift box from the little eunuch¡¯s arms. Li Yu stuffed a pouch into his hand and followed Zhou Jia out of the pce door to get into the car.


    Sitting in the carriage, Li Yu heaved a sigh of relief. Zhou Jia looked at the gift box on the carriage and took out a title deed. He ced it in Li Yu¡¯s hand and looked at her. He said gently, ¡°You¡¯re tired, right?¡±


    Li Yu looked at the title deed in her hand and smiled. ¡°His Majesty gave it to you?¡±


    ¡°Yes! His Majesty said that this is a hillside and a small farmstead. It¡¯s in town not far from the city. He even said that you liked to explore and farm, so it was kept for you. He also gave me two ancient books. Yu¡¯er, His Majesty said that he removed a group of officials before the new year before he transferred me back to the Ministry of Revenue to take up a post. Yu¡¯er, I know you don¡¯t like to socialize in the city. When you settle down, go there and be more rxed.¡±


    Li Yu leaned against Zhou Jia and whispered, ¡°Alright, it¡¯s really tiring to enter the pce. You have to think twice before speaking. I was so careful that I really don¡¯t understand why those people still like to enter the pce.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu, who was leaning on his shoulder. ¡°The Empress Dowager didn¡¯t make things difficult for you, right?¡±


    Li Yu shook her head. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Is Granny Yang really willing to help at home?¡± Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu and asked.


    ¡°She said that she can help us for a while. I think she might not have thought of where to go after leaving the pce. Her hometown is in Liangzhou. She¡¯s already so old and doesn¡¯t have a family. Her parents might not be alive anymore. Even if she returns home, she can only rely on her brothers and nephew to live. I think she¡¯s still hesitating about whether to return to her hometown or stay in the capital.¡±


    Zhou Jia recalled that Li Yu had said that Sir and Granny Yang were catching up. He asked curiously, ¡°When did she and Sir meet?¡±


    Li Yu felt that a doctor and a pce maid might be involved in pce secrets. ¡°It might not be a good thing. Otherwise, why didn¡¯t Sir mention it?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. Sir practiced medicine in the capital in his early years.¡± Zhou Jia nodded. ¡°Ah Qing and Aunt have probably gone home! When Ah Qing¡¯s marriage is settled, I¡¯ll go find a teacher for Yang¡¯er.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Li Yu agreed briefly and leaned against Zhou Jia to sleep..

 Chapter 407 - 407: Lin Clan School

    Chapter 407: Lin n School


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    When the two of them arrived home, Li Qing had already sent his aunt back to the Lin family. The marriage proposal went very smoothly. Li Qing told Zhou Jia that the Lin family had a n school in the capital. Uncle Lin wanted them not to lock their children up at home to study and send them to the Lin n school to study with children their age. When Zhou Jia heard this, he felt that he should also go to the Lin family with Li Qing.


    Lin Zexu said to Zhou Jia, ¡°The Lin family¡¯s n school costs five taels of silver a year. Students can¡¯t bring a servant to study with them. They have to do the grinding of ink and washing of brushes themselves. The child will eat lunch in the n school and be sent to and from morning and night. In the n school, other than the teacher teaching the child, Ah Lan, Ah Yun, and I have to attend two sses a month. You and Ah Qing can alsoe to teach the children in the future. Come with me to take a look before making a decision.¡± Zhou Jia bowed. ¡°Thank you, Uncle.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re our child. Why are you so polite?¡± Lin Zexu brought Zhou Jia and Li Qing to Heqing Alley to study with the Lin n.


    The Lin n school was a two-in-one courtyard with an old man guarding the door.


    The old man knew Lin Zexu. After the two of them greeted each other, Lin Zexu brought Zhou Jia and Li Qing in.


    Lin Zexu walked into the courtyard and pointed at the courtyard. He said to the two of them, ¡°The front courtyard is where the children study. There are five main rooms, three east and west rooms, and two ear rooms. There are masters in the n school for the zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting. The courtyard at the back is smaller. The teacher lives in the backyard. The people cooking for the children is his family.¡±


    Zhou Jia saw that there were about 20 to 30 children in the school. They were all between four and ten years old.


    Some of the children sat obediently in the ssroom to listen to the teacher¡¯s lecture, while others learned painting in another ssroom. It waspletely different from the family studies they had seen in the past. After Zhou Jia saw it, he decided to send Yangyang to the Lin n school to study.


    When the few of them returned to the Lin family residence, Zhou Jia said to Lin Zexu, ¡°Uncle, the Lin n school is indeed different from the other n schools. Uncle, thank you for your trouble.¡±


    Lin Zexu looked at Zhou Jia and Li Qing and said sincerely, ¡°Jiahe, Ah Qing, although we¡¯ve only Imown each other for a few days, I¡¯m your uncle. Don¡¯t be so polite to me and don¡¯t treat me as an outsider. Ah Qing, when I think about how you and Ah Yu lost your parents at such a young age, I wonder how much hardship you¡¯ve suffered to achieve your current aplishments. When I think of this, I really feel guilty. Can I help you do something to make up for


    Zhou Jia and Li Qing looked at the elegant and easy-going Lin Zexu. The two of them could feel that he was really sorry. Li Qing felt a warm current in his heart and smiled at Lin Zexu. ¡°Uncle, you really don¡¯t have to feel guilty. Sister is very capable and I¡¯ve never suffered. Later, we encountered a drought. Sister and Brother-inw brought my aunt¡¯s family and some vigers to Tongzhou.¡±


    After hearing Li Qing¡¯s words, Lin Zexu felt that it was even more exciting than a book. He sighed and said, ¡°Ah Qing, fortunately, your sister and brother-inw are here. Otherwise, I would be far away in the capital and you would be thousands of miles away. We would never have the chance to meet again. Now, your sister has even found out the reason why your mother was in trouble.¡±


    Lin Zexu sighed and said, ¡°It¡¯s not that I didn¡¯t suspect it back then, but I remembered that they were biological sisters. Seeing that she was also crying her heart out and punishing herself without eating or drinking, I thought about how my parents and brothers were harmed by bandits and Jinniang¡¯s fate was unknown. In the blink of an eye, only she and I were left. I didn¡¯t think in that direction anymore. Later, I came to Yunzhou to report to the Wang family that Jinniang had disappeared. Wang Zheng even chased after her and searched for some time. After Wang Zheng returned to Yunzhou, he got drunk and somehow ran to her room. After the two of them got married, I came to the capital and began to suspect the reason for Jinniang¡¯s disappearance. However, only she, Jinniang, and Granny Han were there that day. Without any evidence, I could only swallow the question in my heart. How did they harm Jinniang?


    Zhou Jia told him about how Madam Lin and Granny Han colluded to murder Jinniang and how Li Yu¡¯s father saved Mother Li. When Lin Zexu heard this, he was so angry that he trembled. ¡°How can there be such a vicious and shameless person in the world? I¡¯m too ashamed to see Jinniang after I die.¡±


    Seeing that he was ming himself, the two of themforted him and set a date for the gathering at the Lin family. Then, they said goodbye to Lin Zexu and returned home. They told Li Yu about sending Yangyang to the Lin family to study.


    Li Yu nodded. ¡°You¡¯re experts in studying. If you think it¡¯s beneficial for Yang¡¯er to study in the Lin n school, we shall arrange for it!¡±


    Thinking that he had already done two things today, Li Qing recalled that he had yet to pay attention to the newly bought house. He looked at Zhou Jia with a headache. ¡°Brother-inw, the newly bought house is still short of a kitchen maid and two rough servants. Come with me to the brokerage house to take a look. ¡±


    When Zhou Jia heard this, he looked at Li Yu. ¡°Yu¡¯er, let Old Madam Yun go to Ah Qing¡¯s stove to cook for a few days. Let here back after Ah Qing¡¯s wife enters. What do you think?¡±


    ¡°Alright, there are still three cooks on the stove after Old Madam Yun left. It¡¯s enough.¡± Li Yu thought for a moment and said, ¡°I think it¡¯s good to let Ah Qing stay here until he gets married.¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled and said, ¡°Of course, it¡¯s good for Ah Qing to still be studying and living here, but he¡¯s already working in the Hanlin Academy and is already engaged. If a colleague or rtive wants to visit Ah Qing and see that he¡¯s still staying at his sister and brother-inw¡¯s house, they will think that he¡¯s still under our protection and doesn¡¯t have the ability to take charge.¡±


    When Li Yu heard this, she felt that Zhou Jia was right. Ah Qing was the head of the Li family, not that scrappy child anymore. He was already at the age to get married and have children. It was time for him to be independent.


    ¡°Alright! Ah Qing will do as your brother-inw says. Go buy a servant and find an auspicious day to move over! Xiao Xi, tell Ji Xiang and Zhao Cai to settle their belongings and let their wives go home to take care of the house. The two of them wille here to work.¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled and agreed. He brought Li Qing out. Li Yu also stood up to see what Mr. Wen was doing in the garden with Yangyang and the others.


    Zhou Jia had just walked out of the outer courtyard with Li Qing and Zhao Cai when Uncle Liu came in with a few invitations and handed them to Zhou Jia. ¡°Master, I received several invitations in less than two hours. You said not to disturb Madam, so I didn¡¯t take them in.¡±


    Zhou Jia nodded and said, ¡°Uncle Liu, you did the right thing. Are you used to staying in the capital?¡±


    Uncle Liu chuckled and bowed to Zhou Jia. ¡°As long as I follow Master and


    Madam, I¡¯ll be fine anywhere.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Uncle Liu and smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll bring you wherever I go.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at the invitations in his hand and handed one to Li Qing. ¡°Ah Qing, it¡¯s yours. It¡¯s an invitation to Yuehua Restaurant to drink and recite poems at midnight!¡±


    Li Qing took a look. ¡°Wang Kui, I don¡¯t know him. I¡¯m not going.¡±


    Zhou Jia thought for a moment and did not know who Wang Kui was. He asked Zhao Cai, who said, ¡°Master, I only know that Yuehua Restaurant is at the end of East Street. It¡¯s a two-story restaurant. Wang Kui seems to be from Earl Jianning¡¯s family.¡±


    ¡°Ah Qing, there are all kinds of people in the capital. Since he sent the invitation here, go take a look. How about this? Let Zhao Cai go with you.


    Before you go, the two of you should agree on a time. Go in and socialize for a while. Zhao Cai will go in to look for you. Take the opportunity to bid farewell ande out so that you won¡¯t offend anyone.¡±


    ¡®Got it, Brother-inw.¡± Li Qing thought about it and agreed..

 Chapter 408 - 408: Friendship

    Chapter 408: Friendship


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Zhou Jia flipped through the other invitations and saw that two of them were for Li Yu. One was for the censor, the Feng family, and the other was an invitation from Princess Yichun to Li Yu to the Hundred Garden to admire the flowers. Zhou Jia thought to himself that Princess Yichun was the daughter of the Eldest Princess. Although the Eldest Princess was no longer around, the current high-ranking Princess Yichun had also contributed. The Feng family¡¯s invitation could be rejected, but Princess Yichun¡¯s was not easy to decline.


    Zhou Jia frowned and continued to look at the invitations. When he saw a shy post with a pink peach blossom on the cover, he suddenly smiled.


    ¡°Alright! Zijing has also returned to the capital.¡±


    Seeing Zhou Jia¡¯s reaction, Li Qing looked at him in confusion. Zhao Cai smiled and said to Li Qing, ¡°Uncle, Young Master Zijing is Master¡¯s good friend. When he was young, he studied in a private school. Later, they were in Qingchuan together. He followed his aunt back to the capital during the drought.¡±


    Zhao Cai thought about how it was all thanks to Young Master Xia often dragging Young Master out to y in the past few years that Young Master could pull himself together so quickly and open a grocery store and school.


    Li Qing was enlightened. ¡°Oh! No wonder I haven¡¯t heard you mention it all these years. Brother-inw, what is he doing now?¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Qing and smiled. ¡°He should have returned to the capital to participate in the Spring Quarter Examination in the year of the drought. He went to Qi County. Hey! Look, we¡¯ve passed by Qi County a few times, but we¡¯ve never encountered him.¡±


    Li Qing looked at Zhou Jia¡¯s happy expression and was also happy for him.


    ¡°Brother-inw¡¯s reunion with Brother Xia¡¯s old friend is worth celebrating.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s worth celebrating. I¡¯ll look for him as soon as we get back from the brokerage.¡±


    Zhou Jia recalled the days when he first arrived in Qingchuan. Fortunately, he had this good friend apanying him and sending him news. It had been so many years. He wondered how he was doing.


    The few of them went to the brokerage house and bought two servants. Ji Xiang then brought Gu Yu back to settle down in the new residence.


    Zhou Jia returned to the backyard and told Li Yu about Princess Yichun inviting her to admire the flowers on the same day. ¡°Yu¡¯er, this Feng family¡¯s invitation is on the same day as Princess Yichun¡¯s. Reject the Feng family¡¯s invitation. Go to Princess Yichun¡¯s Hundred Garden and walk around beforeing back.¡±


    Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia¡¯s worried expression and said reproachfully, ¡°Why are you so worried? It¡¯s just a flower appreciation banquet. Besides, I can still be happy if I go to see the flowers and scenery while pregnant.¡±


    Zhou Jia recalled that Li Yu didn¡¯t know anything about the rank of a Madam and instructed her, ¡°Yes! Yu¡¯er, a first-grade Madam is already a high-grade Madam. There¡¯s really no Madam with a higher rank than you. You just have to greet Princess Yichun. Go and have fun for a while. If it¡¯s not fun,e back.¡±


    Li Yu nodded. Zhou Jia hugged her and said to her with a smile, ¡°Yu¡¯er, do you still remember Xia Tao? He also returned to the capital.¡±


    ¡°Xia Tao?¡± Li Yu thought for a moment and remembered that when she and Zhou Jia first worked together to sell bags, the man who walked around and asked everyone if they liked them. She smiled and nodded. ¡°Xia Tao, I know that it¡¯s that a little shy guy?


    Zhou Jia replied gently, ¡°Yes! He looks indecent, but he¡¯s actually very upright. He just likes to be fancy when dressing up.¡±


    Li Yu smiled at Zhou Jia. ¡°Alright! It¡¯s worth meeting our old friend. Hurry up and invite him to our house for a gathering!¡±


    ¡°Yes! Go and rest for a while. Ah Qing is going to the banquetter.¡±


    Li Yu¡¯s face was filled with a blissful smile as she pushed him reproachfully.


    ¡°Got it. Go quickly! You¡¯re almost as naggy as an old woman.¡±


    ¡°Alright, if I don¡¯t go now, I¡¯ll be despised by my wife.¡± Zhou Jia smiled and went to prepare the gifts before going to the Xia family to look for Xia Tao.


    When he arrived at the Xia family¡¯s house, he saw that the person guarding the door was no longer the old man from before. He handed over the visiting card and soon saw Xia Tao, who was wearing a pinkish-green robe embroidered with silver dark patterns, running towards him with a smile.


    Zhou Jia let Little Loach carry the gift box and opened his arms to wee Xia Tao¡¯s hug. The two of themughed and looked at each other. Xia Tao smiled and punched Zhou Jia. ¡°Brat, you¡¯re still so good-looking.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Xia Tao happily. ¡°You¡¯re still so round and smooth.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s all I have. You can never surpass me when ites to that.¡± Xia Tao smiled proudly and held Zhou Jia¡¯s arm as they walked in. He turned around and looked at Little Loach, who was following behind Zhou Jia. He smiled and said, ¡°Where did you find such a young child to follow you?¡±


    Zhou Jia took the gift box from Little Loach. ¡°So I let the kid who followed me go back to Tongzhou with Ruyi to see his parents. This child is a child my wife raised in Yunzhou Manor.¡±


    Xia Tao took two silver hoes from his pouch and handed them to Little Loach. Little Loach looked up at Zhou Jia, who smiled and nodded. ¡°Take it!¡± ¡°Thank you, Master.¡± Little Loach took the silver hoes with a smile.


    ¡°Yes! He¡¯s a smart child.¡± Xia Tao smiled and instructed the servant at the side,


    ¡°Take this child to y for a while.¡±


    The servant brought Little Loach down. After Xia Tao brought Zhou Jia into the study and sat down, he smiled and said to Zhou Jia, ¡°Have you really repaid kindness through marriage?¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Xia Tao proudly. ¡°It¡¯s not easy to find someone you like. Of course, I have to devote myself to her! Let me tell you, my son is already four weeks old. What about you? Why don¡¯t you bring me to the east courtyard to meet your uncle and aunt?¡±


    Xia Tao revealed a sad gaze. ¡°That year, Auntie brought me back to the capital. Auntie caught a cold and left after being bedridden for a year. Then, Uncle suffered from an acute illness. In less than a year, the two of them left. When the mourning period was over, I assumed an official position in Qi County. My wife is already pregnant and returned to her mother¡¯s house yesterday. I¡¯ll bring her to your house the next day to meet Sister-inw and acknowledge her. ¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Zhou Jia patted Xia Tao andforted him. ¡®When the two old people were alive, they hoped that you could live a good life. If you live a good life, you¡¯ll be living up to their expectations.¡±


    Xia Tao rubbed his face with his hands and looked up at Zhou Jia. ¡°Tell me how you¡¯ve been all these years. I heard that your political achievements are not bad!¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled and sighed. ¡°It¡¯s difficult to finish at a nce. Back then¡­¡±


    In the Zhou family, Li Qing prepared to go to the Yuehua Restaurant to take a look. Zhao Cai apanied Li Qing to the Yuehua Restaurant.


    Li Qing and Zhao Cai arrived at the Moonlight Restaurant at the end of East Street. From afar, the two-story Moonlight Restaurant had cornices and painted corners. The vermilion paint shone brightly under the setting sun and looked very magnificent.


    When the two of them arrived at the Yuehua Restaurant, the shop assistant went forward eagerly and asked with a smile, ¡°May I ask if you¡¯re Young Master


    Li Qing nced at the shop assistant and replied gently, ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± The shop assistant took two steps back eagerly. ¡°Young Master, please. Young Master Wang is already waiting for you at the Invitation Pavilion.¡±


    Li Qing nced at Zhao Cai and nodded. He followed the shop assistant in and saw that the interior of the building was fresh and beautiful. When he entered the garden at the back, he saw that the wisteria was in full bloom. Li Qing felt that this ce was not decorated like a restaurant but like a garden..

 Chapter 409 - 409: Hedonism

    Chapter 409: Hedonism


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    The shop assistant brought Li Qing to the Invitation Pavilion. A person was wearing a pink and white silk nted robe with a jade belt at his waist and a golden crown on his head. There was a smile on his red lips and white teeth. He held an exquisite folding fan in his hand and weed Li Qing with a smile. He cupped his hands at Li Qing and said, ¡°The Third Honors Schr is really a handsome young master. ¡±


    Seeing his words and actions, Li Qing kept feeling that he was a little feminine. Seeing that his Adam¡¯s apple was moving when he spoke, he believed that he was a man.


    Li Qing went forward and cupped his hands with a smile. ¡°Are you Young Master Wang Kui?¡±


    Wang Kui nodded with a smile. ¡°That¡¯s right! Please ept my invitation.¡±


    Li Qing nodded and walked into the pavilion. He saw two young men in gorgeous clothes sitting inside. Behind the two of them stood two delicate-looking youths. Li Qing looked at them and felt that they looked like the silkpants he had seen when he was ying with his ssmates in


    Tongzhou.


    ¡°What a handsome Third Honors Schr. ¡± The two of them leaned back in their chairs and looked at Li Qing arrogantly with disdain.


    Li Qing frowned and turned to look at Wang Kui. ¡°What can I do for you, Young Master Wang?¡±


    Wang Kui looked at Li Qing with a smile. ¡°How would I dare to guide you? Ever since we saw you on the parade that day, we wanted to see your glory again. Who knew that you haven¡¯t appeared since you dazzled Ma Yu Street? We just sent a post to invite you out to take a look.¡±


    The two men sitting looked at Li Qing proudly.


    Li Qing nced at them and understood that these people had called him over because they wanted to be intimate with him.


    Li Qing turned around angrily and left.


    Wang Kui crossed his legs and blocked the door. He ced his hand on the door frame and said frivolously, ¡°Third Honors Schr, sit down and talk before leaving.¡±


    The two men sitting also got up and walked towards Li Qing. They said with a cheeky smile, ¡°Aiyo! Third Honors Schr, don¡¯t leave in a hurry!¡±


    Li Qing went up and grabbed Wang Kui¡¯s wrist, pushing him out. Wang Kui fell to the ground.


    Wang Kui got up and pointed at Li Qing. He rubbed his butt and shouted, ¡°I gave you respect, but you didn¡¯t want it. How dare you push me? Do you know who my father is?¡±


    Li Qing looked at him disdainfully and sneered. ¡°You¡¯re still weaned. Look at you. I¡¯m blushing on your father¡¯s behalf.¡± With that, he turned around and left.


    Wang Kui shouted at Li Qing in exasperation, ¡°You dog, you¡¯re just a small


    Third Honors Schr. Do you really think I can¡¯t touch you? Just you wait!¡±


    The other two chased after him and watched as Li Qing strode to the moon cave door. They nced at Wang Kui. ¡°Brother Kui, should we let him go?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s really strong.¡± Wang Kui bared his teeth and touched his butt. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with not letting him go? His reputation as a Third Honors Schr is still popr! Let¡¯s talk about it in a few days.¡±


    The two of them touched their chins and smiled wretchedly. ¡°Brother Kui is right. The capitalcks everything except for the novel. When this wind passes¡­¡± The three of themughed tacitly.


    Li Qing walked out of the garden angrily as Zhao Cai was entering. Seeing Li Qing¡¯s expression, he knew that something was wrong and looked at him worriedly. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Young Master?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk in the carriage.¡± Li Qing left the Yuehua Restaurant. After getting into the carriage, he told Zhao Cai about the situation just now and instructed, ¡°Brother Cai, don¡¯t tell my sister, lest she worries.¡±


    Li Qing¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°Investigate quietly where this guy appears. Find out where he likes to go. We¡¯ll talk about it in a few days.¡± As Li Qing spoke, he made a sacking gesture at Zhao Cai.


    Zhao Cai narrowed his eyes and smiled as he thought to himself that, Young Master-inw and Madam were indeed biological siblings.


    When Li Qing returned to the residence, he saw Li Yu and Yangyang sitting by the lotus pond fishing. He smiled and sat beside Yangyang. ¡°Sister, the two of you are really wasteful. These koi are not cheap on the market.¡±


    Li Yu pulled up her fishing rod and smiled. ¡°Do you think your sister is really a country bumpkin who doesn¡¯t know anything?¡±


    Li Qing took a closer look and realized that there was no bait on the hook. Yangyang looked at Li Qing proudly. ¡°Uncle, Mother said that this is like the metaphor of Great Grandfather Jiang fishing. Those who are willing will take the bait!¡±


    Li Qing touched the ribbon on the head of Yangyang¡¯s bag. ¡°Do you know who


    Great Grandfather Jiang is?¡±


    Yangyang thought for a moment and shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know! It must be an old man who knows how to fish!¡±


    Li Yu smiled and kissed Yangyang. ¡°Isn¡¯t he just an old man who knows how to fish!¡±


    Li Qing looked at Li Yu unhappily. ¡°Sister, you¡¯ll mislead the child like this. Yang¡¯er,e, I¡¯ll tell you the story of Great Grandfather Jiang fishing. In the past.. ¡®


    Li Yu looked at Li Qing, who was telling a story with Yangyang in his arms. She sat at the side and listened for a while. She got up and walked back. Just as she returned to the courtyard, she saw Xing Hua walking in with Granny Yang.


    When Granny Yang saw Li Yu, she smiled and bowed. ¡°Madam, I¡¯m back.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and nodded. ¡°Alright, I was looking forward to your return! Can you still stay in the room you lived in two days ago?¡±


    Granny Yang shook her head and bowed. ¡°Madam, I¡¯m here to work now. I can¡¯t stay in the guest room anymore. I¡¯ll stay in the same room as Miss Xing Hua.¡± ¡°There are many empty rooms at home. You don¡¯t have to squeeze together. You can stay next door to Xing Hua. Granny Yang, you¡¯re not working in the pce anymore. Just be casual in my house. You don¡¯t have to bow like Xing


    Hua and the others.¡±


    Granny Yang smiled and replied, ¡°Yes, Madam.¡±


    The next day was a good day. The spring breeze blew against one¡¯s face and the sun made one feelzy. Zhou Jia brought Yangyang to the Lin n to study. Granny Yang apanied Li Yu into the car and walked towards the garden to admire the flowers.


    Granny Yang said gently to Li Yu, ¡®Madam, Princess Yichun¡¯s garden was originally the Eldest Princess¡¯s dowry. It is by the East Lake. Later, when the Princess got married, the Eldest Princess made a dowry for the Princess. That garden is called the Hundred Garden. I heard that it¡¯s filled with strange flowers and grass.¡±


    ¡°Then I have to take a good look. I¡¯m not afraid of beingughed at by Granny. I don¡¯t even know most of the flowers and nts in the garden at home. I still like flowers like gardenias, jasmine, white jasmine, and roses. They smell elegant and are easy to nt.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! It¡¯s tiring to look at the flowers that you¡¯ve spent too much effort raising. You have to serve them carefully every day and nothing can go wrong.¡±


    When she reached the East Lake Hundred Garden, there were already many carriages parked in front of the garden. As soon as Li Yu got out of the car, she saw Madam Gong getting out of the carriage in front of Lin Yi and Lin Jia. Lin Jia got out of the carriage and saw Li Yu. She pulled Madam Gong. ¡°Mother, Sister, look, Cousin is here too.¡±


    Madam Gong saw that Li Yu, who usually wore in clothes, was wearing a dark purple silk dress with peony patterns embroidered on it. She was wearing a peony bun and a full set of Five Phoenix Hairpins. The smallest pearl on the hairpin was the size of a thumbnail, and thergest was the size of a pigeon egg.


    Li Yu walked up to the three of them and greeted them with a smile. Lin Jia looked at Li Yu and whispered to Lin Yi, ¡°Sister, Cousin is really good-looking today.¡±


    Lin Yi said gently, ¡°Yes! I think so too.¡±


    Li Yu walked up to the mother and daughter. Madam Gong looked at Li Yu with a smile. ¡°Ah Yu, let¡¯s go in together.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and nodded. ¡°Aunt, please..¡±

 Chapter 410 - 410: Gossip

    Chapter 410: Gossip


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    When they reached the door, an old woman weed them and took the invitation with a smile. She weed them into the garden. Li Yu saw that there were flowers nted on both sides of the road. Some nters had blue and purple flowers on them, while others had purple and red flowers that emitted a rich fragrance. After she saw the purple wisteria flowers, she saw clusters of white jade orchids on both sides of the road. The petals were fat and clean, and wisps of fragrance spread.


    Further ahead, there were pots of colorful peony flowers by the roadside. Some were green, purple, and yellow¡­ Some petals were like chrysanthemum petals, and the size of the petals became gradually from outside to inside. Some were like rose petals ovepping, and some only had one or two petals¡­


    The few of them followed the old woman to the garden where the banquet was being held. There was still a small stage set up in the open space in front of the garden. The stage was filled with women watching the show. Two singers were singing briskly on it. Their voices were pleasant to the ears. Li Yu couldn¡¯t understand what they were singing at all.


    Madam Gong whispered, ¡°Ah Yu, they¡¯re singing about flowers.¡±


    When Lin Yi and Lin Jia saw their good friends, they whispered to Madam Gong and Li Yu, ¡°Mother, Cousin, we¡¯re going to look at flowers with our sisters.¡±


    ¡°Go! Don¡¯t go far. Bring Xiaoju and the Lingdang.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡± The sisters led their maids towards the sisters.


    Seeing a thinyer of sweat on Madam Gong¡¯s face, Li Yu smiled and pointed at the chair in front of her. ¡°Aunt, let¡¯s sit there.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± After Madam Gong sat down, she took out a handkerchief and wiped the sweat off her face. She looked at the woman sitting in front of the stage and said to Li Yu, ¡°The banquet will only start in a while. Rest for a while and Aunt will apany you to admire the flowers. I heard that the orchid garden not far ahead is blooming especially well this year.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. If you¡¯re tired, rest for a while.¡±


    At this moment, a middle-aged beautiful woman in an ochre dress smiled and walked to Madam Gong¡¯s side to sit down. ¡°Third Sister, you¡¯re early? Why didn¡¯t I see you just now?¡±


    Madam Gong smiled at her. ¡°Cousin, when did you arrive? I¡¯ve only been here for a while. I¡¯m tired from walking and want to rest here for a while. Where did your Lian¡¯er and my two girls go?¡±


    ¡°What are you busy with at home? I haven¡¯t seen you these days.¡± The woman nced at Li Yu and whispered, ¡°Third Sister, I heard that that day, the horse was startled when Yi¡¯er came out of the Gu family. Fortunately, she was saved. Sigh! The Gu family¡¯s house was in chaos, causing our Yi¡¯er to suffer an unexpected disaster. Master and I were busy dealing with the Gu family¡¯s troubles and didn¡¯t have time to see Yi¡¯er.¡±


    Madam Gong looked at her cousin in shock. ¡°His family exined to Master


    that the coachman identally mixed mad cow grass into the horse material. What happened? Cousin Yue, tell me.¡±


    The woman said slowly, ¡°When Gu Jinzhi of the Gu family heard that Ah Chun was going to the suburbs to run horses with the children, he asked his trusted servant to put mad cow grass in the horse trough. Coincidentally, your Yi¡¯er sent Ah Rou home. Ah Rou forcefully pulled Yi¡¯er to her ce to make flowers. Your horse went crazy because it ate those grasses that were mixed with mad cow grass. When Ah Chun found out that Yi¡¯er¡¯s horse had gone crazy, he was vignt and brought it to my house to change horses. He went to the suburbs. The horse Ah Chun ced at my house indeed went crazy and even copsed my stable.¡±


    Madam Gong was dumbfounded. ¡°How did you find out that it was Gu Jinzhi?¡±


    ¡°When Ah Chun returned home, Gu Jinzhi looked like he had seen a ghost. Ah


    Chun captured that servant and interrogated him. Sigh! My Ah Chun and Ah Rou had suffered so much under that bitch. My master was so angry that he took the servant¡¯s confession on the spot and went to the Gu family to force Gu Wenzhong to split up.¡±


    Madam Gong looked at her cousin in surprise. ¡®Gu Chun is the eldest son of the Gu family. Gu Wenzhong is willing to do that?¡±


    Madam Gong¡¯s cousin pursed her lips. ¡°It¡¯s not like you don¡¯t know that vixen. That vixen charm in her bones¡­ Tsk! That stupid pig, Gu Wenzhong, was charmed by that vixen. Not to mention the eldest son of the first wife, he was even willing to give up on his biological mother. Sigh! Ah Chun and his sister are now living in my aunt¡¯s dowry house in General Alley. That bitch stole a lot of my aunt¡¯s dowry. For that kid, Gu Wenzhong used all his assets to make up for my sister-inw¡¯s dowry. After this matter is over, Master chased that bitch to the temple.¡±


    Madam Gong sighed when she heard that. ¡°Your sister-inw never dreamed that her considerate step-sister would be considerate enough to help her serve her brother-inw.¡±


    ¡°Back then, my mother-inw said that that bitch¡¯s mouth was sweeter than honey and asked Aunt to guard against her. Aunt even said that the old woman thought too much. In the days after she fell ill, she often brought that bitch to her house to talk to her. Who knew that she did such a good job that she even kept her Brother-inwpany? Aunt saw through their affair and her illness worsened. I think that bitch had nned to take her life while she was sick. ¡±


    Li Yu listened to the Gong sisters¡¯ gossip and turned to look below the stage in amusement. She saw many women also whispering to each other and thought to herself that these dignified and elegant noblewomen were the same as the women in the vige. They all had a burning heart for gossip.


    The sisters chatted fervently for a while before Madam Gong remembered that Li Yu was still sitting with her!


    She hurriedly held Li Yu¡¯s hand and looked at her in embarrassment. ¡°Aunt deserves to die. I forgot about my Ah Yu. Ah Yu, this is my eldest cousin. Just call her Aunt like Yi¡¯er and the others.¡±


    As she spoke, she turned to look at her cousin. ¡°Cousin, this is my Jinniang¡¯s daughter, Ah Yu. Master will invite you to our house for a gathering in a few days. My Ah Qing is also this year¡¯s Third Honors Schr!¡±


    Li Yu stood up and bowed to the Gu family. ¡°Greetings, Aunt.¡±


    ¡°What a good-looking girl. Aunt likes good-looking children the most. Take it.¡± The Elder Madam Gong slid the jade bracelet in her hand into Li Yu¡¯s hand and smiled. ¡°Just now, I was thinking about which family¡¯s beautiful daughter-inw was sitting with Cousin. I didn¡¯t expect her to be from my family. Cousin, I¡¯ve seen the Third Honors Schr. Now that I think about it, I realize that he looks a little like Brother-inw.¡±


    ¡°Uncle Xiao.¡± Madam Gong also looked at Li Yu with a smile. ¡°Ah Yu and Jinniang look especially simr. She¡¯s more heroic than Jinniang.¡±


    Edler Madam Gong smiled and reminded her softly, ¡°Cousin, Ah Yu, the


    Princess is walking over.¡±


    When Li Yu heard this, she turned around and saw a woman in her thirties. She had long eyebrows, narrow phoenix eyes, and red lips. She walked over leisurely like a blooming peony.


    and Elder Madam Gong smiled and bowed to Princess Yichun.


    ¡°Greetings, Princess.¡± Li Yu bent her knees and bowed. ¡°Greetings, Princess.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for formalities.¡± Princess Yichun smiled and said to Li Yu,


    ¡°Madam Li, please sit at the top with me.¡±


    ¡°Princess, I came with Aunt. I¡¯ll just sit with Aunt.¡±


    Seeing this, Princess Yichun did not force her. She smiled and said to Li Yu,


    ¡°Madam Li, you can do whatever you want.¡±


    At this moment, the women watching the show came over and bowed to Princess Yichun. Li Yu and Madam Gong sat down at the side..

 Chapter 411 - 411: Fortune-Telling

    Chapter 411: Fortune-Telling


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    The Gong sisters looked at the women surrounding Princess Yichun and were unwilling to go up to join in the fun.


    Madam Gong smiled and said to the two of them, ¡°Cousin, Ah Yu, the banquet is still more than an hour away. Let¡¯s go to the orchid garden in front to take a look first.¡±


    Elder Madam Gong also smiled and nodded. ¡°I went to take a look just now. The orchids are blooming especially well this year. I heard that some of them were even moved out of the greenhouse. Only the cold orchids and a few winter flowers haven¡¯t bloomed.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and said, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go to the orchid garden to see the orchids.¡±


    The few of them chatted andughed as they walked towards the orchid garden. When they reached the orchid garden, they smelled a faint orchid fragrance. When they walked into the orchid garden, Madam Gong praised them.


    Li Yu looked around and said with a smile, ¡°Aunt, I only recognize that kind of orchid. I know it¡¯s called Hun. I don¡¯t recognize anything else.¡±


    Madam Gong pointed at the orchids and exined to Li Yu in a low voice, ¡°Aunt recognizes some. Look, this is a cold orchid. It only blooms when the weather turns cold. This Jian should bloom two monthster. It¡¯s bloomed in the greenhouse. This purple-brown is the ink orchid. Logically speaking, the flowering period has passed. I wonder why the princess¡¯s ink orchid is still blooming¡­¡±


    Li Yu watched and listened to Madam Gong¡¯s exnation. A thin and mean-looking woman stood in front of the two of them and looked at Li Yu with a fake smile. ¡°Madam Li, you said that you didn¡¯t have the time toe to my house for a banquet when you just arrived here. So it¡¯s because my Feng family¡¯s rank isn¡¯t high enough to reach you!¡±


    Madam Gong nced at her. ¡°Madam Yang, you¡¯ve got the wrong person.¡±


    Li Yu thought for a moment before remembering that Zhou Jia had declined an invitation by someone with the surname Feng. Seeing her mean expression, she said coldly, ¡°Why should I go to your house to attend your banquet? You really don¡¯t know what¡¯s good for you.¡±


    Madam Yang looked at Madam Gong and sneered. ¡°How can I be wrong? Look, she admitted it herself.¡±


    Madam Gong looked at Madam Yang coldly and said in a low voice, ¡°Madam Yang, I know why you posted to my Ah Yu. Let me give you a piece of advice.


    You can¡¯t be too mean as a person. You have to umte more merit.¡±


    Madam Yang screamed, ¡°Madam Gong, I sent an invitation to her family out of goodwill to remind them not to be blinded by flowery words and marry the jinx of the Fan family. Hmph! How ungrateful.¡±


    When Madam Gong heard this, her anger surged. ¡°Madam Yang, you have a daughter yourself. Why do you have to be so relentless? As the wife of the censor, you aon¡¯t respect your woras. otners are arraid or you, Dut my Lin family isn¡¯t afraid of you.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s also my Wu family,¡± Elder Madam Gong added.


    ¡°Hmph! Good intentions will not be repaid!¡± Madam Yang nced at Madam Gong. ¡°There will be a day when you cry!¡±


    Li Yu already understood that this woman was the woman who had ruined Fan Mingfang¡¯s reputation everywhere. When she heard the malicious curse in her words, she took a step forward and looked at her coldly.


    Madam Yang forced herself to be calm and looked at Li Yu. ¡°What do you want to do? Are you going to hit me?¡±


    Li Yu smiled evilly and looked at her. She said seriously, ¡°I see that you have an awl face, triangr eyes, high cheekbones, and no flesh on your cheeks. You have a small eagle hook nose, thin lips, and small nostrils. Tsk tsk! What a standard jinx. The Feng family can¡¯t even find a ce to cry when they marry a woman like you.¡±


    Madam Yang was furious at Li Yu¡¯s words. She looked at Li Yu in a daze and was speechless.


    Li Yu raised her eyebrows and looked at Madam Yang sharply. ¡°Listen up. Miss Fan is already a member of my Li family. From today onwards, if I hear another word from you that destroys her reputation, hmph! I won¡¯t let you off!¡±


    Madam Yang trembled in fear. ¡°You¡­ You¡¯re ndering me. I¡¯m going to enter the pce to sue you. As a First-grade Madam, you ruined my reputation.¡±


    Li Yu looked at her disdainfully. ¡°Can you find the pce door? If you can¡¯t, I¡¯ll find someone to bring you there!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going too far. Just wait.¡± Madam Yang said ruthlessly and was about to leave.


    Li Yu scolded, ¡°Stop, did you bow to me?¡±


    Madam Yang stopped in her tracks and trembled in anger. After pausing for a moment, she bent her knees and bowed to Li Yu. She covered her face and staggered back a step before turning to run.


    The surrounding women who were admiring the flowers looked at Madam Yang and whispered. Madam A said, ¡°Someone finally dealt with her. She¡¯s too vicious. The Fan family was really unlucky to be engaged to her family.¡±


    Madam B curled her lips and said, ¡°That¡¯s right! The Fan family was too kind. If it were anyone else, they would have attacked them long ago.¡±


    Madam C chimed in, ¡°Censor Feng is unlucky to have married her.¡±


    Madam Dagong nced at the three of them. ¡°They¡¯re all family. If Censor Feng is a good person, why wouldn¡¯t he control Madam Yang? He¡¯s supposed to be good friends with Master Fan! Now, they want to sow discord between my nephew¡¯s family.¡±


    ¡°Yo! Sister Gong, it¡¯s you! Tell me, when did your nephew have such a domineering sister?¡±


    Elder Madam Gong held her hand. ¡°Sister Lin, let me tell you, my cousin¡¯s nephew and niece are amazing. My nephew is the current Third Honors Schr¡­¡¯


    Li Yu looked at Elder Madam Gong, who was bragging with Sister Lin, and felt that she was really capable of talking to anyone.


    Madam Gong smiled and walked up to Li Yu to hold her hand. ¡°Ah Yu, there¡¯s no need to wait for her. We¡¯ll leave first. You don¡¯t know that my cousin has been talkative since she was young and likes to interact with others, but she knows her limits. She won¡¯t reveal anything she shouldn¡¯t say.¡±


    Madam Gong stopped and looked at Li Yu with a smile. ¡°Ah Yu, you¡¯re good! Aunt was so happy to see Madam Yang in a sorry state today. I didn¡¯t expect you to know how to read fortunes!¡±


    Li Yuughed when she heard that. ¡°How would I know how to read fortunes? Those are all nonsense. Does Aunt also have a grudge against Madam Yang?¡±


    Madam Gong said in a low voice, ¡°Yes! To be precise, I have a grudge against the eldest sister of the Yang family. Aunt and the eldest sister of the Yang family were born in the same month and were even good sisters. Coincidentally, her family is also a family in Qingzhou. At that time, the two of us even nned to take care of each other when we married in Qingzhou.¡± paused for a moment and said in a low voice, ¡°Who knew that the next year, Qingzhou was in chaos? I also heard that the big families in Qingzhou were attacked by bandits. At that time, the rumors said that the big families in Qingzhou were all wiped out by bandits. I was worried about your uncle¡¯s safety, and she was also worried about her fianc¨¦¡¯s safety. We even went to the temple to burn incense and pray for blessings. The two families also sent people to ask around and found out that none of her fianc¨¦¡¯s family survived. However, there was no definite news from your uncle¡¯s family. She and I were in the same boat and cared about each other. At the end of the year, your uncle arrived in the capital. I was overjoyed but afraid of making her sad. I was still thinking about how tofort her. When I went to look for her, she was unwilling to see me. I was still wondering what was going on. Later, after I married your uncle, I found out that she ran to your uncle and maliciously ndered me. She was chased out by your uncle.¡±


    Li Yu recalled a line in the book, East Evil and West Poison: Anyone can be vicious as long as one has sampled jealousy.


    Li Yu smiled and said to Madam Gong, ¡°Uncle is the good one.¡±


    ¡°Yes! Your uncle is indeed very good.¡± Madam Gong smiled sweetly.


    The two of them strolled back to the garden where the banquet was held. Lin Jia, Lin Yi, and the two girls had already returned there. Everyone greeted and sat for a while before the banquet began. Li Yu and Madam Gong sat together and saw wine and delicacies being served like flowing water. Li Yu picked up a few vegetables and ate them. Seeing that Madam Gong and the others had also put down their chopsticks, the few of them walked to the side and sat for a while before bidding farewell..

 Chapter 412 - 412: Young Sir

    Chapter 412: Young Sir


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    When they reached the garden door, everyone bade farewell to one another again. Li Yu got into the carriage and sat down. Granny Yang thoughtfully took a pillow for Li Yu to use as a cushion. She smiled and said, ¡®Madam, the capital is like this. She¡¯s holding a flower appreciation banquet today. Tomorrow, she¡¯ll treat us to wine. There will be endless banquets in a year.¡±


    When Li Yu heard this, she thought with a headache that these social events were really boring. She would hide in the countryside after they have settled down.


    When they returned home, Yangyang ran over with Xiao Bai to look for Li Yu. ¡°Mother, I went to see Sir today. I have to go to school tomorrow morning. Mother, they don¡¯t ept Little Loach and the others. Move our school to the capital! Little Loach and the others can also go to school then.¡±


    Li Yu thought for a moment. ¡°How about this? When you go home from school, you can teach Little Loach and the others what you learned. In the future, you¡¯ll be their young teacher.¡±


    Yangyang thought for a moment and puffed out his chest. He looked at Li Yu with his big round eyes. ¡°Alright, prepare a ssroom for me.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and touched his head. ¡°Go to the front courtyard and choose one yourself. Get Uncle Xiang to prepare a table and stool for you.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll choose now.¡± Yangyang led Xiao Bai and took a few steps before turning back to look at Li Yu. ¡°Mother, I¡¯ll be Young Sir in the future.


    Remember not to touch my head again.¡±


    Seeing his serious expression, Li Yu held back herughter and replied seriously, ¡°Alright! I won¡¯t touch our Young Master¡¯s head in the future.¡±


    Yangyang nodded in satisfaction. ¡°Thank you, Mother. I¡¯ll prepare the ssroom.¡±


    As soon as the Hundred Flowers Banquet ended, the news that Madam Yang had been dealt with by Miss Fan¡¯s aunt spread in the capital. Madam Lin, who was on good terms with Madam Wu, came out of the Hundred Flowers Banquet and rushed to the Fan family.


    Madam Lin looked at Madam Wu reproachfully. ¡°Sister Wu, your Wanwan was betrothed to such a good family. Why didn¡¯t I hear you mention it? You didn¡¯t know that your grievance was avenged today. That vicious woman from the Yang family was taught a lesson by Mingfang¡¯s sister-inw. Madam Yang cried and left the flower banquet.¡± As she spoke, she imitated Li Yu¡¯s appearance and warning to Madam Yang.


    When Madam Wu heard this, her heart fell to the ground. She thought about how Aunt Li had defended Wanwan in public and even helped Wanwan seek justice and punish Madam Yang. The marriage would not change.


    Madam Wu was pleasantly surprised. She held her hand and said, ¡°Sister Lin, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to tell you, but Young Master Lis¡¯s Brother-inw only brought Young Master Li here two days ago. Uncle Li and the official media came to propose the marriage yesterday. Master and I will have told you in a few days.¡±


    Madam Lin also chuckled. ¡°You can rest assured now. Madam Li is so protective of Mingfang. Wanwan is finally very lucky. The good days are still ahead!¡±


    Madam Wu said happily, ¡°Thank you for your blessings, Sister Lin.¡±


    The two of them chatted for a while before Madam Lin bade farewell and left. Madam Wu went to her daughter¡¯s boudoir to tell her the news that Madam Lin had brought. She said to her, ¡°Wanwan, your sister-inw is a sensible person. After you marry over, you have to respect her and help Ah Qing lead a good life, understand?¡±


    Fan Mingfang was extremely touched that Li Yu could publicly defend her. She looked at Madam Wu and said, ¡°Mother, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll live a good life. He was raised by Sister-inw. The eldest sister is like a mother. She should be respected.¡±


    Madam Wu looked at her daughter and nodded in relief.


    Halfway through the next day, Xia Tao was followed by a woman with a bulging abdomen, willowy eyebrows, almond-shaped eyes, fair skin, and a dark red dress.


    Li Yu and Zhou Jia weed them in. Zhou Jia looked at Xia Tao, pointed at Li


    Yu and Li Qing, and introduced with a smile, ¡°Zijing, you know my wife too. This is my brother-inw, Li Qing. His name is Qingbai.¡±


    Li Yu and Li Qing smiled and went forward to greet them. Xia Tao smiled and said to them, ¡°This is my wife, Madam Tang. Madam, this is my good friend, Zhou Jia. Jiahe, this is his wife. You cane and talk to Sister-inw in the future.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and said to Madam Tang, ¡°Sister-inw, please follow me around. ¡±


    Madam Tang smiled gently and agreed to go to the backyard with Li Yu. After walking around and talking about the current situation at home, the two of them couldn¡¯t find anything to say.


    Seeing that she was quiet and didn¡¯t say much, Li Yu thought to herself that Xia Tao liked tough and make a fuss at first sight. The two of them were quitepatible. Seeing that she seemed to be a little tired again, she smiled and said to her, ¡°Sister-inw, are you tired? Do you want me to bring you to rest for a while?¡±


    Madam Tang smiled and nodded. ¡°Sister-inw, I¡¯m a little tired.¡±


    Li Yu brought her to the guest room to rest and went to the kitchen to take a look at the dishes. Old Madam Liu smiled and reported, ¡°Madam, there¡¯s ginseng ck chicken soup, magnolia slices of winter bamboo shoots, steamed bass, and spring vegetable soup¡­ Is it enough?¡±


    Li Yu nodded in satisfaction. ¡°Alright, prepare it as you say. The banquet will start in an hour.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Old Madam Liu agreed happily and went to work.


    Li Yu walked around and didn¡¯t see Mr. Wen. After looking around, Xing Hua came back and said, ¡°Madam, Old Master brought the Maizi to the west city for a volunteer medical consultation. He said that he would be back before midnight.¡±


    Zhou Jia and Xia Tao chatted for a while. Xia Tao looked at Zhou Jia strangely. ¡°Where¡¯s your son? Why didn¡¯t you bring him to me?¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled. ¡°He¡¯s in school! I¡¯ll get someone to pick him up!¡±


    Xia Tao stood up and looked at Zhou Jia. ¡°I know the school; we¡¯ll pick him up together.¡±


    The two of them walked out together. Zhou Jia smiled proudly and said, ¡°He went to the Lin n school to study. He was still worried that Little Loach and the others wouldn¡¯t be able to study. When he found his mother, her mother gave him the idea to teach those children himself. He even prepared a ssroom and prepared to be a young teacher!¡±


    ¡°Oh! He sounds like a smart kid.¡¯


    The two of them arrived at the Lin n school and got out of the carriage. After Zhou Jia told the old servant, he went in and applied for leave from the teacher on duty. When the child came out of school, he saw Zhou Jia walk up to him. ¡°Father, are youing to pick me up? Father, I¡¯ve met a new friend.¡±


    ¡°Sure! You¡¯ve made new friends so quickly. Uncle Xia is here. Daddy will take you to see him.¡±


    ¡°Okay, next time I¡¯ll introduce you to my new friends.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Zhou Jia held his hand and walked out. Xia Tao stood beside the carriage and saw Zhou Jia holding his son¡¯s hand. He thought to himself that this child was really good -looking. He didn¡¯t look as quiet as Jiahe when he was young.


    Xia Tao went forward and reached out to touch Yangyang¡¯s bag. ¡°Jiahe, your son is really good-looking. He looks more like a kidpared to when you were younger.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean by like a kid? He¡¯s a kid, to begin with.¡± Zhou Jia smiled and kicked him. Then, he turned around and said to Yangyang, ¡°Yang¡¯er, greet your Uncle Xia.¡±


    Yangyang went forward and bowed. ¡°Zhou Chenxi greets Uncle Xia.¡±


    ¡°Good child. May you have good health and long life.¡± Xia Tao smiled and hung a jade pendant carved into a pine tree around Yangyang¡¯s neck.


    Yangyang nced at Zhou Jia, who smiled and said, ¡°Yang¡¯er, thank Uncle.¡±


    Yangyang bowed obediently and thanked him. The two of them brought


    Yangyang home to meet Madam Tang and began to set up the banquet..

 Chapter 413 - 413: Restless Concubines

    Chapter 413: Restless Concubines


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    After Yangyang finished eating, Li Yu sent him out. Xing Hua stood at the door and waited to send him to school.


    Yangyang looked at Li Yu and said, ¡°Mother, my deskmate doesn¡¯t even know how to grind ink. His face and hands are covered in it. Sigh! I really couldn¡¯t stand it anymore, so I taught him how to grind ink. After ss, he followed me to y. We¡¯re good friends now.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and praised him. ¡°Yang¡¯er is really capable. Do you understand what Sir taught?¡±


    ¡°I understand. Mother, I¡¯m going to school.¡± Li Yu nodded and watched him leave with Xing Hua before going back to entertain the guests.


    After Xia Tao and his wife ate, everyone sat and chatted for a while before the couple bade farewell and left.


    In the afternoon, Zhao Cai went to the Lin n school to pick up Yangyang from school. When Yangyang saw him, he asked, ¡°Uncle Cai, is my ssroom ready?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s ready. You can start ss when you get back,¡± Moneymaker replied with a smile.


    After Yangyang returned, he looked at the table stool that had been prepared and bowed to Zhao Cai with a smile. ¡°Uncle Cai, thank you!¡±


    Zhao Cai smiled and avoided him. ¡°Young Master, you have to finish your homework before you can start ss.¡±


    Yangyang nodded happily. ¡°Got it.¡±


    After doing the homework left behind by Sir, he indeed began to teach Little Loach and the others. Li Yu, Zhou Jia, and Mr. Wen hid outside and nodded in satisfaction when they saw his serious expression.


    Mr. Wen smiled and said, ¡°This is a good idea. The child can review what he learned from Sir and also cultivate his ability to speak and do things. These children are not bad. They¡¯re all quite smart.¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled and nodded. ¡°Remember to bring them along when you go out for the volunteer medical consultation. Let them run errands for you.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about me.¡± Mr. Wen turned to look at Li Yu. ¡°Xiaoyu, Granny Yang is a good person. If she¡¯s willing to stay and help you, you can keep her!¡±


    Li Yu smiled and replied, ¡°Yes, I also think she¡¯s a good person. She knows most of the things in the capital.¡±


    The next day, Zhou Jia and Li Qing went to the government office and the Hanlin Academy one after another. Li Qing and Fan Mingfang¡¯s marriage followed the procedure. Zhao Cai¡¯s wedding was set for the sixth day of April.


    A few dayster, the family went to the Lin family¡¯s gathering to acknowledge their rtives. Li Yu realized that there were really many rtives in ancient times. The Lin family had only invited rtively close families, but there were close to 40 people.


    Madam Gong brought Li Yu and introduced her to the rtives of the Lin family and the Gong family. Li Yu smiled and greeted the aunts and cousins.


    Zhou Jia and Li Qing were brought by the Lin father and son to get to know the rtives and friends of the family and the Gong family. Zhou Jia realized that there were only three or four families of the Lin family in the capital. One was in the Ministry of Rites, one was in the Ministry of Official Personnel Affairs, and one was a scribe in the capital¡¯s government office.


    Some of the rtives of the Gong family were in the Imperial Guards, and some were in the Ministry of War. Their positions were not high, but they were all doing well. The heads of the Lin family and the Gong family were very optimistic about Zhou Jia and Li Qing¡¯s future. Everyone greeted them politely. After acknowledging her kinship, Madam Gong pulled Li Yu to the side and gossiped excitedly, ¡°Ah Yu, do you know that Censor Feng wants to divorce his wife? He said that Madam Yang couldn¡¯t give birth to a son and even wanted to kill his only illegitimate son. The elder brother of the Yang family impeached Censor Feng for doting on his concubine at the expense of his wife. His Majesty said that the two families don¡¯t cultivate personal virtue and asked the two families to cultivate their morals.¡±


    Li Yu asked curiously, ¡°Does His Majesty still care about such things?¡±


    Elder Madam Gong covered her mouth andughed. ¡°If they say it in the court, His Majesty will have to interfere! I heard that there are even people fighting in front of the hall!¡±


    When Li Yu heard this, she thought of Chu Yuhao frowning and watching the show. She also smiled. ¡°Oh! What happened to the Feng and Yang families? Did he divorce Madam Yang?¡±


    Elder Madam Gong liked listeners like Li Yu the most. She smiled and said, ¡°No! Censor Feng has taken in a noble concubine. Ah Yu, I¡¯ll tell you that a woman who has be a concubine is the most ambitious. Even if there are few who know their ce, Madam Yang¡¯s heart is even smaller than a needle. Just you wait. Something big will happen to the Feng family sooner orter!¡± Li Yu saw that Elder Madam Gong seemed to have foreseen the Feng family¡¯s future.


    At the beginning of April, Li Yu was diagnosed with twins. Li Yu was pleasantly surprised. Zhou Jia looked worried behind her back. He went to the Lin family. He found Lin Zexu and said with a bitter expression, ¡°Uncle, Ah Yu is pregnant with twins. I want to ask you, how did Aunt recuperate when she was pregnant with two cousins?


    Seeing Zhou Jia¡¯s worried expression, Lin Zexu smiled andforted him. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry. There are many women in the Lin family who have two children. The Lin family has sorted out a method that records what to pay attention to in which month. There¡¯s also a recipe. Take it and ask Mr. Wen to take a look. Draw up a recipe suitable for Ah Yu ording to her physique.


    She¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    Seeing Lin Zexu¡¯s calm andposed appearance, Zhou Jia thought about how Aunt Lin looked healthy now and was relieved. He took the booklet Lin Zexu found and bowed. ¡°Uncle, I¡¯ll take it back and copy it. I¡¯ll return it to you.¡±


    Lin Zexu smiled and waved his hand. ¡°There¡¯s no need to return it. I¡¯ve copied a few copies and ced them at home! Rest assured so that Ah Yu won¡¯t be worried. ¡±


    ¡°Yes, Uncle.¡± Zhou Jia bowed and returned to the Zhou family with the booklet as if he had obtained a treasure.


    He happily handed the booklet to Mr. Wen. After reading it, Mr. Wen smiled and said, ¡°The Lin family¡¯s records are extremely detailed. Everything that needs to be noted is recorded. Don¡¯t worry, Mr. Wen will help you watch


    Xiaoyu.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Sir. Thank you for your trouble,¡± Zhou Jia said gratefully.


    Mr. Wen smiled and knocked on Zhou Jia with the booklet. ¡°Brat, why are you treating me like an outsider? Don¡¯t worry now! Go back to the government office.¡±


    Li Yu wanted to go to the countryside because she was pregnant with twins. In the blink of an eye, it was the sixth day of April. Zhao Cai¡¯s new house was decorated withnterns and decorations. It was filled with joy. Zhao Cai married his new wife, Zhizi. After the couple bowed to Li Yu and Zhou Jia, Zhao Cai still returned to the Zhou family to work a few dayster. Ji Xiang also moved into a new house. Gu Yu was also pregnant and returned home to recuperate.


    In mid-April, Li Qing and Fan Mingfang¡¯s marriage was settled. The date of their marriage was set for September.


    Li Qing also moved into the new residence. The Lin family and the Fan family went to Li Qing¡¯s new residence to congratte him on the housewarming. Li Yu saw Elder Madam Gong, who liked to gossip.


    This time, the news Madam Gong brought was that the Third Young Master of the Jianning Prefecture and his twockeys had been sacked by someone and beaten up. They had been stripped naked and hung on an old pagoda tree in an alley not far from the Jianning Prefecture. Their valuables had been looted.


    Li Yu only treated it as a joke. When she returned home, she even told Zhou Jia about this. Zhou Jia smiled and said, ¡°These rich yboys might be targeted.¡± Li Yu shook her head and smiled. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a robbery. It¡¯s more likely to be revenge.¡±


    Zhou Jiaughed in his heart, ¡°Wife, you guessed wrong this time. It was just teaching him a lesson.¡±


    He said, ¡°Who cares! It has nothing to do with us. Everything has been settled. Ah Qing¡¯s marriage has been settled. Just stay at home and recuperate. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll go to the graves of Grandfather, Mother, and Third Uncle tomorrow. You can¡¯t go because you¡¯re pregnant. Let them cook whatever you want.¡±


    ¡°Got it. Don¡¯t worry! Why did you be so naggy?¡± Li Yu replied with a smile.


    Zhou Jiaughed when he heard that. ¡°I¡¯m a little naggy, but don¡¯t despise me. It¡¯s not wrong to be careful.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and kissed him. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll listen to you!¡± As expected, she stayed at home to recuperate..

 Chapter 414 - 414: Visit

    Chapter 414: Visit


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    The news of Li Qing moving reached Li Fengqi¡¯s ears. Li Fengqi went home angrily and said to Laidi, ¡°The people in the posthouse are saying that your cousin held a moving banquet two days ago. Why didn¡¯t Ah Qing invite you?¡±


    Laidi looked at Li Fengqi¡¯s angry expression and lowered her head, not daring to look at him. ¡°I don¡¯t know either. I was probably too busy to remember!¡±


    Li Fengqi recalled that he had been wandering around the capital these days and the exnations on the exam questions he had bought were only superficial. Thinking of this, he could only endure it. He looked at Laidi and said gently, ¡°Ah Qing¡¯s moving banquet has been held. Cousin should be free. Go and ask her today. Tell her well that we don¡¯t need your Cousin-inw to take the time to guide me. We just need to borrow his notes and insights.¡±


    When Laidi heard this, her heart was filled with bitterness. She nodded and went out to take a carriage to the Zhou family.


    When Laidi arrived at the Zhou family¡¯s door, she had just told the doorman that she wanted to see Li Yu. The doorman looked at her and cupped his hands.


    ¡°Madam, I¡¯m sorry. My Madam is not feeling well and is recuperating at home.


    She hasn¡¯t seen guests for a long time.¡±


    Laidi smiled obsequiously and said, ¡°I¡¯m your wife¡¯s cousin. She¡¯ll definitely see me. Please help me pass the message.¡±


    The doorman refused tly. ¡°No, my master has instructed that no one is to disturb Madam¡¯s recuperation. Please go back!¡±


    Laidi red at the door and got into the carriage angrily. When she was about to reach home, she was still thinking about how to exin to Li Fengqi when she got home. She was worried and couldn¡¯t think of a way to fool him.


    Laidi frowned and said to herself, ¡°If Cousin-inw and Ah Qing can easily get on the Golden Ranking List, why can¡¯t Fengqi do it? It¡¯s true that Ah Qing was taught by Cousin-inw, but Cousin-inw didn¡¯t have anyone to teach him back then! He still got on the rankings. In that case, Fengqi can also rely on his own abilities! That way, I can hold my head high in front of my cousin and mother! Why does he have to beg my cousin and bear with their disdain? ¡®


    Just as Laidi was thinking this, she heard the coachman say that he had arrived. She got out of the car and entered the house with a depressed expression.


    Li Fengqi knew that she had failed when he saw her. He was disappointed. He looked at her and said, ¡°I¡¯ve long suspected that you were chased out of the


    Zhou familyst time. Did you say something stupid to make them angry? Why were you so impatient: What should we do how:


    ¡°Why can¡¯t you rely on your own ability to get on the Golden Ranking List? Zhou Jia also relied on his own achievements. Why do you want me to beg him?¡±


    Li Fengqi was tongue-tied by Laidi¡¯s question. He was stunned for a moment and looked at Laidi with disdain. ¡°You¡¯re indeed an ignorant vige woman.¡±


    Laidi looked at Li Fengqi¡¯s disdainful gaze and blurted out angrily, ¡°Without an ignorant vige woman like me, you would only be a poor schr now. Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know that without Ah Qing to take care of you for more than half a year, your wish to be a High Schr¡­¡±


    Laidi turned into the room before she could finish speaking and mmed the door.


    Li Fengqi choked on Laidi¡¯s words. He looked at the closed door and could not refute her.


    Laidi went into the house andy on the bed. Tears flowed down her face.


    Li Fengqi was stunned for a moment before turning around and leaving. He stood on the street and looked at the endless crowd. Suddenly, he felt a sense of destion. He felt that there was no ce for him in this bustling capital.


    Li Fengqi, who was filled with destion, walked into the Tongzhou Guild Hall and ordered some food and wine. The more he drank, the more upset he became. He got drunk and passed out on the table.


    The shopkeeper in the hall looked at Li Fengqi and shook his head. He turned around and instructed the shop assistant, ¡°Ah Gui, help High Schr Li to the small courtyard rented by the Li family and hand him to Madam Li.¡±


    Ah Gui asked the shopkeeper in a low voice, ¡°Shopkeeper, I think the other two


    High Schrs have gone to the restaurant. Can High Schr Li sit and eat?¡±


    The shopkeeper knocked on the shop assistant. ¡°Why do you care about other people¡¯s business? Help him back and hand him to Madam Li.¡±


    Ah Gui looked at Li Fengqi, who was lying on the table, and shook his head. He went over and helped him to the small courtyard to knock on the door. He handed the drunk Li Fengqi to Laidi.


    Laidi and the old woman helped Li Fengqi into the house. Looking at the drunk Li Fengqi lying on the bed, she said angrily, ¡°I only said a few words to you, but you went out and came back drunk. Why weren¡¯t you like this in the past?¡±


    The old woman said, ¡°Madam, Master is frustrated. Don¡¯t me him. I heard from the old sister of the helper next door that Master Huang went to a high-ranking official¡¯s house. His monthly sry is quite a lot. If you get Master to find a family to do business, he can also subsidize the family with some silver.¡±


    Laidi thought so and nodded. ¡°You¡¯re right. Go get some hot water to wipe Master down.¡±


    After Li Fengqi woke up, Laidi looked at him and said, ¡°After saying a few words to you, you went out to drink. Didn¡¯t you say the same thing about me? I heard that High Schr Huang next door is going to an official¡¯s house up work. Go and ask him if he can help you find such a job and earn some money to subsidize the family.¡±


    When Li Fengqi heard this, he thought to himself that it seemed that he couldn¡¯t count on the Zhou family. It would be fine to find work in an official¡¯s family. He could rely on them after getting familiar with them.


    ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll do as you say. Go prepare some food and wine. I¡¯ll ask Brother Huang to help introduce us.¡±


    Seeing that Li Fengqi readily agreed, Laidi replied happily, ¡°Yes! I¡¯ll go shopping now.¡±


    After Li Fengqi asked High Schr Huang for help, not long after, High Schr Huang helped Li Fengqi find a family to sit in. Li Fengqi also went to sit in peace and teach.


    The news of Zhou Jia returning to the capital to be an official was spread to Zhou Rongxian¡¯s old residence.


    Zhou Rongxian looked at the steward in front of him and widened his eyes in surprise. ¡°You said that Zhou Jia returned to the capital to be an official?


    When did this happen? Where does he live?¡±


    The man looked arrogantly at Zhou Rongxian, who was wearing wrinkled clothes. ¡°He lives on East Street, the one at the head of Guihua Lane. You¡¯ll know when you see it. It¡¯s written on the que!¡± The man left after saying that.


    Zhou Rongxian looked at the man¡¯s back and smiled. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that brat to be a capital official. Good, good.¡±


    The man walked to a carriage and reported to the person in the car, ¡°Madam,


    I¡¯ve already told Zhou Rongxian.¡±


    The woman lifted a corner of the carriage curtain and Madam Yang¡¯s face was revealed. ¡°Alright, find two idlers to guard the Zhou family. When Zhou Rong goes to the Zhou family first, we¡¯ll blow things up.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± The man took the order and left. Madam Yang knocked on the carriage and it started up and left.


    The steward who sent the news to Zhou Rong first brought a man with a goatee on his mouth and two idlers to the opposite side of the Zhou family. He pointed at the Zhou family and said, ¡°If a tall and thin old man in wrinkled clotheses to the door to cause trouble, take the opportunity to make a fuss and blow things up. At that time, my master will give you the remaining silver.¡±


    The goateed man smiled apologetically and said, ¡°Manager Yang, don¡¯t worry. My brother and the others are the best at this. As long as he makes a fuss at the door, we promise to blow things up.¡±


    Manager Yang nodded. ¡°Work hard. There are benefits for you.¡±


    Zhou Rongxian went back to freshen up first and hired a mule cart to Guihua Alley on East Street. He got out of the cart and paid his fare. Soon, he found the


    Zhou family..

 Chapter 415 - 415: Father

    Chapter 415: Father


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Zhou Rongxian walked to the door and said arrogantly to the doorman, ¡°Go and tell your master that his father is here. Tell him toe out and wee his father. ¡±


    The doorman was stunned for a moment when he heard that. He thought to himself, I¡¯ve been in the Zhou family for a while, but I didn¡¯t hear that Master has a father! He doesn¡¯t look like he¡¯s talking nonsense. I should go in and ask first!


    The doorman smiled and said, ¡°Master, wait a moment. I¡¯ll go in and report.¡±


    Zhou Rongxian looked at the door arrogantly and waved his hand. ¡°Go! Let hime out quickly to wee his father.¡±


    The doorman ran in and told Ji Xiang about someone iming to be Old


    Master. Ji Xiang said to him, ¡°Bring him in first. I¡¯ll report to Madam.¡±


    After the doorman agreed, he went out. Ji Xiang went to the backyard and told Li Yu about Old Master Zhou¡¯s visit.


    Li Yu was not surprised that Zhou Rongxian came looking for them, but he came earlier than she had expected. She thought for a moment and said, ¡°Bring him in and settle him in the outer courtyard for the time being. See if anyone is poking their heads out?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± Ji Xiang went out and saw that it was indeed Master Zhou. He went forward and bowed. ¡°Old Master, Master is not at home. Follow me in and rest for a while until Masteres back.¡±


    Zhou Rongxian looked at Ji Xiang for a while and pointed at him. ¡°Are you the youngest beggar I picked up back then?¡±


    Ji Xiang smiled and nodded. ¡°Yes, Old Master. I¡¯m the youngest little beggar.¡±


    Zhou Rongxian nodded in satisfaction. ¡®Yes! You¡¯re a good person. Go get some


    good wine and dishes. I haven¡¯t eaten good food and wine in a long time.¡± ¡°Yes, please wait a moment. I¡¯ll get the stove to make it for you.¡±


    Zhou Rongxian leaned back in his chair and instructed Ji Xiang, ¡°Alright, remember to cook the food well.¡±


    Ji Xiang smiled and nodded in agreement. He called Uncle Liu over and said to him, ¡°Uncle Liu, go outside and take a look. See if there are any shady people wandering outside. ¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡± Uncle Liu nodded and turned to go out the side door to walk around outside. He saw a few idlers wandering around and went back to tell Ji Xiang.


    Ji Xiang nodded and turned to see Old Master Zhou wolfing down his food. How long had it been since he had eaten his fill?


    Ji Xiang was a little surprised. He walked to the table and filled Zhou Rongxian¡¯s cup with wine. He smiled and asked, ¡°Old Master, my master has only returned to the capital for a few days, but you already know. You¡¯re really well-informed.¡±


    Zhou Rong took a sip of wine and nced at Ji Xiang. ¡°Kid, you¡¯re coaxing me! That person said that your master arrivedst month. It¡¯s already mid-April, but he didn¡¯t go to pay his respects to his father. Does he not want to be filial to his father?¡±


    Ji Xiang criticized silently, ¡°Do you know that you¡¯re his father? Have you ever looked after my master all these years? Now that you¡¯ve lost the family business, you¡¯re remembering that you still have a son. Unfortunately, he¡¯s been long been adopted by someone else.¡±


    However, Ji Xiang still bowed without changing his expression. ¡°How can that be? Although my Master has already adopted into Third Old Master¡¯s family, you¡¯re also his uncle. My master is the most filial. He won¡¯t ignore you.¡±


    Zhou Rong nced at Ji Xiang and sneered. ¡°Kid, you don¡¯t have to remind me. I know that he was adopted by the olddy into Third Uncle¡¯s family. Don¡¯t treat me as a muddle-headed worm. I was born into a family after all. I¡¯m not afraid to tell you that that person came running to tell me the news of this brat¡¯s return. I know what he wants to do. I also understand the principle of not siding with outsiders.¡±


    Ji Xiang muttered under his breath, ¡°You¡¯ve never done anything good to my Young Master in the past. Who knows whom you will side with?¡±


    Ji Xiang served him dishes respectfully. ¡°Of course, you¡¯re also the sessor carefully nurtured by thete patriarch!¡±


    Zhou Rong took a sip of wine and looked at Ji Xiang proudly. ¡°Tell that brat that as long as he can be filial to me and support me in my old age, I won¡¯t cause trouble for him. I¡¯ll even help him block those two unfilial dogs. Look, I didn¡¯t look for him when the olddy passed away! I still understand the principle of leaving a way out so that we can meet in the future.¡±


    ¡°The olddy passed away? When did that happen?¡± Ji Xiang looked at Old Master Zhou in surprise.


    Old Master Zhou said indifferently, ¡°After you left the capital, Old Madam left in half a month. I used the excuse that we couldn¡¯t contact him on the way and didn¡¯t inform that brat.¡±


    Ji Xiang nced at Old Master Zhou and bowed. ¡°I¡¯ll report your intentions to Master. After you eat and drink, you may want to rest for a while. Just instruct me.¡±


    Zhou Rongxian waved his hand. ¡°You can leave! Don¡¯t dy my drinking.¡± Ji Xiang nced at Old Master Zhou and felt that he had to get to know this old man again.


    Ji Xiang returned to the backyard and reported Old Master Zhou¡¯s intentions to Li Yu. ¡°Madam, Old Master said that Old Madam has been gone for several years. Old Master also said that someone specially came to tell him that you and Master had returned to the capital. Uncle Liu also saw two idlers outside the residence just now. What do you think we should do?¡±


    When she suddenly heard that Old Madam Zhou had left, Li Yu was also a little surprised. She couldn¡¯t figure out Old Master Zhou. As for the person who wanted to find trouble with the Zhou family, Li Yu thought to herself that there was only one person she offended when she came to the capital. Other than Madam Yang, who else would be so free to find trouble with the Zhou family?


    ¡°Go and think of a way to follow them and see if Madam Yang of the Feng family found someone to do it. I think she might be thinking that if we have an argument with Old Master, it¡¯s best if she can join Old Master. If not, he can also disgust us. Let her wait!


    Old Master will serve you well. We¡¯ll decide on the rest when Masteres back.¡±


    ¡°Yes! I¡¯ll arrange for Old Master to stay in the guest room first.¡± Ji Xiang smiled.


    ¡°Madam, they might still be waiting for us to make a fuss outside!¡± Li Yu smiled faintly and said, ¡°She thinks that everyone is as sarcastic as her!¡±


    After Ji Xiang left, he went to the front courtyard to ask Uncle Liu to arrange for Old Master Zhou to rest in the guest room. He went to change his clothes and went outside the residence. He did not see the few idlers Uncle Liu had mentioned. After walking around, he saw two idlers strolling outside the residence.


    Ji Xiang went took two strings of money to give Little Loach a few. ¡°Keep an eye on the idlers outside the house. When you see them leave, follow them quietly and see who they meet. Follow the person who meets him and note down the address. If you can¡¯t find a way home, hire a carriage.¡±


    When Little Loach and the others heard this, they smiled proudly and said, ¡°Uncle Xiang, don¡¯t worry. We did this when we were beggars.¡±


    Ji Xiang instructed, ¡°I know you¡¯ve done it before, but this is the capital. Remember not to get lost.¡±


    ¡°Got it. We¡¯ll go now.¡±


    After the three of them went out, they strolled around. When they returned, they saw the two people Ji Xiang had mentioned. They strolled around and went to the end of West End Lane. They spoke to a middle-aged man with a goatee and cupped their hands before leaving.


    Little Loach saw the man thoughtfully touch the goatee on his mouth and said to Little Stutterer, ¡°Go back and tell Uncle Xiang that Maizi and I will follow him.¡±


    Little Stutterer nodded and gestured at the two of them, indicating that they should be careful.


    Little Loach nodded. ¡°Got it. Go back!¡±


    After saying that, Little Loach turned around and saw that the goateed man had already left. He hurriedly followed. Maizi waved at the little stutterer and hurriedly followed Little Loach..

 Chapter 416 - 416: Following

    Chapter 416: Following


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    They left the alley and didn¡¯t get far up East Main Street before they saw the goateed man turn into the street market.


    The goateed man weaved through the bustling crowd. The two children followed him around two streets and through a few alleys. After walking for about an hour, they followed him to an alley called Schrs Alley. Seeing him enter the third house on Schrs Alley, the two of them memorized the ce and navigated their way home.


    When the two of them returned home, they found Ji Xiang and told him about the third house in Schr Alley.


    Little Loach proudly handed the two strings of money to Ji Xiang. ¡°Uncle Xiang,


    I¡¯ll return the money to you. We didn¡¯t use a single cent.¡±


    Ji Xiang took the copper coins and looked at the two of them with a smile. ¡°Good kids, you two are good! You even found your way back from such a long distance.¡±


    As he spoke, he took out another string of money and handed it to them. ¡°Hey! Take it. Buy whatever snacks you want.¡±


    Maodou slurped his saliva and smiled in embarrassment. ¡°Uncle Xiang, I want to eat fried quail. I smelled it on the way just now. It smells delicious.¡±


    Ji Xiang smiled and patted him. ¡°Alright, buy whatever you want to eat. Come back quickly after eating, understand?¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡± The four of them giggled and ran out with the money.


    Ji Xiang drove to Schr Alley and asked around. He found out that it was the Feng family¡¯s residence and returned home to tell Li Yu the news.


    Li Yu said to Ji Xiang, ¡°I knew it was Madam Yang. If that goateed manes again, catch him and scare him.¡±


    ¡°Madam, in my opinion, he will definitelye back when Master returns from the government office. Master is about to return. I¡¯ll get Little Loach and the others to go out and watch. Also, Old Master hasn¡¯t returned with Maizi.¡±


    ¡°Yes! I heard from the old man that he¡¯ll be backter. Yang¡¯er is about to leave school. I¡¯ll pick him up and walk around.¡±


    Ji Xiang smiled and said, ¡°You should bring Granny Yang with you!¡±


    Li Yu smiled and nodded. She sighed and said, ¡°Sigh! You guys are really treating me like those delicate noblewomen.¡±


    Granny Yang also smiled and said, ¡°You¡¯re precious now! You have to be more careful.¡±


    Ji Xiang smiled in agreement. ¡°Nanny is right.¡±


    Li Yu brought Granny Yang to the Lin n School. After waiting at the door for a while, a child came out.


    A four or five-year-old boy who looked like a little girl walked up to Li Yu and bowed. ¡°Aunt, my name is Lin Sen. I¡¯m Zhou Chenxi¡¯s ssmate. Are you Zhou Chenxi¡¯s mother?¡±


    Li Yu smiled at him. ¡°That¡¯s right! Little kid, why isn¡¯t Zhou Chenxi out?¡±


    ¡°He fought with Lin Haoran. The two of them were beaten up by Sir and were even punished to wipe the desk.¡± Lin Sen looked at Li Yu guiltily and lowered his head. ¡°Aunt, it¡¯s all my fault for causing him to be punished.¡±


    Li Yu smiled. ¡°It¡¯s his fault for fighting. It¡¯s none of your business. You don¡¯t have to me yourself.¡±


    Lin Sen nced at the carriage waiting in front of him. ¡°Aunt, can you not hit him? He was punished by Sir because he helped me. Aunt, I¡¯m leaving.¡±


    Li Yu saw him get into the carriage behind an old woman and brought Granny Yang into the n school. She looked at two ssrooms and saw Yangyang and a strong fat boy. The two of them were clumsily wiping the desk with a cloth.


    On the podium stood a middle-aged man who should be the teacher. There was also a gray-haired old man standing in the courtyard. He was probably here to pick up the child. The old man looked at Li Yu awkwardly and nodded in greeting.


    After Li Yu bent her knees slightly and bowed, she stood at the side and waited for half an hour. Then she saw the two children walk up to the teacher and bow.


    ¡°Sir, we wiped the table clean.¡±


    The teacher looked at the two of them and said, ¡°You¡¯re ssmates, so you should be united and love each other. On ount that this is your first offense, I¡¯ll give you a chance this time. Apologize to each other. If you do it again, I won¡¯t let you off easily.¡±


    They both replied in unison, ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    After the two of them cupped their hands and apologized to each other, the teacher said, ¡°Go out! Your families are waiting outside.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± The two children turned their backs, red at each other, and went out the door with their heads up.


    The two of them saw Li Yu and the old man standing in the courtyard. The child ran to the old man and called out, ¡°Grandpa.¡± He lowered his head and said nothing.


    Yangyang walked up to Li Yu weakly and called out aggrievedly, ¡°Mother.¡±


    Yangyang nodded and pointed at the child aggrievedly. ¡°Lin Haoran bullied Lin Sen and said that he was a youngdy. He even took off his pants and looked at him. Lin Sen was so frightened that he cried, but he still pressed down on him and refused to let go.


    I went up and gently flipped him off Lin Sen. In the end, his forehead touched the leg of the table and he hit a big bump.¡±


    Li Yu heard his voice getting lower and lower. She turned around and saw that there was indeed a big bump on the child¡¯s forehead. She saw that the old man was also talking to the child.


    Li Yu walked over and said awkwardly to the old man, ¡°Sir, I have medicine and medicinal wine at home. Where do you live? I¡¯ll get someone to send some to you.¡±


    The old man smiled kindly and waved his hand. ¡°It¡¯s not your child¡¯s fault. I know Lin Sen.¡±


    As he spoke, he pointed at his grandson and said, ¡°He was the one who bullied the weak. He deserved to be taught a lesson. Besides, it¡¯s good for children to fight sometimes. As long as there¡¯s no big mistake, we as adults don¡¯t have to fuss about it.¡±


    ¡°Your child is not in the wrong. You don¡¯t have to punish your child when you go back.¡±


    Seeing that the old man was so reasonable, Li Yu said in embarrassment, ¡°Sir is right. Children are all like this. How can the adults take it to heart?¡±


    Li Yu turned around and waved at Yangyang with a smile. ¡°Did you hear what the old man said? Don¡¯t feel aggrieved. Come and shake hands with your ssmate!¡±


    Yangyang turned to look at Lin Haoran and walked up to him readily. He looked at him and said, ¡°Lin Haoran, if you don¡¯t bully your ssmates in the future, I¡¯ll be good friends with you.¡±


    Lin Haoran sniffed and nced at Yangyang. He hesitated for a moment before saying, ¡°Then you promised me that you would teach me martial arts.¡±


    ¡°Then you have to promise me that you won¡¯t bully others,¡± Yangyang said with his head held high.


    Lin Haoran raised his hand and said, ¡°I promise.¡±


    Yangyang reached out to him. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s shake hands and make peace!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± They looked at each other and smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll see you tomorrow.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and bade farewell to the old man. She held Yangyang¡¯s hand and walked back.


    When she returned home, Li Yu saw that he was still silent. She stopped and looked at him. ¡°You¡¯ve already shaken hands and made peace. Are you still feeling aggrieved?¡±


    Yangyang looked up at Li Yu and asked curiously, ¡°Mother, why didn¡¯t you scold me? My ssmates said that when they fight and go home, they will be scolded and punished to kneel. They said that I will also be punished.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and said, ¡°Lin Haoran¡¯s Grandpa already said that he bullied the weak. You didn¡¯t do anything wrong. Why should I scold you?¡±


    ¡°However, son, you have to pay attention to strategy next time. Today, that old man is reasonable. If you encounter an unreasonable person, it will be troublesome.¡±


    ¡°Besides, that child is taller and stronger than you. If he knew some martial arts, wouldn¡¯t you be at a disadvantage today?¡±


    ¡°Remember to look at the situation clearly before doing anything in the future. You also have to remember to use cleverness and not brute force. Sigh! You should follow your grandmaster and identify the acupuncture points. You¡¯ll know how to use cleverness in the future..¡±

 Chapter 417 - 417: You Have to Support Me

    Chapter 417: You Have to Support Me


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    ¡°Mother, I understand. I know he hasn¡¯t learned martial arts. I went up and overturned him with a light blow. I¡¯m not going to tell Sir. If I tell Sir, he¡¯llugh at me forining.¡±


    Granny Yang followed behind the mother and son and listened to their conversation. She felt that Madam Li¡¯s method of teaching the child was really unique.


    When Zhou Jia returned from the government office, he saw the mother and son standing there talking. He walked over and touched Yangyang. He looked at him and asked, ¡°Why are you back sote? Did you not finish your homework and was retained by Sir?¡±


    Yangyang shook his head. ¡°Father, I was punished by Sir to wipe the desks when I fought with my ssmates, so I came backte.¡±


    ¡°Then why did you fight?¡±


    Yangyang told Zhou Jia what had happened. ¡°I¡¯ve already shaken hands with him. Mother taught me to use tricks in the future and not brute force.¡±


    Zhou Jia nced at Li Yu and said with a smile, ¡°Your mother is right. You have to use your brain to do things. Only a stupid bear will use brute force. Quickly do your homework and eat. Your students are still waiting for you!¡±


    ¡°Got it, Father, Mother. I¡¯ll go in first.¡±


    Yangyang ran in with his school bag. Granny Yang also retreated and chased after Yangyang.


    When Zhou Jia and Li Yu returned to the main courtyard, Li Yu told Zhou Jia about Madam Yang¡¯s scheme to inform Old Master Zhou toe to the residence. She also told him what Old Master Zhou had said.


    Li Yu looked at him and said, ¡°He told Ji Xiang that the olddy has been gone for a few years. I think as long as he¡¯s content and knows his ce, we don¡¯tck that bit of money to support an old man. Xiao Xi, I¡¯ll support you whatever you want.¡±


    Zhou Jia was indifferent to Old Madam Zhou¡¯s death. He helped Li Yu to a chair and said gently, ¡°Yu¡¯er, let me think about it.¡±


    Li Yu nodded. ¡°Alright, go see him when you think about it. He¡¯s staying in the guest room in the outer courtyard.¡±


    Zhou Jia didn¡¯t answer for a long time after hearing Li Yu¡¯s words. In his memory, his father was the source of his mother¡¯s tears and anticipation. At first, there might be a little warmth, butter on, he was the cause of his mother¡¯s death. However, he really couldn¡¯t watch Old Master Zhou live on the streets.


    Li Yu sat there and looked at him silently. Seeing that he was thinking hard, she knew that he would still choose topromise in the end. This was because being used of being unfilial in this world would make it impossible for people to have a foothold in the world, not to mention that Zhou Jia was an official of the Imperial Court.


    If Old Master Zhou could be content and know his ce, supporting an old man like him was just a matter of adding a pair of chopsticks or finding a doctor to ask for medicine. If not, there would be other ways.


    Zhou Jia was silent for a long time before looking up at Li Yu. ¡°Yu¡¯er, when I came back, I heard from Zhao Cai that he¡¯s relying on pawning to survive now. Thinking about it, I asked Zhao Cai to ask around. After Zhao Cai went to the old residence to investigate, he found out that the olddy had left long ago. After the olddy left, Zhou Xin and Zhou Yu brought the olddy¡¯s remaining dowry to the Huang family.


    ¡°His concubine had taken away all his belongings. The things that could be used in the old residence were almost finished.¡±


    ¡°Watching him live on the streets is something I couldn¡¯t do even without the censor¡¯s impeachment.¡±


    I¡¯ll go and negotiate with him. If he can be as obedient and contented as you say, we¡¯ll support him tor a hundred years!¡±


    Li Yu held his hand and said, ¡°It¡¯s fine as long as you¡¯ve decided. I¡¯ll support you.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Zhou Jia hugged Li Yu for a while and said gently, ¡°Go eat first. I¡¯ll go to the outer courtyard to look for him.¡±


    Li Yu nodded and said, ¡°Alright, I won¡¯t wait for you to eat first.¡±


    Zhou Jia and Li Yu walked out of the door and turned to walk out of the courtyard.


    Ever since Li Yu was pregnant with these two children, she had been especially hungry. From the beginning of April, she had to eat four to five meals a day. Now, she was making food ording to the Lin family¡¯s recipe.


    When they arrived at the dining room, Yangyang and Mr. Wen had already sat down. Mr. Wen looked around and didn¡¯t see Zhou Jia. He frowned and said to Li Yu, ¡°Xiaoyu, did Zhou Rongxiane looking for you?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir. In the afternoon. Xiao Xi wasn¡¯t at home, and I didn¡¯t go out to meet him. Xiao Xi went to talk to him.¡±


    ¡°Alright, it¡¯s good to let them talk. No matter what, he¡¯s his biological father.


    We can¡¯t let people point fingers and scold him!¡±


    Yangyang looked at the two of them curiously. ¡°Mother, Grandmaster, who are you talking about? Is it Father¡¯s father? Why haven¡¯t I seen him before?¡±


    Li Yu thought for a moment and told him, ¡°It¡¯s your grandfather. Because of some problems between adults, we haven¡¯t contacted each other all these years. You haven¡¯t seen him either. Hurry up and eat. Little Loach and the others are still waiting for you to teach!¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡± Yangyang nced at Li Yu and thought to himself that if his mother didn¡¯t want to talk about it, he would do something else. He would have to see what this grandfather was liketer and why his father didn¡¯t like him.


    Yangyang finished the rice in his bowl in a few mouthfuls and wiped his mouth with a handkerchief. He smiled at Li Yu and Mr. Wen. ¡°Grandmaster, Mother, I¡¯m full.¡±


    Mr. Wen looked at him and smiled. ¡°Alright! Go ahead! Take your time after eating! ¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡± Yangyang nodded and slowly walked out of the dining room. He ran.


    Li Yu and Mr. Wen shook their heads and smiled when they heard the dense footsteps.


    When Zhou Jia arrived at the outer courtyard, he saw Old Master Zhou sitting at the table, slowly picking up food and drinking. He saw that his hair was gray and his body was loose and he was wearing a grayish-ck old shirt. He no longer looked as elegant as before.


    Zhou Jia looked at the old Old Master Zhou and thought to himself that he was only in his forties. How did he be so old?


    Ji Xiang whispered in Zhou Jia¡¯s ear, ¡°Master, Old Master still has some of his former elegance. You see how he looked when he first came in the afternoon.


    He was wolfing down his food as if he hadn¡¯t eaten properly in a long time.


    That goateed man has been wandering outside for a while.¡±


    Zhou Jia nodded and instructed in a low voice, ¡°Follow Madam¡¯s instructions and bring him in.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Ji Xiang agreed and left.


    Old Master Zhou felt Zhou Jia¡¯s gaze and turned to see Zhou Jia standing outside the door. He picked up a handkerchief and wiped his mouth awkwardly. He muttered, ¡°Why are you standing there looking at your father? Have you never seen anyone eat?¡±


    Zhou Jia walked in and bowed. ¡°Greetings, Uncle.¡±


    When Old Master Zhou heard this, he was stunned for a moment. He pointed at a chair at the side and said, ¡°Sit down!¡±


    After Zhou Jia sat down, he looked at him and said, ¡°Uncle, why are you looking for me?¡±


    Old Master Zhou nced at Zhou Jia. ¡°After your aunt suffered a stroke and was paralyzed, I moved all the belongings in the family to my house. Who knew that after that bitch got me drunk, she emptied those valuable calligraphy, painting, and Jewelry¡±¡®


    ¡°When the olddy found out, she left before she could catch her breath. I spent some money to bury the olddy. The Huang family urged the two brats to take away the remaining dowry.¡±


    ¡°Now, the Zhou family is only left with that old residence. I don¡¯t know how to earn money. I¡¯ve pawned everything that my family can afford. The next to be pawned is the deed to the old residence. Now, I don¡¯t have anything to eat. Even if I passed you to Third Uncle¡¯s family, I fathered you.. You have to support me!¡±

 Chapter 418 - 418: Reliant on Wife

    Chapter 418: Reliant on Wife


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Zhou Jia nced at him and replied indifferently, ¡°How do you want me to support you?¡±


    Old Master Zhou rolled his eyes and said with a smile, ¡°You¡¯re also a fifth-grade official now. I heard that His Majesty thinks highly of you. You even live in such a good house. You know that I like to eat well and dress well. I like to watch opera and y with calligraphy and paintings. That¡¯s all for now.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at him coldly and smiled self-deprecatingly. ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of youughing at me. His Majesty gave this house to my wife. I¡¯m still relying on my wife to support me now!


    ¡°ording to you, you still want to live a carefree life in the past. My sry can¡¯t support you. I don¡¯t want my wife to support me and even help me support my uncle. I can¡¯t afford to lose face. You should go to the government office and sue me for disobedience!¡±


    Old Master Zhou put down the chopsticks in his hand with a bang and stood up to look at Zhou Jia. He red at him and said, ¡°You¡¯re bluffing me! She¡¯s a woman from the countryside. Would His Majesty reward her with such a good house? What can she use to support your family? You¡­¡±


    ¡°Uncle,¡± Zhou Jia shouted unhappily. He stood up and looked at Old Master Zhou. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you the truth! The high-yielding rice seeds nted near the capital were cultivated by my wife.


    For this matter, not only did His Majesty give her this residence, but he also conferred her the title of First-grade Madam Protector of the Nation. In the capital¡¯s Dafeng Food Bank, 10% of the seeds are hers. Do you think she can afford to raise me?¡±


    In Old Master Zhou¡¯s understanding, women were all like Old Madam Zhou and Madam Huang, managing the butler to buy clothes and jewelry. In order to fight for favor, they did not hesitate to scheme. For example, his olddy even wanted to murder her daughter-inw and harm her descendants.


    Zhou Jia¡¯s words overturned Old Master Zhou¡¯s understanding. His eyes widened and he blinked a few more times. He sighed and said, ¡°Why is your wife so powerful? I know about the Dafeng Food Bank. 10% of it can support this entire family. However, you¡¯re only a fifth-grade official. When can you reach the first grade? How embarrassing. Your rank isn¡¯t even as high as your wife¡¯s, and you still have to rely on your wife to support the entire family.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at him and replied indifferently, ¡°I¡¯m indeed useless. If not for my wife, I would have long been killed in the mountains by the people Aunt sent.¡±


    Zhou Jia recalled his coldness all those years, causing his mother to die unjustly. He looked at him resentfully. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m like you, only caring about drinking and fooling around? You were not even willing to protect your wife and children. Forget it! Go to the government office and sue me! It doesn¡¯t matter if I retain my position as an official or not.¡±


    Old Master Zhou looked at Zhou Jia¡¯s resentful gaze and stammered, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect them to dare to do such a thing! Back then, I was muddle-headed. I always thought that they forced me to marry your mother and Madam Huang.


    Old Master Zhou looked at Zhou Jia with a pleading gaze. ¡°Jiahe, now that they¡¯ve already suffered retribution, I really have no choice. I won¡¯t do anything. If I continue to be like this, I can only pawn the old residence. If I pawn the old residence, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll be beaten to death by my father again after I die. Xiao Xi, you¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t call me Xiao Xi.¡± Zhou Jia interrupted Old Master Zhou and looked at him. ¡°What I can take out is my monthly sry. I can only give you a small portion of it. If you think it¡¯s fine, let¡¯s discuss how you want to live in the future for the money to be enough.¡±


    Old Master Zhou looked at Zhou Jia in a daze for a while and nodded. ¡°I promise you. You can use it however you want.¡±


    Zhou Jia pointed at the chair. ¡°Sit down and listen to me. My monthly sry is 20 taels of silver now. I¡¯ll split it into three portions. One portion is for me to socialize with my colleagues, and the other is for my son to study. I¡¯ll allocate seven taels of silver a month to you. I¡¯ll hire an old woman to cook for you. My wife will prepare the clothes for the four seasons for you. After deduction, I¡¯ll give you three taels of silver a month. After using them, it¡¯ll be gone. If you think it¡¯s feasible, do as I say. No, I¡¯ll still say the same thing. You can sue me at the Censorate and the Imperial Office.¡±


    Old Master Zhou calcted that he had received seven taels of silver from the twenty taels of silver. Seven taels of silver should be enough. After thinking for a moment, he raised another condition. ¡°I want toe to your house three, no, four times a month to eat good food and wine. Your wife can agree to this request, right? Also, I¡¯ve pawned the bedding, mosquito, and tables, chairs, and benches¡­


    Zhou Jia reached out and said, ¡°Let me take a look.¡±


    Old Master Zhou took out a stack of pawn notes from his pocket. Zhou Jia took a look andughed in anger. ¡°This set of tables and chairs is made of rosewood.


    You actually only treated it as 30 taels. The redemption period has passed. Also, the bookcase in your study¡­¡±


    ¡°Forget it. You can¡¯t redeem the good things anymore. I¡¯ll get someone to buy you a set that can be used. I¡¯ll deduct 500 copper coins a month from you until I have fully deducted the money from the purchase. If you use pawn something again, I¡¯ll deduct the money from your monthly sry.¡±


    Old Master Zhou nodded aggrievedly. ¡°You have the final say. Remember to make up for it after deduction.¡±


    Zhou Jia nodded and looked at him. ¡°Have you thought carefully about it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve thought about it. Remember, I¡¯lle to your house four times a month to eat good food and wine,¡± Old Master Zhou dered again.


    Zhou Jia nodded. ¡°Alright, think about it. Let¡¯s make a contract first. Also, I¡¯m an official in the Imperial Court now. Please consider my face and don¡¯t do anything inappropriate outside.¡±


    When Old Master Zhou heard this, he flew into a rage out of humiliation. He reached out and said, ¡°Why are you talking so much nonsense? Give it to me,


    I¡¯ll sign it.¡±


    ¡°Wait a moment. I¡¯ll get a pen and paper.¡± Zhou Jia stood up and left.


    Yangyang ran into the house from the corner and looked at Old Master Zhou curiously. ¡°Are you really my grandfather? Why haven¡¯t I seen you before?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re Xiao Xi¡¯s son?¡± Old Master Zhou looked at Yangyang happily and searched his body before remembering that his pouch was empty. He looked at Yangyang, who was looking at him curiously, and rubbed his hands shyly, not Imowing how to reply.


    Zhou Jia returned with a pen and paper. When he saw Yangyang standing there and looking at the shy Old Master Zhou, he said to Yangyang, ¡°Yang¡¯er, greet your uncle!¡±


    Yangyang nodded and Imelt down to kowtow. ¡°Greetings, Uncle.¡±


    ¡°Get up quickly. I came in a hurry today. I¡¯ll make up for it the next time we meet,¡± Old Master Zhou replied helplessly.


    ¡°Yes, Uncle.¡± Yangyang got up and looked back at Zhou Jia. ¡°Father, why do you call him Uncle? Mother said that he¡¯s my grandfather.¡±


    Zhou Jia pulled a long face and looked at him. ¡°Yang¡¯er, go to ss quickly. I¡¯ll tell you when you grow up.¡±


    ¡°Oh! I¡¯ll go down.¡± Yangyang pouted and bowed to the two of them before turning to leave.


    Zhou Jia wrote the contract and asked him to sign it. Ever since Old Master Zhou saw Yangyang, he was no longer as shameless as before. He signed the contract without a word. When the ink dried, he folded his share and ced it in his pocket..

 Chapter 419 - 419: Contract

    Chapter 419: Contract


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Seeing that he was silent, Zhou Jia said to him, ¡°Stay in the guest room tonight.


    Tomorrow, I¡¯ll get Zhao Cai to apany you back to the old residence to buy things and hire a cook for you.¡±


    Old Master Zhou nodded and nced at Zhou Jia. ¡°Go back! I¡¯ll go back to the old residence with Zhao Cai tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Zhou Jia stood up and walked out. He turned around and stood outside Yangyang¡¯s ssroom for a while. Seeing that he was studying with


    Little Loach and the others, he turned around and returned to the backyard.


    Old Master Zhou sat in the dining room for a while and returned to the guest room in a low mood. He was in no mood to wash up andy on the bed with his clothes on.


    Zhou Jia returned to the backyard and showed the contract to Li Yu. Li Yu hugged him and said gently, ¡°Xiao Xi, let go of what should be let go. Let the past go. We have to look forward.¡±


    Zhou Jia kissed the corner of her eye and looked at her with a smile. ¡°Yu¡¯er, I¡¯m really alright. I realized that I¡¯m not sad at all after signing the contract with him. I actually feel that he¡¯s better than I expected.¡±


    Seeing that his brows had rxed, Li Yu was relieved. ¡°It¡¯s good that you can think it through. Ji Xiang has already grabbed that goateed man. Xing Hua said that he was pulled to the woodshed. Go and see how Ji Xiang is doing. I think since Madam Yang cares so much about us, we have to scare her!¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu with a smile. ¡°If you want to scare her, just let Ji Xiang and the others do it. Uncle said that Censor Feng is narrow-minded and has offended many people in the Censorate all these years. His family won¡¯t be able tost long without us doing anything. Let¡¯s scare him. While the sky is still bright, go around and digest your food. I¡¯ll go take a look.¡±


    Li Yu replied with a smile, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go take a look.¡±


    Zhou Jia watched as Granny Yang apanied Li Yu into the garden before going to the woodshed. He stood outside the window and saw the pale-faced goateed man tied to the pir. He red at Ji Xiang in shock and anger and questioned loudly, ¡°I was just walking around outside. What right do you have to capture me? This is the emperor¡¯s domain. Do you still have any regard for thew?¡±


    Ji Xiang held a boning knife in his hand and looked at the goateed man on his lips. Suddenly, he reached out and pinched a tuft of beard to pull it off. He pinched the beard and ced it in front of him. He looked at him mockingly. ¡°This is not at all. Tell me! Why did Madam Yang send you?¡±


    ¡°Let go of me.¡± The man twisted his body and argued forcefully, ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re talking about. Even if I stick on my beard, it won¡¯t get in your way. What right do you have to arrest me?¡±


    Zhou Jia stood outside the window. Seeing his fierce appearance, he smiled and turned to leave.


    Ji Xiang looked at him as if he was a fool and patted his cheek with a knife. He said coldly, ¡°Why should I arrest you? You went to the Zhou family¡¯s old residence at noon today and said something to my old master?


    After my Old Master returned to the residence, you brought two idlers and wandered outside for more than two hours after noon. Then, the two idlers spoke to you for a while before you split up. You went around East Main Street and entered the third residence. Do you want me to remind you which family lives there?¡±


    ¡°You followed me?¡± The man looked at Ji Xiang in fear. So he knew everything. This was troublesome.


    ¡°Hehe!¡± Ji Xiang chuckled. ¡°I don¡¯t have the patience to follow you. If I don¡¯t y with you, won¡¯t I be letting you down? Tell me! Why did your master call you over? What motives do you have?¡±


    Only then was the man afraid. ¡°Sir, please spare me! I was just following orders. My family still depends on me to support them¡­


    ¡°Come on!¡± Ji Xiang held the knife to his neck. ¡°Is there an eighty-year-old mother you have to take care of? Letting you off depends on whether you¡¯re worth it.¡±


    The fake goatee looked at Ji Xiang with a sad face. ¡°Sir, to be honest, my name is Han San. I¡¯m just a frencer. I specialize in running errands for people and doing things that they don¡¯t want to do. Manager Yang was the one who looked for me today. I¡¯m just someone who gets paid to help others. I observe the rules in this industry. If I say something I shouldn¡¯t say, I can forget about living in the future.¡±


    Ji Xiang said unhurriedly, ¡°In the future, you should take care of yourself first! I have a hundred ways to make you disappear without a trace. I don¡¯t have the patience to argue with you. Think about it before replying.¡±


    Han San lowered his head and kept thinking. It seemed that he didn¡¯t want to send him to the government office at all. If he didn¡¯t take some goods out today, the other party wouldn¡¯t be kind. Hmph! The Feng family wasn¡¯t good either. Let these officials fight.


    Han San looked up at Ji Xiang and begged, ¡°Sir, I have news to tell you. You have to promise me not to tell anyone. I really have a family to support.¡±


    Ji Xiang looked at him and nodded. ¡°Tell me about it first. If it¡¯s really valuable, not only will I not tell anyone about you, but I¡¯ll reward you.¡±


    Han San watched as he measured the credibility of Ji Xiang¡¯s words. Ji Xiang nced at him. ¡°It¡¯s up to you to say it or not. I have plenty of ways to find out.¡±


    Han San wanted to take a gamble. He gritted his teeth and looked at Ji Xiang. He said in one go, ¡°Master, the Feng family¡¯s steward asked me to bring people to your residence to keep an eye on him. He said that if your Old Master quarrels with your residence after returning, he¡¯ll let us stir up trouble behind him and blow things up. If your residence is peaceful, he¡¯ll let us wait for your Old Master toe out and lure him to the casino. When he¡¯s addicted, he¡¯ll give us benefits.¡±


    Ji Xiang thought of his unruly Old Master. If he was tempted by someone, it was really possible for him to be addicted to gambling. He cursed Censor Feng¡¯s family.


    ¡°Alright, at least you know your ce.¡± Ji Xiang untied the rope for him. Han San retreated and fell to the ground. Ji Xiang looked at him and said, ¡°Sit here obediently and wait.¡±


    Han San grinned and got up. He arched his back and smiled obsequiously. ¡°Yes, yes. Thank you for sparing me.¡±


    ¡°Whether I¡¯ll let you off depends on my master.¡± Ji Xiang went to Zhou Jia¡¯s study and told Zhou Jia what Han San had said. ¡°Master, what do you think?¡±


    That dog actually thought of such a vicious idea and treated the Zhou family as y. ¡°Go and tell Han San to think of a way to bring the bastard son of the Feng family into the casino. Remember, don¡¯t tell Madam about this.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master.¡± After Ji Xiang went out, he went to the woodshed and asked for the addresses and family situation of the Han family. He said to Han San, ¡°Han San, if you can lure the bastard son of the Feng family into the casino, my master will spare you this time. You will also benefit.¡±


    Han San thought to himself that his livelihood was precarious. If he could hook up with such a family and find a job here, he could have a stable life in the future..

 Chapter 420 - 420: A Trip (1)

    Chapter 420: A Trip (1)


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    After making up his mind, Han San looked up at Ji Xiang. ¡°Master, I¡¯m willing to help. I only have one request. Can I work for the master in the residence in the future?¡±


    Ji Xiang thought for a moment and said, ¡°As long as you do this well, I¡¯ll introduce you to Master. Whether he uses you or not will depend on Master.¡±


    Seeing that Ji Xiang did not agree immediately, Han San felt that Ji Xiang¡¯s words were reliable. He cupped his fists and said, ¡°I know the rules.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Ji Xiang took out two banknotes from his pocket and handed them to Han San. ¡°Take them and do your job well. Don¡¯t think about double-dealing. Be careful that neither side will give you a good time.¡±


    ¡°I know the rules.¡± Han San bowed and took a few steps back with a smile. He turned around and disappeared into the night.


    Ji Xiang turned around and went into Zhou Jia¡¯s study to report Han San¡¯s words to Zhou Jia. Zhou Jia thought for a moment and said, ¡°Go out and investigate tomorrow and observe him carefully for a few days. If Han San is useful, he can stay after this matter is done!¡±


    ¡°Yes, my Lord.¡± Ji Xiang withdrew.


    After Zhou Jia finished his work, he went to Yangyang¡¯s room to take a look. Only then did his son, whose face was red from sleep, return to his bed. When


    Li Yu heard themotion, she smiled at him. ¡°You¡¯re done!¡±


    Zhou Jia changed into his sleeping robe and walked to the bed. He lifted the nket andy beside Li Yu. He said gently, ¡°I woke you up again! I¡¯lle back early next time.¡±


    Li Yu turned to look at him and smiled gently. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I can still sleep during the day. Hurry up and sleep! Can you take care of the matters in the government office?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve connected. Some ounts still have to be sorted out.¡± Zhou Jia turned around and kissed her with a smile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, your husband is very capable!¡±


    Li Yu narrowed her eyes and smiled. ¡°Yes! I know.¡±


    The next day, shortly after dawn, Ji Xiang went out to ask for news. Old Master Zhou also got up. After washing up, he stood at the corner of the alley and waited. After waiting for more than an hour, he saw Zhou Jia holding


    Yangyang¡¯s hand. The boy was carrying a school bag. Behind the two of them were a few children and an old woman. The few of them chatted andughed as they went to the government office and school.


    Old Master Zhou lowered his head and went back to eat the side dishes and porridge buns that Old Madam Liu had sent over. Zhao Cai came.


    Old Master Zhou nced at Zhao Cai. ¡°Bring the silver. I have nothing left.¡± With that, he stood up and walked out.


    Zhao Cai smiled and bowed. ¡°Old Master, don¡¯t worry. Master instructed me. You can leave first. I¡¯ll go get the carriage.¡±


    Old Master Zhou snorted and walked out. Zhao Cai drove the carriage to pick him up.


    Old Master Zhou got into the carriage and nced at Zhao Cai before sitting down beside him. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with those children? Your master lives in such a big house and is a fifth-grade official. Why can¡¯t you even bear to hire a few more coachmen? You even rode a horse to the government office yourself? You grew up with your master. No matter what, you¡¯re a steward. Why are you still driving the carriage?¡±


    Zhao Cai nced at Old Master Zhou and said with a bitter expression, ¡°Old Master, how can my master¡¯s sry afford to support the coachman? Look, Uncle Liu is already so old. He has to guard the second door and feed the horses with a limp. Those children used to be beggars. Madam saw that they were pitiful, so she brought them home. Now, they¡¯re running errands with Young Master. When Young Masteres back from school, he teaches them how to


    read. ¡±


    ¡°Haha! My grandson can even teach others how to read! He¡¯s smart.¡± He smiled and patted Zhao Cai. ¡°Brat, don¡¯t make such a bitter expression. I won¡¯t buy expensive things. Your master only gives me three taels of silver a month. The buyers will deduct my monthly money.¡±


    Zhao Cai said in his heart, ¡°Your silver. Have you ever spent a copper coin at your age? You¡¯ve lost a lot of silver.¡±


    Zhao Cai and Old Master Zhou went to the wood shop to buy tables, chairs, mosquitos, and bedding. They also went to the brokerage shop to buy an old woman to buy groceries and cook. They brought her to the Zhou family¡¯s old residence.


    After dinner, Li Yu slipped around and went back to sit in the courtyard to bask in the sun. She was sewing children¡¯s clothes when Xing Hua walked in with Madam Gong and Lin Jia.


    Li Yu saw that Madam Gong was wearing a dark purple dress and Lin Jia was wearing a pink dress. She looked pink and tender, making one happy to see her.


    Li Yu looked at the mother and daughter and smiled. ¡°Aunt, Cousin, why are you free toe and y with me today?¡±


    Madam Gong smiled and pointed at Lin Jia. ¡°There¡¯s an empty space under the embankment of East Lake. This girl said that she wanted to fly a kite there and have a pic. I wanted to see you at home, so I called you over to y. Lin Yi also went to invite her aunt.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and said, ¡°Sure! It¡¯s not bad to fly a kite in this weather today. I¡¯m about to rust at home. It¡¯s good to go out and listen to Aunt tell me something new.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! Go and change into fresh clothes. The carriage is waiting outside!¡± Madam Gong said with a smile.


    Lin Jia picked up a small dress and looked at it in surprise. ¡°Mother, this dress is only so big. Can the baby wear it? Why is it made using old fabric?¡±


    Madam Gong took it and looked at it. She smiled and said, ¡°It can be worn. A newborn baby is only so big. The baby¡¯s skin is tender and soft, using old material will ensure there is no abrasion of the baby¡¯s skin.¡±


    Lin Jia touched the soft clothes. ¡°Oh! You¡¯re so particr!¡±


    Madam Gong rolled her eyes at her daughter. ¡°Do you think it¡¯s easy to raise a child? For example, you and your sister were pampered in your mother¡¯s house. Once you go out, your parents¡¯ hearts will be shattered. It¡¯s better to have a son so he can bring back a daughter-inw.¡±


    Lin Jia hugged Madam Gong and acted cute. ¡°Mother, your daughter is your considerate little cotton jacket. ¡±


    Li Yu changed into a sky-blue dress and walked out. When she saw how intimate Madam Gong and her daughter were, she smiled and said, ¡°Aunt, it¡¯s better to raise a daughter. She even knows how to wheedle with you. That brat of mine won¡¯t do that anymore when he grows up.¡±


    Madam Gong smiled and nodded. ¡°That¡¯s true. Ah Yu looks really good today.¡± Lin Jia also nodded in agreement. ¡°Yes! This sky blue is beautiful.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and narrowed her eyes. ¡°You and Cousin are also good-looking. Do you need anything else?¡±


    Lin Jia held Li Yu¡¯s hand. ¡°Cousin, there¡¯s no need. Everything¡¯s all ready. Let¡¯s go out!¡±


    Li Yu said to Granny Yang, ¡°Granny Yang, Zhao Cai and Ji Xiang have gone out. You decide on the small matters. If it¡¯s big, report it to Old Master and let him decide.¡±


    Granny Yang smiled and agreed. ¡°Got it. Go and have fun.¡±


    Li Yu brought Xing Hua and Madam Gong out and got into the carriage to travel towards the East Lake.


    The East Lake was actuallv an artificialke that drew water to the Dce. The sides of theke embankment were nted with weeping willows. The emerald and slender willow branches swayed gently with the breeze. The water rippled on theke, and white and gray water birds swept across it.


    Lin Jia saw Li Yu looking out of the window with a smile and sat beside Li Yu with a smile. ¡°Cousin, do you feel especially good when youe out for a walk?¡±


    Li Yu looked at her delicate and cute appearance and smiled happily. ¡°Yes! Thank you, Jia¡¯er, for inviting Cousin out to y.¡±


    Lin Jia looked at Madam Gong proudly. ¡°Mother, look, even Cousin said that my idea is good. Don¡¯t always say that I¡¯m yful in the future.¡±


    Madam Gong looked at Lin Jia and teased, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll praise you for knowing how to y in the future. You like to y, okay?¡±


    ¡°Mother.¡± Lin Jia hugged Madam Gong¡¯s arm and shook it. Madam Gong smiled and patted her hand. ¡°You¡¯re already so old. Cousin willugh at you.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and shook her head. The carriage stopped and the old woman led them out..

 Chapter 421 - 421: A Trip (2)

    Chapter 421: A Trip (2)


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Lin Yi brought Elder Madam Gong¡¯s youngest daughter, Huang Yanqiao, to the carriage and said with a smile, ¡°Mother, Cousin, you¡¯rete. We¡¯ve been here for a while.¡±


    Madam Gong looked at the two of them and smiled. ¡°Didn¡¯t your aunte?¡±


    Huang Yan smiled and pointed at the women standing in front. ¡°They¡¯re over there! They¡¯re chatting.¡±


    Li Yu saw that the grass was surrounded by a few cloth curtains. Lin Yi led Li Yu and the others toward the ce surrounded by the cloth curtains.


    When they arrived, Lin Yi smiled and said to Li Yu, ¡°Cousin, mine is a butterfly kite, Qiao¡¯er¡¯s swallow kite, and Jia¡¯er¡¯s is a big sparrowhawk. Can you help us judge whose flying is higherter?¡±


    Lin Jia looked up at Lin Yi. ¡°Sister, if you don¡¯t believe me, just watchter. My eagle will definitely fly the highest.¡±


    Qiao¡¯er tugged at Lin Jia and smiled. ¡°Cousin, my swallow is flying high.¡±


    Li Yu looked at the three cousins and smiled. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll be your judgeter.¡±


    Everyone went to the grass covered with cushions. Xing Hua quickly took a thick cushion and ced it on it. ¡°Madam, sit on the cushion.¡±


    ¡°Slow down.¡± Madam Gong wanted to help Li Yu up, but she saw Li Yu sit down nimbly. ¡°Child, you have to slow down in the future.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and nodded. Sitting on the mat, she saw that the three girls had already spread the kites on the grass with the help of their maidservants. The three of them handed the spools to the maidservants, who ran with them.


    Li Yu smiled when she saw this and wondered to herself if this could really be considered flying a kite. The maidservants were the ones flying the kites!


    The old woman took out the small folding wooden table and set it up. There were stir-fried peanuts, pumpkin seeds, pine nuts, loquats, cherries, and peach pastries.


    Madam Gong smiled and handed a pastry to Li Yu. ¡°Eat something. The pregnant woman is hungry quickly.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Aunt. I think I¡¯m especially hungry after getting pregnant.¡± Li Yu took the pastry and smiled.


    ¡°You are eating for three. It¡¯s still early! Take a look in two months. At that time, I felt that the food I had just eaten was gone quickly. I felt hungry all dav ¡±


    ¡°Oh! I feel that way now. It¡¯s been more than an hour since I ate, and I¡¯m hungry again.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t eat too much in theter stages. Otherwise, you¡¯ll be the one suffering.¡±


    Li Yu knew that Madam Lin was telling the truth. She nodded at her gratefully and said, ¡°Thank you for your reminder, Aunt!¡±


    Madam Lin smiled reproachfully. ¡°You¡¯re still a child.¡±


    The two of them sat on the mat and watched as Lin Jia and the other two waited for the maidservants to fly the kite into the sky before taking the spool to control their kite.


    Lin Jia¡¯s eagle rode the wind and quickly overtook Lin Yi and Qiao¡¯er¡¯s butterflies and swallows.


    Lin Jia smiled proudly at the two of them. Lin Yi and Qiao¡¯er pulled the spool and controlled the swallow butterflies to chase after the hawk.


    The three cousinsughed and looked up at the kite floating in the sky. They wondered if there were immortals looking down at the living beings on the ground.


    After Elder Madam Gong finished speaking to the women, she smiled and walked over to sit beside Li Yu. She asked affectionately, ¡°Ah Yu, how have you been these days?¡±


    Li Yu looked at her happy expression and smiled. ¡°It¡¯s alright. Thank you for your concern, Aunt.¡±


    Madam Dagong looked around and asked Li Yu in a low voice, ¡°Ah Yu, I heard that your Old Master¡¯s medical skills are not bad. He even nted vines for people in Qingchuan. Is that thing really useful?¡±


    Li Yu nced at her and wondered if someone had contracted smallpox. She smiled slightly. ¡°Yes, but it¡¯s not foolproof. Also, everyone thinks differently. I think it¡¯s better to nt it than not to nt it. All of my family members have been vinated.¡±


    When Madam Gong heard this, she asked with interest, ¡°Ah Yu, has your


    Yang¡¯er nted it too?¡±


    Li Yu nodded. ¡°Yang¡¯er¡¯s grandmaster nted it for him when he was three weeks old. He had a low fever at first, but he was fine the next day. Aunt, why did you ask this?¡±


    Madam Gong also looked at her with concern. Elder Madam Gong looked at the two of them and said evasively, ¡°I don¡¯t mean anything. Someone said that he saw the vination in Qingchuan. I only remembered that it was your Old Master who did it after hearing her say it.¡±


    Madam Gong heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°That¡¯s good. I thought there¡¯s another gue.¡±


    Li Yu nced at Madam Gong and said to her, ¡°Aunt, I think it¡¯s better to nt the vine for safety. My family has nted it all. Look, we¡¯re fine now. Aren¡¯t you afraid of the vine gue in the future?¡±


    Madam Gong fell into deep thought when she heard that. Elder Madam Gong patted her chest and is afraid. ¡°I¡¯m still afraid. After all, we¡¯re talking about nting a virus in a perfectly healthy body, and moreover, the virus is from livestock. Just thinking about it disgusts me.¡±


    When Li Yu heard this, she stopped persuading her. Although everyone had acknowledged their rtionship, they had not interacted for long. They did not dare to believe her rashly! If she continued, she would embarrass everyone.


    Seeing that no one was talking, Madam Gong stood up with a smile and said to Li Yu, ¡°Ah Yu, your uncle said that the meat skewers you roasted are delicious. Aunt will have to trouble you to guide the old woman today and roast a few skewers for Aunt to try.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and nodded. ¡°Alright, what¡¯s the trouble? It¡¯s not like I have to do it myself.¡± Xing Hua hurriedly helped Li Yu up.


    Li Yu walked to the grill and the old woman brought over meat skewers. Li Yu saw streaky beef and roe deer meat.


    When Lin Yi saw Li Yu looking at everyone, she handed the spool to Ling Dang and walked to Li Yu¡¯s side. She lifted her hat and looked at Li Yu with a smile. She asked considerately, ¡°Cousin, are you tired?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not tired. I¡¯ve been sitting here for so long. It¡¯s better to walk around.¡±


    ¡°Yes! When my mother was pregnant with Jia¡¯er, Father often got her to go out for a walk. Don¡¯t stay there every day.¡±


    ¡°Oh! Uncle still cares about these things!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Lin Yi looked at Li Yu and smiled. ¡°Cousin, my father looks like an old schr, but he actually likes to nag. Mother and I are afraid of him.¡±


    Li Yu also smiled. ¡°This is the same as your cousin-inw. I¡¯ve been afraid of his nagging these days.¡±


    Lin Yi teased, ¡°Cousin-inw is being considerate!¡±


    As she spoke, the old woman also finished roasting the meat skewers. Madam Gong asked Xing Hua to call Li Yu back. Li Yu realized that Madam Gong had gone to the pavilion beside her again.


    A small wooden table had been added to the mat. The fragrant and spicy meat skewers were neatly arranged on tes. There was also a jar of sugarcane juice on the table.


    Madam Gong took a handkerchief and handed it to Li Yu to wipe her hands. She ced a cup of sugar cane juice in her hand and pointed at the skewers with a smile. ¡°Try it and see how it tastes. However, you have to eat less. If you eat too much roasted meat, you¡¯ll easily get angry.¡±


    Li Yu looked at Madam Gong in embarrassment. ¡°Aunt, don¡¯t be in a hurry to serve me. Sit down and eat too.¡±


    Madam Gong sat beside Li Yu and whispered to her, ¡°The person sitting at the side is Elder Wang¡¯s wife. She said that two days ago, someone brought a piece of clothing stained with smallpox, to the backyard. Fortunately, the old woman discovered the stain on the clothing.


    She was afraid that someone would attack the child again and found out that Old Master was nting vines in Qingchuan. She asked my cousin to look for you to gather information.


    When Li Yu heard this, she thought to herself that these rich families were really scheming. They were so crazy that they could even kill children just to fight for that bit of resources..

 Chapter 422 - 422: Wang Familly Village

    Chapter 422: Wang Familly Vige


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    ¡°Aunt, nting vines can indeed prevent smallpox, but you also know that there are risks in everything. I can¡¯t guarantee that it will be foolproof. It depends on whether her family is willing to take this risk.¡±


    ¡°Actually, she doesn¡¯t have to look for my Old Master. Back then, after he found a way to treat the vine in Qingchuan, he reported the prescription to the Imperial Court. The Imperial Hospital must have a prescription too. Wouldn¡¯t it be better for her to hire an imperial doctor?¡±


    When Madam Gong heard this, she nodded and said, ¡°Yes, that¡¯s for the best. Let her go to the imperial hospital to find the imperial physician to nt the vine, lest something happens and your Old Master suffers.¡±


    ¡°I think so too.¡± Li Yu smiled.


    Madam Gong sighed. ¡°That¡¯s one thing about my cousin. She likes to worm her way into things. Don¡¯t lower yourself to her level.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and said, ¡°I think Aunt is very good. She¡¯s straightforward and interesting.¡±


    At this moment, Lin Yi and Lin Jia returned with Qiao¡¯er. They took off their hats, revealing their red faces and sweaty hair.


    Lin Jia pouted and said, ¡°I¡¯m so angry. My eagle was pestered by a big centipede. Its string was broken and the kite flew away.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine if it¡¯s broken! Look at how sweaty you are.¡± Madam Gong lovingly wiped their sweat with a handkerchief.


    Lin Yi smiled and said to Lin Jia, ¡®You¡¯re first today. Tell me! What do you want? I¡¯ll buy it for you!¡±


    Qiao¡¯er also smiled and asked her, ¡°Tell me quickly. If you don¡¯t say it today, it won¡¯t count.¡±


    Li Yu also nodded and smiled. ¡°That¡¯s right! The first ce should have a prize. Tell me, what do you want?¡±


    Lin Jia smiled and thought for a moment. She looked at Lin Yi and Qiao¡¯er. ¡°I want the two of you to serve me.¡±


    Lin Yi and Qiao¡¯erughed when they heard that. ¡°Little girl, that¡¯s all you¡¯ve got. Just wait. I¡¯ll serve you personally.¡±


    Li Yu and Madam Gong watched the three of them run outughing.


    Li Yu looked at Lin Jia and Lin Yi and said with a smile, ¡°The two of them are really close. Jia¡¯er is lively and yful, and Yi¡¯er is gentle and considerate. Aunt, you¡¯re so lucky.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that so! Everyone says that about me.¡± Madam Gong looked at her two daughters and smiled at Li Yu. ¡°We women! We¡¯re still the happiest as daughters.¡±


    ¡°Ah Yu, we are considered blessed. Jiahe is devoted to you. Although your uncle doesn¡¯t say it, he has been considerate to me all these years.¡±


    ¡°Sigh! Men are afraid of entering the wrong profession, and women are afraid of marrying the wrong man. As parents, we are afraid of their daughters marrying into the wrong family and watching her suffer.¡±


    Li Yu was deep in thought as she touched her belly. Baby, are you brothers or sisters?


    The group yed outside the East Lake until noon before leaving. The Lin family¡¯s mother and daughter sent Li Yu to the door before bidding farewell and leaving.


    Li Yu went home and found Mr. Wen. She told him what Mrs. Lin had said. Mr. Wen shook his head and said, ¡°There are still people who use such methods to harm others nowadays! These women in the inner residence only know how to fight for love when they have nothing to do. They¡¯re not satisfied with living well. I really should let them see what kind of lives those women who have to fret about three meals a day are living.¡±


    Li Yuughed when she heard that. ¡°Don¡¯t be angry. Those people have nothing to do with us. I¡¯m just afraid that she¡¯lle looking for you. I¡¯m afraid that it¡¯ll be difficult for you.¡±


    Mr. Wen nodded. ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m unwilling to go to those rich families to consult. I¡¯d rather help thosemoners.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s because you¡¯re noble and unyielding that you¡¯re unwilling to see those people¡¯s faces.¡±


    Mr. Wen smiled. ¡°You¡¯ve learned to be glib, too.¡±


    At night, Zhou Jia returned from the government office. Ji Xiang reported to Zhou Jia, ¡°Master, the Han family is indeed living in Copper Lane in the west of the city. They have an old mother and two children. Their wife and mother help people wash their clothes. Han San is doing idle work on the streets to earn a living. He¡¯s also a famous filial son in Copper Lane.¡±


    Zhou Jia pondered for a moment. ¡°Alright, pay attention to him and see what kind of character he has. Don¡¯t let him lie to us.¡±


    Ji Xiang thought about it and felt that it made sense. ¡®Master is right. There are many unorthodox ideas with this type of people!¡±


    Zhou Jia suddenly remembered that Chu Fu hade to him yesterday to tell him about the mountain ridge that His Majesty had given him. He said to Ji


    Xiang, ¡°The family is almost settled. Go to the farm and mountain ridge that His Majesty had given Madam to take a look.


    Chu Fu said that he had sent a young steward from the manor to manage it and asked us to send him back after taking over.


    ¡°Go and see if there¡¯s anything you need to repair in the manor. Renovate it a little. When the weather gets hot in a few days, send Madam to the manor to escape the heat.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir. I¡¯ll go this afternoon,¡± Ji Xiang replied.


    The manor that the emperor had given Li Yu was in Wang Family Vige in Hengshan Town, Linjing County, outside the city. Ji Xiang arrived in less than two hours on a horse. He asked around in town and followed a river called Henghe to Wang Family Vige.


    Ji Xiang saw that the vigers¡¯ houses had been built not far from both sides of the river. Two arch bridges were built on the river, a stone arch bridge and a wooden porch bridge. The families leaving near the river looked to be doing well. He could see many tiled houses.


    The vigers were pulling water weeds from the fields. There were also some seven or eight-year-old boys holding bamboo poles and letting ducks by the river.


    Ji Xiang asked a boy who kept ducks by the river, ¡°Little brother, do you know how to get to the Zhu family¡¯s farmstead?¡±


    The child nced at the big horse led by Ji Xiang and pointed at a wooden porch bridge in front of him. He said crisply, ¡°Uncle, after crossing the porch bridge and walking for a while, you¡¯ll reach the Zhu family¡¯s manor. Look for the Zhu family! I heard from my father that the Zhu family has been imprisoned. You¡¯ll have made a wasted trip.¡±


    Ji Xiang smiled and cupped his fists at the little boy. ¡°Thank you, little brother.¡± The little boy blushed and smiled before going to chase the ducks.


    Ji Xiang rode over the porch bridge. There was a yellow mud and gravel road that could cross a carriage. After a quarter of an hour, he saw arge house with green bricks and gray tiles in the distance.


    When Ji Xiang arrived at the house, he saw that the door was closed. He dismounted and knocked on the door. A man in his thirties or forties opened the courtyard door. He frowned at Ji Xiang and said arrogantly, ¡°Please go.


    There¡¯s no Zhu family here anymore.¡±


    Ji Xiang looked at his arrogant appearance and frowned. He smiled and cupped his hands. ¡°Big Brother, I¡¯m not here to look for the Zhu family. I was sent by the owner of the manor to take over. I wonder if Steward Chu has greeted you?¡±


    The man looked a little unhappy when he heard that. ¡°The steward hasn¡¯te to greet us yet. Are you taking over today?¡±


    Ji Xiang¡¯s heart sank when he saw him. He simply said, ¡°Yes, my master asked me to see if there¡¯s anything that needs repairing.¡±


    ¡°Why were you gone for so long? Who is it?¡± At this moment, a young woman¡¯s voice sounded in the courtyard.


    The man smiled awkwardly at Ji Xiang and said, ¡°It¡¯s from my family. Sir, wait a moment. I¡¯lle back after packing.¡±


    Ji Xiang smiled readily. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m also a little thirsty. I¡¯ll go in and drink some water. You and your wife can clean up.¡±


    The man reluctantly pulled open the door and let Ji Xiang in. A slightly plump woman stood in the courtyard. The man went forward and pulled her in.


    When Ji Xiang saw him enter the main room, he wondered how there could be such an unruly servant.


    The man pulled the woman into the house and said to her, ¡°Clean up, clean up this manor. It¡¯s already taken.¡±


    The woman shouted in surprise, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that His Majesty left this farmstead? Steward Chu asked you to be the farmstead. We¡¯ve already rented those fields to those tenants. What about the lease?¡±


    The man said with a dark expression, ¡°Return the lease. Hurry up and take out the ount book and hand it to him. Let¡¯s go back and report to Steward Chu.¡±


    The woman took the ledger out of the box with a dark expression and handed it to him.. ¡°Here! Take it!¡±

 Chapter 423 - 423: Manor

    Chapter 423: Manor


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Ji Xiang walked into the courtyard and realized that it was quite big. There were five main rooms and three rooms on the left and right. The house looked quite good, but the courtyard looked messy and dirty. There was a well in the corner of the courtyard and a grape rack beside the well. The emerald grapes on the shelf were the size of rice grains.


    Ji Xiang walked over and got a bucket of water. He picked it up and had just taken a sip when he heard the man shout from behind, ¡°Little brother,e here.¡±


    Ji Xiang smiled and walked over. The man carried a wooden box and handed it to Ji Xiang. ¡°Little brother, I took over this year. Inside is the field bill from the farmstead and the key to the house. Take a look at the bill. If it¡¯s right, we can leave easier.¡±


    Ji Xiang smiled and said, ¡°Alright, thank you, Big Brother.¡±


    The man smiled awkwardly and watched as Ji Xiang opened the wooden box and flipped through the records. He saw that the records were a mess. The more Ji Xiang read, the more his heart sank. After thinking for a moment, he closed the ount book quietly and cupped his hands at the man with a smile.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll ept the ount book.¡±


    The man felt that Ji Xiang knew nothing. He was relieved and set up the mule cart. He carried the big and small bags onto the mule cart and left with the woman.


    Ji Xiang went into the house to take a look and saw that it was also in a mess. When he came out, he went to the backyard. The backyard wasrger than the front yard. There were some flowers and nts nted in the courtyard. Arge cluster of blooming gardenias emitted wisps of fragrance.


    The main rooms in the backyard were the same as the front yard. There were four rooms on the left and right, and there was a small garden at the back. Grapes were nted in the garden, and a pear tree and a persimmon tree were nted in the corner of the courtyard. There was a stone bench and stone table under the tree, and a rockery was built near the back courtyard wall.


    Ji Xiang returned to the courtyard and saw that the furniture in the house was still there. After touching it, he felt that the wood used was not bad. Ji Xiang looked around and felt that other than painting the house, the beds and furniture in the main room had to be remade. There was no need to buy anything else. The difficult part was the rent on the ounts. He remembered that it was a mess.


    Ji Xiang came out of the house with the wooden box and walked out with the key. Just as he reached the door, he saw a dozen farmers walking over. Seeing that Ji Xiang was about to close the door and leave, they waved and shouted, ¡°Manager, please wait.¡±


    Ji Xiang stopped and waited for them to arrive. A tall and burly man in his forties with his pants rolled up high cupped his hands at Ji Xiang. ¡°Chief Steward, we are tenant farmers who have rented your fields. I heard from the original Steward Tao that this ce will be handed over to you in the future. We want to ask if the contract we signed with you still counts?¡±


    Ji Xiang pushed open the courtyard door and said to the dozen or so people, ¡°Brothers, I just took over. I don¡¯t know the situation yet. Everyone, go in and sit.¡±


    Seeing that Ji Xiang¡¯s words were warm, the tenants rxed a little and followed Ji Xiang into the courtyard. Ji Xiang entered the house and brought out a few benches. When he saw them standing there reservedly, he smiled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t feel restrained. Sit down and talk.¡±


    ¡°Many thanks, Chief Steward. ¡± It was still the tall and strong man who led everyone to sit down.


    Ji Xiang entered the house and found a pen and paper. He smiled and said to them, ¡°What are your names? How many fields have you tenanted from my


    Master? Show me the deed number. I¡¯ll record it and report it to my Master.¡±


    The tall man took out a contract and handed it to Ji Xiang. ¡°Chief Manager, my name is Tang Yong. We all fled to Wang Family Vige a few years ago. Can you lower the rent a little? Your family¡¯s rent is ten percent higher than the Zhu Family¡¯s. We can¡¯t even fill our stomachs after paying the rent.¡±


    Ji Xiang smiled. ¡°Brother Tang, don¡¯t be anxious. Let me take a look.¡±


    Ji Xiang opened the contract and saw that it said that Tang Yong had ten acres ofnd and paid rent on 70% of it. When Ji Xiang saw this, his eyes widened. He had clearly seen 50% written on the bill just now. Why was there 20% more here?


    Lucky said to the others, ¡°Everyone, let me see.¡±


    After Ji Xiang took it, he saw that each family had 70% rent. Ji Xiang frowned. Who was this Tao person from Steward Chu¡¯s faction? He was so bold to dare to make a Yin-Yang ount book.


    Ji Xiang returned the lease to everyone. ¡°I understand. Brothers, don¡¯t worry.


    I¡¯ll report this situation to my master when I return.¡±


    Tang Yong bowed and said, ¡°Little brother, it¡¯s really a little difficult for us. Please help us put in a good word and reduce the rent by 10% so that everyone can have a meal.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll definitely pass the message to my master. Please leave!¡± Ji Xiang cupped his hands.


    Everyone could only bid farewell and leave. As they walked out of the house, Tang Yong said to the tenants following him, ¡°This manager looks different from the previous one. He should reduce the rent by 10%, right?¡±


    A man with a gloomy expression looked back angrily. ¡°That¡¯s right! I originally thought that the Zhu family¡¯s rent was high, but who knew that the rent would be higher with another family? These officials are all ruthless.¡±


    Tang Yong patted him. ¡°He Dachun, don¡¯t say that. I think this person will reduce the rent. Did you notice? He seems very unhappy when he saw our contract.¡±


    A man said optimistically, ¡°Yeah! I saw it too. He said that he wants to give us an exnation, so he should have an exnation. If he doesn¡¯t want to, he can just say that he can¡¯t do it. Sigh! Big Brother Tang, who told you that Sharpmouth Tao left?¡±


    Tang Yong smiled and nced at him. ¡°The vige chief told me. I gave him a wild rabbit yesterday.¡±


    As he rode past them, Ji Xiang said to them, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you my Master¡¯s decision the next day at thetest. Be at ease and nt thend.¡± He rode away. When everyone heard this, they all revealed relieved smiles. Only He Dachun still looked like he had a deep grudge.


    After Ji Xiang returned to the capital, he reported the situation in the manor to Li Yu. He smiled and said, ¡°Madam, they nted bamboo. Unfortunately, it¡¯s past the time to eat bamboo shoots.¡±


    Li Yu smiled. ¡°Old Madam Liu bought a lot of spring bamboo shoots and dried them. She even made some sour bamboo shoots. They¡¯re not bad. Take some back for Gu Yu.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good. Her taste is very strange now. I¡¯ll bring it back for her to try.¡± Ji Xiang smiled.


    Li Yu flipped through it and handed it to Ji Xiang. She said indifferently, ¡°For


    Chu Fu¡¯s sake, don¡¯t use this book. Just in case you put this book away.¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow, go back and take back the old tenancy agreement and re-sign the lease. It¡¯ll be 40% to 60%! We¡¯ll take 40% and the tenants will take 60%. Tell them not to default on the tenancy for no reason. Don¡¯t let go of the remaining acres. We can also nt one season of corn and one season of winter wheat. Then, modify thetrines and bathhouses in the house and find a ce to build two pig pens.¡±


    Ji Xiang smiled and replied, ¡°Yes, Madam. Master even asked me to repair it and send you there in June to avoid the heat! That ce is really not bad. You will definitely like it!¡±


    ¡°Alngnt, I¡¯ll go away In June,¡± Ll yu said witn a smile..

 Chapter 424 - 424: Safe Deduction

    Chapter 424: Safe Deduction


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    The next day, Ji Xiang went to the Wang Family Vige and told the tenants about Li Yu¡¯s decision. Tang Yong and the tenants looked at Ji Xiang in surprise, suspecting that they had heard wrongly. Even He Dachun looked surprised.


    Ji Xiang looked at them and said to them, ¡°My Madam said that the rent has been lowered and the lease has to be signed again. We only have one request. Everyone has to pay the rent on time. You can¡¯t owe the rent unless there are extraordinary circumstances.¡±


    Tang Yong stepped forward and took out the contract. ¡°Chief Manager, is it really 40-60? Are you sure you¡¯re not mistaken?¡±


    Ji Xiang looked at Tang Yong happily. ¡°There¡¯s no mistake. Everyone, take out the old contract and sign your lease.¡±


    When the tenants heard this, they cheered. Those who did not have a contract hurriedly ran home, afraid that Ji Xiang would change his mind. Only when they obtained a new contract did they feel relieved.


    Ji Xiang hired a craftsman in the vige to paint the house. He brought other craftsmen to the bamboo forest outside the backyard to take a look and asked them to dig the cesspool outside and build two pig pens. He modified the toilet and bathroom in the residence ording to Li Yu¡¯s preferences.


    After the craftsman saw Ji Xiang¡¯s drawing, he told Ji Xiang that it would not bepleted until the end of May at thetest. Ji Xiang thought that he could not keep watch here often; thinking that the person called Tang Yong was capable, he went to the field to find Tang Yong.


    When Tang Yong saw that Ji Xiang had found the field, he smiled and stood up. ¡°Chief Manager, what can I do for you?¡±


    Ji Xiang smiled and said, ¡°Brother Tang, I¡¯ll hire you to repair the courtyard ording to the sry you get for going out to work. nt some melons and vegetables in the empty ce and help watch the craftsmen work. Also, find a few people to help plow the empty fields. I¡¯ll bring some seeds to nt in a few days.¡±


    Tang Yong looked at Ji Xiang in surprise. After a moment of shock, he replied,


    ¡°Chief Manager, thank you for your trust. I will do a good job.¡±


    Ji Xiang smiled and cupped his hands at him. ¡°Alright, work hard. My master won¡¯t treat you badly.¡±


    Ji Xiang went back to keep an eye on Han San for more than thirty days before taking the corn seeds to Wang Family Vilge. He brought Tang Yong and the others to prepare the seeds and instructed Tang Yong to hire some people before returning to the city to look for Han San.


    Han San smiled at Ji Xiang. ¡°Chief Steward, don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ve already contacted each other. I found a boy around his age and lured him there several times. The people in the casino like it when someone lures the children of big families to the casino. As long as they get addicted, they will have a lot of money.¡±


    Ji Xiang thought for a moment and asked, ¡°Is the casino you found strong and powerful enough?¡±


    Han San leaned over and whispered into Ji Xiang¡¯s ear, ¡°Chief Manager, that casino is run by the family of the Eldest Princess¡¯s husband.¡±


    Ji Xiang felt a chill in his heart when he heard that. How shameless could such a family be to open a casino?


    Han San chuckled and said, ¡°Chief Steward, you don¡¯t know this, right?


    Nowadays, some of the imperial nsmen are already relying on pawning to live. Do you think that the imperial nsmen are really that rich? They eat, drink, and fill up their facades. Which one of them doesn¡¯t want silver?! Those who aren¡¯t good at business and can¡¯t bring themselves to go out and earn money can only rely on their ancestral roots to survive!¡±


    When Ji Xiang heard this, he felt that it made sense. Back then, when Young Master brought everyone to Qingchuan, he relied on Uncle Zhou to open a small shop. His life was also tight. Later on, Young Master pulled himself together and took care of the business, and his life improved. Then, Young Master met Madam, and his family¡¯s life became prosperous.


    Ji Xiang patted Han San. ¡°Do your best. I¡¯ll wait for you toe. We brothers will share the burden of Master and Madam.¡±


    ¡°Brothers! Hehe!¡± Han San was overjoyed by Ji Xiang¡¯s words. ¡°Many thanks,


    Chief Manager. I will definitely do my best to help Master.¡±


    Ji Xiang looked at him and warned, ¡°Let me tell you, my Master and Madam treat people the best, but in our family, we have to abide by the rules. If you do things like bullying, my Master and Madam will definitely sell you to the salt factory. You can forget about making aeback in your next life.¡±


    When Han San heard this, his expression didn¡¯t change as he nodded. ¡°Chief Manager, don¡¯t worry. Although I, Han San, am an unorthodox person, my father had instructed me when I was alive that the Han Family is not allowed to kill, steal, or separate people¡¯s flesh and blood.


    ¡°You¡¯ve also checked on me. Look at how I¡¯ve been stirring up trouble all these years. Those gamblers who are addicted to gambling are also up to no good. For those who want to earn easy money but are mostly upright, they can at most be fooled once. The next time, no matter how hard you try, you won¡¯t be able to lure them.¡±


    Ji Xiang felt that what Han San said made sense and nodded. ¡°Yes! I¡¯ll leave first. I¡¯ve been very busy these days, so I won¡¯te to see you. If there¡¯s anything, give me a message.¡±


    Ji Xiang returned home and told Zhou Jia what Han San had said. Zhou Jia smiled bitterly and said, ¡°Great Yong¡¯s empire has existed for more than a hundred years. Back then, Emperor Taizong raised them in captivity because he was wary of the imperial n. Now, most of the imperial n¡¯s disciples have already developed the habit of reaching out and taking what they want. His Majesty has already begun to recruit intellectuals from the imperial n.


    Those people who don¡¯t want to improve will have to suffer.¡±


    ¡°Master¡¯s analysis is right. I don¡¯t know what these people are thinking. With the status of the imperial family, no matter what business they do, no one will dare to take it. As long as they¡¯re willing to do it, they won¡¯t have to pawn their lives away. They won¡¯t be able to lose face. Do they have to resort to pawning their lives?¡±


    That was right! For example, the person in the old residence divided the house in half. As long as one wasn¡¯t extravagant and wasteful, it was enough to survive on rent. However, he insisted on saving face and pawned everything that the Old Master had bought. Sigh! It was difficult to start a family and also protect the family! When Zhou Jia thought of this, he felt he definitely couldn¡¯t pamper the children. He had to let them know that life wasn¡¯t easy.


    In the blink of an eye, it was early June. The weather was getting hotter and hotter. It was especially hot in the capital. It was as if she was in a steamer. Li Yu was more than three months pregnant. Zhou Jia nned to send Li Yu to the manor to avoid the heat during the break.


    Old Master Zhou came to the Zhou family to eat good wine and food. After eating and drinking his fill, he said to Ji Xiang, ¡°Bring Young Master here. I have something for him.¡±


    ¡°Wait for me to go to the backyard to invite Young Master for you.¡± Ji Xiang went to the backyard and told Zhou Jia what Old Master Zhou had said. ¡°Master, what do you think?¡±


    Zhou Jia thought for a moment and nodded. ¡°Alright, bring Young Master there!¡±


    Ji Xiang went to the garden and found Yangyang, who was holding Xiao Bai and ying with Little Loach. He said to him, ¡°Young Master, the Old Master wants to see you and says that he has something for you.¡±


    Yang Yang looked at Ji Xiang and said, ¡°Uncle wants to see me!¡± With that, he handed Little White to Little Loach and followed Ji Xiang to the front yard.


    Old Master Zhou stood at the door and saw Ji Xianging with Yang Yang. He quickly went back and sat on a chair. Yang Yang entered the room and bowed to him. ¡°Yang Er greets Uncle.¡±


    ¡°Get up quickly.¡± Old Master Zhou looked at Yangyang with a smile. He took a safety buckle and ced it in his hand. ¡°Take it. I took it to the Daoist temple to bless Yangyang.¡±


    Yangyang took it and knelt down to kowtow. ¡°Thank you, Uncle.¡±


    Old Master Zhou nodded with a smile. ¡°Yes! Study hard. I¡¯m going back.¡±


    Yang Yang looked at him and said, ¡°Uncle, is your house far away? Yang¡¯er will send you off!¡±


    Old Master Zhou waved his hand and refused. ¡°No need. Your Uncle Xiang can just send me. Go back and rest early..¡±

 Chapter 425 - 425: Making Money, Turning Water into Gold

    Chapter 425: Making Money, Turning Water into Gold


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Yangyang bowed and retreated. He took the safety buckle back to the backyard and gave it to Zhou Jia. ¡°Father, look at what Grandpa gave me.¡±


    Zhou Jia held it in his hand and saw that it was a jade safety buckle. Looking at the safety buckle, Zhou Jia recalled that he had never received a gift from Father Zhou since he was young. He wondered if there was really such a thing as an intergenerational rtionship.


    Zhou Jia hung the safety buckle around Yangyang¡¯s neck. ¡°Uncle gave it to you. Keep it!¡±


    Yangyang touched the safety buckle and asked Zhou Jia curiously, ¡°Father, is


    Uncle¡¯s house far? Does he have many people?¡±


    Zhou Jia thought for a moment and held Yangyang¡¯s hand as they walked towards the bathroom. ¡°His house isn¡¯t far. There are still three people at home. Daddy will bring you to take a shower and rest. Tomorrow, you and Daddy will send Mother to the countryside to avoid the heat.¡±


    ¡°Sigh! Studying is too boring. I want to live in the countryside with my mother, just like when I was in Yunzhou. Father, why should I study in Granduncle¡¯s n school? Why didn¡¯t our family¡¯s school move to the capital?¡±


    ¡°Rascal, why are there so many whys?¡± Zhou Jia smiled and stroked his head. ¡°Father doesn¡¯t want to go to the government office yet. I still want to stay at home with you and your mother! But everyone has their own things to do.


    They can¡¯t do as they please.¡±


    Yangyang raised his head and looked at Zhou Jia with a smile. ¡°I know that. Mother said that I¡¯m a child. My mission is to study hard. Father¡¯s mission is to go to the government office to work and earn money to support the family. Mother¡¯s mission is to take care of the housework at home. Mother said that everyone has something they should do. They should do their best.¡±


    When Zhou Jia heard this, he patted Yangyang¡¯s head happily. ¡°Yes! Your mother is right. Study hard. When you¡¯re on a break, Daddy will bring you to the manor to apany your mother.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± The father and son took a shower together. Zhou Jia sent Yangyang back to his room to sleep. He put down an ice basin in his room and returned to the front yard to look for Zhao Cai. He asked, ¡°Old Master gave Yang¡¯er a safety buckle today. I think that jade is worth at least 20 to 30 taels of silver. Where did he get the money?¡±


    When Zhao Cai heard this, he said, ¡°Master, half a month ago, Madam asked me to go to the old residence to deliver fruits to Master. After I went, I saw Old Master sitting in the garden with a frown. I asked him why he didn¡¯t go out to watch a show and listen to stories. He said that he wanted to buy a greeting gift for Young Master. ¡±


    ¡°He didn¡¯t even like those who were too weak. He couldn¡¯t bring himself to give them to Young Master. He wanted to buy something slightly more decent!¡±


    ¡°What can I do? I saw that the pots of orchids he nted were not bad, so I said that these pots of flowers would be worth 20 to 30 taels if you sold them. The old master was extremely happy when he heard that. He proudly told me that he had never had money to go out and y. He was so bored that he raised many flowers at home. He even brought me to see the flowers and nts in the backyard. He raised them well.¡±


    The Old Master picked a few pots and asked me to bring them to the flower and bird market. In less than an hour, they were sold for a total of twenty-five taels of silver. He took out this month¡¯s monthly money and added it in. He bought a safety buckle and said that it was a greeting gift for Young Master. He even said that he wanted to sell more flowers and nts.¡±


    Zhou Jia did not expect Old Master Zhou to be able to rely on his own ability to earn money one day. He was stunned for a while before saying to Zhao Cai, ¡°If he¡¯s willing to nt flowers and sell them, bring him along to teach him. Don¡¯t let him be urged to do those inappropriate things.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master.¡± Zhao Cai retreated.


    Zhou Jia sat in a daze for a while before going to Mr. Wen¡¯s ce. He saw that he had already packed his luggage.


    Zhou Jia smiled and said, ¡°Sir, please take care of Xiaoyu.¡±


    Mr. Wen smiled and rolled his eyes at him. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so polite with me. With me around, you can rest assured and work in the capital.¡±


    Zhou Jia helped Mr. Wen put his luggage aside. ¡°Got it. Rest early. It seems to be especially hot this year. It¡¯s much hotter than when we were in Yunzhou.¡±


    Mr. Wen waved the fan in his hand. ¡°The weather in the capital is like this. It¡¯s wet, cold, stuffy, and hot. It¡¯s cooler in the border city.¡±


    Li Yu had just taken a shower and went to Yangyang¡¯s room to take a look. Seeing that he was already asleep and that there was an ice basin in the middle of the room, she checked that there were no mosquitoes under the mosquito before walking out and sitting on the veranda with a fan to cool herself.


    Li Yu listened to the asional chirping of insects in the garden and thought to herself that she still didn¡¯t feel much cooler after putting a basin of ice in the house. It was probably because the air conditioner in her previous life was awesome. Then, she thought of how Zhao Cai had returned to the capitalte and missed the time to store the ice. The ice sold by the ice merchants in the capital was very expensive. A basin the size of a washbasin cost 70 to 80 copper coins. The ice at home was sent by the Lin family and the bank. If she were in Yunzhou, would she still have to worry about not having ice?


    As Li Yu thought of this, she suddenly remembered that she still had some saltpeter in her space. Saltpeter could be used to make ice. How could she have forgotten about this money-making business? ¡°Hahaha!¡± Li Yuughed loudly. Then she became self-aware and hurriedly covered her mouth to hide her joy.


    Granny Yang brought a cup of watermelon juice to Li Yu. When she heard Li Yu¡¯s cheerfulughter, she looked around a few times but didn¡¯t see anyone. She was shocked. Could it be that Madam had bumped into a guest?


    Granny Yang walked up to Li Yu and saw that her expression was calm. She smiled and said, ¡°Madam, drink it. Sister Liu squeezed juice for you and put it in the ice before bringing it over.¡± She hesitated for a moment and said, ¡°Madam, were you alright just now?¡±


    Li Yu looked at Granny Yang¡¯s probing gaze and smiled. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I just thought of something funny and couldn¡¯t help butugh. For some reason, being pregnant is different from before. When I think of sad things, my tearse out. When I think of happy things, Iugh out loud.¡±


    Granny Yang had taken a vow of celibacy and had nevere into contact with a pregnant woman. When she heard this, she was relieved. ¡°Oh! Her temperament might have changed when she¡¯s pregnant.¡±


    Zhou Jia walked over and asked with a smile, ¡°Madam, what¡¯s funny?¡±


    ¡°I recalled that you brought someone to help me pick tea fruits.¡± Li Yu looked at him as she joked. Granny Yang took the cup and retreated.


    Zhou Jia squatted in front of Li Yu and said with a smile, ¡°Alright, what do you want me to help you pick? I¡¯ll help you pick it immediately.¡±


    Li Yu raised her head and said arrogantly, ¡°Xiao Xi, go get a basin of water for your wife and a pair of wooden chopsticks.¡±


    ¡°Yes, my wife. Xiao Xi will be here soon.¡± Zhou Jia smiled and brought half a basin of water over.


    ¡°Bring it to the room and let me show you something good,¡± Li Yu said with a


    smile.


    Seeing her mysterious appearance, Zhou Jia smiled and walked into the room with the basin.


    Li Yu carried a bowl of saltpeter powder from her space and followed Zhou Jia back to his room. She stirred the water in the basin and slowly poured the saltpeter powder into the water. After pouring a quarter of the saltpeter powder, the water froze and even let out a cold mist.


    ¡°Yu¡¯er, this thing can turn into ice.¡± Zhou Jia looked at the ice in the basin with shining eyes and then at Li Yu.. ¡°Yu¡¯er, you¡¯re turning water into gold!¡±

 Chapter 426 - 426: Warmth, Cold

    Chapter 426: Warmth, Cold


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Li Yu nced at Zhou Jia and smiled smugly. ¡°What do you think? Can we do this profitable business?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Zhou Jia pinched some powder and whispered, ¡°Is this what¡¯s left from


    Yunzhou?¡±


    Li Yu nodded. ¡°I heard from Ji Xiang that Chu Sihai returned to the capital yesterday. Let¡¯s still go look for him and tell him not to set the price high.¡±


    Zhou Jia thought for a moment and understood what Li Yu meant. ¡°If It¡¯s cheap, we¡¯ll sell a lot of it. That¡¯s right! There are so manymoners in the capital. If a basin of ice is only sold for ten copper coins or a few copper coins, everyone wouldn¡¯t mind buying it back to cool down and making some ice bowls to eat.¡±


    Li Yu recalled the various cold drinks in her previous life and gulped. She smiled and nodded. ¡°Yes! Make watermelon ice bowls and fruit ice bowls. However, you have to filter the saltpeter first before the ice can be used. When the timees, sprinkle the ice on the cut fruits or use pulp or milk. That taste might be better.¡±


    ¡°Yes! Look at how hungry you are.¡± Zhou Jia saw Li Yu slurping and hugged her as they walked to the bed. ¡°You can¡¯t eat too much cold food. It¡¯s toote today. Have a little tomorrow.¡±


    Li Yu looked back at him with a smile. ¡°Alright! I¡¯ll listen to you. We¡¯ll eat in the carriage tomorrow.¡±


    Zhou Jia kissed her on the lips and said gently, ¡°Lie down and let me see if your feet are swollen.¡±


    Li Yu nodded. ¡°They¡¯re a little bloated.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu¡¯s feet and realized that they were slightly swollen.


    ¡°I¡¯ll rub them for you. Remember to get Xing Hua to rub them for you at the manor so that your feet won¡¯t feel ufortable,¡± Zhou Jia instructed as he gently massaged her legs.


    Li Yu smiled at him. ¡°Yes! You sleep too! Work in the government office must have been tiring.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not tired. Let¡¯s talk for a while.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and nodded. ¡°Sigh! I¡¯m getting more and more greedy now. I¡¯ve thought of a lot of ways to eat that ice¡­¡±


    The couple cared about each other. Zhou Jia told Li Yu about some interesting things in the government office. Seeing that she was snoring softly, hey down beside her and fell asleep.


    In the small courtyard beside the Tongzhou Guild Hall, Laidi looked at Li Fengqi, who had gone home to eat and wash up before sleeping soundly. She wanted to tell him that she might be pregnant. She called out a few times, but there was no reply. She was filled with grievance. She pinched Li Fengqi angrily and saw him mutter twice before turning around and falling asleep again.


    Laidi looked at the sleeping Li Fengqi and wondered if it was really that tiring to teach the two children to study. He did not even have the energy to speak. She turned around gloomily and walked to the oilmp. She touched her abdomen and thought that she had to find a physician to take a look tomorrow.


    The next morning, Laidi called out to Li Fengqi, who was about to go out, ¡°Fengqi, I¡¯m not feeling well. I want to find a physician to take a look at me.


    Can you apany me?¡±


    ¡°Why would a woman like you ask me to go? Let the old woman apany you.¡± Li Fengqi turned to look at Laidi and left without looking back.


    Laidi watched as Li Fengqi left without looking back. She was so angry that she threw the handkerchief in her hand on the ground and went into the room to lie on the bed with a grievance.


    For some reason, she thought of Zhaodi and remembered that when she said that she was not feeling well, her brother-inw was anxious to see her sister¡¯s sweet appearance. Tears flowed out of her eyes.


    Just as Zhou Jia¡¯s family was about to leave, Ji Xiang came to report that Headshopkeeper Chu hade to visit the two of them.


    Zhou Jia asked Ji Xiang to bring him in. Soon, he saw Chu Sihaiing in with a follower carrying a bamboo basket.


    Zhou Jia smiled and cupped his hands. ¡°Head Shopkeeper, I was still thinking of looking for you when you came.¡±


    Chu Sihai cupped his hands in return and joked, ¡°Lord Zhou, don¡¯t tell me you miss me!¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled and said, ¡°I do miss you. I thought of you for something good.¡±


    Chu Sihai pointed at the bamboo basket ced down by the long attendant and said with a smile, ¡°I just came out of the pce. His Majesty sent me to bring you some lychees, so I brought the ones I prepared for you.¡±


    Zhou Jia bowed happily. ¡°Thank you for your gift, Your Majesty!¡±


    Chu Sihai looked at Zhou Jia¡¯s happy expression and smiled bitterly. He sighed and said, ¡°Sigh! This thing is not easy to transport. I used a lot of ice on the way and spent a lot of money to buy ice. I still can¡¯t make it in time. A lot of them are spoiled.¡±


    Zhou Jia walked to Chu Sihai¡¯s side and said with a smile, ¡°I said that I have something good to look for you. I was referring to this.¡±


    Chu Sihai looked at Zhou Jia curiously. ¡°Are you talking about lychees?¡±


    Seeing that Chu Sihai did not think about the ice at all, Zhou Jia smiled at him and said, ¡°You¡¯re too unimaginative. Come with me. I¡¯ll show you something good.¡±


    Chu Sihai saw the smug smile on Zhou Jia¡¯s face and thought to himself that he had been traveling everywhere for so many years. What hadn¡¯t he seen?


    However, with Mrs. Li around, there might really be something rare to see.


    With this thought in mind, Chu Sihai nodded and said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll take a look at Lord Zhou¡¯s surprise today.¡±


    Zhou Jia brought him to the study and personally went to get half a basin of water. He stirred it with saltpeter and looked at Chu Sihai, whose eyes were about to pop out. He smiled proudly and asked, ¡°Head Shopkeeper, do you think this thing is a rare and profitable item?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, yes!¡± Chu Sihai said repeatedly. He circled the ice basin excitedly and tried to feel the coldness with his hand. He then bowed deeply to Zhou Jia. ¡°Aiya! Lord Zhou, you¡¯ve helped me a lot. You also know that His Majesty¡¯s intentions towards the north are like burning money.


    His Majesty doesn¡¯t want to increase taxes for the people. I¡¯m about to go bald. Even when I¡¯m sleeping, I¡¯m thinking of new ways to earn money. You really saved my head that¡¯s about to go bald!¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled and helped Chu Sihai up. ¡°Head Shopkeeper, we should be d to encounter an emperor who is diligent and cherishes the people. Just wait! We can see the day Great Yong prospers!¡±


    ¡°Lord Zhou is right. I have to take care of His Majesty¡¯s money bag so that His Majesty doesn¡¯t have to worry about anything. Lord Zhou, you have helped me a lot!¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled and said, ¡°Other than selling ice to cool down, this thing can also be sold as snacks. However, when you eat something, you have to filter the saltpeter first. There are other ways. There are so many rich young masters and youngdies in the capital. When the timees, money will flow into your pockets.¡±


    ¡°Tell me quickly, what kind of novel eating method is there?¡± Chu Sihai looked at Zhou Jia with shining eyes.


    Zhou Jia told Chu Sihai about the ice bowls, ice drinks, and iced cheese that Li Yu had mentioned. He smiled and said, ¡°My wife likes to eat them after she got pregnant. She came up with these when she had nothing to do. As for how to make them, ask the chef to think of a way.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Chu Sihai replied. After taking a pen and recording it seriously, he bowed to Zhou Jia and said, ¡°Lord Zhou, thank you. I¡¯ll go to the pce to report to His Majesty and give you a share.¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled and waved his hand. ¡°There¡¯s no need to give too much. Just give it to my family ording to the stocks of the rice seeds. This thing is simple and easy to make. You know how to keep it a secret without me telling you.¡±


    Zhou Jia recalled what Li Yu had said about low profits and high sales. ¡°Also, don¡¯t set the price too high. We can earn more if everyone can afford it..¡±

 Chapter 427 - 427: Country Woman

    Chapter 427: Country Woman


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Chu Sihai understood the logic as soon as Zhou Jia said it. He cupped his hands at Zhou Jia happily and said, ¡°Lord Zhou, I won¡¯t dy you from apanying Madam to the countryside to avoid the heat. I¡¯ll enter the pce immediately to tell His Majesty the news.¡±


    ¡°Alright, take care.¡± Zhou Jia sent Chu Sihai to the door. Seeing Chu Sihai get into the carriage happily, he turned around and returned to the backyard.


    Li Yu had already asked Xing Hua to distribute the lychees. When she saw Zhou Jia return, she smiled and said, ¡°The Head Shopkeeper sent two baskets of lychees. I asked Ji Xiang to send some to Uncle, Ah Qing, and Zhao Cai.


    Everyone, try it. I also asked Zhao Cai to send one to the old residence.¡±


    Zhou Jia nodded and smiled. ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll set off now. If we dy any longer, the road will be too hot.¡±


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s set off now!¡±


    Li Yu ced the remaining lychees in the basket and ced the apricot flowers on the ice basin before walking out.


    Yang Yang was walking Xiao Bai and ran over. ¡°Mother, aren¡¯t we setting off? I can¡¯t wait!¡±


    Li Yu smiled and said, ¡°Alright, go and bring Little Loach and the others. Wait for us at the second gate.¡±


    Yang Yang turned around and ran. ¡°Oh! Xiao Bai, let¡¯s go!¡±


    Li Yu left Nanny Yang to take care of the house. Zhou Jia helped Mr. Wen into the carriage. Yangyang, Little Loach, and the others got into the car. The group got into the carriage and headed towards Hengshan Town.


    After leaving the capital and arriving at Hengshan Town, Mr. Wen looked at the dark green fields on both sides of the river and smiled. ¡°It¡¯s still cooler in the countryside.¡±


    Ji Xiang pointed at the river and the shallow mountains that rose and fell. ¡°Old


    Master, it¡¯sfortable to live in a ce with mountains and water.¡±


    Mr. Wen narrowed his eyes and leaned against the carriage. ¡°That¡¯s not necessarily true. Some people like liveliness, while others like peace and quiet.


    Everyone has their own preferences!¡±


    The vigers of Wang Family Vige watched as a group of five carriages drove into the vige. Yangyang leaned against Zhou Jia and was sleeping soundly. Li Yu leaned against the window and watched as the carriages crossed the bridge and approached the manor in front.


    When they were about to reach the manor, they saw that the green corn seedlings by the road were already half a foot tall. After they arrived at the entrance of the manor, Zhou Jia helped Li Yu out of the car.


    Yangyang had already run to the carriage with Little Loach and the others. When the two of them got out of the car, Xiao Bai barked at Li Yu and his wife.


    Li Yu got out of the car and looked at Little Loach and the others. She smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s so cool here!¡±


    Yangyang looked at Xiao Bai, who was having fun on the road and held Li Yu¡¯s hand with a smile. ¡°Mother, it¡¯s sofortable here. I can run around. Xiao Bai doesn¡¯t have to stay at home anymore.¡±


    Li Yu looked at the green rice field and nodded with a smile. ¡°Yes! Get Uncle


    Xiang to send you over on your next leave.¡±


    Yangyang pouted and said, ¡°Oh! We can only do it next time.¡±


    Little Loach¡¯s eyes lit up as he pointed at the ditch beside the road. ¡°Young


    Master, look, there¡¯s a small ditch by the roadside. Let¡¯s go fishing.¡± Yang Yang nodded in agreement. ¡°Alright! We¡¯ll go inter and find two fish buns.¡±


    Li Yu and the others smiled as they watched the children discuss how to fish. When they entered the courtyard, they saw the grape rack by the well. The green grapes on the rack were like green gems.


    Yangyang, Little Loach, and the others went under the trellis and looked up. They looked at the bunches of grapes and swallowed their saliva. Xiao Bai spun around under the trellis.


    Xing Hua, Aunt Zhang, and Ji Xiang were busy moving the luggage into the backyard. Little Loach and the others hurriedly went up to help. When Yang Yang saw this, he also ran over to help carry the luggage in.


    Zhou Jia helped the tired Mr. Wen to the backyard.


    Li Yu stood in the courtyard and saw that the melon shelf built against the courtyard wall was covered in winter melon vines and pumpkin vines. There were also a few small green pumpkins growing on it and a few half-foot-long winter melons hanging under the vines.


    There were also bean-horn vines on the wall. On the vines were clusters of light purple flowers. There were also peas, green beans, cucumbers, and lentils hanging on the vines. Below them were green rapeseed, cabbage, eggnt, chili, onions, and coriander. There were also a few stalks of patchouli nted by the side.


    Li Yu lowered her head and smelled it. The rich fragrance emitted by the patchouli leaves made her want to go to the river and some carp to eat.


    Ji Xiang returned from the backyard and saw Li Yu standing in front of the melon stand. He smiled and said, ¡°Madam, these were all transnted from Tang Yong¡¯s family and a few other families. The small rapeseed and cabbage are the seeds of Tang Yong¡¯s family. The Tang Yong couple are good at work. Go and take a look at the backyard. There¡¯s a garden with pear trees and persimmon trees. There¡¯s also a grape trellis.¡±


    Li Yu nodded and praised, ¡°Yes! The vegetable garden is indeed set up well. Later, send some of the sugar and food you brought to the families who sent the vegetable seedlings.¡±


    ¡°Got it,¡± Ji Xiang agreed with a smile and carried the things away.


    Mr. Wen sat on a stone bench in the backyard and said to Zhou Jia with a smile, ¡°This manor is in a good location. It¡¯s not far from the capital. The bad thing is that there are many mosquitoes in the bamboo forest. When I get up, I¡¯ll cut some wormwood and smoke the surroundings.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Mr. Wen and felt that he was more energetic than before. He said sadly, ¡°I¡¯ll apany youter. If you like this ce, stay here with Xiaoyu for a few more days. We¡¯ll return to the city when the weather cools down.¡±


    Mr. Wen heard Zhou Jia¡¯s worry and turned to look at him. He smiled at him and said, ¡°Xiao Xi, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m still healthy! I still have to watch Yang¡¯er get married! However, I have to advise you. Your father has been spoiled by your grandmother. He¡¯s a little selfish and willful. He still doesn¡¯t have the heart to harm others. If he can change some bad habits, don¡¯t take the past to heart. Don¡¯t regret it.¡±


    Zhou Jia nodded. ¡°Sir, don¡¯t worry. Xiaoyu has already advised me. If he can stay out of vices, I¡¯ll do my best to support him and let him have nothing to worry about.¡±


    ¡°Alright, it¡¯s good that you can think it through. People say that with a virtuous wife, the husband doesn¡¯t have much trouble. It¡¯s your good fortune to be able to marry Xiaoyu.¡± Mr. Wen looked at Zhou Jia and smiled.


    Zhou Jia nodded and smiled. ¡°Yes, it might be God¡¯spensation for me.¡±


    Xing Hua led Aunt Zhang toy out the room and hang the curtains. Ji Xiang brought Little Loach and the others to carry the firewood into the kitchen. Old Madam Lin began to boil water and wash up.


    Li Yu plucked some small rapeseed and cabbage and ced them in a basket.


    She also picked some peas, green beans, a few cucumbers, and chili peppers. She filled a bamboo basket with eggnt and ced it in the sink by the well.


    Xing Hua came out with a Shao Winnowing Basket and a wooden basin and said to Li Yu, ¡°Madam, Granny Lin has boiled the bath water. Go wash up and change your clothes. Leave this to me.¡±


    ¡°Alright, ask Old Madam Yun to stir-fry a cucumber and dry-fried green beans. Cook the pork belly and peas together. Fish out the pork belly and cook it with green peppers. Prepare an eggnt with fish fragrance and put some patchouli in it. Make soup and stir-fry the small rapeseed and cabbage. Do whatever you like.¡±


    Xing Hua replied with a smile, ¡°Yes, Madam! Madam, you still like to eat these home-cooked dishes. I¡¯ve never seen you say how you want to cook the dishes in the kitchen in the capital!¡±


    Li Yu smiled. ¡®Who asked your Madam to be a country bumpkin?¡± Xing Hua narrowed her eyes and smiled. ¡°You¡¯re a good-looking country woman..¡±

 Chapter 428 - 428: Fishing

    Chapter 428: Fishing


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    The children¡¯sughter could be heard. Li Yu saw that Yangyang had already changed into an old set of clothes. He ran out with Little Loach and the others with a wooden bucket and a wooden stick. He was followed by Xiao Bai, which was wagging its tail.


    When Yangyang saw Li Yu, he said with a smile, ¡°Mother, let¡¯s go fishing in the ditch outside.¡±


    Li Yu nodded. ¡°You can go fishing. But you have to promise me that you can¡¯t go into the river. It¡¯s not safe there. Can you do it?¡±


    Yangyang patted his small chest and raised his head to promise, ¡°Yes, we¡¯re men. We¡¯ll keep our word.¡±


    ¡°Madam, we¡¯ll keep our word,¡± Little Loach and the others patted their chests and agreed.


    Li Yu looked at the few boys who had yet to grow out their hair and smiled. ¡°Go!


    You little men.¡±


    The children ran out with the basins and wooden sticks. When they reached the edge of the ditch, they saw that the water was not muddy at all. They could even see small fish and shrimp swimming in the water.


    The fat dog, Xiao Bai, stuck out its tongue and wagged its tail as it ran with them.


    Little Loach said to the wheat, ¡°The two of us will go down to the ditch to catch fish. Little Stutterer and Mao Dou, teach the young master to drive fish with a wooden stick.¡±


    ¡°Alright, leave it to us,¡± Mao Dou agreed loudly.


    Mai Zi nodded and said, ¡°Alright, find a narrower ce. Don¡¯t block one section each.¡±


    Little Loach nodded and jumped into the ditch. He found a good spot and ced the basket in the water. He stepped on the opening of the basket a few times and dug some mud to block the gap left on both sides of the basket.


    Mao Dou stirred the fish in the ditch with a wooden stick. As he drove the fish into the basket, he said to Yangyang, ¡°Young Master, if you chase the fish like me, the fish in the water will go into the basket.¡±


    Yangyang nodded and stood in front of the basket, imitating Mao Bean¡¯s movements and stirring the wooden stick in his hand. The two of them arrived in front of Little Loach, and Little Loach quickly picked up the stick.


    The two of them hurriedly craned their necks to take a look. Little Loach looked at the basket andughed, ¡°There are two small fish that are two fingers wide. One is a carp, and the other is a grass carp. I don¡¯t want some caterpirs.¡±


    Mao Dou said, ¡°Hurry up and put it in the basin. It¡¯ll die from the sunter.¡±


    Yangyang quickly brought the basin over and grabbed the two small fish into the basin with Mao Bean. Mao Bean even pulled out some water nts to cover them.


    Xiao Bai kept using its ws to fiddle with the fish in the basin. Yangyang chased it away and it ran back with its tail wagging, continuing to y with the fish in the basin.


    Under the scorching sun, the children were not afraid of the heat. They ran around the field,ughing and joking, their faces and bodies covered in mud.


    Li Yu took a shower and went to the back garden. She saw that the gardenias had already bloomed. The rockery was covered in green moss. There were many brown pears the size of fists on the pear trees in the courtyard. There was also a persimmon tree with many small persimmons.


    Zhou Jia came in with a recliner and said to her with a smile, ¡°The backyard is cool and there are many mosquitoes. Sir said that he will cut some wormwoodter. You can sit there and enjoy the shade.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and sat down. Zhou Jia took a fan and swatted the mosquitoes for her. Li Yu looked at him and asked, ¡°Is there only one vige nearby?¡±


    Zhou Jia thought for a moment. ¡°I think there are two or three more families. They¡¯re at the foot of the mountain not far away. The shallow mountain behind the house also belongs to our family. There seems to be such a pear tree nted on it. After you give birth, you can go up and take a look to see what you can nt?¡±


    Li Yu leaned back in her chair and gently stroked the bump on her stomach.


    ¡°Alright, the food is about to be ready. I picked some side dishes and asked


    Auntie Zhang and Old Madam Yun to make them. They must taste good now.¡±


    ¡°Yes! I think they should taste good too.¡± Zhou Jia held Li Yu¡¯s hand and said with a smile, ¡°Come, I¡¯ll help you in.¡±


    Li Yu nodded and stood up. ¡®Yang¡¯er, Little Loach, and the others are still fishing outside. Get Ji Xiang to take a look and call them back for dinner.¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled and said, ¡°Alright, only these children aren¡¯t afraid of the heat in such a big sun.¡±


    Yangyang and Little Loach carried the wooden basin and the wooden stick to the foot of the mountain. There was already half a basin of small fish and a few palm-sized carp in the basin. Yangyang picked up the wooden basin and climbed onto the field. Mao Dou was busy catching the fish and guarding against Xiao Bai¡¯s sneak attack.


    Yangyang rubbed his rumbling stomach and said to Little Loach, ¡°Brother Loach, Brother Mao Dou, there is already a lot of fish. Let¡¯s go home. I¡¯m hungry.¡±


    When Little Loach heard that Yangyang was hungry, he hurriedly climbed onto the field and waved at Wheat and Little Stutterer. ¡°Wheat, Little Stutterer, let¡¯s go back and eat.¡±


    Little White followed suit and barked.


    ¡°You¡¯re here. I have two palm-sized carp in my pocket,¡± Maizi replied loudly. He got up from the ditch and walked to the three of them. He smiled and showed them the carps in her pocket. ¡°Young Master, look. Are they big?¡±


    Yangyang patted Maizi like a little adult. ¡°It¡¯s big. It¡¯s the biggest this time. Let¡¯s go back! It¡¯s too hot. I¡¯m so hungry.¡±


    Mao Dou washed the water grass and mud off his bag and climbed onto the field. ¡°Coming! Pack up and go home!¡±


    Little Loach nimbly took the bag, while Maizi carried the wooden basin and walked back excitedly.


    Three boys walked out of the house ten feet away from the field. Then, three more chased after them. They ran to the ditch and blocked in front of them.


    A fair and chubby boy who was walking in among them stretched out his short and chubby finger. He pointed arrogantly at Yangyang and the others and scolded, ¡°Smelly bumpkin, are you getting bold? Did I allow you toe here to fish? Pour the fish back into the ditch. These are all my fish.¡±


    Little Loach, Mao Dou, and the others stood in front of Yangyang and red at him. ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to scold my young master.¡±


    The little fatty shouted in a strange tone, ¡°Yo! Your young master hasn¡¯t even washed the mud off his legs! Why don¡¯t you take a piss and look at yourself? A dog from a mud-legged family still wants to be a young master!¡±


    Yang Yang raised his head and looked at him disdainfully. His mouth was sharp and his voice was crisp. ¡°Your familyprises dogs and pigs. Didn¡¯t your parents teach you to respect others?¡±


    ¡°You keep saying that we¡¯re sludge. What did we do to you? Don¡¯t you have sludge to grow food for you? Did you grow up eating sh*t?¡±


    ¡°Yo! You look like you grew up eating sh*t. You¡¯re as round as my Xiao Bai, but youck ck hair.¡±


    When Xiao Bai heard Yang Yang mention it, it joined in the fun and barked at the little fatty.


    The little fatty stomped his feet after being scolded by Yangyang. Xiao Bai came to join in the fun again. He was so angry that he gritted his teeth and kicked Xiao Bai. ¡°Bastard, how dare you bark at me?¡±


    Xiao Bai pounced on him and bit his shoe. The little fatty did not manage to kick Xiao Bai. Instead, Xiao Bai bit his shoe. He was so frightened that he squatted on the ground, his shoe still in Xiao Bai¡¯s mouth..

 Chapter 429 - 429: Group Battle

    Chapter 429: Group Battle


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    The others hurriedly ran to help the little fatty up and shouted, ¡°Young Master, are you alright?¡±


    Yangyang patted Xiao Bai¡¯s neck. ¡°Fat Xiao Bai, are you even interested in the fat grandson¡¯s stinky shoes? Return them to him.¡±


    The little fatty did not win in his scolding. He wanted to kick Xiao Bai, but his shoes were bitten off. When he heard Yangyang refer to him as Xiao Bai¡¯s grandson, he shouted at the few servants surrounding him in exasperation, ¡°Ah Cai, beat these bumpkins to death. Beat them to death and feed them to the dogs.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Young Master.¡± The few servants answered in unison. They rubbed their


    fists and rushed towards Yangyang, Little Loach, and the others.


    The little fatty smiled sinisterly. ¡°Beat, beat, beat them to death and feed them to the dogs.¡±


    Maizi and Little Loach stood in front of Yang Yang. ¡°Young Master, please step back.¡± Maizi and Little Loach rushed forward and started fighting with the servant boys.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go together,¡± Yangyang shouted. With one hand, he grabbed the wrist of the manservant who had reached out to grab him, and with the other, he grabbed the joint of the manservant¡¯s elbow. He suppressed him and subdued him on the ground. Then, he stepped on his armpit. The manservant wailed, but he did not dare to beg for mercy.


    Yangyang shouted in an imposing manner, ¡°Dog, Yours Truly is not someone to be bullied easily. If you dare to bully the weak again, Yours Truly will beat you up every time I see you.¡±


    The other servant boys were also beaten to the ground by Little Loach and the others. The little fatty was so frightened that he cried out loud when Xiao Bai bit his pants and refused to let go.


    ¡°Xiao Bai, let¡¯s go!¡± Yangyang shouted to stop Xiao Bai from biting the little fatty¡¯s pants.


    Xiao Bai opened its mouth and ran to Yang Yang while wagging its tail.


    Yangyang patted its head. ¡°Be good. I¡¯ll give you a big bone when we get back.¡±


    Yangyang, Little Loach, and the others carried the wooden basin and brought Xiao Bai back.


    A tall and thin old woman, a woman, and a short and fat old woman hurriedly ran out of the house.


    When the short and fat woman saw the little fatty and the servants sitting on the ground in pain, she called out to the little fatty, ¡°Grandmother¡¯s sweetheart! My good grandson! Which blind person bullied you? Don¡¯t cry. Tell Grandmother and Grandmother will avenge you.¡±


    The little fatty sat on the ground and kept kicking his feet. He pointed at Yangyang, Little Loach, and the others and shouted, ¡°Grandmother, it¡¯s those bumpkins in front. They let the dog bite me and even hit me. Capture them and beat them to death.¡±


    The little fatty cried and rolled on the ground. ¡°Ah¡­ I don¡¯t want to live anymore. Ah¡­ catch them back quickly. Boohoo¡­¡±


    The fat woman pointed at Yangyang and the others and said to the tall and thin woman, ¡°Go and bring those people back. p them twice to avenge my grandson.¡±


    The woman smiled apologetically and said, ¡°Old Madam, the children were fighting. It¡¯s fine if they leave!¡±


    When the little fatty heard this, he sat up. ¡°I won¡¯t allow it. Why should I let it go? I want to hit them with a stick.¡±


    ¡°Old Madam Zheng, hurry up and go.¡± The olddy red at the woman and picked up the little fatty. She coaxed him gently, ¡°Okay, okay, okay. We Il hit them with a stick. Don¡¯t cry anymore. Tears are the blood of a man¡¯s heart.


    Little ancestor, you can¡¯t cry.¡±


    How could the olddy spoil the young master like this? Did she want to spoil one child after another? The woman stood at the side and frowned at her.


    After receiving the order, Old Madam Zheng rushed toward Yangyang and the others.


    In just a few breaths, she caught up to Yangyang and Little Loach. She grabbed the cor of Little Stutterer who was walking behind.


    Little Stutterer was caught off guard. After being grabbed by Old Madam Zheng, he screamed in fear and the bag in his hand fell to the ground.


    When Yangyang and Little Loach turned their heads and saw this, they raised their wooden sticks and hit Old Madam Zheng¡¯s legs. Yangyang shouted, ¡°Let go of him.¡±


    Xiao Bai also barked at Old Madam Zheng. Old Madam Zheng did not expect the children to dare to fight back. She kicked Xiao Bai away and kicked Yangyang. Little Loach hurriedly pushed Yangyang away and was kicked in the chest by Old Madam Zheng. He fell to the ground with a bang.


    Maizi and Maodou threw away the wooden basin and rushed forward to hold him. They saw that Little Loach¡¯s eyes were closed and his face was sallow from Old Madam Zheng¡¯s kick.


    ¡°Bad guy.¡± Yangyang saw Little Loach lying motionless on the ground and rushed toward her with Mao Dou holding a wooden stick.


    ¡°Young Master, Mao Dou, move aside. Go back and invite Sir.¡± Ji Xiang¡¯s voice sounded behind the two of them.


    ¡°Uncle Xiang is here.¡± After Yangyang dodged happily, he ran back and said to Maizi, ¡°You guys guard here. I¡¯ll go back and ask Grandmaster to take a look at Brother Loach.¡¯


    ¡°Young Master, I¡¯ll go. I¡¯m fast,¡± Mao Dou said as he ran out.


    Ji Xiang moved forward like lightning and struck Old Madam Zheng¡¯s face with his palm. Old Madam Zheng retreated and dodged. Ji Xiang took the opportunity to snatch Little Stutterer back from her hand and spun to kick Old Madam Zheng in the chest. Old Madam Zheng clutched her chest and looked at


    Ji Xiang. ¡°Whose family are you from? How dare you go against Earl Jianning¡¯s Manor?¡±


    It was Earl Jianning again. It seemed that the Zhou Family and Earl Jianning¡¯s family were not on good terms. First, they wanted to bully the Young Master-inw, and now they were bullying the Young Master. Did they really think that they were afraid of him?


    Ji Xiang looked at her disdainfully. ¡°Old woman, you¡¯ve lived for nothing. You can even bear to kill a child who¡¯s only seven years old. Can the Jianning family bully the young? Can they bully others with their power? Why don¡¯t you stop fighting? If you have the ability,e with your grandfather! What¡¯s so good about bullying children?¡±


    Yangyangined in pain, ¡°Uncle Xiang, their family is full of bad people. That fatty said that the fish in the ditch belonged to his family. He couldn¡¯t outtalk me and got someone to beat us up. They couldn¡¯t beat us, so they asked this old woman to help. The family is bad.¡±


    ¡°Old woman.¡± Ji Xiang gritted his teeth and rushed forward to hit the old woman. The old woman dodged to the side and raised her leg to kick Ji Xiang. Ji Xiang rolled over and dodged the old woman¡¯s fierce kick. He grabbed Old Madam Zheng¡¯s ankle and twisted it hard. There was a muffled cracking sound. Old Madam Zheng screamed and her foot twisted unnaturally.


    Yangyang clenched his fists and shouted, ¡°Uncle Xiang is mighty.¡±


    The woman and the olddy who were watching also heard Old Madam Zheng¡¯s scream.


    The woman bent down and said to the olddy, who did not care at all and was coaxing her grandson, ¡°Old Madam, Nanny Zheng is no match for that person.¡±


    Old Mrs. Jianning said casually, ¡°Go back and call two guards over. They¡¯re useless. They can¡¯t even handle a bumpkin.¡±


    The woman bowed and persuaded, ¡°Old Madam, I heard that His Majesty bestowed that manor to the new Minister of Revenue. Could those children just now be the children of the Minister of Revenue¡¯s family?¡±


    ¡°So what if they are?¡± The olddy from Jianning Prefecture had a look of disdain on her face. ¡°The Minister of Revenue is just a fifth-rank official. Why would I be afraid of him?¡±


    When the woman heard this, she thought to herself, Although he¡¯s only at the fifth rank, he¡¯s an official of the imperial court with real power. The Earl¡¯s Manor doesn¡¯t have any position in the imperial court now, so how can they fight with him?


    Seeing that the woman was still standing there without moving, the olddy looked at her strangely and said, ¡°It seems that I don¡¯t have any power over you.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Old Madam.¡± The woman reluctantly walked back.


    At this moment, the farmers and tenants who were pulling weeds in the field also heard themotion and walked over. They looked from afar and did not dare to approach. They looked at Old Madam Zheng who was screaming repeatedly..

 Chapter 430 - 430: Hit Her Again, Bad Old Woman

    Chapter 430: Hit Her Again, Bad Old Woman


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    The ten or so people looked at Old Madam Zheng who was screaming and discussed in low voices.


    A woman gloated. ¡°This old woman is really evil. Last time, she pped my


    Erdan and two of his teeth fell out. He bled a lot and I cried out in anger.¡±


    An old man beside him advised, ¡°Let¡¯s not provoke them. It¡¯s easier for these people to crush us than an ant.¡±


    The man beside him nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right! Let¡¯s just watch them fight. Dogs bite each other. Officials are all bad people.¡±


    ¡°Mother, I¡¯ll go take a look.¡± A child wanted to run over to watch themotion.


    The woman grabbed the child and patted him. ¡°Don¡¯t go over and cause trouble for the family.¡±


    After Ji Xiang hit the old woman, he returned to check on Little Loach¡¯s injuries. Zhou Jia, Li Yu, and Mr. Wen rushed over when they heard the news. When the children saw Li Yu and Zhou Jia, they cried in grievance and fear.


    After Ji Xiang walked over, he pointed at the old woman who had copsed to the ground and reported to the two of them, ¡°Master, Madam, when I arrived, Young Master was holding a wooden stick and was about to fight that old woman. After I went up and exchanged two moves with her, the old woman said that she was from Earl Jianning¡¯s Estate. Her martial arts skills are not bad, so how could the little stutterer withstand her kick? If I hadn¡¯t arrived, Young Master would have suffered.¡±


    Zhou Jia said angrily, ¡°Do you think you can bully the weak just because you¡¯re from Earl Jianning¡¯s Estate? Capture that old woman. I¡¯m going back to the capital toin!¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Ji Xiang agreed and walked towards the old woman.


    Mr. Wen lowered his head to check on Little Loach¡¯s injuries, whose breathing was unstable. He lifted his clothes and saw arge ck and blue footprint on Little Loach¡¯s chest. He said angrily, ¡°How could she be so cruel as to attack a child?¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Little Loach¡¯s chest and said worriedly, ¡°Sir, Little Loach might have suffered internal injuries!¡±


    Mr. Wen nodded. ¡°Fortunately, his sternum isn¡¯t broken. Perhaps his bones are cracked. Hurry up and carry him back so I can perform acupuncture on him.¡± Zhou Jia picked up Little Loach and ran back.


    Yangyang leaned against Li Yu aggrievedly. ¡°Mother, they said that we¡¯re bumpkins. They said that I¡¯m a dog from a bumpkin family pretending to be Young Master.¡±


    Li Yu patted his back tofort him and wiped the sweat off his face. ¡°Don¡¯t be angry. This is what Mother told you. We have to use our strength to teach the rules to a family with low morals and no upbringing.¡±


    Yangyang looked up at Li Yu. ¡°We fought them and walked back. This old woman caught up and grabbed Brother Stutterer. We went up to help. Brother Loach pushed me away and he was kicked away by the old woman. We can¡¯t beat this old woman.¡±


    Little Stutterer cried and pointed at the old woman. ¡°That old woman.¡±


    Maizi cried, ¡°Little Loach¡¯s face is yellow.¡±


    Li Yu rubbed their hair one by one and said warmly, ¡°I understand. Go back and wash up. Eat your food first. Cultivate well in the future and don¡¯t bezy.¡± ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± The three of them sobbed.


    At this moment, the woman also came with two guards. Seeing that Old


    Madam Zheng¡¯s hands had been twisted by Ji Xiang and her legs were twisted


    unnaturally, the woman saw Li Yu¡¯s cold gaze beside Ji Xiang and thought to herself that she had provoked someone she shouldn¡¯t have.


    The woman stopped the two guards who were rubbing their fists and wanting to snatch Old Madam Zheng back. She took two steps forward and bowed to Li Yu. ¡°May I ask if Madam is the wife of the Minister of Revenue, Lord Zhou?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± Li Yu looked at her, her cold eyes emitting hostility. ¡°Go back and tell


    Earl Jianning that my Zhou family is going against him.¡±


    The woman smiled and bowed deeply. ¡°Madam, please calm down! I..


    ¡°Who asked you to act on your own ord? Get lost.¡± The olddy pointed at the woman and shouted.


    The little fatty also rushed over as he panted. He grabbed the old woman¡¯s sleeve and looked at Li Yu in fear. ¡°Grandmother, I¡¯m afraid!¡±


    Old Madam Jianning nced at Li Yu and pointed at the two guards. She shouted, ¡°Get Old Madam Zheng back. How dare a mere doctor go against my Jianning Manor.¡±


    The little fatty was so excited that his face turned red. ¡°Go, go, go, beat these bumpkins to death.¡±


    Li Yu looked at the grandmother and grandchild coldly and thought of a sentence she had heard in her previous life. Whoever had a grudge against her would marry a daughter who had been raised badly. From the looks of Old Madam Zhou and the person in front of her, it was really not unreasonable.


    The two guards waved their fists at Ji Xiang majestically and smiled sinisterly.


    ¡°How dare you attack Granny Zheng? You¡¯re courting death.¡±


    Ji Xiang sneered. ¡°Bring it on. I promise I¡¯ll beat the crap out of you.¡±


    A guard shouted and punched Ji Xiang. Li Yu knew from their looks that they were not Ji Xiang¡¯s match. She stood at the side and calmly watched them attack.


    Ji Xiang punched faster than the two of them. He punched a guard in the nose and sent him flying with a palm strike. He fell into the ditch.


    The other guard raised his leg and kicked Ji Xiang¡¯s abdomen. Ji Xiang took two steps back and dodged the guard¡¯s attack. The guard took two steps in a row and jumped up to kick Ji Xiang.


    Ji Xiang dodged, grabbed the guard¡¯s leg with his left hand, and punched his leg with his right hand. There was a scream and a crisp crack. The guard¡¯s leg was broken by Ji Xiang.


    Ji Xiang loosened his grip on his leg and the guard fell to the ground. He looked at the guard coldly as thetter wailed repeatedly.


    When the olddy saw that the two guards were easily dealt with by Ji Xiang, she cursed and shouted, ¡°Useless things. Raising you is not as useful as raising a dog.¡±


    Li Yu slowly walked up to Old Madam Jianning and berated her, ¡°You vicious old thing. You don¡¯t even let a child off. You¡¯ve lived in vain!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m the Old Madam of the Earl of Jianning Manor. How dare you be rude to me?¡± The Old Madam of the Earl of Jianning raised her fierce face and said.


    Ji Xiang shouted, ¡°Old woman, my Madam is a first-grade country protector.


    How dare you be rude?¡±


    ¡°Nonsense,¡± Old Mrs. Jianning shouted after hearing that.


    ¡°Nonsense. Is there a need for a vicious woman like you?¡± Li Yu looked at her. ¡°You still have the cheek to say that you¡¯re the Old Madam of Jianning. Even a servant is more polite than you. You¡¯ve lived for so long in vain. Do you understand the principle of pitying the poor and the weak?


    ¡°You¡¯re always unting your seniority and bullying themon people. You don¡¯t even let off children who are a few years old. Have you learned your manners, morals, and shame or have they been eaten by a dog?¡±


    Old Madam Jianning had been taking advantage of her seniority for so many years and one had ever scolded her in person. Seeing that Li Yu hadpared her to a servant and even called her a dog, she pointed at Li Yu with a red face.


    ¡°How dare you scold me?¡±


    Li Yu sneered. ¡°So what if I scold you? Put down your wretched ws. Be careful that I¡¯ll chop them up for you.¡±


    ¡°You, you¡­¡± The olddy was silent for a long time. She patted her chest and made a scene. ¡°Oh¡­ I don¡¯t want to live anymore. I¡¯m already so old, but I¡¯m being bullied by a junior. Son! Your mother can¡¯t live anymore¡­¡±


    Li Yu looked at her and rolled her eyes. ¡°Howling won¡¯t kill you. If you don¡¯t want to live anymore, jump into the river! There¡¯s no lid on the river. If you really can¡¯t, try buying a piece of tofu!¡±


    Seeing that she couldn¡¯t scare Li Yu, the olddy stopped crying and looked at


    Li Yu with a dark expression..

 Chapter 431 - 431: Insight into a Fight

    Chapter 431: Insight into a Fight


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Li Yu couldn¡¯t be bothered to look at her. She turned to look at Ji Xiang. ¡°Tie up the old woman who hit the children and bring her back.¡±


    The olddy shouted at Li Yu, ¡°How dare you? That¡¯s my servant. I¡¯m going to sue you for letting your vemit murder and injuring my servant.¡±


    At this moment, Zhou Jia came with an umbre and covered Li Yu¡¯s head. He looked at Old Madam Jianning coldly. ¡°It just so happens that I¡¯m going back to the capital to sue Earl Jianning for letting his mothermit murder. She won¡¯t even let off a child of a few years old. If you want to sue, please! Let¡¯s go to the throne room and talk.¡±


    ¡°Your entire family bullied an old woman like me, and you still think you¡¯re in the right? So what if it¡¯s the throne room? You think you¡¯re bluffing those bumpkins. You¡¯re still too inexperienced to bluff me!¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at her coldly. ¡°Am I bluffing you? You¡¯re not worthy!¡±


    Old Madam Jianning choked on Zhou Jia¡¯s words. She watched helplessly as Ji


    Xiang tied up and carried Old Madam Zheng back with Li Yu and her husband.


    Exasperated, she shouted at the woman standing at the side, ¡°Go, cover the carriage well. I¡¯ll go back to the capital and sue them.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Old Madam.¡± The woman bent her knees and replied. She ignored the injured guard lying on the road and turned to leave.


    ¡°You two are useless. Do you still want me to carry you away?¡± After saying that, the olddy led the little fatty away.


    The guard got up from the ditch and helped the one lying on the ground up. He sighed repeatedly and said, ¡°Why are you so stupid? Look, although I fell, at least my legs are still intact! This olddy is mean and ungrateful. Do you still expect her to treat you? We¡¯ve done a terrible job. When we go backter, we¡¯ll pack up and leave.¡±


    ¡°She has to give me the medicinal soup and silver, right?¡± The injured guard muttered. He grimaced in pain as he was supported back by hispanions.


    Li Yu and the other two quickly walked back. Zhou Jia said to Li Yu and Ji Xiang, ¡°Little Loach has already woken up. That child feels the pain in his chest when he vents his anger. Sir said that his sternum is cracked and he has to recuperate for a month to recover.¡±


    Although Little Loach and the others were nurtured to protect Yangyang, Li Yu was still filled with gratitude for Little Loach.


    She recalled that she had heard from Mr. Wen in the past that deer bones were good for tendons and bones. She suddenly thought of the wild deer stored in the space. Li Yu decided to wait for Zhou Jia to leave and get the deer bones out to treat Little Loach¡¯s injuries.


    ¡°Fortunately, this child took Yang¡¯er¡¯s ce. Fortunately, Sir came along.


    Otherwise, Little Loach would be in danger.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! Thanks to these children, you can live in the countryside in peace. Little Loach won¡¯t be injured for nothing. I¡¯ll ask Earl Jianning for an exnation. ¡±


    Ji Xiang recalled the reason for the enmity with Earl Jianning¡¯s residence and was furious. ¡°Master, Madam, that old woman raised a ruckus over a few children and could send this damn old woman and the guards to cause trouble for the children. No wonder his third son was put in a sack and hung on a tree naked.¡±


    Li Yu thought for a moment. ¡°I heard Aunt Gong mention this at Ah Qing¡¯s housewarming banquetst time. It seems that this old woman spoiled him rotten.¡±


    Zhou Jia and Ji Xiang looked at each other and thought to themselves that the guy still dared to have designs on Ah Qing!


    After Li Yu and Zhou Jia returned, they went to Little Loach¡¯s room and saw Yangyang, Maodou, and the others looking at him from the bed.


    When Li Yu walked closer, she saw that his expression was much better than before. He frowned even when he breathed. It seemed that the crack in his chest made his breathing painful. Li Yu also felt a lot of pain when she saw it.


    Her heart ached as she stroked his head and smiled. ¡°Little Loach is the bravest. You will be fine soon after Madam makes delicious food for you. You don¡¯t have to agree. Just blink.¡±


    Little Loach smiled and blinked at Li Yu. Yangyang alsoforted him. ¡°Brother Loach, recuperate well. I¡¯lle and see you next time. I know you¡¯re in a lot of pain. You don¡¯t have to promise me that you¡¯ll wait for me to bring you fried quails.¡±


    Li Yu felt that the children were chattering here and affecting the children¡¯s rest. She patted them gently. ¡°Alright, the few of you, go out. Don¡¯t disturb Little Loach¡¯s rest. Yangyang, Maizi, and Maodou, go wash up and change your clothes to apany Daddy back. Little Stutterer, stay here and apany Little Loach.¡±


    Yangyang turned to look at Little Loach. ¡°Brother Loach, rest. Daddy and I will go back andin to avenge you.¡±


    ¡°Yes! We¡¯ll avenge you,¡± Mao Dou and the others agreed.


    Li Yu brought the children out and asked them to take a shower. Zhou Jia said to Li Yu, ¡°I originally wanted to apany you for a day and go back tomorrow afternoon. I can only go back early now.¡±


    Li Yu thought for a moment and looked at Zhou Jia. ¡°Go back and ask Ji Xiang to look for Earl Jianning first and see what he says. If he¡¯s as unreasonable and arrogant as his mother, we¡¯re not afraid of him. If he¡¯s a reasonable person, let¡¯s reason with him.¡±


    Zhou Jia nodded. ¡°If Earl Jianning is as arrogant and despotic as his mother, we can save some trouble. We can just fall out with him and attack him. His olddy is just like the one in the old residence. She¡¯s also selfish and ruthless. Earl Jianning can be considered a victim.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that obvious!¡± Li Yu smiled at him and felt that he was thinking the same thing as her.


    Zhou Jia brought Yangyang, Mao Dou, and Maizi into the carriage. Xiao Bai hurriedly jumped into the car with Yangyang. The few of them sat in the carriage and waved goodbye to Li Yu and Mr. Wen. Ji Xiang drove the carriage towards the capital.


    Mao Dou and Mai Zi sat beside Ji Xiang to learn how to drive the carriage. Xiao Baiy at the entrance of the carriage and enjoyed the cold wind. Yangyang was wearing a small coat and lying on the mat in the carriage unhappily.


    Zhou Jia looked at Yangyang and asked, ¡°Do you have any insights into this fight?¡±


    Yang Yang sat up and nced at the carriage following behind. ¡°Father, I think


    I¡¯m too weak. I can¡¯t even defeat an old woman.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at him gently. ¡°That¡¯s right! This time, Uncle Xiang happened to be looking for you for a meal. If Uncle Xiang didn¡¯te, wouldn¡¯t you have been wiped out by that old woman? If you encounter something that¡¯s notparable to your ability in the future, what should you do?¡±


    Yangyang looked at Zhou Jia and puffed out her chest. ¡°I have to cultivate well in the future. I won¡¯t bezy anymore. I have to study hard and get merits.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at him. ¡°This is what you have to do. You have to know that no matter what status you achieve, there¡¯s nothing foolproof. If the enemy you encounter m tne ruture IS sometmng your strengtn at tnat time can¡¯t aereat, what should you do?¡±


    When Yangyang heard this, he thought of how Old Madam Zheng had kicked Brother Loach away. If Uncle Xiang had note, he and Brother Maizi might have been kicked away by her. He looked up at Zhou Jia. ¡°I should have asked Father, Mother, or Uncle Xiang for help. I shouldn¡¯t have done it rashly.¡±


    Zhou Jia rubbed his bag and said gently, ¡°Yes, you have to remember that a wise man doesn¡¯t fight when the odds are against him. If he can¡¯t win, he¡¯ll run. It¡¯s never toote for a gentleman to take revenge. When he has the ability, he¡¯ll find someone to make up for it. Only a brainless person will rush in without thinking.¡±


    Yangyang thought for a while and looked up at Zhou Jia. ¡°Father, I¡¯ll remember.¡±


    Zhou Jia kissed him in relief. ¡°Alright, lie down and sleep for a while. We¡¯ll be there soon..¡±

 Chapter 432 - 432: Complaint

    Chapter 432: Comint


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    The olddy of the Jianning family brought her grandson home. When she saw Earl Jianning, she wailed, ¡°Son! Your mother won¡¯t live. She¡¯s already so old, but she was pointed at by a servant and scolded. She put my old face on the ground and stepped on it! Look, my good grandson was pressed to the ground and beaten by them. Woo¡­ Woo¡­¡±


    The little fatty was covered in dirt. He tugged at Earl Jianning¡¯s sleeve and sobbed. ¡°Dad! I only hit him once, and they let a four-eyed little ck dog bite me. They even said that I was as fat as the little ck dog. When I scolded them, they hit me. They even said that they would hit me every time they saw me in the future. Boohoo¡­


    Earl Jianning saw that his mother and son were crying their hearts out. He was so angry that the fat on his body was trembling. ¡°Mother, I¡¯m useless. I caused you to be humiliated. I¡¯ll fight them to the death.¡±


    When the olddy saw her son turn around and leave in anger, she hurriedly pulled his sleeve. ¡°Son! That little official said that he wants toin to the imperial court. Let¡¯s alsoin to the imperial court. Bring my good grandson to His Majesty to take a look andin to him to avenge your mother.¡±


    Earl Jianning nodded and said, ¡°Mother¡¯s method is still the best. I¡¯ll go to the pce toin to His Majesty now.¡±


    The olddy gave him a few more instructions before letting him leave with the little fatty.


    When Zhou Jia and the others returned to the capital, it was alreadyte at night. Just as they finished washing up, Ji Xiang arrived.


    Ji Xiang reported, ¡°Master, someone from the pce hase. They said that Earl Jianning has entered the pce to sue us for letting a vemit murder and beat his mother and son. You wanted to go to his house to exin the situation, but you didn¡¯t expect Earl Jianning to be like that vicious old woman.¡±


    ¡°Stupid thing, you actually listened and believed it to this extent. Don¡¯t you have a brain?¡± Zhou Jia criticized and instructed Ji Xiang, ¡°Go help Young Master change into festive clothes and bring that old woman to the carriage. I¡¯ll bring Young Master into the pce immediately.¡±


    Zhou Jia entered the house and changed his clothes. He brought Yangyang to the front hall and saw Zhao Cai sitting in the hall with the young eunuch at the entrance of His Majesty¡¯s imperial study. The two of them were beaming with joy.


    When the young eunuch saw Zhou Jia arrive, he stood up and bowed with a smile. ¡°Lord Zhou, His Majesty has summoned you to the pce.¡±


    Zhou Jia bowed and said, ¡°As His Majesty wishes.¡±


    Zhou Jia brought the young eunuch out. The young eunuch smiled and said to Zhou Jia, ¡°Earl Jianning brought his bruised son to the imperial study and didn¡¯t leave. He said that your steward hit his mother and son and insisted that His Majesty should uphold justice. His Majesty finally had time to rest today, but it was all ruined by him and his son.¡±


    Zhou Jia frowned and said, ¡°That¡¯s right! As a minister, he can¡¯t share the His Majesty¡¯s burden. He even caused trouble in front of His Majesty for a small matter. He¡¯s too insensible.¡±


    The young eunuch smiled and cupped his hands. ¡°That¡¯s right. No wonder His


    Majesty said that you¡¯re the most considerate.¡±


    When Yangyang heard this, he looked up at Zhou Jia and thought to himself that his father was also saying that he wanted toin to His Majesty in the manor! Why did he say that Uncle Jianning was insensible?


    When Zhou Jia saw his son¡¯s expression, he knew what he was thinking. He go into the carriage and waited for him to ask him. Unexpectedly, Yangyang remained silent until he reached the pce.


    After Zhou Jia got out of the carriage, he said to Ji Xiang, ¡°Wait here with that old woman. If His Majesty summons her, bring her into the pce.¡±


    Ji Xiang bowed. ¡°Yes, my Lord.¡±


    When the father and son arrived at the entrance of Yangxin Hall, Yangyang saw that the little fatty was being held by a fatty who looked like a big white steamed bun. Yangyang felt that the little fatty was even dirtier than when he was in the manor. He widened his eyes in surprise and looked at him.


    Chu Yuhao looked at the beautiful child who had crossed the threshold with Zhou Jia. He was wearing a thin red silk dress and was wearing a piece of pink jade. When he saw his surprised expression on seeing the little fatty, he smiled and thought to himself that this child was as good-looking as his parents and even more heroic than Mr. Zhou.


    The father and son entered the hall and knelt down to kowtow. Chu Yuhao smiled and said, ¡°Rise!¡±


    When Earl Jianning saw that Zhou Jia and his son were dressed cleanly, especially that child in festive red. He suddenly felt that he shouldn¡¯t have listened to the olddy and let the childe to see His Majesty dirty.


    Chu Yuhao pointed at Earl Jianning and said to Zhou Jia, ¡°Earl Zhou, Uncle


    Jianning is suing you for letting your vemit murder. He insulted


    Matriarch Jianning and even beat his son.¡±


    Zhou Jia bowed and said, ¡°Your Majesty, my son knows the ins and outs of this matter the best. I¡¯ll let him report to Your Majesty.¡±


    Chu Yuhao nced at Earl Jianning and nodded. ¡°I approve.¡±


    When Earl Jianning heard this, he muttered to himself, ¡°If you let the child say it, don¡¯t regret thinking that I took advantage of you.¡±


    ¡°Chenxi, report everything that happened in the manor today to His Majesty,¡± Zhou Jia said to Yangyang.


    ¡°Yes, Father.¡± Yang Yang turned around and reported to Chu Yuhao, ¡°Your Majesty,


    ¡°Chenxi, you have to refer to yourself as a subject,¡± Zhou Jia taught him.


    Chu Yuhao smiled and waved his hand. ¡°There¡¯s no need to pay attention to these things. Let him speak for himself.¡±


    Yangyang nced at Zhou Jia, then at His Majesty, who was sitting at the head of the table, and said affectionately, ¡°I brought Xiaobai, Brother Loach, Brother Maizi, Brother Maodou, and Little Stutterer to the ditch on the farmstead to pick fish¡­¡¯


    After Yangyang finished exining everything, he pointed at the little fatty and said, ¡°Your Majesty, Mother said that children who lie have to have a long nose. I didn¡¯t lie. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can ask that little fatty. Your Majesty, Brother Loach is still lying on the bed and can¡¯t move. It hurts even when he breathes. You have to punish that bad old woman. She¡¯s very bad. She even bullied children.¡±


    The little fatty raised his head and looked at Yang Yang in surprise. Earl Jianning looked at Yangyang and thought to himself that a young child would not know how to lie. Could it be that his mother and youngest son lied to him? He was speechless as he looked at Yangyang in a daze.


    Chu Yuhao looked at Uncle Jianning with a smile. ¡°Earl Jianning, what do you think? Why don¡¯t you ask your young master to talk about it?¡±


    Count Jian Ning bowed and said, ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± Then, he turned to look at the little fatty and said seriously, ¡°Wang Xing, report the ins and outs of the matter to Your Majesty. Remember not to lie.¡±


    The little fatty stole a nce at the majestic emperor. He pointed at Yangyang dejectedly and stammered, ¡°Just like he said, what I said to you was what Grandmother taught me.¡±


    Earl Jianning was dumbfounded and so angry that he raised his hand to hit


    Wang Xing. Suddenly, he remembered that he was still in Yangxin Pce Hall.


    He hurriedly knelt down and kowtowed to Chu Yuhao to admit his mistake. ¡°Your Majesty, I¡¯m guilty. I shouldn¡¯t havee here rashly without asking clearly. Your Majesty, please spare me this time!¡±


    Chu Yuhao looked at Earl Jianning, who was kowtowing like he was pounding garlic and sighed. ¡°Get uD! Go back and deal with those servants who bullv others with their power. Seek forgiveness from Lord Zhou¡¯s family andpensate them with medicinal soup and silver. As for your mother, let her eat more vegetarian food and pray to Buddha!¡±


    When Earl Jianning heard this, he knew that his mother could only enter the temple hall to eat vegetarian food and pray to Buddha. He pulled Wang Xing to kneel and kowtow to thank him. ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty.¡±


    After getting up, he apologized to Zhou Jia. ¡°I was muddle-headed. I¡¯m sorry, Lord Zhou.¡±


    Zhou Jia cupped his hands in return. ¡°Earl Jianning, no problem, no problem.¡±


    Chu Yuhao said to Earl Jianning, ¡°You may leave!¡± Earl Jianning knelt down to thank him and left..

 Chapter 433 - 433: Xiao Bai Is Black

    Chapter 433: Xiao Bai Is ck


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Zhou Jia pulled Yangyang and kowtowed. ¡°Your Majesty, I¡¯ll take my leave.¡±


    Chu Yuhao looked at the father and son and said with a smile, ¡°Minister Zhou, there¡¯s no need to stand on ceremony. Sit down and talk.¡±


    The young eunuch brought two round stools over for the father and son. The father and son thanked him and sat down.


    ¡°My dear minister, you¡¯ve raised the child well,¡± Chu Yuhao said as he looked at


    Yangyang with a smile. ¡°Zhou Chenxi, is your Xiao Bai a white dog with white


    ¡°Your Majesty, it¡¯s not white. It has ck hair all over its body.¡± Yangyang gestured on his eyebrows. ¡°There are two small tufts of white fur on its eyes like two eyes. Uncle Shi said that it¡¯s a four-eyed puppy. It¡¯s also the puppy of a hunting dog. It¡¯s very obedient. I¡¯ll bring it to you the next time Ie to see you.¡±


    ¡°Alright, bring it to me next time.¡± Chu Yuhao looked at the strong-looking and smart Yangyang and thought to himself that his son had just turned two weeks old. When he got to four or five years old, he would send him to Madam Li¡¯s manor and ask Madam Li to help temper him so that he won¡¯t look weak.


    Chu Yuhao smiled and said to Zhou Jia, ¡°Minister Zhou, Chu Si Hai came to the pce and said that you handed him a new prescription. He also demonstrated it to me. Minister Zhou, tell me what you want. I¡¯ll reward you!¡±


    Zhou Jia thought of the twins Li Yu was pregnant with. He thought of Mr. Wen saying that the medical woman in the pce would deliver the babies and nourish her body. He stood up and bowed. ¡°Your Majesty, my wife is pregnant with two babies. I want to ask Your Majesty to send a medical woman to my house to help me take care of Madam. I¡¯ll send her back when the child is full term.¡±


    When Chu Yuhao heard this, he was even more satisfied with Zhou Jia and his wife. He smiled and said, ¡°Congrattions, Minister Zhou. I¡¯m also very gratified that you and your wife have such deep feelings for each other. It¡¯s a small matter to ask a medical woman to serve Madam Li. There are also medical women who are leaving the pce in the pce. When Shen Zhong returns, I¡¯ll send him to bring the medical woman to your house.¡±


    Zhou Jia stood up to thank him. Chu Yuhao rewarded Yangyang with some trinkets. The father and son bade farewell to Chu Yuhao and carried the bags out of the pce.


    After leaving the pce, Ji Xiang drove the carriage over and reported to Zhou


    Jia, ¡°Master, I returned that old woman to the Jianning family. I saw that Earl Jianning was dejected. Did His Majesty punish them?¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled and repeated Chu Yuhao¡¯s words. Ji Xiang smiled happily and said, ¡°That¡¯s great. That vicious olddy can only eat vegetarian food and pray in the Buddhist hall in the future.¡¯


    Yangyang pointed at the gift box that Zhou Jia had ced in the car and boasted happily, ¡°Uncle Xiang, His Majesty even gave me many trinkets!¡±


    Ji Xiang gave him a thumbs up, his eyes smiling into thin slits. ¡°Oh! As expected! Our young master has also met His Majesty. Your name was given by His Majesty!¡±


    ¡°Oh! So my name was given by His Majesty! I didn¡¯t even thank His Majesty just now. ¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at him and thought of the little fatty from Earl Jianning¡¯s family. Remembering that his face was red and he couldn¡¯t even speak when he saw His Majesty, he patted Yangyang¡¯s little butt proudly. ¡°Little imp, get in the carriage and leave.¡±


    When the father and son returned home, Zhou Jia felt that Yang Yang¡¯s performance in the pce was good and felt that he should be praised. He smiled and said to him, ¡°Yang¡¯er, you did well today. Daddy will bring you to find Uncle. Let¡¯s go to the Drunken Immortal Restaurant to eat glutinous abalone conchs, snacks, and shaved ice fruit bowl. How about that?¡±


    Children loved to eat cold food. When it was cold, they would even put an icicle in their mouth and chew it a few times, let alone on such a hot day.


    Yangyang¡¯s eyes lit up when she heard that. ¡°Alright! I want to eat two bowls. I also want to bring some home for Brother Maizi and Brother Maodou. Uncle Xiang and the others, oh! And Grandpa from the old residence.¡±


    When Zhou Jia heard that he had sent a long list, he smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s all up to you. You can only consume two bowls of cold drinks. Your stomach will hurt if you eat too much.¡± Zhou Jia touched his stomach.


    Yangyang raised his hand and said, ¡°I promise I¡¯ll only eat two bowls.¡±


    The father and son walked out happily. When they arrived at Li Qing¡¯s house, Li Qing had just returned from his mother-inw¡¯s house to wash up. When he saw the father and son, he happily picked up Yangyang. ¡°Brother-inw, didn¡¯t you say that you and Yang¡¯er won¡¯t be back until tomorrow?¡±


    Yangyang wrapped her arms around Li Qing¡¯s neck. ¡°Uncle, we fought with someone. I even went to the pce to see His Majesty!¡±


    ¡°Oh! Yang¡¯er actually saw His Majesty!¡± Li Qing turned to look at Zhou Jia with a puzzled expression. ¡°Brother-inw, who did you fight with?¡±


    Zhou Jia felt that Yangyang was a little too excited. He did not answer Li Qing¡¯s question immediately. Instead, he looked at Yangyang seriously and said, ¡°Yang¡¯er, Uncle was asking Father just now. If you interrupt like this, others will say that you have no upbringing. You should wait for Father and Uncle to finish before you can say anything.¡±


    Yang Yang lowered his head and said, ¡°Yang¡¯er knows his mistake. Yang¡¯er will remember.¡±


    Li Qing patted Yangyang. ¡°You¡¯re a good child if you know your mistakes.¡±


    Only then did Zhou Jia tell Li Qing what had happened. Li Qing said angrily, ¡°It¡¯s his house again. Brother-inw, make things difficult for him when he apologizes.¡±


    ¡°His Majesty has already spoken. I think Earl Jianning is a soft-hearted fool. There¡¯s no point in making things difficult for such a person.¡± Zhou Jia looked at Li Qing and teased, ¡°Your sister originally wanted to ask you to go to the Wang Family Vige to y. What delicious food did your mother-inw treat you to?¡±


    Li Qing smiled in embarrassment and said, ¡°You know that¡¯s what I eat. She even made me a few sets of clothes and a few pairs of shoes and socks. She also made a big bag for Sister and Yang¡¯er.¡±


    Zhou Jia saw Li Qing¡¯s flushed face and patted him with a smile. ¡°Yes! Not bad. Treat her well after you get married. Husband and wife have to understand each other so that our days can be beautiful.¡±


    Li Qing replied seriously, ¡°Got it, Brother-inw.¡±


    When the three of them arrived at the Drunken Immortal Restaurant, the shopkeeper weed them to a private room upstairs with a polite smile. He asked with a smile, ¡°Lord Zhou, Li Hanlin, and Young Master, what would you like to eat?¡±


    ¡°Two servings of abalone snails, and some juice and snacks. Also, have you made the novel food that your head shopkeeper mentioned?¡±


    The shopkeeper smiled and said, ¡°I tried to make two or three. They¡¯re selling well. There¡¯s red bean cow milk ice, watermelon ice, and fruit ice. I¡¯ll serve you a portion of each. Do you want to try them?¡±


    ¡°Alright, one of each.¡± Zhou Jia nodded and smiled.


    After a while, the waiter brought over snacks and fruit juice. He smiled and said, ¡°Lord Zhou, the shaved ice fruit bowl will be sent over in a moment.¡¯


    Yangyang took a sip of watermelon juice and said with a smile, ¡°Father, Uncle, drink well too!¡±


    Seeing that he was eating non-stop, Zhou Jia smiled and said, ¡°Save your stomach for shaved iceter.¡±


    Yangyang nodded as his small mouth moved non-stop. Soon, the shaved ice fruit bowl was served. Zhou Jia ced the Red Bean Cow Milk Ice in front of Yangyang. ¡°Yang¡¯er, you¡¯ve already drunk two sses of iced drinks. Eat the


    Red Bean Cow Milk Ice.¡±


    Yangyang looked at the watermelon ice and fruit ice in front of the two of them. ¡°I want to try those two. Are they the same as Granny Liu¡¯s?¡±


    Zhou Jia and Li Qingughed when they heard that. ¡°Alright, try one spoonful each.¡±


    Yangyang also tasted a spoonful before returning to eat his Red Bean Cow Milk Ice. After taking a few bites, he said in satisfaction, ¡°Mm! It¡¯s delicious. Father, please ask Uncle Shopkeeper to send a portion back to Uncle Xiang and the others. ¡±


    ¡°Alright, Daddy will get someone to send it to Uncle Xiang and the others now,¡±


    Zhou Jia said with a smile..

 Chapter 434 - 434: Those Who Enter the Gambling House Want to Win

    Chapter 434: Those Who Enter the Gambling House Want to Win


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Seeing that Zhou Jia had instructed the waiter to deliver it, Yangyang ate in relief.


    The three of them ate their snacks and walked around the streets. When they returned home, the Maizi and Mao Dou came to say that the food was delicious. Old Madam Liu even said that they could make it ording to their taste.


    Li Yu was in the manor. After everyone fell asleep, she entered the space and looked at the wild animals in the space. Her head hurt again. What could she do to take them out and eat them without attracting attention? When Auntie He arrived in the capital, she would get her to make them. Deerskin and wolf skin were rare in the capital.


    However, now that she was pregnant, she had no excuse to say that she had gone up the mountain to hunt. Li Yu thought for a long time but couldn¡¯t think of a solution. She could only take a knife and shave some deer bones. She brought them to the kitchen and washed them with hot water. Just as she ced them in the casserole, Auntie Zhang walked over.


    When Auntie Zhang entered the kitchen and saw Li Yu, she thought that she was hungry. She smiled and said, ¡°Madam, just let us know when you¡¯re hungry. How can we let you do it yourself?¡±


    Li Yu smiled. ¡°I wanted to get some bones and simmer them on the stove for


    Little Loach. He can drink it tomorrow morning. ¡±


    Aunt Zhang looked at the bones that had been chopped into pieces and ced in the casserole. She smiled and said, ¡°Go back and rest. I¡¯ll add more water to the casserole and some charcoal to cover the fire. Tomorrow morning, Little Loach will be able to drink it when he wakes up.¡±


    Li Yu nodded. ¡°Then I¡¯ll leave it to you.¡±


    Aftering out of the kitchen, Li Yu took the oilmp to Little Loach¡¯s room. She saw Little Stutterer sleeping and snoring on another small bed. Little Loach, who was sleeping on the small bed here, had tears on his face.


    Li Yu sighed and gently tucked in the mosquito for him. She thought to herself that although these children did not have to worry about food and clothing in the residence, it was not as good as being by their parents¡¯ side once they were sick!


    Li Yu turned around and came out. She stood under the eaves of the porch and listened to the frogs¡¯ cries in the rice field outside the courtyard for a while. There was also the sound of cicadas. She turned around and returned to her room to rest.


    The next morning, Earl Jianning came to apologize. When he saw Zhou Jia, he bowed and said, ¡°Lord Zhou, it¡¯s my fault for not teaching my son well. Please forgive my son.¡±


    Zhou Jia saw Earl Jianning¡¯s eyes, which were obviously swollen from crying. He did not mention what his olddy had done and felt that he was a foolishly filial person. He sighed and helped Earl Jianning up.


    He smiled gently and said, ¡°Earl Jianning, everyone is an official in the same dynasty, and the manor is not far away. Let the past be the past!¡±


    ¡°Lord Zhou is magnanimous. Thank you!¡± Earl Jianning thought of the olddy who was crying and refusing to enter the temple hall and his head hurt. He exchanged a few pleasantries with Zhou Jia and hurriedly bade farewell.


    Before noon, Shen Zhong came to the Zhou family with an ordinary-looking, short, and slightly chubby medical woman with a pair of bright eyes.


    When Shen Zhong saw Zhou Jia, he smiled and cupped his fists. ¡°Lord Zhou, this is Healer Chen. His Majesty said that Healer Chen will stay at your house in the future to help take care of the young masters.¡±


    Zhou Jia hurriedly bowed to thank him and said to Shen Zhong with a smile,


    ¡°General Shen, may I trouble you to rest for a while before leaving?¡±


    ¡°Lord Zhou, you¡¯re too polite.¡± Shen Zhong handed the contract to Zhou Jia and cupped his fists with a smile. ¡°I still have to report to the pce. Let¡¯s meet again next time.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Zhou Jia smiled and sent Shen Zhong out. When he returned, Healer Chen went forward and kowtowed. ¡°Xiuchun of the Chen family greets


    Old Master.¡±


    Zhou Jia raised his hand and helped her up. He smiled and said, ¡°Granny Chen, there¡¯s no need to be so polite.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Old Master.¡± Granny Chen stood up and stood respectfully at the side.


    Zhou Jia said to himself, ¡°Now that I have a medical woman, Yu¡¯er¡¯s pregnancy is a little stable.¡±


    ¡°Granny Chen, Madam went to the vige. I¡¯ll get someone to send you there.


    Madam, thank you for your trouble.¡±


    Granny Chen bent her knees and bowed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Old Master. It¡¯s my duty.¡¯


    Zhou Jia went out to call Ji Xiang over. He pointed at Granny Chen and said to him, ¡°This is Granny Chen. Send her to the manor to take care of Madam.¡±


    He then said to Granny Chen, ¡°This is Ji Xiang. There are two other stewards in the residence. One is called Zhao Cai, and the other is called Ruyi. If you need anything in the future, look for them.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master.¡± After Granny Chen agreed and greeted Ji Xiang, Ji Xiang brought her out of the residence and walked towards the manor.


    Han San stood beside the gambling table and watched casually. He stood beside the gambling table with an excited expression. He pped the table excitedly and shouted, ¡°Big, big, big¡­¡± Young Master Feng saw the pile of silver and copper coins in front of him being taken away. He had lost all the silver he had won.


    He looked at the others winning with red eyes and muttered, ¡°I just don¡¯t have enough capital. Otherwise, when would he win? I would have won long ago.¡±


    ¡°Young Master Feng, you don¡¯t have the capital, right? You¡¯re the young master of the Feng family. You can borrow some capital from the shopkeeper! With the capital, you can just return it to the shopkeeper.¡±


    Young Master Feng hesitated for a moment. ¡°Forget it! My father will beat me to death if he finds out.¡±


    The shop assistant pointed at the pile of silver in front of him and bewitched him. ¡°You¡¯re so lucky. Look, he lost a copper coin just now. He borrowed money from the shopkeeper and won such a big pile in less than an hour. I think you¡¯re much luckier than him. When you have a big capital, you¡¯ll definitely win more than him. Young Master Feng, let me tell you, others can¡¯t borrow money even if they want to!¡±


    Young Master Feng looked at the pile of silver and imagined that he could go to Ten Thousand Flowers Pavilion to y after winning money. He rubbed his hands and said, ¡°Alright, lead the way and borrow the silver from the shopkeeper.¡±


    ¡°Young Master is indeed bold. How can those despicable peoplepare to you?¡± The waiter eagerly brought Young Master Feng to look for the shopkeeper.


    Han San watched him borrow money with a high fighting spirit and was coaxed by the waiter to the private room upstairs. Before four hours had passed, he borrowed money from the shopkeeper again. After waiting for two hours, he still did note out of the private room.


    Han San nced at him with ridicule in his eyes. In the private room, young master Feng watched the enchanting woman lecherously. He turned around and left the blockade.


    When Ji Xiang drove Granny Chen to the Wang Family Vige, he told her about the rules of the Zhou family. When Granny Chen heard this, she thought to herself that if Master Zhou and Madam were really as this steward said, it was not bad to be able to retire in the Zhou family.


    When Ji Xiang arrived at the Wang family¡¯s Vige, Li Yu saw that he was sweating profusely. Li Yu hurriedly asked Xing Hua to bring herbal tea to quench his thirst.


    Ji Xiang gulped down a bowl of cold tea and reported to Li Yu with a smile,


    ¡°Madam, this is Granny Chen, the healer that Master asked His Majesty for.¡±


    When Li Yu heard this, she was stunned for a moment. She felt that Zhou Jia was much more nervous than her this time. She smiled reproachfully. ¡°Your master is really something. Even His Majesty is rmed.¡± She then said to Granny Chen, ¡°I¡¯ll have to trouble Granny Chen in the future.¡±


    ¡°Madam, this is what I should do.¡± After Granny Chen bowed to Li Yu, Li Yu said to Xing Hua, ¡°Xing Hua, bring Nanny to freshen up and cool down.¡± ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± Xing Hua brought Granny Chen down to freshen up..

 Chapter 435 - 435: Rice Field

    Chapter 435: Rice Field


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    After Granny Chen left, Ji Xiang smiled and said to Li Yu, ¡°Madam, you don¡¯t know that Earl Jianning¡¯s familyined first and sued us in the imperial court. Master brought Young Master¡­ His Majesty punished Old Madam


    Jianning to eat vegetarian food and chant Buddhist scriptures in the Buddhist


    Hall. This morning, Earl Jianning came to the house to apologize.¡±


    Li Yu was not surprised by Old Madam Jianning¡¯s ending at all. She said indifferently, ¡°Don¡¯t bother about his family. It¡¯s better not to interact with such an unclear person.¡± She smiled and asked Ji Xiang, ¡°How is Gu Yu like during pregnancy? Does she suffer from nausea?¡±


    Ti Xiang grimaced. ¡°I heard from the old woman that she can¡¯t smell anv oil or smoke. She vomits when she catches a whiff.¡±


    Looking at Ji Xiang¡¯s worried expression, she smiled and reminded him, ¡°This is Gu Yu¡¯s first child. Some women have to be more delicate when they¡¯re pregnant. You have to care about her more. Don¡¯t leave everything to the old woman.¡±


    Ji Xiang bowed and said, ¡°Yes, Madam. Do you have anything else? If not, I¡¯ll go back to the city first.¡±


    Li Yu thought of Laidi. Although her aunt had told her not to care about her, her aunt might still me her if she really didn¡¯t care.


    ¡°Go wash your face with hot water before you leave. When you get back, quietly go to the Tongzhou Guild Hall to see how Laidi is doing. If there¡¯s nothing else, don¡¯t worry about her. If there¡¯s anything,e back and tell me before making a decision. It¡¯s best if you find someone who knows about her to help us keep an eye out. If there¡¯s anything,e and inform us.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go back and take a look. If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll send something to you in two days. If there¡¯s anything, I¡¯ll tell you tomorrow morning.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and nodded. ¡°Be careful on the way. Don¡¯t rush.¡±


    After Ji Xiang left, Granny Chen washed up and came to see Li Yu. ¡°Madam, I¡¯ll massage your legs for you.¡±


    Seeing her obedient appearance, Li Yu smiled and said to her, ¡°Granny Chen, my family is small and the rules are not heavy. You don¡¯t have to be so restrained. I believe Ji Xiang has already told you my family¡¯s rules. As long as you don¡¯t break the rules, Master and I will treat you well.¡±


    Granny Chen bent her knees and bowed. ¡°Madam, I¡¯ve been sold by my parents since I was six years old. I was originally thinking of where to go after leaving the pce. His Majesty¡¯s eunuch came to me and said that your family wanted a medical woman, so I agreed and followed General Shen to the residence. Manager Ji Xiang told me the rules of the family on the way. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve been around for¡­ decades. I know that people can only live long if they y their part. Those who are greedy won¡¯t have a good ending.¡±


    Li Yu nodded. ¡°Alright, follow me.¡±


    Granny Chen followed Li Yu to Little Loach¡¯s room. Li Yu saw that Little Stutterer had fallen asleep in front of the bed. She looked at Little Loach¡¯s expression and felt that it was much better than yesterday.


    Li Yu pointed at Little Loach and brought Granny Chen out of the house. ¡°That child is Young Master¡¯s follower. Yesterday, he was kicked in the chest. The Old Master said that his sternum might have cracks and he has to recuperate for a few days. My body is still very good. Help me take care of him.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam, ¡± Granny Chen replied.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll get Xing Hua to bring you to meet Auntie Zhang and the rest. I¡¯ll go out for a walk.¡±


    Xing Hua said to Li Yu, ¡°Madam, wait for me at the door for a while. I¡¯ll send


    Granny to the main room before apanying you out.¡±


    Li Yu waved her hand without looking back and walked towards the front courtyard.


    Granny Chen looked at Xing Hua in surprise. She was taken aback to see that this girl actually dared to make Madam wait for her. She would have been beaten up in the pce long ago.


    Li Yu wore a straw hat with a thin veil sewn on the brim and walked to the cornfield outside the courtyard. She walked along the field to the bamboo forest behind the house. When she arrived at the back of the house, she saw that there were four piglets in the pigpen behind the house and a group of chicks in the bamboo forest.


    There was a small path about three feet wide in the bamboo forest. Outside the bamboo forest, there were more than ten small courtyards built with wheat straw. Li Yu thought that these small courtyards were probably where those tenants lived.


    Li Yu went to the field and slowly strolled around. She looked at the crops in the field. The seedlings had already been divided. Li Yu saw that the leaves were dark green and felt that the growth was too strong, causing the number of seedlings to decrease. There were also many empty shells.


    Li Yu stood on the field and looked around. She saw a tall and strong woman walking towards the rice field with a bucket. When she saw Li Yu standing there, she hesitated and wanted to turn around.


    ¡°Sister-inw, may I ask whose field this is?¡± Li Yu stopped her.


    The woman put down the bucket and tucked her loose hair behind her ear. She smiled and walked not far in front of Li Yu. She said confidently, ¡°Madam, this field belongs to my family. The seedlings are growing especially well this year.¡±


    Li Yu looked at her and shook her head. ¡°Sister-inw, your field water needs to be properly drained and dried. You¡¯ve filled your field with too much water. Splitting it too much will affect the production. ¡±


    The woman looked at Li Yu in surprise and said to herself, ¡®You¡¯re the Madam of a rich family. Do you know how to nt crops? There are many rice grains. What do you know!¡±


    ¡°Madam, you don¡¯t understand the matters of our family. We can only harvest more rice if we split more!¡±


    Li Yu nced at her. ¡°Sister-inw, are these fields nted by your own family or are they under tenancy?¡±


    The woman nced at Li Yu. ¡°My fields belong to the Zhou family. Why are you asking?¡±


    Li Yu looked at her and said, ¡°That¡¯s good. I¡¯m the Madam of the Zhou family. Listen to me and release some of the seedling water. It¡¯s fine as long as there¡¯s a shallowyer of water in the field. Otherwise, there will be too much rice and empty shells. It will affect the production.¡±


    Seeing this, the woman still didn¡¯t want to back down. However, she was afraid of offending Li Yu if she didn¡¯t go easy on her. She smiled awlwvardly and said, ¡°Madam, wait a moment. I¡¯ll call the head of the family over. You can speak with him.¡±


    Li Yu nodded and walked around the field. She realized that this situation existed on in these fields. The water in the fields separated by a main road was much shallower.


    Li Yu wondered to herself if these people had never nted rice before. Otherwise, how could they not know that during the dividing period, plots ofnd should be properly drained and sunned?


    After a while, a tall man and a woman rushed over. The man bowed to Li Yu and said, ¡°Greetings, Madam.¡±


    Li Yu raised her hand and said, ¡°There¡¯s no need to be so polite. That¡¯s your family, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam. This is my wife, Madam Su. She said you asked me to release the seedlings,¡± Tang Yong replied respectfully.


    Li Yu pointed at the seedlings in the field on the other side of the road. ¡°Look, it¡¯s normal for others to split the seedlings. The color of other farm¡¯s seedlings isn¡¯t as thick as yours. Your family¡¯s are turning from green to ck and there are too many seedlings. Controlling them is beneficial for dividing them into ears. ¡±


    When Tang Yong heard Li Yu¡¯s words, hepared his seedlings to those in the field beside him. He felt that Li Yu wouldn¡¯t lie to him because this was the Zhou family¡¯s field after all. If there was less production, it would also affect the Zhou family¡¯s harvest.


    ¡°Thank you for your reminder, Madam. I¡¯ll go dig a hole and fill the water.¡±


    Madam Su smiled at Li Yu and followed him to dig the gap. Li Yu followed and told Tang Yong and his wife what to pay attention to. She slowly walked around the field towards the bamboo forest..

 Chapter 436 - 436: Giving Fish

    Chapter 436: Giving Fish


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Seeing Li Yu walk towards the bamboo forest, Tang Yong said to Madam Su, ¡°Send the carp and ck carp in the bucket to Madam Landlord.¡±


    Madam Su looked at Tang Yong reluctantly. ¡°Master, the children were busy early in the morning and only caught these fish. I want to sell them in town for a hundred copper coins. It can also subsidize the family!¡±


    Tang Yong rolled his eyes at her. ¡°What do you know? Why don¡¯t you think about how much money this 30% grain can be sold for? With 30% more grain at home, the children will be able to eat their fill and save some to guard against the deste years. Hurry up and go.¡±


    Madam Su thought about it and agreed. She nodded happily. ¡°I¡¯ll listen to you. I¡¯ll send it to Madam Madam Landlord.¡±


    Madam Su washed her hands in the ditch and carried the fish to the Zhou family.


    Just as Li Yu reached the door of her house, Madam Su chased after her with a bucket. She smiled brightly at Li Yu and said, ¡°Madam, these are the carp and ck carp my two sons found in the river. My husband asked me to send them over for you to try.¡±


    Li Yu smiled. ¡°Thank you. Come in and sit for a while. I¡¯ll return the bucket to you.¡±


    Madam Su shook her head cautiously. ¡°Madam Landlord, I won¡¯t go in. I¡¯ll take the bucket and leave.¡±


    When Xing Hua saw Li Yu return, she hurriedly ran over and took the bucket. Li Yu instructed softly, ¡°Take a bag of brown sugar and candied plums and go to the kitchen to get a fatter piece of meat. Put it in the bucket and bring it back for her.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± Xing Hua carried the wooden bucket to the kitchen. Granny Chen saw two of ck fish in the bucket and said with a smile, ¡°These fish are good and nourishing.¡±


    Xing Hua washed the wooden bucket and got a piece of fat meat from Auntie Zhang. Then, she went to get a packet of sugar and a packet of candied plums. When she reached the entrance, she returned the bucket to Madam Su.


    Madam Su took the wooden bucket and saw the things in it. She was busy picking them up and returning them to Xing Hua. ¡°Madam Dong, there are only a few fish. The children went to the river to catch them. You¡¯re too polite.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and said, ¡°Sister-inw Su, you gave me fish to eat, so it¡¯s only right for me to return the favor. Besides, I¡¯ll leave the melons and vegetables in the courtyard to you and your husband. It¡¯s just a small token. Don¡¯t stand on ceremony. Come and talk to me when you¡¯re free.¡±


    Madam Su nodded and bowed to Li Yu seriously. ¡°Madam, thank you for giving us 30% less tenant rent.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know, but the Fan family¡¯s rent was originally 10% higher than those of the other families. Who would have thought that the steward who came during the autumn harvestst year would increase our rent by another 10% the moment he arrived? He didn¡¯t give us any sry on such a cold day and even asked everyone to dig for lotus roots in the pond.¡±


    ¡°As soon as he arrived, we had to pay 70% of the rent. After paying the rent, we only had a little food left. From the second half ofst year until now, our family had been eating brown rice with chaff and some dry vegetables. We had to drink soup to coax our stomachs before we could survive the winter and seed this spring.¡±


    ¡°I was originally worried about how to get through this year. Madam, you and the boss are good people. You gave us 30% less rent the moment you arrived.


    We¡¯ll have a full meal this autumn.¡±


    Li Yu didn¡¯t expect the steward sent by Chu Fu to add 10% to the rent and lotus roots as soon as he arrivedst year. It seemed that there was still a lotus pond in the manor. Not all the stewards of the royal family were like Chu Sihai, who was dedicated to the royal family. There were still people who went against their conscience and bullied themoners!


    ¡°Sister-inw Su, if your family doesn¡¯t have enough food until the autumn harvest, you cane to my house to borrow it. Just return it to me after the autumn harvest.¡±


    We¡¯ll buy some brown rice and add some wild vegetables and beans to fill our stomachs.¡±


    As Madam Su spoke, she picked up the wooden bucket and smiled awkwardly. ¡°Madam, thank you. Look at how long-winded I am. I won¡¯t dy your return.¡±


    Li Yu nodded and watched her stride away before turning around and walking back.


    After entering the courtyard, Mr. Wen pinched the space between his eyebrows and came out of the house. Seeing Xing Hua following behind Li Yu with Li Yu¡¯s straw hat, he smiled and said, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Xing Hua today? Did your Madam scold her?¡±


    Li Yu turned around and looked at her. Xing Hua¡¯s eyes turned red. ¡°Old Master, my Madam doesn¡¯t scold people! I heard Sister-inw Su talk about their lives and recalled the days at home.¡±


    Mr. Wen smiled and said, ¡°So you¡¯re homesick! Where is Xinghua¡¯s family from?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! You¡¯ve never heard you mention your family before!¡± Li Yu also smiled.


    Xing Hua wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and smiled bitterly. ¡°Old Master, Madam, my family is in Xingfu Town in Yunzhou. After Father fell sick and passed away, our family¡¯s life was very difficult. Sometimes, we would only eat one meal a day and be only half full. Two yearster, my mother passed away and our family still owes a lot of money.


    ¡°Eldest Uncle and Grandfather sold me and my sister. I was lucky. Madam bought me home, but I don¡¯t know where my sister was sold to. I wonder if the family she went to treated her as well as Madam and Old Master treats me?¡±


    Mr. Wen sighed andforted her, ¡°Xinghua, don¡¯t worry. Things will turn out for the better one day. Your sister will be the same. She might be worried about you too! In a few days, let¡¯s go to the Daoist temple and pray to the Three Pure Ones. We¡¯ll get them to bless your sister and let her go to a good family.¡± ¡°Thank you, Old Master.¡± Xing Hua bowed.


    Li Yu smiled and asked, ¡°Sir, have you been to Hengshan Town? Is there a


    Daoist temple nearby?¡±


    Mr. Wen recalled happily, ¡®Yes, there¡¯s a restaurant in Hengshan Town that makes very good fishballs, buns, and roasted chicken. The Three Pure Monastery is less than two hours away to the left of Hengshan Town by foot. At the top of Hengshan Mountain, the Abbey Dean is an old friend of mine and Xiaoxi¡¯s grandfather has a good rtionship with him.


    ¡°I wonder if that old Daoist priest is still around? However, Xiaoyu, if you want to go, you can only go after the child is full term.¡±


    ¡°Sigh! If I walk a few more steps now, you¡¯ll all be worried. Even if I don¡¯t go, you can go too! When do you want to go? Let Xing Hua and Little Stutterer apany you! When Yang¡¯eres to the manor, we¡¯ll eat fish.¡±


    Mr. Wen also wanted to go out for a walk. He pped his hands and smiled. ¡°Alright! There¡¯s no time like the present. Tomorrow morning, we¡¯ll set off for the Three Pure Monastery.¡±


    Xing Hua looked at Li Yu with yearning. ¡®Madam, I want to go too!¡±


    Li Yu smiled and waved her hand. ¡°Go! Xinghua, go too. Bring Little Stutterer along. I¡¯ll go back to my room to sleep for an hour. Call me in an hour.¡± ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± Xing Hua happily ran to look for Little Stutterer.


    Mr. Wen went to the back garden and walked towards the kitchen. He happened to see Granny Chen killing the ck fish.


    Mr. Wen smiled and said, ¡°This ck fish is really good. How do you want to eat it?¡±


    Granny Chen bowed and said, ¡°Old Master, I want to stew some for Little


    Loach. This thing is good for those who are injured.¡±


    Mr. Wen smiled and said, ¡°Yes! Granny is right. Little Loach doesn¡¯t have any old illnesses. Eating ck fish soup is good for his injuries.


    ¡°If someone with an old illness eats it, some of them will have a rpse in four to six hours. Before stewing it, you have to ask if that person has an old illness. ¡±


    Granny Chen did not expect the Old Master of the Zhou family to know this.


    She bowed respectfully and said, ¡°Thank you for your guidance, Old Master.¡±


    Mr. Wen didn¡¯t like to talk to people so politely. Seeing that Granny Chen was so polite, he didn¡¯t want to say anything else. He waved his hand and turned to leave..

 Chapter 437 - 437: Success

    Chapter 437: Sess


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    When Ji Xiang returned to the capital, he went to the Tongzhou Guild Hall and found a shop assistant he was familiar with, Little Jiu, to ask about Laidi and her husband.


    Little Jiu smiled and said to Ji Xiang, ¡°Brother Xiang, that High Schr Li that your cousin married isn¡¯t good. A few days ago, for some reason, he drank here to drown his sorrows. I heard that he was drunk and the shopkeeper ordered the waiter to send him back. From then on, he found an errand. I think he is now a teacher for the two grandsons of Manager Qi from the Ministry of Rites.¡± ¡°Is High Schr Li still here to get drunk?¡± Lucky asked with a frown.


    The shop assistant pursed his lips. ¡± He has been here before, but two days ago,


    I heard his old woman gossiping with the old woman from High Schr Zheng¡¯s family next door talking about your cousin. Apparently, your cousin was so angry with him that she hid in her room and cried. They even said that High Schr Li ignored her. The two of them often quarreled. Oh! I heard that your cousin is pregnant.¡±


    Ji Xiang frowned when he heard this. After a moment, he took out a piece of silver from his pocket and ced it in Little Jiu¡¯s hand. ¡°Little Jiu, help me keep an eye on High Schr Li ¡®s family. You don¡¯t have to pay attention to him when they quarrel. If there¡¯s anything bad, go to East Street to look for me or Brother Cai.¡±


    Little Jiu held the silver in his hand and nodded with a smile. ¡°Brother Xie


    Xiang, I¡¯ll help you keep an eye out.¡±


    Ji Xiang patted Little Jiu¡¯s shoulder and smiled. ¡°Alright, Brother Xiang won¡¯t treat you badly.¡±


    Ji Xiang came out of the guild hall and drove the carriage to the alley behind to look for Han San. He thought to himself that Miss Cousin-inw was purely asking for trouble. If she liked schrs, she could have told Madam and Young Master! It was better to get them to help find a reliable schr to marry than to marry someone like Li Fengqi!


    The carriage arrived at arge teahouse diagonally opposite the Han family in


    Copper Coin Lane. The waiter eagerly led the carriage into the wooden stake. Ji Xiang asked for a bowl of jasmine tea and sat under the perg to drink it slowly, smelling the faint jasmine fragrance emitted from the tea bowl.


    After drinking the tea, Ji Xiang did not see Han San. He did not n to wait any longer and was about to leave when he saw Han San pulling his shoes anding out of the small courtyard with sleepy eyes.


    Han San¡¯s eyes lit up when he saw Ji Xiang sitting in the teahouse opposite him. He walked slowly to the perg and pulled a bamboo chair to sit down beside Ji Xiang. He nced at Ji Xiang and smiled proudly.


    Ji Xiang nced at him. ¡°Look at how smug you are. Is it done?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s done.¡± Han San leaned close to Ji Xiang. ¡°I guarded that kid in the Carefree Pavilion for four to six hours today. I saw with my own eyes that the boy was coaxed by the courtesan to borrow money from the shopkeeper and was coaxed by the courtesan to the private room upstairs.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know, but thedy in the private room is very seductive. Her method of rolling the dice is also superb. She can throw any number she wants. It¡¯s already difficult for this kid to escape from her. Sure enough, in less than four hours, that kid was coaxed to borrow money again. I saw that he was already hooked, so I turned around and went home to sleep for a while. I nned to see if that kid had left.¡±


    When Ji Xiang heard this, a rxed expression appeared on his face. ¡°Alright, pay attention. When Carefree Pavilion collects the debt, spread the news. I¡¯lle and find you then.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Brother Xiang, don¡¯t worry. I promise to let the people in the Censorate and Schr¡¯s Alley know.¡± Han San whispered.


    Ji Xiang nodded and took out a banknote worth ten taels of silver and handed it to Han San. ¡°Take it to supplement the family¡¯s expenses. Don¡¯t let your old mother and your wife do the work of washing and mending.¡±


    Han San took the banknote and lowered his head. His nose turned sour and his eyes turned red. ¡°Brother Xiang, I¡¯m not capable. When my father was still alive, my family was still alright. They also provided me with a few days of education. I wasn¡¯t cut out for studying. When I saw the ck words on the books, I dozed off. I didn¡¯t manage to learn any craftsmanship. After my father fell ill and the family declined, I started working. Fortunately, my wife didn¡¯t despise me and still married me despite my father-inw¡¯s obstruction.


    Otherwise, I would definitely be single.¡±


    Ji Xiang patted Han San. ¡°You have to treat her well. Go back and discuss it with your mother and wife. If they agree, write the document and I¡¯ll bring you to see Master. You have to be careful about the Feng family. Don¡¯t be targeted.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Han San agreed and put the banknotes into his pocket. After Ji Xiang walked far away, he walked happily towards the small courtyard opposite.


    When they entered the courtyard, there was a white-haired old woman and a pale, thin woman. The two of them were washing their clothes by the well. Beside them, a little girl with braids was helping them.


    When the old woman saw Han San enter, she scolded angrily, ¡°You went out to wander after waking up. You wander around all day. Don¡¯t you know how to find something to do? Let¡¯s see how far you can go.¡±


    Han San looked at his mother in embarrassment. He took out the banknote from his pocket and handed it to Old Madam Han with a smile. ¡°Mother, Haitang, look, this is from the boss. He asked me to subsidize the family¡¯s expenses and stop washing people¡¯s clothes.¡±


    Old Madam Han looked at the banknote in Han San¡¯s hand and wiped her hands dry with her waist. She took the banknote and looked at it in surprise. ¡°Tell me, did you do something bad? Why did he give you the banknote?¡±


    Han San was not good-looking, but his wife was pretty. She red at him with her almond-shaped eyes in dissatisfaction. ¡°Master, you can¡¯t do something that goes against your conscience. If you do too many immoral things, you¡¯ll suffer retribution.¡±


    Han San stood up straight and said seriously, ¡°Mother, Haitang, I didn¡¯t do anything immoral. I hooked up with a family¡­ That¡¯s what happened. Master said that I had to sign a personal document before he dares to use me. He asked me toe back and discuss it with you. What do you think?¡±


    Old Madam Han nced at Han San and Han San¡¯s wife. ¡°I¡¯m already someone who¡¯s buried in the ground. The two of you still have a long life ahead of you. The two of you can think it over. After writing the contracts, you¡¯ll be their servants. If you meet a good master, your lives will be fine. If you meet a vicious master, you¡¯ll even have to pay with your lives.¡±


    Han San hurriedly said, ¡°Mother, Haitang, I¡¯ve asked around. That master is kind. There aren¡¯t many people in the family and he treats the servants well.


    Believe me.¡±


    Haitang looked at Han San and sighed. ¡°Have you already agreed to it?¡±


    Han San said honestly, ¡°I¡¯ve agreed. Brother Xiang asked me to go home and discuss it with you. He said that you have to agree.¡±


    Haitang looked at her daughter, who was washing clothes, and then at her son, who was ying with mud in the corner. She looked at Han San and said, ¡°Do you really think that family is good?¡±


    Han San looked at the two of them. ¡°Mother, Haitang, this family is really not bad. You know that there were people who were willing to use me in the past. I never agreed.¡±


    Haitang tugged at Old Madam Han¡¯s sleeve. ¡°Mother, what he said is true. It seems that this family is really not bad. Why don¡¯t we agree?¡±


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s write it then!¡± Old Madam Han nodded..

 Chapter 438 - 438: Incident

    Chapter 438: Incident


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Ji Xiang went home and told Zhou Jia the news he had obtained. He also told Zhou Jia what Han San had said. He suggested, ¡°Master, I think Han San¡¯s mother and his wife are also diligent. The two children are also smart. There¡¯s no one to take care of the manor at Wang Family Manor. Let them go to the manor. What do you think?¡±


    ¡°Alright, let Third Madam Han and her daughter-inw go to the Wang family¡¯s Ao. When the Feng family¡¯s matter is over, bring them to the manor.


    Tell Madam everything you¡¯ve heard about Miss Gu.¡±


    Zhou Jia walked around the study. ¡°Go to the bank tomorrow morning and see if Ruyi brought any letters. They should be in Tongzhou by now.¡±


    Ji Xiang lowered his head and calcted. He smiled and said, ¡°He might have already set off for the capital. He should be in the capital inte August.¡± In the blink of an eye, it was the end of June.


    On this day, a middle-aged man who looked like a steward came to the Feng Family¡¯s door in Schr¡¯s Alley and asked to see Imperial Censor Feng. After the gatekeeper reported, he brought that person into the courtyard.


    Madam Yang looked at the IOU on the table and was so shocked that her eyes were about to fall out. She pointed at the person and shouted, ¡°Where did this scoundrele from? How dare you trick my Feng family?¡±


    The steward slowly stood up and put the loan receipt into his sleeve pocket. He sneered and said, ¡°Madam Yang, it¡¯s written clearly in ck and white. Your Young Master Feng borrowed silver from my casino.¡±


    ¡°Let me tell you, this is only one of the loan receipts. Young Master Feng borrowed 6,700 taels of silver from the Carefree Pavilion.¡±


    ¡°A total of 9,400 taels of silver with interest was discounted on ount of Imperial Censor Feng. Madam, this is the amount if you return it today. It won¡¯t be the same tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Think about it! Don¡¯t make me bring people to ask for it.¡±


    Madam Yang¡¯s ears were buzzing. She looked at the ruthless casino manager with a livid expression and was so angry that her heart was beating rapidly. She said to the steward with a livid expression, ¡°You can¡¯t just say whatever you want! Wait a moment. I¡¯ll find him and ask him.¡±


    The steward nodded. ¡°Please.¡±


    Madam Yang stroked her chest and walked to the front yard. She said to the old woman next to her in exasperation, ¡°Go, call that dog over and ask him what he¡¯s been doing these days.¡±


    The old woman replied in fear, ¡°Madam, Young Master is still studying.¡±


    Madam Yang didn¡¯t bother waiting for the old woman to call for her son. She walked straight to the study and saw her wretched son leaning back in his chair, sleeping soundly with the book covering his face.


    Madam Yang was so angry that she grabbed the book on his face and threw it at him. ¡°You unfilial son, is this how you study? Did you go to the Carefree Building to y with money?¡±


    Young Master Feng trembled in fear. When he opened his eyes and saw Madam Yang, he hurriedly knelt down and kowtowed in apology. ¡°Mother, I was wrong. I shouldn¡¯t have fallen asleep.¡±


    Madam Yang kicked him and shouted sternly, ¡°I¡¯m asking if you went to the


    Carefree Pavilion to y with money?¡±


    ¡°Oh no, the casino hase looking for me!¡± Young Master Feng sat on the ground and got up a momentter. He kept kowtowing and begging Madam Yang. ¡°Mother, please spare me this time. I won¡¯t dare to do it again.¡± ¡°You wastrel. More than 9,000 taels of silver. Do you think your family runs a bank?¡±


    The more Madam Yang spoke, the angrier she became. She grabbed the inkstone on the table and threw it at Young Master Feng. The inkstone hit Young Master Feng¡¯s head with a muffled sound. Blood came out and flowed down his neck. Young Master Feng cked out.


    Seeing this, Madam Yang was angry and afraid. She fell to the ground and fainted.


    The old woman guarding the door was so frightened that she started shouting.


    The butler hurriedly sent someone to the Censorate to look for Censor Feng. They were busy inviting doctors over, and the Feng family was in chaos.


    Young Master Feng¡¯ owed a lot of money at the Carefree Pavilion. The news that Young Master Feng was almost beaten to death by Madam Yang spread instantly.


    Madam Yang woke up and recalled that she had sent someone to lure the Zhou family¡¯s patriarch. She understood that the Zhou family had taken revenge on her. She hated them so much that she gritted her teeth and swallowed her blood. However, she did not dare to tell Censor Feng the reason for the matter. She wanted to find a way to make up for it and vent her anger.


    Madam Yang thought about the news that she had gotten someone to investigate. That bitch Madam Li had gone to the manor with a big stomach. Could she start from there?


    After the Feng family¡¯s incident, Censor Feng lost all his face. Censor Feng returned the money and locked Madam Yang up when he returned home. Madam Yang was so angry that she scratched the wall when she thought about not taking revenge.


    After the matter with the Feng family was over, Han San wrote a contract and went to look for Ji Xiang.


    Ji Xiang brought Han San to see Zhou Jia. Zhou Jia looked at him and said, ¡°Ji Xiang should have told you the rules of the family, right?¡±


    Han San kowtowed and said, ¡°Yes, Master. Brother Xiang has already told me. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll definitely abide by the rules.¡±


    Zhou Jia nodded and looked at him as he said indifferently, ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear what you say. I just want to see what you do. As long as you do it, the Zhou family won¡¯t treat you badly. Otherwise, you should know your oue.¡± Han San kowtowed and agreed. ¡°Yes, Master.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at him and said gently, ¡°Alright, get up! Tomorrow morning, bring your family to the manor at Wang Family Vige and help Madam manage it.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Master.¡± After Han San kowtowed to thank him, he left with Ji Xiang.


    When Han San returned to the small courtyard in the west of the city, he said happily to Old Madam Han and Haitang, ¡°Mother, Haitang, quickly pack your things. Brother Xiang will bring us to the farmstead tomorrow morning.¡±


    Haitang smiled and said, ¡°We¡¯ll leave tomorrow morning! We have to pack up quickly. Go and refund the deposit.¡±


    Han San looked at the tattered clothes and cabs. ¡°Sigh! Hurry up and pack up. Don¡¯t bring those tattered things over. Brother Xiang said that there¡¯s everything on the farm.¡±


    Old Madam Han couldn¡¯t bear to throw those things away. She thought for a moment and said, ¡°Then let¡¯s give what we can to the next-door neighbor so that it won¡¯t be wasted.¡±


    Han San nodded. ¡°Do as you see fit.¡± The family got busy.


    The next morning, Zhou Jia left Ji Xiang to take care of the house. He brought Li Qing, Yangyang, and Maizi along. Zhao Cai drove the carriage. On the carriage rafters sat Mr. Qian, who was wearing a straw hat. Behind him was a carriage with Han San and his family.


    Four hourster, they arrived at the Wang Family Vige. Li Qing also sat


    outside the carriage and looked at the houses along the river and the rice fields on both sides of the river. He said to Mr. Qian, ¡°This ce is good. It¡¯s not as hot as the city. The scenery is not bad.¡±


    Mr. Qian smiled and nodded. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s morefortable to live in the countryside. It¡¯s like living in a steamer in the city. Sigh! I still like living with Lord Zhou. I¡¯m not used to living at home at all.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s simple. Sir, just tell my brother-inw and move over,¡± Li Qing said with a smile.


    Mr. Qian puffed for a long time and mustered his courage to say to Li Qing, ¡°Didn¡¯t Lord tell you that I¡¯ve got a family?¡±


    Li Qing widened his eyes in surprise and looked at Mr. Qian. ¡°When did this happen? Why don¡¯t I know anything about it? Old Qian, you¡¯re so mean! I didn¡¯t even know about such a big matter like you getting married.¡±


    Zhao Cai also interrupted, ¡°That¡¯s right! Mr. Qian, when did this happen? Why don¡¯t even Ji Xiang and I know?¡±


    Mr. Qian squirmed for a moment and blushed. He gritted his teeth and said in one go, ¡°This is my wife¡¯s second marriage, so I was too embarrassed to hold the banquet. After informing Lord Zhou, we only paid our respects to the heavens and earth and my parents.. When we return to the city, I¡¯ll treat everyone to wine and apologize!¡±

 Chapter 439 - 439: New Flowers in the Old Tree

    Chapter 439: New Flowers in the Old Tree


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Looking at Mr. Qian, who was as smug as a cockroach, Zhao Cai and Li Qing said at the same time, ¡°New flowers bloom on an old tree!¡±


    The two of themughed. ¡°It¡¯s fine to apologize, but you have to tell us how you found a wife in just two to three months. Could it be that she has been waiting for you?¡±


    Mr. Qian looked at the two of them and hesitated for a long time. ¡°Don¡¯t I have a small courtyard? Before I left, I rented it to a mother and son. Before I left, the granny next door matchmade us. I saw that she was beautiful, so I didn¡¯t dare to respond.


    When I came back this time, I saw that she was still living at my house and even told others that she was my wife. She asked the granny next door to mention this again, so I took advantage of the situation and agreed. Unexpectedly, she was a different person after marriage. She was quite a straightforward person initially but after marriage, she interfered in everything and wouldn¡¯t let me sleep unless I washed my feet.¡±


    Li Qing and Zhao Cai looked at him disdainfully. ¡°Aiya! Don¡¯t pretend to be obedient after taking advantage. You should be satisfied that she¡¯s willing to marry an old man like you!¡±


    ¡°I am content,¡± Mr. Qian replied with a smile.


    As they spoke, the carriage arrived at the entrance of the manor. Zhou Jia woke up the three children who were sleeping soundly with the dog on the mat and got out of the car first.


    Xiao Bai barked and jumped out of the car. It ran into the courtyard. Yangyang, Maizi, and Maodou rubbed their eyes and sat up.


    ¡°Young Master, we¡¯re going to see Little Loach!¡± Mao Dou said as he jumped out of the carriages. The three of them got out of the car one after another and ran into the courtyard.


    When he ran to the courtyard, he saw Zhou Jia, Li Yu, and Mr. Wen chatting with Li Qing and Mr. Qian in the hall in the front courtyard.


    Yangyang ran in and bowed to Mr. Wen and Li Yu. He smiled and shouted,


    ¡°Grandmaster, Mother, I¡¯m here to see you.¡±


    Mr. Wen smiled and said, ¡°Naughty boy. You were clearly looking for your mother, but you still coaxed me and said you were here to see me.¡±


    Yangyang turned around and held Mr. Wen¡¯s hand. He said aggrievedly, ¡°Grandmaster, I heard that you went to the Three Pure Temples to y. Why didn¡¯t you wait for me to y with you?¡±


    Mr. Wen also looked at him aggrievedly. ¡°Yang¡¯er, I heard that you went to eat something delicious. Why didn¡¯t you wait for me toe back?¡±


    Everyoneughed when they heard that. After Maizi and Mao Dou went forward to greet them, Li Yu said to the three of them, ¡°Go and see Little Loach. He and Little Stutterer have been missing you every day!¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± the three of them agreed and ran out.


    Zhao Cai brought Han San¡¯s carriage to the row of five houses. He smiled at Han San¡¯s family and said, ¡°Auntie Han, Sister-inw, this row of houses is habitable. Everything in the house is ready. Make the arrangements yourself.


    When you¡¯re done,e and meet Madam.¡±


    Han San looked at the row of five brick houses and happily pushed the two children. ¡°Ling¡¯er, Song¡¯er, quickly thank Uncle Cai.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Uncle Cai.¡± The two children bowed shyly to Zhao Cai and thanked him.


    Zhao Cai took a handful of copper coins from his pocket and ced them in the hands of the two children. ¡°Take them to buy candy.¡±


    The two children turned to look at their mother. Haitang nodded. ¡°Take it! Uncle Cai gave them to you.¡±


    Old Madam Han stood in the room with the old bedding in her arms and looked at the brand-new mosquito hanging on the bed. There was brand-new bedding and a straw mat on the bedboard. Old Madam Han bent down and touched the bedding. She watched as her hands sank into the soft bedding. She looked around. There was a cab in the house, two bamboo chairs on the table, and the house was spacious and bright.


    Old Madam Han¡¯s worried heart suddenly rxed. She thought about how she had not had a good night¡¯s sleep since she promised her son to write the document. She smiled and put down the hard old bedding. She sat on the edge of the bed and said to herself, ¡°I¡¯m relieved now. It seems that my son has the same judgment in people as his father.¡±


    When Zhao Cai returned to the main room, Aunt Zhang came to report that it was time to eat. Everyone went to eat again. Mr. Qian looked at the dishes on the table and said with a smile, ¡°Home-cooked food is still the best. I¡¯m not used to the food cooked by the chefs in the government office.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at him and smiled. ¡°Old Qian, you should have brought Madam along to get to know everyone.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Qian, remember to bring her to get to know everyone next time,¡± Li Yu said with a smile.


    Mr. Qian smiled and said, ¡°Madam, I asked her toe. I couldn¡¯t do anything if she was too embarrassed to do so.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s eat. It¡¯s normal for a new wife to be shy. Let¡¯s not make things difficult for Mr. Qian,¡± Mr. Wen said with a smile.


    Li Yu pointed at the winter melon pork rib soup, lotus leaf porridge, pumpkin steamed buns, stir-fried rapeseed, fried eggnt¡­ She smiled and said to them, ¡°These are all from our courtyard. There¡¯s a roasted duck with yam seeds and cold chicken nuggets. These are all bought from the vige. The pickled vegetables, fish, andrge fish are from the lotus pond on the farmstead.¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled and said, ¡°Is there a lotus pond? Why didn¡¯t Ji Xiang say so when he came back?¡±


    Li Yu smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s at the foot of the mountain.¡±


    Li Qing picked up a piece of spicy chicken and tasted it. After swallowing, he smiled and said, ¡°Yes! Not bad. Old Madam Yun¡¯s dishes have always been lighter. They¡¯re not as delicious and spicy as Sister¡¯s, but Sister, you should eat less spicy food.¡±


    Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia guiltily and argued, ¡°I usually eat very lightly. If you don¡¯t believe me, ask Sir.¡±


    Mr. Wen smiled and said, ¡°Xiaoyu usually eats lighter food than this.


    Yangyang nced at Li Yu. ¡°Mother, didn¡¯t you eat ording to the recipe


    Granduncle gave you?¡±


    Li Yu felt even more guilty and red at him without much confidence. ¡®Yes, young brat, you¡¯re in charge of your mother. Hurry up and eat. After eating, make up for the lessons that Little Stutterer and Little Loach have missed.¡±


    After dinner, Li Qing and the others went to the garden to pick grapes. Zhou Jia and Li Yu walked around and returned to their room. Zhou Jia hugged Li Yu and sat down. He gently touched Li Yu¡¯s slightly protruding abdomen and bent down to check Li Yu¡¯s feet. He looked at Li Yu and said gently, ¡°Let me see if your feet are swollen.¡±


    ¡°A little. Granny Chen knows how to massage. She massaged me.¡± Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia guiltily. ¡°Xiao Xi, I just didn¡¯t eat ording to the recipe once in a while. I¡¯m not feeling unwell. Besides, Sir is here. I¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu¡¯s feet and didn¡¯t find any swelling. He looked up at Li Yu and said, ¡°Yu¡¯er, you¡¯re really not used to eating a few meals a day. It¡¯s good to change asionally, but you have to do it ording to the amount on the recipe every day. Don¡¯t increase it casually.¡±


    Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia¡¯s affectionate gaze and kissed his forehead passionately. ¡°Xiao Xi, don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t¡­¡¯


    Zhou Jia reached out and pressed his finger on Li Yu¡¯s lips. He stood up and kissed Li Yu¡¯s lips. ¡°Yu¡¯er, don¡¯t say it. I know. We¡¯ll all be fine.¡±


    Li Yu stood up and hugged Zhou Jia. The couple quietly leaned against each other affectionately. They stood in front of the window and looked at the rose flowers blooming in the flowerbed outside the window under the sun. After a while, theyy down and rested..

 Chapter 440 - 440: Lotus Pond

    Chapter 440: Lotus Pond


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Yangyang took the book to Little Stutterer and Little Loach to catch up on the text.


    Little Loach¡¯s injuries were almost healed. His chest didn¡¯t hurt when he ate, but he couldn¡¯t run or jump. He couldn¡¯t talk loudly. He had to walk slowly.


    Yangyang took the book and taught the two of them, ¡°Learning in early childhood makes you strong. To the lord above, to the people below¡­¡± Little Loach chanted softly, and Little Stutterer silently chanted in his heart.


    After Little Loach finished reading, he said to Yangyang, ¡°Young Master, this is the three-character recital. Mr. Liu taught us in Yunzhou.¡± Little Stutterer also said, ¡°He taught us.¡±


    Little Loach looked at the two of them. ¡°I miss Mr. Liu, Aunt Xue, Uncle Cai,


    Uncle Dashui, and Brother Shuisheng.¡±


    Yangyang sat on the bamboo chair and sighed. ¡®Yes! I miss Brother Ah Wei and the others too. Mother said that Father won¡¯t go to Yunzhou again after returning to the capital to be an official.¡±


    Little Loach looked at Yangyang and said, ¡°Master won¡¯t go to Yunzhou to be an official. Young Master can go to Yunzhou to be an official! Young Master is so good at studying. When you be the top schr, take us to Yunzhou to see them.¡±


    ¡°Alright, Young Master will bring you to Yunzhou to see them in the future.¡± Yangyang said confidently.


    The three children cheered up again. As soon as ss was over, Maizi and Mao Bean ran in.


    Mao Dou said to Yangyang and the others, ¡°Young Master, a good-looking youngdy and a little brother with braids came from the opposite room in the outer courtvard.¡±


    ¡°They are probably the children of the Han family who just came. Let¡¯s go take a look,¡± Yangyang said.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go take a look.¡± The boys put down their books and walked out. Xiao Bai, who was following them, wagged its tail and followed.


    The few of them had just walked to the courtyard when they met Xing Hua. Xing Hua smiled and said to Yangyang, ¡°Young Master, are you going to fish in the ditch again? There¡¯s a lotus pond in our manor and fish in the pond.


    Madam taught us to make a. You don¡¯t have to fish in the ditch.¡±


    Yangyang held Xing Hua¡¯s hand happily. ¡°Really, Sister Xing Hua? Where is it? Show us.¡¯


    When Little Loach heard this, he slowly said, ¡°Young Master, there¡¯s no need for Sister Xing Hua to bring us. I know where it is!¡±


    ¡°Yes! I know where.¡± Little Stutterer also said slowly.


    Yangyang smiled and waved his hand. ¡°Alright, bring a bucket and a. Let¡¯s fish.¡±


    Xing Hua instructed, ¡°Young Master, you have to be careful. Don¡¯t go to the middle of the lotus pond. Sprinkle some rice on the steps and coax the fish over. Just stand on the steps and fish, understand?¡±


    The few of them replied loudly, ¡°Got it, Sister Xinghua.¡±


    Xing Hua found everything they needed and put on straw hats for them. They reminded them again and only let them go after seeing that they had agreed.


    They took their belongings and walked out excitedly. Li Qing and Mr. Qian sat under the grape rack drinking tea and eating grapes.


    Li Qing saw them walking out with their belongings and asked with a smile,


    ¡°Are you going to ck off again?¡±


    Yangyang waved the in her hand. ¡°Uncle, we¡¯re going to the lotus pond to fish.¡±


    Li Qing looked at the excited children. ¡°A few brats. It¡¯s not a joke to fall into the lotus pond. Wait for Uncle. Uncle will go with you.¡±


    Yangyang could only stop. ¡°Oh! Then hurry up.¡±


    Mr. Qian and Li Qing also went to Mr. Wen¡¯s room to get the clothes they wore to pick herbs. Then, they came out and followed the children toward the lotus pond.


    Little Loach and Little Stutterer led the few of them through the bamboo forest and past the rice fields filled with green rice ears. They followed a path made of sand, gravel, and yellow mud to the foot of the mountain.


    After walking for almost an hour, they saw the hexagonal pavilion on the lotus pond. Little Loach said softly, ¡°It¡¯s at those two pavilions.¡±


    Yangyang took the lead and ran towards the pavilion. When Xiao Bai saw Yangyang running, it rushed out. The children followed. Mr. Qian shook his head. ¡°Children are yful. They¡¯re not afraid of the sun or the heat. As long as it¡¯s fun, they don¡¯t mind the difort.¡±


    Li Qing smiled and said, ¡°You should have brought your son too. Look, there are so many children. It¡¯s so fun for everyone.¡±


    ¡°Next time, I¡¯ll bring the mother and son,¡± Mr. Qian said with a chuckle.


    When they arrived at the lotus pond, they walked into the rose hedge wall. Standing there, Li Qing estimated that there were about ten acres ofnd in the lotus pond. The lotus pond was filled with green lotus leaves. There were not many lotus flowers left in the lotus pond. There were a few pink lotus flowers standing elegantly in the lotus pond. A faint fragrance wafted across the lotus pond.


    Yangyang, Wheat, and the others were not in the mood to enjoy the scenery.


    They ran to the lotus pond with their things and walked down the stone steps. They grabbed a handful of rice grains and scattered them in the water, waiting for the fish to swim over.


    Mr. Qian looked around the lotus pond and pointed at the flowers and trees. ¡°Ah Qing, look at how this ce is filled with chrysanthemums along the lotus pond. Beyond the chrysanthemums are gardenia flowers. Oh! There are also goldenurels, hibiscus, winter plums, and monthly seasons. In this way, the lotus flowers will bloom with the fragrance of goldenurel. When the goldenurels wither, the hibiscus flowers will bloom. There are also winter plums and a pool of remnant lotus flowers. The concept is not bad. The Fan family spent a lot of effort to build this lotus pond back then!¡±


    Li Qing nodded and looked at Yangyang and the others standing on the stone steps. He instructed them loudly and said to Mr. Qian, ¡°Although these flowers and nts are not precious species, it must have taken some effort to nt them all. Let¡¯s take a look.¡±


    Li Qing and Mr. Qian went to the lotus pond to y. The rice grains that Yangyang and the others scattered attracted a group of fish of different sizes. When Xiao Bai saw the fish swimming in the lotus pond, it hurriedly reached out its paws to grab them. It pped the water and fell into the lotus pond with a thud.


    ¡°Xiaobai fell into the pond,¡± Yangyang cried out worriedly.


    Mao Dou pulled Yangyang. ¡°Young Master, don¡¯t be afraid. The dog swims very quickly. Look at it. It still doesn¡¯t want to get up. It wants to cool down for a while!¡±


    Yangyang saw Xiao Bai ying happily in the water, sshing water all over them. Yangyang hooked a lotus leaf with a and waved at Xiao Bai. The little dog swam in front of Yangyang proudly and climbed to the stone steps to shake off a puddle of water.


    Yangyang put the lotus leaf on Xiao Bai¡¯s head. The children looked at the lotus leaf hat on Xiao Bail s head andughed. They had forgotten to fish.


    Li Yu and her husband woke up from their sleep. Li Yu suddenly thought of the lotus pond and turned to look at Zhou Jia, who was lying on the bed and not getting up. ¡°Xiao Xi, there are still lotus flowers in the lotus pond now. It¡¯s quite cool to sit in the pavilion. I went to take a look that day and came back. It¡¯s so boring to sit there alone. Let¡¯s go take a look together?¡±


    Zhou Jia had heard Li Yu mention the scenery of the lotus pond and thought to himself that the Fan family had actually spent so much effort on the farmstead. It had benefited his family. He suddenly recalled that he had heard about it in the Ministry of Revenue. His colleague had privately mentioned Minister Fan and said that he had worked in the Ministry of Revenue for decades and should have siphoned a lot of gold and silver..

 Chapter 441 - 441: Lotus Pond

    Chapter 441: Lotus Pond


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Zhou Jia smiled and said to Li Yu, ¡®Yu¡¯er, I was in the government office and heard them discussing in private that the Fan family has been corrupting a lot of gold and silver for decades. Do you think they hid the gold and silver somewhere on the farm?¡±


    When Li Yu heard this, she recalled that in her previous life, a corrupt official had hidden the money in the pond. She thought about how the Fan family had nted lotus flowers in the pond and would be digging lotus roots in two months. She felt that it was impossible. Could it be that it wasid under the tiles? Li Yu looked at the green bricks under her feet and wondered if she should dig up the tiles and take a look.


    ¡°That¡¯s possible. Find an opportunity to see if there¡¯s a wall on the manor and if it¡¯s hidden under the tiles.¡± Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu¡¯s money-grubbing appearance and sat up with a smile to pinch her nose. ¡°Silly girl, if there¡¯s really gold, silver, and treasure, it¡¯s not safe for you to live on the manor. Even if there¡¯s really gold and silver, I think His Majesty would have long sent people to look for it. Do these tiles underground look like they¡¯ve been rid?¡±


    Li Yu turned her head to take a look and nodded. She suddenly thought of Yangyang and the others who liked to ck off. They might have already gone to the lotus pond. Thinking that the water in the lotus pond was not shallow, she held Zhou Jia¡¯s hand worriedly. ¡°Get up quickly. Perhaps Yangyang and the others have alreadv gone to the lotus Dond. Let¡¯s co out and take a look.¡± ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go see our son.¡± Zhou Jia smiled and kissed Li Yu. The couple got out of bed. When they went outside, they saw Mr. Wen wearing a straw hat and walking out.


    Zhou Jia smiled and asked, ¡°Sir, are you going out?¡±


    Mr. Wen smiled at the two of them. ¡°Ah Qing, Mr. Qian, and Yang¡¯er have gone to the lotus pond. I n to take a look too.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and said, ¡°Sir, we also n to take a look. Since everyone is there, let Xing Hua, Aunt Zhang, and the others take some fruits there. We can sit and enjoy the shade.¡±


    Mr. Wen waved at the two of them happily. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    They walked toward the front courtyard. Just as they reached the front courtyard, they saw Zhao Cai enter the courtyard. Zhao Cai reported to the two of them, ¡°Master, Madam, Han San¡¯s mother and wife want to meet you and Madam.¡±


    Zhou Jia nodded. ¡°Alright, bring them in.¡±


    After a while, Zhao Cai brought Han San¡¯s family into the courtyard. The two children looked curiously at the melon rack in the courtyard and pulled their parents¡¯ hands to the main hall.


    After the family greeted Li Yu, her husband, and Mr. Wen, Li Yu said to Han San¡¯s family, ¡°You¡¯ll be members of the Zhou family in the future. As long as you abide by the rules, the Zhou family won¡¯t treat you badly.


    ¡°There¡¯s Aunt Zhang and the others on the stove. You can take care of the livestock in the backyard and the lotus pond, as well as the few acres of cornfield at the door. Also, there¡¯s a kitchen in the back room. You can collect the rice, grains, oil, and salt and cook for yourself.


    ¡°When Han San just arrived, his monthly sry will temporarily be the same as Uncle Liu¡¯s. The sries of Auntie Han and Sister-inw Han will be half of


    Han San¡¯s! In the future, you don¡¯t have to kneel and kowtow for no reason. Just follow the rules in your heart.¡±


    Seeing Li Yu¡¯s warm tone, the family kowtowed happily. ¡°Yes, Madam. We¡¯ll remember. Thank you, Master! Thank you, Madam.¡±


    Mr. Wen looked at Old Madam Han¡¯s hands, which were bent and swollen like chicken ws. He frowned. When the Han family got up, he waved at Old Madam Han and said, ¡°Old Sister-inw, I see that your hands are seriously rheumatized. Come over and let me take a look at you.¡±


    Old Madam Han was stunned and stammered, ¡°Old Master, I¡¯m used to it.¡±


    When Han San heard Mr. Wen¡¯s words, he kowtowed to him in joy and thanked him. ¡°Thank you, Old Master. My mother¡¯s hand hurts when ites into contact with cold water.¡±


    Mr. Wen smiled and waved his hand. ¡°I¡¯m just a physician. There¡¯s no need to be so polite.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Old Master.¡± Han San got up with a smile and pushed his stunned mother to sit opposite Mr. Wen. After seeing this, Mr. Wen said, ¡°Try not to touch cold water in the future. There¡¯s medicine in the capital residence that I prescribed. Tomorrow, you and Zhao Cai will return to the capital residence and let Master get the medicine for you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Old Master.¡± The family bowed happily to Mr. Wen and left.


    Xing Hua, Aunt Zhang, and Granny Chen carried fruits, cakes, and stir-fried goods to the front courtyard. Seeing that Li Yu and the others were still in the courtyard, Xing Hua smiled and asked, ¡°Madam, are you still going to the lotus pond?¡±


    ¡°Go, send the things over first!¡± Li Yu said with a smile.


    The group walked towards the lotus pond. When they arrived, Zhou Jia stood outside the wooden door in the fence and looked at the lotus leaves in the pond. He smiled and said, ¡°The Fan family has indeed spent a lot of effort in the lotus pond garden. There are flowers to see almost all four seasons.¡±


    Li Yu pointed at the clusters of Chinese roses of all colors and smiled. ¡°Look at the colors of those Chinese roses, right? Oh! Look, those children ran to the pavilion to lie down.¡±


    Li Yu walked over and touched Yangyang¡¯s hand. Yangyang opened her eyes and saw Li Yu. ¡°Mother, it¡¯s so cool to sleep here.¡±


    Li Yu kissed his forehead and said with a smile, ¡°Yes! Then sleep for a while more. Father, Grandmaster, and I will sit in the pavilion over there for a while.¡±


    When he walked to the pavilion at the end of the lotus pond, Zhou Jia looked at the circle of hooks left on the pavilion and said with a smile, ¡°These hooks are used to hang the gauze to prevent everyone from spying on you.¡±


    Mr. Qian¡¯s voice sounded. ¡°The Fan family might never have thought that his delicate daughter would be sent to the education office to be a singer one day!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! We have to use the rest of our lives to make up for the wealth we¡¯ve enjoyed. A family like the Fan family is too dissatisfied.¡±


    Mr. Wen looked at Zhou Jia and Li Qing. ¡°Jiahe, Ah Qing, I know that you¡¯re good children, but I have to remind you that you have to take the Fan family¡¯s matter seriously. Don¡¯t covet the immediate benefits and harm your descendants.¡±


    The two men bowed. ¡°Yes, sir. We¡¯ll remember.


    Mr. Wen nodded in relief. ¡°Okay, you guys talk. I¡¯ll go walk around.¡±


    Mr. Qian smiled and went forward to support Mr. Wen. ¡°I¡¯ll go shopping with


    Old Master too.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Mr. Qian and smiled. ¡°Alright, apany Old Master.¡±


    After Mr. Wen and Mr. Qian left, Li Qing smiled and said, ¡°We walked around the lotus pond a few times and looked around. We n toe to the farm to y when the cinnamon fragrance wafts.¡±


    Hearing Li Qing mention the fragrance of cinnamon, Li Yu remembered that it was already the tenth of July. The Zhongyuan Festival was about to arrive.


    ¡°Ah Qing, the Zhongyuan Festival is in a few days. Remember to buy sacrificial items when you return to the capital. While your brother-inw is here, let¡¯s go to town tomorrow to prepare the ingots and paper money for the sacrificial ceremony.¡±


    ¡°Sister, Uncle reminded me yesterday. He even asked if you were going back to the capital for the Zhongyuan Festival.¡±


    Li Yu didn¡¯t want to go back and socialize with others. She felt so tired that she panicked. ¡°No, I n to go back before you get married. You and I don¡¯t understand the customs. At that time, you can invite Granny Yang to your house to guide us so that we are mindful of the decorum.¡±


    ¡°Sister, if Granny Yang wants to help in the residence, you don¡¯t have to go to my house.¡± Li Qing smiled. ¡°Mother-inw said to ask her if there¡¯s anything she doesn¡¯t understand. If not, we can send an old woman to help. Aunt also said that you¡¯re not feeling well. When the timees, she¡¯ll go to my ce to help..¡±

 Chapter 442 - 442: An Old Couple

    Chapter 442: An Old Couple


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    The three of them sat and chatted for a while. The children sleeping in the pavilion over there also woke up and ran to Li Yu¡¯s pavilion.


    Li Yu asked Yangyang to bring the fruits on the table to the few little fellows who were pretending to be reserved. After Little Loach led the three of them to bow, he took the fruits Yangyang handed over.


    After the gluttonous Xiao Bai obtained a candied fruit from Yangyang, ity at the side and ate it.


    Li Qing looked at them and asked with a smile, ¡°Where¡¯s the fish you caught? We¡¯ll take it back and roast itter.¡±


    Yangyang shook his head and pointed at Xiao Bai. ¡°It scared the fish away and even fell into the water. It made us wet when it got up, so we came here to y.¡±


    Li Qing pulled Yangyang along. ¡°Let¡¯s go. Uncle will bring you to fish. We¡¯ll have a barbecue tonight.¡±


    Yangyang looked at Li Qing happily. ¡°Let¡¯s have a barbecue! I like it the most. Let¡¯s go, Uncle.¡±


    When Li Yu saw Li Qing running away with the children like a child, she smiled and said, ¡°Once Ah Qing is married. I¡¯ll have an exnation for my parents.¡± Li Yu said in her heart, ¡°I also have an exnation for Little Li Yu.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Qing¡¯s back and thought of the thin child with withered hair. He was now an adult and was about to start a family.


    He held Li Yu¡¯s hand and said with a smile, ¡°Yu¡¯er, we¡¯re considered an old couple. ¡±


    Li Yu smiled and punched him. ¡°You old man.¡±


    ¡°Wife, take a closer look. Where can you find a handsome and refined old man like me?¡± Zhou Jia stood up straight and posed in the most charming position. He looked at Li Yu and smiled brightly.


    Li Yu leaned against the pavilion and looked at Zhou Jia¡¯s coquettish appearance. She smiled brightly. ¡°Alright, alright, alright. You¡¯re the most handsome and elegant old man!¡±


    While the couple flirted there, Li Qing and the children were busy fishing.


    After scooping up half a bucket of fish, Zhao Cai and Han San also came to the lotus pond. The two of them went down to the lotus pond and used a to pick up a full bucket. They picked up fish that weighed more than a catty. Han San smiled and said, ¡°Such a big fish can be marinated easily and the meat is good.¡±


    Li Qing smiled and said, ¡°Looks like Brother Han often makes grilled fish and knows what to choose.¡±


    When Han San heard Li Qing call him Brother Han, he was ttered and nodded with a smile. ¡°Master-inw, I used to go to East Lake to fish with the hooligans on the streets. When I caught them, I roasted them by the river. We made the food randomly. It¡¯s fine as long as it¡¯s cooked.¡±


    Li Qing smiled and nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right! It¡¯s already good enough that we can eat our fill. There¡¯s no need to be so particr!¡±


    Zhao Cai looked at the fish in the bucket and smiled. ¡°It¡¯s two full buckets of fish. Together with the other dishes, it should be enough.¡±


    ¡°That should be enough. Let¡¯s go back!¡± Li Qing waved his hand.


    Zhao Cai and Han San carried the fish back and helped Aunt Zhang, Aunt Lin, and the others kill the fish. They smeared it with sauce and marinated it for more than an hour. Aunt Zhang cut some streaky pork and even went to the vige to buy two fat chickens to marinate and prepare for the barbecue.


    When Li Yu and the others returned home, they got someone to set up two ces in the courtyard and called the servants to the courtyard. The two


    groups 01 people Degan co Daroecue me courtyara.


    The children became familiar in no time. As they ate, they chased after the dragonflies in the front and backyard.


    Granny Chen looked at the harmonious and lively scene in the courtyard and suddenly felt that it was a good choice to stay with the Zhou family.


    The next morning, Li Qing and Mr. Qian nned to return to the capital in the morning. Zhou Jia and Li Yu brought Yangyang and the children to town to buy sacrificial supplies for the Zhongyuan Festival.


    When they arrived at Hengshan Town, the two groups of people bade farewell and split up. There were still three to four days before the Zhongyuan Festival. Hengshan Town Street was extremely lively. There were vendors selling underworld artifacts on both sides of the street. The street was filled with paper shoes, paper clothes, paper cats, paper money, and ingots, and most of these underworld artifacts were crudely made. After taking a few steps, he saw that there were also printed scriptures. They even sold the Yue Lan basin of the Underworld Transformation.


    Yangyang looked at the dark artifacts curiously, but Little Loach and the others knew. They pulled him and the others and muttered softly. Yangyang let out surprised sounds from time to time.


    Li Yu and Zhou Jia looked around a few ces and found a vendor with exquisite workmanship. They bought arge pile of dark money and dark artifacts. Han San quickly put them all into his backpack and carried them to the carriage.


    Li Yu recalled that Mr. Wen had said that the fishballs and roasted chicken in town were delicious. She turned to Zhou Jia and Mr. Wen and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go to the restaurant Sir mentioned for lunch. How about eating fishballs and roasted chicken?¡±


    Mr. Wen smiled and nodded. ¡°Alright! I¡¯ll be the host today. Please go to the restaurant.¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled and said, ¡°Alright! Then I have to eat more for lunch.¡±


    Zhao Cai called the children to the carriage and followed the three of them with


    Han San.


    When they reached a two-story building at the end of the street, the children got out of the car. Mr. Wen smiled and said, ¡°Yo! It¡¯s been changed to a two-story building. Steamed Bun Liu is doing well!¡±


    Li Yu held Yangyang¡¯s hand and looked up to see that the sign said Liujia Cuisine. There was also a chubby bun in the bottom corner. She smiled and said, ¡°His family started by selling buns, right?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! His nickname is Steamed Bun Liu.¡± Mr. Wen smiled.


    The waiter at the entrance of the restaurant weed her solicitously and said with a smile, ¡°Madam, you have good taste. My old shopkeeper started selling buns and has been around for decades.¡±


    Li Yu nodded and held Yangyang¡¯s hand as they walked in. Seeing that there were no customers in the hall, Li Yu looked at the bustling crowd on the street and wondered why an established restaurant would be so deserted.


    The shop assistant eagerly brought them upstairs to sit down. A table of guests upstairs had just paid the bill and left.


    Zhao Cai, Little Loach, and the others also sat at a table. Mr. Wen ordered the signature dishes: fishballs, braised chicken nuggets, buns, and some home-cooked dishes.


    Mr. Wen smiled and said, ¡°Steamed Bun Liu is a good person. In the past, when those beggars asked for food at the door, he often gave them steamed buns to eat. When there were guests, he would also give the leftovers to those beggars.¡±


    Li Yu and Zhou Jia nodded in praise. ¡°Not bad. He¡¯s still a benevolent merchant.¡±


    After the dishes were served, Li Yu ate a bun and felt that it tasted average. Mr. Wen also frowned and said, ¡°Did they change the boss? The buns are not as delicious as before, and the fishballs are not as chewy as before. Only the roasted chicken is so-so.¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled and said, ¡°After so many years, it¡¯s possible that the boss has changed.¡±


    Mr. Wen nodded in agreement. ¡°That¡¯s true. I¡¯m an old man.¡±


    Everyone ate in low spirits. After paying the bill, they walked downstairs. Suddenly, an old man with white hair and wearing rough old clothes was pushed out of the backyard.


    The old man shouted, ¡°He Yuqing, heartless bastard. I, Steamed Bun Liu, took you in out of goodwill. I didn¡¯t expect you to invite trouble. You¡¯re a vicious ghost who eats people without spitting out their bones. Return my daughter to me. Return my granddaughter to me.¡±


    Mr. Wen frowned at the old man in surprise.


    ¡°Get lost, old man,¡± a few shop assistants shouted with wooden sticks. One of them went forward and pushed the old man a few times. ¡°Old man, why aren¡¯t you leaving? What nonsense are you talking about?¡±


    The old man staggered a few times and fell at Zhou Jia¡¯s feet.


    Zhou Jia helped the old man up and looked at the shop assistant coldly. ¡°He¡¯s already so old. How can you push him like this?¡±


    The shop assistant was stunned by Zhou Jia¡¯s aura and did not dare to go forward..

 Chapter 443 - 443: Jackal (1)

    Chapter 443: Jackal (1)


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Mr. Wen looked at the furious old man. ¡°Are you Liu Dazhong, Steamed Bun Liu?¡±


    The old man looked at Mr. Wen in a daze for a while and looked at him with a smile that was uglier than crying. ¡°Mr. Wen, I haven¡¯t seen you for nearly 20


    years, right? You¡¯re still as elegant as ever! I¡¯m already in dire straits. I don¡¯t even have a ce to invite you to sit.¡±


    Mr. Wen pointed at the tables and chairs in the hall and smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll treat you to a seat!¡±


    Steamed Bun Liu cupped his hands and said, ¡°Thank you, sir.¡±


    Seeing that they were taking their seats in the hall, the shop assistants did not dare to chase them away. One of them turned around and ran towards the backyard.


    Mr. Wen looked at Bun Liu in confusion. ¡°Why are you so down and out? Isn¡¯t this restaurant yours? What happened to your little girl?¡±


    ¡°Sir, you know that I, Steamed Bun Liu, can be considered a kind person! When the beggars on the street have toe to the door, when haven¡¯t I given them food? If someone begs me, as long as it¡¯s within my ability, I¡¯ll help! Why do the heavens have to treat me like this? Sir, please help me.¡±


    As Steamed Bun Liu spoke, he knelt in front of Mr. Wen and cried bitterly.


    Everyone¡¯s hearts ached when they saw this. Yangyang, Little Loach, and the others¡¯ eyes turned red.


    Mr. Wen helped him up with red eyes. ¡°Get up and talk. We¡¯re old acquaintances. Tell me, what happened to you all these years? Where¡¯s your wife and daughter?¡±


    Steamed Bun Liu wiped his tears and looked at Mr. Wen with tears in his eyes.


    He only had one thought in his mind: to find his daughter and granddaughter.


    ¡°Sir, you¡¯re a divine doctor. Please save my daughter. A few years ago, I saved a down-and-out schr. Later, I even betrothed my daughter to him. Who knew that he was a poisonous snake? Now, he still wants to kill my Liu family.¡±


    Steamed Bun Liu recalled that there were also many people who wanted to propose back then. His daughter liked that schr with the surname He. Although he was not very satisfied with Schr He, he agreed to their marriage since his daughter liked him. Who knew that he would enter the tiger¡¯s den?


    Mr. Wen said angrily, ¡°How can there be such a heartless person?¡±


    At this moment, the shop assistant walked over with a handsome young man with gloomy eyes. The man sized up Mr. Wen, Zhou Jia, and the others. Seeing that Zhou Jia and Li Yu were not ordinary-looking, but their clothes were only better than ordinary people, and they even brought a few children, he thought to himself that they were just smallndlords in the countryside and there was no need to be polite to them.


    He said unhappily, ¡°Dear guests, since you¡¯ve eaten and drunk enough, please leave the shop.¡±


    ¡°He Yuqing, you poisonous snake. Return my daughter to me. Where did you lock her up?¡± Steamed Bun Liu roared and rushed towards the man.


    ¡°Old thing, you have a death wish. I¡¯ll fulfill your wish.¡± He Yuqing was arrogant. He raised his leg and kicked. Zhao Cai pushed the man away and pulled Steamed Bun Liu behind her.


    He Yuqing staggered a few steps and was supported by the shop assistant. He waved his hand and shouted at the shop assistant in the restaurant, ¡°Beat them up. Drive them out.¡±


    The shop assistant rushed forward with a stick. Steamed Bun Liu blocked him.


    ¡°It¡¯s none of their business. Don¡¯t attack them.¡±


    He pointed at his head and shouted, ¡°Dog, if you have the ability, fight here. You bastards, just wait to be imprisoned!¡±


    Zhao Cai took a step forward and stood in front of Steamed Bun Liu. He looked at them coldly. The shop assistant looked at Zhao Cai and Steamed Bun Liu and did not dare to attack.


    He Yuqing pointed at Steamed Bun Liu arrogantly. ¡°If you kill that old thing, I¡¯ll reward you with 100 silver.¡±


    With a heavy reward, there would definitely be brave men. The shop assistant at the front thought of the white silver and raised his wooden stick fiercely to hit Steamed Bun Liu¡¯s head.


    Zhao Cai raised his chair and knocked the shop assistant¡¯s wooden stick away. He kicked him away. The shop assistant hit the table stool and screamed.


    The remaining people raised their wooden sticks and cowered as they looked at Zhao Cai, but they did not dare to go forward.


    Han San picked up a wooden stick and pointed at the shop assistants. ¡°Do you have to work for a vicious person to earn some money? He even dared to hit his father-inw. If you really help him kill someone, you¡¯ll be the ones to be sued. The money won¡¯t reach your pockets. Do you think he really has the ability to buy your lives?¡±


    Li Yu smiled and apuded when she heard that. ¡°Han San is right. You ignorant things actually dare to help. I think you are tired of living.¡±


    When the dozen or so club-wielding waiters heard this, they looked at each other and hesitated to continue.


    He Yuqing was furious. He pointed at Li Yu and scolded, ¡°B*tch¡­¡±


    Zhou Jia said angrily, ¡°Zhao Cai, smash this dog¡¯s mouth.¡±


    At the same time that Zhou Jia¡¯s voice sounded, Li Yu had already grabbed the chopsticks on the table and thrown them at He Yuqing. The chopsticks flew out like snakes and hit He Yuqing¡¯s mouth. He Yuqing covered his mouth and screamed. He let go and saw that his hands were filled with fallen front teeth.


    Seeing that the situation was bad, the shopkeeper hiding upstairs quietly retreated. The waiters also fled in all directions.


    He Yuqing¡¯s eyes widened with blood in his mouth as he looked at Li Yu in horror. Han San, Little Loach, and the others widened their mouths in surprise.


    The shop assistant ran away, and Zhao Cai retreated. Yangyang pped and said, ¡°Mother is so good. She knocked out the bad guy¡¯s teeth.¡± Little Loach and the others also pped andughed.


    Li Yu looked at Zhao Cai and said, ¡°Zhao Cai, subdue that dog. Don¡¯t let him move again.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± Zhao Cai went forward and pressed the terrified He Yuqing to the ground.


    Li Yu said to Steamed Bun Liu, ¡°Uncle, tell me, what¡¯s going on? Is your


    daughter dead or alive?¡±


    Steamed Bun Liu looked at the imposing Li Yu and her husband and was no longer afraid. He pointed at He Yuqing and cried, ¡°Mr. Wen, Madam, Master, this poisonous snake framed my daughter for being a lunatic and said that she wanted to kill someone, so he locked her up. I¡¯ve searched everywhere I can. My daughter might have been locked up in the cer in the backyard by him. I came today to look for her in the cer in the backyard.¡±


    As Steamed Bun Liu spoke, he walked towards the backyard. Zhou Jia said to


    Zhao Cai, ¡°Zhao Cai, hand that He guy to Han San. Go to the backyard with


    Uncle Liu.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master.¡± Zhao Cai pped the back of He Yuqing¡¯s neck and knocked him unconscious to the ground. Han San went forward to guard him.


    Zhao Cai followed Steamed Bun Liu to the backyard. There was a small courtyard in the backyard. The small courtyard was filled with flowers and nts that emitted a faint fragrance.


    Old Liu jogged to the room, pushed open the door, and opened the wooden board covering the mouth of the cer. Zhao Cai took out a lighter and blew on it. It followed Steamed Bun Liu down.


    Steamed Bun Liu said in an unstable manner, ¡°Little brother, this is where the restaurant stores food. I guess he must have locked my daughter below. There¡¯s an oilmp on the right-hand wall.¡±


    Zhao Cai lit the oilmp. In the dim light, he saw a disheveled woman in the corner of the cer. She was in tatters. A chain was tied to her feet and locked to the pir. She shrank behind the pir in fear and unease, not daring to look at him and Liu.


    ¡°Yulian, my child, Father is here.¡± Bun Liu cried and rushed up. When Yu Lian heard Bun Liu¡¯s voice, she rushed out from behind the pir and staggered towards Bun Liu. She cried, ¡°Father, where did you go? Don¡¯t you want Lian¡¯er anymore? He hit me.. Lian¡¯er hurts! Father¡­¡±

 Chapter 444 - 444: Jackal (2)

    Chapter 444: Jackal (2)


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Steamed Bun Liu hurriedly took off his clothes and wrapped them around his daughter. He touched his daughter, who was only left with a handful of bones, and tears fell like rain. He choked and coaxed, ¡°Be good, don¡¯t cry. I¡¯ll bring you out now.¡±


    Liu Yulian pulled her father and slowly calmed down. She looked at Father Liu and sobbed. ¡°Father, Ling¡¯er was taken away by him. Help me find my Ling¡¯er, my Ling¡¯er¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go find her immediately.¡± Looking at his dying daughter, Steamed Bun Liuforted her with tears streaming down his face. He asked her to sit down and wanted to help her untie the chains on her feet. Only then did he realize that Liu Yulian¡¯s ankles were chained in iron rings. There was also an iron lock hanging from the iron rings.


    Liu Yulian¡¯s ankles had been worn down by the iron rings, revealing the white bones that were bleeding.


    Steamed Bun Liu trembled all over and gritted his teeth. He hated himself for being blind and treating that jackal like sheep, causing his daughter to end up in such a state.


    Zhao Cai looked at everything in front of him and felt that He Yuqing was a demon with a human face and a beast heart.


    Zhao Cai took a closer look and realized that he could not break the chain with brute force. This way, Liu Yulian¡¯s feet might bepletely crippled.


    Liu looked at the lock on the iron ring and said to Liu Yulian, ¡°Lian¡¯er, do you know where the key is?¡±


    Liu Yulian shook her head. ¡°Father, I want to find Ling¡¯er, my Ling¡¯er¡­¡± Liu Yulian muttered as she looked at the Steamed Bun Liu and fainted.


    Steamed Bun Liu hurriedly picked Liu Yulian up and looked at everything in front of him. He roared, ¡°He Yuqing, wretched thief, I¡¯ll kill you¡­¡±


    Zhao Cai looked at everything in front of him sadly and patted Steamed Bun Liu. ¡°Uncle, it¡¯s more important to get your daughter out first.¡±


    Steamed Bun Liu wiped his tears and wanted to put Liu Yulian on the ground.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go get the key from him.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go. I¡¯m fast,¡± Zhao Cai said and ran out.


    When Zhao Cai reached the lobby, everyone looked at him. ¡°How¡¯s it going? Did you find her?¡±


    Zhao Cai nodded and pointed at He Yuqing in disgust. ¡°I found her. She was chained to the cer by this piece of trash¡­ She doesn¡¯t look crazy to me.¡±


    When everyone heard this, they felt that this was not something a human could do. Looking at He Yuqing lying on the ground, they felt that he was a demon in human skin.


    Han San was so angry that he pped He Yuqing a few times. ¡°B*stard, give me the key.¡±


    He Yuqing woke up from Han San¡¯s beating. He cowered and looked at the angry people. He trembled. ¡°The key was thrown into the well by me.¡±


    ¡°Beast, you¡¯re worse than an animal.¡± Zhao Cai was so angry that he kicked He Yuqing.


    Li Yu said to Zhou Jia, ¡°Let¡¯s go down and see if we can get the chain off the pir.¡±


    ¡°Master, Madam, I have a way. I¡¯ll go take a look with Brother Cai,¡± Han San said.


    Zhou Jia nodded. ¡°Alright, go! This guy can¡¯t run.¡±


    The two of them agreed in unison. Zhao Cai brought Han San to the cer. Han San sighed and took out a thin wire from his hair bun. He stabbed it into the lock and fiddled with it for a while before the lock was opened.


    ¡°Daughter, I¡¯ll bring you out.¡± Steamed Bun Liu carried Liu Yulian and felt light-hearted. Tears fell uncontrobly again.


    Zhao Cai and Han San supported the Steamed Bun Liu to the ground and saw the thin Liu Yulian. She was probably not old, but her hair was already mixed with gray.


    Zhao Cai said to Steamed Bun Liu, ¡°Uncle, we have to find a room to clean Miss


    Liu¡¯s injuries first so that my Old Master can treat her.¡±


    Steamed Bun Liu nodded. ¡°Go to the room where the clerk is on night duty.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll call my Old Master and Master.¡± Zhao Cai turned around and walked towards the hall.


    Steamed Bun Liu carried Liu Yulian to the room on the right of the main room. Han San pushed open the door and saw a wooden bed in the room. There was also bedding on the bed. It looked clean.


    Han San quickly carried the bedding out and shook it a few times. He carried it back andid it on the bed. Steamed Bun Liu ced his daughter on the bed.


    Liu Yulian woke up and looked at him weakly. ¡°Father, it¡¯s really you. I¡¯m not dreaming, right? Father, please, go find Ling¡¯er quickly. My Linger¡­¡± Liu Yulian felt dizzy and closed her eyes.


    ¡°Sleep for a while. I¡¯ll go find her now.¡± Steamed Bun Liuforted his daughter and turned to look at Han San, begging, ¡°Little brother, please help me open the other rooms and look for my granddaughter.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Han San agreed readily and walked out of the door. When he saw Zhao Cai bringing Mr. Wen in, he said, ¡°Brother Cai, Old Master, I¡¯ll help Boss Liu find his daughter.¡±


    Mr. Wen nodded and entered the room. It was inconvenient for Zhao Cai to enter. He turned around and went back.


    When Steamed Bun Liu saw Mr. Wen, he called out, ¡°Sir¡­¡± He choked and couldn¡¯t speak.


    Mr. Wen took a look at the wound on Liu Yulian¡¯s leg. After taking her pulse, he


    realized that she was already extremely weak. He felt that it was a miracle that she could live until now.


    Mr. Wen said to Steamed Bun Liu, ¡°Go get her some soft food first. It¡¯s best if there¡¯s porridge. I¡¯ll write a prescription and get the medicine. Then, I¡¯ll get Jiahe¡¯s wife to clean your daughter¡¯s wound.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Steamed Bun Liu hurriedly ran to the kitchen. After a while, he returned with a bowl of porridge and carefully fed it to Liu Yulian. Liu Yulian swallowed it in one gulp. After she finished half a bowl of porridge, Mr. Wen stopped Steamed Bun Liu. ¡°Alright, give it to herter, lest her stomach can¡¯t take it. It¡¯s best if you boil some thick rice gruel for her. It¡¯s easy to digest.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Seeing that his daughter could eat, Steamed Bun Liu felt slightly relieved.


    Li Yu walked into the house with a can of strong wine, followed by Zhao Cai, who was carrying a basin of salt water.


    Zhao Cai carried the salt water into the room and walked out. Li Yu said to


    Steamed Bun Liu, ¡°Uncle, go out for a while. I¡¯ll wash her.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Madam.¡± Liu Qian thanked Mr. Wen and followed him out of the room. Seeing that Han San was still opening the door of thest room, he walked over with anticipation and looked at him worriedly.


    Li Yu smiled at the thin and weak Liu Yulian and said gently, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯ll wash your wound. It might be very painful. You have to endure it. When you¡¯re better, you can go see your Ling¡¯er.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Liu Yulian looked at Li Yu and smiled. ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of pain.¡±


    ¡°I know. You¡¯re very brave.¡± Li Yu smiled at her and gently untied her tattered clothes. Her body was covered in wounds of all shapes and sizes. There were burns, whip wounds, and pinch wounds. Some were still oozing blood.


    Li Yu gently wiped her body clean with salt water. Li Yu realized that Liu Yulian¡¯s eyes were closed and her expression was wooden. She didn¡¯t even make a sound. When she wiped her ankle, she saw the rotten wound on her ankle. Li Yu took a deep breath and stopped the anger in her heart. She said gently to Liu Yulian, ¡°I have to cut off the rotten flesh on your foot. Otherwise, your wound won¡¯t heal easily.¡±


    Liu Yulian opened her eyes and looked at Li Yu. She was no longer able to answer and could only blink..

 Chapter 445 - 445: Mother’s Strength

    Chapter 445: Mother¡¯s Strength


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Li Yu turned to the head of the bed and muttered to herself about the jade gourd. She took out the Golden Injury Medicine that Mr. Wen had concocted, pills, a dagger, gauze, and rope from her space. She fed the medicine to her first, then poured the wine into a bowl and lit it. After that, she ced the dagger on it to disinfect it.


    After everything was ready, Li Yu turned around and took out a handkerchief to fold. She looked at Liu Yulian and said in an encouraging tone, ¡°Bite the handkerchief. I¡¯ll tie you to the bed. It will hurt this time. You might not be able to take it.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Liu Yulian agreed docilely.


    Li Yu tied Liu Yulian to the wooden bed and gouged out the rotten flesh on her feet. Liu Yulian trembled and fainted without a word.


    Li Yu probed under her nose. Seeing that she was only unconscious, she quickened her movements and quickly cut the rotten flesh clean. She washed the wound with strong wine and sprinkled Golden Injury Medicine on it before wrapping it in gauze.


    She washed the wounds on her body with strong wine and checked her pulse.


    Only then did she put on a dress for her, cover her with the nket, and pull open the door to leave.


    After going out, she saw that there was no one outside the room. Li Yu turned around had looked at Liu Yulian, who was lying on the bed. She thought to herself that this woman has endured pain that ordinary people can¡¯t with her weak body just because she didn¡¯t know if her daughter was fine.


    A woman was weak, to begin with, but as a mother, she was firm. For her child, she disyed unimaginable willpower.


    Liu and Han San searched the house but couldn¡¯t find any trace of Ling¡¯er. They rushed to the hall anxiously and fearfully. ¡°Where did Linger go? Return Ling¡¯er to me.¡± Steamed Bun Liu hissed and bit and kicked He Yuqing.


    Yangyang and Little Loach were pulled into Zhou Jia and Mr. Wen¡¯s arms.


    He Yuqing was suppressed by Zhao Cai and shouted for help. His face was covered in blood from Steamed Bun Liu¡¯s attacks. Zhou Jia said coldly, ¡°Tell me the child¡¯s whereabouts. Otherwise, you¡¯ll be bitten to death by Boss Liu!¡±


    He Yuqing was terrified and hurriedly said, ¡°I¡¯ll talk, I¡¯ll talk. I locked her in the hut at the back of the courtyard.¡±


    ¡°Animal, that¡¯s the house with the junk. That¡¯s your biological child.¡±


    Steamed Bun Liu got up and stumbled as he turned around and ran. Han San hurriedly followed. He saw Steamed Bun Liu go to the back of the courtyard and open a dark hut. He saw a five or six-year-old girl with a head full of straw and a dirty face sitting nkly on a pile of grass.


    Baozi Liu rushed up and hugged her. ¡°Ling¡¯er, be good. Grandpa is here. Ling¡¯er¡­¡±


    Bun Liu shouted a few times before the little girl saw Bun Liu. ¡°Don¡¯t cry, Ling¡¯er, be good. Don¡¯t cry¡­¡¯


    Tears streamed down Han San¡¯s face as he turned to leave.


    Li Yu guarded Liu Yulian¡¯s bed. When she saw Liu Yulian suddenly open her eyes, she waved her hands. ¡°Ling¡¯er is talking. Ling¡¯er is crying.¡±


    Li Yu held her hand andforted her gently. ¡°Don¡¯t be agitated. I¡¯ll go take a look. ¡±


    Liu Yulian looked at Li Yu¡¯s warm gaze and gradually calmed down. Just as Li Yu reached the door, she saw Liu Xi carrying a thin and dirty little girl over angrily.


    The little girl had an oval face and a pair of big ck eyes, but her expression was a little dull.


    When Steamed Bun Liu saw Li Yu, he said excitedly, ¡°Madam, we found her. We found Ling¡¯er.¡±


    ¡°What a cute little girl. Bring her in! Her mother is already awake.¡± Li Yu moved to the side and let the grandfather and granddaughter in.


    ¡°Ling¡¯er.¡± Li Yu heard a concerned and weak shout from the room. Li Yu¡¯s heart ached. She stood there and walked towards the hall.


    Steamed Bun Liu said to Ling¡¯er, ¡°Good Ling¡¯er, look, your mother is there.¡±


    ¡°Ling¡¯er, Mother¡¯s baby, Linger, look at Mother¡­¡± Liu Yulian¡¯s voice was weak as she called her daughter¡¯s name.


    Ling¡¯er¡¯s eyes changed when she saw Liu Yulian. Tears rolled down her face. ¡°Mother, Mother¡­¡± Ling¡¯er cried and reached out to Liu Yulian. The three generations hugged their heads and cried.


    Li Yu walked to the hall and saw a group of people at the entrance of the restaurant. A curvaceous and seductive woman got out of the carriage and walked to the entrance of the restaurant. Behind her was the restaurant shopkeeper. Li Yu saw that she looked a little familiar and remembered that she had seen her in the Hundred Flowers Garden. She wondered to herself if this woman could be rted to He Yuqing.


    Li Yu walked to Zhou Jia¡¯s side. Yangyang grabbed Li Yu¡¯s hand. ¡°Mother, where did you go?¡±


    Li Yu held her hand and sat on the chair Zhou Jia pulled out. She said gently, ¡°I went to help an aunt.¡±


    At this moment, the shopkeeper and the woman also walked into the hall with their men. The shopkeeper saw He Yuqing lying on the ground with blood on his face and pointed at Li Yu and the others. ¡°Madam, look, my master was


    beaten up by them.¡±


    ¡°Country Lord Ning,¡± He Yuqing shouted hoarsely when he saw her, revealing a few big holes in his front teeth.


    He Yuqing realized that Country Lord Ning was looking at him with disdain. He hurriedly covered his mouth and felt a chill in his heart.


    Country Lord Ning turned to look at Zhou Jia, who was sitting at the side, and her eyes lit up. In the blink of an eye, she saw Li Yu, who was sitting beside Zhou Jia, and her eyes darkened.


    The granny behind Country Lord Ning took a step forward and shouted at Li Yu and the others, ¡°How dare you? Madam has arrived. Why aren¡¯t you bowing when you see her?¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at her mockingly and stood up casually. He cupped his hands at the woman. ¡°Country Lord Ning.¡±


    ¡°How dare you be so rude?¡± The granny shouted.


    Zhou Jia nced at her. ¡°How dare you talk to me about etiquette? Who do you think you are?¡±


    The granny was speechless. Country Lord Ning looked at Zhou Jia and then at


    Li Yu. She chuckled and said, ¡°So it¡¯s Madam Li and Lord Zhou. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Li Yu looked at her mockingly. Zhou Jia cupped his hands indifferently. ¡°Sure.¡±


    Country Lord Ning nced at He Yuqing, who had been helped up by the shopkeeper. She looked at Zhou Jia and revealed a charming smile. ¡°May I know how Boss He offended Lord Zhou?¡±


    Li Yu thought to herself that the damn woman was seducing her man in front of her.


    ¡°He didn¡¯t offend me. We just saw injustice on the way,¡± Zhou Jia said coldly.


    Country Lord Ning had never been treated so coldly by anyone. She flew into a rage out of humiliation and said coldly, ¡°I wonder what unforgivable thing Boss He did? Why is Lord Zhou abusing him like this?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not worth pitying such a beast to die.¡± Li Yu looked at He Yuqing with a dense coldness in her eyes. She turned around and looked at her mockingly. ¡°The reason is very simple. Follow me to take a look.¡±


    Country Lord Ning was embarrassed and angry by Li Yu¡¯s mocking gaze. She said coldly, ¡®Madam Li, please.¡±


    Zhou Jia handed Yangyang to Han San and helped Li Yu to the backyard. When the group reached the backyard, Li Yu said to Country Lord Ning, ¡°The people resting inside are extremely weak and their bodies are covered in wounds. It¡¯s better not to let too many people in.¡±


    Country Lord Ning was stunned for a moment. She said to his followers behind her, ¡°You guys stay here.¡±


    Li Yu brought Country Lord Ning into the room and saw the three generations of the Liu family with tears on their faces. Li Yu said to Steamed Bun Liu, ¡°Uncle, bring Ling¡¯er out for a while..¡±

 Chapter 446 - 446: Justice (Repair)

    Chapter 446: Justice (Repair)


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± Steamed Bun Liu nodded and looked at Country Lord Ning angrily before carrying the child out.


    When Country Lord Ning saw the Steamed Bun Liu¡¯s hateful gaze, her eyes turned cold. She turned to look at Liu Yulian, who was as thin as a matchstick on the bed and breathing unsteadily. She took two steps back and snorted. She flicked her sleeve and turned to leave.


    Li Yu reached out to stop her and looked at her fiercely. ¡°Madam, did you see it clearly? One of the two people just now was He Yuqing¡¯s father-inw, and the


    other was his biological child. Do you know where that child is locked up? She was locked up in a dark abandoned house. Even a monster won¡¯t hurt its own children. Do you think such a person deserves to die?¡±


    Country Lord Ning looked at Li Yu calmly, as if this matter had nothing to do with her.


    ¡°And this one lying on the bed is his first wife. He attacked his father-inw and child and abused her in every way possible. His wife endured all his abuse in order to live to see her daughter. Do you want to see the scars all over this strong mother?¡±


    Ning Xiang looked at Li Yu and said casually, ¡°What does what he did have to do with me? Go find him! What¡¯s the use of telling me?¡±


    Li Yu sneered. ¡°May I ask the noble Country Lord Ning who helped the wicked? Do you know that they were his saviors?¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t sit back and do nothing about such an unforgivable thing. I want to seek justice for them and let those who have the guts to disregard thew and morals receive the punishment they deserve!¡±


    Country Lord Ning¡¯s expression froze and she felt her face burn. ¡°As I said, what he did has nothing to do with me. What¡¯s the point of telling me this?¡±


    Li Yu nced at her and said slowly, ¡°You¡¯re the dignified Country Lord Ning. Why did you personallye to stand up for a person with no morals? You know very well that there are gods everywhere. God is watching what you do!¡±


    ¡°I have a clear conscience. I don¡¯t need Madam Li to remind me.¡± Ning Xiangjun quibbled and flicked her sleeve to leave the room.


    Vige Lord Ning went out the door and walked straight out with a dark expression. The granny and her attendant hurriedly followed.


    Mr. Wen carried the medicine to the backyard and said to Steamed Bun Liu,


    ¡°Feed her the medicine first.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Mr. Wen,¡± Steamed Bun Liu said gratefully. Looking at Mr. Wen and Li Yu¡¯s family helping him, he felt that there were still many good people in this world! His originally despairing heart was reignited with hope.


    After Li Yu helped Steamed Bun Liu feed the medicine to Liu Yulian, she saw that she was sleeping soundly. She went out and said to Steamed Bun Liu, ¡°Tell my Master everything that happened. He will uphold justice for you.¡±


    Steamed Bun Liu knelt down gratefully and kowtowed. ¡°Thank you, Madam. Thank you, Master, for upholding justice for me.¡±


    Zhou Jia helped him up and said, ¡°Take the child to eat something first. We¡¯ll talkter. ¡±


    Steamed Bun Liu bowed to Li Yu, his wife, and Mr. Wen and Zhou Cai to thank them one by one and carried Ling¡¯er towards the kitchen.


    When they returned to the hall, Han San reported to Zhou Jia, ¡°Master, that He guy chased after that lord.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t bother about him,¡± Zhou Jia said indifferently.


    Li Yu looked at the sleepy children and said to Zhou Jia, ¡°I¡¯ll bring the children home first before getting Han San to pick you up.¡±


    ¡°Alright, bring them back to rest.¡± Zhou Jia turned to look at Mr. Wen and asked with concern, ¡°Sir, are you going back with Xiaoyu?¡±


    Mr. Wen recalled that Steamed Bun Liu¡¯s daughter was still unconscious and shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ll take a look at that child when she wakes up. Xiaoyu, go back and rest first.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Li Yu woke Yangyang, Little Loach, and the others up. Zhou Jia held the child¡¯s hand and apanied Li Yu out of the restaurant. When Han San drove the carriage to the door, he sent them to the carriage and stood there watching the carriage slowly drive away.


    Yangyang, Little Loach, and the others looked at Li Yu. Little Loach asked curiously, ¡°Madam, why did that old man bite that baddie?¡±


    Li Yu didn¡¯t expect Little Loach to see it. She patted themfortingly. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. You also know that that person is a bad person. He did something bad. He locked the old man¡¯s daughter in the cer and didn¡¯t give her food to eat. He even beat and scolded her. Also, he hid his granddaughter. The old man couldn¡¯t find them. He was really too sad, heartbroken, and angry, so he couldn¡¯t control his emotions.¡±


    Yangyang leaned against Li Yu¡¯s leg. ¡°Mother, I understand. If anyone hides you, I¡¯ll beat him up and bite him.¡±


    Little Loach and the others also looked at Li Yu and said, ¡°We want to help Young Master hit him and bite him.¡±


    Li Yu was stunned for a moment. She didn¡¯t know if she was right to tell the children these things. She could only pat them and smile. ¡°Madam and Master are very capable. No one dares to hide us.¡±


    Yangyang nodded heavily. ¡°Yes! Brother Loach, you saw it. Mother was very powerful. She knocked out the bad guy¡¯s front teeth with chopsticks.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. We want to practice martial arts. In the future, we¡¯ll use chopsticks to knock out the bad guys¡¯ front teeth,¡± Mao Dou said, clenching his fists.


    Li Yu looked at them in amusement. ¡°Alright, cultivate well and hit the bad guys¡¯ front teeth.¡± The carriage swayed towards the vige.


    Zhou Jia watched from outside as the carriage drove further and further away. Only when it was out of sight did he turn around and return to the restaurant.


    Steamed Bun Liu fed Ling¡¯er the porridge and carried her to Liu Yulian¡¯s side to let her sleep. When she fell asleep, he went out and closed the door to the hall. Zhou Jia looked at him and said, ¡°Shopkeeper Liu, tell me what happened.¡±


    After Steamed Bun Liu bowed, he sat opposite Zhou Jia and said, ¡°My wife and I fled here and opened a bun shop. My wife made good fishballs. One of us made buns and the other made fishballs. Slowly, our business became better and better. We also made roasted chicken, which was my specialty. We finally built this restaurant more than ten years ago.¡±


    ¡°My wife had been in poor health since she fled the wastnd. She only had Lian¡¯er after she met Mr. Wen and took medicine. Later, my wife died of illness, leaving Lian¡¯er and me to rely on each other. Eight years ago, He Yuqing fainted in front of the restaurant from hunger. I kindly took him in and even betrothed Yu Lian to him. Later, Ling¡¯er was born.¡±


    ¡°I saw that he was still considerate to my daughter and was quite filial to me. Two years ago, I wanted to return to my hometown to pay respects to my parents and ancestors, but I was afraid that the elders in the family would know that I didn¡¯t have a son. They would snatch my business a hundred yearster and ruin my hard work, I wrote the restaurant into Lian¡¯er¡¯s dowry out of selfishness. ¡±


    ¡°After doing this, I returned to my hometown in peace. Who knew that halfway back to my hometown, I encountered a mountain rock copse? Fortunately, I dodged the bullet. After returning to my hometown, I was bedridden for nearly a year before I recovered. When I returned home two months ago, my daughter and granddaughter couldn¡¯t be found. They didn¡¯t even show up. When I returned to the restaurant, I realized that the restaurant¡¯s shopkeeper, chef, and shop assistant didn¡¯t know me and even wanted to chase me away. My old neighbor told me that there were rumors iming that I had died halfway in my journeyst year.¡±


    ¡°I looked around for my daughter and granddaughter, but I couldn¡¯t find them. I couldn¡¯t enter the restaurant either. My old neighbors privately persuaded me that He Yuging had hooked up with a noble and asked me not to fight him head-on. Otherwise, I would lose my life for nothing and still not be able to find my daughter and granddaughter.¡±


    Mr. Wen sighed. ¡°Your neighbor was right. In that case, you and your daughter would never have been reunited..¡±

 Chapter 447 - 447: Enmity

    Chapter 447: Enmity


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    ¡°Bear with it for a while and avoid a hundred days of worry. I¡¯ve been


    persuading myself like this all these years when I was doing business outside, but that¡¯s the daughter I raised. I had to stab myself with a needle to resist the urge to fight to the death with He Yuqing.¡±


    ¡°I calmed down and found the previous shopkeeper¡¯s house. Only then did I find out that less than a year after I left, He Yuqing told the shopkeeper that my Lian¡¯er had suffered from hypochondria and that he had sent her to the capital for treatment. From then on, he never saw my daughter and granddaughter again. Not long after, the shopkeeper was fired. Later, he found out that He Yuqing had hooked up with a noblewoman in the capital.¡±


    ¡°I came back and continued to ask around, but I still couldn¡¯t find them. I was so anxious and angry that I fell sick again. Iy in the previous small courtyard for half a month. I thought that if I couldn¡¯t find Lian¡¯er and her daughter, I


    would fight him.¡±


    Steamed Bun Liu pulled out a sharp knife from his pants and ced it on the table. ¡°The heavens have blessed me to meet Sir and Lord who helped me find Lian¡¯er and Ling¡¯er. I still have to live well and protect them.¡±


    As Steamed Bun Liu spoke, he wiped his tears and knelt on the ground again with a thud. He kowtowed to Mr. Wen, Zhou Jia, and the others to thank them. ¡°Sir, Lord, and this little brother, Liu Dazhong¡¯s family will repay your kindness in our next life.¡±


    Zhao Cai helped him up. Mr. Wen patted him andforted him. ¡°Old Liu, we¡¯re old acquaintances. It¡¯s nothing. There¡¯s no need to be so polite. Tell me your future ns!¡±


    Steamed Bun Liu said sadly, ¡°Sir, sir, I¡¯m only left with a small courtyard to settle down in. Fortunately, I found Lian¡¯er and Ling¡¯er.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Steamed Bun Liu. ¡°You wrote the restaurant into your daughter¡¯s dowry. Did you go to the government office to file it? Did you hand over the deed to the restaurant to your daughter?¡±


    ¡°Sir, I¡¯ve always been on guard against He Yuqing. Before I left, I wrote the restaurant into Lian¡¯er¡¯s dowry, but I also went to the government office to prepare a case. I hid the restaurant¡¯s deed and the family¡¯s deed in a safe ce. I also went to check that the deed is still there, but when I went to the government office to get someone to investigate, I realized that the restaurant and my daughter¡¯s dowry residence, as well as the two shops in town and Linjing County, were under He Yuqing¡¯s name.¡±


    When Zhou Jia heard this, he understood that Country Lord Ning had instructed someone to tamper with the Liu family¡¯s assets. The exact reason would probably only be understood when Liu Yulian woke up.


    ¡°When your daughter wakes up, you have to ask her about her attitude towards He Yuqing. If you want toin, I¡¯ll help you write aint and testify for you.¡±


    Steamed Bun Liu looked at Zhou Jia. He did not expect Zhou Jia to be willing to stand up for his family even though he knew that the person behind He Yuqing was Country Lord Ning. However, he could not put his savior in danger for the Liu family.


    ¡°Lord Zhou, you¡¯re a good person. I can¡¯t harm you. When my daughter wakes up and recuperates, I¡¯ll bring them back to our hometown.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Steamed Bun Liu. ¡°Shopkeeper Liu, the facts of your case are clear. I¡¯m not afraid even if I face that Country Lord Ning, because behind me is the current emperor. Don¡¯t worry, the current emperor is a wise emperor and won¡¯t side with the royal family.¡±


    Zhou Jia¡¯s tone emitted a sincere tone, stoking Steamed Bun Liu.


    ¡°Sir, I want to sue. I want to sue He Yuqing for murdering his first wife and child. No matter what Lian¡¯er thinks, I won¡¯t let her return to the wolf¡¯s den.¡±


    Mr. Wen patted Zhou Jia in relief and turned to look at Baozi Liu. ¡°Old Liu, let¡¯s go see your daughter. Bring porridge and give her some.¡±


    Steamed Bun Liu brought a bowl of porridge and Mr. Wen to the room. Liu Yulian woke up. After Mr. Wen took her pulse, he looked satisfied. ¡°Her pulse feels stronger than before. Fortunately, they¡¯re all superficial wounds. They heal quickly. You have to be fine. You still have your old father and young daughter to take care of.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Liu Yulian looked at Ling¡¯er, who was sleeping soundly beside her, and then at Steamed Bun Liu, who was looking at her eagerly. Yes, she still had her father and daughter. Such a thing was not worth being sad about. Liu Yulian revealed a strong smile. ¡°Father, don¡¯t worry. I understand. I¡¯ll get better.¡±


    Steamed Bun Liu looked at the daughter he had doted on. Her tone and gaze were like that of an old woman in her seventies or eighties. He understood this sentence. She had exchanged it with blood and tears.


    Seeing the vitality in his daughter¡¯s eyes, he wiped the tears from his eyes and picked up the porridge on the table. ¡°Sigh! Drink the porridge. I have something to talk to you about.¡±


    Mr. Wen turned around and went out to fry the medicine, leaving the father and daughter to talk.


    Steamed Bun Liu looked at his daughter. ¡°Child? Can you speak? The lord who saved you and Ling¡¯er is willing to help us seek justice. What do you think?¡±


    Liu Yulian looked at her thin father and med herself. ¡°Father, I was blind and was bewitched by his handsome appearance. I didn¡¯t listen to you and insisted on marrying him. I hate myself for implicating you.¡±


    Steamed Bun Liu looked at his daughter¡¯s gray hair and med himself. He was extremely jealous. ¡°Lian¡¯er, it¡¯s not your fault. It¡¯s my fault for not guarding you well and causing you to suffer.¡±


    Both father and daughter took responsibility.


    ¡°Father, listen to me.¡± Liu Yulian nced at Ling¡¯er and said slowly, ¡°After you left, he said that he wanted to go to the capital to study and look for a famous teacher to take the imperial examination. I took out some money and gave it to him. He packed his clothes and went for more than two months. Then, he ran to the capital every other day. Later, there was news that you were in trouble¡­¡±


    ¡°Father was lucky and avoided a cmity. He only suffered some superficial injuries,¡± Steamed Bun Liu hurriedly said.


    Liu Yulian looked at her father and smiled. ¡°I also felt that you were fine, Father, so I wanted to get someone to go back to the countryside to ask you for information. But I didn¡¯t find a suitable person yet. One day, the aunt next door came back from the capital and whispered to me to watch over my man or the assets my father left behind. She said that, no matter what, I have to watch over them so that I don¡¯t have toe up empty-handed. I thought there was a hidden meaning in Auntie¡¯s words, so I nned to go to the capital to take a look.¡±


    ¡°He came back from the capital that day and said that he would bring me and Ling¡¯er to the capital to y. Ling¡¯er and I happily followed him to the capital. He brought me to a house and asked me for silver, a house deed, and a title deed. He said that he wanted to do business with someone. I refused, so he hit me and locked Linger up for me to see. I could only give him all the silver in my hand. ¡±


    ¡°I really didn¡¯t have the title deeds to the shop and manor, so he brought me back and locked me in the cer to interrogate me. He humiliated me and refused to let me see Ling¡¯er. He even said that you had suffered retribution and were buried underground by mountain rocks and would never reincarnate. I didn¡¯t believe him. I knew that Father would be fine and woulde to save me and find Ling¡¯er.¡±


    Steamed Bun Liu nodded. ¡°Yes, Father will be fine.¡±


    Liu Yulian looked at Steamed Bun Liu. ¡°Father, only then did I know that although our family treated him well, he thinks that you¡¯re hypocritical and self-righteous. He said that he lived like a dog in our family and had to put up with our attitudes¡­


    ¡°You clearly knew that he was a schr, but you were humiliating him by letting him do what those lowly talents do. You even forced him to be my husband, making him unable to raise his head in front of others for the rest of his life and losing his dignity as a human..¡±

 Chapter 448 - 448: The Backer Backed Off

    Chapter 448: The Backer Backed Off


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Steamed Bun Liu regretted his actions back then. He regretted saving that beast. Had he let He Yuqing starve to death on the streets, his daughter would not have suffered like this.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t he jump into the river back then to protect his dignity? Why did he lie at our door and beg for food like a shameless dog? Oh! Now that he¡¯s alive, he¡¯s humane. He started talking about dignity! What a heartless thing. In order to forcefully upy our family¡¯s assets, he abused his wife and daughter. Is adultery dignity? Is it not beneath his dignity to do all kinds of dirty things?


    How can something worse than an animal be worthy of the word dignity!¡±


    When Liu Yulian heard her father¡¯s words, she muttered to herself, ¡°That¡¯s right! Since you want dignity and face, why don¡¯t you jump into the river and hang yourself to preserve your dignity? Only after eating and wearing warm clothes did you think of dignity and face. You¡¯re just looking for an excuse to hide his shameless actions.¡±


    After Steamed Bun Liu finished scolding, he took a deep breath and told Liu Yulian everything he had found out.


    ¡°Lian¡¯er, the shops and fields at home have been upied by that He Yuqing. Now, a noble is willing to help us write aint and testify for us. What do you think?¡±


    Liu Yulian looked at her father¡¯s worried gaze and thought to herself that her father was worried that she would have to face those rumors after hel went to court. What else canpare to being tied up like livestock and beaten up? Someone who could treat his wife and daughter like that was even more vicious than a poisonous snake.


    ¡°Father, if we don¡¯t kill the snake, we¡¯ll cause further harm to ourselves. Thief He and my Liu family are already irreconcble enemies. Even if we take a step back and tolerate him, that beast won¡¯t let us off. Instead, it will fuel his arrogance. Now that a noble is willing to help us, I want to sue. I want to cut ties with him. I want to peel off his skin and let the world see that he¡¯s a devil in human skin.¡±


    Steamed Bun Liu looked at his daughter with sparkling eyes. ¡°My daughter is still the boldest. I originally promised Lord Zhou, but when I returned to the house and saw you and Ling¡¯er, I gave up and thought of enduring my anger and returning to our hometown. I didn¡¯t expect him to not let us off. I¡¯ll beg Lord Zhou to help us write aint and sue him.¡±


    The father and daughter reached a consensus. Steamed Bun Liu returned to the hall and told Zhou Jia what Liu Yulian had said. ¡°Sir, my daughter gave her dowry shop and savings to that fellow. She didn¡¯t see him fornicating with that Country Lord with her own eyes. That animal locked her up because he wanted the deeds to the restaurant and the fields. ¡±


    When Zhou Jia, Mr. Wen, and the others heard Steamed Bun Liu¡¯s words, they gasped. If saving He Yuqing was considered hypocritical. Could it be that they had to worship him as their ancestor to be considered truly benevolent? There was actually such a cold and vicious person in the world.


    Zhou Jia thought for a while and said to Steamed Bun Liu, ¡°If you catch a thief, you¡¯ll get dirty. If you want to catch an adulterous couple, you can¡¯t bring Country Lord Ning down without solid evidence. You¡¯ll sue He Yuqing for encroaching on the family assets, disobeying you, and beating your daughter in order to get his hands on the dowry. When the timees, your daughter will go to court. You have to be mentally prepared.¡±


    Steamed Bun Liu bowed and said, ¡°Sir, don¡¯t worry. Originally, I had already given up. She was the one who said that she wanted to sue and tear off He Yuqing¡¯s human skin to reveal his evil face.¡±


    ¡°Okay, bring me a pen and ink. I¡¯ll help you write yourint.¡±


    Zhou Jia helped him write theint and asked Zhao Cai to apany him to the Linjing County office to hand over theint before getting into the carriage with Mr. Wen and returning to the manor.


    The county magistrate of Linjing County received theint and saw that the person who wrote it was actually the Minister of Revenue. Thinking that after the farmstead of at Wang Family Vige was confiscated, it was bestowed to the Minister of Revenue by His Majesty, the county magistrate panicked. Seeing that He Yuqing had upied Steam Bun Liu¡¯s house and fields, he felt indignant when he saw the crimes written in theint. He hurriedly sent constables to Hengshan Town to investigate.


    Thinking that a vicious thing had actually happened under his rule and that theint was personally written by the Minister of Revenue, the county magistrate of Linjing County had a headache. He hurriedly asked someone to check the dossier to see if it was true. Seeing that the businesses listed in theint had indeed been changed by He Yuqing, he hurriedly asked the assistant to investigate who had abused thew and why He Yuqing had done this.


    He Yuqing chased after Country Lord Ning all the way. Seeing that the carriage was not returning to Linjing County but straight to the capital, he thought to himself that something was wrong. He licked his lips and chased all the way to the country lord¡¯s residence. He wanted to go forward and beg Country Lord Ning to protect him on ount of their past rtionship.


    Country Lord Ning lifted a corner of the curtain and took a look. She saw that He Yuqing, who had gotten out of the carriage and was walking towards hers, had scratches and teeth marks on his face and couldn¡¯t help but feel disgusted. She said to the granny standing under the window, ¡°How inauspicious. Go, chase him away and warn him to shut his mouth.¡±


    The granny bent her knees in agreement and walked over to stop He Yuqing.


    She looked at him disdainfully and said, ¡°Country Lord Ning said to let you go. Remember not to mention Country Lord Ning in front of others in the future ore to the residence to pester her again. Otherwise, I¡¯ll teach you a lesson.¡±


    He Yuqing pushed the granny away and rushed towards the carriage. He shouted, ¡°Country Lord, you can¡¯t leave me behind for too long!¡±


    ¡°Shameless pretty boy, get lost!¡± The two guards scolded. They went forward, grabbed him, and threw him out. He Yuqing fell to the dusty ground with a bang.


    The shopkeeper hurriedly went forward and helped him up. ¡°Master, you should go and treat the injuries on your face first. You also have to nourish your front teeth.¡±


    He Yuqing turned around and looked gloomily at the guards standing in front of the country lord¡¯s residence before he limped up the carriage and left in a sorry state.


    The shopkeeper drove him to the entrance of the medical center. He Yuqing closed his mouth tightly and pointed at the injuries on her face. He smiled apologetically at the doctor and said, ¡°Doctor, can you take a look at these injuries and see if they can recover?¡±


    The doctor checked the scratches and teeth marks on He Yuqing¡¯s face and shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m afraid it¡¯ll be difficult to recover from the bite marks and scratches for a while. I can only make a poultice to wipe them off first.¡± The shopkeeper looked at He Yuqing. ¡°Master, what do you think?¡±


    He Yuqing nodded angrily and muttered to himself, ¡°Old thing, I¡¯ll take your life when I recover.¡±


    The shopkeeper looked at He Yuqing¡¯s sinister gaze and thought about what had happened today. Also, Country Lord Ning was unwilling to even see him. He Yuqing¡¯s backer had left, so it was time for him to consider his retreat.


    He Yuqing took out the ointment he had concocted and waited for the dentist to set his teeth before getting into the carriage and rushing back. He touched his front teeth and thought about how he would have to pick his false teeth for three meals a day in the future. He clenched his fists hatefully.


    The carriage had just returned to the residence in the county city when he instructed the shopkeeper, ¡°Go back to Hengshan and go to Dali Restaurant. Get someone to chase that father and daughter away.¡±


    The shopkeeper nced at He Yuqing and persuaded, ¡°Master, Steamed Bun Liu is your father-inw after all and has good culinary skills. Now that the Country Lord Ning is also¡­ why don¡¯t you let him stay so that he won¡¯tin everywhere? Also, Madam has been found. Don¡¯t be too ruthless, lest you have no way out in the future.¡±


    He Yuqing said angrily, ¡°If I tell you to go, go. You¡¯re so long-winded.¡±


    He Yuqing watched as the shopkeeper walked away. Retreat? The house, farnd, and restaurant were all under his name now. ¡°I still have to leave a way out. Just looking at the Liu family makes me so disgusted that I can¡¯t even swallow my food..¡±

 Chapter 449 - 449: Justice

    Chapter 449: Justice


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    After He Yuqing entered the house, he held the bronze mirror and looked at the scars on his face. He was so angry that his liver hurt. He thought of a way to win back Country Lord Ning¡¯s heart.


    Even if they broke off their rtionship, he had to think of a way to ask her to back him up.


    Sitting there, he racked his brains but could not think of a way. He heard a servant report, ¡°Master, a constable and a bailiff are here. They want you to report to the government office.¡±


    ¡°What did you say?¡± He Yuqing sat up abruptly and pointed at the servant.


    The servant said boldly and loudly, ¡°A constable and a bailiff are here. They want you to go to the government office for questioning.¡±


    With a bang, the bronze mirror fell to the ground. He Yuqing was drenched in a cold sweat. What should he do? Those people must have ruined his ns. If he had known¡­


    The county magistrate of Linjing City was swift and decisive. In less than two days, he found out everything. After the Zhongyuan Festival, he immediately held a hearing. He Yuqing had lost his conscience in order to seize the Liu family¡¯s assets. He had abused his wife and disobeyed and bribed a low-ranking official to tamper with the Liu family¡¯s assets.


    He Yuqing cried bitterly in the hall and confessed to Liu Yulian, saying that he had suffered from hysteria and that his heart had been blinded by greed. As long as they could forgive him, he promised to repay the Liu family. He even kowtowed to Liu Yulian and begged for mercy.


    After the father and daughter berated him, Liu Yulian wanted to cut ties with He Yuqing.


    At the magistrate¡¯s hearing, He Yuqing was sentenced to exile and sent to the streets. When the vigers of Hengshan Town saw Liu Yulian, who had been tortured by He Yuqing until she was only skin and bones, they were furious.


    They took rotten vegetable leaves and rotten vegetables and threw them at He Yuqing, who was being paraded in the streets.


    Liu Yulian and her father carried the child and looked coldly at He Yuqing, who was being tortured on the streets and in a sorry state. Liu Yulian thought about the days when she was tied up in the cer. Her regret bit at her heart all the time. Now, everything had finally turned out for the better. The evil person had received the just desserts he deserved.


    Steamed Bun Liu went home and personally chopped up the meat filling to make the buns. He chopped up the fishballs, and a young male chicken, and ced the ingredients on ice. He drove the cart to the Zhou family¡¯s manor in the Wang family and bowed to Mr. Wen and Li Yu. ¡°Sir, Madam, I can¡¯t thank you enough. These are the buns, fishballs, and roasted chicken that I personally made. They were all pulled over with ice. They¡¯re still fresh. I¡¯ll borrow your stove to make these things for you to try.¡±


    Mr. Wen looked at Steamed Bun Liu and smiled in relief. ¡°Alright, we went to eat fakes that day. Today, let¡¯s try the authentic Steam Bun Liu¡¯s buns, fishballs, and roasted chicken.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and nodded. ¡°Sorry to have troubled you.¡±


    Steamed Bun Liu said happily, ¡°Madam, what are you talking about? If you


    think it suits your taste, send someone to me and I¡¯ll personally teach her how to make it.¡±


    Li Yu waved her hand and smiled. ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. If it¡¯s delicious, I¡¯ll go to your restaurant to eat. It¡¯s not the same feeling eating them at home.¡±


    Li Yu and Mr. Wen looked at the steamed buns that Steamed Bun Liu brought to the table. With a light bite, juice spilled out. Li Yu dipped the steamed buns in Steam Bun Liu¡¯s unique sauce. Li Yu felt that they were even more delicious than the most famous bun she had eaten in her previous life.


    There were also fish balls that were refreshing and smooth. They also retained the freshness of the fish. The roasted chicken was roasted from a baby rooster that had just started crowing. After tearing it open, the fragrance assaulted the nose. The meat felt fresh and juicy.


    After Li Yu ate, she smiled and gave him a thumbs-up. ¡°Steamed Bun Liu lives up to his reputation. It tastes really good.¡±


    ¡°Yes! I¡¯ve eaten the same taste as before. Old Liu¡¯s culinary skills are even better than before.¡± Mr. Wen smiled and praised.


    Steamed Bun Liu bowed and smiled. ¡°It¡¯s good that Sir and Madam like it. I wanted to wait for Master and Young Master toe back before making it for them to try. I don¡¯t have any other abilities, but my culinary skills are passable.¡±


    Mr. Wen smiled and shook his head. ¡°Old Liu, you don¡¯t have toe to the manor to cook. When theye back, we¡¯ll go to your restaurant to eat. When we go to the restaurant, it¡¯ll taste like going to a restaurant.¡±


    Steamed Bun Liu said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll definitely cook personally.¡±


    After sending Steamed Bun Liu off, Mr. Wen sighed and said, ¡°It¡¯s really too difficult for ordinary people to survive in this world. The Liu family is quite lucky to have met you and Zhou Jia. Also, as a rtive of the royal family, she didn¡¯t abide by the rules and openlymitted adultery with a married man. Why isn¡¯t anyone controlling her?¡±


    When Li Yu heard this, she recalled the way Country Lord Ning looked at Zhou Jia and couldn¡¯t help but feel disgusted.


    After mid-July, the vigers and tenants were busy with the autumn harvest. The vige was filled with golden rice ears, and the rice fields were filled with busy vigers. The faces of the adults and children were filled with the joy of a bumper harvest.


    After the autumn harvest, it was the Mid-Autumn Festival again. Li Yu and Mr. Wen also returned to the capital to spend the Mid-Autumn Festival with the family and admire the moon.


    To Li Yu¡¯s surprise, she saw Old Master Zhou. After Li Yu went forward and bowed, the energetic Old Master Zhou took out a jade pendant and handed it to Li Yu. He looked at her in satisfaction and smiled. ¡°Take it. It¡¯s a greeting gift for you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Uncle.¡± Li Yu smiled and epted it.


    Everyone happily admired the moon and ate mooncakes. After resting, Zhou Jia pointed at the windowsill and said to Li Yu with a smile, ¡°Now that he¡¯s found something serious to do, he even got Zhao Cai to rent a shop for him in Flower and Bird City. Now, he¡¯s focused on taking care of the flowers and nts at home. Zhao Cai said that the garden is filled with the flowers and nts he nted. This time, he bought a brush and ink for Yang¡¯er. He even said to Zhao Cai that he realizes that the money he earned is still the easiest to use. I¡¯m wondering how long he canst.¡±


    Li Yu also felt that Old Master Zhou¡¯s change was unexpected, but she was happy to see that.


    ¡°Then let Zhao Cai lead him down the right path. He¡¯s so old and has seen all those romances. It¡¯s possible that he really wants to live better on his own this time.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, he¡¯ll have a better life.¡± Zhou Jia helped Li Yu massage her swollen leg and watched as Li Yu leaned against the pillow and touched her abdomen with a calm smile. Thinking about it, he still told Li Yu what Ji Xiang had found out.


    ¡°Ji Xiang said that Laidi is pregnant. I don¡¯t think her rtionship with Li


    Fengqi is that harmonious. Little Jiu, who helped us gather information, said tnat ms Old woman doesn¡¯t nave good tmngs to to say about Ll Fengql. sne doesn¡¯t even need to ask around to know about Laidi¡¯s family. Do you think we should interfere?¡±


    ¡°Ignore her. It¡¯s fine as long as Li Fengqi doesn¡¯t hit or abuse her.¡± Li Yu told Zhou Jia what Laidi had said to her that day. ¡°Their motives for getting married were impure, to begin with. Back then, Laidi felt that Li Fengqi was good-looking and was her ideal husband. He had the ability to make his wife noble and also the ability to make to bring her glory.¡±


    ¡°Li Fengqi wanted to rely on her to get close to us. Aunt was worried that he would be ambitious. The higher he climbed, the heavier he would fall. He would implicate Laidi and us. Aunt took drastic measures. As a result, Li Fengqi did not rely on us, and Laidi didn¡¯t get what she wanted. This couple did not get what they wanted. They would only be a resentful couple.¡±


    Zhou Jia originally thought that Laidi was just a little infatuated. He didn¡¯t expect her to be so ambitious. He felt that the decision made by Li Yu and her aunt was right. This couple was blinded by greed..

 Chapter 450 - 450: Tax

    Chapter 450: Tax


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Seeing Li Yu¡¯s sleepy eyes, Zhou Jia said gently, ¡°Then let Little Jiu pay attention. If anything goes wrong, he can inform us. Yu¡¯er, you¡¯re tired. Sleep first. I still have official matters to deal with.¡±


    Li Yu opened her eyes and looked at Zhou Jia. ¡°It¡¯s sote. Is it something urgent?¡±


    Zhou Jia frowned. ¡°His Majesty originally wanted to use troops against Great


    Qi. Recently, he discovered that the Jing Country, which is adjacent to Liangzhou, is acting strangely again. The court is worried that Great Qi will join forces with the Jing Country. At that time, Great Yong will be attacked from both sides.¡±


    ¡°Yu¡¯er, the weather has been good for the past two years. Themoners have just caught their breath. Once a war breaks out, it will burn money. We have to prepare knives, spears, and bows in advance. The casualties have to bepensated with silver.¡±


    ¡°I heard from Shen Zhong that His Majesty often deals with government affairs until chickens crow. Then, he would go to court. The ministers all suggested increasing taxes on the people. His Majesty is unwilling to increase the burden on the people. Those aristocratic families and nobles will always only value the interests in their hands and not care about the lives of the people.¡±


    When Li Yu heard this, she thought for a while and said to Zhou Jia, ¡°How much taxes can we collect from themoners? If they collect too many taxes, it will only force themoners to have no way out. Families with fields will bring their fields to join those High Schrs, officials, and big families. At that time, thend will be merged into the hands of these people, and it will be even harder for the Imperial Court to collect taxes.


    ¡°I think that if we want to collect taxes, we should start with merchants. The Imperial Court shouldn¡¯t control tea, wine, and silk the way they control salt and iron. They should let go of the trade restrictions and let all merchants participate. They also have to enactws to restrict local officials. Officials are not allowed to harass merchants at will. This way, the Imperial Court won¡¯t be a tool for those aristocratic families and vermin to fill their pockets.¡±


    Zhou Jia thought for a long time when he heard that. He felt that Li Yu¡¯s words were not unreasonable, but these few things were in the hands of those noble families and vermin. Would those people agree if they touched their interests?


    ¡°Yu¡¯er, you don¡¯t know this, but thergest casino in the capital city belongs to the eldest princess¡¯s husband¡¯s family, let alone these things. Once we touch the interests of these people, we will be attacked by a group. I can¡¯t let you fall into a predicament.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true! The Zhou family is rootless and can¡¯t withstand the anger of these people.¡± Li Yu thought for a moment. ¡°Xiao Xi, you can enter the pce and mention to His Majesty the consequences of increasing the taxes of themoners. Let¡¯s see what he thinks.¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled and shook his head. ¡°His Majesty has long thought of it. There¡¯s no need for us to remind him. Go to sleep first. I¡¯ll go deal with that official document and rest.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Li Yu watched Zhou Jia go out. After lying down, she thought to herself that it was not easy to be an official, nor was it easy to be an emperor. It was better to find a mountain to be a mountain king.


    After the Mid-Autumn Festival, Li Yu went to Li Qing¡¯s house to see if there was anything she could help with. When she arrived at Li Qing¡¯s house, she saw Madam Gong and a smiling woman discussing what to prepare at the banquet. Li Yu went forward and bowed with a smile. ¡°Aunt, it¡¯s been hard on you.¡±


    ¡°Why are you so polite to Aunt?¡± Madam Gong went forward to hold her hand and smiled reproachfully. ¡°Ah Yu,e, this is the aunt of Ah Qing¡¯s wife. She¡¯s here to help manage Ah Qing¡¯s marriage.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your trouble.¡± Li Yu smiled and bowed to Madam Wu.


    Madam Wu smiled and supported Li Yu. ¡°Madam Li, it¡¯s not convenient for you. We¡¯re all family, so there¡¯s no need to be so polite. Besides, we should help with


    Ah Qing and Wanwan¡¯s wedding.¡±


    Li Yu smiled politely. ¡°Thank you, Aunt. I¡¯m young and don¡¯t know anything. It¡¯s all thanks to you and Aunt.¡±


    The three of them chatted politely for a while before going to look at the new house. Madam Gong and Madam Wu told Li Yu about the guests invited to the wedding banquet and what to prepare. Only then did Li Yu realize that holding a wedding banquet was soplicated. It took a lot of effort to hold a wedding banquet. She thanked the two of them gratefully again.


    In the end, Madam Gong and Madam Wu smiled and sent Li Yu out. After Li Yu returned home, she thought for a moment. There was still a month before Li Qing¡¯s wedding. She began to pack her things and prepare to return to Wang Family Vige.


    Zhao Cai returned and reported, ¡°Madam, there¡¯s a banquet at the Minister¡¯s Mansion tonight. Master is going to the banquet and told you not to wait for him.¡±


    ¡°Alright, prepare some hangover pills for Master,¡± Li Yu said.


    Zhao Cai agreed and left. Li Yu woke up and remembered that she had not seen Mr. Wen. She called Xing Hua over and asked, ¡°Where did Old Master go? I haven¡¯t seen him today.¡±


    Xing Hua smiled and said, ¡°Madam, Old Master and Manager Xiang went to the old residence to pick Old Master Zhou up to sell flowers early in the morning.¡±


    When Li Yu heard this, she recalled that she had never shopped in Flower and Bird City before. She smiled and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go! Let¡¯s go to Flower and Bird City too.¡±


    When Xing Hua heard that she was going to the Flower and Bird Market, she jumped happily. ¡°Aye! Madam, I¡¯ll get Han San to prepare a carriage now.¡±


    Granny Yang watched as Xing Hua ran away with light footsteps. She smiled and said, ¡°Madam, the children in our residence are still the most lively. These little girls in the other residences are all like wooden stakes. They¡¯re all careful with their actions.¡±


    Li Yu thought about how Granny Yang had managed the Zhou family well after she had been at the manor for so long. Her rtionships were all stable, so she did not have to worry much. She smiled and said to her, ¡°Granny, don¡¯t leave the Zhou family in the future!¡±


    In the past few days that Granny Yang had been in the Zhou family, she had long liked the days when the Zhou family did not have to fight infighting.


    When she heard Li Yu¡¯s words, she immediately knelt down and kowtowed to Li Yu. ¡°Thank you, Madam. I like the Zhou family. I¡¯ll stay in the residence in the future. I won¡¯t leave even if you kill me.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and helped her up. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. As long as the Zhou family is stable, you¡¯re a member of the Zhou family.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam, ¡± Granny Yang replied with a smile.


    With Han San driving the carriage, Li Yu brought Xing Hua to Flower and Bird City. Flower and Bird City in South city was on a remote street. When they arrived, Han San stopped the car and ced the wooden stool. ¡°Madam, we¡¯ve arrived at Flower and Bird City.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Li Yu and Xing Hua got out of the car and saw that the street entrance was filled with all kinds of flowers. After walking in, they felt that the street market was filled with all kinds of fresh and rich flower fragrances. Flowers and nts of different shapes and sizes and bonsai nts were either as blooming beautifully or budding. They were all neatly ced by the shopkeepers. Many vendors were bargaining in front of them.


    Li Yu and Xing Hua slowly strolled around. When they reached the middle of the market, they saw Old Master Zhou rolling up his sleeves and holding a pot of orchids. He was talking to the guests happily. When Li Yu saw him and the flowers and nts in the shop, she felt that he really liked these flowers and nts and was serious about doing this. She walked over in relief.


    When she reached the corner, she saw Mr. Wen squatting down and looking at a pot of emerald nts. Xing Hua smiled and went forward to bow. ¡°Old Master, what flowers are you looking at?¡±


    Mr. Wen looked up and saw Li Yu and Xing Hua. He smiled and said, ¡°You¡¯re here too! I saw that the shopkeeper of this shop said that his flowers and nts came from a foreignnd. I¡¯m here to take a look at this pot of vani..¡±

 Chapter 451 - 451: Self-Reliance, Unexpected Harvest

    Chapter 451: Self-Reliance, Unexpected Harvest


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    When Li Yu saw it, she felt that it looked like the rosemary she had seen in her previous life. Seeing Li Yu staring at the pot of nts, Xing Hua hurriedly picked it up and handed it to Li Yu. ¡°Madam, look, it has a fragrance!¡±


    ¡°Yes! It¡¯s indeed fragrant and pleasant.¡± She smiled and said to Mr. Wen, ¡°If Sir likes it, we¡¯ll buy two pots and bring them home to raise.¡±


    Mr. Wen smiled and nodded. ¡°Alright, buy two pots for your Old Master. He likes these things. They¡¯re not difficult to raise and can be used to repel mosquitoes.


    Li Yu asked Xing Hua to pay and walked into the shop to take a look. The shopkeeper smiled and said, ¡°Madam, if you can¡¯t find any flowers and nts you like in the capital, you can tell me. I can help you search.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and shook her head. Suddenly, she saw a pot of lush nts in the corner of the door of the shop. They seemed to be sweet potato leaves. Li Yu held back her excitement and looked carefully. As expected, they were sweet potato leaves. She turned to look at the shopkeeper and smiled. ¡°What¡¯s this? It¡¯s green and quite good-looking. Is this the only pot?¡±


    The shopkeeper smiled and shook his head. ¡°Madam, I don¡¯t know what this basin is called. The seeds are the size of a fist. They were mixed in with the seeds of flowers and nts when brought them back. I saw that it grew quite well after germinating, so I nted it in the basin.¡±


    Li Yu was not disappointed when she heard that. Although it was a littlete to nt the seeds, she thought that as long as there were seeds, this pot would be a good harvest. She smiled and said, ¡°I want it.¡±


    ¡°Alright! I¡¯ll pack it for you now.¡± The shopkeeper didn¡¯t expect Li Yu to like such an inconspicuous pot of green vines. He happily got someone to put it into a bamboo basket and epted 200 copper coins from Li Yu.


    Li Yu readily asked Xing Hua to pay. She looked at the sweet potatoes in the basket and was filled with joy. She felt that her trip today was not in vain. No matter how much money she earned, this was something that money could not buy.


    Han San and Xing Hua carried the bamboo basket and walked toward Old Master Zhou¡¯s shop. Mr. Wen nced at the happy Li Yu and said with a smile, ¡°Xiaoyu, do you know that thing?¡±


    Li Yu didn¡¯t hide it. She smiled and nodded. ¡°I¡¯m not sure either. I heard my


    Master mention it in the past. I¡¯ll tell you in detail when we get back.¡±


    Mr. Wen nodded and the few of them returned to Old Master Zhou¡¯s flower shop. Li Yu looked at the flowers and nts ced at the door and in the shop. There were chrysanthemums, jasmine, orchids, and others she didn¡¯t recognize.


    When Old Master Zhou saw Li Yu, he rubbed his hands happily. ¡°You¡¯re here too! Does Jiahe know? Come and take a look. I nted these.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and bowed. ¡®You¡¯re very impressive. You¡¯ve taken good care of these flowers and nts. Jiahe also said that you¡¯re very capable now.¡±


    Old Master Zhou smiled proudly. He thought for a moment and said, ¡°You¡¯re still the best. We, men, can¡¯tpare to you. Remember to supervise Jiahe and that kid. Otherwise, when will he be a first-grade official?¡±


    Li Yu didn¡¯t expect him to still be conflicted about Zhou Jia¡¯s lower grade inparison to hers. She replied readily, ¡°Yes, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll definitely supervise his improvement.¡±


    Old Master Zhou nodded in satisfaction. ¡°Alright, it¡¯s not convenient for you. Go back quickly!¡±


    Li Yu asked Han San to put a basin of thyme in Old Master Zhou¡¯s shop. After bidding farewell to him, she got into the carriage with Mr. Wen and returned. In the car, she said to Mr. Wen, ¡°Sir, that thing seems to be a kind of food my Master mentioned. It¡¯s called sweet potato. I¡¯ve only seen the picture. I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s the kind he mentioned.¡±


    Mr. Wen smiled. ¡°You look happy. Is that thing produced in high quantities?¡±


    Li Yu smiled and nodded. ¡°Yes, if it¡¯s indeed the sweet potato nt he mentioned, the yield is very high.¡±


    Mr. Wen thought for a moment and instructed Li Yu, ¡°Xiaoyu, don¡¯t reveal it yet, lest it causes unnecessary trouble.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and said, ¡°I understand, sir. I¡¯ll be careful.¡±


    When she returned home, Li Yu was in a hurry to go back to the Wang Family


    Vige to nt those sweet potatoes. She called Ji Xiang over and said to him, ¡°Go to the government office and call Master out to tell him that I found a new crop and am rushing to nt it while the weather is good. Remember, you can¡¯t tell anyone else.¡±


    ¡°Got it, Madam. Why don¡¯t you wait for me toe back and send you back?¡± Ji Xiang said worriedly.


    Li Yu shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Sir is with me. Let Han San drive the carriage. It¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    After Ji Xiang agreed, he went to the Ministry of Revenue. Li Yu and Mr. Wen packed up and rushed to the Wang Family Vige.


    When they arrived at the Wang Family Vige, the sun had already set. They found a piece ofnd with loose soil in the courtyard and asked Xing Hua to pluck some of the small rapeseed. They asked Old Madam Lin, Xing Hua, and the others to dig deep into the ground. Aunt Zhang went to the fertilizer pit in the bamboo forest at the back and picked up a load of fertilizer. She scattered it in and covered it carefully.


    After Li Yu removed the thin bamboo pole from the flower pot where the sweet potatoes were nted, she used a pair of scissors to grow the sprouts. She cut the sweet potato vines into lengths less than a foot long and carefully removed the roots on the sprouts. She cut 80 to 90 segments of the seedlings in arge basin of sweet potato vines and carried the dustpan to the raised ridge.


    Li Yu bent down and inserted the end of the sweet potato seedling into the soil. She covered it with a few leaves and a sweet potato seedling was nted. At this moment, the child kicked her hard. Li Yu stood up in pain. Granny Chen asked worriedly, ¡°Madam, what¡¯s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Li Yu smiled. ¡°The naught child. He thought that I was squeezing them and kicked me when he was unhappy.¡±


    Granny Chen was relieved. Aunt Zhang smiled and said, ¡°Young Master is good-looking and has strong feet.¡±


    Xing Hua picked up a section of sweet potato seedlings. ¡°Madam, let us do it! It doesn¡¯t look difficult.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll teach you. You nt it.¡±


    Li Yu instructed Xing Hua and Old Madam Lin to nt the sweet potatoes. The dozens of sweet potato seedlings were all nted in less than half an hour.


    Seeing that Li Yu didn¡¯t say what she was nting, Aunt Zhang, Old Madam Lin, and the others didn¡¯t ask. After nting it, Li Yu asked them to scatter some water and insert bamboo pieces around the sweet potato seedlings to prevent Xiaobai from causing trouble.


    When she returned to the backyard, Li Yu ced the sweet potato in the flower pot on the flowerbed and waited for it to germinate again.


    Mr. Wen watched as Li Yu finished her work and said with a smile, ¡°From the looks of it, you should have a good harvest.¡±


    Li Yu nodded happily. ¡°It¡¯s still a littlete. If I had discovered it two months earlier, I would have been able to collect it in a few months.¡±


    Mr. Wen thought for a moment. ¡°From what you said, it will take four to five months to harvest.¡±


    Li Yu nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right! I¡¯m worried that the cold will affect its growth, so I still have to think of a way to keep it warm.¡±


    ¡°It seems that there¡¯s something wrong with the season we encountered. Go and rest for a while. I¡¯ll go to the lotus pond and watch Han San and the others pick the lotus seeds.¡± Mr. Wen smiled.


    ¡°Alright.¡± Li Yu smiled and nodded. She thought about how to keep the sweet potatoes warm when the weather turned cold. After thinking for a long time, she decided to use the straw curtain to build a greenhouse. When the sweet potatoes in the flower pot sprouted again, she would nt them in the wooden basket. It would also be convenient to move them in and out when the weather turned cold..

 Chapter 452 - 452: Living More Like an Emperor Than An Emperor

    Chapter 452: Living More Like an Emperor Than An Emperor


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    When Zhou Jia found out that Li Yu had found new grain seeds and had returned to the Wang Family Vige to nt them, he smiled and shook his head. When his wife had new seeds, she did not even want her husband and son.


    ¡°Go back first. I¡¯ll go down to the government office and change my clothes before going to Minister Wen¡¯s house for a banquet.¡±


    ¡°Yes, my Lord.¡± Ji Xiang withdrew.


    Zhou Jia turned around and walked back. When he returned, he approved the remaining documents. When he went out, he saw Mao Dou waiting outside with a smile. He smiled and said to him, ¡°Let¡¯s go! We¡¯re going back too.¡±


    Mao Dou nodded and followed Zhou Jia into the carriage. When he returned home, he smiled and said to Zhou Jia, ¡°Master, I heard from Lord Wang and


    Lord Xu that Assistant Minister Ren isn¡¯t going to the banquet tonight. He said that Assistant Minister Ren said that he ate something bad.¡±


    ¡°Lord Xu said that Assistant Minister Ren was still angry at Minister Wen for picking his peaches. With his personality, he was also lucky to have a capable father-inw. How would they dare to go against Shangguan?¡±


    ¡°Master, Assistant Minister Ren is too stingy! How much can a few peaches be worth?¡±


    Zhou Jia watched as Mao Dou stroked his mustache like Lord Xu usual and smiled sarcastically. ¡°You don¡¯t understand. This peach he was re] is different from that peach. Where did you hear the two of them talking?¡±


    Mao Dou blinked. ¡°In the fake cave in the garden. It¡¯s cool there. It¡¯s just right for me to sit there. They even said that they¡¯re in for a treat tonight. The singers raised by Minister Wen are top-notch and seductive.¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled and patted him. ¡°Little imp, go eat.¡±


    Zhou Jia went back to take a shower and change his clothes. At the thought of drinking, he went to the dining room to eat a bowl of rice. He smiled and said to Yangyang, ¡°Son, be good and stay at home. I¡¯m heading out to attend a banquet.¡±


    ¡°Alright,e back early.¡± Yangyang smiled and waved at Zhou Jia.


    Looking at his son¡¯s expression, Zhou Jia nodded with a smile. When he went out, he saw that the sky had already darkened and the banquet at Minister Wen¡¯s house was about to begin.


    Zhou Jia tidied up and went out to get into the carriage. Ji Xiang handed him the hangover pill and was about to walk towards the minister¡¯s residence when Ji Xiang suddenly saw Shen Zhong riding towards him.


    Ji Xiang turned to Zhou Jia and said, ¡°Master, General Shen is here.¡±


    Zhou Jia lifted the curtain of the car window and saw that Shen Zhong had already reached the car. He smiled and asked, ¡°Where are you going, General


    Shen?¡±


    ¡°I was walking towards your house! Fortunately, I didn¡¯t miss you.¡± Shen Zhong jumped on the horse and cupped his hands with a smile. ¡°Lord Zhou, Master wants to see you.¡±


    Zhou Jia was stunned for a moment when he heard that. He understood who it was Shen Zhong was talking about. ¡°General Shen, please lead the way.¡±


    Shen Zhong turned his horse and walked forward. Ji Xiang drove the carriage after him.


    Shen Zhong brought Ji Xiang to the Drunken Immortal Restuarant in front. After Zhou Jia got out of the car, he followed Shen Zhong to the back of the hall. As they walked along the corridor, Zhou Jia felt that someone was hiding in the dark.


    When they reached the backyard and entered a room, Shen Zhong smiled and cupped his hands. ¡°Lord Zhou, we¡¯re here.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Zhou Jia thanked him and knocked on the door before pushing it open and entering. When he entered, he saw the Censor, Tang Nan. When Tang Nan saw Zhou Jia stunned for a moment, he smiled. Zhou Jia went forward and bowed. ¡°Greetings, Lord Tang.¡±


    ¡°Jiahe, there¡¯s no need to be so polite.¡± Tang Nan smiled amiably. ¡°Sit.¡±


    Before the two of them could sit down, they heard footsteps at the door. It turned out that Chu Yuhao had arrived.


    The two of them went forward and bowed. Chu Yuhao smiled kindly at the two of them and said, ¡°Sit down and talk. There¡¯s no need to stand on ceremony.¡±


    The two of them greeted him and sat down. Chu Yuhao smiled and said to Zhou


    Jia, ¡°I¡¯ve dyed Lord Zhou from apanying Madam.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked helpless. ¡°Your Majesty, after the Mid -Autumn Festival, my Madam abandoned me and the child and returned to the Wang Family Vige. She said that it¡¯s morefortable to live in the countryside. I was originally preparing to attend Minister Wen¡¯s banquet, but General Shen arrived just as I got into the carriage.¡±


    Chu Yuhao smiled and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Madam Protector to still be so carefree after so many years.¡±


    Tang Nan was a little surprised. From His Majesty¡¯s tone, he seemed to know Lord Zhou and his wife very well and were very familiar with them.


    After chatting for a while, Chu Yuhao said to the two of them, ¡°You¡¯re both my trusted aides. I asked you toe here to tell you that I¡¯ve thought of a way to increase the tax ie. I originally wanted you to enter the pce to discuss it. I also wanted toe out for a walk, so I called you over.¡±


    The two of them hurriedly stood up and bowed. ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty.¡±


    Chu Yuhao waved his hand for the two of them to sit down and continued, ¡°I want to let go of the tea and winemaking and let those tea workers, wine workshops, and other processing workshops participate in the operation with the civilian workshops. Then, these merchants will pay heavy taxes. Not only can they increase the tax ie and fill the national treasury, but they can also raise fewer parasites.¡±


    When Zhou Jia heard this, he realized that Chu Yuhao and Li Yu had thought of the same thing. He felt that Li Yu was moreprehensive. He thought that since His Majesty had already thought of it, it would save him the trouble. Tang Nan asked, ¡®What does Your Majesty want me to do?¡±


    ¡°Someone will mention it tomorrow morning. I want you to lead the censors to impeach the people I¡¯m handing over to you.¡±


    Tang Nan bowed and replied, ¡°Yes, Your Majesty. I¡¯m afraid they¡¯ll stop us.¡±


    Chu Yuhao looked at Tang Nan, his brows revealing a sharp edge. ¡°Those people who dare to stop me will regret it.¡±


    When Zhou Jia and Tang Nan heard this, they looked at Chu Yuhao with sparkling eyes. The two of them knelt down and kowtowed. ¡°His Majesty is wise and mighty. It¡¯s a blessing for the people.¡±


    Chu Yuhao looked at Zhou Jia and said, ¡°Sort out the past ie and expenditure of the tea and wine officials I asked you to investigate, I want those beetles to have nothing to say.¡±


    Zhou Jia bowed and said, ¡°Your Majesty, tea, wine, and silk were originally made by themoners. After the Imperial Court controlled them, they were added to the system of collecting, transporting, and selling.¡±


    ¡°ording to the records I found, the initial control had achieved good results, allowing the national treasury to quickly fill up. Now, not only did it not increase the tax revenue of the national treasury, but it also increased expenditure.¡±


    ¡°After the Imperial Court releases the specialization, it will save on the process of manufacturing, collecting, transporting, and selling. The Imperial Court can save a lot of money.¡±


    Chu Yuhao¡¯s eyes lit up when he heard that. He smiled and said, ¡°Yes, there¡¯s also silk. Let go of the silk and impose a heavy tax.¡±


    Tang Nan also suggested, ¡°Your Majesty, the Imperial Court wants to liberalize the trade routes such as brewing wine and tea. Those craftsmen, tea officials, wine officials, and silk officials have to be removed. There are many officials and low-ranking officials in these departments in the country. We have to formte the corresponding arrangements and measures to deal with the forces behind them. The forces behind them cannot be ignored.¡±


    Chu Yuhao revealed an expression indicating that he had long been nning this. ¡°I¡¯ve already ordered people to prepare the corresponding countermeasures and found evidence of their corruption.¡±


    When Chu Yuhao thought of the vermin he had seen from the secret guards¡¯ investigations, the corrupted gold, silver, and treasures, and the extravagances, he was so angry that he mmed the table and stood up. ¡°These worms live more like emperors than I. Their private stash of gold, silver, and wealth is even more abundant than Great Yong¡¯s national treasury. There are countless rare treasures. It¡¯s breathtaking..¡±

 Chapter 453 - 453: Thunderous Means

    Chapter 453: Thunderous Means


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Tang Nan and Zhou Jia bowed and said, ¡®Your Majesty, calm down. We support


    Your Majesty in investigating these beetles and returning Great Yong to peace.¡±


    Chu Yuhao looked at the two of them and nodded in satisfaction. ¡°As long as we are united, we will definitely be able to create peace and prosperity together.¡± After Chu Yuhao handed the mission to the two of them, he left in a hurry.


    After Chu Yuhao handed the mission to the two of them, he left in a hurry. Upon receiving Chu Yuhao¡¯s order, Zhou Jia and Tang Nan went home and began to prepare.


    Zhou Jia looked at the dossier in his hand and recalled that when he first entered the Ministry of Revenue, His Majesty had ordered him to secretly investigate the ie and expenditure reported by the Tea and Wine Division over the years. It seemed that His Majesty had long been prepared to touch these ces. He had long thought of a way to increase to fill the national treasury. He had long wanted to deal with these people. His Majesty had even found evidence of their corruption. These days, he had been discussing with them in the royal court. His Majesty¡¯s thoughts were unfathomable.


    Zhou Jia thought to himself that since His Majesty was so heroic and strategic, those people were probably just clowns in his eyes. He thought about setting up thew to restrain the local government that Li Yu had mentioned and wrote a note to submit it.


    The next morning, the officials led by the Shen family proposed to cancel the specialization in tea, wine, and silk. They also proposed to abolish the officials in these departments.


    The officials who took these benefits immediately jumped out to object. The Censorate openly impeached these officials and even furnished evidence of their corruption.


    On the list was the Minister of Revenue¡¯s Wen family, who held a banquetst night, Assistant Minister Ren¡¯s family, who had eaten something bad, and his father-inw, the Minister of Official Personnel Affairs¡­ There were also rtives of the royal family. Even the ces where the things were hidden were clearly documented.


    His Majesty was furious when he saw this. He sent the Ministry of Justice, the Dali Temple, the Censorate, and officials to investigate. Shen Zhong led the imperial guards to assist the three divisions and the imperial guards surrounded these families.


    After the confiscation, gold, silver, and jewelry were piled up into a mountain. The rare treasures were an eye-opener. Everyone was amazed by the wealth of some officials. Some people began to discuss quietly if the salt and iron division was the same.


    Chu Yuhao looked at the thick list on the table and his eyes darkened. He thought of the salt and iron divisions that were fatter than these departments and suppressed his anger. He wanted to take it slow. After confiscating these items, the national treasury was already full. He wanted to slowly pull out all these beetles.


    The officialdom of the capital had experienced a huge earthquake, and the vacated positions had also be the targets of officials. Half a monthter, Chu Yuhao quickly appointed officials to fill these vacancies. Zhou Jia, the Minister of Revenue, was promoted to the Assistant Minister of Revenue in just half a year.


    It was unknown if it was Chu Yuhao¡¯s thunderous methods that deterred those people, or if it was for some other reason, but the tea, wine, silk, and other departments were quickly dismissed. The Imperial Court issued a decree imposing heavy taxes on the merchants who operated these things.


    After Zhou Jia was done, it was already mid-September. The weather slowly turned cold. There were only two days left until Li Qing¡¯s wedding. Zhou Jia went to Wang Family Vige to pick Li Yu up and bring her back to the capital to attend Li Qing¡¯s wedding.


    When he arrived at Wang Family Vige, he saw that Li Yu¡¯s belly was even bigger than during the Mid-Autumn Festival. Zhou Jia suppressed his worry and hugged Li Yu. ¡°How are you? Did the children disturb you?¡±


    Li Yu smiled gently. ¡°My body is fine. The two children are very naughty. One of them likes to kick me, and the other can¡¯t be bothered to move for a long time. The two little baddies have so different personalities. It seems that one is a daughter and the other is a son.¡±


    Zhou Jia ced his hand on Li Yu¡¯s abdomen and gently stroked it. ¡°Yu¡¯er, you have to eat ording to the recipe, understand?¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡± Li Yu smiled reproachfully and patted him. She pulled him to look at the sweet potatoes she had nted. ¡°Xiao Xi, look, this is the sweet potato my master mentioned. ¡±


    What was a sweet potato? Zhou Jia had never heard of it. Looking at the dark green vine-like nt in front of him, he smiled and asked, ¡°Is this a sweet potato? Is this the new food variety you were busy nting? Do the fruits grow in the ground like yams?¡±


    ¡°Yes! Come with me.¡± Li Yu nodded with a smile.


    Li Yu pulled Zhou Jia to the backyard. Zhou Jia saw a few wooden boxes beside the flowerbed. The sweet potatoes nted inside were the ones Li Yu had mentioned.


    After the couple returned to the house, Li Yu said to him, ¡°Xiao Xi, Master said that the yield of sweet potatoes is higher than corn. They¡¯re resistant to drought and are afraid of floods. They can be nted in any corner of the field. The soil just needs to be loose and fertile, and the yield is also very high. My master said that we can usually harvest a few thousand catties from a plot like this.¡±


    If they could really reach this yield, the people of Great Yong would notck food.


    Zhou Jia stood in front of the windowsill and looked at the sweet potatoes in the bamboo basket with glowing eyes. ¡°Yu¡¯er, how many months will it take to harvest them?¡±


    Li Yu recalled the time when her family nted and harvested sweet potatoes in her previous life. ¡°It will take about six months.¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled and nodded. ¡°Yes! When the timees, let¡¯s see what it looks like to have such a high yield.¡±


    Li Yu recalled that Zhou Jia had brought a letter saying that he had been promoted. After pulling him to sit down, she asked, ¡°You brought a letter saying that you¡¯ve been promoted again and the tax matter has been resolved. Why are you so fast?¡±


    Zhou Jia sighed in admiration. ¡°His Majesty is strategizing and has long set a date with the secret guardians everywhere. His Majesty sent the Imperial Army to assist the three divisions. ording to the information provided by the secret guardians, he copied the Minister of Revenue¡­¡±


    ¡°The secret guardians from all over the ce below had already begun to take action to control the tea, wine, and silk officials. They had given the craftsmen severance pay for the valuables they had confiscated from those people. Who would dare to move with His Majesty¡¯s lightning methods? Yu¡¯er, you¡¯ve helped Chu Sihai a few times and know the abilities of the secret guardians.¡±


    Li Yu nodded and understood the meaning behind Zhou Jia¡¯s words. She thought to herself, ¡°These secret guardians are simr to the Jinyiwei of the


    Ming Dynasty. This one is hiding in the dark, which is even more shocking. Chu Yuhao is still young and suspicious. If he bes suspicious in his old age, these secret guardians will be a knife hanging above the officials¡¯ heads. It¡¯s better to find a suitable time to leave as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good too. Great Yong will prosper and our lives will be better. When the timees, let¡¯s withdraw. We¡¯ll bring our children to travel and see the great rivers and mountains of Great Yong.¡±


    Zhou Jia also looked at Li Yu. He pulled her leg over and ced it on his leg, gently kneading it. ¡°Yes! I think so too. When Yang¡¯er grows up, he can help us take care of our siblings. Let¡¯s go out for a walk then.¡±


    Li Yu smiled. ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll hand them to Yang¡¯er when the timees. Let¡¯s go have some alone time; it¡¯s a twosome.¡±


    ¡°Twosome! Yes! This word is quite appropriate.¡± Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu and nodded with a smile. ¡°Yu¡¯er, Ah Qing¡¯s wedding ising up. Get someone to pack up and return to the capital tomorrow morning.¡±


    ¡°Alright, even if you didn¡¯te, I was prepared to go back tomorrow morning.


    Calcting the date, Ruyi and Uncle Zhou should be here soon!¡±


    ¡°The bank brought out their letter. They said that they set off with the bank¡¯s convoy in early July. They¡¯re almost there.¡±


    The couple chatted for a while. Seeing that Li Yu had fallen asleep, Zhou Jia covered her with a thin nket and went out to the front yard to look for Mr. Wen, who was ying chess with Han San..

 Chapter 454 - 454: Reunion, Disappointment

    Chapter 454: Reunion, Disappointment


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Zhou Jia stood at the side and knew at a nce that the chess skills of Han San and Mr. Wen were not on the same level.


    Han San looked at Zhou Jia and revealed a bitter expression. ¡°Master, apany Old Master for a few rounds! I¡¯ll go to the lotus pond to pick up a few lotus roots and bring back two fish. Madam likes to eat Granny Chen¡¯s honey lotus roots and glutinous rice. Also, Auntie Zhang¡¯s pickled vegetable fish tastes very good.¡±


    Mr. Wen looked at Han San¡¯s bitter face and smiled at Zhou Jia. ¡°Jiahe,e and y two rounds with me. This kid can¡¯t be carved.¡±


    Zhou Jia nodded and sat down. He turned to Han San and said, ¡°Look, the lotus roots in the lotus pond can be dug out. Find someone to dig out more and bring them back to your rtives tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Aye!¡± Han San agreed with a smile and turned to go to the lotus pond.


    Zhou Jia said to Mr. Wen, ¡°Sir, how¡¯s Yu¡¯er¡¯s body? How¡¯s the child?¡±


    Mr. Wen smiled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I think Xiaoyu wakes up early every day to cultivate when she¡¯s pregnant. There won¡¯t be a problem with her body. One of the two children likes to move, and the other doesn¡¯t like to move. They even scared Xiaoyu. Granny Chen cooked ording to the recipe. As long as the children are not big, there won¡¯t be a problem.¡±


    Hearing Mr. Wen¡¯s words, Zhou Jia was a little relieved. The two of them yed chess and talked about interesting things in the vige.


    Han San found a few tenants and went into the pond to pick up a few baskets of lotus roots. The next morning, Li Yu, Zhou Jia, and Mr. Wen brought Xing Hua and Granny Chen to the capital.


    Just as they arrived at the entrance of the capital, four to five carriages drove over from behind. Li Yu and the others heard Tiezhu shout happily, ¡°Old Master, Master, Madam, we¡¯re here.¡±


    Then, there was the voice of Seven Pounds. They turned around and saw Tiezhu and Seven Pounds sitting in the car, smiling and waving at everyone. There was also Xiaoyu, who was looking at them with a smile.


    Ruyi stopped the car. After Seven Pounds jumped out, he ran to Zhou Jia and Mr. Wen and bowed. He stood in front of Li Yu and looked at her in surprise. ¡°Madam, Seven Pounds missed you. Is Young Master at home? Do you have a baby too?¡±


    Li Yu looked at the happy child and asked him about Seven Pounds repeatedly.


    She smiled and rubbed his gray face. ¡°Yes! Young Master went to school. Seven


    Pounds has grown taller. Did your mother give you a brother or sister?¡±


    Seven Pounds looked disgusted. ¡°It¡¯s a brother. He¡¯s so ugly! He;s even uglier than Xiao Bai. Madam, I couldn¡¯t bring my Xiao Hua over. Where¡¯s Young Master¡¯s Xiao Bai?¡±


    ¡°Young Master¡¯s Xiaobai is at home!¡± Li Yu said with a smile.


    Zhou Jia stood beside the car and picked Auntie He and Uncle Zhou up. When they met, everyone¡¯s eyes were filled with tears and their faces were filled with the joy of reuniting.


    Uncle Zhou smiled and said to Mr. Wen, ¡°Sir, you¡¯re getting more and more energetic. Look, I¡¯m old.¡±


    Mr. Wen chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re not old. Look, Jiahe, Ruyi, and the others have already started families. We old things should eat and drink. ording to your Madam, we should enjoy life.¡±


    Uncle Zhou smiled and nodded. ¡°Madam is right. That¡¯s true. One has to be content to be happy.¡±


    After greetings, Ji Xiang, Uncle Liu, and the others also ran out after hearing the news. Zhou Jia smiled and said, ¡°Go home first. Go home and wash up. Rest for a while before chatting.¡±


    Auntie He and Xiaoyu looked at Li Yu¡¯s big stomach and smiled in surprise.


    Auntie He happily helped Li Yu into the house. ¡°Madam, that¡¯s great. Eldest


    Young Master haspany. I¡¯ve never seen Eldest Young Master before!¡±


    ¡°Yang¡¯er is still in school. He¡¯ll only be back in the afternoon,¡± Li Yu said with a smile.


    After entering the house, Xiaoyu carried her sleeping youngest son and showed him to Li Yu. He was fair and chubby, and his arms were fair and chubby like lotus roots. ¡°He¡¯s so cute!¡±


    Xiaoyu smiled and said, ¡°He sleeps after eating. He was just born like a


    monkey. Seven Pounds despises him a lot!¡±


    The family had long arranged for amodations for Uncle Zhou, Auntie He, and Tiezhu. Everyone helped pack their luggage. After washing up and eating, Seven Pounds was busy looking for Little Loach and the others and bringing him to the Lin family to learn how to look at Yangyang. Zhao Cai brought Ruyi and his wife to the house that had been prepared for his family.


    Zhou Jia brought Uncle Zhou to rest. Auntie He took out the clothes Li Mei had made for the children of Li Yu and Laidi and the congrattory gift for Li Qing. She said to Li Yu, ¡°Madam, Aunt said that if Miss Laidi is pregnant, please help take care of her. Don¡¯t worry about other matters and let them do whatever they want.¡±


    ¡°Alright, Auntie He. Go and rest for a while. I¡¯ll tidy up.¡±


    Auntie He smiled and said, ¡°Sigh! I¡¯m old. After traveling for a few months, I feel like I¡¯m still swaying in the car when I stand on the ground.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all like this. Let Xing Hua massage you to relieve your fatigue.¡± Li Yu smiled and asked Xing Hua to apany Auntie He to rest.


    Looking back at the clothes in her bag, Li Yu thought to herself, Poor parents. No matter how angry she was, she couldn¡¯t bear to part with them.


    Li Yu distributed the things and asked Ji Xiang to send the children¡¯s clothes that Li Mei had made for Laidi to the Tongzhou Guild Hall. She also brought some food for pregnant women and sent Li Qing¡¯s wedding invitation to Laidi.


    After Ji Xiang agreed, he drove to the Tongzhou Guild Hall. When he arrived outside the small courtyard she rented, he knocked on the door for a moment.


    The old woman came to open the door. The old woman nced at the things in


    Ji Xiang¡¯s hand and asked, ¡°Who are you looking for?¡±


    ¡°Excuse me, I¡¯m looking for my Miss Laidi,¡± Ji Xiang said with a smile.


    Laidi looked up from under the eaves of the porch when she heard the voice. She saw Ji Xiang stand up and walk to the door. She looked at Ji Xiang and smiled sarcastically. ¡°Yo! Isn¡¯t this Steward Xiang from my cousin¡¯s family?


    Why are you so free today?¡±


    Ji Xiang nced at Laidi, who looked a little swollen after being pregnant. He bowed and smiled. ¡°Miss Laidi, Madam instructed me to bring something over for you. Also, Uncle and Young Master are about to get married. She sent you a wedding invitation to invite you to the wedding.¡±


    Laidi nced at the smiling Ji Xiang and the two big bags of things in his hand.


    The shrewishness disappeared from her face and she retreated to the side. ¡°Come in!¡±


    Ji Xiang smiled and walked into the courtyard. Seeing that the courtyard was still clean and neat, he smiled and ced the things on the table in the central room. He took out the wedding invitation and handed it to Laidi with both hands. ¡°Miss Laidi, Young Master-inw is getting married on September 18th. He invites you to the wedding banquet.¡±


    Laidi took the invitation and smiled. ¡°Got it.¡± After thinking for a moment, she asked, ¡°Do my parents have something to bring me? Are they healthy?¡±


    Ji Xiang replied politely, ¡°Madam asked me to send it over after receiving it. I¡¯m not very sure about the health of the two elders. They didn¡¯t send you a message. It¡¯s just this bag of clothes. Aunt, I¡¯ll take my leave.¡±


    Laidi nodded in disappointment. ¡°Thank you.¡± Ji Xiang smiled and left.


    Seeing Ji Xiang leave the courtyard, Laidi turned around and opened her bag. She saw that it contained clothes, shoes, hats, cotton clothes, and jackets for children for all seasons. There were small coats and clothes for the child from infancy to three years old. She opened the other bag and saw that it was filled with food. Laidi knew that Li Yu had given it to her and ced it aside.


    She turned around and rummaged through the bag containing the clothes. She shook open all the clothes and looked at them. She was anxious to find the letter that Li Mei and her husband had brought her. She searched but could not find anything.


    Laidi sat on the bamboo chair in disappointment. She held a pair of small cotton shoes in her hand and muttered to herself, ¡°Father, Mother, I miss you. Why didn¡¯t you bring me a message?¡± Tears flowed down her face unknowingly.


    Laidi did not understand why she just wanted Li Mei and her husband to send her a message. She would feel veryfortable even if Li Mei and her husband scolded her. She did not feel aggrieved. It also made her feel that she was not alone and that her parents missed her..

 Chapter 455 - 455: Preparing

    Chapter 455: Preparing


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Ji Xiang went home and told Li Yu what he had seen and heard at Laidi¡¯s house. ¡°Madam, I think Miss Gu might be missing her parents. There¡¯s no smile on her face when she¡¯s pregnant.¡±


    Could it be that Li Fengqi didn¡¯t care about her when she was pregnant? Otherwise, why would she miss her aunt and the others? Li Yu thought for a moment and said to Ji Xiang, ¡°Ask Little Jiu to pay more attention to Laidi¡¯s house. If she finds anything wrong with Laidi, report it.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± Ji Xiang agreed and left.


    Zhou Jia returned to the government office. Li Yu brought Xing Hua to Li Qing¡¯s house and watched as everyone busied themselves cutting paper. The big red word ¡°happiness¡± was pasted on every door and window. Even the corners were decorated withnterns with the big red word ¡°happiness¡±.


    Madam Gong smiled and said to Li Yu, ¡°Ah Yu, the dowry ising tomorrow. When the timees, we want two boys to roll in bed with Ah Qing. Yang¡¯er is at the right age and we¡¯re still missing one. Your uncle found a child in the n. ¡±


    Li Yu smiled and said, ¡°Alright, Aunt, just arrange it. I don¡¯t understand these rules.¡±


    Madam Gong interacted with the Fan family a lot these days. She felt that the Fan couple was kind and that Li Qing had made the right choice with the Fan family.


    Madam Gong looked at Li Yu¡¯s growing belly and smiled considerately. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The Fan family knows that we have few people and has gotten someone to help. The Fan family values Ah Qing very much and dotes on their daughter.¡±


    Ever since Li Yu found out that Fan Wenzheng and his wife would rather endure the rumors outside than agree to marry their daughter to the Feng family, she felt that they were pure-hearted people. She felt that Fan Mingfang was still magnanimous and calm after enduring the ridicule of those aunties; Fan Mingfang¡¯s personality was tenacious and could support the family. She was also very satisfied with connecting with the Fan family through marriage.


    Li Yu smiled and held Madam Gong¡¯s hand. ¡°That¡¯s right. I also think that Lord Fan and his wife are kind. They really dote on their daughter. Aunt and Uncle are the same.¡±


    Madam Gong smiled and patted Li Yu¡¯s hand. ¡°As parents, we only hope that our child will live well. It¡¯s fine for our son, but when he grows up, he¡¯ll marry. If his wife has a good temperament, we¡¯ll treat her well. Our family can live a harmonious and beautiful life. If her temperament is bad, there¡¯s also etiquette. If we straighten our posture, she won¡¯t dare to cause trouble.¡±


    ¡°When my daughter gets married, I¡¯m afraid that she won¡¯t be trusted. I¡¯m afraid that her husband won¡¯t be reliable. I¡¯m afraid that she¡¯ll encounter a


    Li Yu sighed when she heard that. ¡°That¡¯s right! Only after bec will we know that parents are the most selfless people in the themselves.¡±


    The two of them walked into the main courtyard. Madam Gong pointed at Gu Yu, who was busy helping to paste the word ¡°happiness¡±, and smiled in satisfaction. ¡°This girl is not bad. She¡¯s also busy with work even though she¡¯s pregnant. She¡¯s efficient and likes to ask questions without thinking she¡¯s smart.¡±


    When Li Yu saw that it was Gu Yu, she smiled and said, ¡°She was originally the little girl in front of me who fell in love with Ji Xiang. The two of them got married in Yunzhou before the new year. This girl is loyal.¡±


    Madam Gong nced at Xing Hua, who was following behind Li Yu. ¡°Yes! The person called Xing Hua in front of you is not bad either. She keeps her head low and does things well. You don¡¯t have many little girls at home, so you have to pick a few back. Xing Hua is going to get married in two years, so you won¡¯t be able to take on the people you order around. Also, it¡¯s fine if the two children in your stomach are boys. If they are two daughters, the little girl will have to order them around.¡±


    Li Yu nodded. ¡°Aunt, I really didn¡¯t think of this. You¡¯re so thoughtful.¡±


    The two of them walked up to Gu Yu. ¡°Auntie Xiang, let me help you.¡± Xing Hua also smiled and went up to help.


    When Gu Yu saw Li Yu and the others, she smiled and put down the paper cutting in her hand. She went forward and bowed. ¡°Madam, Matriarch, you¡¯re here!¡±


    Li Yu smiled and said, ¡°Yes! Rest for a while. Ji Xiang¡¯s heart will ache if you¡¯re tired.¡±


    ¡°Madam, don¡¯t you feel sorry for me? I¡¯ll be sad.¡± Gu Yu pouted and joked.


    Li Yu looked at her with a smile. ¡°My heartache is why you¡¯re resting!¡± Everyoneughed.


    Ruyi and his wife followed Zhao Cai to their new house. The couple looked at the two-in-one house in front of them in satisfaction.


    Zhao Cai smiled and said, ¡°Your family, mine, and Ji Xiang¡¯s family are both in the two nearby alleys. Uncle, Young Master, and Master¡¯s new residence are not far from us.¡±


    Ruyi smiled and patted Zhao Cai¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Good brother, you¡¯re so thoughtful. This ce isn¡¯t far from Master¡¯s house. It¡¯s convenient to go back and forth.¡±


    Zhao Cai rolled its eyes at him. ¡°Goodd. You¡¯re being polite.¡±


    Xiaoyu smiled and said to the two of them, ¡°You¡¯re all brothers. Everyone is busy with Uncle and Young Master¡¯s wedding. Let¡¯s quickly pack up and go to Uncle and Young Master¡¯s ce to see if there¡¯s anything we need to do.¡±


    Zhao Cai smiled when he heard that. ¡°Yes, Sister-inw is right. Sigh! Why didn¡¯t the one in my family think of that?¡±


    Xiaoyu smiled and said, ¡°Brother Zhao Cai, Sister-inw is your new wife. You can¡¯t be picky.¡±


    ¡°Alright, Sister-inw, go pack up first.¡± After Zhao Cai agreed, he felt a little upset. Madam and Master were understanding, but he couldn¡¯t take it for granted. Why hadn¡¯t he heard his wife mention anything about helping with the wedding? He should ask Ji Xiang if his Gu Yu had gone over to help.


    Zhao Cai did not even return home. He went straight back to the residence and asked Ji Xiang, ¡°Did your wife go to help with the wedding?¡±


    ¡°Yes! She¡¯s been helping make curtains over there for the past few days.¡± Seeing that Zhao Cai¡¯s expression was getting uglier and uglier, Ji Xiang asked worriedly, ¡°Why did you think of asking about this? Did something happen?¡±


    Zhao Cai¡¯s face darkened. ¡°The one at home hasn¡¯t mentioned helping until today. She even went back to her mother¡¯s house yesterday. When she came back, she even gossiped. Only then did I hear from Ruyi¡¯s wife that she should quickly pack up and help Young Master-inw.¡±


    ¡°I just feel that something¡¯s wrong. On careful thought, I don¡¯t think she took the initiative toe over to greet Madam when she came back. It was Gu Yu who called her every time. Do you think she doesn¡¯t treat us as a family?¡±


    Ji Xiang watched as Zhao Cai became angrier and angrier. He hurriedly persuaded him, ¡°You should go back and take a look. Is Sister-inw not feeling well that she didn¡¯t help? No matter what, you can¡¯t make things unhappy these two days.¡±


    ¡°Besides, Gu Yu said that she was only doing some scattered things over there.


    Sister-inw is your new wife. It¡¯s fine if she doesn¡¯t go.¡±


    They had been married for half a year and she was still his new wife. Zhao Cai kept feeling that there was another reason why she was not feeling unwell. He nodded and said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go back tonight and see what¡¯s going on.¡±


    Everyone split up and got busy. At dusk, the sunset dyed half the sky red. It seemed that tomorrow would be a clear day.


    Li Yu got someone to set up a few tables. Everyone gathered around happily to wee Uncle Zhou, Auntie He, and Ruyi¡¯s family.


    Gu Yu looked at Zhao Cai sitting far away from Zhizi and said with a smile,


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with the two of you? Why are you sitting so far away tonight?¡±


    Zhao Cai smiled and said, ¡°Ruyi and I haven¡¯t seen each other in so long. I want to talk to Ruyi.¡±


    ¡°Let them sit together and drink. Let¡¯s eat more,¡± Zhizi said with a smile..

 Chapter 456 Painkilling Medicine

    456 Painkilling Medicine Yangyang and Seven Poundsy in front of the cradle and watched as the baby grabbed his feet and stuffed them into his mouth reluctantly.


    Yangyang looked at him in surprise. "Brother Seven Pounds, what''s his name? Why is he chewing his feet?"


    "His name is Er Chun. I named him. It''s a natural meaning of being born in February in spring. He likes to gnaw on feet." Seven Pounds pulled Er Chun''s feet down as he spoke.


    Er Chun immediately grabbed another foot and stuffed it into his mouth. Yangyang hurriedly pulled his foot out of his mouth. Er Chun looked at the two of them aggrievedly and pursed his lips to cry. Seven Pounds hurriedly ced the peppercorn stick on his wrist in his hand. "Eat! Eat! Gluttonous cat."


    Yangyang watched Er Chun for a while and gradually felt that this little brother didn''t seem to be very fun. "Brother Seven Pounds, let''s go see if Little Loach and the others are done eating. Let''s go to the garden topete and see if you''ve practiced these days."


    "Young Master, I have something to tell you." Seven Pounds pulled Yangyang to the side and looked at him seriously. "Young Master, I''ve decided to learn medicine from Old Master."


    Yangyang frowned. "Brother Seven Pounds, aren''t you going to school with me anymore?"


    A heavy expression that did not match his age appeared on Seven Pounds'' face. "Young Master, my mother was in pain for a long time when she gave birth. Father was so anxious that he cried. I thought that if only Old Master was here, he would give Mother an injection and concoct medicine for Mother to eat. Mother wouldn''t have to suffer so much pain. I just wanted to learn medicine from Old Master when I arrived in the capital."


    Yangyang looked at Seven Pounds worriedly. "Brother Seven Pounds, will it hurt when my mother gives birth to younger siblings?"


    Seven Pounds nodded honestly. "It''s going to hurt."


    Yangyang frowned and thought for a moment. "Brother Seven Pounds, I have to ask Grandmaster to make a painkilling medicine. I''ll put it aside for Mother to eat when she gives birth to younger siblings. That way, it won''t hurt."


    Seven Pounds thought about it and felt that Old Master should be able to make it. He nodded. "Alright, look for Old Master to make pillster. I''ll look for Old Master to learn medicine."


    Xiaoyu looked at the two children sitting at the side with serious expressions and said to Li Yu with a smile, "Madam, look at Young Master and Seven Pounds. Do they look like they''re discussing something big?"


    Li Yu turned around and looked. "They look very serious! Let''s go take a look."


    The two of them got off the table and walked to the cradle. Li Yu looked at the two of them and asked gently, "Yang''er, Seven Pounds, are you two discussing something big? Can you tell me?"


    Yangyang nced at Li Yu and turned to look at Xiaoyu. "Auntie Yu, does it hurt a lot to give birth?"


    Xiaoyu was stunned for a moment. She smiled andforted him. "Young Master is worried that Madam will have a younger brother in pain! I''s a little painful. She''ll be fine in a while."


    Seven Pounds looked at Xiaoyu with disapproval. "Mother, you''re lyting. It clearly hurts a lot. It will hurt for a long time. Seven Pounds woke up and heard you crying. You even called out for Grandmother and Grandfather." His eyes turned red. "Mother, I''m afraid."


    Xiaoyu didn''t expect Seven Pounds to still remember it. Seeing her son''s heartache, she went forward to hug him and patted his back tofort him. "Don''t be afraid. Look, isn''t Mother fine! Mother really doesn''t hurt."


    Yangyang also looked up at Li Yu. "Mother, let''s ask Grandmaster to make painkilling pills. I''ll give you younger siblings."


    Li Yu looked at him and smiled gently. "Alright, let''s ask Grandmaster to make a painkilling pill."


    "Brother Seven Pounds even said that he doesn''t want to go to school anymore and wants to learn medicine from his grandmaster," Yangyang said to Seven Pounds.


    "Yes, I want to learn medicine from Old Master." Seven Pounds looked at Xiaoyu. "Mother, I''ve already thought about it."


    Li Yu looked at Seven Pounds'' determined gaze. She didn''t expect him to have his own thoughts and what he wanted to do at such a young age.


    Xiaoyu didn''t react for a moment. A momentter, she rubbed Seven Pounds of soft hair and her eyes were filled with love. "It''s fine if you want to learn medicine. You have to get your father''s permission first and ask Old Master for his permission. Everyone is busy these two days. Let''s talk about it in the next few days, okay?"


    Seven Pounds nodded with sparkling eyes. "I understand."


    Li Yu felt that Xiaoyu''s personality was very simr to that of her father, Butcher He. She didn''t preach much to her children. It was rare to see such parents here.


    After dinner, Auntie He smiled and said to Li Yu and Zhou Jia, "Master, Madam, our vige is the best vige in Tongzhou now. The young men in the vige don''t have to worry about their wives. The girls from the other viges are all fighting to marry into the families of our vige. Er Ya and She Chun are betrothed. Cuicui from Jinjiu''s family is also betrothed to She Dong. They want one of the children to bear the surname Jin. The She family has also agreed."


    "Also, Old Master Hu from Hu Vige has left. Their vige has to send you new rice and noodles every year. The women in the vige and those who work in our vige also asked me to bring you a bag of wild rice this time. The vige chief''s wife also made two sets of clothes for you. Also, An''s mother has left¡­"


    Li Yu sighed when she heard that. She didn''t expect the woman who was devoted to her son and Old Hu, who was devoted to his nsmen, to have left.


    Uncle Zhou smiled and said, "Everyone has to make this trip, but as long as they have a clear conscience."


    "Yes." Mr. Wen smiled and nodded. "As long as they have a clear conscience."


    Uncle Zhou looked at Li Yu and said, "Madam, Aunt said that now that Young Master Ah Qing has an official title and is about to start a family, she has nothing to worry about."


    "She''s just a little worried about her Brother Pig''s studies. She feels that the teachers in the vige are still a littlecking. The couple can''t bear to let their child leave their side. I think she wants to ask you to help find a good teacher, but she''s afraid that you''ll have to owe someone a favor."


    Zhou Jia thought for a moment. "Actually, Mr. Lin is not bad, but he doesn''t have a private school anymore. I''ll get someone to ask around and find a teacher for Brother Pig. Then, I''ll bring the letter to Aunt. I also have to let Brother Pig take a look at my notes and Ah Qing''s. He should take the county-level examination first and talk about the rest in the future."


    Li Yu nodded. "Alright, we''ll talk about it when you''ve found a teacher."


    The sky gradually darkened, and the wind blew past. It was already slightly cold. Zhou Jia smiled and said to Uncle Zhou and Auntie He, "You''ve been traveling for a few months. Rest early tonight. After Ah Qing gets married, everyone can gather and chat."


    Li Yu looked at Yangyang, who was dozing in Zhou Jia''s arms, and Seven Pounds, who was dozing in Ruyi''s arms. She smiled and said, "That''s right! Let''s gather again after these two days. Ruyi, bring Xiaoyu and the child back to rest first. Zhao Cai will also bring your wife back. Ji Xiang will be on duty in the residence tonight."


    "Yes, Madam." After Ruyi and the others agreed, they carried the children back.


    "Come, let me carry Seven Pounds. Help Xiaoyu carry the child," Zhao Cai said to Ruyi with a smile and took Seven Pounds.


    Zhizi nced sideways at Zhao Cai and felt that he was ignoring her tonight. She followed Zhao Cai back aggrievedly.


    Ruyi and Xiaoyu sensed that the atmosphere between Zhao Cai and Zhizi was a little off. Thinking that they had just met Zhizi, they could not rashly ask the two of them why.


    When they arrived at Ruyi''s house, Zhao Cai handed Seven Pounds to Ruyi and said with a smile, "This child is snoring from sleep. Go in quickly. We''ll be there after turning the corner."


    Ruyi nced at Zhao Cai. "Alright, go back and rest early."


    Zhao Cai smiled and said, "Alright, see you tomorrow!"

 Chapter 457 - 457: Argument, Inquiry

    Chapter 457: Argument, Inquiry


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Zhao Cai and Zhizi walked towards the alley in front of them. When they reached the house, the old woman smiled and opened the door to wee the two of them in. In a fit of pique, Zhizi did not even look at Zhao Cai. She went straight to the backyard and returned to her room andy on the bed.


    After Zhao Cai washed up, he entered the room and looked at her. He sat on the edge of the bed and asked gently, ¡°Did you go back to your mother¡¯s house today?¡±


    Seeing that Zhao Cai was still as concerned as before, Zhizi propped herself up on the bed and leaned against the headboard with a smile. ¡°Yes! My mother asked me to go back and help draw a flowery appearance. My mother said that my brother brought a letter back and asked Young Master to help him find an errand in the government office.¡±


    ¡°You just returned to your mother¡¯s house yesterday and went again today. Have you gone to see Uncle and Young Master? Are you busy?¡± Zhao Cai asked indifferently.


    ¡°I went back and said a few words to my mother beforeing back.¡± Zhizi shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ve never gone to Young Master-inw¡¯s house. He has servants at his house and doesn¡¯t need our help.¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t even gone there. How do you know that they don¡¯t need your helD?¡± Zhao Cai¡¯s tone was a little cold.


    ¡°Oh! So that¡¯s why you were unhappy. You ignored me all night.¡± Zhizi¡¯s voice rose as she looked at Zhao Cai angrily. ¡°If you¡¯re willing to help, go. I didn¡¯t stop you. My mother asked you to beg Master to find you a job in the government office, but you weren¡¯t willing. What can you do if you go to the residence all day? What future can you have?¡±


    ¡°Your mother is the only one who says that you have a wooden fish head. Don¡¯t you have your own thoughts?¡±


    Zhizi looked at Zhao Cai self-righteously. ¡°I think my mother is right. Why should I not listen to my mother?¡±


    Zhao Cai looked at Zhizi in disappointment. He thought about how Ji Xiang¡¯s pregnant wife also went over to help. She had been married for almost half a year. In her heart, she still treated the Zhou family as outsiders. The Zhou family¡¯s matter had nothing to do with her.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know that you thought so. I remember that before I got engaged to you, I told you that I wouldn¡¯t leave the Zhou family and would stay in the Zhou family for the rest of my life. If you mind and don¡¯t want to marry me, I won¡¯t force you to marry me.¡±


    ¡°What did you say back then? You said that you didn¡¯t mind. As long as I treated you well and Master¡¯s family didn¡¯t mistreat us, it was fine. Wasn¡¯t it good for us that Master and Madam gave me money to buy a betrothal gift and a house so that you could marry into the family in dignity?¡±


    Zhizi curled her lips. ¡°I didn¡¯t say that you treated me badly, nor did I say that Master and Madam treated you badly. My mother said that if Master didn¡¯t give you your contract, of course we would have to stay in the Zhou family for the rest of our lives. However, Master and Madam have already removed you from very. Now that Master is already the Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, it¡¯s not like you don¡¯t have the ability. Why don¡¯t you ask Master to find a job for you and seek a future for yourself?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s your mother again who said that I married a wife but didn¡¯t be a live-in son-inw.¡± Zhao Cai was so angry that he pointed at Jasmine and shouted, ¡°When I returned to the capital from Yunzhou, I told you that Master and Madam had stripped me of my ve status. I also told you that without Young Master, I wouldn¡¯t be who I am today. I won¡¯t leave the Zhou family in this life. I¡¯m still a member of the Zhou family. Do you think I was just saying?


    ¡°You have nothing to do all day long, so you went back to listen to your mother and sisters-inw. Your mother and two sisters-inw are quite ambitious. They think about climbing up the socialdder all day long. Why don¡¯t they take a look at themselves? They even urged you to go back. Let me tell you, you have to be content and not be too greedy. Greedy people can¡¯t keep anything in the end.¡±


    ¡°What did I do? Why am I greedy because I want you to be ambitious?¡± Zhiyuan felt that Zhao Cai was not on her side. She was so angry that tears fell. She got out of bed, packed a few clothes, and was about to walk out.


    Zhao Cai stopped her and said, ¡°It¡¯s sote. Even if you want to go back to your mother¡¯s house, you have to wait for dawn tomorrow.¡±


    Seeing that Zhao Cai was only stopping her so that she could leave at dawn, Zhizi pushed him away and said angrily, ¡°Go away. I don¡¯t want you to be hypocritical.¡±


    Zhao Cai kept to the side to let her pass. Zhizi walked to the door and thought for a moment before turning around and kicking Zhao Cai before going to the room next door.


    Seeing that she had gone next door, Zhao Cai did not want to coax her. He decided to send her back to her mother¡¯s house tomorrow and let her understand his position.


    Li Fengqi came out of a teahouse and stood at the entrance. He looked up at the teahouse before walking back. When he reached his house, he stood for a moment before raising his hand to knock. The old woman opened the door and retreated to the side. ¡°Master, someone came from Madam and Cousin¡¯s house today.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± Li Fengqi agreed indifferently and entered the courtyard. Laidi stood under the eaves of the porch and looked at Li Fengqi, who had only returned home after dark. She turned around and returned to the house to take out Li Qing¡¯s wedding invitation. She handed it to him and said, ¡°Ah Qing will get married the next day and is treating us to a wedding banquet. We can¡¯t afford the good ones, and we can¡¯t bring out the bad ones. Back then, Ah Qing also gave us avish gift when we got married. What kind of gift do you think we should prepare?¡±


    Li Fengqi took the invitation and flipped it open. He said gently, ¡°You¡¯re right. I still have a Duan Inkstone that was given to me by the High Schr. Just give me a Duan Inkstone and buy some other things to bring.¡±


    Laidi nced at Li Fengqi. He looked like he was in a good mood today! He couldn¡¯t bear to use that inkstone himself, but he was willing to give it to Ah Qing. Wasn¡¯t he angry that Ah Qing and Cousin wouldn¡¯t support him?


    ¡°It¡¯s hard on you to bear with it. Ah Qing wouldn¡¯t be picky about anything else.¡±


    Li Fengqi smiled at her. ¡°I can¡¯t bear to part with you. Sigh! I remember you saying that your cousin was almost killed by a family with the surname Zhang. Why did that family want to harm her?¡±


    Laidi nced at him. ¡°Why are you asking about this ancient matter?¡±


    Li Fengqi sat on the edge of the bed with Laidi in his arms. ¡°I just feel that your Cousin and Ah Qing are too capable. We¡¯re far inferior to them. I want to know how much effort they¡¯ve put in to reach their current status.¡±


    ¡°Why are you interested in listening to my old story today?¡± Laidi looked at Li Fengqi strangely. Seeing his gentle expression, she was happy. ¡°It¡¯s all my uncle¡¯s fault for arranging a marriage for her. That family is greedy¡­¡±


    When Li Fengqi heard this, he sighed and said, ¡°The Zhang family is too bad.


    They¡¯re too inhumane. They probably died in the disaster year, right?¡±


    ¡°No, someone saw them in Tongzhou a few years ago and heard that they were living a very difficult life. The heavens have eyes and let them suffer retribution,¡± Laidi said angrily.


    Li Fengqi¡¯s eyes flickered as he smiled and said, ¡°You have to calm down. You¡¯re pregnant! You can¡¯t be vicious.¡±


    Laidi leaned against Li Fengqi and said gently, ¡°Fengqi, I¡¯ve also thought it through. If you still can¡¯t pass the exam the year after next, let¡¯s go back to Tongzhou! You¡¯re a High Schr in Tongzhou. You¡¯ll be much more respected there than in the capital, where there are many high officials.¡±


    Li Fengqi said gently, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ve thought it through too. I¡¯ll listen to you. Tell me about the past of Ah Qing and his sister.¡±


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s start with my uncle saving Zhang Defa¡­¡± Laidi leaned on Li Fengqi¡¯s shoulder with a smile and said slowly..

 Chapter 458 - 458: Marry, Marry

    Chapter 458: Marry, Marry


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Li Yu and Zhou Jia carried Yangyang to bed and slept. They smiled and told Zhou Jia about Seven Pounds¡¯ decision to learn medicine.


    When Zhou Jia heard this, he smiled and said, ¡°This child is the same as Ruyi. He has a n. It¡¯s good that he wants to learn medicine! It¡¯s a pity that Sir doesn¡¯t have a sessor with his exquisite medical skills.¡±


    Li Yu thought for a moment and asked curiously, ¡°I remember that Sir took in a disciple! Why haven¡¯t I heard Sir mention your senior brother in the past few years? Is there a reason?¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled and said, ¡°You know that Sir is indifferent. When he was practicing medicine, he often taught thosemoners to recognize medicinal herbs. His two disciples were also medicine children that he took in. They didn¡¯t officially acknowledge him as their master.


    Later on. because the two of them often used expensive medicinal herbs for


    those patients when they were practicing medicine, Sir criticized them. Although they said that they would change, they still did whatever they wanted behind his back. Later, when they treated the poor, they did the same. In a fit of anger, Sir stopped interacting with them. The medicine boy fromst time was not bad. When he returned to Qingzhou to see his parents, there was no news. Only when Sir found Qingzhou did he know that his family had encountered bandits.¡±


    Only then did Li Yu understand why Mr. Wen was so alone and didn¡¯t even have a medicine boy to help him. ¡°It¡¯s reasonable for rich families to use expensive medicinal herbs. It was too mercenary of them to prescribe expensive medicinal herbs to poor families. Sir did the right thing. It seems that Sir¡¯s judgment in people is bad!¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled. ¡°Sir does things ording to his heart. Sir used to say that Seven Pounds is talented in recognizing medicine. He will definitely be willing to teach Seven Pounds.¡±


    Li Yu yawned repeatedly. ¡°That¡¯s true! Go to sleep! The Fan family will send the dowry tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Zhou Jia smiled and extinguished the oilmp.


    The word ¡°happiness¡± were pasted everywhere on the walls, doors, and windows of the Fan family¡¯s house. There were also paper cutouts in the corners that symbolized celebration. At a nce, it was festive.


    Madam Wu brought the old woman and pasted the big red box full of dowry. She looked at the dowry in the courtyard and nodded in satisfaction. She was relieved when she thought of how the dowry that she had been preparing for Wanwan since she was a few years old could be ced into the big red box today.


    Madam Wu checked carefully. Fan Wenzheng walked into the courtyard happily. ¡°Madam, is the dowry ready? Is the person who is sending it ready?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m ready. You¡¯ve asked more than ten times today.¡± Madam Wu looked at him and smiled reproachfully.


    Fan Wenzheng looked at the courtyard filled with boxes with the word


    ¡°happiness¡± pasted on them and sighed. ¡°Sigh! When I think about how our Wanwan is going out the day after tomorrow, I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on in my heart. I feel poignant and upset. In the past, I couldn¡¯t wait for her to get married as soon as possible and settle one of our worries. When the dayes,


    I feel ufortable and upset.¡±


    Madam Wu had a satisfied smile on her face. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. Think about it. Our son-inw has good character, looks, and ability. Although the elders in the family are no longer around, her sister-inw is not scheming, and she even protected her. Wanwan can take charge after marrying into the family.


    He¡¯s really a great candidate for a son-inw.¡±


    Fan Wenzheng nodded repeatedly. ¡°Madam is right. As long as the child lives well, what else are we dissatisfied with?¡±


    The next morning, Fan Mingfang¡¯s dowry was carried into the Li family. The entire Li family was filled with joy and liveliness. Li Yu stood under the eaves of the main porch and looked at the redness with a happy expression.


    Yangyang was wearing a bright red new shirt and together with a strong-looking little boy from the Lin family, he was carried to the new bed to roll on it. As he rolled from the head of the bed to the end of the bed, the matron of honor chanted an auspicious blessing song. ¡°The boy rolls on the bed and the festive news spread in all directions. He must be a good son. The night of love is worth a thousand gold coins. Have a long dream in the future.¡±


    The two of them rolled from the end of the bed to the head of the bed and the matron of honor chanted three different blessings and made the two children roll three times before ending the ritual.


    On September 18th, the Li family was filled with guests. Zhou Jia was dressed in festive clothes and weed the guests at the door. The Gong sisters weed the women at the second door.


    Li Yu looked at the imposing Li Qing in his auspicious clothes with a smile. She suddenly felt that the Li family¡¯s son had grown up.


    Fan Mingfang had been scooped up from the bed by Madam Wu early in the morning. She was stuffed into a fragrant bathtub and washed her face. An aunt in the n helped her to freshen up.


    ¡°Firstb until your white hair reaches your eyebrows, secondb¡­¡¯


    As Madam chanted, Fan Mingfang closed her eyes. Madam opened her face for her and used a thread to twist away the hair on her face and the new soft hair at her temples. Fan Mingfang opened her eyes and watched as the woman in the bronze mirror slowly became unlike her. She saw that her face was covered inyers of fragrant powder and her entire face was pale. In the end, only her red blush and cherry-shaped lips were red.


    Auntbed her hair into a peony bun and put on the wedding dress before putting the phoenix crown on her.


    Just as Fan Mingfang packed up, someone shouted from outside, ¡°The auspicious time has arrived. Miss, get in the sedan chair!¡±


    Fan Mingfang thought of her mother¡¯s instructions and did not move for the first time. She waited for someone to persuade her to get into the sedan chair. After a while, someone shouted, ¡°The auspicious time has arrived. Miss, get into the sedan chair!¡±


    It was not until the third time that Aunt covered Fan Mingfang. Fan Mingcheng, who had been waiting outside, came in and carried Fan Mingfang on his back. ¡°Sister, Brother will carry you to the sedan chair.¡±


    Hearing her brother¡¯s hoarse voice, Fan Mingfang felt a lump in her throat. She lifted the veil and saw Madam Wu looking at her with tears on her face. Tears flowed down her face involuntarily. Aunt hurriedly wiped her tears with a handkerchief. ¡°Wanwan, you can¡¯t shed tears on a big day. It¡¯s inauspicious.¡±


    Madam Wu held back her tears and smiled as she went forward to cover her head. ¡°Go! After you return home, live a peaceful life.¡±


    Fan Mingfang nodded and was carried out of the courtyard by her brother and sent to the bridal sedan chair. Li Qing, who was overjoyed, followed his wife into the bridal sedan chair and walked back amid the firecrackers. Fan Wenzheng sshed a basin of water.


    When they arrived at the Li residence, Fan Mingfang was helped out of the bridal sedan chair by the matron of honor. A red silk rope was stuffed into her hand. She held the matron of honor¡¯s hand and listened to her instructions in a daze. She turned left and right and stepped over the brazier. After walking for a while, she heard the matron of honor say, ¡°Bride, we¡¯re in the central room.


    We¡¯re at the wedding.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Fan Mingfang replied softly.


    Li Yu¡¯s eyes were filled with tears of joy. She looked at the happy Li Qing and slowly walked towards the main room with Fan Mingfang.


    Li Qing looked at Li Yu and his brother-inw, who were standing under the eaves of the main room, and nodded at them happily.


    Yangyang, who was standing at the side to watch the ceremony, whispered to Seven Pounds, ¡°Uncle is really good-looking today. The handsome man in the book is like Uncle.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Seven Pounds nodded in agreement. ¡°Uncle is better-looking than all the grooms. ¡±


    Li Yu smiled and patted each of them. ¡°Little imps.¡±


    Laidi sat among the people congratting him and looked at the dignified Li Qing with a happy smile.


    Everyone entered the central room and heard the emcee shout in a clear voice, ¡°One bow to the heavens and earth, two bows to the high hall¡­ Husband and wife bow to each other¡­¡± As the master of ceremonies shouted, he kept saying festive blessings.


    Fan Mingfang knelt again and again in response to the emcee¡¯s voice. After the emcee stopped, a pair of warm and strong hands held her hand. Li Qing held her right hand and walked towards the bridal chamber..

 Chapter 459 - 459: Completion of Rites

    Chapter 459: Completion of Rites


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    The two of them entered the bridal chamber. Li Qing helped Fan Mingfang sit on the edge of the bed and lifted the veil with a smile. When he saw Fan Mingfang¡¯s fair face which was covered in makeup, he was stunned.


    Fan Mingfang looked at Li Qing with her big eyes, then quickly lowered her eyes. Li Qing looked at Fan Mingfang and smiled.


    Li Yu, Madam Gong, Lin Jia, Lin Yi, and some rtives looked at the two of them with smiles and blessed them.


    Li Qing¡¯s ears were filled with auspicious words like a match made in heaven. When he looked down and saw the bride¡¯s big red embroidered shoes embroidered with mandarin ducks ying in the water and her slender fingers on her knees, he suddenly felt his ears burn and his face turn red.


    The matron of honor brought in the dumplings. Li Yu looked at the raw dumplings in her bowl and pursed her lips into a smile. She watched as the matron of honor fed the raw dumplings to Fan Mingfang and asked with a smile, ¡°Are they raw?¡± In keeping with the rites, this question was a y on words. The underlying meaning was to ask if the bride would give birth.


    Fan Mingfang took a bite and realized that it was raw. She looked up and saw the smiling Li Qing and the people watching the ceremony in the new room. She hurriedly swallowed the dumpling and said with a red face, ¡°Yes.¡±


    The matron of honor turned to the people watching the ceremony with a smile and shouted, ¡°The bride said to give birth!¡±


    They allughed.


    The matron of honor held the wine cup on a tray again and handed it to Li Qing with a smile. Li Qing took one and so did Fan Mingfang. The two of them drank the wine inside with red faces. The matron of honor took the cups back and threw them out. The cup fell to the ground.


    The matron of honor and everyone else smiled and congratted them. ¡°One facing down and one facing up. It¡¯s a blessing.¡±


    Everyone smiled and blessed them. After the ceremony, Li Qing went out to toast. Li Yu smiled and walked up to hold Fan Mingfang¡¯s hand. ¡°Sister-inw, are you hungry?¡±


    ¡°Sister, I¡¯m not hungry,¡± Fan Mingfang said softly. Just as she was about to get up and greet her, Li Yu smiled and stopped her. She pointed at Madam Gong and said with a smile, ¡°This is Aunt.¡±


    Fan Mingfang was about to get up and greet her when Madam Gong smiled and pulled her back. ¡°Ah Qing¡¯s wife. In the first three days of marriage, the bride is the most important. There¡¯s no need to stand on ceremony.¡±


    As she spoke, she pointed at Lin Jia, Lin Yi, and the other rtives watching the ceremony and introduced them one by one. ¡°This is Cousin-inw, Cousin¡­}¡± Fan Mingfang nodded and greeted them one by one, silently remembering them.


    Seeing a thinyer of sweat on her forehead, Li Yu smiled and said to her, ¡°Go wash up and change into a lighter dress first. I¡¯ll get the old woman to bring you something to fill your stomach.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Sister, ¡± said Fan Mingfang with a smile. She was indeed feeling sticky and ufortable.


    Everyone left, leaving only the dowry woman and maidservant in the house. After the two of them helped Fan Mingfang wash up and change into a light dress, Fan Mingfang feltfortable.


    Old Madam Liu brought in the wine and food and said with a smile, ¡°Madam must be hungry. Eat something to fill your stomach first.¡±


    The little girl quickly took the tray from Old Madam Liu¡¯s hand. ¡°Thank you, Granny.¡± She handed over a pouch.


    ¡°Thank you, Madam.¡± Old Madam Liu epted it with a smile, bowed, and left.


    Fan Mingfang had just finished her wine and brewed rice balls when Li Qing returned from toasting. He entered the house with a smile and looked at Fan Mingfang, who had already recovered her beautiful appearance. He sat on the edge of the bed and asked gently, ¡°Have you eaten?¡±


    Fan Mingfang nced at the handsome Li Qing and nodded with a red face. ¡°I¡¯ve eaten. Sister asked the old woman to send something.¡±


    The matron of honor smiled at the two of them and said, ¡°Groom, bride, it¡¯s time to bind the hair.¡±


    Li Qing smiled and nodded. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    The matron of honor picked up the silver scissors with a smile. ¡°No trouble, no trouble.¡±


    The matron of honor asked the couple to sit together with the man on the left and the woman on the right. She carefully cut a strand of hair off each of their heads and hummed a blessing song. She tied the two strands of long hair together and stuffed them under the pillow embroidered with mandarin ducks ying in the water.


    The matron of honor turned around and said with a smile, ¡°The ceremony is over. I wish the bride and groom a hundred years of bliss and abundance.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± The dowry woman handed a pouch to the matron of honor with a smile. The matron of honor pinched the pouch happily and bowed to the two of them before leaving.


    Fan Mingfang¡¯s dowry woman and girl quietly retreated and closed the door.


    Li Qing looked at the shy Fan Mingfang with lust in his eyes. ¡®Wanwan, let¡¯s rest!¡± Fan Mingfang nodded shyly.


    In the courtyard outside, everyone was busy packing up the tables and chairs and arranging tea sets to move into the storeroom.


    As soon as Xiaoyu and Gu Yu walked into the storeroom, Auntie Zhang pulled


    Gu Yu back and whispered, ¡°Gu Yu, why don¡¯t I see Manager Cai¡¯s wife today?¡±


    Gu Yu thought for a moment and realized that she had not seen her for the past two days. Thinking about how she had seen Zhizi carrying a bag yesterday and walking in a hurry with her head lowered, she felt that the two of them must have quarreled.


    She said perfunctorily to Aunt Zhang, ¡°I heard from Brother Cai that she¡¯s not feeling well. I¡¯ll take a look after I¡¯m done packing.¡±


    ¡°So she wasn¡¯t not feeling well! Go and see if you¡¯re pregnant.¡± Aunt Zhang smiled.


    ¡°That¡¯s a possibility!¡± Gu Yu smiled and nodded.


    After Aunt Zhang left, Gu Yu whispered to Xiaoyu, ¡°Sister Yu, I saw her carrying this bag when I went out yesterday. It seems that she went back to her mother¡¯s house. Sister Yu, I don¡¯t think Zhizi is close to us. When Madam returned from the countryside, she didn¡¯t take the initiative to go to the residence to pay her respects. She only went every time I called her.¡±


    Xiaoyu smiled and said, ¡°After all, she¡¯s a wife who was married from outside of our circle. She¡¯s not familiar with us. She¡¯ll be fine after interacting with us for a while.¡±


    Gu Yu thought about it and felt that it made sense. She nodded and said, ¡°Yes! What you said makes sense.¡±


    After everyone packed up, they came out of the Li family¡¯s house and walked back. When Xiaoyu arrived home, she told Ruyi what Gu Yu had said and said to him, ¡°Find an opportunity to ask Brother Cai what¡¯s going on between him and his wife. Something is going to happen at home.¡± Ruyi thought for a moment. ¡°Rest first. I¡¯ll go to Zhao Cai to take a look.¡± Xiaoyu nodded. ¡°That¡¯s good. Try to persuade him.¡±


    Ruyi went to Zhao Cai¡¯s house. After calling for the door to be opened, the gatekeeper looked at Ruyi and smiled. ¡°Second Master is here! My master hasn¡¯t rested yet!¡±


    ¡°Alright, rest first. I¡¯ll call you when I leave.¡± Ruyi walked straight to the backyard.


    ¡°It¡¯ste. Why are you here?¡± Zhao Cai stood at the door and looked at Ruyi.


    Ruyi saw his unhappy expression. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? I¡¯ve been feeling that something¡¯s wrong with you these past two days. Did you quarrel with your wife?¡±


    ¡°Sigh, don¡¯t talk about it¡­¡± Zhao Cai nced at Ruyi and hesitated. Ruyi patted him and hugged his shoulder with a smile. ¡°From the looks of it, you¡¯ve quarreled with your wife. Tell me, so I can help youe up with an idea. Go back and coax your wife.¡±


    ¡°Let me tell you. After we got married, she has to go back to her mother¡¯s house every now and then. I originally felt that she was not used to it since she had just married. However, Master-inw was so busy getting married and Ji Xiang¡¯s wife went to help even though she was pregnant. My wife still went to her mother¡¯s house every day. I listened to you and didn¡¯t argue with her when I came back. I only said a few words to her before she jumped back to her mother¡¯s house. She didn¡¯t evene back to help Master-inw get married.¡±


    Zhao Cai looked at Ruyi gloomily.. ¡°Tell me, why does Xiaoyu follow you after getting married? Why doesn¡¯t she listen to her mother?¡±

 Chapter 460 - 460: Serving Tea

    Chapter 460: Serving Tea


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    She was greedy and did not agree with him. It seemed that Brother Cai¡¯s wife was ambitious and his mother-inw was a troublemaker!


    Ruyi knew that Zhao Cai¡¯s thoughts were the same as his. He wanted to help Master and Madam take care of the matters in the residence and serve them for the rest of his life.


    ¡°Did she ask you to find a job for you in the government office, but you didn¡¯t agree?¡±


    Zhao Cai nodded. ¡°She listened to her mother and two sisters-inw. She mentioned it twice in the past and nagged a few more times after Master was promoted. I thought she was nagging. After the argument that night, I realized that she really wanted me to ask Master for an errand. She didn¡¯t take what I said to her seriously.¡±


    Ruyi looked at Zhao Cai¡¯s depressed expression and felt ufortable. ¡°No wonder I didn¡¯t see your wife helping Master-inw. If she doesn¡¯te home, what do you n to do? Brother Cai, we have to understand that the higher Master¡¯s position is, the more people will covet him. It¡¯s easy to dodge an open spear but difficult to guard against a hidden arrow. Madam¡¯s body can¡¯t be exhausted now. We have to be more careful.¡±


    Zhao Cai rubbed his face bitterly a few times and felt extremely annoyed. He looked at Ruyi and said, ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll talk to her properly.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be too disappointed. Sister-inw¡¯s experience since she was young is different from ours. She only interacts with women in the house and doesn¡¯t know how difficult the world is. It¡¯s inevitable that she has unrealistic thoughts. Calm down and talk to Sister-inw.¡±


    Zhao Cai nodded. ¡°I understand. You¡¯ve had a long day. Go back and rest first.¡±


    Ruyi got up and patted Zhao Cai¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You should sleep early too.¡±


    The next morning, Uncle Lin and his aunt¡¯s family also went to Li Qing¡¯s house. Everyone went to the central room and waited for Li Qing and his wife to serve tea and acknowledge their families.


    The smiling Li Qing entered the central room with the shy Fan Mingfang. The maidservant ced a thick cushion in the middle of the central room. Li Qing and Fan Mingfang both knelt down. They bowed to Uncle Lin and Madam Gong, who were sitting at the top. ¡°Greetings, Uncle and Aunt.¡±


    ¡®¡±6000, gooa, gooa. (Jet up!¡± uncle Lin ana Ivyaaam Gong said. Ll Qing ana ran Mingfang stood up. The old woman brought the tray again. Fan Mingfang held the tea and knelt down to bow. ¡°Uncle, please drink tea.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Uncle Lin looked at the two of them with a gratified expression. He took the tea and took a sip. He took out a red silk bag from his pocket and opened it to reveal a pair of white jade bracelets. He handed them to Fan Mingfang with a smile. ¡°The two of you have a good life. Only then will I have the face to see your inws in the future.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Uncle.¡± Fan Mingfang kowtowed solemnly again before getting up.


    The old woman brought tea again. Fan Mingfang knelt down again and said to


    Madam Gong, ¡°Aunt, please drink tea.¡±


    ¡°Good girl.¡± Madam Gong smiled and took a sip of tea. ¡°Good girl.¡± She took a brocade box from the old woman. Inside the brocade box was a pair of pure gold bracelets with a picture of a child carved on them. Madam Gong handed it to Fan Mingfang and said with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s good to have more children.¡± ¡°Thank you, Aunt,¡± Fan Mingfang said as she blushed.


    When the two of them arrived in front of Li Yu and Zhou Jia, Li Qing held Fan Mingfang¡¯s hand and knelt on the ground. ¡°Ah Qing, get up quickly.¡± Li Yu and Zhou Jia hurriedly stood up. Li Qing and his wife insisted on kowtowing and bowing. ¡°Brother-inw, Sister, thank you for raising me.¡±


    Li Yu and Zhou Jia hurriedly helped them up. ¡°Why are these two children so polite?¡±


    Uncle Lin and Aunt said, ¡°Ah Yu, you and Jiahe deserve this gift.¡±


    Li Yu gave Fan Mingfang a set of hair essories, and Zhou Jia gave her a mandarin duck inkstone.


    Then, it was the cousins from the Lin family and Yangyang. Fan Mingfang sent over the prepared greeting gift and even made shoes for Mr. Wen.


    Seeing that Fan Mingfang was elegant and meticulous, Uncle Lin said happily to Li Yu and her husband, ¡°Everyone says that Ah Qing¡¯s marriage is not bad. Your aunt and I are also very satisfied. The two of you will live well in the future.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Uncle.¡± Li Qing and Fan Mingfang bowed to Madam Gong. ¡°Aunt, we have troubled you these days.¡±


    Madam Gong smiled and pulled Fan Mingfang. ¡°Aunt is happy to see you two harmonious.¡±


    ¡°Your aunt is right. Ah Yu, Jia, and you have to live well too.¡± Uncle Lin looked at Li Yu in relief.


    The few of them agreed solemnly. Everyone happily ate a meal and bade farewell to Li Qing and his wife before returning home.


    When they reached home, Li Yu smiled at Zhou Jia with some emotion and said, ¡°Ah Qing is also under the management of his wife. I feel that I¡¯ve aplished a big thing.¡±


    ¡°Ah Qing¡¯s marriage is a big deal.¡± Zhou Jia remarked. ¡°Blessed are those with a wife. ¡±


    Yangyang nced at the couple. ¡°Father, Mother, why do I have to be controlled by my wife? I think I¡¯m very lucky to be controlled by Father and Mother! ¡±


    That¡¯s right! Children with parents are the most blessed. Li Yu smiled as she thought about it. ¡°Yes, my Yangyang is a blessed child¡­¡±


    ¡°Aiyo!¡± Before she could finish speaking, Li Yu was punched in the stomach by the baby. This was followed by a kick. ¡°Naughty little thing.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu worriedly. ¡°Did the child kick you again?¡±


    Yangyang said like an adult, ¡°Little brother is not obedient. You have to be more strict in the future.¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled at his son. Li Yu smiled and praised him. ¡°Yes! Yang¡¯er is the most obedient and dotes on Mother the most.¡±


    Ruyi stood there with Seven Pounds and smiled at the family of three. Seven Pounds ran over happily and held Yangyang¡¯s hand. ¡°Young Master, Old Master has agreed to teach me medicine.¡±


    ¡°Really? That¡¯s great.¡± Yangyang looked at him with sparkling eyes and held his hand hamilv. ¡°Let¡¯s 20 tell Brother Loach and the others.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Ruyi and smiled. ¡°Have you decided?¡±


    Ruyi bowed and said, ¡°Yes, Master. The child likes it and Old Master is willing to teach him. It¡¯s a blessing he umted in his previous life.¡±


    Zhou Jia nodded. ¡°He was taught to recognize medicinal herbs. He remembered it after saying it once. Seven Pounds is a pure and thoughtful child. Sir is also willing to teach him medical skills.¡±


    ¡°Jiahe, then Seven Pounds will be your junior brother in the future!¡± Li Yu looked at him and smiled.


    Zhou Jia smiled and spread out his hands. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a problem. We¡¯ll go our separate ways.¡±


    Ruyi smiled and said, ¡°Old Master said that there¡¯s no need to be ranked like before.¡±


    Zhou Jia nodded. ¡°Alright, go back and tell your wife. I¡¯ll go see Old Master.¡±


    Ruyi left. Li Yu thought for a moment and said to Zhou Jia, ¡°Xiao Xi, what do you think about opening a medical center for Sir? Sir¡¯s energy is limited. We can hire two physicians to help Sir. On the 15th of every month, we will treat those old and poor people for free.¡±


    Zhou Jia thought for a moment and nodded. ¡°To treat the old and poor for free. Now that we have the ability, we should do it. Go and rest for a while. I¡¯ll talk to


    Sir and see what he thinks.¡±


    ¡°Alright, if Sir agrees, we¡¯ll think of a specific operation.¡±


    Zhou Jia nodded and sent Li Yu back to her room before going to Mr. Wen¡¯s pharmacy. He saw that he was still writing.


    ¡°Sir, rest for a while. I¡¯ll help you tidy up.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know what I need to do.¡± Mr. Wen looked up at Zhou Jia. ¡°During the writing process, I have to rearrange the insights recorded during the treatment before recording them..¡±

 Chapter 461 - 461: Medical Hall, The Worrisome Mother-in-law

    Chapter 461: Medical Hall, The Worrisome Mother-inw


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Zhou Jia pulled out a chair and sat beside Mr. Wen. ¡°Ruyi said that you promised to teach Seven Pounds medical skills. Xiaoyu said that she will open a medical center for you and hire two doctors to help you. What do you think?¡±


    When Mr. Wen heard this, he put down the pen in his hand and looked at the manuscript in front of him for a long time. He looked up at Zhou Jia and said, ¡°It¡¯s good to open a medical center. Sir¡¯s energy is no longer the same as before, and he doesn¡¯t have the energy to bring that child, Seven Pounds, around to treat patients. Take some silver and open a medical center for Xiaoyu.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Mr. Wen and said with a smile, ¡°I¡¯ll leave the silver with you first. If you see rare medicinal herbs, it¡¯s convenient for you to buy them.¡±


    ¡°Sir, what Xiaoyu means is that on the 15th of every month, the medical center will consult and give medicine to those poor families for free. Where do you think we should choose?¡±


    ¡°So these two children nned to open a medical center for me.¡±


    Mr. Wen looked at Zhou Jia gratefully. ¡°Jiahe, thank you and Xiaoyu. You¡¯re both good children. There aren¡¯t many medical centers in West City, so you can open one there.¡±


    ¡°Sir, you should praise my wife. She thought of it.¡± Zhou Jia smiled proudly.


    ¡°Which pharmacy are you familiar with? Tell Ruyi to get him to do it.¡±


    ¡°Sir, praise herter,¡± Mr. Wen said with a smile. ¡°Go ahead. Sir, make a list of what you need to buy.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll get Ruyi to look for you. Take him to West City and find a


    satisfactory position.¡±


    Zhou Jia came out of Mr. Wen¡¯s room and went to the outer courtyard. He sent Tiezhu to Ruyi¡¯s house to call Ruyi.


    ¡°Yes, Master.¡± Tiezhu agreed and hurriedly went out to Ruyi¡¯s house.


    After Zhao Cai finished his business and went home, he saw that Zhizi still had not returned home. He turned around and rode his horse toward the Lin family¡¯s residence in the capital. Lin Yuxuan had nned to return after high school, so only Zhizi was left at home to watch the courtyard.


    Zhao Cai went to the corner door in the back garden where the Lin family lived. Looking at the narrow house inside, he recalled that in the past, Zhizi had found her house cramped. As a big girl, she lived behind a curtain with her parents. It was too inconvenient. She wanted very much to have her own house.


    Now that Master had bought two houses, they were living in the house with three servants. Yet she wanted to take another step forward. If she used Master¡¯s power to take another step forward, she would definitely not be satisfied with that step. She wanted to climb higher and could end up harming others and herself until she fell to her death.


    The more Zhao Cai thought about it, the colder his heart became. He led the horse and was about to leave when he saw Zhizi¡¯s mother open the courtyard door. Zhao Cai bowed and said, ¡°Mother-inw¡­¡±


    ¡°Come in. I have something to tell you.¡± Zhizi¡¯s mother interrupted Zhao Cai and let him into the courtyard. She scolded, ¡°What are you doing here? Back then, I thought you were a good person, so I betrothed my Zhizi to you. I didn¡¯t expect you to anger my daughter home after half a year. I didn¡¯t see you admit your mistake and pick her up. You only thought of picking her up today. Let me tell you, it¡¯s toote.¡±


    Zhao Cai listened to her finish sternly and frowned at the closed door in front of him. ¡°Mother-inw, what do you mean?¡±


    Zhizi nced at Zhao Cai. ¡°It¡¯s what you think. Why should my flower-like daughter be matched to an ordinary-looking person like you? It¡¯s because I heard from Zhizi¡¯s father that your master is a capable person. He wants to marry his daughter to you so that you can help Zhizi¡¯s brother. Hmph! You can just go ahead and be a servant!¡±


    Zhao Cai suppressed the anger in his heart. ¡°From what you¡¯re saying, you want


    Zhizi to split up with me, right?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s been with you for half a year and was a virgin girl before that. It¡¯s not that easy.¡± Zhizi¡¯s mother sneered.


    Zhao Cai was furious. ¡°Your Zhizi is a good virgin! I was also a virgin back then! You can do whatever you want. If it really doesn¡¯t work, I¡¯ll write a divorce letter and send it over, okay?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll beat you to death, you beast.¡± Zhizi¡¯s mother turned, picked up the broom, and hit Zhao Cai.


    Zhao Cai grabbed the broom and broke it into two with a bang. He pointed at


    Zhi¡¯s mother and said, ¡®You don¡¯t have to make a scene. Let me say this today. Your daughter was instigated by a mother like you. I won¡¯t serve a mother-inw like you!¡±


    Zhizi¡¯s mother watched in a daze as Zhao Cai threw the broom to the ground.


    She turned around and left the courtyard without looking back. She roared, ¡°Little rascal, don¡¯t beg me if you have the ability.¡±


    Zhizi opened the door and walked out. Sheined, ¡°Mother, didn¡¯t you hear what I said? He¡¯s very opinionated! He won¡¯t be fooled by you. What should we do now?¡±


    Zhizi¡¯s mother red at Zhizi and imparted her husband¡¯s experience. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. He begged us like that back then. I saw that he cherished you and wouldn¡¯t really write a divorce letter. If you let him win this time, so you¡¯ll have to be weak in front of him for the rest of your life.¡±


    Zhizi¡¯s mother instructed earnestly, ¡°Stay at home and wait for him to beg you.¡±


    Zhizi nodded when she heard that. ¡°Mother, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll do as you say.


    Look, I haven¡¯t been back for the past few days.¡±


    Zhao Cai returned to the residence angrily and sat on the bamboo chair under the eaves of the corridor in a daze. Uncle Zhou came out and saw him like that. He smiled and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did you quarrel with your wife?¡±


    Zhao Cai got up and let Uncle Zhou sit down. He sighed and said, ¡°Uncle Zhou, why do you think we have to get a wife?¡±


    ¡°For the sake of carrying on the family line and having apanion. Why don¡¯t you tell me more?¡± Zhou Bole said.


    ¡°I went to my mother-inw¡¯s house just now¡­¡± Zhao Cai told Uncle Zhou what had happened and said angrily, ¡°I know she¡¯s hiding in the house. She listened to her mother and was instigated by her mother to fight me.¡±


    When Uncle Zhou heard this, he said with a dark expression, ¡°Your mother-inw is quite worrisome. You have to control what you marry into. She instigated her daughter to take charge of the inws¡¯ family. Don¡¯t use words to deal with such a person. If you want to have a stable life with your wife in the future, do your what you need to in peace and see what she can do.¡±


    Zhao Cai frowned and looked at the dark sky. He suddenly felt tired and said in a low voice, ¡®Uncle Zhou, I¡¯ve been thinking these days. I feel that her family is not on the same level as ours. If she doesn¡¯te home in a few days, I¡¯ll divorce her. On ount that we¡¯re husband and wife, I¡¯ll give her all the dowry and let her find an obedient man again.¡±


    Uncle Zhou advised, ¡°Your wife isn¡¯t getting married for fun. How can a divorced woman marry into a good family? If shees back, you should still live well with her. It¡¯s just that you¡¯ll be in charge of everything in the family in the future. Don¡¯t tell her anything you shouldn¡¯t tell her.¡±


    ¡°Got it,¡± Zhao Cai replied.


    Uncle Zhou patted Zhao Cai and stood up. ¡°Alright, don¡¯t frown. Your Auntie He and I are going to pay our respects to Old Master and Matriarch. Go get the carriage. I¡¯ll call your Auntie He.¡±


    ¡°Aye!¡± Zhao Cai agreed and headed for the stables..

 Chapter 462 - 462: Trick

    Chapter 462: Trick


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Mr. Wen brought Ruyi to a broker shop in West City. The broker brought the two of them around the city for two days and found a shop that satisfied Mr.


    Wen. There were two square doors and a small courtyard behind the shop hall. There was also a well in the courtyard.


    After securing the shop, Ruyi hired someone to paint it and hire a carpenter to make a medicine cab. Zhao Cai followed Mr. Wen to buy medicinal herbs elsewhere.


    Zhizi waited at her mother¡¯s house for a few days, but Zhao Cai did note to invite her back. The more she waited, the more flustered she became. While her mother was not at home, she packed her things and went home.


    When the gatekeeper saw her return, he bowed and said, ¡°Madam, Master went out with Old Master.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡± Jasmine was a little disappointed when she heard that. She entered the courtyard and looked at her spacious and bright home. She thought that her own home was better. She took her bag into the room and saw two letters left on the bed and her packed luggage.


    Zhizi picked it up and looked at it. One of the envelopes had the word ¡°letter message¡± written on it, and the other had the letter of release from marriage.


    Zhizi opened the message with a trembling hand and saw that it said, ¡°I can¡¯t be a husband to your satisfaction, nor will I be your mother¡¯s marite. Now, there are two paths in front of us. It¡¯s up to you to choose.¡±


    ¡°If you stay, put your luggage back in the cab. If you choose to leave, take your luggage and leave. I¡¯ll give you all the dowry and 500 taels of silver. I hope you can find a son-inw that suits your mother in the future.¡±


    Zhizi opened the other letter and saw that it said, ¡°From here own, we will go our separate ways.¡±


    ¡°Bastard, how dare you really write a letter of release?¡± Jasmine was so angry that she tore the release letter apart in a few moves. She threw it to the ground and stepped on it a few times. She gritted her teeth and stomped her feet as she shouted, ¡°Bastard, I won¡¯t let you off when youe back.¡±


    At this moment, the old woman reported from the door, ¡°Madam, the olddy is here to look for you.¡±


    Before she could finish her sentence, Zhizi pushed the door open and walked in. She pinched Zhizi¡¯s ear and said in expected better from someone, ¡°Wretched girl, I told you not toe back. Why did youe back?¡±


    Zhizi pointed at the torn letter on the ground. ¡°Mother, take a look. This is the letter that that bastard left behind. Do you want to make a fuss until I¡¯m divorced? I said that his personality is different from Father¡¯s. He¡¯s very headstrong and won¡¯t listen to me. Why don¡¯t you believe me?¡±


    Zhizi¡¯s mother pointed at Zhizi, her hands trembling with anger. ¡°Wretched girl, I¡¯m doing this for your own good. I¡¯m your mother. Why would I want you to be divorced? What good will it do me if you¡¯re divorced?¡±


    Zhizi said resentfully, ¡°Your trick is useless. Look, I listened to you. Didn¡¯t you see that he¡¯s not softened at all? Instead, our rtionship is getting worse and worse. Look, I didn¡¯t go over to help Madam¡¯s brother get married this time. What do you want Master and Madam to think of me? In the future, I¡¯ll be an unfaithful wife in their eyes.¡±


    Zhizi¡¯s mother looked at Zhizi in a daze for a while and sighed. ¡°Forget it! Forget it! You treated my good intentions as ill intentions. I won¡¯t ask about your matters in the future. Don¡¯te back and cry to me if you¡¯re bullied.¡± With that, she turned around angrily and left.


    Zhizi was at home putting the clothes back into the cab. When she saw the shredded paper on the ground, she picked it up listlessly and put it in her purse. She thought to herself that she had offended her family for her husband. If he didn¡¯t treat her well in the future, she would really go back home.


    In the evening, Li Fengqi went to the teahouse. After going upstairs, he walked towards a loyal-looking man. After sitting down, the man asked, ¡°Mr. Li, did you find out?¡±


    ¡°I found out.¡± Li Fengqi looked at him uneasily. ¡°I¡¯ve asked around and recorded everything my Madam knows since she was young. Have you prepared the things you promised me?¡±


    The man nced at him and picked up a small bag by his feet. He ced it on the table and patted it. ¡°These are all the insights from the top three on the rankings in the past decade. I believe that with your talent, it will be easy for you to be in the rankings in the next Spring Quarter Examination after you finish reading andprehending the notes. As long as you have talent, my master will mention you.¡±


    Li Fengqi looked at the small bag under the man¡¯s hand and his eyes lit up. It was as if he could see himself parading in from of tens of thousands of people on Mayu Street. He took out an oilskin paper bag from the bag and took out a stack of paper. He handed it to the man and said, ¡°Mr. Yang, it¡¯s all in here. What I recorded is what my Madam knows. I don¡¯t know what she doesn¡¯t know. ¡±


    The man called Mr. Yang flipped through it roughly and looked up to see Li Fengqi looking at the small bag on the table eagerly. He smiled and opened the bag to take out a stack of bound exam papers. He pushed them in front of Li Fengqi. ¡°High Schr Li, I wish you good luck.¡±


    Li Fengqi looked at the test paper in front of him excitedly and said happily,


    ¡°Yes, yes, yes. Thank you for your auspicious words, Mr. Yang.¡±


    Mr. Yang looked at his ecstatic expression as he held the papers and revealed a


    mocking gaze. He put the things into his bag and stood up. He smiled and said,


    ¡°Schr Li, see you again.¡±


    ¡°Mr. Yang, see you again.¡± Li Fengqi looked up and cupped his hands.


    Mr. Yang nodded and strode downstairs. Li Fengqi carefully ced the papers in the oilskin paper bag and hugged the bag in his arms. He walked downstairs as if he was carrying a rare treasure with a happy expression.


    After Mr. Yang went downstairs, he got into a carriage. The car stopped in front of arge courtyard. Mr. Yang entered the residence with a small bag and handed it to an old woman. ¡°Nanny, I took a look. Madam Li only got engaged to Assistant Minister Zhou after breaking off the engagement. From the looks of it, Madam Li doesn¡¯t have any stains on her character. Do you think it¡¯s useful?¡±


    The old woman frowned. ¡°I¡¯ll show it to Madam. Madam will decide if it¡¯s useful. Go back!¡±


    Mr. Yang cupped his hands and left. The old woman took the small bag into the inner courtyard. When she entered the house, she bowed to the exquisite woman lying on the couch and reported, ¡°Madam, I¡¯ve already obtained it. Mr. Yang said that ording to this, Madam Li doesn¡¯t have any stains on her character.¡±


    Country Lord Ning raised her chin. The old woman put down the bag, bowed, and left. Country Lord Ning said to the delicate-looking man who was sitting on the couch massaging her, ¡°Read it to me.¡±


    The escort took the booklet and read it softly. When she heard that Li Yu had escaped from the Zhang family with Li Qing and decisively broke off the engagement, she said, ¡°This temper is to my liking. Unfortunately, you offended me.¡±


    Country Lord Ning chuckled. ¡°Isn¡¯t that a stain? You can create waves on t ground and stir up waves without wind. Besides, you¡¯ve been engaged for a few years and lived in someone¡¯s house for a few years.¡± After saying that, she nced at the gigolo. ¡°Continue reading.¡±


    The escort then finished reading the records. When Country Lord Ning heard this, she thought to herself, ¡°She knows martial arts and was born with divine strength. She knows how to earn money and even saved Shen Yu¡¯s nephew on the way. Who is this person? Could it be His Majesty? That¡¯s impossible. His Majesty was still unconscious at that time.¡±


    ¡°Later, she saved the Shen family during the Lantern Festival and even produced high-yielding rice. It was probably because of this that she was conferred the title of Madam Protector and that person was promoted so quickly.¡±


    ¡°As soon as she returned to the capital, the Empress Dowager summoned her.¡±


    It seemed that she could not act carelessly because Li Yu had the support of the Empress Dowager. She had to do things realistically and speak with substance..

 Chapter 463 - 463: Trick, Gathering

    Chapter 463: Trick, Gathering


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Country Lord Ning made up her mind and said to the servant, ¡°Go, tell Granny Song to find Mr. Yang.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± The servant bowed and left. Soon, Granny Song stood outside the gauze curtain with Mr. Yang and reported, ¡°Madam, Mr. Yang is here.¡±


    Country Lord Ning said to Mr. Yang, ¡°Set off tomorrow morning and go to


    Tongzhou at full speed. Find Zhang Defa¡¯s family and bring them to the capital.


    I don¡¯t have to teach you what to do, right?¡±


    Mr. Yang bowed and said, ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± Then he left.


    Country Lord Ning recalled that Li Yu was pregnant and suddenly had a vicious n. She said to Granny Song, ¡°Get someone to try to bribe the old women from the Zhou family and ask which midwife the Zhou family is preparing to hire to deliver the child. After asking around, go and bribe the midwife.¡±


    When Granny Song heard this, she looked troubled. She thought for a moment and suggested, ¡°Madam, I heard that the servants of the Zhou family have all been following them. Moreover, he doesn¡¯t have any wives or concubines fighting. I feel that it¡¯s very difficult to achieve anything.


    ¡°Country Lord Ning, I think it¡¯s better to ask around about famous midwives to bribe the one they would hire. Think about it, there are only a few famous midwives. Let¡¯s ask around and send someone to watch the midwives. As long as we see the Zhou familying to invite one, we¡¯ll go and bribe her.¡±


    When Country Lord Ning heard this, she recalled that she had not heard any news about the Zhou family from those women these days. She had only found out about Madam Li¡¯s cousin before thinking of a way to find out that information.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. How about this? We¡¯ll do as you say. It¡¯s best if it works. If it doesn¡¯t, we still have a backup n waiting for her. Remember, don¡¯t expose yourself and make her wary.¡±


    Granny Song felt much more rxed when she heard that. She bowed and agreed. ¡°Yes, Madam.¡±


    ¡°Madam Li, just wait and see my methods!¡± Country Lord Ningy back on the bed proudly. She suddenly thought of that disrespectful gaze and muttered, ¡°How can a rough woman be worthy of such a good man?¡±


    Granny Song went to East City the next morning and found a few brokers to find out that there were a few midwives who were the most famous in the circle of officials in East City. The families in that area all hired these midwives.


    The first person she wanted to hire was a midwife with the surname Liu. Madam Liu¡¯s family ran a medical center. Because a daughter could not learn medicine, she was taught some skills rting to women¡¯s illnesses.


    After Madam Liu got married and had children, she began to deliver babies. Coupled with the fact that she knew some medical skills, she became famous after a while. After bing famous, she couldn¡¯t be bothered to earn small sums of money. She worked in an official¡¯s family, and her price for delivering babies was not low.


    There was also a pair of sisters from the Wu family. They had learned their delivery skills from their mother. Their delivery skills were a little famous in the circle of officials in the capital..


    Granny Song felt that the Zhou family would definitely look for Madam Liu first, followed by Madam Wu, andstly, the two remaining midwives.


    After Granny Song went back to report to Country Lord Ning, she sent someone to guard the houses of those midwives.


    Two dayster, after Li Qing and his wife returned, they invited Li Yu¡¯s family and Uncle Lin¡¯s family to a banquet.


    After everyone was full, Lin Jia and her sister pulled Yangyang to y a game of picking up wooden sticks. The men discussed government affairs in the courtyard.


    Madam Gong apanied Li Yu in the garden to digest her food. Madam Gong looked at Li Yu¡¯s stomach and said with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s already mid-September. There are only three months left until you give birth. Although Granny Chen will also deliver the baby, you¡¯re pregnant with two babies. In my opinion, we have to hire a midwife. Have you asked about the midwife? Also, it¡¯s easy to give birth prematurely with two babies. We have to bring the midwife home in advance.¡±


    Li Yu recalled that Zhou Jia had already asked about the midwives a few months ago and smiled sweetly. ¡°Jiahe had already asked around. Ruyi came back and said that there were a few midwives who were not bad¡­ In the end, Jiahe invited a midwife with the surname Liu and Madam Wu. He felt that he would only be at ease with these three people and Granny Chen. We n to bring them home at the end of winter.¡±


    When Madam Gong heard this, she sighed and said, ¡°Yu¡¯er, Jiahe¡¯s kindness to you is really rare. Back then, Ah Lan and Ah Yun were delivered by the Wu family¡¯s sisters. Her family¡¯s ancestral delivery skills have never had a bad reputation.¡±


    ¡°Madam Liu had only risen in the past ten years. She was more famous than them because she knew how to treat some women¡¯s illnesses. In terms of experience in delivering babies, she was definitely not as experienced as the Wu family¡¯s sisters-inw. Aunt felt that you already had Granny Chen in your family. If you hire one, don¡¯t hire another.¡±


    Li Yu said to herself, ¡°How could I have forgotten that peers are wary of each other?! Xiao Xi and I have neglected it. It seems that Madam Gong is really thinking for me. Otherwise, who would give you advice in the face of such a big matter?¡±


    Li Yu felt a warmth in her heart. She held Madam Gong¡¯s arm and said sincerely, ¡°Thank you, Aunt. No wonder people say that having an elder at home is like having a treasure. We didn¡¯t think of this.¡±


    ¡°Silly girl, as long as you don¡¯t think Aunt is criticizing you,¡± Madam Gong said and sighed. ¡°Your uncle has been feeling guilty all these years. He feels that he didn¡¯t do his duty as an elder brother and caused Jinniang to be kidnapped. After finding you and knowing the truth, he has been sleeping peacefully at night these days. Aunt wants to thank you and Ah Qing for letting go of the past and reuniting with us.¡±


    Li Yu didn¡¯t expect Uncle Lin to still feel guilty after so many years. She persuaded, ¡°Aunt, you can¡¯t me Uncle for this. People often say that it¡¯s difficult to guard against thieves in the family. Who would have thought that she would harm her biological sister for her own selfish desires?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I never dreamed that there would be such a vicious person in the world. After your uncle found out the truth, he had already written to sever ties with her. Such a person can¡¯t be forgiven,¡± Madam Gong said in a low voice.


    The two of them turned back to the courtyard. Lin Zexu stood up and said, ¡°Ah Yu¡¯s body is inconvenient. Let¡¯s disperse!¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± They all stood up. Fan Mingfang came over and said to them with a smile, ¡°Yang¡¯er and his two cousins are still ying a game of picking up sticks!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re already so old, yet you¡¯re still ying children¡¯s games. Let¡¯s go take a look.¡± Lin Yun smiled and pulled Lin Lan up. The brothers watched Lin Jia and the others y.


    Everyone sat down and chatted for a while before dispersing to go home. When they reached home, Li Yu told Zhou Jia what Madam Gong had said.


    When Zhou Jia heard this, he nodded in agreement. ¡°Aunt is right. I took it for granted. Let¡¯s listen to Aunt. I¡¯ve asked Ruyi to go back to Granny Liu. Yu¡¯er, don¡¯t go to the manor. Uncle¡¯s family is going to get married in a few days. The weather is cold and the roads are slippery. I¡¯m worried.¡±


    Li Yu thought about it and felt that it made sense. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll listen to you. We¡¯ll talk about it after Cousin gets married.¡±


    The next morning, Zhou Jia woke up and looked at the sleeping Li Yu. He got out of bed quietly. Li Yu opened her eyes and looked at him sleepily. ¡°Are you going to court?¡±


    ¡°Yes! It¡¯s not dawn yet. Sleep a little longer before getting up to cultivate,¡± Zhou Jia said gently.


    Li Yu nodded and watched Zhou Jia leave. She narrowed her eyes and fell asleep again..

 Chapter 464 - 464: Impeachment

    Chapter 464: Impeachment


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    After dinner, Zhou Jia walked out of the courtyard. When he reached the front yard, he saw Ji Xiang and said to him, ¡°When Ruyies, get him to go to Granny Liu Wen¡¯s house to inform her that we will use her services.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master,¡± Ji Xiang agreed and sent Zhou Jia outside. Zhou Jia arrived at the pce door and walked towards the throne room with a few familiar officials.


    After a few local matters were discussed in the court, no one else came forward. Chu Yuhao looked at the officials under the court and was about to leave when Censor Feng stood up. ¡°Your Majesty, I¡¯m impeaching the assistant minister of the Ministry of Revenue, Lord Zhou. He¡¯s disloyal and unfilial. He didn¡¯t ask about his grandmother when she was seriously ill and secretly took office during the mourning period. He¡¯s unfilial and disloyal to the Imperial Court.¡±


    As he spoke, he looked at Zhou Jia and shouted sternly, ¡°Lord Zhou, although you were adopted by your third uncle, Old Madam Zhou is still your biological grandmother. You were indifferent to the old woman being paralyzed in bed. You¡¯re busy taking over without waiting for her to recover. What right do you have to stand in the royal court?¡±


    Lin Zexu looked at Zhou Jia worriedly. Zhou Jia smiled at him indifferently, and Lin Zexu was relieved.


    Chu Yuhao looked at Zhou Jia. ¡°Minister Zhou, what do you think?¡±


    Zhou Jia bowed and said, ¡°Your Majesty, indeed I didn¡¯t visit when the olddy was paralyzed in bed. I don¡¯t admit that I went to work during the mourning period. The olddy was still alive when I left. When she died, I didn¡¯t receive the news on my way to work. Uncle can testify to this. Your Majesty, please allow me to ask Censor Feng a few words.¡±


    Chu Yuhao said, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Zhou Jia walked up to Censor Feng and looked at him sharply. He asked firmly, ¡°Censor Feng, did your grandmother get someone to defame your mother and cause her to die unjustly?¡±


    ¡°What nonsense are you talking about?¡± Censor Feng interrupted Zhou Jia sternly. The ministers whispered.


    Zhou Jia ignored his question and continued to look at him as he asked, ¡°Did your grandmother force the eldest grandson to be adopted by the uncle who died early? Did she send people to kill you again and again after you were forced to be adopted?¡±


    ¡°Censor Feng, do you think it¡¯s unheard of and that is why your eyes are so wide open? Let me tell you, this is what I¡¯ve experienced personally. This is how my biological grandmother treated me. It¡¯s already an honor that I didn¡¯t kill her personally to avenge her mother. I¡¯m not afraid to tell you that I won¡¯t mourn for her even in the capital.¡±


    Censor Feng looked at Zhou Jia speechlessly. The officials in the royal court were dumbfounded. Lin Zexu looked at Zhou Jia and nodded in admiration.


    Zhou Jia looked at Censor Feng coldly and turned to face the emperor. He bowed and took off his official hat with both hands. ¡°Your Majesty, everything I said is true. I¡¯m too ashamed to stand in the royal court.¡±


    Chu Yuhao looked at the officials below the hall. ¡°Dear ministers, what do you think?¡±


    Lin Zexu went forward and bowed. ¡°Your Majesty, how can Lord Zhou be expected to be filial when his grandmother was so ruthless? Lord Zhou shouldn¡¯t take the me and resign.¡±


    Censor Tang also went forward and said, ¡°Your Majesty, Schr Lin is right.¡±


    Seeing the emperor¡¯s attitude, the ministers knew what he meant and bowed.


    Chu Yuhao looked at Zhou Jia and said, ¡°In that case, Minister Zhou, keep your official hat and be fined for three months !¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty.¡± Zhou Jia kowtowed in gratitude. Chu Yuhao stood up and walked towards the back hall. The ministers dispersed and walked out in groups of twos and threes.


    Censor Feng walked alone dejectedly. When he saw Zhou Jia and Lin Zexu walking over happily, he couldn¡¯t understand. Everyone wouldn¡¯t wash dirty linen in public. How could he dare to expose everything? Why was His Majesty so tolerant of him? He might as well have not punished him.


    After Li Yu got up and went to the backyard to train, she had just returned to the courtyard to take a shower when Xing Hua rushed in and said, ¡°Madam, Han San came back and said that he has something to report.¡±


    Han San came so early. What happened? Li Yu said to Xing Hua, ¡°Let him in.¡±


    Xing Hua agreed and left.


    Li Yu put on her clothes and went to the reception hall. Han San went forward and bowed to report, ¡°Madam, my former friend went to the manorst night to look for me. He said that two days ago, someone from the Feng family looked for Master¡¯s cousins and asked about Master and their family. I think the Feng family is going to cause trouble.¡±


    Finding the two idiots in the old residence to ask for information! Li Yu thought for a moment and recalled that Old Master Zhou had said that the olddy had left but he didn¡¯t let Zhou Jiae back to mourn. She felt that the Feng family might want to impeach Zhou Jia in the royal court.


    ¡°I understand.¡± Li Yu asked Xing Hua to take a pouch for Han San. ¡°Go and thank your friend. Don¡¯t let him make a wasted trip.¡±


    Han San bowed and agreed. ¡°Madam, I think the Feng family might know that I found someone to lure his young master into gambling.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t bother about that. You¡¯re a member of the Zhou family now. He won¡¯t dare to deal with you openly.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± Han San left.


    Li Yu called Ji Xiang over and told him the news that Han San had brought. She said to him, ¡°Go to the government office and tell Master about the Feng family looking for Zhou Xin and the others. Let him think of a way to deal with it.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± When Ji Xiang arrived at the Ministry of Revenue, Tiezhu said when he saw him, ¡°Brother Xiang, Master was impeached by Censor Feng in the court today. I heard from them that Master refuted Censor Feng until he was almost unconscious in the hall.¡±


    Ji Xiang heaved a sigh of relief and smiled. ¡°So what if the Feng family is fast? They¡¯re still not as powerful as our master.¡±


    Zhou Jia heard theirughter in the public room. He walked to the door and called the two of them into the house. He looked at Ji Xiang. ¡°Madam asked you toe?¡±


    ¡°Yes! Madam heard from Han San that the Feng family found those two brothers and asked me to tell you.¡± Ji Xiang smiled until his eyes were almost closed. ¡°Tell me, how did you scold him?¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled and told Ji Xiang about Censor Feng¡¯s impeachment in the royal court. When Ji Xiang heard this, heughed. ¡°Yes, such a person should be taught a lesson!¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at him and smiled. ¡°Hurry up and go back and tell Madam the news so that she won¡¯t worry.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master.¡± Ji Xiang bowed happily and left. He rushed home to tell Li Yu the news.


    When Li Yu heard the news that Ji Xiang had brought back, she smiled and said, ¡°The Feng family members are taking turns looking for trouble.¡±


    Ji Xiang nodded with a smile. ¡°Madam is right. They¡¯re just looking for trouble!¡±


    Li Yu smiled and waved her hand. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Go ahead. I¡¯ll go to the garden to take a look.¡±


    Ji Xiang suddenly recalled Zhou Jia¡¯s instructions. ¡°I still have to find Ruyi to send Granny Liu back!¡±


    Li Yu stopped him and said, ¡°We dyed her epting business. Tell Ruyi to buy a few colored cakes and find a reason to reply to her. Say something polite.¡±


    When Ruyi heard Ji Xiang¡¯s words, he went to the cake shop to buy a few colored cakes. He carried them to Madam Liu¡¯s house. When Ruyi arrived, he politely handed over the cakes and apologized with a smile, ¡°Auntie Liu, I¡¯m sorry. My Madam¡¯s uncle sent a midwife over and dyed your business..¡±

 Chapter 465 - 465: Can ‘t Give a Name Anymore

    Chapter 465 - 465: Can ¡®t Give a Name Anymore


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Although Granny Liu was a little unhappy, she saw that Ruyi was polite and considerate. Thinking that there were many families who had looked for her to deliver the child, her unhappiness disappeared. She smiled politely and said, ¡°Your residence is too polite. If you need anything in the future, just call me.¡±


    Ruyi also cupped her hands politely and smiled. ¡°Thank you, Auntie Liu. I¡¯ll take my leave.¡±


    When Ruyi came out of Granny Liu¡¯s house, the old woman arranged by Granny Song entered her house to ask for information. When Granny Liu saw the old woman, she asked, ¡°May I know which residence you¡¯re from? Are you here to deliver the child or see a doctor?¡±


    The old woman smiled and handed over a pouch. ¡°Sister Liu, I want to ask, did that young man ask you to deliver the child?¡±


    Granny Liu pinched the pouch in her hand and looked at her with a smile. ¡°Sister, we have rules in the industry. Originally, we can¡¯t casually reveal the news of our employer, but I can tell you about that person just now. He came back and forth to me. He said that someone in their residence sent a midwife to deliver the child. There¡¯s no need for me to go.¡±


    Seeing Granny Liu¡¯s expression, the old woman felt that she was not lying to her. She smiled and bowed before leaving.


    Granny Liu waited for the old woman to walk away. She looked at the pouch in her hand and said to herself, ¡°Fortunately, the Zhou family returned to me.


    Otherwise, it would be troublesome. Who was targeting Madam Zhou?¡±


    The old woman went back and told Granny Song the news she had found out. Granny Song lowered her head and thought for a moment. Could it be that the news had leaked? It was better to ignore it and avoid unnecessary trouble. She looked up at the old woman and said, ¡°Go back and continue to keep an eye on her.¡¯


    At the end of September, the weather became colder and colder. Most people put on their clothes. Li Yu thought that it was almost winter. She thought of the two rows of sweet potatoes and drew a blueprint of a greenhouse. She handed it to Ji Xiang and said, ¡°Go to the Wang Family Vigeand build a greenhouse for those sweet potatoes with bamboo poles and straw curtains.¡±


    ¡°Tell Han San¡¯s family to lift the straw curtain covering it when it¡¯s warm in the day and let those sweet potatoes bask in the sun. Also, bring the contents of the wooden box back to the city.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± Ji Xiang agreed and went to the Wang Family Vige. After building arge shed, he returned to the city with a few boxes of sweet potatoes.


    Li Yu asked him to ce those sweet potatoes in the kitchen at night and carry them outside during the day. Auntie He, Old Madam Liu, and the others took note of Li Yu¡¯s precious boxes and carried them in and out on time every day. They tended to them meticulously as if they were serving treasures.


    The frost sun was also a good day for nourishment. Mr. Wen obtained some warm nourishing herbs and handed them to Auntie He to stew soup for everyone. Li Yu could no longer nourish herself. She watched Yangyang and Zhou Jia drink the nourishing soup and thought of the wild animals in the space. She thought about when she could find an opportunity to let Auntie He make it.


    On the first day of October, Mr. Wen¡¯s Wen Medical Hall opened. He invited two physicians, one with the surname Zou and the other with the surname Liu. On the first day of opening, they treated poor patients above the age of 40 for free.


    Li Yu brought Granny Chen and Xing Hua to the medical center. There were not many patients in the medical center. Mr. Wen was taking the pulse of an old man whose clothes had been washed until they were white. Seven Pounds sat beside Mr. Wen and looked at him seriously.


    When Ah Fa, the clerk of the medical center, saw Li Yu, he eagerly weed her into the shop. Li Yu went to the backyard to see Ruyi leading people to tidy up the storeroom at the back. Ayer of wood lime and charcoal was spread under the shelves of the storeroom.


    Ruyi stared at the bottom of the shelf and said with a smile, ¡°Madam, the owner of the medicinal herb shop taught me this. He said that this can prevent moisture ¡±


    Li Yu smiled and nodded. ¡°These two can indeed prevent the tide. This shopkeeper knows how to do business.¡±


    ¡°Yes! This pharmacy does the best business,¡± Ruyi said.


    Li Yu looked around and saw that Mr. Wen had already prescribed a prescription for the patient and was exining the patient¡¯s situation to Seven Pounds. She looked up and saw Li Yu. She smiled and said, ¡°Xiaoyu, what do you think of this shop?¡±


    ¡°Not bad. It¡¯s quite spacious. It¡¯s convenient to have a courtyard at the back.¡± Li Yu smiled.


    At this moment, the old man had already taken the medicine. He took out a


    copper coin from his pocket with a trembling hand and asked, ¡°Young man, how much?¡±


    Ah Fa said to him loudly, ¡°Old man, it¡¯s opening today. Doctor Wen said that today, patients above 40 years old will be treated for free. It¡¯s written on the sign outside.¡±


    The old man was overjoyed when he heard that. ¡°There¡¯s such a thing? Thank you! Thank you!¡± As he spoke, he bowed gratefully to Mr. Wen. ¡°Thank you, Doctor Wen.¡±


    Mr. Wen nodded and smiled. ¡°Go! The medicinal dregs can be used to soak your feet before bed at night.¡±


    ¡°Good, that¡¯s great. I was worried that there wouldn¡¯t be enough copper coins. I thought that the medicine you prescribed was cheap, so I boldly came. Thank you.¡± The old man cupped his hands repeatedly and thanked him.


    After a while, the front of the medical center was filled with patients in thin clothes. Some were even wearing tattered clothes.


    Seeing that they were trembling in the cold wind, Li Yu thought for a moment and went into the backyard to say to Ruyi, ¡°Go to the market and buy some bones and ginger. Also, buy a cauldron to make bone soup.¡±


    Ruyi asked in confusion, ¡°Madam, are you buying the cauldron and bones to make soup in the shop for those patients?¡±


    Li Yu nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. In the future, we¡¯ll also make bone ginger soup to ward off the cold for them every day.¡±


    Ruyi bowed and said, ¡°Yes, Madam. I¡¯ll do it now.¡±


    From then on, on every day that the Wen family¡¯s medical center practised medicine, there would be arge cauldron at the entrance of the medical center. There was bone ginger soup boiling inside, and it would be changed to herbal tea in summer.


    In the blink of an eye, it was the day of Lin Lan¡¯s marriage. Fan Mingfang also went to the Lin family to help. Li Yu¡¯s family went to the Lin family to attend the banquet to congratte them.


    After the wedding banquet, it was winter solstice in the blink of an eye. People put on bloated winter clothes and burned the brazier. The house was as warm as it was in spring. Li Yu put on a crane cloak and went to the back garden. Xing Hua and Granny Chen followed behind. Li Yu looked at the sky and saw that it was covered in dark clouds. She thought that it was going to snow.


    Winter arrived, and Li Yu¡¯s belly became even bigger. She couldn¡¯t see her instep even if she lowered her head. She couldn¡¯t lie down at night at all. She could only lie on her side for a while before getting up and leaning against the recliner to sleep for a while.


    At night, Zhou Jia saw that she was working hard. His heart ached as he sat up and pulled Li Yu into his arms. He kissed her temple and gently stroked her shoulder. ¡°Yu¡¯er, I¡¯m not busy these days. Lean on me and sleep well.¡±


    Li Yu looked up at him and said gently, ¡°You have to go to the government office so early every day. I can catch up on sleep during the day.¡±


    ¡°Madam, I¡¯m fine. I can take a nap in the public room during the day,¡± Zhou Jia said gently. The couple leaned against each other and Li Yu fell asleep.


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu¡¯s tired expression and decided not to have another baby after Li Yu gave birth to this pair of children.


    Li Yu leaned against Zhou Jia and slept. When she opened her eyes, she saw him leaning against the head of the bed and looking at her. She smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯S m morerortaD1e arter a nap. Hurry up ana sleep. ¡®Ine court meeting is in two hours.¡±


    Seeing that she had woken up, Zhou Jia knew that she was going to relieve herself. Thinking that she had never allowed him to apany her, he reminded her considerately, ¡°Be careful. I¡¯ll sleep when youe back.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡± Li Yu smiled and got out of bed. She walked towards the toilet in the cubicle..

 Chapter 466 - 466: Tongzhou

    Chapter 466: Tongzhou


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    The days passed. In the blink of an eye, the winter solstice passed and it was winter. Although the winter in the capital was not as heavy as the snow in Yunzhou and Tongzhou, it was no less cold than in those two ces. It was a kind of cold that drilled into the bones.


    Granny Song sent people to take turns guarding the few midwives, but she still did not see the Zhou family sending people to hire midwives.


    On the nine cold days, it was raining and snowing. The few of them often appeared nearby and attracted the attention of others. The families with children at home were worried that they were up to no good. The woman next door to the Liu family went forward and pulled an old woman back. She asked with a green face, ¡°I saw that you¡¯ve been hanging around us a few times. It¡¯s so cold. Instead of going home to stay, you¡¯re still hanging around outside. What are you trying to do?¡±


    The old woman struggled free and blushed. ¡°I was just passing by. What¡¯s wrong? Am I not allowed to pass?¡±


    At this moment, the man in the woman¡¯s house came out and shouted at the old woman, ¡°You¡¯ve been wandering around here furtively for a long time. Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ve been paying attention to you long ago. There are also two young men. I think they¡¯re beggars. Bring her to the officials.¡±


    The old woman panicked. ¡°You¡¯re ndering me. Be careful when you get youre uppance.¡±


    When Granny Liu heard themotion, she also walked out. When the old woman saw the courtyard door open, she turned around and ran.


    The old woman went back to look for Granny Song angrily andined with an aggrieved expression, ¡°Sister Song, look at how cold it is. My toes are frozen. If I hang around in those ces every day, others will treat me as a beggar. They even want to drag me to see the officials. Is it easy for me?¡±


    The more the old woman spoke, the more aggrieved she became. She wiped her tears and looked at Granny Song. ¡°Sister Song, I think what Granny Liu said is true. His family really has a midwife. I don¡¯t dare to stand guard at that ce anymore. I¡¯m afraid that Madam will me me if I mess up.¡±


    It had been so long, but she had not been there even once. Logically speaking, she should have hired a midwife! She had not seen his family since then. There was an 80% chance that there was really a midwife.


    ¡°Wait, I¡¯ll report it to Madam.¡±


    When Country Lord Ning heard Granny Song¡¯s report, she looked at her with a dark expression. ¡°His family already has a midwife. Why didn¡¯t you report it earlier? If the Zhou family finds out and takes precautions, I¡¯ll skin you alive.¡±


    Granny Song was so frightened that she knelt down with a thud and kept kowtowing. ¡°Madam, I promise not to rm the Zhou family.¡±


    Country Lord Ning nced at Granny Song, who was so frightened that she kept kowtowing. She sighed. ¡°Alright, if we continue guarding, we¡¯ll attract attention. Let theme back!¡±


    Granny Song felt as if she had been pardoned. She got up and bowed. ¡°Yes,


    Madam.¡±


    Ning Xiangjun looked at her and said with a dark expression, ¡°After Mr. Yang brings people back, you have to be careful about what you want to do. Don¡¯t mess it up.¡±


    Granny Song hurriedly knelt down and kowtowed in fear. ¡°Madam, don¡¯t worry.


    I¡¯ll definitely do my best.¡±


    ¡°You may leave!¡± Country Lord Ning waved his hand in satisfaction.


    Mr. Yang rode his horse at full speed and encountered heavy snow on the way. He was dyed for half a month before he finally arrived in Tongzhou at the beginning of December.


    After staying in the city for a night, he found the Tongzhou government office and used some money to find two constables. It did not take long to find Zhang Defa¡¯s residence.


    Mr. Yang walked in along the dirty alley and stood in front of the three straw huts. He looked at the straw huts in front of him in satisfaction and knocked on the door.


    A woman¡¯s voice came from the house. ¡°Why are you back so early?¡±


    With a creak, the wooden door opened. Chen Zhaodi, who had a gloomy expression and gray hair, stood at the door. She frowned and looked at the rich middle-aged man in front of her. ¡®Who are you looking for?¡±


    Seeing that her face was sallow and she was wearing a tattered cotton jacket, Mr. Yang was satisfied. He handed over the pastries with a smile and cupped his hands politely. ¡°May I ask, Sister-inw, is this Zhang Defa¡¯s house?¡±


    ¡°Thank you, sir.¡± Chen Zhaodi hurriedly took the pastries. The fragrance of the pastries assaulted her nose. When she smelled the fragrance, Chen Zhaodi almost drooled. She smiled obsequiously. ¡°Sir, you¡¯re too polite. Zhang Defa is my husband. Sir, who are you? Why are you looking for my husband?¡±


    Mr. Yang cupped his hands at her and said with a smile, ¡°My surname is Yang.


    I¡¯m from the capital¡­¡±


    ¡°From the capital!¡± Chen Zhaodi eximed.


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Mr. Yang looked at Chen Zhaodi in satisfaction. ¡°Sister-inw, please get Brother Zhang and your son toe home. I want to invite you to a restaurant for a simple meal. We have something to discuss.¡±


    When Chen Zhaodi heard that they were invited to a restaurant, she thought of the greasy vegetables and meat and couldn¡¯t help but swallow her saliva.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go find them now.¡±


    Mr. Yang smiled and cupped his hands. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not troublesome. It¡¯s just a matter of making a trip.¡± Chen Zhaodi entered the house happily and ced the pastry on the table. She picked out a piece and stuffed it into her mouth before running out.


    When they arrived at Zhang Defa¡¯s workce, she pulled Zhang Defa to the side with a smile and looked at him with glowing eyes. ¡°Husband, a noble hase from the capital. He wants to treat us to a restaurant and even said that he has something to discuss with you two.¡±


    ¡°Noble from the capital? I think you¡¯re suffering from hysteria!¡± Zhang Defa scolded with a dark expression.


    Chen Zhaodi didn¡¯t care about Zhang Defa¡¯s attitude at all. She was still smiling. ¡°Husband, why am I having hysteria in broad daylight? If you don¡¯t believe me,e back with me to take a look. He¡¯s still waiting at the door!¡±


    Seeing Chen Zhaodi¡¯s expression, Zhang Defa felt that she didn¡¯t seem to be lying. ¡°It¡¯s best if there¡¯s someone. No one. Let¡¯s all stand at the door and drink the northwest wind today.¡±


    Chen Zhaodi rubbed her hands and said with a smile, ¡°We won¡¯t drink the northwest wind. He¡¯s treating us to a restaurant meal.¡±


    Zhang Defa looked at Chen Zhaodi¡¯s saliva and felt a little sad for some reason. ¡°You¡¯re dozens of years old. Look at how greedy you are!¡±


    Mr. Yang stood in front of the straw hut and looked around. He felt the cold wind blowing straight into his neck. Mr. Yang raised his scarf and felt a little morefortable. Looking at the Zhang family, he felt that it would be easy to take down the Zhang family.


    After a while, Zhang Defa returned with Chen Zhaodi. Zhang Defa narrowed his eyes and looked at Mr. Yang, who was standing at the door. He searched his memories and didn¡¯t recall that he had seen this Mr. Yang before.


    Zhang Defa endured the doubts in his heart and went forward with a smile. He cupped his hands and said, ¡°May I know why you¡¯re looking for me?¡±


    Mr. Yang cupped his hands in return. ¡°I¡¯m from the capital. I have something to discuss. Let¡¯s go to the restaurant to eat first.¡±


    Zhang Defa muttered to himself, ¡°Even if he¡¯s a liar, my family is penniless. I¡¯ll follow him to take a look. What if something good really happens?¡± Zhang Defa cupped his hands and smiled. ¡°Sir, you¡¯re spending too much.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a simple meal.¡±


    Seeing that Zhang Defa and his wife were about to leave after locking the door, Mr. Yang asked curiously, ¡°Where did your son, the schr, go? Call him along!¡±


    Chen Zhaodi pointed at the alley in front of her. ¡°He¡¯s in the bistro outside. Call him from there..¡±

 Chapter 467 - 467: Dream

    Chapter 467: Dream


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Mr. Yang nodded and brought Zhang Defa and his wife into the carriage. When they arrived at the small restaurant at the entrance of the alley, the fat shopkeeper saw Zhang Defa get out of the carriage. With a fierce expression, he reached out and said, ¡°Zhang Defa, settle the money for the food and drinks that your son owes. This shop is small and can¡¯t afford to debts.¡±


    Chen Zhaodi got out of the carriage and sneered. ¡°Yo! You can¡¯t afford to be owed money, but you often give it to my Guisheng?¡±


    Zhang Defa red at her and smiled awkwardly at Shopkeeper He. ¡°Shopkeeper


    He, please be magnanimous. I¡¯ll pay you together in a few days.¡±


    Mr. Yang got out of the car and took a piece of silver and ced it in Shopkeeper He¡¯s hand. ¡°Is that enough?¡±


    Shopkeeper He weighed it in his hand and estimated that it was more than five taels. He smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s enough, it¡¯s enough. Thank you, noble.¡±


    Chen Zhaodi raised her head and looked at Shopkeeper He arrogantly. ¡°Miser, tightwad, remember to settle the bill.¡±


    ¡°Just take care of your son,¡± Shopkeeper He said with a pout. He twisted his chubby butt and turned into the shop.


    Zhang Defa pulled the drunk Zhang Guisheng up from the table. ¡°Let¡¯s go,


    Guisheng. Mr. Yang from the capital is treating our family to a meal.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s eat,¡± Zhang Guisheng muttered as Zhang Defa helped him into the carriage.


    When they arrived at the restaurant, a smart shop assistant smiled eagerly and led them upstairs.


    Mr. Yang politely ordered a table of dishes and wine. As soon as the dishes were served, Chen Zhaodi looked at the pot of fat chicken served by the shop assistant. Her eyes lit up, and Zhang Defa and Zhang Guisheng drooled.


    Mr. Yang smiled and said, ¡°Brother Zhang, you¡¯re wee. Let¡¯s eat when the dishes are served!¡±


    ¡°Then I won¡¯t stand on ceremony!¡± Chen Zhaodi wolfed down the food and even picked up food from Zhang Guisheng¡¯s bowl from time to time.


    Zhang Defa watched reservedly and smiled apologetically at Mr. Yang. ¡°I¡¯ve embarrassed myself in front of you, Mr. Yang. It¡¯s really because my family¡¯s fortunes have fallen and I¡¯ve been unlucky that I¡¯ve fallen to this state.¡± Mr. Yang smiled warmly. ¡°How can life be smooth-sailing? Everyone will


    encounter difficulties. After surviving, everything will turn out for the better.


    Brother Zhang, you don¡¯t have to stand on ceremony. You eat too.¡±


    Zhang Defa was already hungry. After hearing Mr. Yang¡¯s words, he was so touched that his eyes turned red. He cupped his hands at him and said, ¡°Sir, we won¡¯t stand on ceremony.¡±


    Mr. Yang smiled and said, ¡°Please.¡±


    After the Zhang family ate and drank their fill, Mr. Yang said to Zhang Defa, ¡°Brother Zhang, as long as you follow me to the capital¡­¡±


    ¡°Go to the capital?¡± Chen Zhaodi wiped the oil off her mouth and looked at Mr.


    Yang with sparkling eyes. ¡°Sir, can the doctors in the capital treat my Guisheng¡¯s leg? Mr. Yang, you don¡¯t know, but my Guisheng was originally going to take the High Schr examination, but he was hit by that damn cart.¡±


    When Mr. Yang heard this, he raised his eyebrows and said, ¡°So Schr


    Zhang¡¯s leg became like this because someone hit it? Was it an enemy?¡±


    Chen Zhaodi choked and said, ¡°Isn¡¯t that so? In order to treat Guisheng¡¯s leg, I sold my daughter¡­¡±


    Zhang Defa patted her and interrupted her. He looked at Mr. Yang and said, ¡°Sigh! They¡¯re not enemies. We¡¯re just unlucky.


    Zhang Defa told Mr. Yang what had happened that day and looked at him expectantly. ¡°Sir, there must be a divine doctor in the capital. I wonder if you can help find a doctor for my son and see if he can be treated?¡±


    Zhang Guisheng also looked up at Mr. Yang hopefully.


    Mr. Yang touched his chin and looked at the Zhang family. He thought about how to paint this picture to make the Zhang family willingly help Madam.


    Mr. Yang thought for a moment and slowly said, ¡°Brother Zhang, I heard that your Schr Zhang was originally betrothed to the Li family. Do you know how glorious the Li family is now?¡±


    Zhang Defa¡¯s family looked at him and shook their heads. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I only know that she got promoted.¡±


    Mr. Yang told the Zhang family about Li Yu¡¯s family¡¯s recent situation. Zhang Defa and Chen Zhaodi were dumbfounded.


    Second Madam Zhang¡¯s inws regretted it so much that their intestines turned green. They thought to themselves that if only they hadn¡¯t chased Xiaoyu away back then, te immense wealth would have belonged to the Zhang family.


    Mr. Yang looked at them and said, ¡°As long as you help my master do it, I¡¯ll report it to my master and beg her to help you hire an imperial doctor to treat your son. If you¡¯re capable and my master is satisfied, she¡¯ll help him find a teacher and help him take the schrly examination as soon as possible.¡±


    When he heard that she could help treat his crippled leg and do a good deed by helping him find a teacher to help him take the schrly examination, Zhang Guisheng looked up at Mr. Yang excitedly. ¡®What do you want us to do, Sir?¡±


    Zhang Defa also looked at him and said firmly, ¡°As long as you can help my


    Guisheng treat his leg, I¡¯m willing to go through thick and thin.¡±


    Chen Zhaodi also nodded seriously. Zhang Guisheng was touched and grabbed his parents¡¯ hands. The family looked at Mr. Yang and waited for him to speak. Mr. Yang smiled and said, ¡°You only need to do this and that¡­ Are you willing? Zhang Defa and his family nodded excitedly. ¡°We¡¯re willing.¡±


    ¡°From today onwards, you have to remember that the enemy instructed someone to hit your son¡¯s leg. Do you understand?¡±


    When Zhang Defa and his wife heard Mr. Yang¡¯s words, they suddenly felt that they had hated the wrong person in the past. ¡°Yes, yes, yes. That bitch Li Yu instructed someone to do it.¡±


    Mr. Yang nodded in satisfaction. He took out a money bag and ced it on the table. He stood up and said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll help you get a travel pass. Go buy a few winter clothes. Think about my words along the way. Once the travel pass is done, we¡¯ll set off immediately.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± The three members of the Zhang family felt joy descend from the sky. They nodded excitedly and sent Mr. Yang out before going back to finish the dishes on the table.


    After eating and drinking their fill, the family of three sat together in satisfaction. Zhang Defa looked at Chen Zhaodi and Zhang Guisheng. ¡°We have to remember Mr. Yang¡¯s words. Whether our family can make aeback depends on this time. That bitch Li Yu instructed someone to knock Guisheng into this state because she was afraid that our Guisheng would trample them to death after he achieves his goals! Guisheng, from today onwards, you have to hurry up and study. Our family will depend on you in the future.¡±


    Zhang Guisheng replied solemnly, ¡°Father, Mother, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll definitely regroup and get an academic title to let you live a good life.¡±


    Zhang Defa looked at his son excitedly. ¡°Alright! I was waiting for you to say that. I believe you can do it.¡±


    Chen Zhaodi seemed to see the timid Li Yu begging for mercy in front of her again. She mmed the table excitedly and smiled. ¡°Isn¡¯t that bitch Li Yu as strong as an ox? When the timees, we¡¯ll let that bitch Li Yu pull the mill for us.¡±


    Zhang Defa interrupted Chen Zhaodi¡¯s imagination. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go buy a winter coat first. We¡¯ll set off after packing up.¡±


    The waiter of the restaurant looked at the three people walking downstairs and frowned in thought.


    The next morning, Zhang Defa¡¯s family sat in a carriage with a strong horse. The family looked forward to a beautiful future and followed Mr. Yang to the capital..

 Chapter 468 - 468: Preparing

    Chapter 468: Preparing


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    In the blink of an eye, the days passed. There were only about 20 days left until Li Yu¡¯s due date. Zhou Jia thought about the two wet nurses Madam Gong had mentioned and said to Li Yu, ¡°Yu¡¯er, Aunt found two wet nurses for the child on her farm. I think we can bring them home.¡±


    Li Yu thought for a moment and looked at Zhou Jia. ¡°I heard from Master in the past that breast milk is nutritious in the first four to five months. Let¡¯s hire two wet nurses who have already fed their child for a few months to go home. We might as well buy a few goats and feed the child with goat milk.¡±


    Zhou Jia thought for a moment and said with a smile, ¡°Aunt has already chosen. Let¡¯s not reject her efforts. You said that goat milk is nutritious. Let¡¯s buy a few goats and invite the two wet nurses back. It¡¯s good to help take care of the children!¡±


    Li Yu thought about it and agreed. ¡°Alright! I¡¯ll listen to you.¡±


    Granny Yang went to Madam Gong¡¯s manor to bring her two wet nurses to the residence and brought them to see Li Yu.


    Li Yu saw that the two of them were about 20 years old. They were ordinary-looking, had gentle eyes, and their hair was washed clean. Their fingernails were also clean. She nodded in satisfaction. Granny Yang said to Li Yu, ¡°Madam, these are the two wet nurses. One¡¯s surname is Yu, and the other¡¯s surname is Cui. Their children are already four months old.¡±


    Madam Yu and Madam Cui kowtowed to Li Yu. Li Yu smiled and said, ¡°There¡¯s no need to be so polite. Sorry to trouble you. Does anyone take care of the children when youe to the residence?¡±


    Madam Yu smiled shyly and said, ¡®Madam, Mother-inw is taking care of the child!¡±


    ¡°My mother-inw is also taking care of mine at home!¡± Madam Cui said with a red face.


    Li Yu smiled and nodded. ¡°Just stay in the residence in peace. You can go back to see the child every few days.¡±


    The two of them hurriedlv bowed. ¡°Thank vou, Madam.¡±


    After the two of them arrived, Li Yu still asked Old Madam Liu to buy four goats from the market and raise them in the livestock shed to add food to the children.


    After buying the milk goats, Auntie Zhang and Old Madam Liu squeezed half a bucket of goat milk. Li Yu asked them to filter the goat milk with boiled gauze and put some radish slices in it to cook together. It reduced the smell of goat milk and put a spoonful of sugar in it. Everyone felt that it was not bad.


    Ruyi went to the Wu family and brought the two sisters of the Wu family to the Zhou family. After Madam Wu checked Li Yu, she smiled and said, ¡°Madam is pregnant and has a good fetal position. I¡¯m afraid she¡¯s going to go into prematurebor. From today onwards, don¡¯t go out again. Stay at home and wait for the delivery. We¡¯ll also guard you.¡±


    Li Yu smiled politely. ¡°Alright, sorry to trouble you.¡±


    The Wu sisters smiled and bowed. ¡°Madam, you¡¯re too polite. This is what we should do.¡±


    Granny Yang smiled and brought the two sisters of the Wu family down to rest.


    Yangyang looked at her mother¡¯s towering stomach and asked Li Yu curiously,


    ¡°Mother, aren¡¯t Brother and Sister bored inside?¡±


    Li Yu couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°It¡¯s not boring. You used to hide inside too.¡±


    Yangyang couldn¡¯t imagine himself hiding in his mother¡¯s stomach. She asked curiously, ¡°Can I touch them?¡±


    ¡°Alright! Yang¡¯er, touch your siblings and greet them,¡± Li Yu said with a smile.


    Yangyang gently ced his hand on Li Yu¡¯s stomach and felt it. He shook his head and said, ¡°Mother, I haven¡¯t reached my siblings.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and said gently to him, ¡°If you talk to them, they¡¯ll greet you.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Yangyang thought for a moment and looked at Li Yu in distress.


    ¡°Mother, I can¡¯t even see them. What should I say to them?¡±


    Li Yu looked at his frown and said with a smile, ¡°Tell them what you¡¯re thinking or recite a text to them.¡±


    Yangyang pursed his lips and thought for a moment. He ced her hand back on Li Yu¡¯s stomach and said softly, ¡°Brother, you have to be good and not be naughty. Don¡¯t disturb Mother at night. You have to let Mother sleep and rest obediently. Come out and meet us obediently. I¡¯ll give you all the toys. There¡¯s a little tiger, a kite, a small boat¡­ There are so many!¡±


    Hearing her son¡¯s words, Li Yu felt warm in her heart. She touched his little head and kissed his forehead. ¡°Mother¡¯s good baby.¡± She looked up at him and smiled gently.


    At this moment, Yangyang felt a kick in his palm. Then, he looked up at Li Yu in surprise. ¡°Mother, Brother greeted me. He kicked me. He promised me that they would be obedient.¡±


    Li Yu looked at Yangyang¡¯s happy expression and rubbed his dark and smooth hair with a smile. She said gently, ¡°That¡¯s right! You are greeting each other! They said that they would be obedient!¡±


    On the afternoon of the ninth day of the twelfth lunar month, Li Yu woke up from a nap. Xing Hua looked at her and said happily, ¡®Madam, the winter plum blossoms that Old Master sent have bloomed. They smell delicious.¡± Seeing her happy expression, Li Yu smiled. ¡°Is that so? Let¡¯s go take a look.¡±


    Li Yu went out and stood under the eaves of the porch. She looked at Old Master Zhou. He had gotten someone to send over a few pots of winter plums this morning.


    The pots of yellow and red wintersweet were budding when they were sent over. They bloomed under the eaves of the porch in less than a moment.


    The two pots of yellow flowers were delicate and cute. The petals on the outside of the other two pots were yellow, but the stamens were red, emitting wisps of fragrance.


    Li Yu looked at the delicate yellow petals and smelled a faint fragrance. Suddenly, an uncontroble stream of urine flowed out, and her underwear was instantly wet. Li Yu was stunned for a moment before she suddenly realized that her amniotic fluid had broken. She was more than ten days ahead of her due date and was about to give birth.


    Li Yu turned around and looked calmly at Granny Chen, who was standing at the side. ¡°Nanny, my water bag has burst. Hurry up and help me to the delivery room. ¡±


    Granny Chen was stunned for a moment when she heard that. Seeing Li Yu¡¯s calm expression, her originally flustered heart calmed down. She went forward to support Li Yu. ¡°Madam, let¡¯s go!¡±


    Granny Chen helped Li Yu towards the delivery room that had been prepared long ago. She said to the flustered Xing Hua and Granny Yang, ¡°Xing Hua, go and call the midwife. Then, go to the kitchen and get someone to make a bowl of brown sugar eggs for Madam. Sister Yang, go and inform Steward Ruyi.


    Then, get someone to inform Master to bring Old Master home.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± After Xing Hua and Granny Yang agreed, they split up and got busy.


    Granny Chen helped Li Yu into the delivery room and helped her lie down on the bed. She said gently, ¡°Madam, let me help you take off your underwear. The amniotic fluid has already broken and been activated. You might not feel much pain now, but it will hurtter.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Li Yu agreed. She didn¡¯t feel much pain yet. She only felt that her lower body was swollen, and an indescribable difort invaded her. Granny Chen helped her take off her underwear. Xing Hua carried a basin of hot water and brought the midwife into the delivery room.


    Granny Chen used hot water to help Li Yu scrub up. After checking, she took out an oilcloth andid it at the end of the delivery bed. She thenid ayer of straw paper on it and prepared the bag.


    After taking out the delivery tools she had prepared and cing them in a convenient ce, the Wu sisters-inw arrived.


    After the two of them checked, they said to Li Yu, ¡°Madam, after the amniotic fluid breaks, one will usually give birth in 20 hours. Some only take one to four hours. Eat something to conserve your strength first.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Li Yu nodded..

 Chapter 469 - 469: Child Birth (1)

    Chapter 469: Child Birth (1)


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Auntie He cooked arge bowl of brown sugar eggs and ced them on a tray before carrying them to the delivery room. Seeing Li Yu¡¯s calm expression, she was relieved and went forward to say gently, ¡°Madam, eat something first.


    You¡¯ll have strengthter.¡±


    As she spoke, she picked up thedle to feed Li Yu.


    ¡°Auntie He, I know. Give it to me. I¡¯ll eat it myself.¡±


    ¡°Alright, eat it yourself!¡± Auntie He ced the bowl in Li Yu¡¯s hand.


    Li Yu endured the soreness in her waist and started eating. The bowl was filled with brown sugar eggs and she quickly finished it. She even finished the soup.


    Seeing that Li Yu had finished eating, Auntie He smiled in relief and said, ¡°Do you still want more? I¡¯ll cook another bowl for you.¡±


    Li Yu shook her head. Auntie He picked up the tray. ¡°Rest well for a while. Save your energy so you¡¯ll have strength when giving birth.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Li Yu said, enduring the difort.


    The sisters of the Wu family looked at Li Yu and said in admiration, ¡°Madam is already very strong. If it were any other woman, they would have long shouted.¡±


    ¡°Yes, how can those womenpare to our Madam?¡± Auntie He smiled proudly.


    Granny Chen was also thinking that it would be good if the concubines in the harem were as courageous as Madam Li. There was no need for the midwife in the pce either. They were trembling in fear at the mention of delivering a child to a noble.


    Ji Xiang rode his horse to the Ministry of Revenue. He got off his horse and ran quickly to the public house. When Zhou Jia saw Ji Xiang panting from running, he knew that Li Yu was due for delivery. He didn¡¯t even put on his cloak and ran out.


    Before Ji Xiang could even say anything, he saw that Zhou Jia had already run out and left on a horse. Ji Xiang could only drive the cart back with Tiezhu. Fan Mingfang and Madam Gong also received the news. The two of them rushed to Li Yu¡¯s house.


    Fan Mingfang looked at the delivery room worriedly and asked Madam Gong, ¡°Aunt, why isn¡¯t Sister making a sound? My cousin kept crying when she gave birth.¡±


    Madam Gong recalled that when she gave birth to Lin Lan and her brother back then, the midwife had repeatedly instructed her to conserve her strength. Otherwise, she would not have the strength to give birth to the two children in the end.


    ¡°Ah Yu is pregnant with twins. She has to conserve her strength to give birth to two children. With her tenacious personality, as long as she can hold it in, she won¡¯t cry loudly.¡±


    When Fan Mingfang heard this, she clenched her fists nervously. She thought to herself that it was unfair for women to be the ones to give birth.


    Everyone was waiting outside the delivery room when they suddenly saw Zhou Jia run into the courtyard like a gust of wind and rush towards the delivery room.


    Auntie He and Madam Gong hurriedly stopped him. Madam Gong persuaded, ¡°Jiahe, the delivery room is not a ce for men to go. Just wait outside. Ah Yu will give birth to Lin¡¯er safely.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at the two of them and knew that they would not let him in. He nced at the door of the delivery room and said, ¡°Aunt, I know. I¡¯ll go to the window to take a look.¡±


    Only then did the two of them let go of him. Zhou Jia turned around and rushed into the delivery room. At a nce, he saw Li Yu, who was her teeth and enduring the pain. He rushed to the bed and grabbed her hand. Heforted her gently, ¡°Yu¡¯er, don¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯m back¡­¡±


    Li Yu looked at him and smiled. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Don¡¯t worry.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk. Save your strength.¡± Zhou Jia took out a handkerchief and wiped the sweat off her face. He looked at her affectionately. ¡°I¡¯ll stay here with you¡­¡±


    Li Yu was unwilling to let him watch her give birth here. She shook her head at him. Zhou Jia looked at her and was unwilling to leave.


    Auntie He and Madam Gong chased after her. Madam Gong looked at Li Yu and said with concern, ¡°Ah Yu, Aunt will bring Jiahe out. The delivery room is not a ce he shoulde to.¡±


    A wave of soreness assaulted her. Li Yu was afraid that she would moan, so she gritted her teeth and gestured for Zhou Jia to go out.


    Zhou Jia could only follow the two of them out of the delivery room. Seeing his worried expression, Madam Gongforted him. ¡°Jiahe, don¡¯t worry. Aunt has seen that Ah Yu is in good spirits. It¡¯s her second time. It should be soon.¡±


    Zhou Jia bowed and thanked Madam Gong and Fan Mingfang. ¡°Thank you, Aunt. The courtyard is cold. Go in and warm up with Ah Qing¡¯s wife. I¡¯ll guard here.¡±


    Madam Gong shook her head and said, ¡°There¡¯s no need to enter the room. Granny Yang went to raise the brazier. We¡¯ll stay here and watch.¡±


    Soon, Granny Yang, Old Madam Liu, and the others came out with braziers. Xing Hua and the others brought out chairs and ced them in front of the brazier. Everyone sat there and looked at the delivery room.


    Zhou Jia sat for a moment before he couldn¡¯t sit still anymore. From time to time, he would run to the delivery room window to listen to themotion inside. He looked at the delivery room eagerly and recalled the time Li Yu gave birth to Yangyang.


    Mr. Wen, Seven Pounds, Zhizi, and Xiaoyu were also brought back to the residence by Zhao Cai to wait for Li Yu to give birth.


    Seeing that Zhou Jia was restless, Mr. Wenforted him. ¡°Jiahe, don¡¯t worry. Xiaoyu is strong and will definitely give birth smoothly.¡±


    Zhou Jia nodded. ¡°Sir, I know. I just can¡¯t sit still.¡±


    The sky gradually darkened. Other than Aunt Zhang entering and leaving the delivery room when she changed the water, there was no other movement.


    Yangyang was also brought home by Ji Xiang. When he saw Zhou Jia circling around, he ran over in fear and grabbed Zhou Jia¡¯s hand. ¡°Father, where¡¯s Mother? Are my siblings out?¡±


    When Zhou Jia saw Yangyang¡¯s worried and afraid expression, he forced a smile and picked him up. He pointed at the delivery room and said, ¡°Mother is inside. Yang¡¯er is a big child and is about to be an older brother. You have to be brave.¡±


    Yangyang hugged Zhou Jia¡¯s neck and pressed his forehead against Zhou Jia¡¯s. ¡°Father, don¡¯t be afraid. My younger siblings and I agreed. They wille to see us obediently.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at the figure in his son¡¯s eyes. ¡°Yang¡¯er is a little man. I¡¯m not as brave as Yang¡¯er.¡±


    In the delivery room, Li Yu gritted her teeth. The soreness in her waist and the sinking feeling in her abdomen confused her. The indescribable pain tortured her until she let out a soft moan.


    Eldest Sister-inw Wu buried her head and checked. She looked up and said to Li Yu, ¡°Madam, the uterus has already been opened. Bear with it a little longer and save your strength for the end.¡±


    Granny Chen looked at the time and said to Aunt Zhang, ¡°Aunt Zhang, bring a bowl of chicken soup noodles to Madam.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Granny.¡± Aunt Zhang hurriedly ran towards the kitchen.


    When Old Madam Liu saw her, she asked, ¡°How is it? Has Madam given birth?¡±


    Aunt Zhang shook her head. ¡°Not yet! Master¡¯s face is pale. Give me the chicken soup noodles.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve prepared it.¡±


    Old Madam Liu ced the noodles in the tray and handed it to her. After Auntie Zhang sent it into the delivery room to feed Li Yu,


    After another hour, Li Yu felt the pain bing more and more intense. Li Yu groaned as a tearing pain assaulted her.


    After Sister-inw Wu checked, she said happily to Li Yu, ¡°Madam, we can already see the end. Madam, take a deep breath. If you exert more strength, the children wille out.¡±


    Li Yu gritted her teeth and exerted strength. An intense pain assaulted her.. She couldn¡¯t help but call in pain for the person she wanted to see the most in the depths of her soul, ¡°Mom¡­¡±

 Chapter 470 - 470: Child Birth (2)

    Chapter 470: Child Birth (2)


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    When Zhou Jia heard Li Yu¡¯s cry of pain, his legs went limp and he almost fell to the ground. Ruyi hurriedly went forward to support him. ¡°Master, don¡¯t worry. Madam will definitely be safe.¡± As he spoke, he ced Yangyang in his arms again.


    When Madam Gong and the others, who were waiting outside, heard Li Yu¡¯s painful xry, their hearts ached as they wiped their tears. Zhizi grabbed Xiaoyu¡¯s hand with a pale face. ¡°Xiaoyu, Madam is so pitiful. I don¡¯t want to have a child anymore.¡±


    Yangyang hugged Zhou Jia¡¯s neck tightly and cried, ¡°Father, Mother hurts. Father, I want to see Mother. Mother¡­¡± Yangyang cried and wanted to go to the delivery room to see Li Yu.


    Zhou Jia hugged his son andforted him. ¡°Good Yang¡¯er, don¡¯t cry. She¡¯ll be worried when she hears that. She¡¯ll be fine soon.¡±


    At this moment, Li Qing helped the panting Lin Zexu rush into the courtyard. ¡°Wa¡­ wa¡­¡± The sound of a baby crying came from the delivery room.


    Madam Gong heaved a sigh of relief and smiled happily. ¡°She gave birth. That¡¯s great. Uncle and Uncle gave birth when they arrived.¡±


    Zhou Jia carried Yangyang and ran to the door to wait. Madam Gong, Fan Mingfang, and Xiaoyu arrived at the door of the delivery room.


    Aunt Zhang came out and said to everyone with a smile, ¡°The child and Madam are safe. Sister-inw Wu is scrubbing the child.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯re safe. It¡¯s good that you¡¯re safe,¡± everyone said happily. Yangyang shouted, ¡°Mother, don¡¯t cry. I¡¯ll apany you outside.¡± When Li Yu heard her son¡¯s shout, she smiled and nodded.


    Second Sister-inw Wu nimbly wiped the children clean and put on her clothes. Her bag was tied up with a cloth strap and she carried it to Auntie He, who was guarding inside. She smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s a young master. He¡¯s very handsome! It¡¯s already not bad for a twin to look like this.¡±


    Auntie He happily carried the child to Li Yu and let her take a look. ¡°Madam, look, Second Young Master looks so simr to you.¡±


    Li Yu looked at the wrinkled little monkey and thought to herself that he was really like a little monkey.


    Auntie He carried the child to the door and opened a crack for Zhou Jia and his son to take a look. ¡®Master, Young Master, don¡¯t worry. Madam is fine.¡± Auntie He showed the child to the two of them and carried him in.


    Yangyang wrinkled his nose and said in disdain, ¡°Father, it¡¯s Little Brother. Little Brother is so ugly! He¡¯s much uglier than Er Chun.¡±


    Zhou Jia didn¡¯t look at the baby. He looked in through the gap, hoping to see Li Yu safe and sound with his own eyes.


    Li Yu had just heaved a sigh of relief when she suddenly began to suffer fribor pains again. Seeing that Li Yu was a little exhausted, Auntie Wu said Granny Chen, ¡®Granny Chen, quickly give Madam some ginseng to refresh


    Granny Chen hurriedly took the ginseng slice and gave it to Li Yu. ¡°Madam, you¡¯ll only have strength if you eat it.¡±


    After more than ten breaths, Aunt Wu shouted to Li Yu, ¡°Madam, the head is out. Give it a little more effort and Young Master will be born.¡±


    Li Yu took a deep breath and used thest of her strength to push the child out. The child slid out of the birth canal.


    Li Yu felt as if she had been hollowed out. She felt empty and ufortable. Second Sister-inw Wu shouted in surprise, ¡°Congrattions, Madam. Congrattions, it¡¯s a young master. Congrattions on giving birth to two young masters.¡±


    Li Yu smiled when she heard that. A momentter, she heard azy cry and the child fell silent. Li Yu forced herself to get up and asked, ¡°How¡¯s the child?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Young Master is fine! He might not like to cry,¡± Aunt Wu replied with a smile as she cleaned Li Yu¡¯s body.


    ¡°Madam, rest in peace. I¡¯m watching over the young masters. Giving birth is a huge blow to your vitality. Sleep well.¡±


    Granny Chen said with concern. Li Yu was relieved when she heard that. Granny Chen put down the child and went forward to help her lie down. Li Yu fell asleep as soon as her head touched the pillow.


    Second Sister-inw of the Wu family wiped the child clean, put on her clothes, and wrapped him in a swaddle. She carried the child to the door. ¡°Congrattions, Master. Congrattions, Master. The mother and child are safe. The second child is also a young master.¡±


    Zhou Jia nced at the child and jumped in. Yangyang also wanted to follow, but he was pulled back by Xiaoyu and Madam Gong. Xiaoyu said gently, ¡°Young Master, we can only go in after Madam is done packing.¡± Yangyang looked at the two of them aggrievedly. ¡°Father went in.¡±


    Madam Gong smiled and said, ¡°Good child, you can go inter.¡±


    Zhou Jia entered the room and saw Li Yu sleeping soundly. Granny Chen smiled and said to Zhou Jia, ¡°Master, go out for a while and wait for me to change Madam¡¯s clothes.¡±


    ¡°Aye!¡± Zhou Jia replied happily. He turned around and saw Madam Wu carrying the two children. He smiled and said, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Its what we should do.¡± Madam Wu carried the two children to the outer bed and ced them on the bed to cover them with the nket.


    The sister of the Wu family smiled and said to Granny Chen, ¡°It¡¯s so easy to deliver for your Madam. She¡¯ll do whatever we say.¡±


    The second sister the Wu family took over. ¡°Her aunt is also a worry-free person. That year, it was my mother-inw who brought us to deliver the child.¡±


    Aunt Wu smiled and said, ¡°That¡¯s right!¡±


    After the delivery room was cleaned up, the Wu family¡¯s sisters opened the door and walked out. They smiled at everyone and said, ¡°Congrattions! Congrattions! Madam gave birth to two young masters. Everyone can go in and see the children.¡±


    Everyone smiled happily. Zhou Jia smiled and said, ¡°Everyone will be paid double the monthly silver in December.¡± With that, he quickly walked towards the delivery room.


    Li Qing could only watch eagerly. Yangyang and Seven Pounds followed behind Zhou Jia and crawled in.


    Granny Yang smiled and handed the red packets to the two sisters the Wu family. ¡°Thank you, sisters-inw. Go eat something and rest first.¡±


    The Wu family¡¯s sisters took the double red packet and thanked her happily. ¡°Thank you! Thank you! We haven¡¯t been home for so long. We¡¯re going back too.¡±


    Granny Yang smiled and said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll get Xing Hua to apany you to pack your things.¡±


    Madam Gong and Fan Mingfang brought Xiaoyu and the others into the and saw Zhou Jia, Yangyang, and Seven Pounds looking at Li Yu from in the inner room


    The few of them looked at the two identical children lying side by side in surprise. Fan Mingfang smiled and said, ¡°Two identical babies.¡±


    Zhizi asked Xiaoyu in a low voice, ¡°Sister Yu, why do Second Young Master and Third Young Master have red skin?¡±


    Xiaoyu smiled and said, ¡°Most newborn babies are like this. The babies change very quickly. They will look different tomorrow. It¡¯s as if the wind is blowing.¡±


    Fan Mingfang smiled at the two children. ¡°Aunt, can you tell which is the older brother and which is the younger brother?¡±


    Everyone took a look and shook their heads. ¡°I can¡¯t tell.¡±


    Granny Chen went forward and said with a smile, ¡°Madam, Second Young Master has a red line tied to his cor. Also, Second Young Master has a red mole behind his left ear. Third Young Master¡¯s is on the right.¡±


    Everyone took a look. Madam Gong smiled and said, ¡°The little darlings even came with a mark! Look, don¡¯t they look like Ah Yu?¡±


    Xiaoyu smiled and said, ¡°They look more like Madam and Master..¡±

 Chapter 471 - 471: Yueyue, Xingxing

    Chapter 471: Yueyue, Xingxing


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Yangyang and Seven Pounds also ran outside andy on the edge of the bed. Yangyang gently touched the two children¡¯s faces and said in disdain, ¡°The younger brothers are so ugly!¡±


    Seven Pounds looked at the two children and said worriedly, ¡°Young Master, can you tell which is Second Young Master and which is Third Young Master?¡± Yangyang looked at them for a while and shook his head. ¡°I can¡¯t tell either.¡±


    Uncle Lin and Li Qing stuck their necks out and shouted, ¡°Don¡¯t hide inside and look for yourself. Carry the children to the door and let us take a look!¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll show you.¡± Madam Gong and Granny Chen each carried a child to the door. Uncle Lin and Li Qing stuck their heads in and took a look. Uncle Lin said happily, ¡°Haha! Two big babies.¡±


    Li Qing smiled happily. ¡°Aunt, it¡¯s cold. Carry the baby back to bed and sleep.¡±


    Uncle Lin smiled and said, ¡°Alright, Ah Yu and the children are safe. We should go back. Yi¡¯er and Jia¡¯er are still waiting for news!¡±


    Madam Gong nodded with a smile. ¡°That¡¯s right! We should go back and let Ah Yu and the child rest well.¡±


    Seeing that Li Yu was sleeping soundly, Zhou Jia was relieved. He tucked her in and walked to the outer room to look at the children. He walked out of the house and smiled at Uncle Lin, Li Qing, and the others. ¡°Thank you, Uncle and


    Aunt.¡±


    ¡°The mother and son are safe. Everyone is relieved now.¡± Lin Zexu smiled and patted Zhou Jia. ¡°Jiahe, we¡¯re going back too.¡±


    Zhou Jia hurriedly went forward and bowed. ¡°Thank you, Uncle and Aunt. Take care.¡±


    Zhou Jia sent the two of them back to the door. Li Qing looked at Zhou Jia and smiled. ¡°Brother-inw, go wash up and eat something. We¡¯lle and see


    Sister tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Go! Come back tomorrow.¡± Zhou Jia smiled and sent the two of them out.


    When Li Yu woke up, she felt ufortable all over. She lifted the nket and remembered. Zhou Jia narrowed his eyes and leaned against the head of the bed. Seeing that Li Yu was awake, he hurriedly supported her and asked, ¡°What do you think? Are you hungry?¡¯


    ¡°I¡¯m a little hungry. I feel sticky all over. Get me some hot water to wipe myself.


    I¡¯ll change my clothes.¡± Li Yu took a look. ¡®Where¡¯s Yang¡¯er and the children?¡±


    Zhou Jia said gently, ¡°Yang¡¯er is asleep. Granny Chen will take care of the children in the outer room. Lie down first. I¡¯ll get someone to bring you food. You¡¯re still weak and can¡¯t be washed with water. You¡¯ll befortable after changing into clean clothes.¡±


    ¡°Alright, bring the children to me first. I haven¡¯t taken a good look at them!¡± Li Yu said weakly.


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu with heartache. He took a set of cotton clothes for her to change out of and muttered, ¡°When you¡¯re done changing, I¡¯ll carry them over for you to take a look. Granny Chen said that it¡¯s best for you not to carry the children these two days. Giving birth to these two children this time has caused a lot of damage to your vitality. You have to take good care of yourself to recover.¡±


    Li Yu leaned into Zhou Jia¡¯s arms and raised her head to kiss him. She smiled and said, ¡°Lord Zhou, I understand. Do you know that you¡¯re getting naggier and naggier?¡±


    Zhou Jia said fiercely in a soft voice, ¡°How dare you despise me? I won¡¯t argue with you now. I¡¯ll deal with you after one month.¡±


    Li Yu rolled her eyes at him. Zhou Jia smiled. ¡°Yes! You still don¡¯t believe me. Don¡¯t beg for mercy when the timees.¡±


    Auntie He and Old Madam Liu walked in with the confinement food. Li Yu saw that there were three or four types of soup. Auntie He and Old Madam Liu couldn¡¯t stop smiling. They looked at Li Yu and said happily, ¡°Madam, it¡¯s been hard on you. Nourish yourself well for the next two months.¡±


    Hearing that she had to do two months of confinement, Li Yu red at Zhou


    Jia. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Don¡¯t listen to your Master.¡±


    After Li Yu ate, Auntie He and Old Madam Liu took away the things. Granny Chen and Zhou Jia carried the children in. When Li Yu saw the two identical babies, she smiled and said, ¡°Thank you. How are we going to differentiate them in the future?¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled and showed the red mole behind their ears to Li Yu. He smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s easy to tell them apart now! Alright, just take a look. Eat something and sleep for a while.¡±


    Looking at the two children, Li Yu¡¯s heart was about to melt. She kissed the two children gently and asked Zhou Jia, ¡°Have you given the children names?¡±


    Zhou Jiaughed when he heard that. ¡°Yang¡¯er gave the children a nickname. He said that his name is Yangyang (Sun), his second brother is Yueyue (Moon), and his younger brother is Xingxing (Star). What do you think?¡±


    ¡°Yangyang, Yue Yue, Xingxing.¡± Li Yu read it out loud and smiled. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s call them Yueyue and Xingxing. Brother is really capable. Xiao Xi, let¡¯s not wash the children in the cold so that they won¡¯t catch a cold.¡±


    Zhou Jia was also overjoyed to see Li Yu¡¯s happy expression. ¡°Alright, rest well.


    I¡¯ll carry the children outside to sleep ande back to apany you.¡±


    Li Yu shook her head and said, ¡°You still have to go to the government office. You don¡¯t have to apany me.¡±


    Zhou Jia did not argue with Li Yu. After letting her lie down, he carried the children to the outer room and said to Granny Chen, ¡°Get the nanny to feed the children tonight. Don¡¯t wake Madam up. Let her sleep well and recover her energy.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master,¡± Granny Chen replied respectfully. Seeing Zhou Jia turn around and enter the room, she sighed. It was rare for Master to apany Madam during her confinement period!


    After Yangyang woke up, Granny Yang smiled and prepared the clothes for him. ¡°Young Master, drink a ss of goat milk first before going to the garden to cultivate. Little Loach will wait for you in the garden after drinking it.¡¯


    ¡°I want to see Mother and my brothers first.¡± Yangyang put on his clothes quickly, got out of bed, and ran into Li Yu¡¯s house.


    When she reached the corner, she met Zhou Jia. ¡°Father, is Mother still sleeping? Are the younger brothers also sleeping?¡±


    Zhou Jia squatted down and looked at him. ¡°Yang¡¯er, the younger brothers are sleeping in the outer room. Mother is still sleeping. Be gentle. Don¡¯t wake your mother lin ¡±


    Yangyang nodded vigorously. ¡®Got it, Father. Are you going to court early today?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Father is leaving. You and Uncle Xiang go to school.¡± Zhou Jia touched him and smiled.


    ¡°Alright, be careful on the way.¡±


    When Yangyang reached the door, Xing Hua opened it for him and whispered,


    ¡°Eldest Young Master, Madam is still sleeping. Lower your voice.¡±


    Yangyang lightened his footsteps and entered the house to look at his brothers sleeping at the head of the bed. She lowered his voice and said in surprise, ¡°Wow! The younger brothers look better. They don¡¯t seem so wrinkled anymore. Why are they sleeping all the time?¡±


    Granny Chenughed when she heard that. ¡°Eldest Young Master, babies are like this when they¡¯re born. They grow quickly because they can eat and sleep.


    You were like this in the past.¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡± Yangyang walked to the door of the inner room and nced at the sleeping Li Yu. He quietly went out to the back garden.


    Little Loach and the others were waiting there. When they saw Yangyang, they surrounded him and asked curiously, ¡°Young Master, are they really two identical babies?¡±


    Yangyang nodded. ¡°Yes! They¡¯re exactly the same. They¡¯re so fast. They were still wrinkled yesterday, but they look much better today.¡±


    Ji Xiang smiled and walked over. ¡°Hurry up and practice. What are you waiting


    ¡°Yes, Uncle Xiang.¡± The few of them hurriedly dispersed and practiced with Ji


    Xiang..

 Chapter 472 - 472: Big Treasure

    Chapter 472 - 472: Big Treasure


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Li Yu had a good night¡¯s sleep. Just as she woke up and was about to get out of bed, Xing Hua and Granny Chen pushed the door open and entered. Li Yu touched her swollen and painful chest and asked the two of them with a smile, ¡°Did the children drink milkst night? Why didn¡¯t you ask me to feed the child?¡±


    ¡°Madam, Master instructed us not to wake you up. The nannies fed them at night. Last night, the two young masters drank milk twice. This morning, the nannies fed them again. What do you want to eat this morning?¡± Granny Chen smiled.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go see the child.¡± Li Yu looked at Granny Chen. ¡°Nanny, go get some hot water. I¡¯ll wash up before eating. Otherwise, I won¡¯t be able to eat.¡± ¡°Madam, you can¡¯t wash up during confinement. It¡¯s not good to get wet.¡± Granny Chen looked at Li Yu disapprovingly.


    ¡°Listen to me. I washed up when I gave birth to Eldest Young Master and went through confinement. Granny, I really can¡¯t eat without washing up. Go! Listen to me. If Master scolds you, I¡¯ll back you up.¡±


    Granny Chen bargained. ¡°You can¡¯t get wet. Ill scrub you with a damp handkerchief.¡±


    Li Yu knew that this was the only way. ¡°Alright, go ahead! I¡¯ll go to the toilet first.¡±


    Li Yu got out of bed. Xing Hua hurriedly put on her thicker clothes for her. When Li Yu came out, Granny Chen also brought a basin of hot water.


    When Granny Chen saw Li Yu standing in the outer room looking at the children, she pushed Li Yu in disapprovingly. ¡°Madam, quickly go to the bed and lie down. You can¡¯t stand like this. The cracks in the woman¡¯s bones have


    been opened after giving birth. You can¡¯t stand and carry the child tor the first few days. Xing Hua, help Madam in and lie down.¡±


    Xing Hua hurriedly helped Li Yu in. ¡°Madam, go in and lie down. I¡¯ll carry


    Second Young Master and Third Young Master in.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll listen to you in the future.¡± Li Yu smiled awkwardly.


    ¡°I was rude.¡± After Granny Chen smiled and bowed, she wiped Li Yu with a handkerchief. After Li Yu was wiped, she felt much more refreshed and sighed.


    ¡°Sigh! I¡¯m finally alive.¡±


    Granny Chen and Xing Hua pursed their lips and smiled when they saw Li Yu sigh. They thought of what Master had said when he went out. Madam would ask to wash up when she woke up. They were not to agree to her. They had to tell her that she couldn¡¯t touch water. At most, they could just wipe her with a warm handkerchief.


    Xing Hua brought Li Yu a set of soft cotton pants. Li Yu put them on and put on her hat. Auntie He and Old Madam Liu walked in with a tray. Li Yu ate a bowl of noodles and drank some soup before putting it down.


    She turned to look at her two sons, who were sleeping together. Their small hands were by their mouths and their faces were red from sleep. She felt that children were really different every day. They looked much better today.


    Li Yu pinched them gently and kissed their faces. ¡°Two little baddies, why were you in such a hurry? Were you in a hurry toe out and receive the red packets?¡±


    Xing Huaughed when she heard that. ¡°Madam, Young Masters still don¡¯t know what the New Year is! How would they know about the New Year money?¡±


    ¡°Silly girl, Madam is teasing the child!¡± Granny Chen carried a big pillow and ced it behind Li Yu¡¯s waist. She instructed with concern, ¡°Madam, sit against it for a while. You have to lie down more.¡±


    Li Yu recalled the scene of confinement when she gave birth to Yangyang and sighed. ¡°Sigh! I still have to be locked in the house for a month or two. I¡¯m afraid just thinking about it.¡±


    Xing Hua smiled at Li Yu. ¡°Madam, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll apany you every day.¡±


    When Zhou Jia returned from the government office, Old Master Zhou also came. He looked at Zhou Jia excitedly. ¡°Zhao Cai said that your wife gave birth to a pair of sonsst night. Is that true?¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at the happy Old Master Zhou and nodded with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s true. I¡¯ll carry them over to show you in two days.¡±


    Seeing Zhou Jia¡¯s pleasant expression, Old Master Zhou felt much more at ease. He looked at Zhou Jia proudly. ¡°Jiahe, I made a big sale yesterday and sold more than ten pots of winter plums and more than ten pots of orchids. I have to think about what to buy for the two babies.¡±


    Seeing his happy expression, Zhou Jia also smiled. He couldn¡¯t help but think to himself, that had he been this serious when Grandfather was still alive, how happy would Grandfather be? Every time he saw the old man, he would either ask for money orin. The father and son didn¡¯t even talk for more than three sentences before they started to quarrel.


    ¡°What do you want to eat? Go and instruct the stove to make it for you. Old Madam Liu bought a bass; I¡¯ll ask her to steam it for you. How about that?¡±


    When Old Master Zhou heard Zhou Jia ask him softly if he wanted steamed bass, his heart warmed and a poignant feeling surged in his heart. ¡°Hehehe!¡± He hid hisughter and said, ¡°Alright, steamed bass it is.¡±


    Yangyang ran in with his school bag on his back. When he saw Old Master Zhou and Zhou Jia standing under the eaves of the outer courtyard, he went forward and held Old Master Zhou¡¯s hand. He smiled and asked, ¡°Uncle, are you cold? Mother gave birth to two identical younger brothers for mest night.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not cold. I know that Yang¡¯er has a younger brother.¡± Old Master Zhou smiled until his face was full of wrinkles. He touched Yangyang¡¯s furry head and took out a box from his pocket. He handed it to Yangyang. ¡°There are a few wooden carvings in it. I saw them in Nan City yesterday. See if you like them.¡± Yangyang took the cup and bowed. ¡°Thank you, Uncle.¡±


    ¡°Yang¡¯er, bring your uncle into the house to sit. It¡¯s warm in the house.¡± After saving that, Zhou Jia turned around and walked towards the inner courtyard.


    Yangyang brought Old Master Zhou into the house and opened the box. He saw a few chubby wooden dolls with angry expressions and smiling eyes inside. He didn¡¯t know what material they were carved from, but there was a faint fragrance. Some of the dolls had cors hanging from their necks, some were lying on their stomachs, some were lying on their sides and turning their heads to look, as if they were chatting with other children lying on their stomachs. There was also one who was sitting on his tiptoes¡­ They were of all shapes and sizes and looked charmingly silly.


    Yangyang rejoiced and bowed to Old Master Zhou with a smile. ¡°Thank you, Uncle. I like them very much. Go y with Grandmaster first. After I finish my homework, I still have to teach Brother Loach and the others.¡±


    ¡°Go! I¡¯ll go y chess with Old Liu.¡± Old Master Zhou smiled and waved his hand.


    Yangyang took the box into the inner courtyard and went to Li Yu¡¯s room. She stood at the door and looked at Li Yu and her two brothers lying beside her.


    Li Yu leaned against a big pillow and waved at him with a smile. ¡°Yang¡¯er is back! Silly son, why aren¡¯t youing in?¡±


    Only then did Yangyang walk in. Looking at the wool hat on Li Yu¡¯s head, he asked curiously, ¡°Mother, why are you wearing a hat in the house?¡±


    ¡°Mother has to wear a hat during confinement.¡± Li Yu smiled and touched his small hand. It was a little cold. She asked with concern, ¡°Son, are you cold?


    Why aren¡¯t you wearing thicker clothes?¡±


    Yangyang saw that Li Yu was still the same as before. When she saw him, she touched his hand and asked him if he was cold. He climbed onto the bed and snuggled into Li Yu¡¯s arms. He smiled and said, ¡°Mother, my ssmate said that you won¡¯t like me anymore after you have a little brother. In the future, you¡¯ll only like little brothers. He didn¡¯t believe me when I said that Mother wouldn¡¯t dislike me..¡±

 Chapter 473 - 473: Sharp Tongue

    Chapter 473 - 473: Sharp Tongue


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Li Yu thought to herself that it was no wonder this brat stood at the door and didn¡¯te in.


    She smiled and lowered her head to kiss him. She tapped his nose and said with a smile, ¡°Yes, my son is so smart. You¡¯re my big baby. How can I not like you?


    With Yueyue and Xingxing, you¡¯re also my baby.¡±


    Yangyang looked at Li Yu proudly and touched Yueyue and Xingxing. ¡°Mother, the nicknames I gave my younger brothers are nice, right?¡±


    Li Yu smiled and gave him a thumbs-up. ¡°They sound good. My son is really capable. ¡±


    Zhou Jia entered the house and saw Yangyang snuggling in Li Yu¡¯s arms. He smiled and said, ¡°You¡¯re already so old, yet you still want to wheedle. Aren¡¯t you embarrassed!¡±


    Yangyang blushed. ¡°Father, I¡¯m a child. You¡¯re the one who has to be embarrassed. You cried yesterday.¡±


    It was Zhou Jia¡¯s turn to blush. ¡°Little baddie, hurry up and do your homework. Little Loach and the others are still waiting for you to teach!¡±


    ¡°Oh! I understand.¡± Yangyang got out of bed and went to the outer room to bring the milling drink to Li Yu. ¡°Mother, Uncle gave me the milling drink. I¡¯ll help you with it.¡±


    Li Yu took the box and touched him with a smile. ¡°Thank you, big baby.¡±


    The couple watched their son carry his bag and leave. Li Yu smiled at Zhou Jia.


    ¡°Big fool, I said that I¡¯ll be fine. Why are you still worried?¡±


    Zhou Jia sat beside Li Yu and pulled her into his arms. He looked down at Li Yu.


    ¡°That¡¯s right! You clearly said it, but why am I still so afraid? I was even teased by my son.¡±


    ¡°Silly!¡± Li Yu said coquettishly. The couple¡¯s foreheads were pressed together, and they could see their smiling selves in each other¡¯s eyes.


    The days flowed like water. In the blink of an eye, it was New Year¡¯s Eve. Li Yu listened to the crackling firecrackers outside and sighed that she had unknowingly spent more than ten years in this world.


    Looking at the twin babies lying beside her, they had already grown into fair and chubby babies in less than half a month. When he heard Yangyang and Zhou Jia¡¯s voices outside, Yueyue frowned and revealed his displeasure at being woken up. If she didn¡¯t hug him soon, he would cry.


    Li Yu smiled and picked him up. ¡°Little baddie, you woke up your brother. I¡¯m going to spank your butt. ¡±


    Yangyang ran in with the smell of fireworks. Seeing Li Yu carrying Yueyue, he touched him in disdain. ¡®Yueyue, you¡¯re not obedient at all. Look at your brother. He¡¯s much more obedient than you!¡±


    Xing Hua smiled and said to Yangyang, ¡°Eldest Young Master, Second Young Master likes to be hugged to sleep. Third Young Master doesn¡¯t like people to touch him. We can tell them apart now.¡±


    When Li Yu heard this, she smiled and tapped the tip of Yueyue¡¯s nose. ¡°Xingxing is still easier to carry. This will be a mischievous person in the future.¡±


    Yangyang listened to the faint sound of firecrackersing from outside and pulled Li Yu¡¯s sleeve. ¡°Mother, when can you go out? Uncle said that there arenterns in the capital for the Lantern Festival. They¡¯re very beautiful. I want you to bring me along.¡±


    ¡°Yang¡¯er, your mother can only go out after the first month of the new year. Daddy will bring you to see thenterns before the Lantern Festival.¡±


    Yangyang looked at Li Yu, who was rolling her eyes at Zhou Jia, and smiled.


    ¡°Mother, you¡¯re so pitiful! You¡¯re locked at home by Father.¡±


    ¡°Yes, your father is old-fashioned.¡± Li Yu smiled and rubbed Yangyang¡¯s head.


    After the Lantern Festival, Elder Madam Gong went to the Lin family early that morning. Seeing her angry expression, Madam Gong asked curiously, ¡°Cousin, what happened? Look at your angry expression. Didn¡¯t you say that you woulde with me to send Ah Yu the full moon giftter? Why are you here so early?¡±


    Elder Madam Gong pulled her to sit down and said, ¡°Sister, I went to the banquet yesterday and heard someone discussing. The meaning between the lines is that our Ah Yu is unfilial and jealous. When she was pregnant, she did not arrange for someone to serve Young Master. During her confinement period, she even upied Young Master.¡±


    ¡°It was imed that she even abused the old man. On such a cold day, she asked the old man to set up a stall in Flower and Bird City to sell flowers. It looked quite heartbreaking, so she bought more than ten pots of flowers from Old Master Zhou. She even said that Old Master Zhou was a glorious person when he was young. When he got older, his biological son became an official and his wife was a famous First-grade Madam. But Old Master Zhou had to start a business as a peddler. Although she didn¡¯t name the person, the only one who gave birth to two children before the new year was Ah Yu, and the only person who sold flowers was Old Master Zhou.¡±


    When Madam Gong heard this, she was so angry that she stood up. ¡°Cousin, which gossipy woman said that? Ah Yu and her husband are on good terms, and my son-inw is unwilling to have anyone serve him. Is he in her way?


    Old Master Zhou is willing to raise flowers and nt grass himself. Which eye of hers saw my Ah Yu abuse the old? Fortunately, my Ah Yu is almost a month into her confinement. Otherwise, she would have been angered to death. They¡¯re trying to harm my Ah Yu!¡±


    Elder Madam Gong thought for a moment. ¡°The ones who said these words are Imperial Censor Feng¡¯s sister, Feng Yunhong, and Madam Xu Xiuqiong, the wife of the Councillor from the Ministry of Rites. Madam Zhang Shuhui, the wife of the Head Official at the Ministry of Rites was also involved. I think they deliberatelv sDread the news to nder Ah Yu while she was in confinement.


    Ah Yu is in confinement, but we can¡¯t tell her about this and make her angry. We can¡¯t just let the matter pass. Let¡¯s not underestimate these long-tongued women. They¡¯re quite powerful when they stir up trouble. Weaker people have been killed by their rumors.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! When Ah Yu finishes her confinement, the news will have spread throughout the capital. Madam Feng is the sister-inw of Madam Yang. There¡¯s another saying about why Ah Yu was ndered. Madam Xu is the sister-inw of the Jun family in Country Lord Ning¡¯s family. Her brother was angered to death by Country Lord Ning and Madam still fawned on Country


    Lord Ning like this. She¡¯s a boneless thing. Madam Zhang is the Madam of the


    Ministry of Rites. Ah Yu doesn¡¯t know her either.¡±


    Madam Gong looked at her cousin in confusion. ¡°Ah Yu doesn¡¯t even know these people. Why would they spread rumors to nder Ah Yu? I think there¡¯s something wrong. Cousin, let¡¯s go to Ah Yu¡¯s ce first and get someone to find Jiahe home and let him make a decision.¡±


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go find Jiahe and work something out.¡±


    The two of them brought the one-month-old gift to the Zhou family. After seeing Li Yu, Madam Gong saw that Li Yu¡¯s face was rosy and she had returned to her usual state. She nodded in relief. ¡°Ah Yu often practices martial arts. Her body is really much better. After I gave birth to your two cousins, Iy down for a few days before I had the strength to sit up. The flesh on my stomach has not recovered. ¡±


    Elder Madam Gong agreed. ¡°That¡¯s right. Those who practice martial arts are indeed much stronger. Ah Yu, is there any set of martial arts that I can practice? My back has been sore these days.¡±


    Li Yu thought for a moment and said with a smile, ¡°Aunt can learn the Five


    Animal y. If you want to learn, I¡¯ll teach you.¡±


    ¡°Five Animal y? Is it difficult? I¡¯m old. I might not be able to learn it if it¡¯s too difficult.¡¯


    ¡°It¡¯s not difficult. It¡¯s divided into the Tiger Drama, the Deer Drama, the Ape Drama, the Bear Drama, and the Bird Drama. Every trick has different benefits for the body. The Tiger Drama can strengthen the muscles and bones over a long period of time. The Deer Drama can increase the physical strength, strengthen the kidneys, and build up the waist. The Ape Drama¡­ Aunt and Aunt can practice it.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and exined the benefits of practicing the Five Animal y. The Gong sisters smiled and said, ¡°Alright, when you¡¯re out of confinement in a few days, we¡¯ll learn from you..¡±

 Chapter 474 - 474: Find Her

    Chapter 474: Find Her


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    At this moment, Granny Chen and Xing Hua walked in with the two children. ¡°Madam, the two young masters are asleep.¡±


    When Elder Madam Gong saw the two babies, she said in surprise, ¡°Aiya! There are two identical babies again. Sister, it seems that the Lin family¡¯s twins look exactly the same.¡±


    Madam Gong talked about the twins. ¡°Yes, when Ah Lan and Ah Yun were young, we often mistook one for the other. Once, we changed Ah Lan¡¯s clothes twice, but forgot about Ah Yun. Also¡­¡±


    Everyone chatted for a while. Elder Madam Gong smiled at Li Yu and said, ¡°Ah


    Yu, we¡¯ll leave first. We still have something to do at home!¡±


    Li Yu smiled at Elder Madam Gong. ¡°Aunt, why are you leaving so soon? I still want to hear what interesting things are happening in the capital!¡±


    Elder Madam Gong hesitated for a moment and nodded with a smile. ¡°Yes, I don¡¯t have time today. I¡¯ll tell you when I¡¯m free.¡±


    Seeing her expression, Li Yu felt that it was inconvenient for her to say something. She didn¡¯t ask further and pulled her along with a smile. ¡°Alright,


    I¡¯ll wait for you.¡±


    The Gong sisters came out of the house and asked Granny Yang to find Ruyi. They said to Ruyi, ¡°Go to the government office and tell Jiahe that we¡¯ll wait for him at the Intoxicated Immortal Restaurant. We have something to tell him.¡±


    Seeing the two of them with solemn expressions, Ruyi quickly went to the government office and told Zhou Jia about the Gong sisters wanting to speak with him at the Drunken Immortal Restaurant.


    Zhou Jia recalled how his colleagues had been avoiding him and whispering about him in the government office these past two days. He said to Ruyi, ¡°Something must have happened. Let¡¯s go take a look. ¡±


    Zhou Jia went to the Intoxicated Immortal Restaurant where the Gong sisters told Zhou Jia what they had heard.


    Elder Madam Gong looked at Zhou Jia in confusion. ¡°Jiahe, I know that you have a conflict with Censor Feng¡¯s family, but why did Madam Xu and Madam Zhang nder Ah Yu?¡±


    Zhou Jia cupped his hands and bowed. ¡°Aunt, Aunt, Madam Xu might have been instructed by Country Lord Ning. In mid-Julyst year, Xiaoyu, Sir, and I helped a family with the surname Liu in Hengshan Town¡­ It might be because of this that we offended Country Lord Ning. She most likely instructed them to spread these rumors.¡±


    When the Gong sisters heard the vicious things He Yuqing had done to Liu Yulian and her daughter, as well as Steamed Bun Liu, they were extremely disgusted.


    From the bottom of her heart, Madam Gong felt that that slut, Country Lord Ning, had most likely taken a fancy to Zhou Jia. Otherwise, how could she have instructed that spineless Madam Xu to nder Ah Yu?


    Elder Madam Gong spat. ¡°Even a monster will not hurt its own children. How can there be such a despicable and vicious person in the world? It¡¯s too much to cut him into pieces. Why doesn¡¯t anyone teach that slut Country Lord Ning a lesson? She did such a disgusting thing and yet she¡¯s put to justice. I have to help her preach.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Cousin, I¡¯ll go to the banquet with you in a few days and dispel the rumors. It¡¯s just that the current matter¡­¡± Madam Gong looked at Zhou Jia. ¡°Jiahe, in your opinion, what should we do?¡±


    Zhou Jia stood up and bowed to the two of them. ¡°Thank you, Aunt! Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t let them nder Ah Yu. I¡¯ll think of a way to resolve this matter as soon as possible.¡±


    Madam Gong nodded. ¡°Alright,e to me if you need help. There are too many gatherings in the first month of the new year and too much talking.


    People¡¯s mouths can melt gold and destroy bones. Rumors will also kill people.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll definitely resolve it as soon as possible.¡±


    The Gong sisters looked at Zhou Jia in relief. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go and find out which women are spreading rumors.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Aunt.¡±


    Zhou Jia sent the Gong sisters off gratefully. He sat there and thought for a while. He recalled that Old Master Zhou had said that he had met a big client before the new year. He said to Ruyi, ¡°Go to Old Master and ask who went to buy dozens of pots of flowers from him before the new year. Ask Han San to find out who that slut colluded with.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    Ruyi agreed and went out to Old Master Zhou¡¯s shop in Flower and Bird City. Seeing that he was busy tidying up the flower pots, he went forward and bowed. ¡°Old Master, Master asked me to ask which family bought flowers before the new year. Do you still remember?¡±


    Old Master Zhou red at Ruyi. ¡°Kid, you¡¯re speaking without any context. Why did your master ask about the family that bought flowers? Tell me! What happened?¡±


    Ruyi frowned and said, ¡°Sigh! Someone is spreading rumors outside that my Madam is not filial to you and made you set up a stall in Flower and Bird City at vour age. Thev said that vou were such a glorious Derson when vou were


    young, but you still did what a peddler would do when you were old.¡±


    Old Master Zhou recalled that the woman had asked him to send the flowers to her house before the new year. There were also a few women pretending to ask questions in the garden. It seemed that their true intention was to deal with Xiao Xi¡¯s wife.


    ¡°These long-tongued women used dirty methods to deal with Yang¡¯er¡¯s mother. Pfft! I¡¯m happy to earn money with my own ability. What has it to do with them? They¡¯re long-tongued women who have nothing better to do.¡± Old Master Zhou rolled up his sleeve. ¡°I¡¯m going to looking for her to return the flowers. I want to ask her which of her eyes saw that Yang¡¯er¡¯s mother was unfilial?¡±


    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s ask her.¡± Ruyi was amused. ¡°Old Master, get in the carriage. I¡¯ll go back and get a few people to apany you.¡±


    Old Master Zhou waved his hand arrogantly. ¡°There¡¯s no need to call anyone. Just apany me.¡±


    Old Master Zhou greeted the person next door and got into the car to bring Ruyi to the house where they had bought flowers.


    When the carriage arrived at a bustling street, Old Master Zhou pointed at the door of the mansion in front of him. ¡°It¡¯s that house. There aren¡¯t many good people among the women in the mansion. They have nothing to do and only know how to stir up trouble all day. All of them are vicious women in private.¡±


    Ruyi smiled and said, ¡°You can¡¯t me Old Master. The word ¡®Vicious Woman¡¯ isn¡¯t written on the her forehead.¡±


    Old Master Zhou sighed. ¡°Sigh! These women are the most unpredictable.¡±


    When they were about to reach a flower shop, Ruyi saw two men chatting andughing as they entered through the corner door. Ruyi looked at the back of one of them. This person seemed to be the husband of Madam¡¯s cousin, High Schr Li! Could he be a teacher here?


    Before Ruyi could confirm if it was Li Fengqi, Old Master Zhou had already jumped out of the carriage and rushed to the door in two to three steps. He waved his arms at the three guards and shouted, ¡°Go, call that talkative bitch out. Return the flowers to me and ask her toe out and exin to me. Which eye of hers saw that my nephew and daughter-inw were unfilial?


    ¡°Long-tongued woman, buying and selling flowers is a done deal. Why does she think that she¡¯s done a good deed and is superior to others? Long-tongued woman,e out. I¡¯ll tear your mouth apart. Long-tongued woman,e out.¡±


    Seeing that Old Master Zhou, an old man who sold flowers, actually dared to shout at the door, the doorman walked out of the gatehouse and rolled up his sleeves as he scolded Old Master Zhou fiercely, ¡°Where did this old mane from? Open your eyes and see where this is. How dare you shout here? Get lost.


    If you don¡¯t leave, I¡¯ll kill you!¡±


    ¡°You servant, how dare you intimidate me?¡± Old Master Zhou was full of aura. He rushed up and pped that person. The remaining two guards rushed up with clubs and were knocked to the ground by Ruyi..

 Chapter 475 - 475: Sowing Discord

    Chapter 475: Sowing Discord


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Old Master Zhou looked smugly at the doorman lying on the ground and screaming. He scolded loudly, ¡°You dog, are you deaf? I¡¯m calling you to call out the gossipy woman who bought flowers a few days ago. I¡¯m not selling my flowers to her anymore.¡±


    As he spoke, he took out a money bag from his pocket and threw it in front of him. ¡°I¡¯ll return the money to you. Hurry up and bring out my flowers.¡±


    Old Master Zhou¡¯s scolding at the door had already rmed the passersby.


    Seeing that they were fighting, the passersby stopped and surrounded Old Master Zhou, who was shouting in front of the door.


    The guards got up and looked at Old Master Zhou and Ruyi, who were looking at them with their arms crossed. They looked at each other. ¡°What should we do? Let¡¯s go in and report to Madam!¡±


    Seeing that more and more people were gathering to watch themotion, one of the guards frowned and said, ¡°Old Wang, you should quickly report it!


    Otherwise, the few of us will be the ones to suffer.¡±


    The leader felt that it made sense. He hugged his stomach which was hurting from the kick and instructed them as he walked, ¡°Watch him. Don¡¯t let anyone break into the residence.¡±


    The gatekeeper, Old Wang, ran to the second door and shouted at the old woman guarding the door, ¡°Old Madam Zhang, quickly report to Madam. The old man who sold her flowers brought people to beat us up. That old man was shouting at the door and asking Madam to return the flowers. He even said that Madam was a gossipy woman who stirred up trouble. In short, he scolded her very badly. ¡±


    When Old Madam Zhang heard this, she hurriedly ran in. She shouted at an old woman, ¡°Nanny Zhang, bad news¡­¡±


    Granny Zhang scolded, ¡°You¡¯ve learned your rules. You¡¯re making a fuss and disturbing Madam. Be careful of the punishment.¡±


    The old woman criticized Granny Zhang¡¯s arrogance silently but said respectfully, ¡°Granny Zhang, Old Wang said that there¡¯s someone outside¡­¡±


    Granny Zhang was shocked when she heard that. She hurriedly entered the house and reported to Madam Zhang, ¡°Madam, Old Zhou brought people to make a scene at the entrance and asked you to return the flowers to him. He also¡­


    Madam Zhang frowned. ¡°Why are you hesitating? What did that old hooligan scold me about outside?¡±


    Granny Zhang repeated Old Wang¡¯s words. ¡°Madam, what do you think we should do? It¡¯ll be troublesome when Masteres back from the government office.¡±


    Madam Zhang looked at Granny Zhang angrily. ¡°So what if he¡¯s back? I¡¯m fawning over Madam Xu because of him. Who asked him to work under Madam Xu¡¯s man?! Get Butler Gu to give him more money and send him away.¡±


    Granny Zhang hesitated for a moment. ¡°Madam, he¡¯s already here. Can we give him more money?¡±


    ¡°Hmph!¡± Madam Zhang snorted disdainfully. ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t an old ruffian like hime to cause trouble for money? Hurry up!¡±


    Seeing Madam Zhang¡¯s disdainful expression, Granny Zhang did not dare to say anything else. She could only go to the outer courtyard to settle it with the butler.


    At the entrance of the Gu family, there were many idlers watching themotion.


    Someoneughed and hooted. A said, ¡°Old man, tell me, what did this gossipy woman do to your family?¡±


    A passerby said, ¡°That¡¯s right! Is the official¡¯s Madam is also stirring up trouble like themoners on the streets? Tell me why!¡±


    An old man who was watching themotion nced at the few guards standing at the door and persuaded Old Master Zhou in a low voice, ¡°Brother, I advise you to forget it! This is the Head Official of the Ministry of Rites, Mr. Gu. He¡¯s a rich and high-ranking official of the Imperial Court. Killing you is like crushing an ant.¡±


    Old Master Zhou red at him and shouted, ¡°What kind of noble family is this? My nephew is the Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, and my nephew¡¯s wife is a First-grade Madam. Why would I be afraid of him?¡±


    Along the way, people sneered. ¡°Old Master, stop bragging! Just now, you even asked them to return the flowers to you. You¡¯re just a flower seller.¡±


    Old Master Zhou turned to look at him and smiled proudly. ¡°Let me tell you, I¡¯ve been eating, drinking, and having fun my entire life. I¡¯ve ruined the family business and only found something I like to do when I was old. I nted flowers and raised grass. At the same time, I earned a tew small sums ot money for the children to buy trinkets. I eat good wine and food every few days and live afortable life!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what happened!¡± Old Master Zhou pointed at the Gu family. ¡°The bitch from this family bought a few pots of flowers from my shop and felt that she was kind and doing a good deed. She went around saying that my nephew, and daughter-inw were not filial to me. She even told others that I was pitiful selling flowers. What was there to pity?¡±


    ¡°Look, I¡¯m wearing wool clothes inside and a gray rat fur coat outside. I also have such a big wardrobe at home. Look at my feet. I¡¯m wearing deerskin boots. ¡±


    With such deerskin boots, my nephew and daughter-inw got someone to send a few pairs to my house to change my clothes. The woman from this family even said outside that she was unfilial. Do you think this woman is a gossipy woman?¡±


    Someone who knew his stuff said, ¡°That¡¯s right! This set of clothes also costs a lot of money. A good gray rat fur coat costs dozens of taels of silver, and a pair of deer boots costs more than ten taels of silver. That¡¯s all there is to a biological child.¡±


    ¡°Flower seller, go back and ask your nephew if he offended him.¡±


    ¡°Even if you¡¯ve offended him, he can¡¯t spout nonsense!¡± The onlookers discussed.


    When Butler Gu heard the discussion outside, he cursed in his heart. He took the money bag from the doorman¡¯s hand and went forward with a smile. He bowed to Old Master Zhou. ¡°Old Master Zhou, we¡¯ve already nted those flowers. How can we return them? Do you think it¡¯s too cheap? My Madam said that it¡¯s cold. It¡¯s not easy for you to nt and sell flowers. I¡¯ll double the money for you.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about your stinky money.¡± Old Master Zhou¡¯s face darkened as he pped away the silver Butler Gu handed over. ¡°Are you stupid or deaf? Call that bitch out and return the flowers to me. I¡¯d rather give them away than sell them to your family.


    ¡°Go in and ask your gossipy woman. Which eye of hers saw that my nephew and daughter-inw were not filial to me? If she can¡¯t say anything, I¡¯ll definitely tear her mouth apart. I¡¯ll evene to your house every day to make a fuss and publicize your gossipy woman to your family.¡±


    ¡°Old man, don¡¯t be shameless. Do you think you cane to the residence to cause trouble?¡± Butler Gu criticized with a dark expression. He looked up at Old Master Zhou and turned to cup his hands at Ruyi. ¡°Steward Zhou, look, this is all a misunderstanding. Please persuade¡­¡±


    Persuade! Dream on! It would be best if Old Master made a big deal out of it! Ruyi waved his hand and looked at him coldly. ¡®Your Madam knows if it¡¯s a misunderstanding. Go in and tell your Madam that she¡¯s already so old. She has to umte good karma. Be careful not to die and go to hell.¡±


    ¡°How can you say that?¡± Butler Gu pointed at Ruyi and shouted, ¡°I advise you to stop while you¡¯re ahead. Don¡¯t make a fuss.¡±


    Ruyi took a step forward and sneered at him. ¡°So what if it gets out of hand?! If your Madam can do it, why can¡¯t I say it? I advise your Madam not to be so vicious at her age. She clearly knows that my Madam is pregnant with Young Masters, but she still spread rumors everywhere. What are her intentions?¡±


    Butler Gu pointed at Ruyi and shouted, ¡°Steward Zhou, I advise you not to be unreasonable. My Madam never said these words. Don¡¯t nder her..¡±

 Chapter 476 - 476: Not Following the Scheme

    Chapter 476: Not Following the Scheme


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    ¡°You are a man. Speak properly. Don¡¯t learn from women to quarrel.¡±


    Ruyi pped Butler Gu¡¯s hand. ¡°We all know whom Madam Zhang said it to and what she said. Not only did she say that my Madam is unfilial, but she also said that my Madam is jealous. She said that she was pregnant and didn¡¯t arrange for anyone to serve my master.


    ¡°I find it strange. My master doesn¡¯t fuss about it, and Old Master doesn¡¯t care about this matter. When is it her turn to care about my master¡¯s sexual matters? My master hasn¡¯t married any new Old Matriarchs!¡±


    ¡°You, you¡­¡± Butler Gu pointed at Ruyi, too angry to speak.


    Granny Zhang, who was staring at the door, saw that the situation was bad and turned to run in.


    When she reached the second door, Madam Zhang, who was panting and waiting at the door to hear the news, reported, ¡°Madam, Old Master Zhou is stubborn. Steward Zhou¡¯s mouth is even more nimble than a woman¡¯s. The butler can¡¯t do anything about him. What do you think?¡±


    Madam Zhang thought that the longer she caused trouble, the more people wouldugh at her. She looked at Granny Zhang with a dark expression.


    ¡°Return the flowers to him. Remember, don¡¯t talk to those lowly people.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± Granny Zhang was busy instructing people to move the flowers.


    Outside the house, Old Master Zhou joined in. ¡°Ruyi, don¡¯t disgust me. Even I don¡¯t want such a vicious woman. Long-tongued woman, quickly bring the flowers out for me.¡±


    The onlookers discussed animatedly. ¡°That¡¯s right! She¡¯s pregnant. She must be trying to harm her!¡±


    An old woman curled her lips and said, ¡°I think it¡¯s because the men in this family don¡¯t want to look for them. These noble madams have nothing better to do. Why should outsiders interfere in their matters?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! Let¡¯s see if she still has the time to grind her teeth!¡±


    Butler Gu took a deep breath and shouted angrily at Ruyi with a livid expression, ¡°Steward Zhou, do you think my Gu family is afraid of you?!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my Zhou family who¡¯s afraid of you. We¡¯re afraid of your gossipy woman. Who doesn¡¯t know that a person¡¯s tongue can crush a person to death?¡± Ruyi sneered. ¡°Your Gu family is powerful. Lord Gu works in the Ministry of Rites and specializes in etiquette. How powerful must you be to teach the women at home to be gossipy women? I think it¡¯s better to resign early and go home! Don¡¯t harm the people of Great Yong.¡±


    The onlookersughed. A man shouted, ¡°You¡¯re right. To think he¡¯s working in the Ministry of Rites! Get lost as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°I think he¡¯s most likely specialized in teaching gossipy women.¡± Old Master Zhou waved his hand and shouted. The onlookers roared withughter.


    At this moment, Granny Zhang walked out of the house, followed by a handcart with the orchids and winter plums.


    Old Master Zhou took a few steps forward and pointed at the flowers. He said to the old woman, ¡°I¡¯ve already returned the money to your family. Don¡¯t spread rumors in a few days that I took your money for nothing.¡±


    The old woman did not say a word and instructed someone to move the flowers down. She looked at Old Master Zhou coldly and pointed at the flowers. ¡°Old Master, think about it. Don¡¯t go back and regret it. We don¡¯t want youing to cause trouble again.¡±


    ¡°Hmph.¡± Old Master Zhou sneered. ¡°If your gossipy woman is not spouting nonsense outside, I¡¯m busy raising flowers and don¡¯t have the time to grind my teeth with you. If I hear any more gossip, I¡¯ll cause chaos in your house.¡±


    The old woman was so angry that her lips trembled a few times. Thinking of Madam¡¯s instructions, she didn¡¯t dare to retort. She nced at Old Master Zhou and said to Butler Gu, ¡°Butler, Madam said that we shouldn¡¯t argue with such ignorantmoners.¡±


    Butler Gu and the old woman nced at Old Master Zhou and Ruyi before turning around and going back.


    The old woman¡¯s words angered everyone. An old man pointed at the old woman and shouted, ¡®We¡¯remoners in the market. Your Gu family¡¯s previous generation is just a peddler. The Gu family¡¯s ancestral hall is still honoring peddler poles!¡±


    ¡°You dogs rely on your power,¡± Old Master Zhou shouted behind the two of them. He turned around and looked at the people surrounding him. ¡°Everyone, I just said that I¡¯d rather give my flowers to others than sell them to gossipy women. Come,e,e, each of you can carry a basin away.¡±


    The onlookers looked at the beautiful flowers and were eager to have one. They looked at Old Master Zhou and asked, ¡°Old Master, are you really giving them away for free?¡±


    Old Master Zhou smiled proudly. ¡°I¡¯m a man of my word. I¡¯ll give it to you for free. Don¡¯t snatch it. Take a basin each.¡± The onlookers swarmed forward and carried a basin each. The timid ones standing far away regretted it.


    Ruyi and Old Master Zhou got into the carriage and walked back. Old Master Zhou looked at the people smiling happily with flowers in their arms and covered his chest. He said sadly, ¡°Go back and ask your master topensate me with the money. I want to buy something for the children.¡±


    Ruyi replied with a smile, ¡°Old Master, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll report it to Master when I get back and double thepensation.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s more like it.¡± Old Master Zhou leaned back and smiled in satisfaction.


    After Ruyi left, Zhou Jia went out to the Ministry of Official Personnel Affairs to find Madam Feng¡¯s husband. He said to him with a dark expression, ¡°Lord Liu, my Zhou family has never interacted with your Liu family, and we don¡¯t have any grievances. Why did your Madam ruin my Madam¡¯s reputation outside and spread rumors that my Madam is unfilial? She even overstepped her authority and interfered in my bedroom affairs. When did it be your Madam¡¯s turn to interfere in my bedroom affairs? If anything happens to my Madam, I won¡¯t let it go.¡±


    Lord Liu¡¯s face turned red. He looked at Zhou Jia and asked in a low voice, ¡°Lord


    Zhou, don¡¯t nder my Madam.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Lord Liu with a sneer. ¡°I don¡¯t have the time to nder your Madam. Lord Liu, go back and tell your Madam that I have a wife. She doesn¡¯t have to worry about me. She just needs to control her own man.¡±


    After saying that, Zhou Jia flicked his sleeve and turned to leave. Then, he went to the Ministry of Rites to look for Official Gu and Madam Xu¡¯s husband and asked them to control their Madam and not cause trouble outside.


    Official Gu and Madam Xu¡¯s husband looked at Zhou Jia¡¯s back and looked at each other. ¡°How can there be such an insensitive person? Shouldn¡¯t we talk about this in private? Why are youing to the government office to reason?¡±


    The news that Zhou Jia had gone to the government offices to reason with the three of them quickly spread. Some of the Madams who had suffered from gossip began to criticize their husbands.


    ¡°Look at how Lord Zhou protected his Madam. Look at you. You only know how to make me endure and ask me to be magnanimous. Why should I endure when I¡¯m wronged?¡±


    Those who had daughters waiting to be married all secretly wanted to find a son-inw who was as protective as Lord Zhou.


    Ruyi went home and told Ji Xiang about seeing Li Fengqi. She said to Ji Xiang, ¡°I saw a side profile at that time. I¡¯m not sure if it was him.¡±


    Ji Xiang thought for a moment. ¡°Madam Gu ndered Madam and Li Fengqi appeared in the Gu family. Some things have to be guarded. I haven¡¯t checked which family he was with.. Now that he¡¯s gone to the Gu family, how can there be such a coincidence? Could he have colluded with those people to harm Master and Madam just because Master and Madam didn¡¯t help him?¡±

 Chapter 477 - 477: Famous

    Chapter 477: Famous


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Ruyi then felt that it was very likely. ¡°Even I look down on him. He¡¯s definitely not a good person. Go to the Gu family and check if it¡¯s Li Fengqi. I¡¯ll tell Master about Old Master looking for the Gu family to return the flowers.¡±


    The two of them split up. When Ji Xiang arrived at the Gu family¡¯s house, he walked around the house and sat in the teahouse opposite the Gu family until dusk. As expected, he saw Li Fengqiing out of the house with a happy expression. Ji Xiang followed behind him and felt that something was wrong.


    Thinking about thest time he saw him, he still looked bitter and resentful. There must be something wrong.


    Ji Xiang followed Li Fengqi all the way. Seeing that he had returned home without interacting with anyone, he returned home and told Zhou Jia about this.


    Zhou Jia thought for a moment. ¡°Li Fengqi is a person with a strong desire for fame and fortune. He wants to get on the rankings. As long as one can help him with the imperial examination, one can bribe him. He knows very little about us. If he wants to get the news, he can only attack using Laidi. Think about what Laidi knows. It¡¯s nothing more than Madam and our life experiences. If they can nder Madam for being jealous and unfilial outside, they will¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m indeed jealous. What can they do to me!¡± Li Yu walked into the study from outside. ¡°Why should I be afraid of them talking? These gossipy women just want to ruin my reputation. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not that weak. I¡¯ve never done anything wrong. How can my reputation be ruined by a few gossipy women!¡±


    ¡°Why are you out? Just call us over to talk!¡± Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu disapprovingly and hurriedly pulled her to a chair.


    ¡°Aunt and Aunt came to deliver the full month gift this morning. I thought the two of them had something to tell me, but the two of them left after talking for a while. Aunt was even hesitating. I felt that the two of them were hiding something from me.¡±


    Li Yu looked at the two of them and smiled. ¡°I thought it was something big. How can you worry about these trivialities?¡±


    Zhou Jia knew that Li Yu was open-minded by nature. The things she usually paid attention to were not the same as those women and she did not care about these rumors. However, the other party had already begun to spread rumors to target her. She would not stop unless she achieved her goal. This time, if she did not seed, she would use other methods to attack Li Yu.


    Seeing that Li Yu didn¡¯t care about these rumors at all, Ji Xiang panicked. ¡°Madam, you don¡¯t know that those gossipy women are very vicious. They cause trouble all day long. Also, that Li Fengqi, we have no choice but to do it. Even Old Master went to the Gu family to cause trouble today. Old Master¡­¡±


    Li Yu didn¡¯t expect Old Master Zhou to stand up for her. Thinking about how Old Master Zhou pretended to be generous and gave the flowers away, she smiled with heartache. ¡°ording to Old Master¡¯s request, I¡¯ll return double the money for the flowers that Old Master gave away.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam,¡± Ji Xiang agreed.


    Zhou Jia continued, ¡°Madam, we can¡¯t let them continue to smear your reputation. I think Country Lord Ning instructed someone to do these things. I¡¯ve already asked Han San to gather information.¡±


    Li Yu looked at the two of them. ¡°What information did you ask Han San to find out? Is it about how many lovers Country Lord Ning has?¡±


    ¡°Yes, how dare such a slut nder you?¡± Zhou Jia looked disgusted. ¡°Such a person is no different from a prostitute in Fireworks Alley.¡±


    ¡°How is it not different? Most of the women in Fireworks Alley are desperate or forced to take that path. She¡¯s not even as good as them! She¡¯s just reincarnated well and is wearing a magnificent skin.¡±


    Li Yu recalled the way Country Lord Ning looked at Zhou Jia and felt disgusted.


    Zhou Jia said in a low voice, ¡°Then let¡¯s peel off that skin for her and embarrass her in the future.¡±


    Li Yu recalled Madam Gong¡¯s gossip ability and said with a smile, ¡°Let me tell you, it¡¯s better to find the aunts than to ask Han San. These things spread the fastest among Madams.¡±


    Zhou Jia felt that it made sense. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll invite Aunt and the others over. Ask them.¡±


    Ji Xiang looked at the two of them. ¡°Master, Madam, do you still want to watch Li Fengqi?¡±


    Zhou Jia nodded and said, ¡°Go, get someone to keep an eye on him and find an opportunity to search his house.¡±


    Just as they finished discussing, Granny Yang reported from outside, ¡°Master and Madam, Uncle, Matriarch, Master-inw, and Madam are all here.¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled at Li Yu. ¡°Looks like Uncle and the others know too. We don¡¯t have to ask Aunt for information now.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Li Yu smiled and went to the main hall with Zhou Jia. When


    Madam Gong saw Li Yu, she pulled her back to the house. ¡°Go back and rest.


    You can onlye out after your confinement.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and held Madam Gong¡¯s hand. ¡°Alright, Aunt. Wait for me to bow to Uncle before returning to the house.¡±


    Uncle Lin waved his hand and said, ¡°There¡¯s no need to be so polite. Go back and lie down.¡±


    Li Qing also chased Li Yu back to her room. Fan Mingfang went forward and held Li Yu and Madam Gong. ¡°Aunt, Sister, let Uncle and Brother-inw talk.


    Let¡¯s go back to the room to see the baby.¡±


    Madam Gong thought so too. ¡°Yes, let¡¯s go see the baby.¡±


    Seeing that the three of them had gone to Li Yu¡¯s house, Uncle Lin smiled at Zhou Jia and said, ¡°Jiahe, I¡¯m very gratified that you protected Ah Yu like that. Uncle thanks you.¡±


    Li Qing also bowed to Zhou Jia. ¡°Thank you, Brother-inw, for loving Sister. I also want to thank Old Master, for standing up for Sister. It¡¯s all over the news. They¡¯re all discussing how you went to the government office to warn Lord Liu and Lord Gu. Some are also discussing how Old Master Zhou caused a scene in the Gu family to avenge Sister.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at the two of them and said with a smile, ¡°Ah Yu is my wife. It¡¯s my responsibility to protect her. Uncle, Ah Qing, you¡¯re too polite.¡±


    While the men were discussing in the main hall, Madam Gong and Fan Mingfang were teasing the twins in the cradle. Yueyue opened his round eyes and looked at the rattle in Madam Gong¡¯s hand, then at the silver bell in Fan Mingfang¡¯s hand. He looked at it for a while and yawned. Then he pouted and cried.


    Madam Gong picked him up and said to Li Yu with a smile, ¡°Xingxing should be the elder. He¡¯s a step slower because he¡¯snguid.¡±


    Fan Mingfang looked at Xingxing, who was sleeping in the cradle. ¡°Yes! Sister, Xingxing took one look at the rattle and closed his eyes to sleep. This child doesn¡¯t look like a month old child.¡¯


    Li Yu smiled. ¡°That¡¯s right! Even when he cries, he crieszily a few times. When Yueyue disturbs him, he cries at most a few times. He¡¯szy and doesn¡¯t like to move. It¡¯s the same when hees out. I wonder who he takes after?¡±


    Fan Mingfang sat beside Li Yu. ¡°Sister, Brother-inw is famous now. Even my mother came to my house today to ask what was going on. She said that Madam Feng has been mean since she was young. After she got married, she was closest to a few gossipy women from the Xu family. Madam Xu has Country Lord Ning behind her. My mother said that Madam Xu didn¡¯t even care about her brother for the sake of her man¡¯s official position.. She even asked if we had offended them?¡±

 Chapter 478 - 478: Lustful

    Chapter 478: Lustful


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Li Yu told Fan Mingfang and Madam Gong about Hengshan Town. ¡°Aunt, do you know who Country Lord Ning hooked up with?¡±


    Madam Gong thought for a moment. ¡°I heard from your aunt today that someone said that she has taken a fancy to the youngest son of the Yang family in Lantern Alley and forcefully invited him to her house to makenterns. I wonder if she has gotten her way.¡±


    Li Yu looked at Madam Gong curiously. ¡°Aunt, is there no one in her husband¡¯s family who can control her?¡±


    Madam Gong shook her head. ¡°The surname of Country Lord Ning is Wei. She was originally the daughter of a general. Her father was a general, but for some reason, he only had her as his daughter. After his Madam left, he didn¡¯t remarry. The father and daughter relied on each other. During the winter hunt that year, thete emperor was attacked by ferocious beasts. Her father saved thete emperor and died. After his death, she was the only one left in the Wei family. Thete emperor conferred her the title of a Country Lord and seemed to have given her a lot of gold, silver, and fields.¡±


    ¡°The younger brother of the Xu family was married into the Wei family. After marrying her for less than a year, he chanced upon the scandal of her and her guard. In a fit of anger, he ran out to drink. After getting drunk, he missed his footing when he went down the stairs and fell to his death. After the younger brother of the Xu family died, Country Lord Ning gave the Xu family the farm shop. The Xu family did not pursue the matter.¡±


    ¡°Although Country Lord Ning is a woman, she¡¯s especially lecherous. As long as she takes a fancy to a man, she¡¯ll try her best to seduce him. However, she¡¯s a little smart. She never gets entangled with men from good families. The men she hooks up with are all good-looking men. There are schrs who failed the exam aftering to the capital and the young masters of merchant families.¡±


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t spend those people¡¯s money. Even if she¡¯s discovered by their families, no one can do anything to her, givenher status. The officials only treat her as a topic of conversation. No one has ever paid attention to whom she¡¯s hooking up with.¡±


    Fan Mingfang said angrily, ¡°To think there¡¯s such a shameless woman in the world. Also, the Xu family is too disgusting. The husband of Madam Xu is still working in the Ministry of Rites. Her brother died because of such a woman and she still helped the wicked. What a shameless person.¡±


    Madam Gong said indifferently, ¡°The Xu family is a down and out family, to begin with. After their son died, his family had fields and shops, and they could eat and drink. Who would care why he died?! His family doesn¡¯t care about him anymore, and outsiders don¡¯t care.¡±


    Fan Mingfang nodded. ¡°That¡¯s true! They just treated it as selling a son.¡±


    Li Yu thought that it didn¡¯t matter if she was lecherous or not. As long as she didn¡¯t provoke her, she didn¡¯t care who she was with. When Li Yu thought of Country Lord Ning¡¯s pompous appearance, she would probably require a lot of money to support her lifestyle. Could it be that she was a capable woman? ¡°Aunt, does Country Lord Ning run many businesses?¡±


    Madam Gong thought for a moment. She had never heard of Country Lord Ning running an industry. ¡°She¡¯s an orphan. When her father left, she was only 14 or 15 years old. It¡¯s also thanks to her father that she was able to hold on to the assets of thete emperor. How can she have the ability to run a business?¡±


    Li Yu analyzed, ¡°Country Lord Ning is promiscuous. Even if thete emperor rewarded her with a lot of gold, silver, and fields, she should have spent most of them after so many years! If she doesn¡¯t have any assets. Where will she get the money she spends?¡±


    Madam Gong also found it strange. ¡°That¡¯s right! She¡¯s living an extravagant life. After all these years, where did she get her money?¡±


    Fan Mingfang thought for a moment and said to Li Yu, ¡°Sister, when my father was in Liangzhou, a rich family raised thugs and guards in order to lend and collect loans. Do you think she will lend money to earn money?¡±


    ¡°By the way, why is a woman raising so many guards? She¡¯s most likely a loan shark. If she dares to do this, she¡¯ll be demoted or forced to work,¡± Madam Gong said.


    Li Yu felt that she could start from there. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s find out if she¡¯s lending money?¡±


    Seeing that Li Yu was not angry about those gossip, Madam Gong was relieved.


    ¡°Ah Yu, no matter what, don¡¯t be angry with that bitch. You¡¯ll anger yourself.


    Aunt will ask Cousin tomorrow. She¡¯s well-informed.¡±


    Fan Mingfang also advised, ¡°That¡¯s right, Sister. That kind of person is not worth arguing with.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and said to the two of them, ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I¡¯m fine! It¡¯s just a few gossipy women. I didn¡¯t take those words seriously!¡±


    Madam Gongughed when she heard that. ¡°Your uncle said that you¡¯re as


    indifferent to fame and fortune as your mother and won¡¯t care about those clowns. In the end, he was worried and pulled me here to take a look. Just as I reached the door, I met Ah Qing and Wanwan.¡±


    It felt good to be remembered. Li Yu smiled. ¡°Thank you, Aunt, Uncle,


    Sister-inw.¡±


    Everyone returned to the hall after exchanging a few more pleasantries. Seeing that Li Yu was fine, Uncle Lin and Li Qing left with their Madams in relief.


    Li Yu told Zhou Jia about the mortgage and Lantern Lane. ¡°Let¡¯s do it both ways. I don¡¯t believe we can¡¯t find something on her.¡±


    Zhou Jia nodded and replied, ¡°Alright, get Ruyi and Han San to investigate these two things. I¡¯ll go to the capital¡¯s government office to find out about the loan.¡±


    After dark, Ji Xiang went to Tongzhou Guild Hall to get to Laidi¡¯s house. He turned around and entered the courtyard. When he saw that the house was still lit up, Ji Xiang walked closer with light footsteps. When he heard Li Fengqi recite, Ji Xiang stood there silently and seriously remembered the words Li Fengqi had recited.


    Suddenly, he heard Laidi say, ¡°Fengqi, it¡¯s gettingte. It¡¯s time to rest.¡±


    Li Fengqi replied indifferently and continued to sit in front of the window. Ji Xiang waited outside for a while. Seeing that he showed no signs of resting, he left the courtyard and returned to the residence. He recited the words Li Fengqi had recited to Zhou Jia.


    When Zhou Jia heard this, he said to Li Yu, ¡°This is probably some schr¡¯s answer. I¡¯ll check it tomorrow. However, what I¡¯m sure of is that Li Fengqi heard something about you from Laidi. Then he used it to exchange for this.¡±


    Li Yu thought to herself that it was impossible for anyone to know that she had borrowed a corpse to reincarnate and had a space. Also, it was impossible for Laidi to know that she had made those homemade bombs. Could there be anything else that they could use to make a fuss?


    ¡°Xiao Xi, everyone in West Mountain Vige knows what Laidi knows. What¡¯s the use of him asking around?¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu¡¯s puzzled expression and knew that she was magnanimous.


    ¡°No wonder they wanted to spread rumors that I was jealous and not filial to Old Master Zhou. They were ruining my reputation step by step and making everyone think that I was a person with bad character.¡± Li Yu was disdainful of these methods. ¡°Xiao Xi, do you believe it? Do those who are familiar with me believe it? I don¡¯t feel ountable to others. Why should I care about those clowns?


    ¡°Yu¡¯er, I believe you more than I believe in myself, but I won¡¯t allow them to nder you.¡± Zhou Jia held Li Yu¡¯s hand and looked at her affectionately. ¡°It¡¯s impossible for Country Lord Ning to only think of attacking you with the matter of you breaking off the engagement with the Zhang family. I think there¡¯s something else that we don¡¯t know..¡±

 Chapter 479 - 479: Stealing a Man

    Chapter 479: Stealing a Man


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia. ¡°Why would the problem be with the Zhang family? Let¡¯s go and ask Uncle Zhou.¡±


    The two of them went to the front yard and asked Uncle Zhou about Zhang Defa¡¯s family.


    Uncle Zhou said to the two of them, ¡°Someone in the vige met Zhang Defa and heard that Zhang Defa was working as a transportationborer. Chen Zhaodi was helping someone wash their clothes. Zhang Guisheng¡¯s leg was broken by the mule cart, and Madam Zhu was also beaten up by their family so much that she fled. Zhang Guixiang was sold to get money for Zhang Guisheng¡¯s treatment. The vigers are all discussing that the Zhang family has suffered retribution.¡±


    When Li Yu heard that Zhang Guisheng was crippled, she looked at Zhou Jia.


    ¡°Will that crazy woman nder us with Zhang Guisheng¡¯s crippled leg?¡±


    Zhou Jia nodded. ¡°Yes, these women are sinister beyond your imagination. Perhaps she has already sent someone to Tongzhou to look for Zhang Defa¡¯s family.¡±


    Auntie He looked at Li Yu worriedly. ¡°Madam, those people are ck-hearted. Their methods of harming others are sinister and vicious. We have to be careful.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to be wary.¡± Li Yu pondered for a moment. ¡°Let¡¯s ask Aunt to publicize the Zhang family¡¯s betrayal, plot to seize my family¡¯s assets, and abuse of Ah Qing and me. Even if she really brings the Zhang family to the capital and lets them nder us for causing trouble, everyone already knows the reason for the matter. It won¡¯t attract anyone¡¯s interest.¡±


    Zhou Jia agreed. ¡°That¡¯s right. Everyone has preconceived notions. We¡¯ll cut off her path to sensationalism first.¡±


    Seeing that the two of them had discussed a countermeasure, Uncle Zhou and Auntie He were relieved. Auntie He urged Li Yu, ¡°Madam, you should go back and rest. It¡¯s more important to recuperate. Let Master instruct Zhao Cai and the others to do these things.¡±


    Zhou Jia hugged Li Yu and walked back. ¡°Madam, go back and rest. I¡¯ll go to Uncle¡¯s house.¡±


    The next day, just as Country Lord Ning woke up and sat in front of the dressing table to freshen up, Granny Song reported to her in a low voice from outside, ¡°Madam, Madam Xu sent an old woman over. She said that Madam Zhang and Madam Feng have already said that they won¡¯t help pass the message in the future. She also said that Lord Zhou went to the government office to warn their masters. Old Master Zhou even went to Madam Zhang¡¯s house to cause trouble. When the masters of the families arrived, they went to settle the score with the Madams. Their families have already fallen out.¡±


    Country Lord Ning was so angry that she knocked everything on the table to the ground. She gritted her teeth and said, ¡°Bitch, I don¡¯t believe you¡¯re really that lucky and the men will always stand on your side. Mr. Yang is about to return. Let¡¯s stop at the Zhou family and wait for Mr. Yang to return.¡± ¡°Yes, Madam,¡± Granny Song replied with a bow.


    Country Lord Ning looked at Granny Song. ¡°How¡¯s the matter with the Yang family?¡±


    Granny Song looked at Country Lord Ning uneasily before replying, ¡°Madam, Old Yang is lying on the bed and breathing heavily. Young Master Yang said that if you force him again, he will cut his face¡­¡±


    With a puff, a teacup hit Granny Song¡¯s shoulder. Granny Song trembled in pain and hurriedly knelt down. Country Lord Ning looked at Granny Song and said sinisterly, ¡°Take someone to the Yang family and tell Yang Yi that if he doesn¡¯t agree to the marriage, his face will be torn apart. If he does it, I¡¯ll spare him.¡±


    Granny Song endured the pain. ¡°Yes, Madam.¡±


    Ji Xiang brought Little Loach and Mao Dou to the Tongzhou Guild Hall and asked them to keep an eye on Li Fengqi. He went to look for Han San to investigate the matter of the donkev rolling around. Ruvi went to Lantern Allev and walked to the Yang family¡¯s door. She saw that the Yang family¡¯sntern shop was closed. It seemed that they had not even done business.


    Ruyi asked around, but most of them were unwilling to say much. Later, a chubby old woman in her fifties or sixties came to the shop next door to the Yang family and sat there looking at the shop.


    Ruyi walked in and cupped her hands at her with a smile. ¡°Grandma, may I ask why the Yang family next door isn¡¯t open?¡±


    The old woman nced at Ruyi and smiled faintly. ¡°His family has something on these few days. I have whatever you want to buy.¡±


    Ruyi took a look and bought a small cowntern and a tigerntern. He took out a piece of silver and ced it on the cab. She smiled and said to the old woman, ¡°Grandma, is the Yang family closed?¡±


    The old woman sighed. ¡°It¡¯s not closed. The old people at home are sick. They¡¯re all busy serving the old people.¡±


    Ruyi looked at the old woman in surprise and pushed back the change the old woman was giving him. ¡°Grandma, tell me, did something happen to his family? I remember that his family is very strong!¡±


    The old woman happily put away the copper coins and pulled over a bamboo stool for Ruyi to sit down. She said to Ruyi in a low voice, ¡°Old Yang fell sick from anger because of his grandson, Yang Yi. I¡¯ve really never seen anyone like him! In the past, I¡¯ve only heard of snatchingmoners by force. I didn¡¯t expect someone to snatch a son-inw by force. The Yang family is such a good family. What a pity.¡±


    Ruyi looked surprised. ¡°Is there such a thing? This brother from the Yang family must be very outstanding!¡±


    The old woman nodded. ¡°Yang Yi is good-looking and sensible and filial. Old Yang¡¯s heart ached for his youngest grandson, so he sent him to a private school to study. He studied for a few years and was about to take the county-level examination. For some reason, he refused to go again. Fortunately, he studied for a few years and learned some ounting skills. He worked as an ountant in a cloth shop on the street. Yang Yi was busy with his business during the Lantern Festival and helped in the shop. He was fancied by a nobledy who looked like a demon and insisted on recruiting Yang Yi as a live-in son-inw.


    The Yang family only had two grandsons. How could they bear to have Yang Yi marry into someone else¡¯s family? Little brother, it¡¯s not like they can¡¯t eat. Who would be willing to marry their son to someone else? Don¡¯t you think that makes sense?¡±


    ¡°Grandma is right. Just tell that woman that they don¡¯t agree! Can she snatch him by force?¡±


    The old woman shook her head and said, ¡°It¡¯s not that simple. That day, Yang Yi sent antern to that woman¡¯s house and only returned home in a daze when it was dark. That night, we heard that Old Yang was so sick that he couldn¡¯t get out of bed. A few of our old neighbors went to see Old Yang. Yang Yi¡¯s sister-inw said that the woman imed that Yang Yi ruined her innocence and wanted Yang Yi to marry into her family.¡±


    That slut actually had the cheek to mention innocence. Ruyi was so angry that she spat. ¡°Pfft! In broad daylight, there¡¯s actually someone who abducts civilian men in the capital!¡±


    ¡°What can we do? That widow is a powerful person. And she said that he ruined her innocence and wanted him to marry into the Yang family. I think the Yang family will be beaten to death sooner orter. Yang Yi can only be a live-in son-inw.¡±


    Ruyi felt that it made sense. At this moment, there was amotion. Ruyi stood up and pointed in the direction of the voice. ¡°Grandma, what happened?¡±


    The old woman looked over with an indignant expression. ¡°That woman probably came to force the Yang family to agree to the marriage.¡±


    ¡°I see! Let me take a look. I¡¯ll leave thentern with you first.¡±


    The old woman nodded and pointed to the alley ahead. ¡°It¡¯s just around that corner.¡±


    Ruyi quickly walked to the back door of the Yang family and saw that the courtyard door was closed. From inside, there were shouts and pleas. Ruyi stepped up the wall. She saw an old woman with four people dressed as guards standing arrogantly in the courtyard. Two guards were stepping on a man in his forties or fifties and a young man.


    There was also a handsome man in a thin cloth jacket standing there stubbornly with a knife. Ruyi felt that he was probably Yang Yi. He thought to himself that he was indeed good-looking. From his posture, he looked like he was about to disfigure himself..

 Chapter 480 - 480: Help

    Chapter 480: Help


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    The two women held his hand and tried to dissuade him with trembling tears. ¡°Brother Yi, you can¡¯t do that¡­¡±


    Yang Yi begged in pain, ¡®Mother, Sister-inw, I¡¯d rather cultivate as a monk than marry into her family. Just let me destroy this skin that harms people!¡±


    An old woman mocked arrogantly, ¡°Sure! Madam said that as long as you dare to be disfigured, she¡¯ll let you off immediately.¡±


    Father Yang shouted in pain, ¡°Old woman, don¡¯t you have children? Aren¡¯t you afraid of retribution for doing such an outrageous thing? You¡¯ll die a horrible death. ¡±


    ¡°Damn old man, how dare you be stubborn!¡± The guard stepped on Father Yang hard, causing him to scream in pain.


    Yang Yi looked at his father and brother and struggled violently. ¡°Mother,


    Sister-inw, just let me cut my face, the house will be peaceful.¡±


    Brother Yang struggled and shouted, ¡°Little brother, don¡¯t listen to that old woman. These bandits don¡¯t keep their word.¡±


    Granny Song looked at the miserable-looking Yang family members domineeringly. ¡°If you can¡¯t bear to cut yourself,e with us. Otherwise, you¡¯ll go to the officials. Can your Yang family bear the sin of bullying nobles?¡±


    ¡°Tsk, tsk, tsk! I¡¯ve only ever heard of snatching women by force. Today, it¡¯s an eye-opener. So there¡¯s still someone who snatches men by force!¡±


    When everyone in the courtyard heard Ruyi¡¯s voice, they looked at the wall. A burly guard shouted, ¡°Little bastard, do you dare to interfere?¡±


    Granny Song narrowed her eyes at Ruyi and wondered where she had seen this person before.


    The guard shouted arrogantly at Ruyi, ¡°Get lost. What¡¯s there to see? Get lost! If you don¡¯t get lost, I¡¯ll take your wretched life.¡±


    ¡°Hmph!¡± Ruyi sneered. ¡°I want to see how you take my life.¡± Before he could finish speaking, he threw a flying kick in the air and hit the forehead of the guard in front of him. The guard felt a buzz in his head and his vision darkened as he fell with a bang.


    Ruyi took the opportunity to stride forward and quickly punch the guard in the nose. The guard felt an unbearable pain. He screamed and his nose was tilted to the side. Blood spurted out and he covered his nose with tears in his eyes and squatted down.


    Seeing this, hope rose in the hearts of the Yang family. Yang Yi looked at the valiant Ruyi and regretted entering the private school back then. He should have learned martial arts like this strongman so he could protect his family and himself from humiliation.


    Seeing that theirpanions were at a disadvantage, the other two guards let go of the Yang father and son under their feet and shouted at Ruyi, ¡°Brother, which path are you from?¡±


    Ruyi looked at the two of them coldly and replied, ¡°I¡¯m from the path of fighting injustice.¡±


    A guard said fiercely, ¡°Kid, let me give you a piece of advice. Mind your own business. Otherwise, you won¡¯t even know how you died.¡±


    Ruyi looked at the two of them disdainfully. ¡°I like to interfere and hit dogs like you who rely on their power.¡±


    The two guards had already seen Ruyi¡¯s skills and knew that they were not Ruyi¡¯s match in a one-on-one battle. The two of them looked at each other and suddenly threw punches at Ruyi¡¯s chest and face.


    Ruyi dodged to the side and reached out with his left hand at lightning speed to grab one of the guards¡¯ wrists. He hit him in the chest and kicked the other guard over. His movements were smooth and the two guards were instantly knocked to the ground.


    Granny Song looked at the guard on the ground and then at Ruyi. She suddenly remembered and pointed at Ruyi in shock. ¡°You¡¯re the steward of the Zhou family. Why did youe to interfere in Country Lord Ning¡¯s business?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Ruyi looked at her and said righteously, ¡°Can Country Lord Ning bully others just because she¡¯s a noble?¡±


    Granny Song red at Ruyi hatefully. ¡°Zhou, my Madam won¡¯t let you off. Don¡¯t leave if you have the guts!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m waiting for you.¡± Ruyi waved his fist at her. ¡°Old woman who helps the wicked. Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t hit women.¡±


    ¡°Just you wait.¡± Granny Song left with a few guards resentfully.


    The kitchen knife in Yang Yi¡¯s hand had already been removed by Father Yang. The Yang family members kept kowtowing to Ruyi excitedly.


    Father Yang was so grateful that tears flowed down his face. He muttered,


    ¡°Thank you for your help, Hero Zhou. Thank you for saving my life¡­¡±


    Ruyi went forward to help him up. ¡°Shopkeeper Yang, I¡¯m not a hero. Please get up. There¡¯s no need to be so polite.¡±


    Yang Yi kowtowed to Ruyi. ¡°Hero Zhou, please teach me martial arts.¡±


    Ruyi helped him up and said, ¡°Little brother, it¡¯s a littlete for you to learn martial arts at your age. Besides, a shameless woman like Country Lord Ning is extremely rare. ¡±


    Brother Yang, who had a bruised face, pulled Yang Yi. ¡°That¡¯s right, Little Brother. People start practicing martial arts from a young age. Hero Zhou, please sit in the house.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Ruyi agreed readily. Just as everyone walked into the central room, a six-year-old girl ran out of the left room. ¡°Grandpa is calling for you.¡± ¡°Father is awake. Look.¡± Father Yang was overjoyed.


    The Yang family walked into the room happily. Old Master Yang had already sat up against the head of the bed and his face was flushed. Father Yang¡¯s heart skipped a beat and he strode to the bed. ¡°Father, it¡¯s fine. Hero Zhou helped us chase away those evil people.¡±


    Old Master Yang looked at his son and his family reluctantly. ¡°I don¡¯t have much time left. After I leave, you and your wife will sell the shop and bring the children back to the countryside. You¡¯ll be fine in the future.¡± Father Yang choked and agreed. ¡°Yes, I understand.¡±


    Yang Yi pounced on the bed. ¡°Grandpa, you¡¯ll be fine. Grandpa¡­¡±


    Old Master Yang reached out to touch his grandson¡¯s head, but before he could touch it, it drooped weakly. Father Yang cried loudly, ¡°Father! Father¡­¡±


    ¡°Grandpa¡­¡± The Yang family pounced over and cried. Madam Yang hugged the two children and their tears fell. The two children also cried.


    Ruyi¡¯s eyes were filled with tears as he watched. He entered the room and said to Father Yang, ¡°My condolences. The old man¡¯s funeral is more important.¡± Father Yang choked and nodded. ¡°Thank you, Steward Zhou.¡±


    Ruyi bowed to Old Master Yang¡¯s body and stood up to say to Father Yang,


    ¡°Shopkeeper Yang, I¡¯m the butler of the Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, Lord Zhou. The Zhou residence is on East Street. If you need anything, you can look for me there.¡±


    Father Yang bowed. ¡°Thank you, Steward Zhou. Thank you.¡±


    Ruyi cupped his hands at him and turned to walk out. Just as he reached the courtyard, Yang Yi hurriedly chased after him and stopped Ruyi. ¡°Steward Zhou, you said that your master is the Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Revenue. I don¡¯t think you happened toe to my house to help us. If I tell your master what happened to me, will he help me punish that bitch?¡±


    Ruyi did not expect Yang Yi to be so knowledgeable. He turned to look at him and said sincerely, ¡°Brother Yang, to be honest, Country Lord Ning and my master do have a bad rtionship. I¡¯m indeed here to ask for information today and happened to help you. If you really want to seek justice for yourself, discuss it with your family after your grandfather¡¯s funeral and look for me in the residence..¡±

 Chapter 481 - 481: Seeking an Audience

    Chapter 481: Seeking an Audience


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Yang Yi looked at Ruyi¡¯s sincere expression and bowed to him. ¡°Thank you for telling me honestly, Steward Zhou.¡±


    ¡°Goodbye, Brother Yang.¡± Ruyi nodded at him and turned to leave.


    Yang Yi returned to the house and knelt down in front of Father Yang. ¡°Father, Mother, Big Brother, Sister-inw, I want to avenge Grandpa and seek justice for myself. I want to tell Lord Zhou what happened to us and expose that witch. ¡±


    Mother Yang wiped her tears and cried, ¡°Brother Yi, your grandfather asked us to go back to the countryside and live a good life. We can¡¯t beat them. Listen to Grandpa. We¡¯ll go back to the countryside.¡±


    ¡°Mother, if we don¡¯t defeat that witch, no matter where we escape to, we won¡¯t have a peaceful life. It¡¯s all my fault for being deceived and thinking that I really took on a big business and harmed my family and grandfather.¡± Yang Yi knelt in front of Old Master Yang¡¯s body and cried.


    Brother Yang said, ¡°Father, Mother, Brother Yi makes sense. Lin County is not far from the capital. It¡¯s very easy for that witch to find us. Besides, we still have the loan receipt in their hands. Even if we go to the government office, we¡¯ll be in the wrong. I heard Steward Zhou¡¯s words just now. From the looks of it, he should be open-minded. We can try.¡±


    Father Yang looked at his son and said sadly, ¡°Let me think about it. I¡¯ll take care of your grandfather first.¡±


    Granny Song returned and reported to Country Lord Ning about meeting Ruyi. ¡°Madam, why did that dog go to the Yang family so coincidentally? Is the Zhou family targeting us?


    ¡°A group of trash.¡± Country Lord Ning was so angry that she kicked the little girl who was massaging her leg and scolded angrily, ¡°Zhou Jia, you¡¯re everywhere. Just you wait! I want to see if your love is really stronger than gold!¡±


    Granny Song looked at the furious Country Lord Ning in fear, afraid that her anger would be vented on her.


    Country Lord Ning looked at Granny Song gloomily. ¡°Go to the Yang family and tell them to shut up. Then get a few people to keep an eye on the Zhou family.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± Granny Song heaved a sigh of relief and carefully left. She took a car and walked towards Lantern Lane.


    When she arrived at Lantern Lane, Granny Song saw that the Yang family had hung up a white banner. Granny Song hesitated for a moment before leading her people in. The grieving Yang family and the neighbors who came to help next door were all ring at the two of them.


    Granny Song did not care about such a gaze. She stared at Yang Yi like a


    poisonous snake. ¡°Yang Yi, Madam said that she wants you to shut your mouth.


    Otherwise, she¡¯ll teach you a lesson.¡±


    Father Yang and his sons clenched their fists and watched Granny Song leave with her men. The old woman next door pulled Mother Yang and asked with concern, ¡°Are they afraid of the young man who came to my house to ask about the news today?¡±


    Mother Yang nodded with red and swollen eyes. ¡°That little brother is capable. He¡¯s not afraid of them.¡±


    The old woman patted her hand andforted her. ¡°Let¡¯s settle your father-inw¡¯s funeral first. Your father-inw will protect you.¡±


    Father Yang thought about the IOU and finally made up his mind. He looked at


    Yang Yi and said, ¡®Yi, go to East Street immediately and ask to see Steward


    Zhou. Let him bring you to see Lord Zhou.¡±


    ¡°Father, I¡¯ll go now.¡± Yang Yi agreed and turned to run out.


    Ruyi brought thenterns home and reported what had happened to the Yang family in Lantern Lane to Li Yu. Soon, Han San and Ji Xiang returned.


    Han San reported to Li Yu, ¡°Madam, I knew a little about lending in the past. Today, I found a few people and asked about mortgages in the capital. They said that there¡¯s an underground bank with a pawnshop, and a casino. The casino is like the one the hat kid from the Feng family went tost time. The interest keeps rolling. In less than half a month, it can be multiplied several times. ¡±


    ¡°The underground money houses and pawnshops have a few ways to lend money. There¡¯s ¡®Rolling on a Donkey¡¯, ¡®Sitting on the Ground and ¡®Withdrawing One¡¯. ¡®Rolling on a Donkey¡¯ is usually limited to a month. The monthly interest ranges from three to five cents. If it¡¯s not returned when it¡¯s due, the interest will double. The interest will be included in the principal and rolling interest next month. The principal will gradually increase, and the interest will multiply. Most of the families who borrow this kind of money are poor. Even if they borrow one tael of silver, the loan can make people go bankrupt.¡±


    ¡°As for ¡®Sitting on the Ground and Withdrawing One¡±, this is held by small vendors in the capital. In three months, the borrower will borrow ten taels of silver and get nine taels. The interest will still be calcted ording to ten taels. After it expires, one would return it with interest. I asked a few friends and they said that there¡¯s a pawn shop in North City that I heard is owned by a noble. That shop has plenty of money and employs both ways of lending money. They even ced a kind of money called ¡®Lamb¡¯s Breath¡¯. As long as they borrow ¡®Lamb¡¯s Breath¡¯, more than 90% of families will be forced to split up and their families will be destroyed.¡±


    Li Yu recalled that there were also loan sharks in her previous life. This dynasty did notck people who made such a living. For thousands of years, there had never been ack of people who lost their conscience for money. ¡°Do your friends know the identity of that noble?¡±


    ¡°They don¡¯t know. The people I¡¯ve done things with never dare to borrow money. They¡¯re afraid that they won¡¯t be able to get out if they get trapped. Madam, I think this pawnshop is very suspicious. I want to investigate.¡±


    Ji Xiang also said to Li Yu, ¡°Madam, I also think we can investigate this pawn shop.¡±


    Li Yu thought for a moment. ¡°Alright, go and investigate. When Masteres back, see if he found any clues in the capital government office.¡±


    The two of them stood up and walked to the second door. They saw Ruyi rushing in. Ji Xiang looked at him. ¡°What happened?¡±


    Ruyi nced at the two of them. ¡°Yang Yi from Lantern Lane hase looking for us. He¡¯s waiting outside to ask to see Master.¡±


    Ji Xiang asked curiously, ¡°Why did the Yang family think it through so quickly?¡±


    ¡°They said that that witch¡¯s old woman came to threaten them. I¡¯ll report to


    Madam that Yang Yi is waiting outside the door!¡±


    Ji Xiang patted Ruyi and walked out with Han San.


    When Li Yu heard Ruyi¡¯s report, she said, ¡°Get him to wait for Master toe back in the outer courtyard.¡±


    ¡°Madam, his grandfather has left. ording to custom, he can¡¯t enter someone else¡¯s house. He said that he wants to see Master,¡± Ruyi said.


    Li Yu nodded. ¡°Go to the teahouse at the entrance of the street and book a private seat. Set him up there and get Zhao Cai to pick up your master from the government office. ¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Ruyi agreed and left. Li Yu returned to the house and looked at the children sleeping soundly in the cradle, falling into deep thought.


    Ruyi brought Yang Yi to the teahouse at the entrance of the street and ordered some pastries and snacks. He said to Yang Yi, ¡°Brother Yang, I heard that you¡¯ve also studied for a few years. Why aren¡¯t you studying anymore?¡±


    Yang Yi smiled bitterly. ¡°Steward Zhou, I¡¯m not afraid of youughing at me. It¡¯s still my face that causes trouble. When my ssmate¡¯s sister saw me, she made a fuss about marrying me. That family is powerful. I went back to the countryside to hide for a year and stopped studying. Last year, my parents arranged a marriage for me. I thought that after I got married, I couldn¡¯t hide at home and rely on my parents, brothers, and sisters-inw to support me, so I went to the cloth shop to be a bookkeeper. Who knew that I would cause trouble again after the new year?¡±


    Ruyi sighed. ¡°That¡¯s right! A poor family has an outstanding child like you. There are all kinds of monsters in the capital. If you¡¯re unlucky and encounter them, you can exchange the child for silver. However, your grandfather and parents really dote on their child. It¡¯s a disaster.¡±


    Yang Yi nodded. ¡°That¡¯s true..¡±

 Chapter 482 - 482: Man-eating Order

    Chapter 482: Man-eating Order


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Ruyi chatted with Yang Yi for a while. Seeing that his expression gradually calmed down, he let him eat something. Zhou Jia brought Tiezhu upstairs.


    Ruyi said to Yang Yi, ¡°Brother Yang, my Master is here.¡±


    Yang Yi hurriedly bowed. ¡°Greetings, sir.¡±


    Zhou Jia nced at the reserved Yang Yi and said amiably, ¡°There¡¯s no need to be so polite. Sit down and talk.¡±


    Yang Yi bowed and sat in a corner of the chair cautiously. When he looked up and saw Zhou Jia opposite him, he was stunned for a moment. He hurriedly lowered his head and thought to himself that Lord Zhou was extraordinarily handsome and had a dignified aura of a superior.


    Yang Yi stabilized his emotions and told Zhou Jia about his encounter.


    Every family who lived in Lantern Alley after the New Year was busy with the Lantern Festivalnterns. Yang Yi was also helping in the shop at home. A rich woman in luxurious clothes stood at the entrance of the Yang family¡¯s shop with a few servants. She pointed at the zednterns that had just been hung and asked, ¡°Shopkeeper, how much are thesenterns?¡±


    Yang Yi smiled and went forward. ¡°Madam, this is thetest zedntern. It costs nine taels and nine taels of silver each.¡±


    The noblewoman smiled at Yang Yi and said coquettishly, ¡°Alright, give me ten of these zedmps first. Also, give me two of those hibiscusmps, embroidered ballmps, snowkemps¡­¡±


    Yang Yi was overjoyed when he heard that. He calcted in his heart that there were still enoughmps at home enough and hurriedly agreed. He ced themps in the frame. The noblewoman looked at the bamboo baskets and smiled. ¡°Shopkeeper, I¡¯ll pay you first. Send themp to the third house on General Street immediately.¡±


    ¡°Okay, okay. I¡¯ll send it to you now.¡± Yang Yi took the money and carried themp to General Street on the handcart. He found the Country Lord¡¯s residence and sent thentern in.


    After the old woman counted thenterns, she said to Yang Yi, ¡°Shopkeeper, sit in the flower hall and drink a cup of tea first. I¡¯ll send thenterns to Madam.¡± Yang Yi cupped his hands and smiled. ¡°Alright, sorry to trouble you.¡±


    Yang Yi followed the old woman to the reception hall and sat down. The girl served tea and stood at the door. Yang Yi felt that the reception hall was as warm as spring and decorated magnificently.


    After half an hour, the old woman walked out and said to Yang Yi with a smile, ¡°Shopkeeper Yang, my Madam is very satisfied with yourmps. Please help us hang it up. My Madam wants to discuss a big business with you.¡±


    When Yang Yi heard that there was a big deal, he nodded happily. ¡°Alright, thank you, Granny.¡±


    ¡°Shopkeeper, you¡¯re too polite.¡±


    Yang Yi nodded in agreement and returned to the flower hall to drink two cups of tea. After a while, the old woman at the door shouted, ¡°Madam is here.¡±


    Yang Yi stood up and saw the noblewoman who had bought thentern walk into the reception hall.


    Yang Yi bowed to her and said, ¡°Greetings, Madam.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need for formalities.¡± Country Lord Ning nced at Yang Yi indifferently. ¡°Shopkeeper, on the Lantern Festival, my rtive and I are holding antern party in the garden outside the city. We want to custom-make a batch ofmps which include hibiscusmps, embroidered ballmps¡­ I wonder if your family can do it?¡±


    Hearing such a big deal, Yang Yi was tempted. On second thought, the Lantern Festival was about to arrive. There were so many things. Not only would he not be able to make it in time, but he would probably not have enough raw materials.


    ¡°Madam, it¡¯s only ten days away from the Lantern Festival. It takes a lot of effort to make thenterns you want. The raw materials are expensive, and we don¡¯t have much at home. I¡¯m afraid we won¡¯t be able to meet the deadline for the goods.¡±


    Country Lord Ning smiled and said, ¡°You can let your peers do it for you! I¡¯ll give you a portion of the deposit first and you can deliver them to me before the Lantern Festival.¡±


    Yang Yi thought about it and felt that it should be possible. To be safe, he had to go back and ask the other families if they had the time.


    ¡°Madam, I¡¯ll reply to you after I go back and take a look.¡±


    Country Lord Ning thought for a moment. ¡°Can you do it in my residence? If not, I¡¯ll hire someone else to do it.¡±


    Yang Yi thought that such a big business could fill up the shortfall for the purchase of a shop by his family. It shouldn¡¯t be a problem for his family to rush to work, so he nodded and said, ¡°We can make them at your residence.¡±


    Country Lord Ning nodded in satisfaction. ¡°Shopkeeper, if you¡¯re confident that you can make them, I¡¯ll give you a new drawing from the pce. I¡¯ll give you a list and pay you half the deposit first. We¡¯ll also sign a contract. Everyone can rest assured.¡±


    When Yang Yi heard that there was a new drawing, he asked happily, ¡°Madam, can I use the new drawing in the future?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a drawing. Go ahead.¡±


    Yang Yi bowed to Country Lord Ning. ¡°Thank you, Madam.¡±


    Country Lord Ning got someone to give the list to Yang Yi and gave him half the deposit. She showed the contract to Yang Yi. Yang Yi saw that it said that if the Yang family did not deliver the goods ording to the agreed date, the Yang family would have to double thepensation.


    Yang Yi felt that there was nothing wrong after reading it, so he signed it and pressed his thumbprint. He happily came out of Country Lord Ning¡¯s residence and sped along, thinking of going home to tell his parents the good news.


    When hr reached home, she saw that her mother and sister-inw were both overjoyed. ¡°Brother Yi, we just received a big job at home. Your father and brother have gone to the Hundred Garden to help make lights.¡±


    Yang Yi panicked and hurriedly asked, ¡°Mother, do you still have those ss and hydrangeamps at home?¡±


    Mother Yang said happily, ¡°No, they are all needed for the Hundred Garden. They said that some noble is holding antern party in the garden on the 60th day of the 15th!¡±


    Yang Yi thought to himself, I can only let the granny next door do the business.


    Yang Yi took out the contract unhappily, ¡°I epted a big business from the patron who bought themps. Father and Brother went to the Hundred Garden, so I had no choice but to give this business to the granny next door.


    When Mother Yang heard this, she said anxiously, ¡°Where are we going to find someone to make these? The big shops have all gone to the Hundred Garden.


    They won¡¯t be back until twelve. Hurry up and return this!¡±


    Old Master Yang walked out of the house and looked at Mother Yang unhappily. ¡®What happened? Can¡¯t you talk to the child nicely?¡±


    ¡°Father-inw, this child didn¡¯t even discuss with us before signing a contract.


    What should we do?¡±


    Old Master Yang turned to look at Yang Yi. ¡°Brother Yi, quickly reject this business. Exin the situation and return the deposit to him.¡±


    Yang Yi looked at the contract in his hand and felt that the Madam just now was amiable. If she exined the situation clearly, she should understand.


    ¡°Grandpa, I¡¯ll talk to her.¡±


    Old Master Yang said gently, ¡°Tell her nicely. If it doesn¡¯t work, we¡¯ll think of another way.¡±


    Mother Yang looked at Yang Yi worriedly. ¡°Brother Yi, say it nicely. Don¡¯t be stubborn.¡±


    Yang Yi nodded in agreement and rushed to the Country Lord Ning¡¯s residence. When he arrived, the old woman came out to see Yang Yi..

 Chapter 483 - 483: Scheme

    Chapter 483: Scheme


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Yang Yi told the old woman what had happened at home and begged, ¡°Nanny, thosenterns can¡¯t be made before the Lantern Festival. I want to see Country Lord Ning and return the deposit to her.¡±


    The old woman looked at Yang Yi awkwardly. ¡°Shopkeeper Yang, Madam went out to attend a banquet. Come back in two afternoons!¡±


    Yang Yi could only walk back with the contract and deposit. Halfway there, two men darted out of the alley and knocked him to the ground. The man behind hurriedly helped Yang Yi up and patted the dirt on his body. He kept apologizing, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Yang Yi waved his hand. ¡°It¡¯s fine. You didn¡¯t do it on purpose.¡±


    The man cupped his hands at Yang Yi and walked away quickly.


    When Yang Yi was about to reach home, he realized that the banknotes in his pocket were gone. He recalled the man who had knocked him down at the entrance of the alley and hurriedly turned around to look for them. There was no trace of the banknotes.


    Only then did Yang Yi understand that the two people just now were pickpockets. When they were dusting him, they took the banknotes from his pocket.


    Yang Yi returned home in a daze and told Mother Yang and Grandpa about the banknotes being taken away. ¡°Grandpa, what should we do?¡±


    Old Master Yang looked at Yang Yi in shock. ¡°Brother Yi, how much did you ept as a deposit?¡±


    ¡°That Madam ordered expensiventerns. It¡¯s 560 taels. She paid half of my deposit¡­¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t that mean more than 200 taels? Brother Yi, why didn¡¯t youe back to discuss it before deciding?¡± Mother Yang eximed.


    Yang Yi looked at his mother and sister-inw¡¯s surprised expressions and felt ashamed and guilty. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault. I was too greedy. I only thought that it was a big business. I didn¡¯t think about to going home and ask before making a decision.¡¯


    ¡°Brother Yi¡¯s mother, the matter has already happened. Brother Yi didn¡¯t expect his family to take on another job. Sigh!¡±


    Old Master Yang sighed and looked at Yang Yi. ¡°It¡¯s useless to me you. You have to be more careful in the future. When your father and Brother Jian return, coupled with the money sold on the Lantern Festival, you¡¯ll have money


    to pay them back.¡±


    Yang Yi looked at his grandfather guiltily and prayed in his heart that Madam was a benevolent person. Hopefully, she would agree to his request and take back the deposit withoutpensation.


    Yang Yi had endured the most difficult days since he became sensible. Two afternoonster, he went to the Country Lord Ning¡¯s residence to ask to see Ning Xiangjun.


    The old woman brought him into the courtyard. After waiting inside for a moment, he saw Country Lord Ning and told her what had happened at home.


    Country Lord Ning nced at him and smiled faintly. ¡°You mean you can¡¯t deliver on time and want me to only take back the deposit and waive the fine?¡±


    Yang Yi stammered, ¡°Madam, I came to refund the deposit that day and encountered a pickpocket on the way who stole it. My family really doesn¡¯t have the money topensate you. Please be magnanimous. I¡¯ll definitely make the bestntern for you at the cheapest price next year.¡±


    Country Lord Ning chuckled. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m someone whocks that bit of money?¡±


    Yang Yi blushed and begged, ¡°I know that Madam doesn¡¯tck money. Please be magnanimous and let me off this time. I¡¯m eternally grateful.¡±


    Country Lord Ning nced at Yang Yi. ¡°There¡¯s a way. You don¡¯t have topensate me with silver, and you can still live a good life from now on. It depends on whether you¡¯re willing.¡±


    Yang Yi saw Country Lord Ning¡¯s malicious gaze and felt a chill in his heart. He suddenly felt that the sale of thentern this time was a trap designed by this Madam.


    Yang Yi took a deep breath and looked at Ning Xiangjun. He bowed and said, ¡°Madam, I¡¯ll definitelypensate you to the deposit. I only hope that you can dy it for a few days. After the Lantern Festival is over and thenterns at home are sold, I¡¯ll have money to repay you.¡±


    Country Lord Ning stood up and walked up to Yang Yi. He said coquettishly, ¡°Shopkeeper, listen to me first before considering if you want topensate me.¡±


    Yang Yi nodded in fear. ¡°Madam, please speak.¡±


    Country Lord Ning said in a mncholic voice, ¡°I¡¯ve already lost my husband for many years. I¡¯m the only master in my residence. As long as you agree to marry into my residence, not only will you not have topensate me with money, but you¡¯ll also enjoy endless wealth.¡±


    Yang Yi fell onto the chair in fear. ¡°Madam, I already have a fianc¨¦e. I¡¯m going to get married after the new year. I can¡¯t do such a treacherous thing.¡±


    Ning Xiangjun took a step forward and sat on Yang Yi¡¯s thigh. He chuckled and said, ¡°I like loyal men like you. Go back and tell that woman that I¡¯m willing to pay her dowry and silver to marry her off.¡±


    Yang Yi did not expect the gentle and refined noblewoman two days ago to turn into a slut. He sat on the chair stiffly and felt that his heart was about to jump to his throat. ¡°Madam, I still have a grandfather at home. I also have to take care of Father and Mother and can¡¯t marry into your residence.¡±


    Seeing him like this, Country Lord Ning liked him even more. She raised his chin and said, ¡°That day in Lantern Alley, I took a fancy to you at a nce. As long as you agree to marry into the family, I won¡¯t treat you badly. Otherwise, if you can¡¯t deliver the goods on time for more than 500 taels of silver, the principal and fine will be 1,000¡­¡±


    With a bang, Country Lord Ning was pushed to the ground by the furious Yang Yi. He pointed at Ning Xiangjun hatefully and said, ¡°So you were the one who dug a pit for me to jump into. You were also the one who sent those two pickpockets. You had nned it long ago. I¡¯m going to the government office to sue you.¡±


    Country Lord Ning got up from the ground in embarrassment and pped the contract on the table. ¡°Go to the government office and sue me. Go! I¡¯ll also sue you for breaking into the inner courtyard and ruining my innocence.¡±


    Country Lord Ning¡¯s sinister voice sounded in Yang Yi¡¯s ear. ¡°I¡¯m really not afraid of you suing me. I just can¡¯t bear to part with you when you have to follow your family to be exiled and buried at the border.¡±


    Yang Yi felt his blood run cold when he heard that. He lowered his head and thought of a way. A momentter, he looked up at Ning Xiangjun and said, ¡°Madam, please allow me to go back and discuss with the elders and ask for their approval.¡±


    Country Lord Ning looked at Yang Yi deeply. ¡°It¡¯s fine to go back and discuss it. Let me remind you that the contract took effect on the 14th of January. Also, you have to pay interest for the money you owe me. You have to think about the consequences. Don¡¯t think about escaping unless you don¡¯t want your family to escape Great Yong.¡±


    ¡°Madam, don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t escape.¡±


    Yang Yi didn¡¯t know how he came out of the cannibalistic residence. He walked to Lantern Lane in a daze amidst the snowkes that filled the sky. He stood at the entrance of the street for a long time and looked at thenterns on the street. He understood why the other party wanted him to follow the blueprint. After understanding, he blushed even more at his stupidity.


    He didn¡¯t know how to face his mother and grandfather when he got home. He turned around and went to the Hundred Garden, wanting to discuss it with his father.


    When he arrived outside the Hundred Garden, he walked around outside and returned home weakly. When he saw his grandfather¡¯s concerned gaze, he forced a smile and said, ¡°Grandpa, that Madam promised that I only need to return the deposit. She even said that she would invite us to makemps next year.¡±


    Old Master Yang nodded in relief and patted the snowkes on his body lovingly. ¡°Then let¡¯s go in a few days. It¡¯s cold. Go in and warm up first.¡±


    ¡°Aye!¡± Yang Yi replied..

 Chapter 484 - 484: Red Rod

    Chapter 484: Red Rod


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Yang Yi walked to the door and turned to look at his old grandfather. The regret and bitterness in his heart gnawed at him. He returned to the house andy on the bed. He looked at the roof with nk eyes and thought that once he returned home, his family would be in debt for no reason. He wished he could cut that bitch with a knife.


    It wasn¡¯t easy for him tost until his father and brother returned home. He almost cried when he saw them happily putting their wages and rewards on the table for her grandfather to see.


    Old Yang nced at his silent grandson and said to his son, ¡°Brother Yi has something to tell you.¡±


    Yang Yi did not dare to let his grandfather hear him. ¡°Grandpa, I¡¯ll apany


    Father to change his clothes first before telling him.¡±


    Yang Yi followed Father Yang into the house and knelt in front of his father. He told him everything that had happened after he left.


    After Father Yang heard Yang Yi¡¯s words, he seemed to have been hit in the head and almost couldn¡¯t stand still. He was stunned for a moment. He fumbled around and sat on the edge of the bed. He looked at his handsome son and thought to himself that the lecherous woman had made up her mind to marry Brother Yi. Even if the family raised the money, she wouldn¡¯t let Brother Yi off. At that time, she would threaten them, saying that Brother Yi had barged into the inner residence. What should I do?


    Father Yang looked at his son kneeling on the ground and had no choice. He reached out to help Yang Yi up. Mother Yang¡¯s panicked shout sounded outside the house. ¡°Father,e quickly¡­¡±


    The father and son hurriedly ran out and saw Old Yang grabbing an old woman in the courtyard. His entire body was trembling. ¡°Tell me clearly, why do you


    want my Yi to marry into your family? You¡¯ve already agreed¡­¡¯


    Yang Yi rushed up and shouted at the old woman, ¡°Get lost. You¡¯re not allowed to spout nonsense here.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense. It¡¯s Shopkeeper Yang who doesn¡¯t dare to say it!¡± The old woman nced at Yang Yi and snorted. ¡°As long as you agree to let him marry into the family, you don¡¯t have topensate me with money. If your grandson marries into the Country Lord Ning¡¯s residence, it¡¯ll be like jumping into a golden nest. You should be content!¡±


    Old Master Yang trembled. ¡°I won¡¯t agree even if I die. What right do you have to make a descendant of the Yang family marry into your family? Moreover, she¡¯s a widow who is a generation older than my child.¡±


    Father Yang went forward to support Old Master Yang. ¡°Tell your Madam that


    I¡¯d rather sell the house than agree to let my son marry into your family.¡±


    The old woman looked at the Yang family arrogantly. ¡°Your grandson ruined my Madam¡¯s reputation. If you don¡¯t agree to marry into the Yang family, your family will be exiled!¡±


    ¡°Heavens! Is there now!¡± Old Master Yang shouted and fell into Father Yang¡¯s arms.


    At this point, Yang Yi choked and could not speak. Ruyi patted Yang Yi. ¡°Brother Yang, my condolences!¡±


    Yang Yi calmed down and said to Zhou Jia, ¡°Grandpa¡¯s old illness rpsed. My family was busy hiring a doctor for Grandpa. The next day, my father found a few families to gather some silver. We¡¯re still short of 300 taels. We father and son went to the vige lord¡¯s residence together and prepared to return the silver to that bitch.¡±


    ¡°After seeing that bitch, she epted the silver and wrote an IOU for us to sign. She said that she would ept the silver first and she would return the silver after we be a family.¡±


    ¡°My father tly refused. That bitch said that I ruined her innocence and I had no choice but to agree. She asked me go back and think about it carefully.


    Steward Zhou also knows what happened next.¡±


    Zhou Jia said to Yang Yi, ¡°Go and report her to the officials for extortion and forced marriage. Go back and discuss it with your father. If you agree, I¡¯ll get my private advisor to look for you and help you write aint to help your family fight thiswsuit.¡±


    When Yang Yi heard this, he kowtowed gratefully to Zhou Jia. ¡°Thank you, sir. Thank you, sir.¡±


    ¡°Get up! There¡¯s no need to be so polite.¡±


    Zhou Jia nced at the handsome Yang Yi and felt that the Yang family was upright. The family had gone through thick and thin to support each other. He felt that with Yang Yi¡¯s looks, he would definitely encounter more people like Country Lord Ning in the future. Some of them were even worse than her.


    ¡°You¡¯re young and good-looking. You still have a long way to go. Today is the day of peace. If you encounter those strange men in the future, you won¡¯t be able to protect yourself. You should continue to study and take the schrly examination. You can only protect yourself with the schrly examination.¡±


    Yang Yi bowed. ¡°Thank you for your guidance, sir. I¡¯ve already passed the student examination back then. I¡¯ll study hard in the future.¡±


    ¡°Okay, go back and discuss it with your family. If you agree, I¡¯ll get the assistant to find you.¡±


    Yang Yi bade farewell and left. Zhou Jia took a list and handed it to Ruyi. ¡°I got someone in the Imperial Capital Office to find out something. I heard that they¡¯re looking for an underground bank in the East City.


    ¡°It¡¯s said that this bank is very well-hidden. Most of the borrowers are from the capital¡¯s government office. Those low-ranking officials with poor families have already been targeted as borrowers. Get Han San and Ji Xiang to secretly keep an eye on these people on the list. Don¡¯t rm them. I still have something on in the government office and can onlye backter.¡± ¡°Yes, Master,¡± Ruyi replied.


    After sending Zhou Jia off, Ruyi found Ji Xiang with the list and asked him to record the names of the people on it. After returning to the residence with the list and showing it to Li Yu. he burned the list. He was then called to the front


    yard by Zhao Cai.


    Zhao Cai pulled him along and looked around the front and back doors. ¡°Did you see that peddler? Uncle Liu said that he found him wandering around the vicinity. There¡¯s also the candied hawthorn seller. Listen to his shouting. Is he distracted?¡±


    Ruyi looked at the candied hawthorn seller. There were children passing by looking at him, but he did not go up to promote himself. There was also the peddler who did not even swing the rattle in his hand. Then, he looked at the two of them carrying a load of goods and so much candied hawthorn. It was effortless for them to walk.


    ¡°Tell Granny Yang that from today onwards, we¡¯ll pick Young Master up from school personally. Also, keep an eye on these two. We¡¯ll find an opportunity to capture them.¡±


    Zhao Cai shook his head. ¡°Madam said that we should watch for two days and follow them to see where they head to first. Let¡¯s find out how many of them there are. We¡¯ll take action after the Yang family¡¯sint is handed over.¡±


    Ruyi nodded. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll follow themter.¡±


    Li Yu was in the kitchen, looking at the pots of sweet potatoes. The leaves were dark green and growing lushly.


    Auntie He smiled and said, ¡°Madam, I¡¯ve been raising it for a few months. I¡¯ve been carrying it out to bask in the sun these days. It feel heavier than before.


    These leaves are green. Can they be eaten?¡±


    Li Yu thought of the red tips and red rods. She thought that she couldn¡¯t pinch the tips now. She could break off some of the rods and save herself from having too many rods and dividing up the nutrients of the sweet potatoes.


    ¡°It¡¯s edible. Break off the thick rod below, tear off the outer membrane, scoop up some chili, soak it in ginger to stir-fry with garlic rice, or with shredded meat.¡±


    Auntie He smiled and said, ¡®Madam, teach me. I¡¯ll do it.¡±


    Li Yu nodded and instructed her to break off the stalk at the root of the sweet potato. She tore off the outer membrane and cut it into an inch-long section. She could stir-fry it with seasoning.


    For dinner, Zhou Jia, his son, and Mr. Wen ate shredded pork stir-fried with sweet potato poles, and pickled vegetables stir-fried with sweet potato poles, and praised them endlessly. Li Yu gazed at them eating with relish and looked at the nourishing soup in her bowl thatcked salt and vor. Her resentment was so deep..

 Chapter 485 - 485: Hereditary

    Chapter 485: Hereditary


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    After the two of them returned to the house, Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia unhappily. ¡°Xiao Xi, I¡¯m already a month into my confinement. Yet you still want me to eat these salt-free and light things. I can¡¯t even taste anything anymore. When I¡¯m done with one month of confinement, you¡¯ll do it for two months.¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled and said ingratiatingly, ¡°Yu¡¯er, hold on for another half a month. I¡¯ll eat with you from tomorrow onwards.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and patted Zhou Jia. ¡°Silly! I was just nagging, but you took it seriously! ¡±


    Zhou Jia bowed and smiled. ¡®Madam¡¯s heart aches for me. I¡¯m extremely grateful. I¡¯ll go out and see if Zhao Cai and Ruyi are back.¡±


    Li Yu nodded. ¡°Go! Come back and I¡¯ll tell you something!¡±


    When Zhou Jia arrived at the outer courtyard, Ruyi and Zhao Cai had already returned to the residence. Zhao Cai said, ¡°Master, they went to a small house in an alley behind General Street. Let¡¯s ask tomorrow who owns that house?¡±


    ¡°General Street.¡± Zhou Jia thought for a moment. ¡°Ning Xiangjun lives there. She must have sent these two people. Watch secretly. Who are the people entering and leaving that house? Tell me the name and number of the alley. I¡¯ll go to the government office to investigate who owns that house.¡±


    Zhao Cai agreed. ¡°Yes, Master. Little Loach, Mao Dou, and the others have been following Li Fengqi for a few days, but they haven¡¯t found anyone who has interacted with him. Should we continue following?¡±


    Zhou Jia nodded and said, ¡°After following him for a few more days, I think someone will look for him.¡±


    After Zhou Jia discussed it with Ruyi and Zhao Cai, he returned to the backyard.


    Seeing that Li Yu was still waiting for him, he sat beside her and said gently, ¡°What do you want to tell me?¡±


    Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia. ¡°Xiao Xi, I realized that Xingxing might be like me.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the same?¡± Zhou Jia didn¡¯t react for a moment. A momentter, he looked at Li Yu. ¡°Yu¡¯er, do you mean that Xing¡¯er is born with divine strength like you?¡±


    Li Yu nodded. ¡°After the children get to 45 days old, their swaddles are removed. Xing¡¯er waszy and didn¡¯t like to cry or move. When Yueyue was bathed today, that young brat cried non-stop, causing Xing¡¯er to lose his temper.


    Granny Chen and Auntie He couldn¡¯t hold him. After calling me over to coax him, they realized that the child had scratched a few holes in Granny Chen¡¯s sleeves.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Xing¡¯er on the bed in surprise. Such a young child actually had such strength.


    ¡°Were the sleeves old?¡±


    Li Yu brought the garment over and ced it in front of Zhou Jia. ¡°Look, the garment¡¯s new.¡±


    Zhou Jia saw that the cloth on the chest was indeed torn. Zhou Jia stood up and walked over to hug Li Yu. Heughed foolishly. ¡°Haha! It¡¯s quite good! After three children, we finally have a child who has inherited your divine power.


    Let¡¯s buy a piglet for him to hug in the future.¡±


    When Li Yu heard him recall Li Mei¡¯s anecdote of Li Yu¡¯s father making her carrying a piglet when she was young. She felt that it might be Father Li¡¯s way of exhausting the Host¡¯s strength.


    Li Yu turned to look at Little Xing¡¯er, who was sleeping soundly with his small hand by his mouth. Thinking of how he waszily carrying the piglet, she also smiled. ¡°Xing¡¯er is sozy. Who knows if he¡¯s willing to carry the piglet?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll think of a way when the timees.¡± Zhou Jia smiled and touched the two children who were sleeping together. ¡°I think we have to let them sleep separately. If this little thing gets angry, it¡¯ll be troublesome if he gives Yueyue a kick. ¡±


    Li Yu patted her head. ¡°That¡¯s right! I¡¯m really stupid. How could I have forgotten about this?¡±


    ¡°Silly!¡± Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu and smiled.


    The couple discussed it and went to bed to rest.


    When the Gong sisters and Fan Mingfang¡¯s aunt attended a banquet, they told their rtives and friends what had happened to Li Yu and her brother when they were young. Everyone sighed when they heard that. The Li siblings¡¯ encounter quickly spread among the Madams.


    Some said that Father Li was blind and deaf. Marrying his daughter to the Zhang family was inviting thieves to the family.


    Some people didn¡¯t expect Madam Li to be so weak and muddle-headed when she was young. Fortunately, she had her dead parents to protect her. Otherwise, her grave would have been covered in weeds by now.


    Some people said with ill intentions that Li Yu had lived with the Zhang family for a few years. Who knew what had happened? Otherwise, why would she stay in the Zhang family and almost be killed beforeing to her senses?


    Someone else said that they should ask if the Zhang family had suffered retribution. Such an ungrateful family should be punished by the heavens.


    Li Yu calcted the full month of the children¡¯s birth at home and observed Little Xingxing. She confirmed that thiszy pig had really inherited the Li family¡¯s divine power.


    Ji Xiang and Han San did not find out that the underground bank in North City was rted to Country Lord Ning.


    Zhao Cai and Ruyi realized that the house in the back alley of General Street looked inconspicuous, but it was actually heavily guarded. There were a few roving dogs in the front and backyard. The courtyard was guarded day and night.


    Ruyi and Zhao Cai had followed the fake peddler and the candied hawthorn seller for two days and realized that they were wandering around the Lin n School and the Zhou family¡¯s generation. They were certain that they wanted to attack Yangyang.


    At dusk, Ruyi, Zhao Cai, Ji Xiang, and Han San attacked and blocked the two of them in the alley. The peddler and the candied hawthorn seller looked at the four people blocking them in panic.


    The candied hawthorn shouted sternly, ¡°What do you want in broad daylight?¡±


    ¡°Hmph!¡± Ruyi snorted and leaned forward. He pped his chest and Zhao Cai kicked him over. ¡°How dare you have designs on my young master? You¡¯re tired of living! ¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t waste your breath on him. Take him in.¡±


    Ruyi picked up the candied hawthorn seller and walked back with Zhao Cai¡¯s help. Ji Xiang and Han San had already put the peddler down. They dragged the two of them into the back door and locked them in the cer.


    Zhou Jia, Li Yu, and Zhao Cai went to the cer. The candied hawthorn seller looked at the two of them and asked fiercely, ¡°What right do you have to arrest us? Can officials do whatever they want?¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at the peddler and candied hawthorn seller tied to the pir coldly and said, ¡°Chop off their hands and send them to the Country Lord


    Ning¡¯s residence.¡±


    Zhao Cai stepped forward with a knife. The peddler hurriedly shouted, ¡°Lord


    Zhou, please spare us. We were following orders. We have no choice!¡±


    Li Yu raised her hand to stop Zhao Cai. ¡°I¡¯m following orders! Tell me! What does Country Lord Ning want you to do? Where is your underground bank?¡±


    The peddler nced at the candied hawthorn, who red at him. ¡°Useless thing, good-for-nothing¡­¡±


    The peddler stammered, ¡°We were ordered to capture your young master. My


    Madam didn¡¯t open a bank.¡±


    The candied hawthorn looked at them. ¡°Wretched official, you want to nder my Madam. You¡¯ll die a horrible death.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s still very loyal to that vicious woman!¡± Zhou Jia turned to look at Zhao Cai. ¡°There¡¯s no need to be polite to him. Let¡¯s start with the thumbs and continue..¡±

 Chapter 486 - 486: Confession

    Chapter 486: Confession


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Zhao Cai went forward and grabbed the hand of the candied hawthorn seller. He slowly cut off a piece of his thumb. The candied hawthorn seller screamed and fainted.


    Zhao Cai nced at him. ¡°Weren¡¯t you quite tough just now? It¡¯s only a finger. It¡¯s still early!¡±


    As Zhao Cai spoke, he walked up to the peddler with the Imife. The peddler was so frightened that he shouted, ¡°I¡¯ll talk, Lord Zhou, don¡¯t cut my finger. I¡¯ll talk¡­


    Zhou Jia nced at Zhao Cai and said to the peddler, ¡°Tell me! I¡¯ll give you a chance. Don¡¯t think you can get away with it.¡±


    ¡°Madam asked me to capture your young master. I don¡¯t know why. The bank is under the house. The entrance is in the wall behind the stable, and the exit is in the cksmith shop next door.¡±


    After the peddler finished speaking, he looked at them and tears flowed down his face. ¡°Lord Zhou, Madam, please spare my life. My son is just a month old and I still have to earn money to support myself.¡±


    Li Yu nced at him. ¡°I¡¯ll spare you for now. When I investigate and find that it¡¯s fake¡­¡±


    The peddler hurriedly said, ¡°Madam, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m telling the truth.¡±


    The few of them came out of the cer. Li Yu said to Zhou Jia, ¡°Since the security there is tight, let¡¯s not appear. I think we should send the news to Chu Qing and let them cause trouble.¡±


    Zhou Jia nodded. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go to the bank now.¡±


    Zhou Jia brought the peddler¡¯s confession to the Four Seas Bank. Chu Qing took the confession and said happily, ¡°Thank you, Lord Zhou. We checked a few ces but couldn¡¯t find the location of the bank. It was designed so secretly.


    We¡¯ll send someone to keep an eye on it immediately.¡±


    Zhou Jia cupped his hands and smiled. ¡°Shopkeeper Chu, you¡¯re too polite. You¡¯ve also helped my family a lot.¡±


    Chu Qing smiled. ¡°Thest time you asked me to help check on the Zhang family in Tongzhou, I¡¯ve already replied. Before the new year, a person with the surname Yang helped them get a pass and they came to the capital.¡±


    Zhou Jia cupped his hands and said, ¡°Thank you! I didn¡¯t expect to hear from you so quickly.¡±


    Chu Qing smiled and returned the greeting. ¡°Lord Zhou, you¡¯re so lucky! You¡¯ve added two more young masters. We¡¯re still waiting to attend your cboratory banquet! Head Shopkeeper was still wondering about when you n to treat us to a meal and have fun!¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled. ¡°Of course. I¡¯ll send you a post when the date is set.¡±


    Chu Qing smiled and nodded. ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll wait for your post.¡¯


    Chu Qing got someone to go back with Zhou Jia to bring the candied hawthorn seller and peddler back to the bank. He went to inform the government office to gather people and keep an eye on the house in the back alley of General Street, waiting to capture them all.


    The matter between Li siblings and the Zhang family also spread to Country Lord Ning.


    When Country Lord Ning heard this news, she was so angry that she beat up the little girl serving her and asked Granny Song to investigate who had leaked the news.


    The old woman from the second door ran into the inner courtyard in a panic and reported from outside, ¡°Madam, someone from the government office has given Butler Wei aint¡­¡±


    Country Lord Ning shouted sternly, ¡°Let Butler Wei in.¡±


    Butler Wei reported to Country Lord Ning, ¡°Madam, the government office said that the Yang family sued you for extorting a marriage. They said you brought people to snatch a man and forced Old Master Yang to death. The government office said that they have already investigated and confirmed this matter. The government office epted the Yang family¡¯sint and would be holding a hearing on this case on the 29th of January.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the next day. How can it be so fast?¡±


    Country Lord Ning was so angry that her eyes were burning with anger.


    Butler Wei bowed and said, ¡°Madam, I¡¯ve asked the bailiffs. I heard that the person who helped the Yang family write theint is Lord Zhou¡¯s private advisor. This person went against the noble consort¡¯s family in the early years.


    I wonder when he became Lord Zhou¡¯s private advisor.¡±


    ¡°Zhou Jia!¡± Country Lord Ning gritted her teeth in anger and looked at Butler Wei angrily. ¡°It¡¯s Zhou Jia again. What are the people guarding outside the Zhou family¡¯s house for? Can¡¯t they even abduct a child?¡±


    ¡°The guard reported that the Zhou family is quite careful. That child has always been picked up by his family¡¯s stewards. They haven¡¯t found a chance to attack.¡±


    Butler Wei nced at Country Lord Ning. ¡°Madam, I feel that the most important thing now is to settle thewsuit first. If this matter reaches His Majesty¡¯s ears, His Majesty will treat you differently from the previous emperor. If you are punished by His Majesty because of this, our bank will¡­¡±


    It was all the fault of Zhou Jia and his wife. Ever since she met them, nothing had gone smoothly.


    ¡°Dog, I don¡¯t believe I can¡¯t do anything to you.¡± Country Lord Ning paced around the reception hall in frustration. ¡°The Zhang family¡¯s matter has be a waste of a few months of effort. Go and ask around for a litigator. I¡¯ll ask Princess Yichun for information.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± Butler Wei bowed and took a few steps out. Then, he turned around and looked at the irritable Country Lord Ning. ¡°Madam, the Zhang family is crippled. Isn¡¯t there still High Schr Li? His family is inws with the Zhou family. Wouldn¡¯t it be easier for him to do it?¡±


    Country Lord Ning¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°That¡¯s right! How could I have forgotten about that piece of trash! Go find a litigator and get Granny Wei here.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± Butler Wei went out.


    A momentter, an old woman with a medium build and a loyal appearance walked in. She bent her knees and bowed. ¡°Madam, what instructions do you have for me?¡±


    Ning Xiangjun looked at her. ¡°Go find High Schr Li and ask him to find an opportunity to kidnap the Zhou family¡¯s child. ¡±


    Granny Wei looked up at Country Lord Ning. ¡°Madam, the Zhou family has three children now. Should he kidnap them together, or do you want to specify which one to kidnap?¡±


    Country Lord Ning said gloomily, ¡°I want to kidnap all three of them at once and sell them to the courtesans to manage. Tell him that as long as he can kidnap one, I¡¯ll rmend him to the Directorate and enroll him in high school. ¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam, ¡± Granny Wei replied.


    After arranging for the people to deal with Zhou Jia, Country Lord Ning went to the Viscountess¡¯s residence. The old woman weed her in politely. Country Lord Ning went forward and bowed. ¡°Funing greets the Viscountess.¡±


    ¡°I was still thinking of looking for you after resting for a while!¡± Princess Yichun looked at her with a mocking expression. ¡°Why do you have the time to look for me today? Aren¡¯t you busy forcing someone to get married?¡±


    Country Lord Ning had a bitter expression. ¡°Sister, they wronged me!¡±


    Princess Yichun mocked, ¡°They¡¯ve wronged you. You know very well what you¡¯ve done. Don¡¯t think that everyone is as heartless as the Xu family. You¡¯ve met someone unyielding now! The government office just epted theint today, but it¡¯s already spread outside. I think it¡¯s most likely that you provoked someone again?¡±


    ¡°I really didn¡¯t provoke anyone.¡± Country Lord Ning blushed and sat on the chair beside Princess Yichun. ¡°Sister Princess, I didn¡¯t expect it to be like this. I really wanted to marry him this time and live a stable life. I didn¡¯t expect his


    family to be so unyielding..¡±

 Chapter 487 - 487: Underground Bank

    Chapter 487: Underground Bank


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Princess Yichun looked at Country Lord Ning. She was already in her thirties before she thought of living a stable life. Other women the same age as her were already grandmothers. How years did she have in her life to y with?


    ¡°On ount of our past rtionship, I advise you to behave yourself. You have to know that things are different now. The people above can¡¯t tolerate sand in their eyes. Also, I don¡¯t want those shares anymore. You don¡¯t have to give me dividends in the future.¡±


    How could she not want those shares? Had she heard something?


    Country Lord Ning said humbly, ¡°Sister, do you think the dividends are too little? I can give you another 20%.¡±


    Princess Yichun was unmoved and looked at her indifferently. ¡°There¡¯s no need. In short, you have to be careful in the future.¡± Princess Yichun suddenly leaned over and stared at Ning Xiangjun. ¡°Remember, I¡¯ve never taken your dividends. Don¡¯t think of threatening me with a score. As long as you¡¯re obedient, I won¡¯t let you suffer if anything happens.¡±


    She didn¡¯t even want 20% of the bonus and even threatened her. It seemed that she had really heard the news. These royal rtives were like blood-sucking leeches that couldn¡¯t be shaken off when they got involved. If there was any movement, they would run faster than rabbits.


    If Princess Yichun was not helping, they would split up. No one can get anything out of it.


    Country Ning endured her resentment and forced a smile. ¡°How would I dare? If Sister hadn¡¯t helped me all these years, I would have been bitten to death long ago. Sister, please tell me if there¡¯s bad news on ount of our past rtionship.¡±


    ¡°Sigh!¡± Princess Yichun sighed and reminded her vaguely, ¡°On ount of the fact that you¡¯re still sensible, I advise you to restrain yourself and keep a low profile. Do what needs to be done in the dark. Otherwise, it¡¯ll be difficult to get out when others find evidence.¡±


    Princess Yichun¡¯s cold voice was like a thunderp in Country Lord Ning¡¯s ears. She suddenly understood why she didn¡¯t want even 20% of the dividends. It turned out that the higher-ups had begun to investigate.


    ¡°Thank you for telling me, Sister. I¡¯ll wrap things up when I get back.¡±


    Seeing her sad expression, Princess Yichun suddenly couldn¡¯t bear to see her like this. ¡°Go! It¡¯s not good for you to win or lose in the Yang family¡¯s matter. I advise you to end it as soon as possible!¡±


    Why was she pretending to be a good person now? Ning Xiangjun cursed silently and bowed. ¡°Yes, Sister.¡±


    Ning Xiangjun came out of the Princess Yichun¡¯s residence with resentment. She sat in the carriage and thought about Princess Yichun¡¯s words. The carriage swayed toward her residence.


    When Granny Wei arrived at the Gu family, she asked the doorman to call Li Fengqi out. When Li Fengqi saw Granny Wei, he smiled and bowed. ¡°Granny, why are you looking for me?¡±


    Granny Wei smiled. ¡°High Schr Li, let¡¯s talk in the teahouse over there.¡± Li Fengqi nodded and walked towards the teahouse with Granny Wei.


    Little Loach and Maizi quietly followed them to the teahouse and saw them go upstairs.


    Little Loach and Maizi skipped up the stairs after him. They said to the shop assistant, ¡°My father won¡¯t be here untilter. Give us a cup of sugar cane juice first.¡±


    ¡°Alright! Please wait a moment.¡± The shop assistant smiled and went down to prepare the sugarcane juice.


    The two of them sat down at the table next to Li Fengqi and the old woman.


    Granny Wei and Li Fengqi did not expect that the two children were watching them. When they saw the two children drinking a mouthful of sugarcane juice and starting to fiddle with the slingshots in their hands, they no longer paid attention to the two children.


    Granny Wei lowered her voice and told Li Fengqi what Ning Xiangjun had said.


    ¡°What?¡± Li Fengqi shouted in shock when he heard that. He watched as Granny Wei kept shaking her head.


    Granny Wei looked at him coldly. ¡°High Schr Li, do you think anyone can enter the Directorate? Think about it yourself. Even if you don¡¯t go, as long as the things you gave Master fall into the hands of the Zhou family, you won¡¯t have a good time.¡±


    Granny Wei¡¯s words were as harsh as gravel, but his hopes of getting on the rankings after entering the Directorate tempted him.


    Li Fengqi lowered his head and hesitated for a long time, but he still could not resist the temptation of fame and fortune. ¡°I¡¯m not confident either. I can only try.¡±


    Granny Wei nodded in satisfaction and smiled. ¡°Alright, I believe High Schr


    Li won¡¯t disappoint Master.¡±


    Li Fengqi added, ¡°I can¡¯t guarantee that it will work. You know that their family is only nominally rted to mine.¡±


    Granny Wei said softly, ¡°Take it slow. My master knows that it¡¯s not easy, so she¡¯s not forcing you to do it immediately.¡±


    After Granny Wei left, Li Fengqi sat there in a daze for a while before getting up and walking downstairs.


    Little Loach and Maizi finished the sugarcane juice in two mouthfuls and followed behind him. Seeing that he had returned to the Gu family, Little Loach said to Maizi, ¡°Maizi, go back and report to Uncle Xiang. I¡¯ll continue to guard him here.¡±


    Maizi nodded, called a carriage, and headed east.


    Ji Xiang brought the Maizi to see Li Yu. Maizi said, ¡°Madam, that old woman spoke in a low voice. We only heard her say that she wanted to give High Schr Li benefits. She even mentioned the Directorate and said that he won¡¯t be able to gain anything from the Zhou family. High Schr Li hesitated for a long time before agreeing. Little Loach asked me toe back and report. He¡¯s still guarding there.¡±


    Li Yu analyzed, ¡°It seems that Li Fengqi was indeed the one who revealed the


    Zhang family¡¯s matter to Country Lord Ning. She was also the one who went to Tongzhou to pick up the Zhang family and bring them to the capital. She bribed Li Fengqi to use Laidi¡¯s rtionship with me. It seems that she still wants to attack the children.¡±


    ¡°Ji Xiang, Country Lord Ning is about to fall. Go and pick up Little Loach. You don¡¯t have to keep an eye on Li Fengqi. Let¡¯s wait for Laidi and see if shees. We¡¯ll know how she chooses. Don¡¯t let her get close to Yang¡¯er, Yue¡¯er and


    Xing¡¯er.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± Ji Xiang agreed and went to pick up Little Loach.


    Maizi looked at Li Yu. ¡°Madam, are they trying to steal Young Masters?¡±


    Li Yu nodded and looked at Maizi who had turned red from the cold. She said gently, ¡°They won¡¯t seed. Go back and take a shower and change your clothes to warm up.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Maizi agreed crisply. After taking two steps, he returned to Li Yu and said seriously, ¡°Madam, don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ll protect Young Master.¡±


    Li Yu stood up and stroked his furry head. She smiled and nodded. ¡°I believe you can do it.¡±


    Li Fengqi returned to the Gu family and finished exining thest part of the lesson to the children. Then, he packed his things and returned to the small courtyard. He saw Laidi sitting under the eaves of the porch and warming herself.


    Laidi looked up and saw Li Fengqi. ¡°Why are you back so early today?¡±


    Li Fengqi made up a story. ¡°They were going to visit their rtives today, so I came back early.¡±


    Laidi nodded. ¡°Oh! Why are you standing there? Come and warm up.¡±


    Li Fengqi walked over and sat down. He looked at Laidi. ¡°I heard from them that your cousin gave birth to a pair of sons.. Aren¡¯t you going to take a look?¡±

 Chapter 488 - 488: Dispute

    Chapter 488: Dispute


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Laidi shook her head sadly. ¡°Cousin didn¡¯t even get anyone to report the good news. It¡¯s not convenient for me to go.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s windy outside. Come in and sit for a while.¡± Li Fengqi stood up and helped Laidi into the house, making her sit on a chair. ¡°Laidi, if I have the chance to go to the Directorate, I¡¯ll definitely be on the list next year.¡±


    ¡°The Directorate!¡± Laidi thought for a moment and looked at Li Fengqi. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you couldn¡¯t enter if you didn¡¯t get a good ranking?¡±


    Li Fengqi nced at Laidi. ¡°There¡¯s an opportunity now. Someone is willing to rmend me to the Directorate.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Laidi looked at Li Fengqi. ¡°Did Lord Gu help you?¡±


    Li Fengqi shook his head and said, ¡°It¡¯s not Lord Gu. I¡¯m not sure who it is. I only know that the other party is a noble.¡±


    Laidi looked at him in confusion. ¡°Since we don¡¯t know each other, why should they help us?


    Li Fengqi looked at Laidi and hesitated for a moment. He felt that he had to try Laidi. ¡°They have conditions for helping us.¡±


    Laidi was enlightened when she heard that. ¡°I knew it! How can there be such a good person who helps you for no reason? How much silver do they want? If it¡¯s too much, we can¡¯t take it out.¡±


    ¡°They want¡­ want¡­¡± Li Fengqi nced at Laidi¡¯s stomach and stammered.


    Laidi smiled. ¡°It looks like you need a lot of silver. Tell me! If it really doesn¡¯t work, I¡¯ll pawn the jewelry my cousin gave me.¡±


    ¡°Laidi, I did something and they caught me with something. They forced me, forced me¡­ Laidi, help me for the sake of the child. I¡¯ll definitely treat you and your mother well in the future.¡±


    A bad feeling came over Laidi. ¡°Tell me first what they¡¯ve got on you. What did they force you to do?¡±


    Li Fengqi closed his eyes and said in one go, ¡°They want a child from your Cousin¡¯s family. ¡±


    ¡°You want a child of my cousin? I don¡¯t understand what you mean.¡± Laidi looked at Li Fengqi¡¯s pale face.


    Li Fengqi did not dare to look into Laidi¡¯s eyes. He lowered his head and said, ¡°They said that as long as we steal a child from your Cousin¡¯s house and give it to them, they will rmend me to the Directorate.¡±


    Laidi suddenly stood up and pped Li Fengqi. ¡°How can you say that?¡±


    Laidi¡¯s hands trembled as she pointed at Li Fengqi with tears streaming down her face. ¡°Beast, how dare you say such a thing? If they want our child, are you going to agree too?¡±


    ¡°How is that the same?¡± Li Fengqi covered his face in a sorry state and looked at Laidi with a ferocious expression. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m willing to do such a thing? Let me tell you, I used your cousin¡¯s news to exchange for those exam papers at home. If you don¡¯t agree to them, they¡¯ll tell your cousin about this. At that time, we won¡¯t have a good time either!¡±


    ¡°No wonder you kept asking about my cousin.¡± Laidi felt her heart ache and her stomach hurt. She looked at Li Fengqi in disappointment. ¡°So what if they tell about Cousin? Everyone in West Mountain Vige and Phoenix Vige knows about this. My cousin never said that she wouldn¡¯t let anyone tell.¡±


    Li Fengqi roared in a low voice, ¡°If your cousin has always been a vige girl, of course, there¡¯s nothing to say. However, she¡¯s now a First-grade Madam. Do you think she¡¯s willing to let the nobles in the capital know that she broke off the engagement and lived in someone else¡¯s house for a few years?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because you have dirty thoughts.¡± Laidi felt her stomach hurt ufortably. She bent down and held her stomach. She looked up at Li Fengqi. ¡°Give up. Even if you don¡¯t get on the rankings for the rest of your life, I won¡¯t do such a thing.¡±


    ¡°Inexperienced vige woman.¡± Li Fengqi pointed at Laidi. ¡°It won¡¯t do you any good if I don¡¯t win in my life!¡± With that, he rushed out of the house.


    Laidi chased to the door and held her stomach with a pale face. She looked at Li


    Fengqi¡¯s back and muttered softly, ¡°Mother¡­ Mother¡­ I¡¯m in so much pain¡­¡¯


    Another wave of pain hit her. Laidi fell to the ground and hissed in pain. Blood flowed down the side of her dress.


    ¡°Blood, Madam, you¡¯re bleeding.¡± When the old woman heard Li Fengqi leave, she exited her room. When she saw the blood by Laidi¡¯s skirt, she was shocked and shouted into the courtyard, ¡°Qiu, quickly call the midwife. Madam is about to give birth. Hurry!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m on it.¡± Da Qiu ran out of the hut and toward the alley behind.


    The old woman helped Laidi into the inner room and ced her on the bed. Sheforted her. ¡°Madam, bear with it. The midwife ising soon. Fortunately, it¡¯s more than seven months old. The child can be raised after birth.¡±


    Laidi looked at the old woman with tears in her eyes. ¡°Child, my child¡­¡±


    The old woman looked at Laidi and felt a little sad. ¡°Madam, bear with it. The child will be fine.¡±


    The midwife followed Da Qiu into the courtyard and entered the house to take a look. She realized that the delivery path had already been opened. She looked up and said to the old woman, ¡°Why are you so early? Go boil hot water and get something to eat for your Madam.¡±


    The old woman agreed and ran out. The midwifeined softly, ¡°Girl, I told you a few days ago that your pregnancy is not stable. I told you not to be agitated. Why didn¡¯t you listen? Where¡¯s your man?!¡±


    Laidi groaned and shook her head. When the midwife saw this, she understood andforted her. ¡°Girl, don¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯ve delivered babies for decades. you¡¯ll give birth soon. Bear with it and don¡¯t scream. Otherwise, the child and you will suffer when you run out of strengthter.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Laidi bit her lip and nodded.


    The old woman cooked a bowl of sugar eggs and fed Laidi a few mouthfuls. Laidi shook her head and couldn¡¯t eat anymore. The midwife followed the old woman out and said to the old woman, ¡°Your Madam¡¯s pregnancy isn¡¯t good. Go and call someone back to call your master back. If anything happens, you can make a decision.¡±


    When the old woman heard this, she hurriedly said to Qiu, ¡°Qiu, quickly go to the restaurant in front and find Master.¡±


    After agreeing, Da Qiu hurriedly ran towards the small restaurant in the Tongzhou Guild Hall. When he arrived, Little Jiu stopped him. ¡°Uncle Da Qiu, are you here to drink too?¡±


    Da Qiu asked Little Jiu, ¡°Didn¡¯t my master drink in the restaurant?¡±


    ¡°Your master hasn¡¯t been here for a long time. What happened?¡±


    Da Qiu was in a hurry to find Li Fengqi. As he ran, he said, ¡°My Madam is about to give birth. The midwife said that she¡¯s not very good and asked us to find Master.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll help you find him.¡± Little Jiu hurriedly greeted the shopkeeper and followed Da Qiu along the nearby taverns, but he couldn¡¯t find him after going to a few ces.


    Seeing that it was almost dark, Da Qiu suddenly thought of a ce and brought Little Jiu to a restaurant. He found Li Fengqi, who was drinking with the barmaid.


    When Little Jiu saw Li Fengqi¡¯s red face, he couldn¡¯t help but spit at him. ¡°What kind of person are you? You¡¯re actually drinking here when your wife is giving birth prematurely.¡±


    Li Fengqi looked at Little Jiu angrily and shouted, ¡°Who do you think you are? I¡¯m a dignified High Schr. How dare you spit at me?¡±


    Little Jiu looked at him disdainfully. ¡°So what if I spit at you?¡±


    ¡°Master¡­¡± Da Qiu hurriedly pulled Little Jiu back and told Li Fengqi about


    Laidi¡¯s prematurebor..

 Chapter 489 - 489: Difficult Childbirth

    Chapter 489 - 489: Difficult Childbirth


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Li Fengqi looked at Qiu. ¡°She was fine when I left. Did she ask you to lie to me again?¡±


    Da Qiu was so anxious that he was sweating profusely. ¡°Master, the midwife is already at home. We¡¯ve been searching for you for four hours.¡±


    Little Jiu shouted angrily, ¡°Are you still human? Who would lie to you about such a thing?¡±


    ¡°Is he still human? His wife is having a difficultbor, and he¡¯s drinking with the bartender here.¡± The people in the restaurant were also whispering.


    Li Fengqi paid the bill with a red face and followed the two of them downstairs to call a carriage to rush back.<div>


    The few of them returned to the small courtyard. When they entered, they heard Laidi crying. The old woman walked out with a basin of blood. When she saw Li Fengqi, sheined loudly, ¡°Master, Madam was inbor prematurely. Why did you onlye back now?¡±


    Li Fengqi nced at the blood in the basin and was shocked. ¡°I¡­¡±


    The midwife shouted from the room, ¡°Master Li, the child is not full-term yet. Are we going to protect the child or the adult?¡±


    Li Fengqi squatted on the ground in a daze. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know either¡­¡±


    Laidi opened her eyes and looked at the midwife weakly. ¡°Protect the child. I want my child¡­¡±


    The midwife was sweating profusely as she encouraged Laidi, ¡°Girl, you have to persevere. If the child is born prematurely, the child without a mother won¡¯t survive. Grit your teeth and persevere for a while.¡±


    When Little Jiu heard that the situation was not right, he turned around and ran out. He called for a mule cart to rush towards the East City.


    When Little Jiu rushed to the Zhou family, Uncle Liu called Ji Xiang out. Little Jiu said to Ji Xiang anxiously, ¡°Your rtive is having a difficult delivery. The midwife asked her man whether to protect the eldest or the youngest. Her man squatted on the ground and said that he didn¡¯t know¡­¡±


    ¡°Little Jiu, wait for me.¡± Ji Xiang turned around and ran towards the inner courtyard. ¡°Madam, the midwife asked¡­¡¯


    ¡°I¡¯ll go over and take a look. Ji Xiang, find a doctor and rush over.¡±


    Li Yu put on her cloak and walked out. Ruyi drove the carriage and drove Little Jiu and Li Yu to Laidi¡¯s house.


    Li Yu sat in the carriage and remembered that she had forgotten to take the ginseng. She hurriedly entered the space to take out the ginseng tablets and the medicine to stop the bleeding, just in case.


    Ruyi parked the carriage at the entrance of Laidi¡¯s small courtyard. Li Yu jumped out of the carriage and rushed into the small courtyard. Seeing Li Fengqi sitting on the ground in a daze, her heart skipped a beat and she quickly rushed into the delivery room.


    When the midwife saw Li Yu, she was extremely d. ¡°You¡¯re the mother¡¯s rtive, right? The mother is bleeding non-stop. The doctor hasn¡¯te yet. If this drags on, even the adult won¡¯t be able to survive.¡±


    Li Yu took out the pills and ginseng. ¡°Aunt, I have ginseng and pills to stop the bleeding. Can you give them to her?¡±


    ¡°It should be able to stop the bleeding. Hurry up and give it to her. A doctor will be faster at stopping the bleeding. Wake her up quickly. She won¡¯t wake up if she sleeps now,¡± the midwife said.


    Li Yu approached Laidi and saw that she had lost too much blood and was already unconscious. She hurriedly fed her the hemostatic pill and ced the ginseng in her mouth. She patted her cheek and shouted, ¡°Laidi, wake up. Laidi, wake up¡­¡±


    Li Yu called out more than ten times, but Laidi still did not wake up. Li Yu looked at Laidi anxiously.


    At this moment, Ji Xiang arrived with the physician and shouted from outside,


    ¡°Madam, the physician is here.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s more important to save her life. Hurry up and invite the physician in.¡±


    Li Yu invited the doctor into the delivery room. After giving Laidi acupuncture, the bleeding finally stopped.


    Li Yu pointed at the unconscious Laidi and said to the doctor, ¡°Doctor, take a look. Why can¡¯t she wake up?¡±


    After taking her pulse, the doctor said, ¡°The woman is too sad and exhausted to wake up for a while. I¡¯ll give her a shot.¡±


    The doctor injected Laidi again. After a while, Laidi woke up and saw Li Yu. She panted and cried, ¡°Cousin, my child is gone. The child is gone¡­¡±


    Li Yu patted her andforted her. ¡®You¡¯re still young. Take care of yourself. You¡¯ll still have children.¡±


    Laidi shook her head. Tears of regret flowed down her face uncontrobly as she whimpered, ¡°It¡¯ll be different. It won¡¯t be this child. Cousin, it¡¯s all my fault.


    I harmed this child.¡±


    The doctor said to Li Yu, ¡°Madam, it¡¯s not good for her to be so sad. Let her sleep and rest for a while. It¡¯s good for her health.¡± Li Yu nodded. ¡°Let her sleep for a while!¡±


    The doctor gave Laidi two injections and let her sleep.


    The midwife was afraid that Li Yu would pursue the matter. After Laidi fell asleep, she pointed at the child in the corner. ¡°Madam, it¡¯s not good for a pregnant woman. I came a few days ago and instructed her not to get upset and take good care of the fetus. Who knew that she would have a miscarriage today?¡±


    The midwife looked at Li Yu and exined uneasily, ¡°I tried my best. The child was not fully-grown. When I dragged him out of the delivery path, he was already dead. Sigh! A male child is gone just like that. What a pity!¡±


    Li Yu nodded and went out to get silver from Ruyi. She handed it to the midwife. ¡°Thank you, Aunt.¡±


    The midwife took the silver gratefully and looked at Li Fengqi, who was sitting on the ground in disdain. She said to Li Yu, ¡°Madam, do you want me to help that child find a ce?¡±


    Li Yu shook her head. ¡°He has parents. His parents should be in charge of this.¡± The midwife nodded, packed her things, and left.


    Li Yu nced at Ruyi. ¡°Drag him up and carry the child out to bury him.¡±


    Ruyi picked Li Fengqi up from the ground and smelled the wine and cosmetics on him. He frowned and shouted, ¡°Li Fengqi, are you still human? Hurry up and take the child out and bury him.¡±


    Li Fengqi lowered his head and walked into the house without a word. He picked up the child from the corner of the wall and staggered out.


    Ruyi followed him out of the city.


    Ji Xiang looked at Li Yu, who was standing under the eaves of the porch.


    ¡°Madam, the old woman said that Li Fengqi went home today and had a big argument with Miss. Li Fengqi mmed the door and left. When she saw Miss, she realized that she had gone intobor prematurely.¡±


    Li Yu recalled Laidi¡¯s regretful expression and sighed. ¡°It was probably because Li Fengqi wanted her help but Laidi didn¡¯t agree. The two of them had an argument, causing Laidi to give birth prematurely. Poor child.¡±


    Lucky frowned. ¡°Madam, what should we do now?¡±


    Li Yu thought for a moment. ¡°Go back and get some tonics. Then, invite Granny Chen over to help serve her for a few days. We¡¯ll talk about the rest after she recovers and thinks it through.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± Ji Xiang agreed and left.


    Li Yu entered the house and stood in front of the bed. She looked at the haggard and thin Laidi and realized that there were wrinkles at the corners of her eyes.


    Li Yu frowned and looked at Laidi, who was also frowning in her sleep. She didn¡¯t understand what she was pursuing.


    Could this be the life she was so ambitious and unrealistic in pursuing?


    She had burt herself all over for a man who was blinded by greed.


    Ji Xiang brought the tonic and Granny Chen to the small courtyard. Laidi still did not wake up. Li Yu said to Granny Chen, ¡°I¡¯ll have to trouble Granny to take care of her for a few days. When she wakes up, coax her.¡±


    Granny Chen bent her knees and bowed. ¡°Madam, go back first. I¡¯ll take good care of Miss.¡±


    After Li Yu made the arrangements, she entered the room and took a look at Laidi. Then, she went out and got into the carriage to head back.


    Ruyi followed Li Fengqi to a deserted forest. When he buried the good child, Ruyi knocked him to the ground with a few punches. ¡°You¡¯re worse than an animal. A person like you still wants to take the imperial examination. The heavens would be blind for this to happen. Look! This is your retribution.¡±


    Li Fengqi threw himself to the ground and dug his fingers into the mud. He looked at the small mound in front of him and said hatefully,¡± If you had reached out to help me on ount of being rtives, why would I have done those things? You¡¯ve harmed me like this. Just you wait. I won¡¯t let it go..¡±

 Chapter 490 - 490: Money Makes The World Go Round

    Chapter 490 - 490: Money Makes The World Go Round


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Seeing him lying on the ground like a dead pig, Ruyi kicked him again and looked at him sinisterly. ¡°Dog, be obedient in the future. Otherwise, you won¡¯t be able to enter the examination hall for the rest of your life!¡±


    Li Fengqi buried his head in the crook of his arm and listened to Ruyi¡¯s footsteps gradually fade away before getting up. He grabbed a bamboo before he shook and kicked it hard to vent. ¡°Wretched ve, just you wait.¡±


    He let go of the bamboo in exhuastion. With a bang, he was rebounded by the stem on his head. He felt dizzy and fell to the ground. ¡°Even you bullied me¡­¡±


    Li Fengqi sat in the forest for a long time. When he returned home and saw the old woman from the Zhou family, he was furious. Without even looking at Laidi, he went into the next room and did note out.


    When Laidi woke up, she cried when she thought of her child and Li Fengqi¡¯s heartlessness.<div>


    Granny Chen looked at her and persuaded, ¡°Miss Cousin, you¡¯re still young. It¡¯s more important for you to recuperate first. If you cry and ruin your health, you¡¯ll be at a disadvantage in the future.¡±


    Laidi cried, ¡°Nanny, I¡¯m crying that I¡¯ve grown eyes for nothing¡­¡±


    ¡°How can one not make mistakes when you¡¯re young? You still have a long way to go!¡±


    Granny Chen looked at Laidi and thought about how Li Fengqi had returned without even looking at her. She felt that not only was she blind in her judgment, but she was also blind in her heart. To think she even wept for kind of man. She looked smart but loved foolishly.


    Li Fengqiy on the bed. When he heard crying from next door, he pulled up the nket in disgust and covered his head.


    After Country Lord Ning returned to the residence, she sat in a daze for a while before making up her mind. She found Butler Wei and said, ¡°Get Granny Song to bring the silver to the Yang family and tell them that as long as they agree to withdraw theint, I¡¯ll give them double thepensation.


    Also, quickly send someone to release the bank and collect the money. If we really can¡¯t afford it, I¡¯d rather not get the profits and get my capital back.¡±


    Butler Wei was shocked. ¡°Madam, did something happen? If we release the silver, we won¡¯t be able to get it back until the end of the month. It¡¯s due in a few days. If we take it back now, we¡¯ll lose a lot of silver.¡±


    Ning Xiangjun told Butler Wei about Princess Yichun¡¯s withdrawal and said hatefully, ¡°She must have heard some news and knows that we¡¯re being targeted. Remember to save the capital first. Hurry up and burn those ounts. Hurry up!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam. After Butler Wei left, he sent Granny Song to the Yang family and rushed to the back alley.


    When Granny Song arrived at the Yang family¡¯s house, Yang Jian blocked her outside the shop. ¡°Old thing, how dare youe?¡± Granny Song blushed. ¡°I¡¯m here to discuss something.¡±


    ¡°Let her in,¡± Father Yang said to his son.


    Granny Song walked into the shop and still arrogant. She said to Shopkeeper Yang in a charitable tone, ¡°My Madam said that as long as you withdraw yourint, the loan receipt and this silver is all yours. You won¡¯t be able to earn more than 2,000 taels of silver in your lifetime.¡±


    As he spoke, she took out the banknotes and ced them on the small wooden table in front of Father Yang.


    Father Yang, Mother Yang, and Yang Jian did not expect Granny Song to be here to make peace. Looking at the banknotes and loan receipts on the table, thev did not react for a moment.


    ¡°Pfft!¡± Yang Yi rushed up and spat at her. ¡°You heartless old woman. My Yang family doesn¡¯t care about your stinky money.¡±


    Granny Song looked at Yang Yi and sneered. ¡°I advise you to be smart. Let me tell you, even if you win thewsuit, your family won¡¯t get many benefits. Now that you have more than a thousand taels of silver for no reason, you can live anywhere. If you know what¡¯s good for you, ept the silver and withdraw theint.¡±


    Father Yang and the Yang family looked at the banknotes on the table and looked at each other.


    Mother Yang pulled Father Yang into the house. ¡°I¡¯m worried that even if we win thewsuit, it won¡¯t be good. We might as well take this silver and sell the shop to move to the countryside like Father-inw said before he died. We can buy some fields and take on some work to help others set up somenterns. There will also be silver for Brother Yi to study.¡±


    Father Yang hesitated and frowned. ¡°Let me think about it.¡± Yang Yi walked into the room and looked at his parents. He said unhappily, ¡°Father, Mother, you can¡¯t agree to that bitch. Look at her. She¡¯s already afraid of us when she saw us sue. Besides, with Lord Zhou and Mr. Qian helping us, we¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    Shopkeeper Yang was still uneasy. Looking at Yang Yi¡¯s resentful gaze, he made up his mind. ¡°Brother Yi, as the saying goes, the poor don¡¯t fight with the rich, and the rich don¡¯t fight with the officials. Since Country Lord Ning is willing to return the loan receipt andpensate us with silver, Father feels that it¡¯s already not bad. Son! Listen to Father. Let¡¯s withdraw theint, sell the shop, and bring Grandpa¡¯s ashes back to the countryside to settle down.¡±


    Looking at Father Yang¡¯s pleading gaze, Yang Yi hugged his head and squatted on the ground without saying anything else.


    Father Yang walked out and looked at the banknotes and IOUs. He nced at Granny Song. ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll withdraw theint now.¡±


    ¡°Shopkeeper Yang is a smart person who understands the situation.¡± Granny Song nced at the Yang family and slowly stood up to leave.


    Father Yang brought Yang Yi to the Wen family to find Mr. Qian. He exined his intentions with a red face.


    Mr. Qian looked at them and smiled faintly. ¡°We won thewsuit by gettingpensation. Let¡¯s go! I¡¯ll apany you to withdraw thewsuit.¡±


    There was a penalty for withdrawing theint. Yang Yi was beaten 20 times, and the Yang family withdrew theint as they wished.


    Mr. Qian did not ask for the money from the Yang family. He turned around and went to the Ministry of Revenue¡¯s office. He said to Zhou Jia, ¡°Master, the Yang family indeed epted thepensation from Country Lord Ning and went to the government office to withdraw theint. It seems that wealth still moves people¡¯s hearts!¡±


    Zhou Jia was not surprised by this. He smiled faintly and said, ¡°To the Yang family, I think this is the best oue. You don¡¯t have to pay attention to the Yang family in the future.¡±


    After Mr. Qian agreed, he sighed and said, ¡°Sigh! In this world, one has no power or influence. Even being good-looking is a burden.¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled at him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯re very safe.¡±


    ¡°Hehe!¡± Mr. Qian rubbed his face. ¡°Master, Shopkeeper Chu should make a move now, right?¡±


    Zhou Jia said, ¡°As long as someone from Country Lord Ning¡¯s residence goes to that house, they will attack.¡±


    When Butler Wei arrived at the house in the back alley, a tall man with a thin face and a wide forehead went forward and reported, ¡°Uncle Wei, Liu Quan and Xiao Changqing didn¡¯t returnst night. I sent someone to take a look. There¡¯s no one at his house.¡±


    Butler Wei felt that something was wrong. Only then did he really believe Country Lord Ning¡¯s words that they were really targeted. His heart ached when he thought about how so much money would be confiscated.


    ¡°Wei Cai, quickly bring people out and take back the silver we released.


    Remember not to cause trouble and make it clear to those people. Take as


    much as you can!¡±


    Wei Cai widened his eyes at Butler Wei and said anxiously, ¡°Uncle, it¡¯s already the 27th today. Can¡¯t we wait two days? If we gather them now, we¡¯ll lose a lot of money! ¡±


    Butler Wei patted his back and shouted, ¡°Go quickly. If you¡¯re anyter, I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t even be able to get the capital back.¡±


    ¡°I asked you what was going on, but you didn¡¯t tell me. You just asked me to collect the silver in advance. Unfortunately, there¡¯s so much money!¡± Wei Cai muttered and went in to call for help.


    The officials and secret guards hiding around saw Butler Wei enter the courtyard and rushed in under Wei Qing¡¯s lead..

 Chapter 491 - 491: Everyone Kicks a Man Who Is Down

    Chapter 491 - 491: Everyone Kicks a Man Who Is Down


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    When Butler Wei heard the sound of fighting, he turned around and saw Chu Qing in the backyard. Butler Wei shouted sternly, ¡°Shopkeeper Chu, how dare you bring people into a private house!¡±


    Chu Qing looked at Butler Wei coldly. ¡°Butler Wei, His Majesty has treated Country Lord Ning well. Country Lord Ning is actually bold enough to open an underground bank privately. ¡±


    Butler Wei looked at Chu Qing and said righteously, ¡°Don¡¯t nder me. This is my house.¡±


    Chu Qing snorted. ¡°Your residence! What¡¯s with the sandwich path behind the stable and the secret passage that leads to the next door?¡±


    The butler was tongue-tied and could not answer.<div>


    ¡°Go, bite them to death!¡± Seeing that the situation was bad, Wei Cai released the roving dog from the cage. The ferocious roving dog roared wildly and pounced at Chu Qing, the secret guards, and the bailiff.


    The roving dog naturally had no problem dealing with ordinary burly men, but it had no advantage against the secret guards.


    The two secret guards formed a team and drew their weapons to meet it. One of them shed at the dog¡¯s waist with all his might. The dog wailed and fell to the ground. The other stabbed into the dog¡¯s wide open mouth with his sword. The long sword pierced through the dog. Under the attack from both sides, it did not take long to eliminate three ferocious dogs.


    Chu Qing had already brought people to take down Butler Wei, who had crawled into the alley, and entered the basement.


    Wei Cai raised his short sword and stabbed at Chu Qing, but Chu Qing kicked him in the wrist. The short sword in Wei Cai¡¯s hand was almost kicked away. Wei Cai threw a dart at Chu Qing with his left hand and was knocked down by the money dart thrown by the secret guard.


    Wei Cai turned around and wanted to escape. Chu Qing threw the dagger in his hand and hit Wei Cai¡¯s calf. The secret guard rushed into the basement and after an intense fight, took down Wei Cai and his thugs.


    The people in the cksmith shop were also taken down by the officials. After the two sides gathered, Chu Qing brought people into the underground bank.


    He realized that there was a spacious hall and five or six rooms below. There was a row of bookcases against the wall in the hall, filled with ledgers.


    In a house with a big lock, he found more than a dozenrge wooden boxes filled with white silver and various jewelry and jade artifacts. There were strings of copper coins stacked in the corner. Some of the copper coins were already covered in rust.


    Chu Qing asked the official to bring Butler Wei and Wei Cai back to the government office for interrogation.


    He led his men to the underground bank to search the loan receipts and ounts and count the silver.


    The group of officials tied the dozen or so people together and pulled them towards the government office. Along the way, they attracted the attention of onlookers.


    The news that Butler Wei had been taken away by the government office quickly reached the Country Lord Ning¡¯s residence. When the old woman received the news, she stumbled into the courtyard. ¡°Not good, Madam¡­¡±


    ¡°Why are you shouting? Is your skin itchy?¡± Country Lord Ning walked to the door and looked at the old woman coldly.


    The old woman hurriedly knelt down and said, ¡°Madam, they¡¯re saying that


    Butler Wei was taken away by the magistrate.¡±


    ¡°What did you say?¡± Country Lord Ning felt her vision darken and almost lost her footing. The girl quickly caught her.


    ¡°The doorman reported that Butler Wei was taken away by the bailiffs,¡± the old woman repeated fearfully.


    Oh no, oh no. What should she do now?


    Country Lord Ning was as anxious as a cat on a hot tin roof. ¡°Get someone to prepare the carriage. I want to go to the viscountess¡¯s residence.¡±


    The old woman hurriedly ran to get someone to prepare the carriage. Country Lord Ning rushed to the viscountess¡¯s residence and asked to see Princess


    Yichun. After a while, an old woman came out and said politely to her, ¡®Madam, you¡¯re a stepte. The viscountess went to the farmstead in the suburbs.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s only been half a day, but she¡¯s clearly avoiding me!¡± Ning Xiangjun looked at the viscountess¡¯s residence hatefully, turned around, got into the carriage, and hurriedly returned to her residence. She began to think of a way to find someone to release Butler Wei, who was imprisoned.


    After looking for a few families in a row, the families who were on good terms with Country Lord Ning in the past refused to even meet.


    Country Lord Ning found Madam Xu and asked her for help.


    Madam Xu looked at her and sneered. ¡°Madam, to think you would have such a day! I won¡¯t help you unless my brotheres back to life.¡±


    Country Lord Ning pointed at Madam Xu angrily. ¡°I¡¯ve helped you so much.


    Without the dowry I bought for you, how could you marry into the Liu family?


    Madam Xu looked at her disdainful face and whispered into her ear, ¡°My brother was at a good age when he was killed by a slut like you. Back then, my Xu family was afraid of your power and swallowed our anger to ept yourpensation. I wanted to see the day you fell into dire straits and trample you into the mud so that you would never be able to recover.¡±


    Country Lord Ning never expected her usual follower to say such a thing. She pointed at Madam Xu and scolded sternly, ¡°Bitch, let¡¯s see how long you canst. When I¡¯m done with this matter, I¡¯ll settle the score with you.¡±


    Madam Xu scolded happily, ¡°You reckless slut, just wait to be exiled!¡±


    The news of Butler Wei being arrested and sent to jail quickly spread. One after another, victims went to the government office to sue the pawnshop and the bank for bringing thugs to force them to sell their assets to pay off their debts. They imed that their children were even dragged to pay off their debts. A good family was forced to split up and their families were destroyed.


    The government office began to check the pawnshops and underground banks in the city.


    Chu Qing brought the staff of the Four Seas Bank and quickly cleaned up the loan receipts before sending them to the pce for Chu Yuhao.


    Chu Qing bowed and reported, ¡°Your Majesty, some of these loan receipts were borrowed by merchants at thest minute. There are also some low-level officials from poor families in the capital¡¯s government office. What do you think we should do with these loan receipts?¡±


    Chu Yuhao looked at the list on it. ¡°Burn all the loan receipts and charge the confiscated silver into the national treasury.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± Chu Qing bowed and agreed. ¡°Your Majesty, after this, I


    think we should increase the borrowing in our bank. As long as we formte a feasible profit, they won¡¯t have to borrow dirty money from the underground bank.¡±


    Chu Yuhao pondered for a moment and said to Chu Qing, ¡°Go back and discuss with Si Hai and the others. Get someone to develop a feasible method before reporting it.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± Chu Qing bowed and left.


    In less than two days, the news that Country Lord Ning had opened a bank in private quickly spread. More and more people went to the Imperial Capital to sue Ning Xiangjun for forcing a debt.


    When Butler Wei first entered the prison to be interrogated, he insisted that he had opened the bank behind Country Lord Ning¡¯s back. He argued that it was all his personal actions and had nothing to do with Country Lord Ning.


    Those thugs confessed that they had never seen the banker personally. They only knew that the owner of the bank lived in the Country Lord Ning¡¯s residence.


    Later, after being tortured by the capital¡¯s government office, the mouths of


    Butler Wei and Wei Cai were finally pried open. The two of them confessed that Country Lord Ning had gotten someone to open an underground bank to earn ck-hearted money.


    After the government office obtained the evidence, Chu Yuhao issued a decree to strip Country Lord Ning of her title, confiscate her residence, and arrest her.


    Country Lord Ning¡¯s magnificent residence was sealed. Her trusted aides, Granny Song and Granny Wei, were also sent to jail..

 Chapter 492 - 492: Bestowing a Name

    Chapter 492 - 492: Bestowing a Name


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    The next day, Li Fengqi arrived at the Gu family early in the morning to ask who the benefactor who came to look for him was.


    Before he could figure it out, he was called to the ounting room by Butler Gu. Butler Gu took a money bag and handed it to him. ¡°Mr. Li, my young master is going to study in a private school. Master has instructed me to give you half a year¡¯s worth of tuition. Please find another job.¡±


    Li Fengqi looked at Butler Gu in confusion. ¡°Why is Young Master Gu going to a private school halfway? Did I do something wrong?¡±


    Butler Gu cupped his hands politely. ¡°No! No! Sir is very good. Master has other arrangements.¡±


    Li Fengqi could only take the silver and follow the old woman out. When he was about to reach the door, he stuffed a piece of silver into the old woman¡¯s hand. ¡°Nanny, I want to ask you something. Which noble family came to look for mest time?¡±<div>


    The old woman pinched the silver and whispered, ¡°Mr. Li, she¡¯s an old woman serving Country Lord Ning. The steward of the Country Lord Ning has been found to have operated an underground bank and has been arrested by the government office. Country Lord Ning is going to be unlucky.¡±


    Li Fengqi¡¯s heart turned cold when he heard that. It was over. The Zhou family already knew that he had colluded with someone and wanted to kidnap his child. If Laidi gave up on him, the Zhou family would definitely not let him off.


    Li Fengqi thought for a long time and decided to win Laidi¡¯s heart back. He ran to the pharmacy to grab nourishing herbs and went to the jewelry shop to buy a hairpin. He went home and asked about Laidi.


    Granny Chen saw that he had gone out for a walk and came back. It was as if he had be a different person. She felt that this person¡¯s expression changed too quickly


    You need me again..


    Li Fengqi smiled awkwardly. ¡°Madam, you¡¯ve misunderstood me. My heart aches for our child and I couldn¡¯t make sense of it. Look, I bought these things to apologize to you today.¡±


    Laidi looked at him coldly. ¡®You¡¯d better pretend to be a grandson for the rest of your life, or just you wait!¡¯


    From that day onwards, Laidi mocked and ridiculed Li Fengqi who swallowed his anger towards Laidi.


    The old woman said to Granny Chen in private, ¡°In the past, it was Madam who pestered Master and wanted him to give her a good attitude. Now, it¡¯s the other way around. ¡±


    However, Granny Chen felt that there was no real affection in Young Master Li¡¯s eyes. There was not even a smile in his eyes.


    After a few days, Laidi said to Granny Chen, ¡°Nanny, I¡¯ve troubled you to take care of me for so long. I¡¯m fine now. Please go back and tell my cousin that I won¡¯tmit suicide. I¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    Seeing that she had almost recovered, Granny Chen nodded and said, ¡°Alright,


    Miss Cousin. If you need anything, you can get someone to bring a letter to Madam.¡±


    After Granny Chen returned to the residence, she told Li Yu about Laidi¡¯s family and sighed. ¡°Madam, Miss¡¯s husband is unreliable. How will Miss live with such a despicable person in her life?¡±


    Li Yu replied indifferently, ¡°Everyone has to take responsibility for their choices. In the future, it depends on whether she¡¯s willing to let herself go and start over.¡±


    Granny Chen muttered to herself, ¡°Can Miss Cousin start over?¡± There was no such thing as a divorce in this world!


    On the eighth of February, Li Yu finallypleted her confinement. Zhou Jia invited his rtives and friends to celebrate.


    Zhao Cai brought Old Master Zhou into the residence early in the morning. The old man looked at the child in the cradle and smiled with narrowed eyes. He took out two gold peppercorns from his pocket and handed them to Li Yu.


    ¡°Yangyang¡¯s mother, take them. They¡¯re teething sticks for the child.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and took it. She bent her knees and bowed. ¡°Thank you, Uncle.¡±


    Old Master Zhou smiled and waved his hand. ¡°Sigh! Why are you being so polite!¡±


    ¡°Yueyue, thank you, Uncle.¡± Li Yu smiled and tied the teething stick to the child¡¯s wrist.


    Mr. Wen looked at Old Master Zhou. ¡°Come, help me take a look at the herbs I nted. I wonder why they don¡¯t grow well?¡±


    Old Master Zhou smiled proudly. ¡°You¡¯re good at treating illnesses, but I¡¯m good at nting flowers and nts.¡±


    ¡°Alright, if you had done this earlier, your father wouldn¡¯t have been so disappointed. ¡±


    ¡°My father won¡¯t agree to me nting flowers and selling them!¡± The two elders chatted as they walked towards the back garden.


    Li Qing and Fan Mingfang arrived at the Zhou family¡¯s house early in the morning to help. After a while, Lin Zexu came with the family.


    Lin Jia, Lin Yi, and Lin Lan¡¯s wife, Madam Zheng, sent gifts for their children.


    Madam Zheng and the others looked at the two babies sleeping soundly in the cradle. They gently touched the children¡¯s pink faces and the small hands by their mouths.


    Lin Jia whispered to Madam Zheng and Fan Mingfang, ¡°Sister-inw, Cousin-inw, give us two more pairs of nephews as beautiful as the Yueyue and Xingxing!¡±


    Fan Mingfang and Madam Zheng looked at each other and smiled without answering.


    Madam Gong was afraid that the two of them would feel pressured. She looked at the two of them and said with a smile, ¡°You¡¯ve just gotten married. There¡¯s no hurry. When the timees, the child will naturallye.¡±


    Li Qing and the Lin brothers helped wee the guests outside. After a while, Zhou Jia¡¯s colleagues from the Ministry of Revenue also came to the Zhou family to congratte them.


    Shen Zhong brought his Madam, Chu Qing, and Chu Fu to the Zhou family and gave them congrattory gifts.


    Madam Shen Zhong went forward and bowed to Li Yu with a smile. ¡°Greetings, Madam.¡±


    Seeing that she looked refined and delicate, but her movements were clean, Li


    Yu smiled and said, ¡°Madam He, please follow me in for a while.¡±


    He Qiuxia smiled brightly and said, ¡°I¡¯ve long wanted to visit Madam. Last year, I returned to Tongzhou to visit my parents. I only returned to the capital at the beginning of the month. ¡±


    Li Yu smiled. ¡°Oh! Madam He is from Tongzhou.¡±


    He Qiuxia smiled and nodded. ¡°My father is a general under General Shen. Madam, Ah Zhong said that your martial arts are very outstanding. I rarely heard Ah Zhong admire any woman. I didn¡¯t expect you to be so outstanding in everything.¡±


    Li Yu smiled politely. ¡°You¡¯re ttering me. I only know a few fancy moves.


    General Shen¡¯s martial arts are really good.¡±


    The two of them chatted andughed as they walked in.


    Zhou Jia weed Shen Zhong and the others into the main hall. Chu Qing smiled and said to Zhou Jia, ¡°Lord Zhou, Head Shopkeeper and Chu Feng said that they can¡¯t congratte you personally and asked us to bring congrattory gifts for them.


    Zhou Jia smiled and cupped his hands in thanks. ¡°Thank you! Thank you!¡±


    Zhou Jia weed them in. Shen Zhong smiled and said to Zhou Jia, ¡°Lord Zhou, you don¡¯t have to be polite to us. Hurry up and prepare with Madam. A eunuch wille to your residenceter. His Majesty wants to give the two young masters names.¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled and cupped his hands at Shen Zhong. ¡°Thank you, General


    Shen.¡±


    At this moment, Li Qing had already walked in with the eunuch. The eunuch smiled and said to Zhou Jia, ¡°Lord Zhou and Madam Li will receive the decree.¡±


    When Li Yu received the news, she also came out of the inner courtyard. The couple knelt down. The eunuch unfolded the imperial edict and read in a steady voice, ¡°By the will of the heavens, the emperor has announced that he will bestow the name of the Assistant Minister of Revenue, Zhou Chenyue, Zhou Chenxing! ¡±


    After Li Yu and Zhou Jia kowtowed to thank him, they took the imperial edict with both hands. The eunuch carrying the box beside them took a step forward and ced the box in Zhou Jia¡¯s hand. ¡°Lord Zhou, His Majesty is giving these two young masters something.¡±


    His colleagues from the Ministry of Revenue looked at Zhou Jia enviously and were all thinking of befriending him..

 Chapter 493 - 493: Treasure

    Chapter 493: Treasure


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Zhou Jia politely sent the eunuch away and returned to the courtyard to entertain the guests.


    After the eunuch left, many guests came. The guests who came to congratte them greatly exceeded their budget. Zhou Jia could only go to the Intoxicated Immortal Restaurant to book a banquet before arranging for the guests to leave. The banquet only ended before dark.


    After sending the guests off and the two of them returned to the house, Li Yu nced at Zhou Jia and sat in front of the makeup table. She took off the head essory on her head. ¡°I¡¯m finally done! Chenyue, Chenxing, this is great. You¡¯ve worked for nothing again. ¡±


    Zhou Jia walked behind Li Yu and helped her spread her hair. ¡°This is a good thing. Look, after my colleagues left, did they be much more intimate and polite?¡±


    Zhou Jia hugged Li Yu and whispered in her ear, ¡°Yu¡¯er, it¡¯s time for us to rest.¡±


    Li Yu replied gently, ¡®Yes!¡±


    Li Yu nodded. ¡°That¡¯s true. Since His Majesty is so generous, we¡¯ll find a day after spring to send a basket of sweet potatoes in the wooden frame to His


    Majesty and make him happy.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu curiously. ¡°You¡¯ve already dug them out and taken a look?¡±


    Li Yu shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s spring. The sweet potatoes are about to start breeding. Those sweet potatoes have to be dug out and nted again.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re still the best at these.¡± Zhou Jia thought for a moment. ¡°Before sending them into the pce, you should dig out a basket and take a look. You don¡¯t know what it looks like down there. It¡¯s better to be careful.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll dig a basket tomorrow and send it over.¡±


    Zhou Jia also wanted to see what the sweet potatoes looked like. He hurriedly instructed Li Yu, ¡°Dig a basket and leave a basket for me to dig when Ie back.¡±


    Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia and smiled. ¡°Yes! I¡¯ll leave a basket for you to widen your horizons.¡±


    The next morning, Zhou Jia went to the government office in high spirits. Li Yu had just woken up when Granny Chen and Xing Hua came to look for Li Yu with Yueyue and Xingxing.


    Granny Chen whispered, ¡°Madam, Second Young Master is already full. Young Master didn¡¯t want Nanny to feed him this morning no matter what. He only drank a small pot of goat milk after coaxing.¡±


    Li Yu saw that Yueyue was sleeping soundly after eating and that Xingxing was still pouting when he fell asleep.


    Li Yu hugged him and kissed his cheek. She began to feed him. ¡°I feed him every morning. He might remember!¡±


    Granny Chen nodded. ¡°Madam, Second Young Master is carefree. His temperes and goes quickly. It¡¯s fine if Young Master isn¡¯t angry. It¡¯s not easy to coax him when he¡¯s angry.¡±


    Li Yu looked at the child in her arms. ¡°That¡¯s right! A little child has a temper.¡±


    After feeding Xingxing, Granny Chen took the child. Li Yu remembered that she hadn¡¯t seen Yangyang when she woke up today. ¡°Did Eldest Young Master go to school?¡±


    Granny Chen smiled. ¡°Master told Eldest Young Master not toe and pay his respects. He went to school.¡±


    ¡°No wonder I didn¡¯t see that child,¡± Li Yu said ufortably. She put on her shoes and went to the backyard to train.


    After her meal, Li Yu went to the backyard to dig up sweet potatoes. Uncle Zhou, Auntie He, and Old Madam Liu followed her to the backyard. Everyone surrounded the wooden box and watched Li Yu cut off the sweet potato vines. Old Madam Liu also helped cut off the other two baskets, leaving behind a frame that had not been cut. The frame that had not been cut was sent to the pce to be dug up when Zhou Jia returned.


    Little Loach looked curiously at the cut sweet potato vines. ¡°Madam, are the sweet potato vines useful?¡±


    Li Yu thought that since they were all nted with vine, those which had been nted before could be rented. She pointed at the empty space under the wall. ¡°Dig out a piece there and nt them in the garden.¡±


    Little Loach nodded excitedly. ¡°Aye! I¡¯ll get the hoe.¡±


    Uncle Zhou was amazed. ¡°Madam, this thing is a treasure! Can we nt it again?¡±


    ¡°I can nt it, but I don¡¯t know how the harvest will be. Besides, this is the time to breed. Auntie He, you can nt it if you cut the potato vines like me.¡±


    Uncle Zhou surrounded the wooden frame excitedly. ¡°Madam, dig one out and see what it looks like.¡±


    Li Yu looked at the wooden frame. ¡°It¡¯s not easy to dig in here! We might even have to dig through it. Why don¡¯t we dismantle the wooden frame?¡±


    ¡°Madam, I¡¯ll pull it out.¡± Mao Dou grabbed the potato vine left outside and pulled hard, breaking the remaining piece of potato vine and falling to the ground.


    Ji Xiang also ran in to take a look. Seeing that Mao Dou had not managed to pull the vine, he walked forward and looked at the wooden frame. ¡°It looks quite deep. Let me dig it up and see.¡±


    Li Yu pointed at the bulge. ¡°Dig from here.¡±


    Ji Xiang dug through the soil with his bare hands, revealing red-skinned sweet potatoes. Ji Xiang sped up and dug out a sweet potato to lift. Everyone widened their eyes and looked at the red-skinned sweet potato.


    Mao Dou eximed, ¡°Wow! There are five red-skinned radishes hanging on this one.¡±


    Li Yu took one and ced it in her hand. When she realized that it was a red sweet potato, she was extremely excited. She had really nted it. Now, there was something to eat even if it was a drought!


    When it was nted inrge quantities, it could also be made into sweet potato noodles, hotpot, hot and sour noodles¡­


    Uncle Zhou picked one up and weighed it in his hand. He couldn¡¯t stop smiling. ¡°I¡¯m afraid the bigger one weighs half a catty. The smaller one is also three to four catties.¡±


    Ji Xiang looked at Li Yu. ¡°Madam, is this really edible?¡±


    Li Yu said affirmatively, ¡°It¡¯s edible. Let¡¯s cook a few today. I guarantee you¡¯ll like it!¡±


    Little Loach looked at Li Yu curiously. ¡°Madam, you¡¯ve eaten it before?¡±


    Li Yu shook her head. ¡°My master said that it¡¯s edible.¡±


    Old Madam Liu touched it in surprise. ¡°Oh my god, this thing is as good-looking as a red-skinned radish. It¡¯s only so much more than a nest of radishes. How much would it take to dig it all out?¡±


    Auntie He called out to Ji Xiang, ¡°Xiangzi, dig them all out and take a look. How much has this frame grown?¡±


    ¡°Aye!¡± Ji Xiang bent down and dug. Little Loach and the others joined in. They stuck out their butts and dug out all the sweet potatoes in the two wooden frames and piled them on the ground.


    Everyone counted. There were a total of 50 sweet potatoes in the three big wooden frames. The most prolific one had seven or eight sweet potatoes growing on it, and the least was two or three.


    Uncle Zhou dug again with a small hoe and pulled out a few more.


    Uncle Zhou sighed and said, ¡°Madam, this is amazing. So many can be grown in the wooden frame. It should be better to nt it in the soil!¡±


    Li Yu shook her head. ¡°That¡¯s not necessarily true. I think sweet potatoes like soft sandy soil. When they¡¯re nted, they have to be fertilized and can¡¯t be watered too much.¡±


    Auntie He smiled and said, ¡°This is already not bad. Think about it, the leaves and stalks of this thing can be eaten, and the fruits below can also be eaten.


    Where can I find such a good treasure?!¡±


    Li Yu smiled and nodded. ¡°It¡¯s a good treasure. nt the sweet potatoes first.


    Grandma Liu, Auntie He, wash some of them and cook them. Try them all.


    When this season¡¯s seedse down, let everyone eat freely.¡±


    The seeds were precious, and Li Yu couldn¡¯t bear to eat them. She asked Ji Xiang to send a few pieces to Li Qing¡¯s family and Uncle Lin to try.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Old Madam Liu and Auntie He picked up some and went back to the kitchen..

 Chapter 494 - 494: Presenting Treasures

    Chapter 494: Presenting Treasures


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Li Yu brought Uncle Zhou, Ji Xiang, and the others to nt the sweet potato poles in the ground.


    When the few of them returned to the kitchen, Old Madam Liu and Auntie He had already cooked the sweet potatoes. Li Yu picked up a sweet potato and broke it into two pieces to reveal the yellow core. She took a bite. It still tasted the same. It was sweet, sticky and a little powdery.


    Little Loach, Mao Dou, and the others also ate. As Little Loach and the others ate, they shouted in surprise, ¡°Wow! It¡¯s delicious! It¡¯s actually sweet.¡±


    After finishing their portions, everyone felt that they had not had enough.


    Uncle Zhou said, ¡°It¡¯s delicious! It¡¯s a little like cooked chestnuts, but not so dry. There¡¯s more moisture than chestnuts, and it¡¯s sweeter than chestnuts.¡± ¡°Uncle Zhou is right.¡± Everyone nodded in agreement.


    Li Yu thought to herself that she couldn¡¯t eat too much or she would easily bloat, burp, and get heartburn.


    After Zhou Jia returned from the government office, Li Yu brought him and Yangyang to the backyard and asked the father and son to dig out the box of sweet potatoes left for Zhou Jia.


    Zhou Jia saw the yield of the sweet potatoes with his own eyes and his heart burned. After tasting them, he was even more satisfied.


    ¡°Yu¡¯er, the yield of two boxes of sweet potatoes is already 70 to 80 catties. The yield is really high! In the future, we won¡¯t have to worry about the drought and not having anything to eat.¡±


    Li Yu nodded. ¡°Yes! I think so too. Unfortunately, there are too few seeds now.¡± Zhou Jia smiled in satisfaction. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing that you already have seeds.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s so sweet!¡± Yangyang took a few bites of the sweet potato and asked Li Yu curiously, ¡°Mother, why do we have sweet potatoes? Aren¡¯t we afraid of not having food to eat when the sky is dry? Why don¡¯t we have food to eat when the sky is dry?¡±


    ¡°Because sweet potatoes are not afraid of drought. They can be nted even if the sky is dry and there¡¯s ack of water. If the people have a harvest, even if it¡¯s not much, they can fill their stomachs and won¡¯t starve to death if they have something in their stomachs.¡±


    Yangyang looked at Li Yu curiously. He couldn¡¯t imagine what it was like to be hungry.


    Li Yu looked at him and continued, ¡®When there¡¯s a drought, there¡¯s no water.


    Without water, we won¡¯t be able to grow crops. Without food, we¡¯ll go hungry. The drought will also cause a locust gue. Back then, your father and I were also busy because of the locust gue¡­ This year, the farmers are busy. Go to the farmstead with Mother to help with farm work.¡±


    ¡°Got it!¡± Yangyang still couldn¡¯t imagine the scene of locusts everywhere. He just felt that it was terrifying just thinking about it. He felt that his pores were standing up.


    ¡°There are so many insects. Just thinking about it is terrifying! Mother, can we eat locusts?¡±


    Li Yu patted him gently and smiled. ¡°Yes, it can be fried and barbecued. It smells quite good.¡±


    ¡°Then why did you escape? Just fry the locusts and eat them!¡± ¡°Silly, without water, we won¡¯t survive if we just eat locusts!¡±


    ¡°Mother, are we going to escape again when the locustse again in the future?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not escaping anymore. Before the locust gue happens, we can raise more chickens and ducks to prevent the locusts.¡±


    ¡°Mother, then let¡¯s rear more chickens and ducks on the farm. When the locustse, we¡¯ll eat them all.¡±


    ¡°Yes! This year, let¡¯s rear more chickens and ducks on the back mountain. There are also big geese. When the timees, we¡¯ll eat braised geese, taro seeds, roasted duck, pepper chicken, and beggar¡¯s chicken.¡±


    Yangyang drooled when he heard that. ¡°Mother, you¡¯re making me hungry.¡±


    ¡°Sigh!¡± Li Yu sighed. ¡°I¡¯m the one who¡¯s greedy. I¡¯ve been eating confinement food for two months. It¡¯s salty and tasteless.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at his wife and son. ¡°Look at you two. You were talking about the drought and ended up talking about delicious food. I¡¯ll take you to the Intoxicated Immortal Restaurant to eat delicious food when I¡¯m on break in two days.¡±


    Yangyang touched his stomach. ¡°Father, I want to eat Boss Liu¡¯s mutton buns, roasted chicken, and fish. Let¡¯s bring Uncle, Grandmaster, and Seven Pounds with us.¡±


    Zhou Jia picked Yangyang up. ¡°Alright, Daddy will bring them all to eat buns in the middle of the year.¡±


    Zhou Jia decided to send the sweet potatoes to the pce tomorrow morning to make Chu Yuhao happy.


    Li Yu told Zhou Jia the method of nting sweet potatoes and not eating too much. She asked him to record it and send it to the pce.


    The sweet potatoes received unanimous praise from the Zhou family. Uncle Zhou took over the task of taking care of the sweet potatoes in the backyard.


    The next morning, Zhou Jia went out and instructed Ruyi, ¡°Send the sweet potatoes to the pce door in an hour and a half. After I request to see His Majesty, I¡¯lle and haul them.¡±


    Ruyi said with a smile, ¡°Master, aren¡¯t you going to bring a piece of sweet potato to the pce for His Majesty to see?¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled. ¡°I think it feels better to see the sweet potatoes dug out of the frame with his own eyes.¡±


    After the master and servant agreed, they left. Zhou Jia dispersed and went to the hall to see Chu Yuhao.


    When Zhou Jia saw Chu Yuhao, he handed over the booklet he had prepared. ¡°Your Majesty, Madam found high-yielding grain seeds. Madam said that this food is resistant to drought and can be eaten with roots.¡±


    After Chu Yuhao flipped through it, he looked at Zhou Jia excitedly. ¡°Jiahe, quickly bring it to me. Let me see what the high-yielding grain seeds are like.¡±


    Zhou Jia bowed and said, ¡°Your Majesty, it¡¯s still in the carriage outside the pce door. Ruyi is guarding it!¡±


    Chu Yuhao¡¯s curiosity was piqued. He wanted to see what kind of seed needed to be pulled with a cart.


    ¡°Oh! Get someone to pull it in.¡±


    Zhou Jia brought Ruyi into the pce and ced the sweet potato frame on the cart outside the imperial study.


    Chu Yuhao looked at the big wooden frame ced there and walked forward to fiddle with it. He did not find any fruits, only green vines.


    Shen Zhong asked curiously, ¡°Lord Zhou, you took the wrong one! How is this a grain seed? It¡¯s clearly a flower.¡±


    Chu Yuhao also asked the same question.


    Zhou Jia bowed and said, ¡°Your Majesty, please give me a pair of scissors and a small flower hoe.¡±


    Chu Yuhao instructed the eunuch, ¡°Hurry up and get it.¡±


    A momentter, the servant sent over scissors and a flower hoe. Under pairs of curious gazes, Zhou Jia cut off the sweet potato vines ording to Li Yu¡¯s instructions and cut them into a foot long section.


    ¡°Your Majesty, the booklet states that this can still be nted. Get someone to dig out a soft ground and nt it ording to the method I recorded.¡±


    Hearing it could be nted repeatedly, Chu Yuhao looked at the wooden frame


    in anticipation. With a wave of his hand, he asked the servant to find the ground.


    ¡°Your Majesty, the food grows in the soil. I¡¯ll dig it out for you to see.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll wait here.¡±


    Chu Yuhao looked at Zhou Jia¡¯s actions and felt that they were too slow. He simply rolled up his sleeves and took the flower hoe from Zhou Jia¡¯s hand. He bent down and started digging.


    When the two of them worked together to dig out the first sweet potato, Chu Yuhao finally understood why Li Yu said that as long as it was nted properly, the yield would be very high.


    ¡°Jiahe, ording to Madam Li, sweet potatoes can be steamed, barbecued, and dried¡­


    Zhou Jia bowed. ¡°Yes, Your Majesty. Get someone to cook it and try it.¡±


    The servant took the sweet potatoes and went to look for the imperial chef. Shen Zhong also bent down to dig up the sweet potatoes.


    After the box of sweet potatoes was dug out of the soil, Chu Yuhao looked at the sweet potatoes piled on the ground and shouted into the sky, ¡°God bless Great Yong. ¡±


    Shen Zhong, Zhou Jia, and the others knelt down and shouted, ¡®Your Majesty is wise. God bless Great Yong.¡±


    Chu Yuhao looked at Zhou Jia and smiled. ¡°Jiahe, I thank Madam Li on behalf of the people of Great Yong..¡±

 Chapter 495 - 495: Human Heart

    Chapter 495: Human Heart


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Zhou Jia hurriedly knelt down. ¡°Your Majesty, Madam said that Your Majesty is a benevolent ruler who cares about the people. The heavens only gave the high-yielding grain seeds to Great Yong. Madam also said that the sweet potatoes were brought back to Great Yong by a merchant selling flowers and nts. Without his family, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to find the seeds.¡±


    Chu Yuhao sighed and said, ¡°Madam Li is still as open-minded and pure as ever. Jiahe, you¡¯re very lucky.¡±


    ¡°Hehe! I think so too.¡±


    Chu Yuhao looked at Zhou Jia, who was smiling foolishly, but he was very happy in his heart. He felt that he should hire more ministers like Zhou Jia in the future.


    Chu Yuhao suddenly remembered that Li Yu still had a younger brother in the Hanlin Academy. He wanted to get someone to pay attention to Li Qing and see if he could be used.


    Not long after Zhou Jia left, Li Yu fed the children and brought the sweet potatoes at home to the farmstead. She cut off the sweet potato vines on the farmstead and nted them again.


    After digging up the sweet potatoes in the ground and washing them, she asked Zhao Cai and Han San to go to the river and dig up a few baskets of fine sand to start preparing for the seedlings.


    Li Yu got someone to wash sweet potatoes in warm water and soak them in warm water for a while.


    Zhao Cai and Han San returned with the fine sand. Li Yu asked them to drench the fine sand a few times with boiling water. After the fine sand was cold, sheid a thickyer of it on the pit that had been dug in advance.


    She ced the sweet potato seeds upright on the fine sand and picked one end up=


    After Haitang noted it down seriously, sheined to Li Yu again. Li Yu smiled and said, ¡°Your memory is very good. If you can¡¯t remember anything, get Han San to teach you ording to the records in the booklet.¡±


    Haitang smiled shyly. ¡°Madam, I feed a few pigs every day. After raising those chickens and ducks for so long, my mother-inw said that people are going to growzy bones on such a day.¡±


    Li Yu took a look at Haitang, whose skin had turned much fairer. ¡°You should recuperate well in winter. You can only have the energy to work in spring. Next, you have to plow out the few acres ofnd outside the house and wait for the potato seedlings toe out to nt. ¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam,¡± Haitang replied.


    Li Yu went to the shallow mountain at the back to take a look and realized that this mountain was a little strange. It was good to rely on the bamboo forest on this side of the vige. There were only a few small bushes outside. What was exposed to the ground was a ck stone-like thing. Li Yu wondered to herself if it could be coal.


    Looking at the sky, she decided to check next time. She instructed Han San to hire tenants to circle the foot of the mountain near the pool and build a chicken and duck shed to raise arge number of chickens, ducks, and geese.


    After making the arrangements, Li Yu returned to the capital. She would wait for the sweet potato seedlings to grow to six inches long and have five to six petals before returning to the farm to teach them how to nt.


    When Li Yu returned home, she saw a few sandalwood boxes and boxes in the house. Granny Yang went forward happily and reported, ¡°Madam, His Majesty and the Empress Dowager rewarded you, Master, and the three young masters.¡±


    ¡°Why are there so many things? Isn¡¯t Master back yet?¡±


    ¡°Master isn¡¯t back yet. He said he has important official business to attend to.¡±


    Li Yu opened the box and saw a box filled with cloth. Some contained exquisite things, pens, ink, rice paper, and books.


    An entire set of jewelry was in the box. Li Yu was dazzled.


    There was also a full box of golden seeds in various shapes. There were small fish, goldenmbs, little golden pigs, golden chickens¡­ Li Yu felt that Chu Yuhao had taken pains to prepare the gifts. Even the golden pines that he rewarded people with were in the form of food.


    The next day, Chu Fu brought some vegetables and meat to the Zhou family. When he saw Li Yu, he bowed happily. ¡°Madam Li, I¡¯m here to learn how to nt sweet potatoes from you.¡±


    Li Yu didn¡¯t expect Chu Fu to be so proactive. She smiled and said, ¡°I went to the Wang Family Vige yesterday to nt it. It¡¯s more than half a month before it can be transnted. When the timees, I¡¯ll get Ruyi to call you over to the Wang Family Vige.¡±


    ¡°Madam, His Majesty and the Empress Dowager can¡¯t bear to eat those sweet potatoes. They gave them to me and asked me to learn from you to nt them well.¡±


    ¡°His Majesty and the Empress Dowager care about themoners. We should share their burdens.¡± Li Yu stood up and looked at Chu Fu. ¡°Where do you n to nt them? I¡¯ll teach you how to breed.¡±


    Chu Fu said respectfully, ¡°Thank you, Madam Li. I n to nt it on the farm outside the East City.¡±


    Li Yu and Chu Fu went out of the East City together and she taught him the breeding method.


    Two dayster, the Zhou family and Li Qing went to the Liu family in Hengshan Town in Lin County to eat buns.


    Steamed Bun Liu personally cooked buns and roasted chicken for Li Yu¡¯s family.


    After Old Master Zhou, Li Qing, and the others ate, they were all full of praise. They said that they did not expect to be able to eat such delicious buns in such a small town.


    Aftering out of the bun shop, Li Yu looked at the distant forest and thought ot the wild animals in the space again. She nned to go up the mountain when the children were weaned and get the wild animals out of the space to eat.


    In the blink of an eye, it was mid-February. Mr. Yang brought Zhang Defa¡¯s family to the capital.


    Zhang Defa¡¯s family of three looked at the majestic city wall and thought that they would soon be able to live a good life. Their faces were flushed with excitement.


    After they arrived at the city gate and had their travel passes and household register checked, Mr. Yang brought them into the city and found an inn for Zhang Defa and the others to stay.


    Mr. Yang said to Zhang Defa, ¡°Stay here and eat something and rest. I¡¯ll go back and report to Master first. I¡¯ll bring you to East Street tomorrow morning.¡±


    Zhang Defa and Chen Zhaodi also felt extremely tired. ¡°Mr. Yang, don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ll wait for you to arrange it.¡±


    Mr. Yang nodded and went out to get into the carriage. The carriage swayed towards General Street.


    When he arrived at the Country Lord Ning¡¯s residence, Mr. Yang was dumbfounded by the seal on the door. He hurriedly asked someone for information and learned that Country Lord Ning¡¯s assets had already been confiscated and she had been imprisoned.


    Mr. Yang found a prison head he was familiar with. After making arrangements, he went to the prison to see Country Lord Ning.


    The once enchanting Country Lord Ning had be extremely haggard. She hadpletely lost her former charm.


    Country Lord Ning nced at Mr. Yang and said faintly, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect the first person toe to see me to be Sir.¡±


    Mr. Yang looked at Country Lord Ning with heartache and red eyes. He asked sincerely, ¡°Madam, how did this happen? Who harmed you?¡±


    Ning Xiangjun looked at Mr. Yang gratefully. ¡°Many people have harmed me. Look at how much money Princess Yichun took from us. There¡¯s also the Gu family and the Xu family¡­ Sigh!¡±


    Country Lord Ning sighed heavily. ¡°What¡¯s the use of knowing? I heard that they¡¯re going to sentence me to exile in the northwest. Please help me buy some things for the road and some food on ount of our past rtionship, Mr. Yang. I haven¡¯t eaten well in a long time.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam. I¡¯ll definitely get it done for you. Madam, the Zhang family is still in the inn. Do we still have to go¡­¡¯


    Country Lord Ning looked at Mr. Yang gloomily. ¡°Why not? You¡¯ve spent so much effort. If you don¡¯t use it, wouldn¡¯t it be a waste of effort?¡±


    Mr. Yang looked at Country Lord Ning in embarrassment. ¡°Madam, the remaining money I have has been used to set up those jailers..¡±

 Chapter 496 - 496: So-called Oath

    Chapter 496: So-called Oath


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Country Lord Ning waved at him. Mr. Yang leaned over and whispered in his ear, ¡°I still have some treasures hidden. As long as you take them and help me organize them, I don¡¯t ask for anything else. I only ask that they exile me to a better ce. As long as you help me settle it, I¡¯ll tell you the treasures hidden elsewhere. ¡±


    Mr. Yang lowered his head and swore in a low voice, ¡°Madam, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll definitely do my best to help you settle it. If I vite the heavens, I¡¯ll be struck by lightning.¡±


    Country Lord Ning nodded in satisfaction. ¡°I hid a packet of golden leaves in the flower bed nted with epiphyllum in the corner of the courtyard. I¡¯ll tell you when the other treasures are done. Come and see me.¡±


    Mr. Yang¡¯s heart was hot from the words ¡°golden leaves¡±. His voice was filled with anticipation. ¡°Madam, I will definitely do my best.¡±


    Country Lord Ning looked at Mr. Yang in relief and said gratefully, ¡°Thank you, sir.¡±


    The warden shouted softly, ¡°Let¡¯s go quickly. The patrol is here.¡±


    ¡°Madam, wait for my good news.¡±


    After Mr. Yang came out of the prison, he patted the dust off his body and looked at the sky, feeling that everything was so beautiful.


    He went to the restaurant for dinner with a smile and slowly walked towards General Street.


    When he arrived at General Street, he found a corner near Country Lord Ning¡¯s residence and stayed there until midnight. He climbed over the wall and entered the Country Lord Ning¡¯s residence. In the flower bed where the epiphyllum was nted, he dug up the small bag that Country Lord Ning had mentioned. When he opened it, he saw that it was filled with golden leaves.


    Mr. Yang¡¯s hands trembled uncontrobly as he hugged his bag to his chest. The smile in his eyes was almost overflowing.


    ¡°I should be satisfied with this bag after giving up more than ten taels of silver.


    Madam, please wait patiently!¡±


    Mr. Yang carefully tied his bag to his body and climbed over the wall to disappear into the night.


    The three members of the Zhang family slept soundly in the inn. The next morning, they woke up and waited for more than two hours, but they did not see Mr. Yang.


    Zhang Defa felt that something was wrong and went downstairs to ask the shopkeeper about Mr. Yang.


    The shopkeeper nced at him. ¡°That gentleman hasn¡¯t been back since he left. Do you still want to stay tonight, sir?¡±


    Zhang Defa panicked. ¡°Shopkeeper, Mr. Yang will definitely be back before noon.¡±


    The shopkeeper nodded. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll wait until noon. If that gentleman doesn¡¯te, you¡¯ll have to check out if you don¡¯t want to stay.¡±


    Zhang Defa nodded and took out a few copper coins to buy a few steamed buns. He walked towards the guest room upstairs. Chen Zhaodi saw him carrying a few steamed buns upstairs. ¡°Husband, Mr. Yang isn¡¯t here yet?¡±


    ¡°Yes! The shopkeeper said that Mr. Yang has never returned and asked us to renew the room fee before noon. Otherwise, he¡¯ll chase us out,¡± Zhang Defa said with a frown.


    Chen Zhaodi held the steamed bun and looked at Zhang Defa helplessly. After thinking for a moment, she said, ¡°Logically speaking, they¡¯ve spent so much effort and money. They won¡¯t leave us here.¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡± Zhang Guisheng came in from outside the house and looked at the two of them. ¡°Mr. Yang isn¡¯t back yet?¡±


    Chen Zhaodi took a steamed bun and handed it to Zhang Guisheng. ¡°Your father and I are talking about this!¡±


    ¡°Mr. Yang hasn¡¯t been home for so long. He might have been dyed by something. He should be here after we finish eating.¡±


    Zhang Defa took a hard bite of the steamed bun. ¡°I still don¡¯t think Mr. Yang will bring us to the capital and leave us here.¡±


    Zhang Guisheng smiled and said, ¡°That¡¯s right! After we eat, we¡¯ll go out for a walk when Mr. Yanges.¡±


    The family of three finished their steamed buns and stood at the window for a while longer, watching the endless stream of people on the street. It was almost noon, but there was still no sign of Mr. Yang.


    The inn assistant stood at the door and smiled politely.


    Zhang Defa hesitated for a moment. He looked at the shop assistant and asked,


    ¡°Little brother, is there arge bunk?¡±


    The shop assistant¡¯s smile froze. ¡°There¡¯s only one in North City. Go to there and take a look.¡±


    Zhang Defa¡¯s heart turned cold. ¡°Thank you, little brother. Let us pack up and check out.¡±


    The family stood on the bustling streets of the capital with a big bag on their shoulders. No one knew which direction they were going.


    Zhang Guisheng looked at his parents and still did not believe that Mr. Yang would joke with them like this. He pointed at the corner of the inn optimistically and said to the two of them, ¡°Father, Mother, let¡¯s go sit there and wait. If we go far, it will be troublesome if Mr. Yang can¡¯t find us when hees.¡±


    The old couple nodded and sat down at the corner of the street eaves.


    The family was worried. When it was almost dark, they still did not see Mr.


    Yang.


    Zhang Defa looked at the sky and touched the only two pieces of silver in his pocket. He frowned and discussed with Zhang Guisheng, ¡°Guisheng, I think Mr. Yang is most likely not going to pick us up. I think we should find a ce to stay for the night before it gets dark and wait for tomorrow.¡±


    Zhang Guisheng refused tly. ¡°I¡¯m not leaving. I want to wait for Mr. Yang to bring me to the physician.¡±


    Chen Zhaodi threw her bag to the bottom with a bang. ¡°How can there be such a person who brought us from Tongzhou to the capital and left us here?¡±


    Zhang Defa recalled everything from beginning to end and felt that no one would spend so much effort to harm his family.


    ¡°No, we can¡¯t wait like this. I¡¯ll ask the innkeeper.¡±


    ¡°Father, I¡¯ll go with you.¡± Zhang Guisheng got up and followed Zhang Defa to the inn.


    Zhang Defa omitted Li Yu¡¯s family and told the shopkeeper about Mr. Yang bringing their family from Tongzhou to the capital.


    When the shopkeeper heard this, he felt that he had never heard of what the Zhang family had encountered. He nced at Zhang Defa and felt that his family did not seem to be loyal and honest.


    He thought to himself, ¡°There¡¯s nothing to gain from a family that can¡¯t even afford an inn. Why did they spend so much effort to trick you from Tongzhou to the capital? This family must not be telling the truth.¡±


    He didn¡¯t want to say much about such dishonest people. He smiled faintly and said, ¡°Sir, I don¡¯t know many people with the surname Yang in the capital. I advise you to find a ce to settle down. There are soldiers patrolling the streets at night. If you get caught, you¡¯ll be sent to jail.¡±


    Zhang Guisheng thought for a moment and asked, ¡°Shopkeeper, may I ask where the Assistant Minister of Revenue, Lord Zhou, lives on East Street? We¡¯re from the same vige.¡±


    The innkeeper shook his head. ¡°There¡¯s arge area on East Street. The people living there are all influential people. I¡¯m just a small innkeeper. How would I know where the Assistant Minister of Revenue lives? Guest, go there and ask tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, shopkeeper.¡± Zhang Guisheng cupped his hands and thanked the shopkeeper.


    The shopkeeper watched as Zhang Guisheng limped out. He thought for a moment and said, ¡°Sir, you¡¯re from Tongzhou. You can go to the Tongzhou


    Guild Hall to stay.¡±


    Zhang Defa turned around and thanked him. ¡°Thank you so much, Shopkeeper.


    Please tell Mr. Yang that we¡¯re going to the Tongzhou Guild Hall.¡±


    The shopkeeper nodded and watched the father and son walk out.


    Zhang Defa¡¯s family went to the Tongzhou Guild Hall. Seeing that it was indeed cheap to stay here, they calcted the silver in their pockets and rented amon bed to stay in.

 Chapter 497 - 497: Easier to Bear a Grudge than to Remember a Kindness

    Chapter 497: Easier to Bear a Grudge than to Remember a Kindness


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    When the father and son went in, Zhang Guisheng took a look. There were a


    few snoring men on the main bed. A nauseating stench of feet and sweat assaulted his nose.


    Zhang Guisheng pulled Zhang Defa outside and whispered, ¡°Father, let¡¯s go to East Main Street tomorrow and see if we can find the Zhou family. We¡¯ll get some silver to treat my leg and find a private school to sit in. As we earn money, we¡¯ll prepare for the imperial examination.¡±


    Zhang De felt that this was the only way. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll apany you tomorrow morning.¡±


    The father and son discussed what to do after finding the Zhou family outside before going to bed.


    After Li Yu¡¯s family returned from Lin County, Granny Chen took a letter and handed a small cloth bag to Li Yu. ¡°Madam, the caravan from Tongzhou brought it to you. I heard from the escort that a family with the surname Hu asked me to bring it here.¡±


    The Hu family in Tongzhou might be from Hu Vige. Why did they think of bringing her a letter?


    After Li Yu opened the letter, she saw that it said, ¡°Madam, I¡¯m Hu Cheng, the new patriarch of Hu Vige. The kid from our vige is a shop assistant in a tavern in Tongzhou. He happened to hear a family with the surname Zhang and a person called Mr. Yang conspiring¡­¡±


    After reading it, Li Yu handed the letter to Zhou Jia and waved the cloth bag in her hand. ¡°Xiao Xi, take a look. There are still people who remember that we helped them in the past and found out that someone is scheming against us. They even brought a letter from afar to remind us and helped me collect wild rice.¡±


    After Zhou Jia saw this, he nodded and said, ¡°That¡¯s right! It¡¯s easier to bear a grudge than to remember a kindness. Back then, you even taught the people of Hu Vige a lesson. Who would have thought that the Hu family, who were thieves, would always remember your kindness?¡±


    Li Yu smiled and said, ¡°That¡¯s why people say that the same rice raises a hundred kinds of people!¡±


    Zhou Jia nodded and turned to look at Yangyang, who was squatting by the cradle and teasing Yueyue. ¡°Yang¡¯er, how¡¯s your homework these days?¡±


    Yangyang turned to look at Zhou Jia proudly. ¡°Father, Sir praised me yesterday. He even said that if I pass the test next month, I can attend ss with those older children.¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled and went forward to hold his hand. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go to the study. I¡¯ll test you.¡±


    Li Yu watched as the father and son left hand in hand. She tucked the two children in and asked Granny Chen to watch the children before going to the backyard to see the sweet potatoes.


    Zhang Defa¡¯s family woke up early in the morning. After asking about the location of East Street, they rushed towards it.


    When they reached East Street, the sun was already high. The family looked at the houses on both sides of the street. The magnificently decorated shops were ced in a dazzling array.


    Most of the carriages on the street were pulled by tall horses. The clothes of the pedestrians were either rich or noble.


    The family couldn¡¯t care less about familiarizing themselves. They split up and walked around the streets on East Main Street. When they asked around, they were ordered around and chased away by servants with sticks.


    The family was hungry and only found Li Yu¡¯s house in the afternoon.


    Standing opposite Li Yu¡¯s house, Zhang Guisheng bent down and rubbed his sore injured leg. He looked sinisterly at the vermilion door opposite him and the majestic stone lion at the door. He had mixed feelings¡­


    Chen Zhaodi looked at the mansion opposite with red eyes. ¡°Heavens! That bitch actually lives in such a big and good house.¡±


    Zhang Defa also watched nkly. Thinking of the scene when he was chased away by those servants, he suddenly felt a little afraid.


    ¡°Guisheng, that bitch was never a good person in the past. Now that she¡¯s the high and mighty Madam of an official, can we get any benefits?¡±


    ¡°We have to give it a try even if we can¡¯t get it. Mr. Yang said that the richer such a family is, the more they care about their reputation. He asked Mother to talk to her about conditions. If she doesn¡¯t agree to us, we¡¯ll make a fuss outside the door. Didn¡¯t she say that he who is down needs fear no fall? We¡¯re all down and out now.¡±


    Zhang Defa felt that Zhang Guisheng had hit the nail on the head. ¡°Yes, we¡¯re down and out now. We¡¯re not afraid of her.¡±


    Chen Zhaodi looked at the two of them and then at the opposite side. She swallowed nervously. ¡°How much silver is appropriate for her to give us?¡± Zhang Defa thought for a moment. ¡°I have to ask for a few thousand taels!¡±


    Zhang Guisheng gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Mother, look at the situation first when you see Li Yu. Be bold and ask for more. Let¡¯s see what she says!¡± ¡°Okay, okay!¡± Chen Zhaodi nodded repeatedly.


    Someone behind them shouted, ¡°Why are you guys sneaking around here? Get lost. How dare youe here?¡±


    Zhang Defa hurriedly bowed and smiled apologetically. ¡°I¡¯ll leave now.¡±


    Zhang Guisheng clenched his fists and took a deep breath. ¡°Mother, we¡¯ll wait for you at the alley entrance. It¡¯s up to you.¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡± Chen Zhaodi took a deep breath and strode towards the Zhou Mansion¡¯s door.


    When she reached the stone lion, she turned to look at Zhang Defa and their son, who were standing opposite her. She mustered his courage and went up the steps. She stood at the door and looked at Uncle Liu. He shouted, ¡°Call Li Yu out. I have something to say to her.¡±


    Uncle Liu looked at the bluffing Chen Zhaodi indifferently. ¡°Who are you? Why are you looking for my Madam?¡±


    Chen Zhaodi raised her head and said, ¡°You¡¯ll know who I am when shees out.¡±


    ¡°Wait a moment.¡± Uncle Liu turned around and walked in.


    When Li Yu heard Granny Yang¡¯s words, she chuckled and said, ¡°You came quite quickly!¡±


    ¡®Madam, I¡¯ll send them away,¡± Granny Yang said.


    ¡°This family is like rats in the gutter. They love to y tricks in the dark. This time, they dare toe looking for us.¡± Li Yu stood up. ¡°Let¡¯s go! Let¡¯s meet her. ¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± Granny Yang followed Li Yu out.


    Zhou Jia got out of the carriage and saw an old woman standing at the door. He immediately understood who it was.


    When Uncle Liu saw Zhou Jia return, he went forward and bowed. ¡°Master, this old woman is looking for Madam.¡±


    Chen Zhaodi looked at Zhou Jia, who was wearing an official uniform and had an extraordinary aura. She cowered and nced at the father and son waiting at the entrance of the alley. She mustered her courage and waited for Zhou Jia to ask her.


    ¡°Get rid of her. If she doesn¡¯t leave, throw her out.¡±


    Zhou Jia walked past her without looking at her.


    Chen Zhaodi shouted, ¡°Lord Zhou, do you know who I am?¡±


    Zhou Jia turned around and looked at Chen Zhaodi with a hawk-like sharp gaze. ¡°Chen Zhaodi, how dare a rat in the guttere out again? Throw her out.¡±


    How did he know about her? Chen Zhaodi was dumbfounded.


    Ji Xiang went forward and grabbed her cor, throwing her down the steps.


    Zhang Defa and Zhang Guisheng ran out and shouted, ¡°Help! Someone was beaten up. An official of the Imperial Court killed someone¡­¡±


    Chen Zhaodi rolled over andy on the ground. She patted the ground and cried, ¡°You¡¯re killing me. Is there still justice? Li Yu, you b*tch, why don¡¯t you dare toe out and see me? Back then, the two of you lived in my house, ate at my house, and used my house.. Now that you¡¯ve be rich, you¡¯ve turned against me¡­¡±

 Chapter 498 - 498: Karma

    Chapter 498: Karma


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Zhang Defa and Zhang Guisheng went forward to help Chen Zhaodi up. Zhang


    Guisheng looked at Zhou Jia with grief and indignation and shouted miserably, ¡°Mother, let¡¯s go to the government office to sue them. They took revenge for no reason and sent someone to break my leg¡­¡±


    Zhang Defa also shouted from the side, ¡°Li Yu,e out. Your father betrothed you to Guisheng back then. How did we let you down? Why did you send someone to break Guisheng¡¯s leg so that he can¡¯t take the imperial examination anymore? You¡­¡±


    ¡°Beat them up!¡± Zhou Jia said coldly.


    ¡°You have a death wish!¡± Zhao Cai flew forward and pped them a few times. The three Zhang family members covered their faces and looked at Zhou Jia hatefully.


    ¡°I thought you could use some amazing methods to nder me. After so many years, you still only know these dirty methods.¡±


    A clear voice came from the house.


    Zhang Guisheng covered his face and watched in a daze. The woman who walked over slowly opened her mouth but could not make a sound.


    ¡°Why are you out?¡± Zhou Jia took a step forward and smiled.


    Li Yu looked at him and chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m here to take a look at these smelly bugs. What kind of tricks do you want to y?¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled and hugged her. ¡°They¡¯re just a few clowns. Why should we care about them!¡±


    Zhang Defa heard this and was so angry that his face turned red. He spat out a mouthful of blood and stared ruthlessly at Li Yu and her husband, who were standing on the steps and smiling at each other as if no one was around. He felt that the two of them and the vermilion door behind them were piercing his head and eyes.


    Chen Zhaodi looked at Li Yu. She couldn¡¯t associate this beautiful and noble woman in front of her with the emaciated Li Yu back then.


    Zhang Defa touched his swollen face and pushed Chen Zhaodi. ¡°Let¡¯s go and reason with her.¡±


    Chen Zhaodi covered her face and was a little afraid. ¡°They¡¯re going to hit me¡­¡±


    ¡°Zhang Defa, you ungrateful dog bastard, how dare youe to my sister¡¯s


    house to cause trouble!¡±


    A carriage stopped behind the Zhang family. Li Qing jumped out of the carriage and punched and kicked Zhang Defa.


    ¡°What right do you have to hit me? I¡¯m going to sue you at the government office!¡±


    Zhang Defa resisted with his hands and was no match for Li Qing at all. He was knocked to the ground by Li Qing in a few moves.


    Zhang Defa hugged his head and shouted, ¡°Help! The officials of the Imperial Court killed someone¡­¡±


    Zhang Defai was curled up on the ground after getting hit by Li Qing.


    Li Qing looked at Zhang Guisheng, who was standing at the side and watching Zhang Defa get beaten up, in disdain. He walked towards him.


    When Chen Zhaodi saw Li Qing walking towards Zhang Guisheng, she hurriedly shielded Zhang Guisheng behind her and shouted, ¡°Don¡¯t hit my Guisheng. Don¡¯t hit my Guisheng.¡±


    ¡°You ruthless and sarcastic bitch. None of your Zhang family is good.¡± Li Qing pped Chen Zhaodi away and pointed at Zhang Guisheng. ¡°You¡¯re just a beast in human skin. You hid behind your parents and specialized in doing heartless things.¡±


    Pedestrians stood in the distance and watched. The nearby families stood behind the doors and looked around, but no one went forward to ask.


    ¡°Alright, Ah Qing, it¡¯s embarrassing for you to argue with such a person!¡± Lin Zexu got out of the carriage and pulled Li Qing back.


    Li Yu and Zhou Jia approached Lin Zexu and bowed. ¡°Uncle, Ah Qing, why are you here?¡±


    ¡°Ah Qing and I came out of the Hanlin Academy together. We passed by you and saw them. So came down to take a look.¡±


    After Lin Zexu finished speaking, he turned to look at the three Zhang family members disdainfully. ¡°To think the descendants of the Lin family were actually abused by despicable and shameless people like you and almost lost their lives. Now, you still dare to run to the door andmit extortion! Men, send them to the government.¡±


    Descendant of the Lin family! Zhang Defa looked up at Lin Zexu, who looked extraordinary, and then at Li Yu and her brother. He thought of the wife Li


    Shan had picked up. So she was the daughter of the Lin family in Qingzhou. Li Yu and Ah Qing¡­ Regret surged in his heart like a tide. Zhang Defa lost hisst bit of energy.


    ¡°Father, Mother, is this karma?!¡± Zhang Guisheng looked at Zhang Defa and suddenlyughed crazily. ¡°Hahaha¡­¡±


    ¡°Those who are blessed will fall into and of blessings.¡± Two streams of muddy tears flowed down Chen Zhaodi¡¯s face.


    The servants of the Lin family went forward and restrained the Zhang family. The patrolling bailiffs also arrived. With Li Yu¡¯s permission, the bailiffs took the Zhang family away. Zhao Cai also followed them to the government office.


    Looking at the Zhang family members who were dragged away by the bailiffs, the grievances that had weighed on Li Qing¡¯s heart for many years finally dissipated. He turned around and bowed to Li Yu and Zhou Jia. ¡°Ah Qing thanks Sister! Thank Brother-inw.¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled and patted Li Qing. ¡°Silly kid, why are you still talking about this with your sister and brother-inw!¡±


    Li Yu and Lin Zexu looked at the two of them and smiled. Lin Zexu smiled and went forward to hug the two of them. ¡°You¡¯re both good children.¡±


    Zhou Jia, who was being hugged by Lin Zexu, felt a little embarrassed. ¡°Uncle,e in and sit for a while. Want a cup of tea?¡±


    Lin Zexu smiled and shook his head. ¡°No, your aunt is still waiting at home!¡±


    After sending Lin Zexu off, Li Qing said happily to the two of them, ¡°Sister, Brother-inw, Wanwan might be pregnant. I¡¯ll bring her hereter to ask Sir to take her pulse!¡±


    When Li Yu heard this, she looked at Li Qing excitedly. ¡°Ah Qing, go back and bring her over now. When Sires back to take her pulse, we¡¯ll have dinner


    togetner.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll pick her up now.¡± Li Qing got into the car and went back.


    Li Yu and Zhou Jia entered the courtyard. Yangyang ran out of the backyard. ¡°Mother, Granny Chen said that bad people came to look for trouble. Did you chase them away?¡±


    Zhou Jia stopped and looked at him. ¡°We chased him away a long time ago.¡±


    ¡°Look at you. You¡¯re sweating profusely from running.¡± Li Yu wiped the sweat off his forehead with a handkerchief.


    Yangyang held Li Yu¡¯s hand and looked up at Zhou Jia. ¡°Father, my ssmate is celebrating his birthday tomorrow. He invited me to his house to celebrate his birthday. What do you think I should give him?¡±


    Zhou Jia thought for a moment. ¡°That depends on what your ssmate likes.¡±


    Yangyang looked at Li Yu. ¡°Mother, it¡¯s Lin Haoran, the one who fought with mest time. He likes to eat delicious food. Then I¡¯ll buy some delicious food for him and send it to him. Mother, why haven¡¯t I celebrated my birthday?¡±


    Li Yu looked into his dark eyes and smiled. ¡®Yes! I even cooked eggs for you on your birthday. It¡¯s a habit left behind by your maternal grandfather¡¯s hometown. He said that the people wanted to celebrate birthdays quietly and not let the gods know.¡±


    ¡°Why can¡¯t I let the gods know that I¡¯m living?¡± Yangyang looked at Li Yu curiously.


    Li Yu thought for a moment and said, ¡°It should be because the elders are protective of their children!¡±


    Yangyang thought for a moment. ¡°I understand. Just like how Father and Mother protected me!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Li Yu nodded.


    When they reached the small study, Yangyang turned to look at the two of them. ¡°Father, Mother, I¡¯m going to do my homework.¡±


    The couple watched him skip into the small study. Zhou Jia turned to Li Yu and smiled. ¡°Yu¡¯er, no wonder you never mention your birthday..¡±

 Chapter 499 - 499: Going Out

    Chapter 499: Going Out


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Li Yu recalled that in her previous life, her hometown also had this habit. Regardless of whether it was an old or young person¡¯s birthday, it was two boiled eggs. It was an official birthday celebration, and it was organized for her by herrades when she was 30 years old. The birthday celebration arrived not long after.


    Li Yu held Zhou Jia¡¯s arm and smiled at him. ¡°You give me gifts every year!¡±


    Li Qing and Fan Mingfang walked into the inner courtyard and saw Li Yu and her husband smiling at each other.


    ¡°Sister, the people eating are here. Are you ready?¡±


    ¡°Young brat, Auntie He and Old Madam Liu have already prepared it.¡± Li Yu went forward and held Fan Mingfang¡¯s hand. ¡°Is there anything you want to eat? I¡¯ll get someone to make it for you!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have anything I want to eat.¡± Fan Mingfang followed Li Yu into the reception hall with a red face and whispered, ¡°Sister, it¡¯s been more than ten dayste this month. I wanted to talk about it in a few days. Ah Qing was worried and insisted that Ie over to take a look.¡±


    Seeing that she was a little nervous, Li Yu smiled andforted her. ¡°The child will naturallye when it¡¯s time. Ah Qing asked you to take a look because he¡¯s worried about you. Don¡¯t feel pressured.¡±


    Fan Mingfang nodded. ¡°Thank you, Sister. Are Yueyue and Xingxing still awake?¡±


    Li Yu looked at the hourss. ¡°They¡¯ll be awake in about 15 minutes.¡±


    After the two of them sat down for a while, Li Qing brought Mr. Wen to the reception hall. Li Yu and Fan Mingfang stood up. ¡°Sir, you¡¯re back!¡±


    Mr. Wen looked at Fan Mingfang happily. ¡°As soon as I came back, Ah Qing pulled you here. Sit down. I¡¯ll take your pulse!¡±


    Li Qing eagerly took out the medicine pillow from the medicine box and padded Fan Mingfang. Li Yu smiled at Li Qing¡¯s solicitous look. ¡°Yes! Not bad.


    You¡¯re much more sensible.¡±


    Li Qing blushed slightly. ¡°Sister, I¡¯ve always been so sensible!¡±


    ¡°Ah Qing and Jiahe are as sensible as each other,¡± Mr. Wen said with a smile, and everyoneughed.


    Mr. Wen ced his hand on Fan Mingfang¡¯s pulse and narrowed his eyes. After a moment, he said, ¡°Congrattions! Congrattions! It¡¯s a slippery pulse. It¡¯s still early in the month. Be careful. We¡¯ll see it again at the beginning of the month.¡±


    Li Qing and Fan Mingfang nodded happily. ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    At this moment, Auntie He came to call them to eat. Li Yu smiled and said to Fan Mingfang, ¡°Be careful in the first three months. Let the kitchen cook whatever you like to eat.¡±


    After the family finished eating, Zhao Cai returned from the government office and reported to Zhou Jia, ¡°Master, the government office has already imprisoned the Zhang family. Mr. Qian said that he will monitor the government office and investigate the Zhang family.¡±


    Zhou Jia nodded. ¡°It¡¯s fine as long as Mr. Qian keeps an eye on him. Go home early and rest after dinner.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master.¡± Zhao Cai agreed and left.


    Two dayster, Ruyi returned from the government office and reported to Li Yu with a smile, ¡°Madam, Zhang Guisheng has been stripped of his schrly title. His family has been sentenced by the government office to be exiled to Liangzhou, the exile ground of Country Lord Ning. I heard that he will be on his way in a few days.¡±


    Li Yu nodded in praise. ¡°This judgment is quite good. He got his just desserts.¡±


    In the blink of an eye, it was the end of the month. Li Yu nned to bring the children to the farm to see how the sweet potato seedlings that Han San and the others had transnted were growing.


    Zhou Jia smiled and said to Li Yu, ¡°Yu¡¯er, His Majesty invited me to the pce today. He wants me to set off for Yuezhou to check the taxes. I heard from them that Yuezhou is rich in resources and has pleasant scenery. It¡¯s a good ce. Sigh! Yue¡¯er and Xing¡¯er are too young. Why don¡¯t our family take the opportunity to travel


    Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia¡¯s attempt to look rxed. ¡°Is it dangerous to go to


    Yuezhou?¡±


    ¡°Yu¡¯er, why are you so sharp?¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled bitterly. ¡®Yuezhou is a famous ce for fish and rice. The taxes paid in a year are not as much as in Tongzhou. His Majesty said that the news sent back by the secret guards said that the corruption in Yuezhou is very serious. The local officials are colluding with the local aristocratic families. In some ces, people are struggling. The officials sent by the Imperial Court twice in a row didn¡¯t find any evidence. His Majesty asked me toe back and discuss it with you. Also¡­¡±


    Li Yu decisively interrupted Zhou Jia. ¡®What¡¯s there to discuss? Of course not. I don¡¯t want you to take the risk. Besides, you¡¯re not the only official in the Ministry of Revenue. What¡¯s the Imperial Court raising so many people for?¡±


    In the past, Li Yu would have agreed to let Zhou Jia go to Yuezhou. However, the two of them already had three children now. In addition, Zhou Jia had been loyal and considerate to Li Yu all these years. Li Yu¡¯s feelings for Zhou Jia were no longer as dispensable as before.


    ¡°Yu¡¯er, let me finish.¡± Zhou Jia held Li Yu¡¯s hand and looked at her. ¡°The Cheng family in Yuezhou is the family of the noble consort. The secret guards hidden in the Cheng family sent news back. The Cheng family brought back a person trom overseas Derore tne new year. ¡®l¡¯nat person seems to De tne Eldest prince.¡±


    ¡°After His Majesty sent someone to the ce where the Eldest Prince was imprisoned to investigate, he received news that the Eldest Prince was still living in the ce where he was imprisoned.¡±


    His Majesty suspects that that person is the Eldest Prince¡¯s substitute and is worried that the Cheng family has already reced him. He even said that the Cheng family in Yuezhou is quite ambitious and is afraid that they will use the Eldest Prince to cause trouble. When internal strife urs, Great Yong will be attacked on several sides.¡±


    Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia and asked curiously, ¡°Didn¡¯t the Eldest Prince already break his leg and be a cripple? It¡¯s been so many years. Can he still be treated?¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled and said, ¡°There¡¯s no need for the Eldest Prince. They can use his child! Hasn¡¯t such a thing happened many times since ancient times?¡±


    They were already at the point of fighting to the death, but he still had to pretend to be tolerant. This was good. He left the root of the trouble for others to take advantage of.


    ¡°Then what¡¯s the point of keeping him alive? Why don¡¯t we eliminate him and prevent future trouble?¡±


    Li Yu rolled her eyes. ¡°You¡¯ve already promised the emperor to go to Yuezhou! You even said that you would discuss it with me when you came back. In my opinion, it¡¯s more like telling me.¡±


    Zhou Jia pulled Li Yu into his arms. ¡°Yu¡¯er, I don¡¯t want to go anywhere. I just want to stay at home and guard you and the children. But Yu¡¯er, once we¡¯re in turmoil, our child won¡¯t have a stable life in the future.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want our children to live a wandering life. His Majesty will send secret guards to protect me in secret. I¡¯ll bring Ruyi and Zhao Cai. Nothing will happen.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go with you. Wouldn¡¯t it be better with me protecting you?¡± Li Yu said.


    Zhou Jia shook his head. ¡°Be good and stay at home. Yueyue and Xingxing are still young. You have to stay at home to take care of the children. I¡¯ll be back soon. ¡±


    ¡°Since you¡¯ve said so, how can I not let you go? You must remember that safetyes first. You¡¯re not single. You have a home and children.¡±


    Zhou Jia replied solemnly, ¡°Yes, Madam. I¡¯ll remember.¡±


    ¡°Also, why didn¡¯t the two people who went previously find any evidence? Were they bribed by the people from Yuezhou or were there other reasons? You have to investigate and think of a way to deal with it in advance.¡±


    ¡°One of the two men was bribed. The other was unustomed when he got there. He vomited and had diarrhea. He was mostly lying in bed. Where would we check for evidence?¡±


    Li Yu was still worried. She thought for a moment and said, ¡°I think you might as well just kill the Eldest Prince and take drastic measures. Even if the Cheng family captures the Eldest Prince, they can only be useless..¡±

 Chapter 500 - 500: Farewell

    Chapter 500: Farewell


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    ¡°You even thought of this. My wife is smarter than others.¡± Zhou Jia kissed Li Yu happily. ¡°They also thought of this method. Tomorrow, there will be news that the Eldest Prince and his wife are sick.


    His Majesty will decree for the head of the Cheng family toe to the capital to visit the Eldest Prince and his wife. As the imperial envoy, I will arrive in Yuezhou with the person who decreed. The secret guards will cooperate with me to secretly search for evidence.¡±


    Ll YU ronea ner eyes at mm. ¡°Don¡¯t curry ravor, Ingratiate! 1 n?t say It, were you not nning to tell me? You¡¯ve learned how to keep half of what you say to me!¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu with an aggrieved expression. ¡°Madam, I¡¯m innocent! I never thought of hiding it from you. I was just afraid that you would be worried. ¡±


    Seeing his strange look, Li Yu smiled and kissed him on the lips. ¡°Alright! I believe you. When are you leaving? Go and tell Ruyi and Zhao Cai first. They also have to go home and tell their wives. I¡¯ll go find Sir to prepare some pills for you. Bring them with you.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu reluctantly. ¡°We¡¯ll set off tomorrow at nine. I¡¯ll go find


    Sir to get the pills and find Ruyi, Zhao Cai, and Ji Xiang to tell them about this.¡±


    Li Yu nodded. ¡°Go! There¡¯s only one night left. Tell them earlier and let them go back and prepare.¡±


    Li Yu watched Zhou Jia stride out of the door and said to herself, ¡°It seems that Chu Yuhao has long nned to send Xiao Xi to Yuezhou. Yuezhou is a month and a half away from the capital. It¡¯s still safe to follow the eunuch who issued the decree. I wonder what difficulties he¡¯ll face when he reaches Yuezhou.¡±


    Zhou Jia told Ruyi and the others about this and instructed Ji Xiang, ¡°You have to be careful at home. The Cheng family has been operating in the capital for decades. You can¡¯t underestimate them. You have to protect Madam and Young Master.¡±


    When Ji Xiang heard this, he was a little worried about Zhou Jia¡¯s safety. His eyes were red as he bowed and said, ¡°Master, don¡¯t worry. Be careful when you go on your trip. Come back as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re about to be a father, yet you still like to cry.¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled and patted Ji Xiang, whose eyes were red. He turned to look at Ruyi and Zhao Cai. ¡°Ruyi, go back with Zhao Cai and make arrangements at home. We¡¯ll set off tomorrow at nine.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± The two men bowed and left.


    Zhou Jia went to Li Qing¡¯s house again and told him that he was going to Yuezhou. Then, he went to the Lin family with Li Qing. The few of them chatted in the study for more than two hours before going home separately.


    Zhou Jia returned to see that Li Yu had already packed her luggage and brought Yangyang to y with the twins who had woken up.


    Yueyue looked at Yangyang, who was talking to him, and his mouth opened and closed. Yangyang looked up and saw Zhou Jia. ¡°Father, look at Yue¡¯er. He wants to talk.¡±


    Zhou Jia walked to the cradle and looked at Yueyue, who was pinching her lips, then at Xingxing, who was lyingzily in Li Yu¡¯s arms. He smiled and said, ¡°Yueyue will definitely be a chatterbox in the future. Xingxing is azy pig.¡±


    Yangyang thought so too. ¡°Yes! I talked to Xing¡¯er for a long time, but he only nodded.¡±


    Zhou Jia sat on a chair and hugged Yangyang. He looked at him and said gently, ¡°Yang¡¯er, Father is going out to patrol tomorrow. Help Father protect Mother and Brother at home. Can you do that?¡±


    Yangyang looked up at Zhou Jia and touched his forehead. ¡°Father, Mother told me just now. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll protect Mother and my brothers.¡±


    Zhou Jia touched his forehead with him and looked at the adult with relief. He smiled and said, ¡°Alright, the eldest son of the Zhou family is already a little man. ¡±


    Yangyang looked at Zhou Jia happily. ¡°Father, I want to be a general in the future.¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled and nodded. ¡°Alright! We still have to go to school tomorrow morning. It¡¯s time for our general to sleep.¡±


    ¡°Yes! Mother, rest early too.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and nodded at him. Zhou Jia sent Yangyang to sleep and asked Granny Chen and Nanny to carry the twins away.


    He walked over and hugged Li Yu, who was sitting at the table and wiping the sleeve arrows. He kissed her temple and said gently, ¡°Yu¡¯er, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll rush back as soon as possible.¡±


    Li Yu loaded the arrow and leaned into Zhou Jia¡¯s arms. ¡°I believe you. After you go out, don¡¯t let the sleeve arrow leave your body. Remember to be more vignt. If anything goes wrong, protect yourself first.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Zhou Jia lowered his head and kissed her.


    The next morning, Ruyi and Zhao Cai returned to the residence. Li Yu instructed the two of them, ¡®Master¡¯s mission this time is very difficult. Remember not to leave Master¡¯s side. When you encounter trouble, you have to take a detour and not fight head-on.


    If you want to ask for information, you can bribe those beggars who walk the streets to ask for information.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± Ruyi and Zhao Cai bowed.


    Zhou Jia walked out of the house with his luggage. Ruyi went forward to take the luggage. Li Yu brought people to send them to the door. Zhou Jia turned around and looked at Li Yu. ¡°Madam, sir, we¡¯re setting off.¡±


    Mr. Wen and Li Yu nodded. ¡°Come back early.¡±


    The four of them got into the carriage before Tiezhu bowed to Li Yu and raised his whip to drive the carriage away. Li Yu stood there and watched the carriage gradually walk away.


    Mr. Wen said to Li Yu, ¡°Xiaoyu, are you still going to the Wang Family Vige today?¡±


    Li Yu nodded. ¡°Sir, Han San and the others don¡¯t know how to nt sweet potatoes yet. I have to go to the Wang Family Vige to take a look.¡±


    ¡°Go! Go early ande back early,¡± Mr. Wen said.


    Li Yu waited for Ji Xiang to inform Chu Fu before heading towards the Wang Family Vige with Xing Hua. The bright sunlight shone on her body, making her feelzy. Xing Hua leaned against the small table and fell asleep.


    From the window, Li Yu saw busy figures along the way. Some were herding cows to plow the fields, while others were raking the fields to prepare for the spring seed.


    The willow trees by the river had already grown tender green new leaves. The spring flowers had also bloomed with tender yellow petals. The countryside was already filled with spring.


    Li Yu watched excitedly. The carriage crossed the bridge and walked towards the farmstead. Han San was leading the tenants to dig ridges in the field at the door and preparing to transnt the sweet potato seedlings.


    When Han Song saw the carriageing, he shouted, ¡°Father, Father, Madam is here.¡±


    Han San turned around and saw the carriage approaching. He said to Han Song, ¡°Song¡¯er, go back and tell Grandmother and your mother to kill two chickens and go to the bamboo forest to break off some bamboo shoots. Then, go to the meat shop to buy a few catties of meat.¡±


    ¡°Oh, oh, oh! I¡¯m going to break the bamboo shoots!¡± Han Song skipped back.


    Tang Yong nced at Han San. ¡°Brother Han, Madam likes to eat fish. I caught a few big-headed fish in the river early this morning. I¡¯ll go get them and add dishes for Madam.¡±


    Han San recalled that Li Yu liked to eat fish with pickled vegetables and nodded. ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll calcte it for you at the street priceter. Madam said that the things you catch are to be sold for money to supplement the family¡¯s expenses. We¡¯re not allowed to take your food for free.¡±


    Tang Yong sighed and said, ¡°Madam is too polite. You have to pay every time you buy something.¡±


    He Dachun also smiled and said, ¡°So I was prepared to return the tenant fields.


    Fortunately, Brother Tang persuaded me. Otherwise, I would have regretted


    it..¡±

 Chapter 501 - 501: Planting, Check

    Chapter 501 - 501: nting, Check


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Tang Yong patted He Dachun. ¡°You were always gloomy at that time. To be honest, if it weren¡¯t for the fact that we escaped together back then and I knew that you had a bad temper and weren¡¯t a bad person, I wouldn¡¯t have tried to persuade you. ¡±


    He Dachun smiled awkwardly. ¡°That¡¯s why we say that true feelings are revealed in adversity!¡± When Li Yu¡¯s carriage arrived at the entrance of the manor, Han San and Haitang went up to bow. ¡°Madam, you¡¯re here!¡±


    Li Yu got out of the car and smiled at the two of them. ¡°Yes! I¡¯m here to see how the sweet potato seedlings are growing.¡±


    Haitang smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s growing well!¡±


    Li Yu saw that the fence at the door had already been erected. Two tenants were busy inside. She stood outside the fence and looked around. She saw that the field ridges had been opened and the drainage ditches around them had been dug.<div>


    <font <="" div="">


    Seeing Li Yu look at thend, Tang Yong and He Dachun bowed to Li Yu cautiously.


    Li Yu smiled and nodded. Chu Fu got out of the carriage and walked forward. He smiled at Li Yu and said, ¡°Madam Li, the Wang Family Vige is really not bad! It¡¯s just that it¡¯s a little far from the capital.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a little far. It¡¯s all thanks to His Majesty¡¯s gift that such a manor can exist!¡±


    Chu Fu smiled and nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right! Where else is there a manor near the capital? It has long been divided up by others. Yesterday, I heard that the rich businessman who bought the Zhou family¡¯s manor wanted to sell it. I wonder if


    Madam Li is interested in buying it back.¡±


    Li Yu was a little tempted. ¡°Oh! Did the news only spread yesterday?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that piece ofnd is beside the Imperial ntation. If Madam wants to buy it, I still have some ties with him.¡±


    ¡°Alright, sorry to trouble you, Manager Chu. Buy it back at the current market price.¡±


    Chu Fu nodded in agreement. Li Yu turned to Han San and his wife and said, ¡°This is Steward Chu, the chief steward of the Imperial Manor. He wille to the manor to see the sweet potato seedlings these days.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± After Han San and Haitang agreed, they bowed and said, ¡°Greetings, Head Chief.¡±


    ¡°Chief Han, Sister-inw Han is too polite.¡± Chu Fu also smiled and returned the greeting.


    The few of them entered the courtyard and arrived at the pit where the sweet potato seedlings were growing. Seeing that the sweet potato seedlings were well managed by Han San and his wife, Li Yu looked at Haitang in satisfaction.


    ¡°You¡¯re indeed growing well.¡±


    After receiving Li Yu¡¯s affirmation, Haitang was also very happy. ¡°Madam, wait for me. I¡¯ll go get a bag and scissors.¡±


    Haitang brought the hoe over. Li Yu brouzht the apricot flowers and Haitmu to cut off the sweet potato seedlings and the two leaves at the roots. She carried them to the field outside the house and saw that Tang Yong and He Dachun had already left after finishing their work.


    Li Yu brought a few people and began to transnt. Chu Fu and Ji Xiang also got busy.


    Li Yu transnted a row. Haitang smiled and said, ¡°Madam, it¡¯s just this area. We¡¯ll nt it. Go up and rest.¡±


    Seeing that Haitang and Xing Hua were nting efficiently, Li Yu stood up and told Chu Fu, who was nting at the side, some things to take note of.


    ¡°Manager Chu, the field ridges where the sweet potato seedlings are nted have to be dug high. More fertilizer has to be applied under the seedling bed. The seedlings can be transnted when they grow to six inches long. After transnting, sprinkle a trace of nt ash to encourage the sweet potato seedlings to pass the slow seedling period.¡±


    Chu Fu nodded and asked in confusion, ¡°Madam Li, everything else is nted vertically. I saw that when you nted these sweet potato seedlings, you nted them and ced them on the seedling bed. Why did you nt them like this?¡±


    ¡°The yield of the sweet potatoes nted like this is higher. After this batch grows, it can be transnted again. Each sweet potato seedling can be cut to a length of five to six leaves long.¡±


    ¡°When nting, cut off two leaves and nt them ording to the method just now. After nting,y them on the seedling bed and cover it with soil. Two or three leaves will be exposed to the ground. My master said that this is called one insert, two shouldy down, and three should look up.¡±


    ¡°When the sweet potato vine grows to a certain extent, it still has to be fertilized so that it can¡¯t grow too many roots and affect the yield of the sweet potatoes.¡±


    ¡°No wonder Madam Li¡¯s crops were nted well. Every one of the procedures is so particr. Fortunately, Madam Li selflessly taught us these so that we wouldn¡¯t take any detours.¡±


    Chu Fu calcted in his heart. ¡°Madam Li, if this batch of potato seedlings can grow, we can nt a lot ofnd after cutting a batch.¡±


    ¡°Yes, when the sweet potato vines grow, you can pick sweet potato poles and sweet potato tips to stir-fry. They taste good too. The sweet potato vines can also be fed to the pigs.¡±


    Chu Fu nodded repeatedly. ¡°This thing is good. It¡¯s as precious as corn. Madam¡¯s master must be an otherworldly expert who lives in seclusion in the forest.¡±


    Li Yu could only say, ¡°Probably! I haven¡¯t seen him for more than ten years. I don¡¯t know if he¡¯s still around.¡±


    ¡°It depends on luck to meet an old immortal,¡± Chu Fu said with a smile.


    Old Madam Yun brought tea to the edge of the field. ¡°Madam, Old Madam Han broke off some spring bamboo shoots and asked if you wanted to bring some back to the city?¡±


    ¡°Alright, bring more back. Send some to each family.¡±


    Old Madam Yun agreed and went back to cook. Li Yu saw that Chu Fu and Ji Xiang were busy nting sweet potato seedlings together. Thinking of the ck thing she had seen that day, she went back and walked towards the back mountain with a hoe.


    When she walked to the lotus pond, she saw that the fence door had been removed and ced on the ground. A few well-dressed men were sitting in the pavilion and discussing something loudly. Li Yu frowned and walked over.


    When a man saw Li Yu walking past the lotus pond, he shouted, ¡°Look, there¡¯s actually such a beautiful woman in the countryside.¡±


    ¡°Lower your voice. Don¡¯t offend someone without knowing,¡± a man said.


    ¡°Brother Liu is right. His Majesty bestowed the manor near the lotus pond to Lord Zhou of the Ministry of Revenue. He¡¯s a person who dotes on his wife. Last time, Lord Gu of the Ministry of Official Personnel Affairs¡­¡±


    Li Yu heard them discussing Zhou Jia and thought about where Zhou Jia had gone.


    At the foot of the mountain, she looked at the chickens and ducks feeding in the bamboo forest. Li Yu followed the path up the mountain.


    She walked to the back of the mountain and dug out a few blocks with a hoe.


    They were ck and metallic and shiny. She smiled happily. ¡°Not bad. It¡¯s coal.


    This area should be an open-air coal mine. I wonder what kind of coal it is.¡±


    With a gentle knock with the hoe, the stone scattered. Li Yu realized that the coal had broken into a shell.


    She took the hoe a few steps and dug. She kept walking. It took her more than an hour to finish the exposed coalyer.


    Thinking that she had been here for so long, she had never seen anyone use coal to heat up and cook. Li Yu dug up some vines and formed a small. She picked up the shattered coal and packed it in. She carried it back.


    Thinking back to the beehive coal and the look of the coal stove, she nned to go back and find a brick and tile kiln to make a few coal stoves.


    When she walked to the bamboo forest, Old Madam Yun had already found her. When she saw Li Yu, she smiled and said, ¡°Madam, the food is ready. Xing Hua said that you came to the foot of the mountain. As expected, I found you here.¡±


    As she spoke, she took the hoe Li Yu was carrying and saw the ck stone in the vine. ¡°Madam, what is this? It¡¯s ck and shiny.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯m not sure either. I was a little curious, so I dug up some and brought them back to take a look.¡±


    ¡°You have good taste. You might find another good thing..¡±</font>

 Chapter 502 - 502: Dust Ball

    Chapter 502 - 502: Dust Ball


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Li Yu did not respond. In her heart, she had never felt that it was because she was so capable and had good taste. She had always felt that she was just an ordinary woman outside of this world.


    When they returned to the manor, Xing Hua and the others had already nted the sweet potato seedlings and scattered the nt ashes.


    After dinner, Chu Fu said to Li Yu, ¡°Madam Li, I¡¯ll return to the capital first and find that rich businessman to settle the matter of the manor for you.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Li Yu thought for a moment and instructed, ¡°Chief Chu, if he has already taken action, there¡¯s no need to spend any more effort.¡±


    When Chu Fu heard Li Yu¡¯s words, he smiled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I know my limits.¡±<div>


    <font <="" div="">


    Li Yu sent Chu Fu off and went back to put the coals into the stove. She watched as the remaining fire in the stove slowly lit the coals. After the coals burned, they emitted blue mes.


    Although she didn¡¯t know much about coal,bined with the color of the mes when she used the gas stove in her previous life, Li Yu felt that this kind of coal should be high-quality.


    Xing Hua looked at Li Yu curiously. ¡°Madam, what did you put in the stove? Why did it burn like firewood?¡±


    ¡°I saw that it looked a little like the charcoal we burned, so I picked it up and tried it. I didn¡¯t expect it to really burn like charcoal.¡±


    Li Yu returned to the house and recalled how she had drawn a coal stove and a honeb coal molding machine. There were also iron tongs and a coal stove lid for holding coal. She took the blueprint out and handed it to Ji Xiang.


    Ji Xiang looked at what was on the blueprint and felt it was a little like a red y stove, but much bigger than a small red y stove.


    ¡°Madam, what is this? What¡¯s its use?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll know when it¡¯s done.¡± Li Yu pointed at the blueprint. ¡°When we return to the capital, take this to the brick kiln and ask him to make a few ording to the blueprint. Tell him to ce three iron bars at the bottom. Install a round iron tube here. The iron tube will be made ording to the size I requested.¡±


    Ji Xiang saw that Li Yu even had a blueprint in her hand. ¡°How do you make this?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll have to get this made at the cksmith¡¯s. Go get the cart and we¡¯ll talk about it when we get back.¡±


    Ji Xiang agreed and left. Li Yu told Haitang about the things to take note of when nting the sweet potato seedlings. After Haitang confirmed that she had remembered them, she left the Wang family¡¯s Vige with her people.


    After returning to the capital, Li Yu said to Ji Xiang, ¡°I found a kind of ck stone that looks like charcoal at the back of the mountain. I took it back and tried it. It quickly ignited in the stove. It should be something called coal that my master said. ¡±


    Li Yu felt that it was fortunate that she had ¡°found¡± this master for herself back then. Otherwise, it would have been difficult to exin these things.


    Ji Xiang thought for a moment. ¡°Coal! Is it a kind of carbon like charcoal?¡±


    Ji Xiang went to find someone to forge the coal stove. Li Yu took a look at the two children and went out to find a cksmith shop and walked in.


    The cksmith was busy hammering. Xing Hua went forward and shouted,


    ¡°Uncle, my Madam wants to custom-make something.¡±


    The cksmith put down the hammer and turned around. ¡°Alright! Youngdy, what kind of custom-made thing does your Madam want?¡±


    Li Yu handed the blueprint to the cksmith. The cksmith looked at it for a while and pointed at it. ¡°Madam, is this connected to the iron rods in the iron cuoe ana me rew small Iron roas In me rouna ruoer ¡®


    Li Yu nodded and pointed at the blueprint to exin, ¡°This is a fixed handle. This long iron rod and the small iron rod are connected to this disc. The long iron rod needs to have a retractable function. The other end is connected to a two-and-a-half-inch round iron tube. The round iron tube is connected to twelve half-inch -sized iron rods. The twelve iron rods have to be connected to a disc and can be pulled out. Do you understand how it¡¯s done?¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡± The cksmith pointed at the coal stove lid. ¡°What¡¯s this thing for?¡±


    ¡°Make seven or eight of these separately. There¡¯s this on top that can be rotated for ease of adjustment. Also, make a few of these iron mps separately.¡±


    The cksmith nodded and pointed at the honeb coal molding machine.


    ¡°I have to think about how to make this. I¡¯ll deliver it in three days at thetest.


    It¡¯s rtively wasteful to make this. It costs a total of four taels of silver.¡±


    Li Yu nodded. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll give you a deposit first. I¡¯ll get someone to collect it in three days.¡±


    After making the decision, Li Yu and Xing Hua got into the carriage and headed back. Just as they reached the house, they saw Chu Fu¡¯s carriageing from the opposite side and stopping at the door.


    Chu Fu got out of the carriage with a thin middle-aged man and smiled at Li


    Yu. ¡°Madam Li, this is Boss Su. He¡¯s the one who wants to sell that manor.¡±


    Boss Su bowed to Li Yu. ¡°Greetings, Madam Li.¡±


    Li Yu smiled faintly. ¡°Greetings, Boss Su.¡±


    Li Yu brought Chu Fu and Su Qiangui to the front hall. Su Qiangui said, ¡°Madam


    Li, I spent nearly 6,000 taels of silver to buy the manor from Old Madam Zhou. This is the title deed. Madam Li, please ept it.¡±


    So he came to give her the manor. How could there be anything free in the world? Li Yu pretended not to understand and smiled. ¡°Boss Su, I¡¯ve asked around. A manor like that is worth more than 8,000 taels of silver. I told Chief Chu to give it to you ording to the market price. You don¡¯t have to especially reduce the price.¡±


    Su Qiangui turned to look at Chu Fu. ¡°Chief Chu, look¡­¡±


    Chu Fu looked at Su Qiangui and smiled. ¡°Boss Su, we¡¯ll do as Madam Li says.¡±


    Seeing this, Su Qiangui could only stand up and bow to the two of them. ¡®Yes, thank you, Madam Li. Thank you, Steward Chu.¡±


    Seeing that the two had finished discussing, Chu Fu bade farewell and left. Li Yu asked Uncle Zhou and Su Qiangui to go to the government office to settle the procedures.


    Uncle Zhou returned with the title deed and house deed and said excitedly to Li Yu, ¡°Madam, Master grew up inside. There¡¯s a hot spring in the manor that¡¯s good for the body. Master was weak when he was young. Mr. Wen said that soaking in the hot spring is good for the body, so Old Master thought of a way to buy this manor. Thank you, Madam! You bought back the manor.¡±


    ¡°Uncle Zhou, seriously, that¡¯s my family!¡± Li Yu also felt very happy. ¡°Uncle


    Zhou, go to the manor and see if there¡¯s anything that needs repairing. When


    Masteres back, we can give him a surprise!¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll look at it tomorrow,¡± Uncle Zhou agreed happily.


    The next day, Uncle Zhou went to the farmstead. Ji Xiang went to the cksmith¡¯s shop to retrieve the beehive coal molder, as well as the fire tongs and the lid of the coal stove.


    Li Yu picked up the honeb coal molding machine and fiddled with it a few times. She nodded in satisfaction. ¡°Not bad. This master¡¯s skills are very good.¡± Ji Xiang, Little Loach, and the others looked at those things strangely. Ji Xiang fiddled with it a few times. ¡°Madam, what exactly is this for?¡±


    ¡°Go and see if the coal stove is ready. Then go to the back of the mountain at the Wang Family Vige. I¡¯ve dug the pit and dug a cart full of those ck stones. Then I¡¯ll dig a few boxes of y and bring them back. You¡¯ll know then.¡±


    ¡°Is that thing called a coal stove?¡± Ji Xiang seemed to understand. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go now.¡±


    ¡°Madam, we want to go with Uncle Xiang. ¡±


    Li Yu waved her hand. ¡°Go!¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Madam.¡± Little Loach and the others ran with Ji Xiang..</font>

 Chapter 503 - 503: Success

    Chapter 503 - 503: Sess


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    After noon, Uncle Zhou returned to the residence and reported to Li Yu, ¡°Madam, after Boss Su bought the manor, he renovated it once. He didn¡¯t move the original furniture. The sandalwood tables and chairs in the central room weremissioned by Old Master. He even introduced the hot spring water to the bathroom. Only the bed in the main room has to be remade.¡±


    Li Yu sighed in her heart when she heard that. The entire set of sandalwood tables and chairs and the hot spring manor had only been sold for less than 6,000 taels of silver. Old Master Zhou had married this olddy specially to spend his money.


    ¡°Alright, bring someone to take measurements. The bed will be in the style of the house in Phoenix Vige. We¡¯ll take the time to stay there for a few days.¡±


    Uncle Zhou smiled until his face was full of wrinkles. ¡°Sigh! If you stay there, you¡¯ll like it there.¡±


    Li Yu looked at Uncle Zhou¡¯s happy expression and thought to herself that these years, she had never asked why he and Auntie He didn¡¯t have a family. The two of them guarded the Zhou family for the rest of their lives and worked hard for the Zhou family.<div>


    <font <="" div="">


    Ji Xiang returned from the Wang Family Vige in the evening. He and Han San each drove a carriage and pulled more than ten baskets of coal and a few baskets of y. The coal stove had also been burned. The stove was grayish-green and looked thicker than what she had seen in her previous life.


    ¡°Madam, is that how it looks?¡± Ji Xiang asked.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s what it looks like. Bring that charcoal and y to the back garden and find a spacious ce to put it.¡±


    Ji Xiang and Han San carried the coal and y to the back garden. Li Yu went to the woodshed to find a hoe, a hammer, and a shovel.


    After all the coal was carried into the backyard, Li Yu said to Ji Xiang, ¡°Crush all these coals. The thinner the better.¡±


    Ji Xiang nodded in agreement and everyone got busy.


    Li Yu looked at their busy figures and recalled the scene of her father selling briquettes when he was young. He worked hard for a day before earning a few dors. Later on, with the briquettes factory, he didn¡¯t even have the chance to earn those few dors.


    Granny Chen and Xing Hua carried Yueyue and Xingxing to the backyard to look for Li Yu. The two little baddies were unwilling to stay in the house when they opened their eyes. They liked to be carried around the backyard to look at the flowers and nts.


    Granny Chen smiled and said to Li Yu, ¡°Madam, Third Young Master is starting to recognize people. He¡¯s looking for you every time he opens his eyes.¡±


    Li Yu took the star and kissed him with a smile. ¡°Was Xing¡¯er looking for


    Mother?¡±


    Xingxing looked at Li Yu with his dark eyes and pouted. Li Yu also pouted at him and Xingxing giggled.


    Xing Hua looked at Xingxing¡¯s smile and said helplessly, ¡°Third Young Master knows people the best. We teased him a few times before he smiledzily. Second Young Master loves tough the most. When we poke his lotus root-like hands, he will giggle.¡±


    Li Yu looked at him and looked up at Little Loach and the others. She smiled and said, ¡°Yes! Put less sugar in the goat¡¯s milk in the future. Look, he likes to y with Little Loach and the others.¡±


    ¡°Yes! It¡¯s rare for children to y with older children.¡± Xing Hua looked at Little Loach and the others who were helping. ¡°Maizi and the others haven¡¯t been given their names yet! ¡±


    Li Yu nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right! They¡¯ll have to follow Yang¡¯er in the future. It¡¯s better to wait for your Eldest Young Master to give them a name.¡±


    The two children wanted to sleep after ying for a while. Granny Chen and Xing Hua carried them back to the house.


    An hourter, Ji Xiang and the others finished hammering a few baskets of coal. Two baskets of coal and half a basket of y were poured together and mixed evenly. They were gathered into a pile and a pit was dug in the middle. They slowly added water to the pit and stirred the coal mud over and over until it was evenly fused. It was suitable to hold it dry.


    Li Yu carried the Dust Ball Machine that weighed about ten catties and walked to the coal mud that had been reconciled. She grabbed the handle of the Dust Ball Machine with both hands and smashed it on the coal mud. She smashed it twice, rotated it from left to right, and crushed it a few times before continuing to smash it. This was repeated a few times.


    When the Dust Ball machine was filled, she carried it to the t ground at the side and pushed the iron rod down. A round Dust Ball slid to the ground.


    Ji Xiang, Han San, and the others widened their eyes and looked at the honeb coal on the ground. Mao Bean shouted, ¡°Madam, it¡¯s like a magic trick. ¡±


    Ji Xiang looked eager and walked forward with a smile. ¡°Madam, let me try.¡±


    Li Yu handed it to him. Ji Xiang recalled Li Yu¡¯s actions just now and hit one. It spread out after being pushed out. Little Loach and the othersughed. ¡°Uncle Xiang, smash a few more. If it doesn¡¯t work, we¡¯ll do it.¡±


    Ji Xiang smiled and said, ¡°Young brat, wait in line.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and said, ¡°You have to smash it twice and rotate the coal engine on the ground a few times. That way, the coal mud will fill up and the pushed briquettes won¡¯t disperse.¡±


    Ji Xiang nodded and hit it again ording to Li Yu¡¯s method. This time, the briquettes were right.


    Seeing that the briquettes were useful, Li Yu said to Ji Xiang, ¡°When these briquettes are done, go find that cksmith and ask him to make a few more.¡± ¡®Madam, do you want to sell this thing?¡± Ji Xiang asked.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get a batch out first and send one set to each ce. Send the things we made today to the pharmacy first and ce them outside. Someone wille and ask.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go after I finish these.¡±


    Li Yu looked at Han San. ¡°Go back and hire a few short-term workers in Lin County to mine coal at the back of the mountain.¡± At this point, Li Yu suddenly thought that there should be gas under the deep coal. For a moment, she couldn¡¯t think of a solution, so she could only instruct, ¡°Hire five short-term workers to dig the shallowyer of coal first. If you find anything strange, leave quickly with your people, understand?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam. Do we pile the coal we dug up in the farmstead?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll pile them on the farmstead first. After you have finished digging them out, we¡¯ll buy a few ox carts and pull them back.¡±


    After Han San agreed, he left. Li Yu returned to the house and thought for a moment. She said to Granny Yang, ¡°Nanny, go to the Four Seas Bank and ask Chu Qing toe to the house. I have something to discuss with him.¡± ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± Granny Chu left.


    Li Yu leaned against the recliner and thought about how to solve the problem of gas emissions in the deep coal mine.


    After thinking for a long time, she suddenly thought that she could expel gas by punching a bamboo tube in!


    Li Yu rushed to the back garden and said to Little Loach, ¡°Go to the farmstead with Little Stutterer and tell Han San to buy an iron rod from the cksmith first. Then, go to the bamboo forest and cut a few bamboo trunks. Open up the bamboo joints inside and cut the bamboo rod into a knife.


    Little Loach scratched his head and looked at Li Yu. ¡°Madam, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll forget if you don¡¯t write it on paper.¡±


    Little Stutterer tugged and Little Loach nodded at Li Yu. ¡°Madam, I¡¯ll remember.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and nodded. ¡°Alright, remember it well. Go! Come back with Han San tomorrow.¡±


    Chu Qing followed Granny Yang to the Zhou family¡¯s house. Li Yu brought him to the backyard and pointed at the coal in the wicker basket. She said to Chu Qing, ¡°Shopkeeper Chu, do you know what this is?¡±


    Chu Qing picked up a piece and looked at it. Wasn¡¯t this coal? No one had ever used it among themoners.. How did Madam Li know about this?</font>

 Chapter 504 - 504: Blackmail

    Chapter 504: ckmail


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Li Yu knew from his expression that he knew coal. She looked at him in surprise.


    Chu Qing smiled and said, ¡°Madam Li, the teacher from the Directorate said that this is something called stone carbon. It can be burned as firewood. The Ministry of War uses this to refine iron and copper weapons.¡±


    ¡°Stone carbon!¡± Li Yu muttered and nodded. ¡°This name is appropriate.¡±


    Since Great Yong already knew about coal, and she had been here for so many years, why had she never seen anyone burn coal? Then would anyone buy the briquettes she made?


    Chu Qing looked curiously at the ck briquettes arranged neatly on the ground. ¡°Madam Li, is this honeb made of charcoal?¡±


    Li Yu nced at Chu Qing. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s made of charcoal. Shopkeeper Chu, why have I never seen anyone use charcoal among themoners?¡±


    Chu Qing smiled and said, ¡°We discovered this thing many years ago. No one has announced it among the people. In fact, it¡¯s more convenient to burn firewood.¡±


    ¡°There were also officials from the Ministry of War who took it back and used it. They felt that the smoke was too strong and it was not as convenient to use as the frost charcoal, so it was put away. Someone might be using it in ces where there was ack of firewood. Where did Madam Fu Li find the coal?¡±


    ¡°I found this at the back of the mountain His Majesty gave me. I was about to ask if you were willing to do this business!¡±


    Chu Qing hesitated for a moment and bowed. ¡°Thank you, Madam Li. I¡¯ll go back and write to the chief steward to discuss it with him before replying to you. What do you think?¡±


    Li Yu replied readily, ¡°Alright, go back and discuss it with the shopkeeper. I¡¯ll take my time.¡±


    After Chu Qing bade farewell and left, Li Yu waited for the briquettes to dry up a little before getting Mao Dou and the others to put the briquettes into a wicker basket and carry them onto the carriage. She also carried a coal stove and iron tongs and went to the pharmacy.


    Before she reached the pharmacy, she saw that it was surrounded by people from afar. Li Yu thought to herself, Could it be that someone is causing trouble?


    As soon as the carriage reached the entrance of the shop, Maizi jumped out of the car and squeezed in nimbly. Soon, he came out again.


    ¡°Madam, someone carried a man over and ced him in the shop. They said that the medicine Old Master concocted was poisonous and harmed his brother. ¡±


    Li Yu got out of the carriage and walked into the courtyard to the shop in front. She saw Doctor Zou sitting there with a livid expression.


    The shop assistant exined anxiously to the fat man at the door. A middle-aged man with a face like that of a paper effigyy on the door beside him.


    A long-faced woman knelt on the ground and cried, ¡°You killed someone. My husband was killed by you. How can we continue to live as a widow and orphans? Ah¡­ Ah.. ¡±


    When the shop assistant saw Li Yu enter from the backyard with the wheat, he hurriedly went forward and said, ¡°Madam, Doctor Wen and Seven Pounds went out for a consultation. This person said that the medicine he got here hurt his brother and wants us topensate him with silver. Doctor Zou asked him to carry him in to take a look, but he was unwilling. He made themotion here and asked us topensate.¡±


    ¡°Yo! Madam is here. That¡¯s easy. As long as you pay the money, we promise to walk immediately.¡±


    When the man saw Li Yu, he revealed a wretched smile and wanted to lean forward to talk to Li Yu.


    Ah Gen, the clerk, pushed him away. ¡°Go away. You¡¯re blind.¡±


    The woman also looked up at Li Yu who saw that her eyes were red and her face was covered in tears. ¡°Madam, please do me a favor. Please¡­¡±


    Li Yu ignored the woman and looked at the man coldly. ¡°Where did you say you got the medicine at the pharmacy? Show me the prescription and signature.¡±


    The man shook the prescription in his hand. ¡°Everyone, take a look. My brother is as strong as me. He only became like this because he drank this shop¡¯s medicine. So what if he¡¯s rich? Can he use fake medicine and poison to harm people?¡±


    The onlookers whispered to each other. Passerby A sighed and said, ¡°That¡¯s right! How can they continue to live as a widow and orphans?¡±


    Passerby B said, ¡°What a pity. He¡¯s so young. I¡¯m afraid he won¡¯t be able to do heavy work even if he¡¯s cured!¡±


    Passerby C also said, ¡°I¡¯ve even gotten medicine from them before. Fortunately,


    I¡¯m fine. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t have a ce to reason even if I died.¡±


    Doctor Zou looked at the few people who had taken medicine for free from the pharmacy and felt a little disappointed. He said to himself, ¡°No wonder people say that it¡¯s difficult to be a good person! It¡¯s better to be a bad person.¡±


    Doctor Zou took the booklet and went forward. He bowed to Li Yu and said, ¡°Madam Li, the prescription he¡¯s holding is indeed prescribed by our shop. It¡¯s just an ordinary prescription.¡±


    ¡°I asked him to bring the medicinal dregs over. After I saw the medicinal dregs he brought, it looked like the beefsteak nt I originally prescribed was changed to Cuscuta chinensis. Even if they used Cuscuta chinensis, the patient wouldn¡¯t be in this condition. I think he¡¯s most likely here to ckmail us.¡±


    The man looked at Doctor Zou fiercely. ¡°It¡¯s clearly your Wen Medical Hall¡¯s medical skills that are not good enough and made my brother half-dead. Now, you¡¯re even ying the me game. Is there still justice?¡±


    Li Yu walked to the door and squatted down to take a closer look. Although his face was pale , the small piece of skin exposed on his neck was clearly rosy. She ced her hand under his nose and could feel weak breathing.


    Li Yu stood up and said to Ah Gen, ¡°Go to the government office and report to the officials that someone imed that our medical center has a case of malpractice. Let the government office investigate what happened.¡±


    Ah Gen hesitated before going.


    Seeing that Ah Gen had indeed reported it to the officials, the woman cried and went forward. She said to Li Yu, ¡°Madam, wemoners are unwilling to see the officials. Compensate us with dozens of taels of silver to buy a coffin for my husband. When he leaves, I¡¯ll bury him and never cause trouble for your shop.¡±


    Li Yu looked at her coldly and turned around to take out the thickest needle from the silver needle box on the table. She handed it to her. ¡°Since you want silver so much, I¡¯ll give you a chance to earn big money. Take this silver needle and stab him 20 times in the foot. I¡¯ll give you ten times the silver.¡±


    The woman looked at the shiny silver needles in Li Yu¡¯s hand and wiped her tears. ¡°Madam, my man is about to die. Why should you let him suffer? Take pity on us andpensate us with some funeral silver. I¡¯ll carry my man back.¡± Li Yu said coldly, ¡°You¡¯re not going to stab, are you?¡±


    ¡°Madam, please don¡¯t make things difficult for me. Sob¡­ pity me¡­¡± The woman knelt down and kowtowed.


    The onlookers discussed softly. ¡°That¡¯s right! They¡¯re too ruthless. These rich and powerful people are all good-for-nothing. This man is about to die, but they are not letting them off.¡±


    Li Yu looked at everyone coldly and turned to look at the Maizi. ¡°Maizi,e over. Put a needle in the sole of his foot 20 times. After you¡¯re done, I¡¯ll give him ten times the silver.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± Maizi took the silver needle and walked to the door. He took off the man¡¯s shoes and socks, revealing his smelly feet. Maizi¡¯s expression did not change as he raised the silver needle and poked it down.


    There was a loud cry. The man on the door panel jumped up and turned to run. Maizi grabbed him and kicked him in the leg, knocking him to the ground.


    The man standing by the door turned around and ran. Li Yu grabbed the pulse pillow on the table and threw it out. The pulse hit the man¡¯s back and he fell to the ground.


    Seeing that the situation was bad, the woman hurriedly knelt down and kowtowed to beg for mercy. Li Yu stood in front of her.. ¡°Why? Did you fail to extort me and decided to beg for mercy instead?¡±

 Chapter 505 - 505: Earning the Silver That Should Be Earned

    Chapter 505: Earning the Silver That Should Be Earned


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    The onlookers were dumbfounded when they saw this scene. The few people who had helped the woman just now squeezed out of the crowd with red faces.


    Doctor Zou walked to the door proudly and spat in front of the man who was pretending to be dead. ¡°Shameless thing, aren¡¯t you going to die?¡±


    Doctor Zou looked at the onlookers. ¡°My shopkeeper gives free consultations to poor families every month. Some even received medicine for free. Some people¡¯s consciences have been eaten by dogs. They were so good when they were patients and took our medicine. Now that they have something to say, not only did they not say a word of justice, but they even helped to take advantage of the situation. I¡¯ll remember you.¡±


    At this moment, Ah Gen brought a few bailiffs to the entrance of the medical center. When the bailiffs saw the fat man, they went forward and kicked him. ¡°Dog, you¡¯re causing trouble here again. Bring them back.¡±


    A bailiff walked up to Li Yu and bowed. ¡°Madam Li, please forgive me. I¡¯mte.¡± Li Yu nodded and smiled. ¡°Thank you for making this trip.¡±


    Seeing Li Yu¡¯s pleasant expression, the bailiff was relieved. ¡°We¡¯ll get someone toe here often in the future. I guarantee that no one will cause trouble.¡± Li Yu nced at Xing Hua and nodded with a smile. ¡°Alright, thank you.¡± Xing Hua handed him a piece of silver. ¡°Brothers, take it to tea.¡±


    The bailiff took the silver and felt that it was a pleasant surprise. After bowing to Li Yu happily, he left with the few scammers.


    Li Yu asked Xing Hua to take out some charcoal from the stove at the door and ced it in the coal stove. She ced the briquettes on it and in less than 15 minutes, the briquettes started burning.


    ¡°Ah Gen, watch what I do. You¡¯ll change the fire like this in the future.¡±


    Ah Gen nodded. ¡°Yes, Madam.¡±


    Li Yu picked up two new briquettes, aimed them at the hole of the briquettes burning in the coal stove, and ced them in the coal stove. She turned to Ah Gen and said, ¡°Remember, when you burn the top briquettes, you have to swap out the briquettes that have burned out below. After the water boils, leave a small hole and cover it. The soup in the pot will always boil.¡±


    ¡°Got it, Madam. Don¡¯t you have to put firewood in the future?¡±


    ¡°Yes. The briquettes have to be ced in the woodshed. They can¡¯t be ced outside. If anyone asks about this thing, tell the Old Master to inform me when he gets home.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± Ah Gen nodded in agreement.


    Seeing that Ah Gen had remembered, Li Yu returned to the residence with Maizi.


    Later that night, after Mr. Wen returned home, he smiled and said to Li Yu,


    ¡°Where did Xiaoyu get the mud stove? The briquettes inside are quite useful. The shopkeeper of the teahouse opposite asked how much they were sold for. If it¡¯s more cost-effective than buying firewood, they can use this in the future.¡±


    Li Yu was stunned for a moment when she heard that. They were not buying firewood anymore! Li Yu thought about how those people selling firewood were not very capable. Li Yu hesitated.


    Mr. Wen saw Li Yu hesitate. ¡°Is it very expensive?¡±


    Li Yu looked up at Mr. Wen. ¡°Sir, that thing isn¡¯t expensive. It¡¯s at the back of the bamboo forest at the back of the Wang family¡¯s mountain. What I¡¯m thinking is that if the teahouse buys our briquettes, the families selling firewood won¡¯t have anywhere to sell firewood.¡±


    When Mr. Wen heard Li Yu¡¯s words, he thought for a moment and sighed. ¡°That¡¯s right! Xiaoyu, this business is just icing on the cake for families like ours. To them, it¡¯s a very important ie.¡±


    Li Yu nodded. ¡°Sir is right. Tell the shopkeeper of the teahouse that this thing is very expensive and the main family doesn¡¯t n to sell it to anyone. We shall put the coal stove in the house to boil water! Oh! Tell Ah Gen that we can¡¯t close the doors and windows in the house with the coal stove. If we stay inside for a long time, we¡¯ll be poisoned to death.¡±


    ¡°Alright, Xiaoyu is a kind and good child.¡± Mr. Wen looked at Li Yu and smiled.


    Li Yu blushed. ¡°Sir, I¡¯ve bought the hot spring farm outside the East City. After Qingming, take the time to invite Old Master. The two of you can go to the farm to soak in the hot spring.¡±


    ¡°Is this hot spring manor the one outside the East City?¡± Old Master Zhou¡¯s head poked in from outside the door. Then, Yangyang carried his school bag into the flower hall.


    Mr. Wen patted Old Master Zhou and said reproachfully, ¡°How unreasonable. You¡¯re already so old, but you¡¯re still not talking nicely. You¡¯ve grown a good appearance in vain.¡±


    Yangyang looked at Mr. Wen curiously. ¡°Grandmaster, what do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Indecent is indecent. Sigh! In short, it¡¯s not a good thing,¡± Mr. Wen said with a smile.


    Li Yu bowed to Old Master Zhou and said, ¡°Uncle, it¡¯s the manor outside the East City. You and Sir can set an appointment to soak in the hot spring. I¡¯ll go to the kitchen to see if they can add more food.¡±


    Old Master Zhou waved his hand. ¡°Alright, alright, alright. Go ahead.¡± Li Yu left with Yangyang.


    Old Master Zhou sat on a chair and looked at Mr. Wen sadly. ¡°My father earned such a big family business and it was squandered by my mother and me until only an old residence was left. If Jiahe hadn¡¯t returned to the capital, I¡¯m afraid I would have pawned the old residence.¡±


    Old Master Zhou rubbed his face. ¡°Sir, I¡¯ve let Jiahe and his mother down.¡±


    Mr. Wen looked at his guilty expression and advised, ¡°Some people sober up early, some sober upte, and some are confused for the rest of their lives. It¡¯s good that you¡¯re like this.¡±


    Old Master Zhou bowed to Mr. Wen. ¡°Thank you for helping Jiahe all these years.¡±


    Mr. Wen stood up. ¡°Let¡¯s go! Let¡¯s take a look in the garden.¡±


    After Ji Xiang returned, Li Yu told him about giving up on the sale of the briquettes.


    Ji Xiang nodded. ¡°You¡¯re right. There¡¯s no need for us to snatch the jobs of those poor people.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. I didn¡¯t think it through,¡± Li Yu instructed Ji Xiang. ¡°Go to the


    Wang Family Vige tomorrow and get Han San to pay the short-term workers an extra day¡¯s sry.¡±


    Han San learned from Ji Xiang why Li Yu had stopped digging for coal. After a moment of silence, he nodded and said, ¡°We¡¯ll listen to Madam.¡±


    After sending Ji Xiang off, Han San returned to the house and told Old Madam Han what Li Yu had said. ¡°Mother, they can¡¯t wait to earn more money. Why is Madam guarding the money and not earning it?¡±


    Old Madam Han looked at Han San. ¡°Don¡¯t y tricks and listen to Madam. Let me tell you, our lives are already very good now. Don¡¯t ruin our good days.¡±


    Haitang nodded. ¡°They don¡¯t earn money that they shouldn¡¯t earn. Such a family is a good family. They have a long way to go.¡±


    Han San muttered, ¡°I know. I¡¯m not stupid!¡±


    Old Madam Han looked at him and said, ¡°I¡¯m just afraid that you¡¯ll do something you shouldn¡¯t and harm the entire family!¡±


    Han San¡¯s thoughts were extinguished by his wife¡¯s words. He took care of the sweet potatoes in peace.


    In the blink of an eye, it was dawn. The sky was gloomy. Li Yu followed Auntie He¡¯s instructions and put a big red coat on Yangyang.


    Uncle Zhou and Auntie He took out the incense, paper money, snacks, vegetarian wine, and some offerings they had prepared. When they arrived at the gate of East City, the carriages lined up behind the long convoy. They waited for almost an hour before leaving the city. After leaving the city, they saw that the pipeline was filled with carriages and pedestrians going out of the city to pay their respects..

 Chapter 506 - 506: What Are the Bad People Like

    Chapter 506 - 506: What Are the Bad People Like


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    The carriage slowly moved toward the Zhou family¡¯s graveyard. They only arrived at the Zhou family¡¯s graveyard at midnight.


    After the group came out after paying their respects, it was drizzling. They met Old Master Zhou at the intersection. The Zhou brothers walked over with offerings on their backs. When the brothers saw Li Yu and the others, they stopped and looked at them darkly.


    Old Master Zhou turned around and patted them. ¡°Why are you standing there?¡±


    Zhou Yu spat and sneered. ¡°It¡¯s none of your business.¡±


    Old Master Zhou was furious. ¡°I can¡¯t be bothered with you. Learn from that family and you¡¯ll be the unlucky one.¡± With that, he turned around and left.<div>


    <font <="" div="">


    Li Yu brought the child back to the carriage. Yangyang asked curiously, ¡°Mother, who are those two people? Why are they rude to Uncle?¡±


    Li Yu thought of Zhou Yu¡¯s dark gaze and frowned. ¡°Those two are your grandfather¡¯s sons. It¡¯s wrong of them to do that. No matter when you see them, ignore them.¡±


    Yangyang nodded. ¡°Yes! Their eyes are so scary. They don¡¯t look like good people.¡±


    ¡°Some bad people you can tell what they are like at a nce. As for others, you can¡¯t tell from the surface what kind of people they are- Yom have to illdge from


    what they do.¡±


    Seven Pounds looked at Li Yu. ¡°Madam, that brother just now is the kind that can be judged at a nce.¡±


    Li Yu rubbed their heads and nodded with a smile. ¡°Yes, they¡¯re the kind that are bad on the surface. The other kind is something that we have to distinguish with our hearts.¡±


    Yangyang thought for a moment and said to Seven Pounds, ¡°Brother Seven


    Pounds, and Uncle Liu. They look a little fierce, but they don¡¯t scare people.¡±


    Li Yu leaned against the carriage and listened to the two of them discussing who looked like a bad person and who didn¡¯t. The carriage slowly returned to the city.


    The rainsted for a few days before the sky cleared. Mr. Wen and Old Master Zhou brought Yangyang, Seven Pounds, and Little Stutterer to the hot spring manor outside the city.


    Therge group of people yed in the hot spring manor for two days before returning home. Yangyang said happily to Li Yu, ¡°Mother, Brother Seven Pounds and I know how to swim. Brother Loach taught me.¡±


    Seeing his sparkling eyes, Li Yu smiled and nodded. ¡°Alright, you can¡¯t swim in the river. If you like it, I¡¯ll bring you to the manor to swim in the future.¡± ¡°Why can¡¯t we swim in the river?¡± Yangyang asked.


    Li Yu pulled him in front of her and said solemnly, ¡°The water in the river is very deep and the current is very fast. There are also water weeds and rocks in the river. If something happens, you won¡¯t be able to see your parents and brothers. We¡¯ll be sad.¡±


    Yangyang looked at Li Yu and nodded. ¡°Mother, I¡¯m not going. I don¡¯t want to be unable to find you. I don¡¯t want you to be sad.¡±


    Li Yu picked him up and kissed him. Yangyang looked at Li Yu shyly. ¡°Mother, Sir said that we¡¯re big children and can¡¯t let Father and Mother carry us anymore.¡±


    A child who was less than six years old said that he was a big child. Li Yu smiled and kissed him again. ¡°Yes! I¡¯ll just carry my big baby.¡±


    Yangyang looked at Li Yu. ¡°Mother, when will Fathere back? I miss


    Father.¡±


    Li Yu thought for a moment. ¡°Your father might not be back until before the Mid-Autumn Festival.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s taking so long. Summer¡¯s over.¡± Yangyang pouted.


    Li Yu pinched his nose gently. ¡°That¡¯s why he asked you to take care of Mother and your brothers!¡±


    Yangyang looked at his sleeping brothers in the cradle and replied softly, ¡°I¡¯ll remember.¡±


    After Zhou Jia and the others left Lin County, they left Tiezhu in the convoy with Ruyi, Zhao Cai, and two secret guards.


    One of the secret guards protecting Zhou Jia was actually Ding Yi. After a few people disguised themselves, Zhou Jia became a bearded man. His original appearance could not be seen at all.


    Ruyi and Zhao Cai also changed their appearances. The few of them quietly left the convoy carrying the decree and rode towards Yuezhou.


    It took them less than a month to reach the city gate of Yuezhou City before noon.


    Looking at the city gate close at hand, everyone heaved a sigh of relief. Zhaocai smiled and said, ¡°If this continues, our butt will split into eight pieces.¡±


    Ruyi turned to look at him and teased, ¡°I¡¯ll help you count when we get to the innter. How many pieces are there now?¡±


    Zhaocai rolled its eyes at him and said disdainfully, ¡°You¡¯re not a delicate woman. I¡¯m not showing you.¡±


    Ding Yi and the secret guard, Hu Cheng, looked at the crowd queuing up to enter the city. After a while, Hu Cheng pulled his horse closer to Zhou Jia and said with a smile, ¡°Master, didn¡¯t you say that you wanted to eat sweets?


    There¡¯s one in front.¡±


    Did he want to eat sweets? In an instant, Zhou Jia understood. He nced at the thin old man in front of him and saw him hunching his back toward the soldiers guarding the door. He smiled carefully and gave the copper coins to enter the city.


    ¡°Look! There¡¯s a sugar seller in front. Let¡¯s buy from him when we enter the city.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, I¡¯ll listen to you.¡± Hu Cheng smiled apologetically.


    Soon, it was their turn to enter the city. The guards checked their travel passes and collected ten copper coins each before letting them in.


    When they entered the city, they saw the old man selling sugar. He shook his rattle and walked slowly in front. Zhou Jia nced at Hu Cheng. ¡°Hey! The sugar seller hasn¡¯t gone far. Go buy some. ¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master.¡± Hu Cheng led the horse a few steps and stopped the old man selling sweets. ¡°Old man, give me ten copper coins of sweets.¡±


    ¡°Aye!¡± The old man put down the burden with a smile and nimbly picked up some sugar packets. He handed them to Hu Cheng. ¡°Take these ten copper coins worth of sugar.¡±


    Hu Cheng took the candy and a paper ball from the old man. Hu Cheng took the candy back and handed it to Zhou Jia.


    Zhao Cai smiled and said, ¡°Master, there are sesame seeds sprinkled on it. It looks quite delicious.¡±


    Zhou Jia opened the candy and ced a piece in his mouth. ¡°It¡¯s indeed fragrant with sesame seeds.¡±


    He took another piece and handed it to them. ¡°You guys eat too.¡±


    The few of them smiled and took a piece before walking towards the street market.


    The pedestrians on the street rubbed shoulders. There were people carrying poles, riding horses, sitting in sedan chairs, driving ox carts, and donkeys pulling goods. There were luxurious restaurants, teahouses, and pawn shops on both sides of the street. There were also many shops selling porcin.


    The group led their horses around the street. Hu Cheng brought a few people and slowly walked to a quiet river in the east of the city and got onto the stone arch bridge.


    After crossing the bridge, they walked into a quiet alley and entered an inn that called for guests. The shop assistant took the reins with a smile and shouted into it, ¡°Shopkeeper, the guest is here.¡±


    A lean old man came out to wee them happily. ¡°Please, please. The guests are still at the front.¡¯


    Zhou Jia smiled faintly and said, ¡°Stay in the shop. Does the shopkeeper have a separate small courtyard?¡±


    The shopkeeper smiled and nodded. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s in the backyard. I¡¯ll bring you guys to take a look.¡±


    The few of them followed the old shopkeeper through the inn and arrived at the small courtyard at the back. There was a stone arch bridge not far to the right of the small courtyard. There was an alley diagonally opposite and a street not far away.


    Opening the courtyard door, she saw a small path paved with limestone. The courtyard wall was filled with gardenia jasmine and roses, as well as a few blooming spring flowers. Under the eaves of the porch were a few bamboo chairs and a small round table..</font>

 Chapter 507 - 507: Investigation

    Chapter 507 - 507: Investigation


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    The old shopkeeper smiled and said to them, ¡°There are three main rooms, two rooms, and a bathroom. There are three meals,prising three meat dishes, and three vegetable dishes a day. If you need anything else, you can order from the front hall. Coupled with the money for washing the horses and fodder, the room fee is ten taels of silver a month. See if you¡¯re satisfied.¡±


    Zhao Cai looked at Zhou Jia. ¡°Master, what do you think?¡±


    Zhou Jia nodded readily. ¡°Alright, please take care of the horses more carefully and make the food better.¡±


    When the old shopkeeper heard this, his smile was as bright as a spring flower. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I promise to feed it meticulously. My food is fresh every meal. I guarantee that you¡¯ll be satisfied. I¡¯ll get someone to send hot water to you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, shopkeeper.¡± Ruyi smiled.<div>


    <font <="" div="">


    ¡°It¡¯s only right.¡± The old shopkeeper smiled and left the key.


    Ruyi and Zhao Cai checked around. After everyone sat under the eaves, Hu Cheng took out the paper ball and handed it to Zhou Jia.


    It said that the eldest brother lived outside East City. After leaving the city, one had to walk for an hour to Cheng Family Vige. In a small courtyard at the east end, there were considerate servants serving him.


    Zhou Jia pondered for a moment and looked at them with a smile. ¡®Everyone has been tired for so many days. Rest well today. We¡¯ll call the merchant over to take a look at the goods tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master.¡± They smiled and agreed.


    After a while, the inn assistant brought hot water. After everyone washed up, the food was also delivered. There were stir-fried cabbage, shredded radish, bean sprout soup, braised carp, stir-fried meat, radish stewed with pig trotters, and a few mixed grain pancakes.


    Zhou Jia smiled and said, ¡°It looks good. Don¡¯t stand on ceremony. Hurry up and eat and wash up before resting.¡±


    The few of them sat down and ate. The shop assistant sent hot water over. After washing up and drying their hair, they arranged for the people on night duty and split up to rest.


    In an inconspicuous small courtyard at the east end of the Cheng Family Vige, the items inside were all exquisite. There was someone in the dark of the residence, and a pale-looking young man was sitting on the couch in the main house. On closer look, he looked a little simr to Chu Yuhao. They both had phoenix eyes and a straight nose.¡±


    A dignified middle-aged man sat on a chair and looked at him. ¡°Your Highness, it seems that he already knows that you fled to Yuezhou. Since the decree said that you and the Princess Consort are sick, he might announce your death when the family head arrives in the capital.¡±


    The Eldest Prince looked into the distance with a sinister gaze. ¡°That¡¯s a jackal. Uncle, it seems that the Cheng family is not on the same side as us. Otherwise, how could that dog get the news so quickly?¡±


    Now that the world was already the Third Prince¡¯s, the government office¡¯s ws were even deeper into the Cheng family. The Cheng family¡¯s eldest and second branches were considered to be on the same side. The third branch had long had their own thoughts. He wondered if the Old Master was getting softer as he got older. Otherwise, why couldn¡¯t he bear to deal with the third branch? Or was it because he had stolen the prince behind his back this time and angered him¡­


    Uncle Cheng shook his head and threw away the bad thoughts. ¡°The Cheng family is so big. It¡¯s inevitable that the people in the family have their own thoughts, especially after you and the Princess Consort are imprisoned. There are also a few families who want to join that person behind his back.¡±


    The Eldest Prince propped himself up on the copse and sat up straight. He looked at him and said, ¡°Uncle, I advise you to take action early and eliminate those people to avoid future trouble.¡±


    Uncle Cheng looked at him and hesitated for a moment. ¡°Even if you want to make a move, you have to wait for Old Master to leave and hand the power to me.¡±


    The Eldest Prince nodded. ¡°You¡¯re right. Who is the imperial envoy sent this time? Can we rope him in?¡±


    ¡°This person¡¯s surname is Zhou. He was originally adopted by the Zhou family who owned a printing workshop. I heard that this person is very favored by him. It¡¯s definitely not easy to rope him in.¡±


    The Eldest Prince had a ruthless expression. ¡°If you can¡¯t rope him in, think of a way to get rid of him. If he finds out about the people in the mountains¡­ Go back and discuss with Grandfather. Take action as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°Alright, rest. I¡¯m going back.¡± Uncle Cheng turned around and left.


    The Eldest Prince watched him walk out the door and sighed in his heart. He was under someone else¡¯s roof and had no choice but to lower his head. Now that he was already a cripple, that vicious woman from the Shen family had used some method to cause the deaths of a few children in session all these years. Otherwise, why would he stay behind and suffer?


    After Uncle Cheng left, a sweet-looking girl walked into the house and waited on him to rest.


    The next morning, Hu Cheng and Ding Yi went out to look for the secret guards hidden in Yuezhou.


    Zhao Cai wore rough clothes and prepared to go to the Cheng Family Vige outside East City to gather information.


    Zhou Jia instructed, ¡°The people in the vige are very vignt against strangers. Go buy a basket and disguise yourself as an egg collector. You have to be careful not to be discovered.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master.¡± Moneymaker agreed and strode away.


    Ruyi said to Zhou Jia, ¡°Master, why didn¡¯t the higher-ups let Hu Cheng and the otherse to Yuezhou thest two times?¡±


    ¡°From what Master said, he hadn¡¯t recruited anyone yet. One of the people he sent was bribed, and the other was scared out of his wits.¡±


    Ruyi looked at Zhou Jia in surprise and whispered, ¡°Master, I¡¯m afraid they¡¯ve already investigated you and know that you can¡¯t be bribed even if you¡¯re bold.


    Do you think¡­¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at the spring flowers blooming in the courtyard. ¡°They might kill us.¡±


    Zhao Cai bought a basket and some grains at the market and carried them out of the East City gate. After walking for less than an hour, they arrived at Cheng Family Vige. There was arge locust tree at the entrance of the vige.


    Most of the houses in the vige were brick houses. Some people even had dogs. When they saw strangers enter the vige, they bared their teeth and barked at Ji Xiang.


    Zhao Cai knocked on the pole and shouted at the top of his lungs, ¡°Collecting eggs! Collecting eggs¡­¡±


    After a while, an olddy called out to Ji Xiang, ¡°Young man, how do you collect the eggs?


    Zhao Cai smiled at her. ¡°One copper coin for a big one and two copper coins for a small one.¡±


    The olddy thought for a moment and waved. ¡°Wait for me to take it to you.¡±


    ¡°Aye!¡± Ji Xiang agreed loudly and pretended to look around casually. Soon, the olddy came out with her pocket. ¡°Look, my eggs are well-proportioned. If we send them into the city, they can be sold for an extra copper coin.¡±


    Zhao Cai smiled and said, ¡°Aunt, you have to make a trip to the city. You have to pay to enter the city, and you also have to pay to set up a stall. Half of the money you earn from selling eggs would have been gone.¡±


    The olddy nodded. ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m selling to you.¡±


    Zhao Cai ced the eggs in the wicker basket and paid. He shouted and continued forward. After epting two more families, he walked to the east end of the vige and saw that the walls of a few houses at the east end of the vige were higher than those of the houses beside them.


    Zhao Cai shouted as he walked to the door of the first house. He shouted at the top of his lungs and continued forward. When he reached the third house, an


    old woman came out the back door, and waved her away. ¡°Hurry up and leave.


    Stop shouting here. No one sells eggs.¡±


    Zhao Cai smiled at her ingratiatingly. When he left, he felt that someone was watching him in the dark. Zhao Cai continued to shout as if nothing had happened and only left with half a dozen of eggs after circling the entire Cheng


    Family Vige..</font>

 Chapter 508 - 508: Mine

    Chapter 508: Mine


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Zhao Cai came out of Cheng Vige and was not in a hurry to return to the city. He carried the wicker basket and continued walking. He walked around a small vige before taking an ox cart back to the city. He found a few restaurants in the city and sold the eggs. He still earned more than 50 copper coins. He happily took the money and walked towards the small courtyard. Before the city gate closed, a few carriages came out of the Cheng family vige and entered the city directly to the Cheng family¡¯s mansion.


    Zhou Jia waited in the small courtyard until Ding Yi returned. Then he went to a teahouse called Bi Yuanchun with Ding Yi. After entering the teahouse, he went to the courtyard behind the teahouse. A fair and clean middle-aged man in his thirties was waiting there.


    The middle-aged man smiled and bowed. ¡°Shopkeeper of the Four Seas Bank in


    Yuezhou. Chu Shan greets Lord Zhou.¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled and returned the greeting. ¡°Shopkeeper Chu, thank you.¡± After the two of them sat down, Ding Yi went to guard the door.


    Chu Shan smiled and said, ¡°His Majesty has instructed us to cooperate fully with you and protect you. The grocery store next door to the inn you¡¯re staying in is ours. You can stay in peace.¡±


    ¡°Thank you!¡± After Zhou Jia cupped his hands and bowed, he looked at Chu Shan and asked, ¡°Shopkeeper Chu, how¡¯s the situation in Yuezhou?¡±


    Chu Shan took out a dossier and handed it to Zhou Jia. ¡°The magistrate, Feng Qing, is very close to the head of the Cheng family. From top to bottom, only the magistrate, Wu Hualin, is considered upright. I¡¯ve reported the news to His


    Majesty.¡±


    Chu Shan paused for a moment and continued, ¡°A few days ago, the secret guards found out that the Cheng family has recruited many young men everywhere in the past few years. I got someone to investigate the Cheng family¡¯s manor, but they didn¡¯t find out where those people were sent to. I suspect that they opened an iron mine.¡±


    ¡°Iron mines have been opened.¡± Zhou Jia stood up in shock at Chu Shan¡¯s guess.


    ¡°Have you checked where there are iron mines in Yuezhou?¡±


    Chu Shan took out a map from his pocket and pointed at it. ¡°This ce is more than ten days away from the Yuezhou Prefecture. There¡¯s an iron mine on Qingyue Peak Mountain in Qingyue County. When thete emperor was in power, it had always been mined by the Cheng family. At the beginning of the month, I sent the secret guard to investigate. The secret guard didn¡¯t find anything unusual at the ce where it was mined.


    When he returned, he encountered heavy rain and hid in a cave where he found a corpse. From the bones, the person looked tall. He also found residual arrows in his calf bones. I¡¯ve already sent the news back to the capital.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at the map and saw that Qingyue Peak Mountain was filled with endless forests. If Magistrate Feng really colluded with the Cheng family and opened an iron mine privately, would there be any need to find other evidence? Just this alone could make the Cheng family and Magistrate Feng guilty, they would be punished by exile after having their houses confiscated. ¡°There must be something wrong with the iron ore in Qingyue Mountain. They must be stowing the iron ore in a rather hidden ce. Otherwise, where would the Cheng family get the confidence to steal the Eldest Prince?¡±


    ¡°Since they are recruiting young men, send two unfamiliar secret guards. What do you think?¡±


    Chu Shan nodded. ¡°I n to use this method too. Yuezhou is short-staffed. Everyone here has their own things to do. I¡¯ve already sent word to the steward to send someone over.¡±


    ¡°The head shopkeeper has gone to Liangzhou. I¡¯m afraid it will take half a year.¡± Zhou Jia nced at Ding Yi. ¡°Ding Yi and Hu Cheng are unfamiliar faces. I think we should let them split up and go to Qingyue County. Shopkeeper Chu will send someone to follow Ding Yi. If everything goes smoothly, we should be able to find the location of the Cheng family¡¯s ore mining.¡±


    Chu Shan hesitated and nced at Ding Yi, who was guarding the door. ¡°Their mission is to protect you. I¡¯m afraid¡­¡±


    Zhou Jia waved his hand and said, ¡°My two stewards have some skills. We can even get the people from the grocery store to protect me. It¡¯s decided.¡±


    Chu Shan could only nod. Zhou Jia said to Ding Yi, ¡°Guard Ding, you heard what


    I said just now. Please go to Qingyue County with Hu Cheng to investigate


    Qingyue Mountain.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Ding Yi agreed briefly.


    Chu Shan said to him, ¡°I¡¯ll check it out first and prepare a travel pass for them. I¡¯ll send them to the grocery store next door at quarter past five. After you reach Qingyue County, go to the Qingyue Inn in town and show that you have no one to rely on. If you want to find work, someone wille looking for you.


    If they take the bait, I¡¯ll get someone to secretly follow you.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Ding Yi agreed briefly. Zhou Jia bade farewell to Ding Yi and returned to the small courtyard.


    Zhao Cai told him what he had discovered in the Cheng Family Vige. ¡°Master, that ce is heavily guarded. When I carried my burden and left, someone secretly followed me until I left the Cheng Family Vige.¡±


    Zhou Jia said, ¡°It seems that the Eldest Prince really lives in the Cheng Family Vige. He lives in one of those houses. The most likely one is the third house. If we can find evidence that the Cheng Family and Magistrate Feng privately opened an iron mine, the other evidence is insignificant. Only Ding Yi has seen the Eldest Prince here. Please go out of the city with Zhao Cai to investigate.¡± Ding Yi nodded in agreement. Zhao Cai said, ¡°Let¡¯s go after we leave the city.¡±


    At a quarter past five, Hu Cheng went to the grocery store next door to retrieve their travel passes. Ding Yi did not like to talk. His identity was that of a mute who had returned to Qingyue County to join his family. Hu Cheng had also returned to his hometown from overseas to rely on his family and friends.


    Zhao Cai and Ding Yi changed into ck and gray rough clothes. Ding Yi carried a bag and went out of the city gate with Hu Cheng and Zhao Cai.


    After leaving the city, Hu Cheng carried his bag and continued walking. Ding Yi and Zhao Cai hid in the forest outside the city until midnight beforeing out of the forest.


    Ding Yi took out a packet of powder from his kiln and sprinkled some on himself. He handed it to Zhao Cai and said, ¡°Dogs don¡¯t bark when they smell it.¡±


    After Zhao Cai took it and scattered it on his body, the two of them sped towards the Cheng Family Vige.


    Zhao Cai brought Ding Yi not far from the row of houses. Ding Yi gestured for him to stay here to receive them and disappeared like a ghost.


    Ding Yi arrived outside the first house and jumped onto the wall. With a tap of his toes, he reached the courtyard. He approached the house like a ghost and stood outside to listen for a while before turning around and leaving the courtyard.


    When they reached the third building, there was still nothing suspicious. Not even a guard appeared. After investigating the residences, they did not find anything.


    Ding Yi returned to where Zhao Cai was waiting. The two of them disappeared into the night.


    After leaving the Cheng Family Vige, Ding Yi said, ¡°There¡¯s nothing there, nor are there any guards guarding the ce.¡±


    Zhao Cai nodded. ¡°Maybe my appearance alerted the enemy. Are you going straight to Qingyue County?¡±


    Ding Yi cupped his fists and bade farewell. The two of them split up.


    The next day, Zhao Cai returned to the small courtyard and told Zhou Jia the results of the investigation. The three of them sighed at the Eldest Prince¡¯s vignce.


    Ding Yi and Hu Cheng arrived at Qingyue County and stayed at the Qingyue Inn. The two of them stayed in the same room. In less than two hours, Hu Cheng addressed the dark-faced man who lived with him as his brother.


    The few of them stayed at the inn for the night. The next morning, the ck-faced man looked at Ding Yi, who was sitting there in a daze, and poked Hu Cheng. ¡°Brother Niu, why doesn¡¯t that young man say anything?¡±


    Hu Cheng shook his head and walked up to Ding Yi. ¡°Little brother, where did youe from?¡±


    Ding Yi nced at him, handed the pass to Hu Cheng, and hung his head. Hu Cheng took the pass and smiled self-deprecatingly. ¡°It recognizes me. I can¡¯t recognize it.¡±


    ¡°Let me see. I can still recognize two words.¡± The ck-faced man reached out and took the travel pass from Hu Cheng¡¯s hand.. ¡°Sigh! So this little brother is a mute!¡±

 Chapter 509 - 509: Fishing

    Chapter 509: Fishing


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Hu Cheng looked at Ding Yi. ¡°Sigh! It seems that everyone has a hard life. I just wanted to find a job that could earn more money. Who knew that I would be like this year after year? I feel too ashamed to see anyone even if I marry someone.¡±


    The ck-faced man looked at the two of them and said proudly, ¡°My cousins introduced me to a ce to work. They said that there¡¯s a lot of money there. In a year, I can build a big house at home. I n to work there and earn the money for a big house. Then, I¡¯ll go home and marry a wife and give birth to a fair and chubby son.¡±


    ¡°As if I would believe you. How can you scheme against us when it¡¯s so easy to earn money?¡± Hu Cheng criticized silently and pretended to be envious. He leaned forward and said, ¡°Brother, how can there be such a good thing? Tell me.¡±


    Ding Yi stole a nce at Hu Cheng and looked up at him.


    Seeing their envious looks, the ck-faced man revealed a smug smile. ¡°It¡¯s on the mountain not far away. It¡¯s a little more tiring to work than anywhere else, but you won¡¯t be able to earn that much money in another ce even if you slog for ten years! My cousins worked there for two years before buyingnd and repairing the house. They¡¯re living a good life now!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of being tired. It¡¯s fine as long as I can earn money.¡± In his eagerness, Hu Cheng grabbed the ck-faced man¡¯s arm. ¡°Big Brother, do they still want people? I¡¯m willing to work hard.¡±


    As he spoke, he rolled up his sleeves again to show the dark-faced man his bulging muscles. ¡°Big Brother, look, I¡¯ve worked in a brick and tile kiln. I have a lot of strength in my hands.¡±


    Ding Yi did not want to show weakness. He pulled the ck-faced man¡¯s cor and pointed at himself excitedly. He cried out twice and even patted his chest.


    The ck-faced man¡¯s heart bloomed as he thought to himself that he caught two more poor people who want to take advantage of him. He could now obtain another sum of money.


    He looked troubled. ¡°Sigh! It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to help you, but I don¡¯t know if they still want people..


    Hu Cheng interrupted him and patted his chest as he promised, ¡°Big Brother, as long as you promise to take us there, I¡¯ll give you half of the silver for the first month.¡±


    After saying that, Hu Cheng looked at the ck-faced man and cursed in his heart, Hurry up, your grandfather can¡¯t pretend anymore.


    Ding Yi was unwilling to fall behind. He patted the ck-faced man¡¯s chest and gestured, indicating that he was also willing to give him half a month¡¯s sry.


    Only then was the ck-faced man satisfied. He stood up and looked at the two of them. ¡°Sigh! Who asked me to be so loyal! Brother, I¡¯ll go all out. Let¡¯s go together. We can take care of each other when we get there.¡±


    Hu Cheng nodded with a smile, ¡°Big Brother is such a good man!¡±


    The two of them packed their luggage and followed the dark-faced man out of the county city. When they left the city, Ding Yi saw a naked cart pulled by a big green mule parked in front. Leaning against the cart were two tall men. Their eyes lit up as they watched the three of them walk out of the city gate.


    Ding Yi thought to himself that these two might be there to pick up this ck-faced man.


    Sure enough, the ck-faced man pointed at the mule cart and shouted,


    ¡°Look, the mule cart in front is here to pick me up.¡±


    The two men leaning against the door of the carriage weed them and asked with a smile, ¡°Did Third Brother ask you toe?¡±


    ¡°Yes, my cousin said that you would wait for me here,¡± the ck-faced man said and bowed to the two of them again. ¡°Big Brother, I brought two more brothers. What do you think?¡±


    The two of them hesitated for a moment. Seeing Ding Yi and Hu Cheng¡¯s nervous expressions, they pretended to be magnanimous and nodded. ¡°Sigh! For Third Brother¡¯s sake, I¡¯ll ept you this time. Don¡¯t bring outsiders here in the future. ¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t happen again.¡± The dark-faced man cupped his hands happily. ¡°Thank you, Steward.¡±


    Ding Yi and Hu Cheng cupped their hands and watched the three of them put on an act, thinking about how to deal with these scumbags when they returned.


    After getting into the carriage, the two of them memorized the route.


    After traveling for more than two hours, the mule cart entered a mountain path. The two of them drove around the rolling mountains.


    When it was almost dark, they walked to the foot of a mountain and let the three of them out of the car.


    The driver got out of the car and took out a few ck cloth strips. He looked at


    Ding Yi and Hu Cheng. ¡°Those who go in to work have to cover their eyes. Otherwise, you can go back.¡±


    Seeing Hu Cheng and Ding Yi hesitate, the ck-faced man went forward readily. ¡°Big Brother, I¡¯ll go first. My cousin told me that I know the rules are like this.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s good that you know the rules.¡± After the ck-faced man¡¯s eyes were covered, Hu Cheng and Ding Yi also obediently covered their eyes.


    A rope was tied around their wrists and they were led forward. After a few steps, they heard one less person¡¯s footsteps.


    The two of them pretended not to know. They made a mental note of how many steps they had taken to turn left and turn right up the mountain and down the slope.


    When they stopped, they heard a sharp whistle, as if something had been lowered from above. Then the ck cloth was removed from their eyes. They had reached the foot of a mountain.


    There were two wicker baskets hanging on the stone wall. The dark-faced man let them in and watched as they were pulled up. The driver took four silver ingots out of the bag. ¡°You¡¯ve earned a lot of silver this year, kid.¡±


    The ck-faced man happily took the silver from the driver. ¡°Who else would I lie to? They actually believe in such a good thing. They are crazy about getting rich.¡±


    The driver instructed the ck-faced man, ¡°Old ck, there aren¡¯t enough people in the mountains, and they want us to work harder. Hurry up and go back and bring more people in. I¡¯ll wrap you up with a big red seal at the end of the year.¡±


    The ck-faced man frowned. ¡°I also want to bring more people in. It¡¯s not easy to find people these days. Everyone near Qingyue knows. I can only lie to them.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll talk to the chief steward and ask them to find someone elsewhere. You can go back first.¡±


    The ck-faced man turned around and left. Ding Yi and Hu Cheng had already been pulled halfway up the mountain.


    Just as he came out of the wicker basket, their bags were snatched away by two burly ck-faced men.


    Hu Cheng shouted, ¡°My bag contains a change of clothes.¡±


    ¡°Leave everything here. I¡¯ll return it to you when you leave.¡±


    Hu Cheng was dumbfounded.


    Before the two of them could even finish speaking, they were pulled into a cave. After the cave waspleted, they went down more than a hundred stone steps and entered a deep valley that was as bright as day.


    Only then did the two of them understand why the secret guards could not find evidence of the Cheng family privately mining iron ore.


    In the valley, many people were digging up iron, sand, and iron stones that had piled up into a small mountain. They loaded the sand and stones into the wheelbarrow.


    There were also people adding charcoal and charcoal to the wicker baskets. Those who were carrying iron sandstone had hands that were as callused as eagle ws. There was no emotion on their withered, dark, and thin faces. All of them walked numbly like wooden men.


    The two of them stared nkly at everything in front of them. Hu Cheng shouted, ¡°I want to go home.¡±


    He was whipped by the tower-like guard. The fabric where Hu Cheng was whipped was instantly broken and mottled with blood.


    Hu Cheng cried bitterly. The guard suddenly pushed the two of them into a cave and shouted sternly, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to die, sleep quickly. Get up and workter..¡±

 Chapter 510 - 510: Mine

    Chapter 510 - 510: Mine


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    The two of them fell to the ground and saw that there were thin men in ragged clothes inside. They did not react to themotion they made.


    Ding Yi scratched Hu Cheng¡¯s palm a few times and told him that he wanted to stay and watch for two days before finding an opportunity to escape.


    Hu Cheng agreed with Ding Yi¡¯s idea. The two of them secretlymunicated with the secret guards and discussed how to deal with it.


    Less than two hourster, the people in the cave were woken up. Hu Cheng and Ding Yi were also driven by the guards with whips. They followed the team of miners and walked forward in a panic.


    In front of a dozen tall iron-forging furnaces, were more than a dozen dark and thin ck-faced men mechanically pulling the blowers. Every so often, two guards stood with whips in their hands and long sabers hanging from their waists.<div>


    <font <="" div="">


    If the miner was a little slower, a whip wouldnd on him. Those people did not dare to resist and could only grit their teeth and speed up.


    Suddenly, a miner pushing a wheelbarrow stopped. His body swayed a few times before he fell straight down. The supervisor cursed and walked up. He raised his whip and whipped him. At first, the man twitched a few times, but after a while, there was no movement.


    The supervisor bent down to take a look and dragged the miner towards a cave. The others silently quickened their movements.


    Ding Yi and Hu Cheng looked at everything in front of them and thought to themselves, No wonder these miners were so honest. They couldn¡¯t have been so insensitive when they first arrived. They must have been beaten up for a long time before bing like this.


    More than a dozen furnaces were being refined day and night. Fiery molten iron flowed out of the groove non-stop. How much pig iron had the Cheng family refined? Hearing the faint sound of hammering iron in front, he thought about how many weapons the Cheng family had refined all these years.


    The further they went, the louder the nging sound became. When they turned the corner, they saw a few rows of burning furnaces. There were thirty to forty cksmiths sweating as they forged ironware.


    After a while, they reached the depths of the valley. The miners stopped, picked up their tools, and walked to the foot of the mountain to start digging iron ore.


    The supervisor pointed at the wicker basket, hammer, and shovel on the ground and looked at the two of them. ¡°The two newbies, take your belongings and go over there. Open that piece fully before you can rest.¡±


    Hu Cheng and Ding Yi nced at the ce the supervisor had pointed out. They obediently picked up the wicker basket and walked to the foot of the mountain. They picked up the shovel and started working.


    Dirt and gravel were chiseled out, shoveled into the wicker basket, and loaded up the cart. The supervisor asked Ding Yi to push the wheelbarrow and follow the miners to where they sifted the iron sand. None of the miners talked to each other along the way. They worked in obscurity.


    There was arge pool where the ore was sifted. On three sides of the pool were cliffs. The stream flowed down the cliff to rinse the ore. A dozen miners kept sifting and washing the ore. There were also miners moving the ore back and forth with wheelbarrows. Ding Yi realized that there were the least supervisors here.


    After working non-stop for two hours, the two of them were already starving. Seeing that the two miners beside them had also slowed down, Hu Cheng asked him softly, ¡°Brother, when will we have food to eat?¡±


    The miner nced at him and shook his head silently. The supervisor raised his whip and shouted, ¡°Hurry up. If you don¡¯t want to work, we shall drag you into the cave and let you rest for the rest of your life.¡±


    Ding Yi and Hu Cheng thought of the miners who had been dragged into the cave just now. That was right! They could rest forever after they died.


    The miner quickened his movements. Hu Cheng turned to look at the supervisor. ¡°Manager, I¡¯m hungry. Give me something to eat!¡±


    The supervisor walked up to Hu Cheng and pointed his whip at him. ¡°On ount that you¡¯re new here, I¡¯ll let you off today. I¡¯ll tell you the rules today. Work for four hours at night, rest for two hours, and you¡¯ll be given two steamed buns. If you want to eat again, you will have to wait another two hours. During the day, you have to work harder. You can only rest after finishing the work arranged. Hurry up, or my whip won¡¯t recognize you.¡±


    When Hu Cheng heard this, he calcted. Damn it, they only slept for two hours a night. During the day, they had to finish the work arranged before he could rest. This was treating people as livestock. No, they were worse than livestock.


    The two of them gritted their teeth and took the steamed buns. They were each distributed two hard mixed grain steamed buns before being chased back to the smelly cave to rest.


    After the miners were asleep, Ding Yiy there and calcted the number of supervisors. He realized that there were no less than a hundred supervisors in the valley. There were also guards on the mountain. There were the most supervisors and guards from the furnace to the mining area. The only ce that hadx controls was the sieving pool.


    Ding Yi felt that with his martial arts, he could easily escape. He just didn¡¯t know if Hu Cheng could escape. Had the people sent by Shopkeeper Chu followed them? Had they sent the news back? If they had already received the news, his nned escape with Hu Cheng escape would definitely alert the enemy¡­


    In the Yuezhou Prefecture¡¯s capital, the team delivering the decree had already arrived. Magistrate Feng and the Cheng family¡¯s Eldest Young Master, Cheng Shan, brought the officials and a group of country squires from the Yuezhou Prefecture to wee the team delivering the decree at the city gate.


    Magistrate Feng and Cheng Shan nced at Zhou Jia, who was smiling warmly.


    They smiled and went forward to bow. ¡°Greetings, Imperial Envoy Zhou.¡± Zhou Jia smiled and went forward to help him up. ¡°Lord Feng, don¡¯t stand on ceremony.¡±


    Cheng Shan also smiled and bowed. After everyone exchanged pleasantries, the team carrying the decree moved into the Yuezhou Courier Station. Magistrate Feng smiled and said to Zhou Jia, ¡°Lord Zhou, there¡¯s a wee banquet at the Intoxicated Immortal Restaurant tonight- When you have rested well, I¡¯ll send someone to pick you up.¡±


    Zhou Jia rejected, ¡°Thank you, Lord Feng. Please thank everyone for their kindness. It¡¯s really a long journey. There¡¯s no need for the wee banquet!¡± ¡°Lord Zhou, everyone is sincere. Please do me the honor.¡± Magistrate Feng bowed.


    Zhou Jia nodded. ¡°Alright! Prepare it casually. Don¡¯t be extravagant.¡±


    Magistrate Feng agreed respectfully. ¡°Senior Zhou, rest. I¡¯ll take my leave.¡±


    The courier weed Zhou Jia and the eunuch into the courier station. After arranging their residence, he left. The eunuch tidied up and went to the Cheng family to deliver the decree.


    Zhou Jia looked at the people serving in the courtyard and said to Ruyi, ¡°Let them go back. I have you and the guards. I don¡¯t need them to serve me.¡±


    Ruyi looked at them. ¡°Did you hear Lord? You¡¯re not needed here. Go back!¡±


    ¡°Master, we were sent by the courier station to serve you. If you chase us back, Master will¡­


    Ruyi looked at them arrogantly. ¡°If I tell you to leave, leave quickly. Someone, chase them out.¡¯


    The guards stepped forward and herded them away..</font>

 Chapter 511 - 511: Assassin

    Chapter 511 - 511: Assassin


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Ruyi and Zhao Cai walked around the posthouse and realized that there was a big house next door. There was a small building in the big house facing the posthouse. The two of them looked around and felt that if someone was standing in the small building, everyone in the posthouse would be watching. The two of them went back and told Zhou Jia about the situation. ¡°Master, there¡¯s something wrong with this ce. I think you should go back to the small courtyard to stay at night.¡±


    ¡°Alright, since someone is monitoring us, let¡¯s go back to the small courtyard after the weing banquet.¡± Zhou Jia looked at Zhao Cai. ¡°Go to the Four Seas


    Bank and ask how that matter is going.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master.¡± Zhao Cai left and walked towards the Four Seas Bank.


    The news that Zhou Jia had chased away all the people sent by the government office spread to a small house beside the Cheng family¡¯s mansion. After the Eldest Prince discussed it with Cheng Shan, Cheng Shan left in relief.<div>


    <font <="" div="">


    Zhao Cai came out of the posthouse. After taking a few steps, he realized that someone was following him. He quickened his pace and walked towards the crowded ce. When he reached the stall in front, he shed into a brush and ink shop. Standing there, he saw two lean men in gray clothes hurriedly push through the crowd and chase after them.


    Zhao Cai came out of the brush and ink shop and crept into an alley. He turned through a few alleys in a row and arrived at the Four Seas Bank. The shop assistant brought Zhao Cai to the backyard where he met Chu Shan.


    ¡°Shopkeeper Chu, someone followed me when I came. We should return to the small courtyard tonight.¡±


    Chu Shan nodded when he heard that. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll arrange for people. Ding Yi and Hu Cheng have been gone for half a month. The secret guards following them will send news back tomorrow at thetest. I¡¯ve already sent people to Qingyue County to wait. As soon as there¡¯s news, I¡¯ll inform Sir to mobilize the garrison into the mountain.¡±


    Zhao Cai bowed and said, ¡°Thank you, Shopkeeper Chu. I¡¯ll go back and report to Lord Zhou now.¡±


    Chu Shan smiled and waved his hand. ¡°Steward Zhou, you¡¯re wee.¡±


    Zhao Cai came out of the Four Seas Bank and returned to the posthouse. Zhou Jia and Ruyi had already gone to the Intoxicated Immortal Restaurant to attend the banquet. When Tiezhu saw Zhao Cai, he said, ¡°Brother Cai, Master asked us to wait for him in the backyard of the Intoxicated Immortal Restaurant. He wille out of the banquet in an hour. He asked us to follow behind his carriage. Master is changing carriages at the bend in front.¡±


    Zhao Cai nodded in agreement and drove the carriage to the Intoxicated Immortal Restaurant with Tiezhu. The Drunken Fairy Building was brightly lit and bustling.


    Magistrate Feng brought the officials of the Yuezhou Prefecture and the rich country squire to wee Zhou Jia and the eunuch into the Intoxicated


    Immortal Restaurant. When they arrived at a dazzling and spacious pavilion, Zhou Jia sat down. Ruyi and a round-faced secret guard stood behind him.


    After three rounds of wine, Magistrate Feng pped his hands and music sounded. Five beautiful dancers entered the private room and danced. The beautiful dancer in the middle spun towards Zhou Jia. When she danced toward Zhou Jia¡¯s table, she suddenly slipped and fell to the ground. She looked up at Zhou Jia with tears in her eyes. Her charming gaze made people pity her.


    Zhou Jia looked at her coldly with a wine ss in his hand and counted silently in his heart to see how long she couldst on the ground.


    The dancer got up with a red face. After bowing to Zhou Jia, she bowed to everyone present and danced elegantly with her expression unchanged.


    After the dancer got up from the ground, Cheng Shan and Magistrate Feng looked at each other with wine sses, as though they were sending a signal to each other.


    An hourter, the eunuch stood up and excused himself from everyone. Zhou Jia also took the opportunity to bid farewell. Everyone tried to persuade him to stay for a while. Seeing that they could not, Magistrate Feng and the officials could only send Zhou Jia and the eunuch out.


    Zhou Jia and his servant came out of the Intoxicated Immortal Restaurant. The two of them nodded and got into the carriage.


    When Tiezhu and Zhao Cai received the news, they also drove the carriage and followed. They caught up at the turn. Zhou Jia quickly jumped into the carriage driven by Zhao Cai. The round-faced secret guard still drove the carriage towards the posthouse with the attendant.


    When they arrived at the posthouse, Ruyi and the round-faced secret guard followed a secret guard who looked simr to Zhou Jia into the posthouse. Just after midnight, Ruyi and the round-faced secret guard went up the beam of the main door pir. The secret guard who looked simr to Zhou Jia was in the room. After a while, the lights went out.


    In the dead of night, Ruyi and a secret guard were sitting on the beam, resting with their eyes closed. Suddenly, they heard a faint sound on the roof. The secret guard in the room quickly stood up and listened.


    The secret guard gestured to Ruyi, indicating that one of them had gone up to the roof and three others had entered the courtyard.


    The assassins who had entered the courtyard dispersed and surrounded the main room.


    The assassin on the roof arrived at the main room and gently lifted the tiles on the roof.


    Below, the secret guard disguised as Zhou Jia listened attentively to the roof and wanted to move. Just as the tiles were uncovered, the crossbow in his hand tore through the air and hit the person in the face.


    At the same time, Ruyi and the round-faced shadow guard held small crossbows on the beam at the door of the main room and shot at the assassins at the door. With a few muffled sounds, two assassins were shot and fell to the ground. The remaining one jumped onto the wall and fled.


    Ruyi and the round-faced shadow guard chased after him. After a while, the assassin was gone.


    The assassin who was shot by the crossbow tumbled from the roof to the courtyard, smashing into the ground. Then, he heard a loud shouting from the house. ¡°Catch the assassin! Someone is assassinating the imperial envoy. Catch the assassin¡­¡±


    The secret guard lit the oilmp and the courtyard lit up. The servant rushed to Zhou Jia¡¯s courtyard with his men. Ruyi and the round-faced secret guard had already returned to the posthouse.


    Ruyi said to the eunuch, ¡°Eunuch Wang, someone tried to assassinate Lord


    Zhou. Fortunately, Shopkeeper Chu of the Four Seas Bank invited Lord Zhou to his house.¡±


    The royal servant looked at the assassin who had been shot at the door and the assassin who had fallen into the courtyard. After approaching with antern, he took a look and shouted, ¡°Come and take a look. What¡¯s hanging on his waist?¡±


    Ruyi and the round-faced secret guard approached and saw something squirming in the cloth bag. From the bulging shape of the cloth bag, it should be something like a snake.


    Ruyi took the crossbow and mmed it into the snake¡¯s head. The contents of the bag stopped squirming.


    The round-faced secret guard untied the rope and poured out a huge snake with golden rings on its body. ¡°This snake is called the Golden Armored Belt


    Snake. It¡¯s poisonous and afraid of the light. It likes to move at night. If you¡¯re bitten by it, you¡¯ll die in less than half an hour.¡±


    Ruyi and the round-faced shadow guard searched the three assassins but found nothing.


    Eunuch Wang cursed in a sharp voice, ¡°They¡¯re really bold. They even dared to assassinate the imperial envoy¡­¡±


    The courier arrived in a hurry. Eunuch Wang went forward and dragged him to the corpse. He pointed at the corpse on the ground and the golden-armored snake and shouted sternly, ¡°An assassin actually came to assassinate Lord Zhou in the courier station you manage. What kind of courier are you? Hurry up and report it to the officials.¡±


    The courier was scared to death. Without saying a word, he turned around and ran out. An hourter, the Yuezhou magistrate judge, Wu Hualin, arrived with


    the bailiff..</font>

 Chapter 512 - 512: Unreasonable Reputation

    Chapter 512 - 512: Unreasonable Reputation


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    When Judge saw Ruyi and the others sitting under the eaves of the corridor, he hurriedly went forward and asked, ¡°How¡¯s Lord Zhou?¡±


    Ruyi cupped his hands at him. ¡°Lord Wu, when the assassin came, Master happened to be feeling a little ufortable in his stomach. He asked me to send him pills before discovering the assassin on the roof. Otherwise¡­ Lord Wu, the imperial envoy was assassinated at the posthouse and there was even a poisonous snake. What do you think his intentions are?¡±


    Judge looked at Ruyi in silence.


    Eunuch Wang said sarcastically, ¡°We don¡¯t dare to sleep tonight. There are so many guards in the posthouse, and they even dare to bring such a poisonous creature to assassinate us. We can¡¯t wake up after sleeping!¡±


    Judge cupped his hands and said, ¡°Secretary Wang, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll get someone to guard the posthouse tonight. Steward Zhou, I want to see Lord Zhou.¡±<div>


    <font <="" div="">


    Ruyi put on a bitter expression. ¡°My master fainted from fear. It wasn¡¯t easy for him to fall asleep after taking the calming medicine. Lord Wu, it¡¯s obvious.


    With Eunuch Wang as a witness, what else are you worried about?¡±


    Eunuch Wang looked at Judge and said sarcastically, ¡°That¡¯s right! Lord Wu, will Lord Zhou get a snake and a few corpses to frame the posthouse?¡±


    Judge¡¯s eyes darkened. The dignified imperial envoy was so frightened by the assassin that he ate calming medicine. They were all undeserving of their reputation.


    ¡°Since Lord Zhou is not feeling well, I won¡¯t disturb you.¡±


    Judge looked at the corpses and poisonous snakes in the courtyard with a livid expression. He brought people in to check the tiles that had been uncovered by the assassin. When he came out, he said to Ruyi, ¡°Steward Zhou, I¡¯ll get someone to bring these corpses and poisonous snakes back to the government office. Please tell Lord Zhou that from today onwards, I¡¯ll send constables and soldiers to protect Lord Zhou.¡±


    Ruyi cupped his hands and said, ¡°Thank you, Lord Wu. When my lord wakes up, I¡¯ll tell him what you said.¡±


    Wu Tong got someone to carry away the three corpses and the golden-armored snake before leaving in a hurry, leaving more than ten constables and bailiffs to guard the outside of the posthouse.


    The assassin who had escaped arrived at the small courtyard beside the Cheng family. He knelt down and reported to Cheng Shan and the Eldest Prince, ¡°Master, there are secret guards guarding the house. Three of our men have died.¡±


    ¡°Useless trash. What¡¯s the use of raising you?¡± The Eldest Prince was so angry that he grabbed the teacup on the short table and threw it at the assassin kneeling on the ground. The assassin¡¯s forehead was covered in blood. He did not dare to make a sound or raise his hand to wipe it.


    ¡°Hurry up and get lost,¡± the Eldest Prince shouted gloomily. When the assassin heard this, he felt as if he had been pardoned. He kowtowed and left.


    Cheng Shan looked at the Eldest Prince¡¯s furious expression and felt that he was getting more and more irritable. He was about to persuade him.


    The Eldest Prince looked at him and said, ¡°Uncle, when he was still alive, everyone said that he doted on Mother and me. If he really doted on us, why didn¡¯t he hand the secret guards to us? I think he just made Second Brother and me into that bastard¡¯s whetstone.¡±


    Cheng Shan said softly, ¡°Your Highness, please be careful with your words. Someone may overhear you..


    The Eldest Prince sneered with a sad expression. ¡°Uncle, Father-inw, I¡¯m about to die. What¡¯s there to be afraid of? Sooner orter, I¡¯ll dig out that jackal¡¯s heart and eat it.¡±


    Cheng Shan looked at his deste expression and could no longer say anything to persuade him.


    ¡°Wait patiently. General Zou has already been roped in by us. When he ropes in all the other soldiers and eliminates all the ones he can¡¯t recruit, we¡¯ll wait at most another year and the weapons in the mountains will be ready. At that time, Uncle will definitely help you take back what you deserve.¡±


    The Eldest Prince nodded and said, ¡°Thank you, Uncle. If that dayes, I won¡¯t let you down.¡±


    Cheng Shan said gently, ¡°Silly child, putting aside the national etiquette, you¡¯re both my nephew and my son-inw. Who else can I help but you?¡±


    The Eldest Prince called out emotionally, ¡°Uncle.¡±


    At dawn, Chu Shan received a messenger pigeon. After reading the code, he shouted excitedly, ¡°Prepare the carriage and go to the grocery store at the bridge.¡±


    The shop assistant prepared the car and Chu Shan rushed to the provision store. Ruyi quietly returned to the bridge inn.


    When Zhou Jia heard Ruyi¡¯s report, he sneered and said, ¡°They used a poisonous snake to murder me. They wanted to make me die identally.¡±


    Zhou Jia frowned. Why was the Cheng family so eager to attack him? Could it be that they had really mined iron ore?


    Ruyiforted him. ¡°Master, don¡¯t be anxious. You¡¯ll understand as soon as


    Ding Yies back.¡±


    Zhou Jia thought for a moment. ¡°Go find Judge and Feng Qing. Tell them that I asked you to ask him if he found the assassin. Tell them that I¡¯ve given him three days to find the assassin. Otherwise, I¡¯ll have to report to His Majesty and ask him to send someone to investigate the assassin. Also, be more arrogant and despotic.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master.¡± Ruyi smiled and left.


    At this moment, Chu Shan entered Zhou Jia¡¯s rented small courtyard from the backyard. He looked at Zhou Jia and smiled. ¡°Senior Zhou, we¡¯ve found it. As expected, it¡¯s in Qingyue Mountain. The secret guards are already waiting in the dark.¡±


    When Zhou Jia heard Chu Shan¡¯s words, he felt even more uneasy. He felt that if the Cheng family dared to assassinate him, they were most likely afraid that he would find out about Qingyue Mountain. They had privately opened an iron mine to forge weapons. Where would the armye from? Could it be¡­


    ¡°Shopkeeper Chu, I¡¯m worried that the Cheng family has already refined many weapons. Otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t have sent assassins to the posthouse to assassinate mest night. I¡¯m worried that the garrison of the Yuezhou Prefecture is already in cahoots with the Cheng family. If I rashly mobilize them, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll suffer a bacsh. For the sake of caution, it¡¯s best to find a nearby garrison to eliminate them.¡±


    Chu Shan was shocked by Zhou Jia¡¯s guess. He suddenly recalled that he had heard from the secret guard that he had seen General Zou Yinglong enter and leave the Cheng family residence. If the Cheng family had really colluded with the garrison, then he could only look for General Liu, who was stationed in Le County.


    ¡°I heard the secret guard report about the assassination. Lord Zhou¡¯s guess is not impossible. The only person nearby is General Liu Yuan, who is training in Le County. Le County is between Yuezhou and Qingyue County. It¡¯s only five days away from Qingyue Mountain. We should be able to arrive in two days.


    Write me a secret letter and I¡¯ll personally go to Le County to hand it to General Liu.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll write it now and send this matter to His Majesty in a hurry.¡±


    Zhou Jia wrote a secret letter and sealed it. Chu Qing hurriedly left to make arrangements.


    When Ruyi arrived at the Yuezhou government office, he arrogantly repeated Zhou Jia¡¯s words to Judge. Judge looked at Ruyi coldly. ¡°1 will definitely try my best to solve the case. If Lord Zhou wants to report to His Majesty, that¡¯s his


    right.¡± With that, he ignored Ruyi.


    Ruyi pretended to be dissatisfied and cursed as he went to Magistrate Feng. Magistrate Feng spread his hands awkwardly. ¡°Please tell Lord Zhou that the people here are strong and there are many bandits. The case will be solved in three days. The imperial envoy can only urge Judge to judge more.¡±


    Ruyi snorted and left to return to the posthouse. Eunuch Wang had already returned to the capital with the head of the Cheng family.


    The people monitoring Zhou Jia saw that the secret guard disguised as Zhou Jia had been hiding in the posthouse and was not going anywhere. They thought that Zhou Jia was afraid after what had happenedst night and hidfortably behind his secret guard..</font>

 Chapter 513 - 513: News

    Chapter 513 - 513: News


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Ding Yi and Hu Cheng were half asleep when they suddenly heard low voices in the corner. After listening carefully, they realized that someone was discussing how to escape from the ce.


    Ding Yi realized that they also wanted to escape from the mine, but they were afraid that the mountain wall was steep and they would not be able to escape.


    Hu Cheng poked Ding Yi and wrote in his palm, ¡°Should we help them escape in the chaos?¡±


    ¡°Wait a few more days. The secret guards following us might have already received the news. I¡¯m afraid we¡¯ll alert the enemy if we leave. If there¡¯s still no movement in a few days, we¡¯ll escape.¡±


    After the two of them discussed it, they stopped paying attention to others and slept peacefully to recuperate.<div>


    <font <="" div="">


    The two of them felt that just as they fell asleep, it was time to go to work again. When they arrived at the mine, Ding Yi realized that the few miners pushing the mine sand kept ncing at the cliff. Ding Yi was afraid that they would not be able to escape and would instead hold back his escape with Hu Cheng. He kicked a small rock at the tall miner¡¯s ankle. The miner¡¯s legs went weak and he fell to the ground, scattering the mine sand.


    The supervisor walked forward and kicked him. He pointed at him and shouted, ¡°Behave yourself. The master wants to move the goods away. I won¡¯t hit you today. Next time, I¡¯ll throw you into the hole.¡±


    The miner got up and shoveled the mineral sand into the wicker basket without a sound. He limped over and poured it into the mine wash.


    The miners finished pouring the ore and nced at him, shaking their heads gently.


    Seeing that they had be obedient, Ding Yi worked in peace. A few dayster, the mine actually sent over coarse rice and arge basin of vegetables that looked like pig food.


    A person who looked like a steward shouted at everyone, ¡°Everyone, work hard. From today onwards, we shall add a steamed bun for every meal and eat a vegetable meal a day. After eating, work hard. Otherwise, you know where you should go.¡±


    The miners still had wooden expressions on their faces. They were finally half full. Ding Yi and Hu Cheng realized that they had even more work to do today. Only then did they know that they wouldn¡¯t give everyone an extra meal for no reason.


    Ding nced at the supervisors walking back and forth and felt that they were speeding up the production of weapons.


    In the blink of an eye, it had been five days since Ding Yi and Hu Cheng arrived at the mine. The two of them were a little anxious. They wondered how Lord Zhou and the others were preparing. They thought that if there was still no movement in a few more days, they might as well go out and tell them the situation.


    Chu Shan and General Liu were leading people toward Mount Qingyue. Zhou Jia stayed in seclusion for a few days, causing Cheng Shan and the Eldest Prince to suspect that Zhou Jia did not live up to his reputation. They found Magistrate Feng and asked him to visit Zhou Jia at the courier station.


    Magistrate Feng received the news from the Cheng family and invited a physician to the posthouse with a gift box. Ruyi guarded the door and watched Magistrate Feng enter the courtyard. He brought the physician to the main room.


    ¡°Lord Feng, you¡¯re here today to tell my master that you¡¯ve already found the assassin¡¯s whereabouts, right?¡±


    Magistrate Feng nced at Ruyi. ¡°Manager Zhou, please help me inform that I request to see Lord Zhou.¡±


    Ruyi ced his hands on his hips and nced at Magistrate Feng. ¡°Lord Feng, my master has instructed that he¡¯s not interested in anything else except the assassin. Lord Feng, it¡¯s been so many days since the murder. How¡¯s your investigation going?¡±


    Ruyi¡¯s attitude angered Feng Qing. How dare a servant speak to a prefect in such a tone?


    ¡°Judge Wu is still investigating. As soon as there¡¯s any news, I¡¯ll send someone to inform Lord Zhou. Is Lord Zhou scared out of his wits? I brought a doctor to take a look at him.¡±


    Ruyi looked at Magistrate Feng proudly with a mboyant smile on his face. ¡°There¡¯s no need for you to worry. Due to the fact that the imperial envoy had a stomachache herest time, His Majesty instructed the imperial physician to prepare all kinds of pills in case of emergencies. Who knew that when the medicine was ready, you actually dared to send someone to assassinate¡­¡±


    ¡°Steward Zhou.¡± Magistrate Feng looked at Ruyi angrily. ¡°Make yourself clear.


    What do you mean by we actually dare to send an assassin? Don¡¯t nder me. I¡¯m also an official of the Imperial Court. I¡¯m not a person that someone like you can bully.¡±


    Ruyi hurriedly bowed to him. ¡°Aiyo! Lord Feng, I mean your Yuezhou. Sigh! Look, by saying Yuezhou, I have offended everyone in Yuezhou again. What I mean is that the bastard who actually dared to send assassins. I didn¡¯t say anything about you!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re unreasonable.¡± Magistrate Feng was so angry that he turned around and left.


    Ruyi looked at him and snorted. ¡°You want to fish for information? No way.¡±


    Magistrate Feng returned to the backyard of the government office from the posthouse with a dejected expression. He said to his trusted steward, ¡°Go to the Cheng family and tell them that the steward of the Zhou family is sharp-tongued and blocked the door like a shrew. He won¡¯t let me in. I can¡¯t figure out if Lord Zhou is still at the posthouse.¡±


    The steward looked at Magistrate Feng in surprise. ¡°Master, where does this


    Lord Zhoue from? How can there be such a tasteless steward?¡±


    Magistrate Feng¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Hmph! I think he¡¯s most likely pretending. I think that Lord Zhou might not be living in the posthouse.¡±


    ¡°If he¡¯s not in the posthouse, where did he go? Didn¡¯t the Cheng family send someone to keep an eye on him?¡±


    ¡°No matter where he is, I¡¯m not afraid of him.¡±


    ¡°Get them to send someone to check quickly. Don¡¯t be fooled and still be in the dark.¡±


    ¡°Yes, my lord.¡± The steward left.


    Zhou Jia had already learned from the small courtyard that Chu Shan and General Liu had already rushed to Mount Qingyue. The Cheng family also found out that arge group of people was advancing toward Qingyue County.


    Ever since the head of the Cheng family left, Cheng Shan, who had been clearing up the dissidents at home, was shocked when he received the news. He hurriedly called someone to Qingyue Mountain to obtain the news. After making the arrangements, he hurriedly went to the small courtyard next door.


    ¡°Your Highness, the spies found that arge group of people is heading in the direction of Qingyue County. I remember that General Zou said that Liu Zicheng led troops to Le County. Do you think Liu Zicheng led people to


    Qingyue Mountain? Did they discover us opening the mine?¡±


    ¡°That can¡¯t be! We¡¯ve always been very careful. All these years, we¡¯ve never been discovered by them. Since Liu Zicheng is training¡­¡± The Eldest Prince fell into deep thought.


    Cheng Shan looked at him. ¡°Your Highness, have you forgotten that there are Four Seas Banks everywhere in Great Yong? On the surface, these people run banks, but in fact, they¡¯re dogs raised by the higher-ups. Their noses are sharp!¡±


    The Eldest Prince recalled that he had suffered at the hands of Chu Yuhao and looked at Cheng Shan sinisterly. ¡°Quick, send someone to Le County and Qingyue Mountain to check. Send someone to the courier station tonight to check if that imperial envoy is at the courier station.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ve already sent someone to Qingyue Mountain to investigate. Go to Le County and send someone to investigate immediately.¡± Cheng Shan left.


    The Eldest Prince punched his broken leg and was so angry that he flipped everything on the bed to the ground.


    At dusk, a woman carrying a food box came to the entrance of the posthouse and begged to see the imperial envoy, Lord Zhou..</font>

 Chapter 514 - 514: Evidence Falling From the Sky

    Chapter 514 - 514: Evidence Falling From the Sky


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Ruyi heard the guard¡¯s report and went to the entrance of the posthouse to see the woman. She was in her thirties and kept looking around cautiously.


    When the woman saw Ruyi, she forced a smile and revealed a pleading expression. ¡°Steward Zhou, my master is Lord Zhou¡¯s ssmate. Master asked me to send some food to Lord Zhou.


    Ruyi nced at her to see what she was up to. ¡°Okay, pleasee in.¡±


    When the woman heard Ruyi let her in, she hurriedly followed her into the posthouse. After entering, Ruyi turned to look at the woman. ¡°Tell me! Why are you looking for my master?¡±


    The woman nced at him and bowed. ¡°I want to see Lord Zhou. I have something to report.¡±<div>


    <font <="" div="">


    ¡°My master won¡¯t see you. Tell me if you need anything. I¡¯ll tell him.¡±


    The woman looked at Ruyi and hesitated. She thought to herself that Young Master finally sent out the news. If she screwed it up, how would she face Young Master?


    Ruyi looked at her indifferently. ¡°Since you don¡¯t want to say it, please leave!¡±


    The woman looked at Ruyi and gritted her teeth to make up her mind. She took out a letter from thepartment of the food box and handed it to Ruyi. ¡°Little brother, please hand this letter to Lord Zhou. Little brother, it¡¯s urgent. Please don¡¯t dy it.¡±


    Ruyi took the letter and nced at the woman. ¡°Alright, leave!¡±


    The woman bent her knees and bowed. ¡°Little brother, my family lives on Bamboo Street in the west of the city. There¡¯s a white jade orchid tree at the door of the fifth house in Causeway Lane. My husband¡¯s surname is Wu. After you read the letter, go there and look for me. Lord Zhou has toe personally.¡±


    Ruyi nodded. ¡°Alright, after I show the letter to Master, I¡¯ll look for you if anything happens.¡±


    The woman took out the food from the food box and handed it to Ruyi. ¡°Little brother, this is the rice cake I made myself. Try it.¡±


    ¡°Okay, thanks.¡± Ruyi took the rice cake, looked at her, nodded, and turned to leave.


    Ruyi put the letter in his pocket and returned to the courtyard. He nced at the rice cake wrapped in lotus leaves and ced it on the table. He said to the secret guard sitting quietly in the chair, ¡°Brother Chen, I have something to do. ¡±


    The secret guard nodded. Ruyi turned around and came out of the courtyard. Before long, he discovered someone following him. After thinking for a moment, he simply brought the person into an alley and hid to the side. When he caught up, Ruyu suddenly appeared and grabbed the person, and threw him over his shoulder, causing him to fall to the ground. Ruyi stepped on his chest and shouted, ¡°Tell me, who sent you?¡±


    The person looked at Ruyi self-righteously and roared, ¡°Does this road belong to your family? What right do you have to hit me?¡±


    Ruyi knocked him out with a punch and walked through the alley towards the small courtyard at the bridge.


    When he arrived at the small courtyard, he opened the letter and realized that it was a page torn from the ount book. It recorded the amount received on a certain month and day, and the amount that was sent away. From the quantity, it was a lot.


    In the margin below, it said: If you want to know what this is, find the messenger.


    Ruyi looked at Zhou Jia. ¡®Master, the woman who sent the letter lives on


    Bamboo Street. I think she has something to tell you. Shall we look for her?¡± ¡°What if it¡¯s a trap they set?¡± Zhao Cai felt that it was better to be careful.


    Zhou Jia held the thin letter in his hand. Since he had read the contents repeatedly from other sources, he guessed that the record should be the iron ore transaction. Could it be that the Cheng family had also sold the iron ore?


    ¡°Let¡¯s go! Let¡¯s take a look,¡± Zhou Jia said to them.


    Zhao Cai looked at Zhou Jia. ¡°Master, I think we should go and investigate first.


    Zhou Jia raised his hand and said, ¡°If you¡¯re worried, go first and check before I go in.¡±


    The round-faced secret guard went to pull out the cart. Before dark, the four of them arrived at Causeway Lane. A faint magnolia fragrance spread in all directions.


    Ruyi got out of the car and walked under the flowering tree. He knocked on the courtyard door and saw the woman and a tall man standing behind her.


    The woman looked behind Ruyi and let him into the courtyard. She asked anxiously, ¡°Is Lord Zhou here?¡±


    Ruyi saw that the courtyard was not big. There were three main rooms and four rooms. There were also two children sitting in the courtyard. He nced at the man. ¡°Is this Brother Wu?¡±


    The woman¡¯s eyes reddened. ¡°This belongs to my husband. He¡¯s been poisoned mute and can¡¯t speak. Little brother, believe me. We¡¯re not bad people.¡±


    The man also nodded at Ruyi. Ruyi nodded back in acknowledgment and walked to the entrance of the courtyard. Zhou Jia and the round-faced secret guard walked in. Zhou Jia nced at the woman. ¡°Tell me! Why did you use the ount book to lure me here?¡±


    The woman looked at the bearded Zhou Jia and said boldly, ¡°I have to see your seal before I can tell you.¡±


    Zhou Jia took out a small seal from his pocket and handed it to the woman. ¡°I only carry this small seal with me.¡±


    The man took it with both hands. After looking at it, he nodded at the woman and returned the small seal to Zhou Jia. The woman turned around and walked into the house. Soon, she came out with an oil paper bag and handed it to Zhou Jia.


    ¡°Lord Zhou, my young master handed this to us for safekeeping two months ago.


    ¡°The two of you don¡¯t have to be so polite. You¡¯ve scared the children.¡± Zhou Jia hurriedly ced the things in Ruyi¡¯s hand and helped the man up. The woman hurriedly ran to pick up the children.


    Zhou Jia looked at the woman. ¡°Who¡¯s your young master? Where is he now? Where did he get these things?¡±


    The woman nced at the man, who nodded to indicate that she could say, ¡°I was originally the personal maidservant of the Third Madam of the Cheng family. Ten years ago, Madam let me go. The third branch of the Cheng family was birthed by a concubine. My young master secretly recorded these things. Young Master said that they were very important. After the head of the Cheng family left, the eldest master of the Cheng family took charge and detained Young Master¡¯s family.¡±


    It seemed that the third and second branches of the Cheng family were not on the same side. As soon as Old Master Cheng left, Master Cheng could not wait to eliminate the dissidents.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best.¡± With that, he turned around and left. Ruyi and the secret guards also escorted Zhou Jia out.


    When Zhou Jia returned to the small courtyard, it was already dark. He returned to the room and opened the oilcloth bag. He saw that there were 30 to 40 ledgers wrapped in it. On them were intermittent records of some ounts of the Cheng family selling iron ore privately for many years, as well as evidence of colluding with Magistrate Feng to sell iron ore.


    It turned out that the Cheng family had been mining iron ore for the Imperial Court since thete emperor was in power and even sold iron ore privately. It was only after Chu Yuhao took over that they were stopped. The Cheng family had only stopped for two years before they began to steal iron ore privately.


    Chu Shan had only found out that the Cheng family had stopped working on the surface. After His Majesty removed the Cheng family¡¯s mining rights, the Cheng family rested for two years on the surface, but they had secretly prepared to continue mining in a hidden ce..</font>

 Chapter 515 - 515: Not Good

    Chapter 515 - 515: Not Good


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Zhou Jia obtained evidence of the Cheng family colluding with Magistrate Feng to sell iron ore and did not need to investigate other evidence. He told Ruyi and the secret guards not to return to the posthouse but to prepare to bring them to Qingyue Mountain the next morning.


    He wrote another letter and asked Zhao Cai to go to the courier station to get the soldiers to hand the letter to Judge Wu and tell him that he had brought people to the various counties and towns below to check.


    Thinking of the woman who had sent the letter, he was afraid that the Cheng family and Magistrate Feng would search for her whereabouts after finding out that she had left. He said to Ruyi, ¡°Go to Causeway Lane and bring the Wu couple to the grocery store. Get Chu Shan¡¯s people to find a ce to hide them.¡±


    Ruyi agreed and left for Causeway Lane. When he arrived at the alley, it was already dark. Ruyi climbed over the wall and entered the Wu family¡¯s courtyard to wake up the Wu couple. The couple protected the children and looked at Ruyi fearfully. ¡°Little brother, I¡¯ve already given you everything Young Master gave¡­¡±


    Ruyi raised her hand and smiled. ¡°Sister-inw, don¡¯t be afraid. The magistrate¡¯s people will be looking for you soon. It¡¯s not safe for you to live here. I¡¯ll bring you to a safe ce.¡±<div>


    <font <="" div="">


    The woman looked up at her husband. Seeing the man nod, she said, ¡°Okay, we¡¯ll follow you. ¡±


    The woman packed a few changes of clothes and followed Ruyi to the grocery store. The shopkeeper ced them in the secret room.


    Zhou Jia asked the secret guards in the courier station to retreat from the courier station, leaving only the escorts on the surface.


    The people sent by the Cheng family to follow them out of the posthouse returned in defeat. Seeing that there was no movement in the posthouse until dark, the people monitoring Zhou Jia could not hold it in anymore. As soon as the lights were off, they got someone to sneak into the posthouse and realized that there was no sign of the imperial envoy at all. Only the guards were left in the posthouse.


    After Cheng Shan received the news, he hurriedly asked someone to monitor the situation. He learned that at dusk, a woman and Ruyi were standing at the entrance of the courtyard talking. They were too far away to see the woman¡¯s appearance clearly.


    After everyone in the courier station saw the woman, they all left. Cheng Shan and the Eldest Prince felt that something was wrong. ¡°Uncle, quickly find Magistrate Feng and ask him to ask the guards what kind of woman had been to the courier station. Hurry up and send someone to find this woman.¡±


    Cheng Shan went to the magistrate¡¯s office overnight to see Magistrate Feng. Feng Qing was sleeping soundly with his concubine in his arms. When he heard the servant report that Cheng Shan was visitingte at night, he was shocked. He hurriedly got someone to get up and put on his clothes. When he went out and saw Cheng Shan, he asked, ¡°What happened in the middle of the night?¡±


    Cheng Shan¡¯s face darkened. ¡°The imperial envoy and his personal guard are gone. I heard from the people watching him that a woman went to see his steward at dusk.¡±


    Feng Qing looked at Cheng Shan in confusion. ¡°After a woman went to see them, they disappeared. Could it be that this woman told them some news?


    They just left. Hurry up and get someone to find this woman! What¡¯s the use of you looking for me?¡±


    Cheng Shan said in a low voice, ¡°My people didn¡¯t see the woman¡¯s appearance, so I came to look for you in the middle of the night! Find the soldiers on duty at dusk and ask about the woman¡¯s appearance so that we can find her.¡±


    Magistrate Feng nodded with a dark expression. ¡°Go back first. I¡¯ll get someone


    to call the soldiers on duty.¡±


    Cheng Shan cupped his hands at him and said, ¡°Hurry up. I have a bad feeling.¡±


    The two of them were in the same boat. Cheng Shan¡¯s words made Magistrate Feng¡¯s expression even darker. He nodded in agreement and got someone to send Cheng Shan off before rushing towards the front office.


    After getting someone to call the guard who had gone home to ask, the guard replied, ¡°Sir, that woman has a medium build and is in her thirties. She¡¯s fair and clean-looking, has an oval face, and willovvy eyebrows¡­¡±


    Magistrate Feng got someone to draw the woman¡¯s appearance and got the guard to verify it. Magistrate Feng hurriedly got someone to send the portrait to the Cheng family.


    After a while, Cheng Shan got the portrait. Looking around, he felt that he had seen the woman in the portrait somewhere before. After thinking for a long time, he couldn¡¯t remember.


    Just as he was about to ask someone, the Eldest Prince got someone to call him over.


    Cheng Shan arrived at the courtyard where the Eldest Prince lived. After showing him the portrait, the Eldest Prince said, ¡°Uncle, deploy people to search quietly. When we find her, ask Cheng Shan to find a name and send officials to search the entire city for that woman.¡±


    When Cheng Shan heard this, he felt that it made sense. He hurriedly took the portrait to the government office.


    Judge Wu heard from someone that Magistrate Feng had sent officials to search the entire city. When the portrait of the woman appeared at the entrance of the posthouse at dusk, he rushed to the government office and resolutely objected.


    ¡°Lord Feng, the imperial envoy, Lord Zhou, left a letter saying he went to the other counties to investigate. The imperial envoy left the posthouse on his own and has nothing to do with this woman. Why did you search for this woman? It will disturb the peace of the entire city.¡±


    ¡°Lord Zhou left a letter for you? Why didn¡¯t you report it?¡± Magistrate Feng looked at Judge Wu in surprise.


    Judge Wu nced at him. ¡°I went to look for you. You left the government office long ago.¡±


    Magistrate Feng looked at Judge Wu, who was blocking the way, and could not find the right person to search for the woman for a moment. He understood that no matter what, he would not be able to send an official to search the entire city tonight.


    On second thought, if the imperial envoy really only went to the various counties to investigate, it would be easy. He was afraid that he would receive some news and leave. It was better to let the Cheng family send people to search in private.


    Judge Wu looked at the uncertain Magistrate Feng and wondered to himself, ¡°Where did this womane from? They actually sent officials to search with great fanfare. What are they afraid of?¡±


    Magistrate Feng red at Judge Wu and turned to return to the back office to get someone to send a letter to the Cheng family.


    When Cheng Shan received the news, he could only send people to search for the woman¡¯s whereabouts. There was still no news after dawn. Cheng Shan looked at the portrait and still could not remember where he had seen it before. He simply took the portrait back to the backyard and let his Madam take a look.


    Madam Cheng Shan took a look. ¡°I think it¡¯s Third Brother¡¯s personal maidservant, Qiong Hua. That¡¯s right, it¡¯s her.¡±


    ¡°You traitorous bitch.¡± Cheng Shan cursed angrily and brought his men out of the city to a house in Cheng Vige.


    She got someone to open a room and threw the portrait in the man¡¯s face. She pointed at him and shouted, ¡°Tell me, did you ask this bitch to send something to the posthouse?¡±


    The man looked up at Cheng Shan and smiled self-deprecatingly. ¡°Ever since


    Cheng Shan took a step forward and grabbed his throat. He looked at him viciously. ¡°Cheng Xu, you better tell me honestly where this woman lives.


    Otherwise, your two sisters¡­¡±


    Cheng Xu mocked in a hoarse voice, ¡°The dignified Master Cheng has finally revealed your true colors. If you have the ability, kill all three of us.¡±


    Cheng Shan said sinisterly in his ear, ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be too easy on you if I killed you? If you don¡¯t tell me, I¡¯ll get someone to send your sister to the private residence when I get back¡­¡±


    Cheng Xu turned around abruptly. ¡°If you dare, I won¡¯t let you off when


    Grandfather returns..¡±</font>

 Chapter 516 - 516: Angry Miners

    Chapter 516 - 516: Angry Miners


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Cheng Shan sneered. ¡°So what if he can¡¯t spare me? I¡¯m still the next head of the Cheng family. Your two sisters can forget about escaping from the private residence for the rest of their lives.¡¯


    Cheng Xu lowered his head and thought for a while. He looked up at him. ¡°Auntie Qiong¡¯s family lives on Bamboo Street.}¡±


    Cheng Shan patted his face a few times in satisfaction and sneered, ¡°It¡¯s good to be so obedient early.¡± With that, heughed and walked out.


    Ding Yi and Hu Cheng worked day and night in the mine valley. They realized that the miners in the mine had long copsed under the constantck of food and rest. There were often miners who fell and were dragged into the small cave.


    The two of them waited until the time they had nned, but Chu Shan and the others had yet to arrive. They were afraid that if they continued to slog inside, they would probably not even have the strength to escape in the end. The two of them began to look for an opportunity to escape.<div>


    <font <="" div="">


    On this day, the guards at the mine brought in more than ten people. When these people went down to the mine and saw the scene inside, a few tall men immediately began to resist and shouted, ¡°On the way, you didn¡¯t say that we would be working in the mine. We don¡¯t do this kind of work. Let us out.¡±


    ¡°Your skin is itchy. Be good and behave yourself. Otherwise, my whip won¡¯t recognize you.¡±


    A few supervisors shouted loudly and walked over arrogantly with whips. They raised their whips fiercely and whipped them.


    The burly man suddenly reached out and grabbed the supervisor¡¯s wrist. In the blink of an eye, the whip in his hand was snatched away by the man.


    ¡°Someone,e quickly. These are martial arts practitioners,¡± the supervisor shouted.


    ¡°I think you have a death wish.¡± The guard pulled out his long saber and rushed up. The few men squatting on the ground suddenly pulled out their daggers and went up to fight the guard. One of them took out a firecracker-like thing from his sleeve cage and lit it. Red smoke rose into the sky.


    Ding Yi and Hu Cheng realized that they were on the same side. They picked up the stones and threw them at the supervisor guarding them. The supervisor fell to the ground. The dagger slid from his wrist into Ding Yi¡¯s hand and he shed forward to cut the supervisor¡¯s throat.


    Hu Cheng shouted at the miners standing there in a daze, ¡°Brothers, let¡¯s fight it out with them. If we kill one of them, we¡¯re a step closer to freedom. It¡¯s better than being exhausted and thrown into the cave.¡±


    They began to reveal angry eyes and looked at the supervisors with hatred and anger.


    ¡°Son of a bitch, I¡¯ll kill you.¡±


    A miner shouted and raised the shovel in his hand as he rushed towards the supervisor. Right on the heels of that, there was a second one. The supervisor was so frightened that he covered his head and fled. The miners rushed forward and greeted him with hoes and shovels. In the blink of an eye, the supervisor was badly mangled by the angry miners.


    More and more miners joined the battle. The cksmiths who were forging weapons picked up their forged swords and surged forward. War cries filled the valley as more overseers and guards were cut down and killed.


    Ding Yi, Hu Cheng, and a group of secret guards became the nemesis of the insufferably arrogant guards in the past. The secret guards raised their knives and shed down, destroying one of the guards.


    Suddenly, arge group of officials and soldiers came down from the stone steps and raised their crossbows. A loud voice came from above. ¡°The Imperial Court has sent troops to save you. Everyone, stand aside.¡±


    When the miners heard the shout, they all stepped aside and slumped to the ground, hugging their heads and crying. Soldiers and soldiers tied the guards and supervisors who had not been killed with ropes.


    Chu Shan and General Liu walked down the stone steps. Ding Yi and Hu Cheng walked forward. Hu Cheng reported, ¡°Shopkeeper Chu, they were the ones who threw the corpses of the miners in the cave over there. Those furnaces don¡¯t stop day and night. We don¡¯t know where the forged weapons have been transported to.¡±


    Chu Shan looked at both of them, who had lost weight. Heforted them. ¡°You¡¯ve suffered. We¡¯ll find out where the weapons are.¡±


    General Liu brought people over and grabbed a supervisor. He shouted, ¡°Tell me the ce where you hid the weapons. Otherwise, I¡¯ll hand you to the miners and let them beat you into a pile of meat paste.¡±


    The supervisor looked at hispanion who was so badly mangled that his limbs could not be distinguished not far away. He was so frightened that his face turned green. He knelt down and kowtowed. ¡°General, spare me. I¡¯ll bring you there now.¡±


    The supervisor led everyone to a ce separated by wooden rows. He took out a key from a crack in the stone and opened the round wooden door. After walking for more than a quarter of an hour, he walked to a huge rock and pointed at the dark cave hidden behind it. ¡°After the weapons are forged every day, we¡¯ll send them here. Steward Cheng will bring people to move in from here.¡±


    Chu Shan got someone to tie him up and throw him aside. The soldiers carried torches into the cave. The cave widened as they walked. After an hour, light gradually shone in. Two men were sleeping soundly on wooden beds at the entrance of the cave. Two secret guards went forward and controlled the two of them.


    Further in, he saw a dense array of spears and arrows in the cave. The waist knife shone with a cold light. There were crossbows in a cave beside it. There were even many crossbows.


    Chu Shan and General Liu gasped and looked at each other in unison. If they hadn¡¯t discovered these things, the consequences would have been unimaginable.


    They checked them one by one and found a stone step at the end of the cave. After climbing up and down, they saw a wooden walkway.


    They walked along the boardwalk and heard the sound of rushing water. They followed the sound to the river and saw a wooden boat tied to a wooden stake on the shore.


    Chu Shan looked at everything in front of him and was enlightened. ¡°So they¡¯ve always transported weaponry by the river. No wonder we didn¡¯t find any traces of heavy carts on the mountain path.¡±


    General Liu looked around. ¡°The Cheng family spent a lot of effort on this mine. It¡¯s not something that can be done overnight.¡±


    Chu Shan nodded. ¡°General. let¡¯s send someone to watch this ce first and


    interrogate those guards and stewards. We also have to move all the miners in the valley out and interrogate those cksmiths to find out how many weapons the Cheng family made. We need to find out how many weapons have flowed out.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave a group of guards here and bring another group back to Yuezhou immediately to control the garrison first.¡± General Liu turned around and walked back.


    Chu Shan nodded in agreement and sent secret guards to guard the shore. He told the secret guards that if anyone came, they would immediately capture them and kill those who resisted.


    Ding Yi led Hu Cheng and a group of miners into the cave where the miners were thrown. Everyone walked in and saw a dark pit that emitted a foul smell.


    Everyone retreated and found tattered clothes to cover their mouths and noses. When they entered, they stuck their heads out and saw a few corpses of miners that had only been thrown in for two days. There were rats crawling in and out of them, and there were piles of bones below. Everyone¡¯s hair stood on end. Some miners knelt by the pit and cried.


    Hu Cheng said to them, ¡°Everyone, listen to my advice. Don¡¯t stay inside anymore. When the government sends someone to deal with the corpses of these friends, everyone can pay their respects and let them rest in peace as soon as possible.¡±


    The miners followed Ding Yi and Hu Cheng outside the cave. General Liu returned to the valley and left with his men. Chu Shan led his men and began to interrogate the stewards.


    Ding Yi and Hu Cheng found food in the storeroom in the cave and cooked thick porridge to eat with the miners. The miners drank the porridge and tears flowed down their faces.


    Everyone rested in the cave for the night, after which Chu Shan asked Ding Yi and Hu Cheng to bring them out of the valley.


    When they were outside, the miners looked at the verdant forest and felt the breeze gently on their faces. Only then did they feel that they were not in a dream and had really escaped..</font>

 Chapter 517 - 517: Besieged

    Chapter 517 - 517: Besieged


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    General Liu rushed halfway with his men and saw a group of people speeding over in front of him. He saw that the man in the lead had a beard, making it impossible to see his true appearance.


    General Liu recalled that Chu Shan had mentioned Lord Zhou seemed to have disguised himself like this.


    The people opposite also saw the people led by General Liu and gradually slowed down. Zhou Jia rode on his horse and looked at the majestic general riding a tall horse opposite him. He asked, ¡°Is that General Liu Yuan in front?¡± General Liu looked at him and replied, ¡°That¡¯s right. Are you Lord Zhou?¡± Zhou Jia jumped off the horse and cupped his hands at him with a smile. ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Lord Zhou, pleased to meet you.¡± General Liu smiled brightly and jumped down from his horse.


    Zhou Jia looked at the officials behind Liu Yuan. Seeing that Chu Shan, Ding Yi, and the others had note out to meet him, he cupped his hands and said, ¡°General Liu, how¡¯s the matter at Qingyue Mountain?¡±<div>


    <font <="" div="">


    General Liu was busy returning to Yuezhou and said to Zhou Jia, ¡°Lord Zhou, you don¡¯t have to go to Qingyue Mountain. Let¡¯s return to Yuezhou together and talk as we walk.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Zhou Jia nodded and mounted his horse. He rushed towards Yuezhou


    with General Liu¡¯s men.


    When they were resting at the courier station, General Liu told Zhou Jia what he had discovered in the valley of Mount Qingyue. He heaved a sigh of relief and said, ¡°Senior Zhou, I¡¯m still a little afraid now that I think about it. With so many weapons in the cave, once the Cheng family causes trouble¡­¡±


    Although Zhou Jia had not seen it with his own eyes, he still felt lingering fear when he heard Liu Yuan¡¯s description.


    The two groups rested for a while before continuing on their way. That afternoon, they finally arrived at the entrance of the Yuezhou Prefecture¡¯s city. When the city calvary guard saw General Liu, return to the city, he hurriedly came down from the city wall and bowed. ¡°Greetings, General.¡±


    After General Liu asked him to get up, he asked, ¡°Do you know where General Zou is now?¡±


    The calvary guard bowed and said, ¡°General, General Zou returned to the city yesterday and hasn¡¯t left the city to return to the camp.¡±


    General Liu nodded. ¡°Inform the guards at the city gates that everyone who enters and exits has to be checked before they can be let in. Take down everyone from the Cheng, Feng, and Zou families.¡±


    After receiving the order, the cavalry guard led his men to convey the order.


    General Liu said to Zhou Jia, who had returned to his original appearance,


    ¡°Lord Zhou, I¡¯ll bring dozens of people to the Zou family to control General


    Zou. Bring people to surround the Cheng family and capture Feng Qing.¡±


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s split up.¡± After Zhou Jia agreed, he led the group toward the Cheng family.


    When therge group of people entered the city, it attracted the attention of the pedestrians. The passersby avoided them one after another. Someone recognized that the leader was the imperial envoy who had just arrived. When they saw the people heading in the direction of the Cheng family, they all discussed animatedly. The bold ones even followed behind the group from afar, nning to watch themotion.


    Zhou Jia brought people to the entrance of the Cheng family and took out a golden token. He shouted, ¡°People inside, listen up. From now on, no one is allowed to enter or leave.¡±


    Seeing this, the doorman was so frightened that he turned around and ran in. After running a few steps, he fell, got up, and continued to run with a long face.


    ¡°Surround the Cheng family. No one is allowed to enter or leave.¡± With Zhou Jia¡¯s order, the officials immediately began to surround the Cheng family¡¯s mansion.


    Zhou Jia turned to the secret guards and Zhao Cai and said, ¡°Each of you, bring a team to the mansion and gather everyone in the open space. Lock them up and don¡¯t let them walk around.¡±


    ¡°Search the property in the house, as well as the letters and ounts. Find the secret room in the house and the young master of the third branch of the Cheng family.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Zhao Cai epted the order and rushed into the Cheng family with the secret guards.


    Zhou Jia brought Ruyi and a group of people straight to the government office.


    The doorman stumbled to the second door and shouted miserably, ¡°Master, bad news. The raiders are here. Bad news¡­


    ¡°What?¡± When Cheng Shan heard the report, his legs went limp and he sat on the ground. He struggled to get up and ran towards the small residence. The prosperous Cheng family was in chaos.


    When the Eldest Prince heard that the Cheng family was surrounded, he thought of how Zhou Jia had repeatedly ruined his ns and said hatefully, ¡°It¡¯s this Zhou guy again.¡±


    Cheng Shan slumped in his chair dejectedly. ¡°It¡¯s over. It¡¯s all over.¡±


    The Eldest Prince nced at him coldly and looked up at the three green-robed men standing at the door. ¡°Chu Jia, leave immediately and wait on the way back to the capital. Kill that Zhou guy and avenge me. After that, you¡¯ll be free. Find a remote ce to settle down and live the rest of your lives!¡±


    The three of them nced at the Eldest Prince. After agreeing, they knelt down and kowtowed to him three times. They got up and ran quickly towards the wall in the backyard. They jumped onto the wall and jumped down before running away.


    The officials barged into the Cheng family fiercely and chased everyone to the outer courtyard. The decorations and jewelry in the house were all searched. The Madam and Miss in the inner courtyard screamed in fear.


    Seeing that what originally belonged to them had been searched by these rough soldiers, the Cheng family tasted the feeling of not being able to fight back.


    Boxes of gold, silver, and jewelry were carried to the courtyard. The title deeds and banknotes were all searched.


    When Zhou Jia arrived at the government office, he brought people and barged into Magistrate Feng¡¯s room. Seeing Zhou Jia barge in, Magistrate Feng said angrily, ¡°Lord Zhou, I want to¡­¡±


    The sign in Zhou Jia¡¯s hand was waved in front of him and he said to the soldiers behind him, ¡°Take him down.¡±


    Magistrate Feng struggled and looked at Zhou Jia fiercely. ¡°What right do you have to arrest me? I¡¯m going to sue you.¡±


    ¡°What right do I have to arrest you? I¡¯ve already reported it to His Majesty.¡± Zhou Jia walked up to him and looked at him coldly. ¡°Feng Qing, the miners in the Qingyue Mountain have been rescued. Don¡¯t you know what you¡¯ve done?¡±


    It was over, it was over. Feng Qing trembled when he heard that. He begged, ¡°Lord Zhou, it¡¯s all the Cheng family¡¯s fault. They forced me. On ount that we are colleagues, please let me go. I won¡¯t treat you badly.¡±


    The dignified magistrate was forced by the Cheng family. To say such a thing, he was really a shameless person. Zhou Jia looked at him in disgust. ¡°Save these words for His Majesty when you return to the capital!¡±


    Vice Prefect Lin and Judge Wu also rushed over when they heard the news. When they saw Magistrate Feng, who had his official hat removed and was trembling like a leaf, Judge Wu revealed a look of understanding. Vice-Prefect Lin¡¯s face turned pale as if he had lost his parents.


    Zhou Jia looked at Judge Wu and said, ¡°Lord Wu, I¡¯ll let you handle the government affairs for now. I¡¯ll ask His Majesty for an edict.¡±


    Judge Wu bowed deeply. ¡°I understand.¡±


    Zhou Jia nodded. ¡°Take some people and raid the back office. Search the property and lock the families in jail. Send a few schrs to the Cheng family to count the property.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Judge Wu had someone bring Feng Qing down.


    Zhou Jia looked at Vice-Prefect Lin. ¡°Lin Tongzhi, suspend all official business and wait for His Majesty to deal with you in the back office.¡±


    When Vice-Prefect Lin heard this, he heaved a sigh of relief. He bowed to Zhou Jia and left.


    Zhou Jia turned around and left for the Cheng family. He saw that the courtyard was filled with the master and servants of the Cheng family. The empty space in the courtyard was filled with valuables that had been taken from the house.


    Zhao Cai pointed at the side courtyard and said, ¡°Master, that might be the one. There are also two girls serving inside.¡±


    Zhou Jia thought that he was from the royal family after all. He did not know how His Majesty would deal with him. It was better to keep him inside!


    ¡°Disregard him for now. We¡¯ll make a decision when His Majesty¡¯s decree arrives.. Have you found the young master of the Cheng family¡¯s third branch?¡±</font>

 Chapter 518 - 519: Madness

    Chapter 519: Madness


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    The head of the Cheng family, Cheng Sheng, had already arrived at the capital.


    Cheng Sheng had an audience with Chu Yuhao and learned that the Eldest Prince and his wife had died of illness. When Cheng Sheng heard this, he followed the eunuch to see the ¡°Eldest Prince and his wife¡± for thest time with a pained expression.


    When Cheng Sheng returned to his residence in the capital, his trusted steward went forward and reported, ¡°Master, there¡¯s news from Tongzhou. The matter you ordered to investigate has been investigated.¡±


    ¡°Tell me,¡± Cheng Sheng said with a dark expression.


    The steward bowed and said, ¡°Master, the Zhou and Li families originally lived in West Mountain Vige on Green Mountain. The stewards under Lord Zhou are skilled in martial arts. Madam Li is extremely strong and knows how to kill.


    ¡°In the year of the disaster, the two families brought the vigers out to escape.


    Halfway through, they fought with someone in a forest and were saved by Shen Yu, who was passing by. The people who fled were brought back to Tongzhou by Shen Yu¡¯s personal attendant, Shen Wu, and ced at the foot of Phoenix Town¡¯s Phoenix Mountain.¡±


    The steward paused for a moment and continued, ¡°Not long after, Madam Li nted high-yielding rice seeds. Chu Sihai went to Phoenix Vige to see her and the two sides began to cooperate to sell rice seeds¡­ Lord Zhou rose all the way to the top. After returning to the capital, they acknowledged the Hanlin Academy¡¯s Grand Secretary, Lin Zexu¡­ The Zhou family¡¯s children were also personally given names by His Majesty. They were rewarded at all times. Lord Zhou is His Majesty¡¯s trusted official. Everyone in the capital knows that.¡±


    Halfway through, the Zhou family was saved by Shen Yu. Shen Yu even instructed Shen Wu to bring them back to Tongzhou. Would Shen Yu be so kind? It was more likely that Madam Li and the others had helped Shen Yu.


    As he muttered to himself, he recalled the year of the drought. The Imperial Consort had sent people to kill the Third Prince, who had fled to Tongzhou to seek refuge with Shen Yu. She had not seeded, but all the suicide soldiers she had sent had been killed.


    It seemed that Madam Li had brought the three stewards to save the Third Prince. No wonder she was conferred the title of Madam Protector of the Nation and Zhou Jia was favored.


    Ever since His Majesty and the Imperial Consort passed away, the Eldest Prince had already declined. Now that the Eldest Prince was dead, it was even worse. The families who had originally tried to curry favor were avoiding him.


    Cheng Sheng thought hatefully that these were the people who ruined the ns of the Eldest Prince and the Second Prince and harmed the Imperial Consort and the Eldest Prince, causing an old man like him to send them off. It seems that Zhou Jia is the lucky star of the Third Prince. He would have to get rid of him and send the child there to be taken care of. They would wait for the day he made aeback.


    Cheng Sheng turned to look at the steward with a vicious expression that terrified thetter.


    Cheng Sheng stared at the steward and said word by word, ¡°Get someone to go to the Lin n School. Find an opportunity to kidnap that child and sell him to a gigolo. Sell him far away. Bring kerosene at night and go to the Zhou Mansion to set fire to it.¡±


    ¡°Burn the Zhou Mansion.¡± The steward was so frightened by Cheng Sheng¡¯s crazy idea that he stood rooted to the ground.


    With a bang, Cheng Sheng mmed the table. The steward trembled in fear. When he came back to his senses, he looked at Cheng Sheng and said with a trembling voice, ¡°Master, there are only a few people in the residence now. The Zhou residence is on East Street. There are also many people patrolling that area. That number of people¡­¡¯


    Cheng Sheng mmed the table and said in a low voice, ¡°Do as I said and stop nagging.¡±


    The steward could only bow and say, ¡°Master, I¡¯ll get someone to investigate and arrange for someone to do it.¡±


    Cheng Sheng looked at him and said coldly, ¡°As soon as possible.¡±


    Seeing his cold expression, the steward could only agree and leave. He arranged for people to go to the Lin Academy and the Zhou Mansion to gather information.


    After the steward left, Cheng Sheng wrote a letter and sealed it. He took some golden leaves and banknotes and put them in his bag. He carried his bag and got up to the back garden. He went out through the corner door and carefully checked around before walking towards the alley.


    After circling the alley, they arrived at a courtyard and knocked twice. A momentter, the door opened. A beautiful woman in her thirties stuck her head out and smiled happily when she saw Cheng Sheng.


    The woman hurriedly let Cheng Sheng into the house. ¡°Master, when did you return to the capital?¡±


    Cheng Sheng looked at him and felt much better. ¡°I¡¯ve been back for a few days. Did Feng¡¯er go to school?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± The woman looked at Cheng Sheng gently. ¡°Are you waiting for Feng¡¯er toe back and see him?¡±


    Cheng Sheng shook his head and led her into the house. ¡°No, I have something to tell you.¡±


    After the two of them sat down, the woman saw his solemn expression and looked at him uneasily.


    Cheng Sheng patted her hand and handed her the bag. He looked at her and said, ¡°Hide these things well. Take Feng¡¯er to Le County to find Wenchang Pavilion. Find someone called Cheng Youfu. He¡¯ll take you to see someone. When you see him, give him this secret letter. He¡¯ll take care of you and the child. ¡±


    The woman looked at the secret letter, golden leaves, and banknotes in her bag and said with a trembling voice, ¡°Master, what happened? Does Eldest Young Master know about Feng¡¯er and me? Tell him that we won¡¯t fight with him and won¡¯t return to Yuezhou.¡±


    Cheng Sheng looked at her and felt a little ufortable. He said in a low voice, ¡°Just leave when I tell you to. I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to leave in a few days. Yu County is more than half a month away from the capital. Go to the escort agency and hire an escort to send you there. Live a good life there.¡±


    The woman nodded and promised solemnly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll raise Feng¡¯er well.¡±


    Cheng Sheng looked at her in relief. ¡°Alright, you and Feng¡¯er will be fine.¡±


    The woman stepped forward and snuggled into his arms. ¡®Got it, Master.¡±


    The sun had already set, and the weather was so stuffy and hot that it was ufortable. Li Yu brought the two children to y in the pavilion on the lotus pond. She recalled the news Ji Xiang had received from the royal eunuch that Zhou Jia had almost been assassinated in Yuezhou. Fortunately, he had been prepared in advance and managed to escape.


    Li Yu recalled that two days before the head of the Cheng family arrived in the capital, the Imperial Court had already spread the news that the Eldest Prince and his wife had died of illness. She was secretly worried about Zhou Jia¡¯s safety.


    Seeing that Li Yu was silent after hearing Ji Xiang¡¯s report, Granny Chen asked worriedly, ¡°Madam, how¡¯s Master¡¯s matter in Yuezhou?¡±


    Li Yu looked up at her and smiled. ¡°There was a small incident. It¡¯s already been resolved.¡±


    Granny Chenforted her. ¡°Madam, don¡¯t worry. Ever since the Consort fell, the Cheng family in Yuezhou is no longer the same as before. Master has so many guards. He¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Li Yu replied with a smile. She turned to look at Yueyue, who was lying on the mat and waving his lotus root-like arms.


    She picked up Xingxing, who was lying at the side, and said with a smile, ¡°Aiyo!


    My Xing¡¯er is as serious as a pedant. Look, He¡¯s learning to talk!¡±


    When Yueyue heard Li Yu praise Xingxing, he waved his chubby hand and looked at Li Yu. ¡°Ah, you¡¯re a chatterbox.¡± Yueyue thought that Li Yu was teasing him and giggled.


    Ji Xiang drove to the Lin family school. When the school door opened, he looked at Yangyang, who was carrying his school bag anding out with his ssmates. He smiled and waved. ¡°Young Master¡­¡±


    ¡°Uncle Xiang, you¡¯re here!¡± When Yangyang saw Ji Xiang, he smiled and shouted before walking towards him.


    Suddenly, a carriage drove over and separated the two of them. Ji Xiang thought to himself that something was wrong and hurriedly ran toward Yangyang..

 Chapter 519 - 520: Attack

    Chapter 520: Attack


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    A man stood at the door of the carriage with a sinister smile on his face. He held the door of the carriage with one hand and grabbed Yangyang with the other.


    Yangyang quickly retreated and dodged. He shouted, ¡°Uncle Xiang, there¡¯s a bandit.¡± As he shouted, he decisively threw the inkstone in his hand at the bandit. He turned around and ran into the family school.


    With a muffled bang, the inkstone hit the man¡¯s forehead and blood immediately flowed. The timid children screamed in fear, and the entrance of the academy was in chaos.


    The man didn¡¯t expect a child to be so skilled. He endured the dizziness and jumped out of the car. Right on the heels of that, another man jumped out of the car and pounced at Yangyang.


    Yangyang ran into the academy like a fish in the crowd. Lin Haoran and Lin Sen also turned around and followed him in.


    The guards in the n school rushed out with their whistles. Only then did


    Yanzvanz turn around and punch the bandits chasing him in the stomach. A few guards raised their whistles and surrounded the bandits, beating them up.


    Ji Xiang, who had chased after him, jumped into the air and kicked over the bandit who was pouncing at Yangyang. The man dodged to the side, and Ji Xiang kicked the bandit¡¯s face right on the heels of that. Blood flowed out of the corner of the bandit¡¯s mouth and he fell to the ground with a bang. Ji Xiang took a step forward and stepped on his leg. He heard the sound of the leg bone breaking and turned around to see that the other bandit had already been beaten to the ground by the guards of the n school.


    ¡°Yangyang, Young Master¡­¡± Ji Xiang was anxious and shouted for Yangyang.


    ¡°Uncle Xiang, I¡¯m inside.¡± Yangyang crawled out from behind the academy guard. Ji Xiang went forward and picked him up. ¡°Young Master, fortunately, you reacted quickly. Otherwise, you would have been in trouble.¡±


    Yangyang looked at Ji Xiang proudly. ¡°Of course. Ever since I returned to the capital, I¡¯ve been cultivating ording to Mother¡¯s rules. Uncle Xiang, am I very powerful?¡±


    ¡°Very impressive.¡± Ji Xiang smiled and nodded. ¡°In a few more years, Young Master will surpass Uncle Xiang.¡±


    Ji Xiang hugged Yangyang and felt his heart drop. Thinking about how the two bandits had gone straight for Yangyang, someone must have wanted to take revenge on his master by attacking his young master.


    The carriage was blocked in the middle of the road by someone. The coachman was pulled out of the carriage and punched and kicked. The coachman held his head and kept shouting, ¡°It¡¯s none of my business. It¡¯s none of my business.¡±


    Lin Haoran and Lin Sen ran to Yangyang¡¯s side and gave him a thumbs up. ¡°Zhou Chenxi, you¡¯re so awesome! I want to acknowledge you as my master.¡±


    Yangyang asked Ji Xiang to put him down. He looked at the two of them and said seriously, ¡°Lin Haoran, you¡¯ll fish for three days and dry your for two days. You won¡¯t be able to cultivate. Lin Sen, aren¡¯t you most afraid of pain?! Cultivation is very tough.¡±


    The two of them looked at Yangyang with admiration. ¡°We¡¯ll learn well. Teach us.¡±


    ¡°Young Master, you should go back.¡± Suddenly, an old woman¡¯s voice sounded behind them. Lin Sen¡¯s smile suddenly disappeared. He lowered his head and turned to leave.


    The two of them watched as Lin Sen silently followed her. Lin Haoran sighed and said, ¡°Sigh! Lin Sen¡¯s old woman looks even more like a master than him.¡±


    Yangyang looked at Lin Haoran. ¡°What¡¯s going on with his family?¡±


    Lin Haoran shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Do you remember that Lin Sen said that his left hand hurt that day at dinner? It must have been this damn old woman.¡±


    Yangyang nodded and looked at him. ¡°That old woman doesn¡¯t look like a good person. Let¡¯s go to Lin Sen¡¯s house to take a look sometime.¡±


    Lin Haoran looked at Yangyang. ¡°Sigh! Come on! You were almost kidnapped. Your mother definitely won¡¯t even let youe to the n school.¡±


    Yangyang was a little worried wat. ¡°I¡¯ll go back and talk to my mother about letting mee to school.¡±


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s talk to Lin Sen when he gets here.¡±


    The guards had already tied up the two bandits. Mr. Lin from the academy looked at the two bandits on the ground and said to Ji Xiang, ¡°Steward Zhou, do you think we should send them to the government office or do you want to send them yourself?¡±


    ¡°Thank you, sir. Thank you for your help.¡± Ji Xiang smiled and cupped his hands at them. ¡°Leave it to me. I¡¯ll send them to the government office.¡±


    What had just happened made Mr. Lin wary. He felt that he could not let the children go out in a swarm in the future. ¡°Steward Zhou, after school in the future, we will wait for you toe and personally hand the children to you.¡±


    ¡°Alright, thank you, sir.¡± After Ji Xiang bowed, he picked up the bandit and walked towards the carriage.


    An old woman watching looked at the bandits with a frightened expression.


    A woman whispered, ¡°I heard that the child is the eldest son of the Assistant Minister of Revenue. Did his family offend someone? He wants to take revenge through the child.¡±


    The tall man said loudly, ¡°What does what happens in the royal court have to do with a child? I think only a crazy person would send someone to kidnap a child.¡±


    The people standing nodded in agreement. Someone even shouted, ¡°That¡¯s right! Who wouldy their hands on a child? Whoever dares to touch my child, I¡¯ll fight them to the death.¡±


    The familiar person teased, ¡°Sigh! With your small body, who can you beat?¡± Everyone smiled kindly.


    Ji Xiang threw the two bandits and the coachman into the carriage. After saying goodbye to the school teacher, he brought Yangyang and the bandits home.


    Yangyang saw Li Yu run over and grab her hand. ¡°Mother, when I was going home from school, someone came to catch me at the entrance of the school.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s see if you¡¯re injured anywhere.¡± Li Yu was shocked. She lifted Yangyang¡¯s clothes and checked.


    ¡°Mother, I¡¯m fine. I broke his head and punched him in the stomach.¡±


    Seeing that there were no wounds on his body, Li Yu was relieved. She looked at him and praised, ¡°Mother¡¯s big baby is so brave.¡±


    Ji Xiang went forward and told Li Yu what had happened. Li Yu stroked Yangyang¡¯s head in fear and thought to herself, These beasts in human skin all look noble and kind on the surface, but they do evil things behind my back.


    ¡°Take them down for questioning. I¡¯ll be right there.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam,¡± Ji Xiang agreed and walked out of the courtyard.


    Li Yu looked down at Yangyang and squatted down to pull him into her arms. She praised, ¡°Baby, you handled it very well.¡±


    Yangyang recalled Lin Haoran¡¯s words and looked at Li Yu. ¡°Mother, are you still letting me go to school?¡±


    ¡°Do you still want to go?¡± Li Yu said gently.


    Yangyang kept nodding. ¡°Yes, I like to go to school. My ssmates and sir are very good.¡±


    Li Yu touched his little face and replied with a smile, ¡°If you like it, go! Before Fatheres back, you have to go to school and return home with Uncle Xiang or Mother. You can¡¯t go to school alone.¡±


    ¡°Got it,¡± Yangyang recalled what those people were discussing. ¡°Mother, did Father capture a bad person? Did the bad persone to capture me because he wanted to take revenge on us?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Daddy caught the bad guys. That¡¯s why they sent someone to catch you.


    Are you afraid?¡±


    Yangyang waved his fist. ¡°I¡¯m not afraid. I know martial arts..¡±

 Chapter 520 - 520: Attack

    Chapter 520: Attack


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    A man stood at the door of the carriage with a sinister smile on his face. He held the door of the carriage with one hand and grabbed Yangyang with the other.


    Yangyang quickly retreated and dodged. He shouted, ¡°Uncle Xiang, there¡¯s a bandit.¡± As he shouted, he decisively threw the inkstone in his hand at the bandit. He turned around and ran into the family school.


    With a muffled bang, the inkstone hit the man¡¯s forehead and blood immediately flowed. The timid children screamed in fear, and the entrance of the academy was in chaos.


    The man didn¡¯t expect a child to be so skilled. He endured the dizziness and jumped out of the car. Right on the heels of that, another man jumped out of the car and pounced at Yangyang.


    Yangyang ran into the academy like a fish in the crowd. Lin Haoran and Lin Sen also turned around and followed him in.


    The guards in the n school rushed out with their whistles. Only then did


    Yanzvanz turn around and punch the bandits chasing him in the stomach. A few guards raised their whistles and surrounded the bandits, beating them up.


    Ji Xiang, who had chased after him, jumped into the air and kicked over the bandit who was pouncing at Yangyang. The man dodged to the side, and Ji Xiang kicked the bandit¡¯s face right on the heels of that. Blood flowed out of the corner of the bandit¡¯s mouth and he fell to the ground with a bang. Ji Xiang took a step forward and stepped on his leg. He heard the sound of the leg bone breaking and turned around to see that the other bandit had already been beaten to the ground by the guards of the n school.


    ¡°Yangyang, Young Master¡­¡± Ji Xiang was anxious and shouted for Yangyang.


    ¡°Uncle Xiang, I¡¯m inside.¡± Yangyang crawled out from behind the academy guard. Ji Xiang went forward and picked him up. ¡°Young Master, fortunately, you reacted quickly. Otherwise, you would have been in trouble.¡±


    Yangyang looked at Ji Xiang proudly. ¡°Of course. Ever since I returned to the capital, I¡¯ve been cultivating ording to Mother¡¯s rules. Uncle Xiang, am I very powerful?¡±


    ¡°Very impressive.¡± Ji Xiang smiled and nodded. ¡°In a few more years, Young Master will surpass Uncle Xiang.¡±


    Ji Xiang hugged Yangyang and felt his heart drop. Thinking about how the two bandits had gone straight for Yangyang, someone must have wanted to take revenge on his master by attacking his young master.


    The carriage was blocked in the middle of the road by someone. The coachman was pulled out of the carriage and punched and kicked. The coachman held his head and kept shouting, ¡°It¡¯s none of my business. It¡¯s none of my business.¡±


    Lin Haoran and Lin Sen ran to Yangyang¡¯s side and gave him a thumbs up. ¡°Zhou Chenxi, you¡¯re so awesome! I want to acknowledge you as my master.¡±


    Yangyang asked Ji Xiang to put him down. He looked at the two of them and said seriously, ¡°Lin Haoran, you¡¯ll fish for three days and dry your for two days. You won¡¯t be able to cultivate. Lin Sen, aren¡¯t you most afraid of pain?! Cultivation is very tough.¡±


    The two of them looked at Yangyang with admiration. ¡°We¡¯ll learn well. Teach us.¡±


    ¡°Young Master, you should go back.¡± Suddenly, an old woman¡¯s voice sounded behind them. Lin Sen¡¯s smile suddenly disappeared. He lowered his head and turned to leave.


    The two of them watched as Lin Sen silently followed her. Lin Haoran sighed and said, ¡°Sigh! Lin Sen¡¯s old woman looks even more like a master than him.¡±


    Yangyang looked at Lin Haoran. ¡°What¡¯s going on with his family?¡±


    Lin Haoran shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Do you remember that Lin Sen said that his left hand hurt that day at dinner? It must have been this damn old woman.¡±


    Yangyang nodded and looked at him. ¡°That old woman doesn¡¯t look like a good person. Let¡¯s go to Lin Sen¡¯s house to take a look sometime.¡±


    Lin Haoran looked at Yangyang. ¡°Sigh! Come on! You were almost kidnapped. Your mother definitely won¡¯t even let youe to the n school.¡±


    Yangyang was a little worried wat. ¡°I¡¯ll go back and talk to my mother about letting mee to school.¡±


    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s talk to Lin Sen when he gets here.¡±


    The guards had already tied up the two bandits. Mr. Lin from the academy looked at the two bandits on the ground and said to Ji Xiang, ¡°Steward Zhou, do you think we should send them to the government office or do you want to send them yourself?¡±


    ¡°Thank you, sir. Thank you for your help.¡± Ji Xiang smiled and cupped his hands at them. ¡°Leave it to me. I¡¯ll send them to the government office.¡±


    What had just happened made Mr. Lin wary. He felt that he could not let the children go out in a swarm in the future. ¡°Steward Zhou, after school in the future, we will wait for you toe and personally hand the children to you.¡±


    ¡°Alright, thank you, sir.¡± After Ji Xiang bowed, he picked up the bandit and walked towards the carriage.


    An old woman watching looked at the bandits with a frightened expression.


    A woman whispered, ¡°I heard that the child is the eldest son of the Assistant Minister of Revenue. Did his family offend someone? He wants to take revenge through the child.¡±


    The tall man said loudly, ¡°What does what happens in the royal court have to do with a child? I think only a crazy person would send someone to kidnap a child.¡±


    The people standing nodded in agreement. Someone even shouted, ¡°That¡¯s right! Who wouldy their hands on a child? Whoever dares to touch my child, I¡¯ll fight them to the death.¡±


    The familiar person teased, ¡°Sigh! With your small body, who can you beat?¡± Everyone smiled kindly.


    Ji Xiang threw the two bandits and the coachman into the carriage. After saying goodbye to the school teacher, he brought Yangyang and the bandits home.


    Yangyang saw Li Yu run over and grab her hand. ¡°Mother, when I was going home from school, someone came to catch me at the entrance of the school.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s see if you¡¯re injured anywhere.¡± Li Yu was shocked. She lifted Yangyang¡¯s clothes and checked.


    ¡°Mother, I¡¯m fine. I broke his head and punched him in the stomach.¡±


    Seeing that there were no wounds on his body, Li Yu was relieved. She looked at him and praised, ¡°Mother¡¯s big baby is so brave.¡±


    Ji Xiang went forward and told Li Yu what had happened. Li Yu stroked Yangyang¡¯s head in fear and thought to herself, These beasts in human skin all look noble and kind on the surface, but they do evil things behind my back.


    ¡°Take them down for questioning. I¡¯ll be right there.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam,¡± Ji Xiang agreed and walked out of the courtyard.


    Li Yu looked down at Yangyang and squatted down to pull him into her arms. She praised, ¡°Baby, you handled it very well.¡±


    Yangyang recalled Lin Haoran¡¯s words and looked at Li Yu. ¡°Mother, are you still letting me go to school?¡±


    ¡°Do you still want to go?¡± Li Yu said gently.


    Yangyang kept nodding. ¡°Yes, I like to go to school. My ssmates and sir are very good.¡±


    Li Yu touched his little face and replied with a smile, ¡°If you like it, go! Before Fatheres back, you have to go to school and return home with Uncle Xiang or Mother. You can¡¯t go to school alone.¡±


    ¡°Got it,¡± Yangyang recalled what those people were discussing. ¡°Mother, did Father capture a bad person? Did the bad persone to capture me because he wanted to take revenge on us?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Daddy caught the bad guys. That¡¯s why they sent someone to catch you.


    Are you afraid?¡±


    Yangyang waved his fist. ¡°I¡¯m not afraid. I know martial arts..¡±

 Chapter 521 - 521: Detained

    Chapter 521: Detained


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Li Yu was afraid that he would be arrogant andcent, so she warned him, ¡°You¡¯re young. If you encounter someone with strong martial arts, you won¡¯t be able to withstand a single move from him. If you don¡¯t believe me, you canpete with Uncle Xiang.¡±


    ¡°Oh! I¡¯ll remember that, Mother. I¡¯ll go see my brothers before I do my homework.¡±


    Yangyang thought for a moment and turned to ask Li Yu, ¡°When will Brother


    Loach and the otherse back from the farm?¡±


    Li Yu thought for a moment. ¡°When they have apanied Uncle Zhou to put the rice sent by the tenant farmers into the barn, they¡¯ll be back in about two to three days.¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡± Yangyang agreed and skipped away.


    Seeing that his footsteps were light and he was really not afraid, Li Yu was relieved. She walked towards the cer in the outer courtyard and smelled blood when she entered the cer.


    Seeing that Li Yu had arrived, Ji Xiang pointed at the bandits tied to the pir and said, ¡°Madam, he said that they saw that Eldest Young Master is good-looking and wanted to kidnap him and sell him for a few taels of silver.¡±


    The coachman looked up at Li Yu and begged in a hoarse voice, ¡°Madam, I¡­ was deceived by them. Please¡­ let me go.¡±


    ¡°Madam, spare us. We won¡¯t dare to do it again.¡± The other person was also begging.


    Li Yu looked at the dispirited people who had been tortured by Ji Xiang with a dark expression. She thought about how Country Lord Ning had already been exiled and that her family had never offended anyone in the capital. There was only the Cheng family in Yuezhou who could have a bone to pick. The head of the Cheng family had only been in the capital for half a month, but someone had already attacked Yang¡¯er. Who else could it be other than the Cheng family?


    ¡°They look like repeat offenders. Cut off their tendons and throw them out on the street.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± Ji Xiang walked up to the criminal whose head had been smashed by Yangyang with the inkstone. He grabbed his wrist and stabbed into his meridian, breaking the tendons in his hand. The criminal cried out in pain and fainted.


    The coachman was so frightened that he turned pale. He shouted in horror, ¡°I¡¯ll talk, I¡¯ll talk. Steward Cheng sent us here to kidnap Young Master and sell him far away. Madam, spare us¡­ We were really following orders.¡±


    Ji Xiang nced at Li Yu, who said coldly, ¡°You were following orders! You even dared to kidnap a child in public. It can be seen that you¡¯ve done many evil things.¡±


    ¡°Madam Li, don¡¯t you want to know what other methods my master will use to deal with you? As long as you let us go, I¡¯ll tell you.¡± The bandit with his head lowered suddenly interrupted Li Yu.


    ¡°What other methods can you use?¡± Li Yu stared into his eyes and sneered. ¡°It¡¯s nothing more than kidnapping, poisoning, assassination, and setting fire.


    What other methods can you use?¡±


    When the bandits heard Li Yu tell them everything casually, their pupils dted and they stared at Li Yu.


    Li Yu turned to Ji Xiang and said, ¡°After cutting off their tendons, get Han San to throw them at the entrance of the Cheng family. Go to the capital¡¯s government office and report the case. Tell them that the Cheng family is going to send someone to set fire to East Street.¡±


    The three of them cursed when they heard that. ¡°Vicious woman, I won¡¯t let you off even if I turn into a ghost¡­¡±


    ¡°Even if you be a ghost, I¡¯ll still deal with you. If you dare to do bad things, you have to pay the corresponding price.¡± Li Yu said coldly and turned to walk out.


    Ji Xiang punched them each, grabbed a few rags, and gagged them. He took a knife and severed the tendons in their hands and legs under their resentful gazes. Han San came down from above and dragged them out with Ji Xiang.


    Han San said to Ji Xiang, ¡°Brother Xiang, let¡¯s call Grandma Liu and Aunt Zhang over and publicize this matter at the entrance of the Cheng family.¡±


    Ji Xiang thought it was feasible. ¡°Okay, go get them. I¡¯ll get the car.¡±


    The few of them pulled her to the entrance of the Cheng family¡¯s house and dragged her down. They shouted, ¡°The Cheng family,e out to collect your people.¡±


    When the doorman saw Han San and the others throwing the bandits at the door aggressively, he turned around and ran in.


    Old Madam Liu and Aunt Zhanz D0inted at the three of them and bezan to shout, ¡°Everyone,e and take a look. The Cheng family is heartless. They sent someone to the entrance of the Lin family¡¯s school to kidnap my Eldest Young Master and even said that they wanted to set fire to East Street¡­¡±


    Han San also exined to the onlookers, ¡°These people went to the Lin n school today¡­ My Eldest Young Master is just a few years old. Our residence has no grudge with the Cheng family. Just because my Master went to Yuezhou to investigate, they sent people to take revenge on my Master and even wanted to burn down my Master¡¯s residence on East Street. Everyone, how can there be such a vicious person in the world¡­¡±


    More and more people gathered at the entrance of the Cheng family¡¯s house. Everyone looked at the three people lying on the ground and discussed.


    Cheng Sheng did not expect the Zhou family toe looking for him so quickly. When he heard the steward¡¯s report, he was so angry that he mmed the table and scolded, ¡°Useless thing, drag them away¡­¡±


    Before he could finish speaking, the servant shouted from outside, ¡°Master, the servants of the Zhou Mansion are shouting at the door. They said that you¡¯re going to send someone to burn down East Street. The door is surrounded by onlookers. ¡±


    Steward Cheng recalled Old Master Zhou blocking the entrance of the Gu family¡¯s house at the beginning of the year and hurriedly instructed, ¡°Close the door quickly and ignore them.¡±


    Steward Cheng felt that his Master had done this too rashly, causing the current situation. He turned to look at Cheng Sheng. ¡°Master, what do you think we should do about this? Those three people are still at the door. The Zhou family doesn¡¯t follow the rules. If we don¡¯t give them an exnation, they won¡¯t let the matter rest.¡±


    Cheng Sheng did not expect the Zhou family to be so unruly. They actually let the servants shout like shrews on the streets. At this point, letting them in was equivalent to admitting that the Cheng family had sent someone to do this.


    If he didn¡¯t get them in and let them make a fuss at the door, the Cheng family couldn¡¯t even show their faces. People would think that the Cheng family had a guilty conscience. Besides, there were those three people outside. When the time came, they would expose everything¡­ Cheng Sheng suddenly regretted sending someone to the Zhou family before the oue was clear.


    Before Cheng Sheng could think of a countermeasure, someone reported from outside the door, ¡°Master, the Imperial Survey Office sent someone over. They said that the Zhou family has sued you and Steward Cheng and they want to bring you and Steward Cheng for questioning.¡±


    The government office had sent someone so quickly. It seemed that His Majesty would really not let the Cheng family off. Thinking of the child he had sent away, Cheng Sheng felt a little better. He stood up and said to the steward,


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master.¡± Steward Cheng could only follow him out.


    When Cheng Sheng went out, he saw that the entrance of the house was surrounded by people. The three people Steward Cheng had sent were lying on the ground like a pool of mud. When they saw the two of them, they shouted for help.


    Ruyi, Mr. Qian, and the people from the government office were standing at the door. Seeing Cheng Shenge out, the bailiff went forward and cupped his hands. ¡°Master Cheng, are these people the servants of the Cheng family? Lord Zhou is suing you for ordering servants to kidnap the Zhou family¡¯s young master. Lord invites you to the government office for questioning.¡±O


    ¡°Master, Steward Cheng, you can¡¯t leave us be. We risked our lives for the Cheng family¡­ ¡±


    ¡°Shut up.¡± Cheng Sheng shouted at the three of them and turned to look at the official. ¡°Let¡¯s go! I¡¯ll apany you.¡±


    The people from the government office also brought the three of them to the government office. When they arrived, Cheng Sheng was quite straightforward. He admitted that he had ordered Steward Cheng to send those three people, but he did not admit that he wanted to send people to burn down East Street..

 Chapter 522 - 522: Return

    Chapter 522: Return


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    It was not easy for the Imperial Capital to convict him of what had not happened. They could only send people to patrol the vicinity of the Zhou family 24 hours a day and detain Cheng Sheng and Steward Cheng in the prison.


    When the government office sent the news to Zhou Jia, Li Yu had already gone to Wang Family Vige. She instructed Haitang and the others to pull up the sweet potato vines in the field one by one and clean them in one direction, asking them to remove the excess sweet potato leaves to prevent too many small sweet potatoes from growing from the excess roots and affecting the yield.


    After smoothing out the sweet potato vines, she added fertilizer along the ridge. This way, the yield of the nted sweet potatoes would be high.


    Li Yu watched as they sorted out the two ridges and rushed back to the city.


    During Zhou Jia¡¯s patrol of the various counties and towns under the Yuezhou Prefecture, he dealt with a few bullies and two corrupt officials who preyed on themoners.


    After the inspection, he returned to the Yuezhou Prefecture and learned that Judge Wu had received a lot of documents these days. Everyone kicks a man who is down. Many hidden matters about the Cheng family were dug up. When the Imperial Edict from the capital reached the Yuezhou Prefecture, it sentenced the men of the Cheng family to death, and the women were reduced to lowly status and had to enter the education office.


    Cheng Xu had done a meritorious deed by reporting and was exempt from punishment. The Cheng family of Yuezhou was not allowed to participate in the imperial examination for five generations.


    The rtives of the Cheng family all said the same thing, ¡®When the Cheng family was glorious, everyone else didn¡¯t get much glory. The family broke thew and did bad things, but they implicated the other Cheng family members and caused them to be thwarted from official careers.¡±


    Rats would leave a sinking ship, and no one from the Cheng n went to the prison to visit Cheng Shan and the others. Those people even took their anger out on Cheng Xu, saying that he had betrayed the Cheng family. Cheng Xu could only sell his family assets and bring his sister to the Wu family with the Wu couple.


    Feng Qing, the former magistrate of Yue Prefecture, was sentenced to death and his family was exiled. Vice Prefect Lin and General Zou were removed from their positions and would never be recruited.


    Among the miners and cksmiths detained by the Cheng family in the mine, the Imperial Court took out a portion of the silver they had confiscated from the Cheng family to settle them down. After the dead miners were verified, silver was distributed to the families of the dead miners.


    The weapons and armor forged by the Cheng family were distributed to the garrisons in Yuezhou and nearby state capitals as military supplies.


    At this point, Zhou Jia¡¯s trip to Yueyue Prefecture ended sessfully.


    Zhou Jia missed Li Yu and the children even more. He couldn¡¯t wait to go home. After resting for a while, he rushed back with a group of people.


    On this day, when they passed by a dense forest, Ding Yi, Ruyi, and the others felt that there was a murderous aura gathered in the forest.


    Ding Yi pulled the reins and stopped, looking warily at the forest. Ruyi, Zhao Cai, and the guards surrounded Zhou Jia.


    Ding Yi and Hu Cheng rode on their horses and looked into the depths of the dense forest.The forest was quiet and they could not hear a bird cry, making them feel even gloomier.


    The two of them Dulled the reins and slowlv walked deeoer into the forest. Chu Jia and the two servants hid in the depths of the forest with long sabers in their hands, quietly waiting for Ding Yi and the others to enter.


    The afterglow of the setting sun shone on the saber, and the cold light reflected shed in Ding Yi¡¯s eyes. Ding Yi raised his hand and threw out something. With a thunderp, thick smoke scattered. Ding Yi and Hu Cheng disappeared from Chu Jia¡¯s sight.


    Chu Jia thought to himself that something was wrong. Before he could react, killing intent had already arrived. The long and narrow des in Ding Yi and Hu Cheng¡¯s hands stabbed at the hidden servants in the forest.


    Ding Yi stabbed at Chu Jia¡¯s chest. Chu Jia blocked the blow with his saber and dodged it. Chu Jia raised his saber. Before he could skin it, Ding Yi leaned forward and cut his throat. He kicked him away.


    A servant shed at Ding Yi¡¯s back with a long knife. Ding Yi fell to the ground and rolled on his back. He dodged the blow and dodged behind the tree. He dodged another knife and hugged the tree trunk for a series of flying kicks. The servant was sent flying and fell against the tree trunk. Ding Yi jumped down and stabbed the servant in the chest.


    Hu Cheng also ended the life of a servant. The two of them stood in the forest and looked around before returning to the team to report to Zhou Jia, ¡°Sir, the people hiding in the forest have all been eliminated.¡±


    Zhou Jia nodded and said, ¡°Continue forward and rest at the courier station in front.¡±


    On this afternoon more than half a monthter, the group arrived at the capital. When they saw the city gate, their tense nerves rxed.


    Zhou Jia went to the pce to report to Chu Yuhao. Ruyi and Zhao Cai returned to the house and walked in with their horses.


    When Uncle Liu and the doorman saw the two of them, they went up to them in surprise. ¡°The two stewards are back. Is Master back?¡±


    Ruyi and Ji Xiang led the horses in with a smile. ¡°Tiezhu drove Master into the pce to report. He asked us to go home first.¡±


    Uncle Liu took the reins from the two of them and said with a smile, ¡°Manager Xiang even said that the Mid -Autumn Festival has passed and Master should be home soon. I was to get someone to guard the city gate tomorrow. I didn¡¯t expect you toe back today.¡±


    Zhao Cai smiled and replied, ¡°Master couldn¡¯t stay in Yuezhou for a moment longer. We simply packed up and rushed back.¡±


    At this moment, Ji Xiang returned from outside. When he saw the two of them, he quickly stepped forward and put his arm around their shoulders. Heughed and said, ¡°I¡¯ve finally brought you back. If you hadn¡¯te back, Madam would have gone to the Wang Family Vige to collect sweet potatoes.¡±


    The two of them looked at Ji Xiang and suddenly remembered that it was already the end of August. Ji Xiang¡¯s child had already been born. Zhao Cai patted him and said with a smile, ¡°Tell me, did your wife give birth to a daughter or a boy for you?¡±


    Ji Xiang smiled at the two of them. ¡°It¡¯s the little girl. She looks like Gu Yu. Brother Cai, Sister-inw is also pregnant. You¡¯re going to be a father.¡±


    Zhao Cai was stunned by the sudden good news. Ruyi looked at Ji Xiang and smiled. ¡°Congrattions, congrattions. We can be inws in the future.¡± ¡°Sure! Your Er Chun is not bad either,¡± Ji Xiang said happily.


    Li Yu stood in the courtyard and smiled at the three people who walked in with their arms around each other¡¯s shoulders. Zhao Cai and Ruyi went forward and bowed. ¡°Madam, we¡¯re back. Master went to the pce to report.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and nodded. She looked at the three of them and said, ¡°Alright, it¡¯s good that you¡¯re back safely. Zhao Cai and Ruyi will go back to see their wives and children. Ji Xiang will go to the old residence to pick up Old Master first before going back to bring the children and the wives over. We¡¯ll wee Master and the two of them tonight.¡±


    The three of them bowed and replied, ¡°Yes, Madam.¡±


    When Li Yu saw them walk out of the courtyard with their arms around each other¡¯s shoulders, she smiled and said to Granny Yang, ¡°Nanny, go tell the cook that Master is back and ask them to hold a family banquet tonight to wee them. Tomorrow, invite the uncles to a small gathering.¡± Granny Yang smiled and replied, ¡°Yes, Madam. We¡¯ll get them to prepare now.¡± Everyone in the Zhou Mansion got busy as if it was a festival.


    Zhou Jia only returned home in the evening. Just as he reached the door, he saw Li Yu, the child, Old Master Zhou, and the others weing him at the door. He walked forward excitedly and smiled at Li Yu. ¡°I¡¯m back!¡±


    Li Yu nodded with a smile. Yangyang ran over and held Zhou Jia¡¯s hand. ¡°Father, I missed you so much. You¡¯re finally back!¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled and picked him up. ¡°Yang¡¯er has grown taller again. Did you help Father take care of Mother and brothers at home?¡±


    Yangyang nodded with a smile. ¡°Yes, Mother even praised me.¡±


    Yueyue and Xingxing widened their dark eyes and looked at Zhou Jia curiously..

 Chapter 523 Reunion

    523 Reunion


    Zhou Jia nced at Old Master Zhou, who was looking at him with a smile. He bowed and said, "Greetings, Uncle."


    Old Master Zhou smiled poignantly and replied, "It''s good that you''re back. Jiahe''s wife, leave the child to me. Serve him and go back to wash up so that he can eat."


    "Yes, Uncle," Li Yu replied with a smile.


    After the couple returned to the house, Zhou Jia hugged Li Yu and kissed her as he muttered, "Yu''er, I miss you and the children so much."


    Li Yu looked at him deeply. "I miss you too. Look at how thin you are. It''s hard to hug you."


    "I missed you so much that I lost weight." Zhou Jia hugged Li Yu, his eyes filled with joy.


    When Li Qing found out that Zhou Jia had returned, he also brought Fan Mingfang to the Zhou family. Soon, Lin Zexu also brought Madam Gong over. Li Yu and Zhou Jia smiled and weed the two of them in.


    "Uncle, Aunt, I was still thinking of inviting you over tomorrow," Li Yu said with a smile.


    Lin Zexu smiled and said to Zhou Jia and Li Qing, "Let''s go in and talk."


    Zhou Jia smiled and walked towards the study with the two of them.


    Madam Gong looked at Zhou Jia and smiled. "Jiahe has lost a lot of weight on this trip to Yuezhou. Since he''s back, nourish him well."


    Li Yu smiled and nodded. "Yes, I shall nourish him well."


    After Zhou Jia, Lin Zexu, and Li Qing sat down in the study, he told the two of them what he had seen along the way and what had happened in Yuezhou. He said in a low voice, "I brought people to almost turn over the Cheng family in Yuezhou, but we still haven''t found any traces of the Second Prince. The weapons we seized from the Cheng family don''t match the number those craftsmen said. The quantity of iron ore that was sold doesn''t tally. His Majesty is worried that the Second Prince is hiding in the dark and waiting for an opportunity to make a move."


    Lin Zexu said, "The Cheng family of Yuezhou is a century-old family. They must have more than one backup n. How can they be easily found by you? I think those items have most likely been transported to the ce where the Second Prince is hiding."


    Li Qing looked at Lin Zexu in confusion. "Uncle, His Majesty is talented and strategic. He knows people well. Why didn''t thete Emperor appoint His Majesty as the heir apparent as soon as possible?"


    Lin Zexu said, "Thete emperor was afraid of the Shen family''s army and was unwilling to pass the throne to the Third Prince. After the Third Prince was injured, thete emperor prepared to appoint the Eldest Prince as the heir apparent. No one expected that not long after, the Noble Consort and her son would encounter trouble one after another. His Majesty had no choice but to pass the throne to the current emperor. Now, it seems that the Shen family is loyal to Great Yong. The Cheng family is willing to do anything for their own interests."


    Li Qing frowned and said, "Uncle, Brother-inw, I think there must be something wrong with that General Zou. Why was he only dismissed and not dealt with?"


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Qing. "Think about why His Majesty didn''t deal with him. Also, when youe out of the Hanlin Academy next year, do you think you''ll be getting a position in the capital or outside of the capital?"


    When Lin Zexu heard this, he also looked at Li Qing. "That''s right! Ah Qing, what do you think about this?"


    Li Qing had long considered this matter. When he heard the two of them ask, he said seriously, "Uncle, Brother-inw, I want to work outside for a few years before returning to the capital."


    Lin Zexu nodded and said, "That''s good. With us in the capital, as long as you make political achievements outside, your career will be even more illustrious after returning to the capital."


    Li Qing stood up and bowed to the two of them. "Ah Qing, thank you, Uncle. Thank you, Brother-inw."


    At this moment, the sound of Little Loach inviting them to the table came from outside the study. Only then did the three of them go out to the main hall to eat.


    Mr. Wen also returned from the pharmacy with Seven Pounds. Everyone greeted each other before sitting down. After dinner, Li Yu and Zhou Jia sent Uncle Lin and his wife out the door before returning to their rooms to rest. Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu and the two of them hugged andy down.


    After that, Zhou Jia told Li Yu in detail what had happened along the way and said, "His Majesty said that he wants toe along when you go to Wang Family Vige to collect sweet potatoes."


    Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia in surprise. "Why did he think of going to the Wang Family Vige? If he wants to see how sweet potatoes are dug, there''s one outside the city. Can it be safe to go so far away in the Wang Family Vige? What if something happens?"


    Zhou Jia smiled and kissed her. "Silly, His Majesty won''t attract attention when he goes out in his private clothes."


    Li Yu wrinkled her nose and said in disdain, "It''s troublesome. When the timees, I''ll be trembling with fear when I speak. I won''t feel at ease at all."


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu dotingly. "Yu''er, I heard that you made something called Dust Ball at home. His Majesty even said that he wants to see the coal stove you made."


    Li Yu smiled and said, "There are many in the manor. Now that Uncle, Ah Qing, and the others have used the briquettes to boil water, they''ve also used them at home. They all say that it''s convenient. We''ll go to the Wang Family Vige to dig up sweet potatoes at the beginning of the month. Report it and let His Majesty set a date!"


    "Yes! It''s been hard on you these days." Zhou Jia thought of how the Cheng family had attacked Yangyang and was still a little afraid. "I didn''t expect the Cheng family to be so crazy as to attack Yangyang."


    "When Sir came back, he was worried that Yangyang would be afraid at night and prepared a calming medicine for him. Who knew that he would sleep until dawn?" Li Yu said with a smile.


    Zhou Jia also smiled and nodded. "This child is bold." The couple talked about trivial matters for a while before falling asleep in each other''s arms.


    The next morning, after Zhou Jia woke up, Yangyang said to him, "Father, Mother said that when youe back, I''ll get Brother Loach and the others to send me to school. After school, I want to y with my ssmates for a while before going home."


    Zhou Jia looked at his son, who had grown much taller, and said with a smile, "Alright, Father will tell your mother when she wakes up. Don''t y for too long, lest we worry."


    Yangyang smiled when he heard that. "Yes! Father, don''t worry. I''ll go see my younger brothers before going to school."


    When Yueyue saw Yangyang, he cried out. Even Xingxing called out to him. Yangyang touched their furry heads and thought that it was sofortable to touch them gently. No wonder Mother always liked to touch his head.


    "Brother is going to school. Be good at home." With that, he turned around and left with Little Loach and Mao Dou.


    When they arrived at the entrance of the school, Yangyang said to Little Loach and Mao Dou, "Follow the old woman who sent Lin Sen hereter and see what she does. Tell me when I get out of school."


    The two of them nodded and asked, "Young Master, have you discussed it with Young Master Lin?"


    "Don''t worry, we agreed." Yang Yang looked at the old woman who had walked over with Lin Sen. "That''s her. Follow her well."


    When Lin Sen saw Yangyang, Little Loach, and the others, he walked forward and stood with Yangyang. He turned to look at the old woman. "Granny Yue, go back!"


    The old woman nodded and turned to leave. Little Loach and Mao Bean followed.


    Yangyang and Lin Sen stood at the door for a while before Lin Haoran arrived. When he saw the two of them, he asked, "Zhou Chenxi, is your father back?"


    Yangyang smiled and said, "He''s back. I told him that I''ll y with you guys for a while this afternoon. Tell your family too."


    "No need. My house is not far from Lin Sen''s house." Lin Haoran pulled the two of them into the school.


    Lin Haoran looked at Lin Sen. "Lin Sen, did she take your things again today?"

 Chapter 524 Confused Father

    524 Confused Father


    Lin Sen nodded. "She took away the inkstone my father gave me for the Mid-Autumn Festival. Every time she took something easy to break. I told my father, but he didn''t believe me. He even said that she was my mother''s nanny and was loyal to her. She would be good to me. She clearly wasn''t good to me at all. Why didn''t he believe me? Why did he believe that old woman?"


    Lin Haoran nodded. "That''s what adults are like. They always think that what they say is right. Just likest time, it was clearly my third brother who took my pocket money, but my mother said that I was greedy and spent it all on myself. She even found an excuse."


    Lin Sen looked at the two of them gloomily. "They still admonished me. It''s fine if the items are broken, but children have to be honest and can''t lie. The old woman even wiped her tears and said that I had learned bad things from people. My father even pressured me to apologize to her. I haven''t told him anything else since. He wouldn''t believe me even if I told him."


    Lin Haoran scolded, "Your father is a muddle-headed worm. He would rather believe in outsiders instead of his son."


    Yangyang nodded. "Yes! This old woman is quite scheming. Lin Sen, she must have taken your things and sold them for money. When Brother Loach returns with Brother Mao Dou, we''ll know who she sold them to."


    Lin Haoran looked at Yangyang. "Zhou Chenxi, she''ll have money if she takes the things to the pawnshop. Don''t tell me you don''t know that there''s a pawnshop!"


    Yangyang rolled his eyes at him. "Of course, I know about the pawnshop. My grandfather said that no matter how good a thing is, it''s not worth much in a pawnshop. If you take it to the old goods market, you can sell it for a few more coins."


    Lin Sen looked at the two of them with admiration. "Lin Haoran, Zhou Chenxi, you two know so much."


    Lin Haoran scratched his head. "No, my brother often pawned things and argued with others. My father caught him and beat him up a few times before I found out. Zhou Chenxi, how did you know?"


    "My father was talking to Uncle. When I heard that, I secretly asked Uncle. He told me that he was almost done selling the things in the old residence. If he had known earlier, he would have sold them in the old goods market for a few more taels of silver." Yangyang spread his hands.


    The three of them were still muttering when a ssmate called out, "Zhou Chenxi, you''re still talking. Sir is here."


    The three of them looked up and saw that the teacher had already arrived at the ssroom door. They quickly sat down separately.


    The teacher looked at the few students who were anxious to sit down and said to everyone, "Who wants to recite what I taught yesterday?"


    Everyone was silent. The teacher looked around and called out, "Zhou Chenxi, get up and recite it."


    "Yes, sir." Yangyang stood up. "Uncle Jing is paid, and Wu Hu''s clothes are left behind. Chunyu snickered, and Sima mocked¡­"


    "Okay, sit down." The teacher opened his textbook and exined.


    The few of them finally made it to the end of school. When they came out and saw Little Loach and Mao Dou waiting at the entrance of the school, they hurriedly ran over and asked, "How is it? Did you find anything?"


    "Yes," Little Loach said vividly. "We followed her for almost an hour and saw her go to a pawnshop. She came out a short whileter with a smile and something in her hand. Mao Dou and I pretended to bump into her identally. She staggered a few times and the paper in her hand fell to the ground. Mao Dou picked it up. She scolded us and sashayed away. We saw that she had dropped a pawn ticket. A dead pawn."


    Lin Sen took the pawn ticket Mao Dou handed him. The three of them gathered together and saw that it said: One Duan inkstone, two taels of silver, two wolf hair brushes, one tael of silver.


    Lin Haoranughed. "Lin Sen, you''ve got something on her now and canin to your father."


    "Alright, I''llin to my father after school."


    Yangyang pulled him and shook his head. "Lin Sen, you can''tin directly. You should¡­"


    The two of them looked at Yangyang with admiration. "Zhou Chenxi, you''re really cunning."


    "Pfft!" Yangyang spat and looked at the two of them proudly. "Only old men would say that I''m cunning. I''m just brave and resourceful."


    "Tsk." Lin Haoran sneered. "Keep bragging!"


    Yangyang smiled and patted him. He turned to look at Little Loach and Mao Dou. "Brother Loach,e and pick me up after school."


    "Yes, Young Master." The two of them agreed and left.


    After school, the three of them left the school together. Lin Haoran dismissed the servants who came to pick him up. Lin Sen followed the old woman back and turned around to see Yangyang and the others following behind him. He smiled at them.


    Lin Sen''s house was about half an hour away from the school. After seeing his father at home, Lin Sen walked to the door and said loudly to the old woman, "Granny Yue, where did you take the inkstone my maternal grandfather gave me for the Mid-Autumn Festival today?"


    Granny Yue looked at Lin Sen aggrievedly. "Young Master, why are you saying such things again? I can''t read. Why would I use your inkstone? Master, look at Young Master. I''m going to die from injustice."


    Father Lin walked to the door and looked at Lin Sen. "Ah Sen, go back and search carefully. Don''t talk to Granny like that."


    Although Lin Sen had long known that this would be the oue, he still felt a little sad. He looked at Father Lin sadly. "Father, I clearly saw her take my inkstone. Why don''t you believe me?"


    Granny Yue knelt at Father Lin''s feet and cried, "Master, before Miss died, she entrusted Young Master to me. I''ve been serving Young Master with all my might all these years. I don''t know who was sowing discord and making Young Master not believe me."


    "Nanny, get up quickly. I''ll get Ah Sen to apologize to you." Father Lin looked at Lin Sen and said, "Ah Sen,e and apologize to Granny."


    "No." Lin Sen turned his head. Mr. Lin said angrily, "You¡­"


    "Master, Young Master''s ssmate came outside and said that he has something to see Young Master about," the servant reported.


    "Let them in." Father Lin looked at Granny Yue. "Nanny, leave first. I''ll get Ah Sen to apologize to youter."


    Granny Yue looked sad. "Master, I don''t dare. I just want Young Master to be fine."


    Lin Sen looked at her and thought to himself that the old woman was even better at pretending than an actress on the stage.


    Yangyang and Lin Haoran brought Little Loach and Mao Dou into the Lin family. After the few of them went forward and bowed to Mr. Lin, they looked at Lin Sen and smiled. "Lin Sen, when Granny Yue came to pick you up, she dropped something. My follower picked it up and we came to return it to her."


    Lin Sen pretended to take the pawn ticket from Yangyang. After opening it and looking at it, he walked up to Father Lin angrily and stuffed the pawn ticket into his hand. "Father, take a look."


    Mr. Lin looked at the pawn in his hand in disbelief. He turned around and saw Granny Yue looking at the pawn ticket in his hand in panic. He already understood everything.


    "Sen, send the ssmates out first. Invite them to our house next time."


    Lin Sen nodded in agreement and sent them to the door. He said to them angrily, "My father still didn''t believe me just now. That old woman is very bad."


    Yangyang and Lin Haoran said indignantly, "Go back quickly. We''ll settle the old and new scores together."


    Lin Sen nodded and returned to the courtyard. He saw Granny Yue kneeling on the ground and begging Father Lin for mercy. Lin Sen stood at the side and looked at Father Lin coldly.


    "Ah Sen,e here." Mr. Lin waved at Lin Sen apologetically.

 Chapter 525 Chu Yao

    525 Chu Yao


    Lin Sen looked at him and pointed at Granny Yue angrily. "Father, you don''t believe me every time. You only believe this bad old woman. Do you know that she even stabbed me with a needle? It''s useless for me toin. You won''t believe me."


    Lin Sen pulled up the sleeve and pointed at the subtle marks on his arm. "She stabbed me previously."


    When Mr. Lin heard Lin Sen''s usation, he was filled with regret. He was so angry that he kicked Granny Yue and shouted, "Drag her away and search her room. Chase her out of the Lin family."


    The servant dragged Granny Yue away. Soon, he came out with a pile of things and a bag of silver. He said to Father Lin, "Master, these were all found in Granny Yue''s room."


    Mr. Lin saw various precious items and things left behind by Lin Sen''s mother.


    Mr. Lin looked at Lin Sen apologetically. He didn''t know how many times Ah Sen had suffered under her hands all these years. No wonder he had always been so thin.


    "Ah Sen, what do you want to eat? I''ll bring you to eat."


    Lin Sen nced at him. "When Sir is on vacation, I''m going to the Intoxicated Immortal Restaurant to eat an ice bowl. I also have to treat Zhou Chenxi and Lin Haoran to a meal and bring it to Little Loach and the others."


    Mr. Lin rubbed his son''s head and nodded with a smile. "Alright, we''ll invite them along."


    ***


    When Zhou Jia returned from the government office, he told Li Yu that Chu Yuhao would go to the Wang Family Vige with them to dig sweet potatoes the next day. He even asked them to bring Yangyang along.


    Li Yu asked Zhao Cai to bring Auntie He, Auntie Zhang, and Little Loach to the house at the Wang Family Vige to tidy up and prepare some food. She also asked Liu to prepare some buns to wee Chu Yuhao.


    The next morning, Li Yu''s family arrived at the entrance at the appointed time and waited. After more than a quarter of an hour, an inconspicuous carriage arrived at the door. Chu Yuhao lifted the curtain. Beside him sat a little boy who was about four or five years old. He was looking at Li Yu and the others curiously.


    Chu Yuhao waved at them and said, "Jiahe, Madam Li, there''s no need to be so polite. Lead the way!"


    "Yes." After Zhou Jia and Li Yu bowed, they brought the family into the carriage and slowly left the city towards the Wang Family Vige.


    Yangyang said to Li Yu and Zhou Jia, "Father, Mother, he''s the emperor and lives in the pce."


    Zhou Jia didn''t expect Yangyang to remember. He smiled at Li Yu and instructed, "Don''t tell others. Just know it in your heart."


    "Yes!" Yangyang made a sewing gesture near his lips.


    Li Yu said to Zhou Jia, "Is that child the Empress''? Why have I never seen the Empress?"


    Zhou Jia said in a low voice, "That''s His Highness the Crown Prince. I heard that the Empress''s health is very poor. After giving birth to His Highness the Crown Prince, she rarely leaves the pce and rarely sees guests. His Majesty might have established the position of Crown Prince after three weeks because of this."


    Li Yu nodded and guessed why Chu Yuhao had brought the child out to meet her family.


    In the carriage, Chu Yuhao said to the crown prince, "Yao''er, that was Lord Zhou just now. Daddy will bring you to his manor to y."


    Chu Yao looked at Chu Yuhao and said, "Yao''er knows Lord Zhou. Father said that he has a very smart little child at home."


    "Yes, hang out with him. If you like him, I''ll bring him into the pce to study with you."


    "Yao''er understands." Chu Yao nodded.


    When they arrived at Hengshan Town, Zhou Jia stopped the carriage and walked to Chu Yuhao''s carriage to report, "Third Master, do you and Young Master need anything here? There''s a shop in town that makes good buns."


    Chu Yuhao smiled and nodded. "Alright, let''s try the buns in town."


    When the group arrived at the bun shop, Steamed Bun Liu had already prepared buns, roasted chicken, and made pickled vegetables and fish.


    Steamed Bun Liu felt that it was about time. He stood at the door and waited for Zhou Jia''s family. He looked out a few times before seeing a team of carriagesing over. He saw Zhou Jia get out of the carriage, before walking to the carriage behind to respectfully wee an extraordinary man.


    He smiled and went forward. He bowed and said, "Lord Zhou, Madam Li, this benefactor, please sit inside."


    Zhou Jia smiled and cupped his hands at him. "Thank you, Shopkeeper Liu."


    Steamed Bun Liu smiled happily. "You''ve always been so busy. I can''t even invite you!"


    Everyone went upstairs and sat down. Yangyang went forward and bowed to Chu Yuhao. "Chenxi greets Uncle."


    Chu Yuhao smiled and asked, "Do you still remember who I am?"


    Yangyang smiled and nodded at him. "I remember. You''re the uncle who helped me punish the little fatty and even gave me a toy."


    "Not bad. He''s a good child." Chu Yuhaoughed when he heard that. Zhou Jia and Li Yu smiled awkwardly.


    Chu Yuhao said to Chu Yao, who was leaning against him, "Go! The two of you go y together."


    Yangyang reached out to Chu Yao and said, "Let''s go to the backyard. There are grapes in the backyard. Let''s go pick grapes."


    The granny who had followed them looked at Chu Yuhao anxiously. Chu Yao also looked at him. Seeing this, Chu Yuhao said to Chu Yao, "Go! Don''t run too far."


    Yangyang led Chu Yao to the backyard. When they reached the grape rack, he pointed at the bunches of purple-ck grapes hanging on the rack and said to Chu Yao, "Have you picked grapes?"


    Chu Yao looked at the grapes curiously. "The eunuch and granny know how to pick them. I''ve never picked them before."


    "You''ve never plucked it before! In that case, wait for me belowter. Take a look at which one you like. I''ll help you pluck it and give it to you."


    "Okay." Chu Yao looked at Yangyang and nodded with a smile.


    Ling''er took the scissors and handed the high stool to Yangyang. She smiled and said, "Yangyang, I''ll help you pick grapes."


    "Yes, thank you, Sister Ling''er." Yangyang climbed onto the high stool and pointed at the grapes on it. He said to Chu Yao, "Have you selected?"


    "I want that bunch." Chu Yao pointed at the string above Yangyang''s head and shouted.


    Yangyang picked up the scissors and cut off the bunch of grapes. He ced them in the saucepan Ling''er was holding. Ling''er picked one and ced it in her mouth to taste it. She felt that it was not bad. Chu Yao walked around under the grape rack and chose a few more bunches. Yangyang helped him pluck them beforeing down from the high stool.


    Ling''er picked up the grapes and ced them in his hand. "Young Master, are you eating them now? I''ll help you wash it."


    Chu Yao looked at the grapes in his hand and nodded. He followed Ling''er to the kitchen and looked around curiously. Ling''er scooped adle of water and poured it into the wooden basin. She washed the grapes and handed them to him. "Eat! They''re very sweet."


    In the pce, it was always others who tore off the skin and picked out seeds for him to eat. Ling''er let him eat, so he picked one and ced it in his mouth to chew a few times. He didn''t even spit out the skin and seeds before swallowing it.


    Yangyangughed at the sight. After picking a grape and eating it for him to see, he grinned at him. "You have to spit out the skin and seeds like I did. That''s how you eat grapes."


    Chu Yao smiled in embarrassment. "I didn''t know the grape skin was a little bitter."


    "My mother said it''s only delicious if you prepare it yourself. When we go to the farmter, we''ll go fishing with Brother Loach and the others and dig sweet potatoes to roast."


    "Where are you fishing? In the pool in the garden?" Chu Yao asked curiously.


    "What''s the point of fishing in the garden pool? Let''s fetch a wooden basin and go to the ditch to fish. It''s very fun."

 Chapter 526 - 526: Digging Sweet Potatoes

    Chapter 526: Digging Sweet Potatoes


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Chu Yao couldn¡¯t imagine what a ditch was like, but he felt that it would definitely be fun to fish in it. He looked at Yangyang with sparkling eyes and nodded. ¡°Sure! I want to fish with you.¡±


    Yangyang nodded. ¡°Sure! Let¡¯s go back and eat buns first. Grandpa Liu¡¯s mutton buns are delicious. I can eat five at a time.¡±


    Only five? Chu Yao nced at Yangyang, stood up, and reached out his hand.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll try it too.¡±


    The two of them returned to the table hand in hand. Liu had already begun to serve the dishes and buns.


    Chu Yao saw the white and fat buns on the dining table and understood why Yangyang had only eaten five. The food outside the pce was too different from the dishes inside the pce, but it was very interesting.


    Li Yu looked at the grape juice on their faces and said with a smile, ¡°Hurry up and wash your hands. Come and eat the buns.¡±


    Yangyang turned around and went to wash his hands. The eunuch dressed as a follower hurriedly followed Chu Yao and wanted to help. Chu Yao turned to look at him. ¡®You don¡¯t have to follow me. I know how to wash myself.¡± Chu Yuhao waved at the eunuch, who stood to the side.


    Steamed Bun Liu had already realized that Lord Zhou was respectful to this noble. He also carefully brought the dishes to the table.


    Chu Yuhao smiled at Zhou Jia, who was a little reserved, and said, ¡°It¡¯s rare for us to be free toe out and shop. Let¡¯s be more casual.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Zhou Jia replied respectfully.


    The pce was particr about not talking when eating or sleeping. Everyone ate in silence and only the sound of cups clinking could be heard.


    After dinner, Yangyang looked at Chu Yao and said, ¡°I¡¯m not lying, right? Grandpa Liu¡¯s buns are very delicious!¡±


    ¡°Yes! They are so big.¡± Chu Yao thought for a moment beforeing up with a word to express it. ¡°It¡¯s very satisfying.¡±


    Yangyang asked softly, ¡°How many did you eat?¡±


    ¡°Three. What about you?¡± Chu Yao looked at Yangyang in embarrassment.


    Yangyang held out a hand. ¡°Five.¡±


    Seeing that the two children had be familiar in less than an hour, Chu Yuhao smiled at Li Yu and Zhou Jia and said, ¡°Madam Li, let Yao¡¯er sit in a carriage with you. I¡¯ll talk to Jiahe.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Third Master.¡± Li Yu smiled and bowed.


    Chu Yao followed Li Yu and her son into the carriage while Zhou Jia went to Chu Yuhao¡¯s carriage and sat there cautiously. Chu Yuhao looked at Zhou Jia and smiled. ¡°Jiahe, I think Yao¡¯er likes Chenxi very much. Let your Chenxie to my ce to study with Yao¡¯er and cultivate with him. Go back and discuss it with Madam Li?¡±


    Zhou Jia hesitated for a moment and said, ¡°Third Master, you know that my Madam dotes on her child very much, especially Yang¡¯er. She raised him single-handedly. If he can go home every day, she might agree. If he only leaves the pce once every ten to fifteen days when he stays at your ce, I¡¯m afraid she won¡¯t agree.¡±


    Knowing Madam Li¡¯s personality, Chu Yuhao smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll let him go home every day. I won¡¯t detain him in the pce.¡±


    Zhou Jia cupped his hands and said, ¡°Thank you for your understanding, Third Master.¡±


    Chu Yuhao smiled and waved his hand. ¡°I¡¯m the one thanking you.¡±


    After the carriage crossed the bridge, Little Loach, Mao Dou, and the others had already reached the bridge. Yangyang looked at Li Yu and said, ¡°Mother, I want to get out of the car and walk with Brother Loach and the others.¡±


    ¡°Madam, can I go?¡± Chu Yao looked curiously at Little Loach and the others standing under the car.


    Li Yu nced at Chu Yao¡¯s curious expression and felt that such a young child was locked in the deep pce. He was either facing eunuchs or pce maids, as well as a group of women who were infighting. He might not have any semnce of normal childhood.


    She smiled and said to Yangyang, ¡°Go! Protect Young Master well. You can¡¯t go to the river to y with the water.¡±


    ¡°Aye!¡± Yangyang agreed happily and jumped out of the carriage. Li Yu carried Chu Yao down the carriage and said to Little Loach and the others, ¡°Mao Dou, watch Young Master. You can¡¯t go to the river to y with the water.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± Mao Dou hurriedly nodded in agreement.


    Chu Yao walked on the dirt road and looked at the ditches and haystacks in the fields. He even squatted down to take a look at the weeds along the road. He asked questions and was curious about everything.


    Little Loach whispered to Yangyang, ¡°Young Master, has this young master never been to the countryside to y?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± The mischievous Yangyang instructed them in a low voice, ¡°His father is a very high-ranking official. You have to be respectful to him.¡±


    ¡°We understand. Are we still going to fish in the ditch?¡± Maizi asked from the side.


    Yangyang nodded. ¡°Yes. Have you prepared the things?


    Little Loach said, ¡®Yes, we can fish as soon as we get there.¡±


    Yangyang held Chu Yao¡¯s hand. ¡°Young Master, let¡¯s go and change our clothes. Then we¡¯ll bring our equipment to fish.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Chu Yao followed the children into the house and the two eunuchs hurriedly followed.


    When Li Yu arrived at the entrance of the manor, Haitang and Han San had already Clit off the swept potatn vines and were waiting for T.i Vil and the others


    to start the digging.


    Chu Yuhao and Zhou Jia encountered a few vigers on the way and stopped the carriage to ask about this year¡¯s harvest. The vigers said happily that the weather was good this year and the harvest of rice and corn was not bad.


    Chu Yuhao was relieved when he heard that. He asked some more questions about the people¡¯s livelihood before getting the coachman to drive the carriage to the manor.


    Li Yu waited by the sweet potato field. When Chu Yuhao and Zhou Jia got out of the car, she smiled and said to Chu Yuhao, ¡°Look, this area has a total of five acres ofnd and has been nted with sweet potatoes. I¡¯ve already gotten someone to prepare a hoe. You¡¯ll dig the ground today.¡±


    Chu Yuhao looked in from the open fence door and saw ridges. Another sweet potato vine on the ridge had been cut and two hoes had been ced there.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll dig with the first hoe. The sweet potatoes are nted on a ridge that rises, right?¡±


    Li Yu didn¡¯t expect him to know the fields. She nodded and replied with a smile, ¡°Yes, dig from near the sweet potato vines. As soon as you hoe them down, sweet potatoes will emerge¡­¡¯


    Zhou Jia looked at Chu Yuhao worriedly. He was worried that Chu Yuhao would dig at his feet. That would be troublesome. He might even be used of harming His Majesty.


    Li Yu was also worried initially. Seeing him wave the hoe, she was finally relieved.


    Chu Yuhao dug down with the hoe and indeed dug out a nest of sweet potatoes. The soil was loose and with a gentle hook of the hoe, the sweet potatoes came out.


    ¡°Hahaha! Not bad. We dug out four of them with this hoe. They¡¯re all quite tall.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect your movements with the hoe to be quite practised.¡±


    Chu Yuhao smiled proudly. ¡°Of course. Every year, I have to go down to the field to plow and dig the first hoe.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and said, ¡°You¡¯re our role model.¡±


    Chu Yuhao continued to dig excitedly. Zhou Jia also started digging with a hoe.


    Chu Yuhao looked at the sweet potatoes that had been dug out and said excitedly to Zhou Jia, ¡°Send these sweet potatoes to those ces with drought and little rain this winter. I¡¯ve already gotten someone to write a farming book ording to Madam Li¡¯s nting method. These sweet potatoes can let more people eat their fill. Madam Li contributed greatly.¡±


    Zhou Jia bowed and said, ¡°It was you who was benevolent and loved the people. The heavens bestowed Great Yong with these things..¡±

 Chapter 527 - 527: Luck

    Chapter 527: Luck


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Chu Yuhao smiled and waved his hand. ¡°Jiahe, don¡¯t learn from those wily old foxes. They only know how to tter me all day. No one in Great Yong knows about sweet potatoes. Without Madam Li¡¯s discerning eyes, I¡¯m afraid sweet potatoes are still raised as flowers.¡±


    Hearing Chu Yuhao praise Li Yu, Zhou Jia was also very happy. ¡°Madam is lucky.¡±


    Chu Yuhao smiled and nced at Zhou Jia. ¡°Jiahe is also very lucky.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Zhou Jia nced at Li Yu, who was picking up the sweet potatoes behind him, and smiled proudly.


    Chu Yuhao asked Li Yu, who was picking up the sweet potatoes behind him, ¡°Madam Li, after you finish digging the spring sweet potatoes, when will you start digging the winter sweet potatoes?¡±


    Li Yu smiled and said, ¡°We can dig up winter sweet potatoes in two months.


    The yield of winter sweet potatoes is a little worse than spring sweet potatoes.¡±


    Chu Yuhao said in satisfaction, ¡°It¡¯s not bad to have half of such a harvest. I wonder if there are other ways to eat this sweet potato.¡±


    Li Yu smiled. ¡°Master said that sweet potatoes can also be made into dried sweet potatoes, sweet potato flour, and sweet potato noodles. They taste good too.¡±


    Hearing Li Yu mention her master, Chu Yuhao was very curious about Li Yu¡¯s mysterious master. He thought that it would be good if they could meet.


    ¡°When we nt them inrge quantities, I¡¯ll definitely ask you to teach the chefs to make some to try.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll make some for you to try next year.¡±


    Zhou Jia followed Chu Yuhao for a while. Seeing that he was sweating, he hurriedly said to him, ¡°Third Master, do you want to go to the manor and take a look at the goldenurel by the lotus pond?¡±


    The sun was scorching and it was really unbearable. Chu Yuhao replied readily, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go for a walk.¡±


    Seeing Zhou Jia follow Chu Yuhao out of the sweet potato field, Li Yu asked Han San to bring a few tenants to the field to start work.


    Li Yu looked at the sweet potatoes that had been dug up by Chu Yuhao and shook her head with a smile. She took some sweet potatoes back and went to the kitchen. Auntie He smiled and said to Li Yu, ¡°Madam, I bought two basses and steamed them. I made pepper chicken, roasted duck with taro, and small crispy meat¡­ They¡¯re all home-cooked vors. What do you think?¡±


    Li Yu looked at the dishes they had prepared and thought about how Chu Yuhao and his son had eaten shark fin and sea cucumber every meal in the pce. asionally, they could eat these for a change.


    She pointed at the sweet potatoes in the bamboo basket and said to the two of them, ¡°Auntie He, grab some millet and sweet potatoes with the old pumpkin. Use the y pot to make a jar of sweet potato pumpkin porridge. Steam some more and add stir-fried rapeseed moss.¡±


    Aunt Zhang smiled and took the bamboo basket. ¡°Making porridge on the briquette stove is the most suitable.¡±


    ¡°Alright, do as you see fit! I¡¯ll go to the courtyard and pick some grapes.¡±


    Li Yu took the fruit basket and went to the grape rack to pick out the shiny dark purple grapes. She looked at the two grape racks and thought of wine. She carried the bamboo basket back to the house and found a wicker basket. She carried it back to the grape rack and began to cut the grapes to brew wine.


    Chu Yao was wearing a rough cloth coat. He stood on the field for a while and looked at Mao Dou fishing in the ditch. He followed Yangyang and chased dragonflies for a while. Then he fetched water and watered it on the dung beetles. He was having a lot of fun.


    The two eunuchs followed behind. They looked at the fair and tender Crown Prince, who was wearing a rough cloth coat, and cheered like a farmer¡¯s child. They were worried about how they would answer to the Empress Dowager when they returned to the pceter.


    The few of them yed under arge locust tree and sat on a stone stool to rest. Chu Yao said to Yangyang, ¡®Yangyang, are you willing to enter the pce to study with me?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m already studying in the Lin family¡¯s n school! I have two very good ssmates there. Do you not have anyone to y with? Why don¡¯t youe to the Lin family¡¯s n school to study with us?¡±


    ¡°Grandmother and Mother won¡¯t agree to let me study outside. Besides, I have a lot to learn.¡± Chu Yao looked at Yangyang and said bewitchingly, ¡°There¡¯s the Grand Tutor in the pce who teaches us. The Grand Tutor is the most knowledgeable person in the world. There¡¯s also General Shen and Minister Wang who teach me how to ride and shoot. We can go to the drill ground to ride and shoot arrows. We can also make bows and weapons ourselves.¡±


    Yangyang¡¯s eyes lit up when he heard that he could ride a horse and shoot


    arrows. However, ne couuan?t Dear to part witn Lin Haoran ana Lin Ben. me looked at Chu Yao and said, ¡°Can you ask your father to agree to let Lin Haoran and Lin Sen study at your house?¡±


    Chu Yao thought for a moment and nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll only reply to you after I go back and discuss it with Father.¡±


    Zhou Jia and Chu Yuhao looked around before finding the children under the locust tree.


    Chu Yuhao saw his son sitting against the locust tree in a rough cloth coat and smiled. ¡°Yao¡¯er, is it fun to y with Chenxi?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fun.¡± Chu Yao pointed at the small fish and prawns in the wooden basin. ¡°Father, these are all picked up by Little Loach and the others in the ditch. We even caught dragonflies and poured water on dung beetles.¡±


    Chu Yuhao looked at Little Loach and the others, who were standing respectfully at the side. ¡°Jiahe, did you bring these children over from


    Yunzhou?¡±


    Zhou Jia nodded. ¡°Yes, the other children are all on the farm. We hired Mr. Liu and left a small steward there to manage the farm and those old people and children.¡±


    Chu Yuhao nodded and said, ¡°You have to choose the people who manage the farmstead well. I¡¯m afraid those farmstead owners will abuse those old people and children with the little power in their hands.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s why I hired Mr. Liu and Yang Wei to manage the manor in Yunzhou back then. I also asked Manager Chu Feng to help supervise them.¡±


    Chu Yuhao nodded. He looked at the sky and reached out to Chu Yao. ¡°Come, it¡¯s time for us to go back.¡±


    When the group returned to the manor, Auntie He and the others had already prepared the food. Chu Yao and Yangyang ate sweet potatoes and drank thick sweet potato pumpkin millet porridge. The two children felt that it tasted good.


    Chu Yuhao ate some as well. Seeing that Chu Yao ate two bowls of porridge, two pancakes, and some vegetables without anyone¡¯s persuasion, he felt that the child had to move more to have the appetite to eat.


    After dinner, they rested for a while and prepared to set off for the city. Li Yu asked Zhao Cai to move the grapes from the wicker basket to the carriage and head back together.


    Chu Yuhao and Chu Yao sat down in the carriage. Chu Yuhao looked at his red face and asked with a smile, ¡°Did you have a good time today?¡±


    Chu Yao nodded happily. ¡°Yes! Father, the countryside is more fun than the pce. The things they y are also very interesting. I like to y with Yangyang. Father, can I stille out to y in the future?¡±


    ¡°Yao¡¯er, you know it¡¯s not easy for us toe out once. You¡¯re the heir apparent of Great Yong. You have your responsibilities.¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡± Chu Yao lowered his head.


    At dusk, the group entered the city. Chu Yuhao asked the guard to inform Li Yu and her husband that there was no need to follow them back to the residence.


    The two teams split up on East Main Street and headed back. Chu Yao returned to the pce and told the Empress Dowager what he had seen and heard today.


    The Empress Dowager looked at her lively grandson and said happily to Chu Yuhao, ¡°It seems that Yao¡¯er likes to y with Young Master Zhou. Send a decree to let him enter the pce to study with him!¡±


    Chu Yuhao smiled and said, ¡°I have already mentioned it to Jiahe. Let him discuss it with Madam Li.¡±


    The Empress Dowager nodded. ¡°Alright, go and see your wife! She¡¯s sick. Let here out to bask in the sun.¡±


    Chu Yuhao bowed and said, ¡°Yes, sorry to trouble you..¡±

 Chapter 528 - 528: Old Friend

    Chapter 528: Old Friend


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    When the couple returned home, Zhou Jia told Li Yu about Chu Yuhao letting


    Yangyang go to the pce to study. He looked at her and said, ¡°Yu¡¯er, His Majesty asked me toe back and discuss it with you. What do you think?¡±


    Li Yu looked at Yangyang, who was lying on the bamboo couch and sleeping soundly with the twins. She nodded and said, ¡°I think the Crown Prince¡¯s personality is quite good. He¡¯s not as arrogant and domineering as the children of some noble families. It¡¯s the emperor¡¯s intention for Yang¡¯er to enter the pce to study. It¡¯s not like he can only go home once every ten days or half a month. Let him go!¡±


    Zhou Jia also looked at his three sons. ¡°I think so too. His Majesty doesn¡¯t have many children now. He has two sons and a daughter. The Crown Prince was born by the Empress. The three-year-old prince and the two-year-old princess were both born by Consort Shu. Let¡¯s follow His Majesty¡¯s instructions and not be afraid of falling into a party battle.¡±


    Li Yu nodded. ¡°His Majesty is in his prime. Let¡¯s just listen to the His Majesty¡¯s orders. It¡¯s not like we are pining for high positions. This is already not bad. Don¡¯t be close to those officials who form alliances.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu and kissed her temple. He smiled and said, ¡°Yes! I¡¯ll listen to you.¡±


    Li Yu looked at his obsequious expression and smiled. ¡°Yue¡¯er will be as sweet-tongued as you in the future. Sleep with the children for a while. I¡¯ll bring them to brew the wine.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll goter!¡± Zhou Jia hugged Li Yu for a while before letting go of her.


    Li Yu came out of the room and saw Zhao Cai getting someone to ce the grapes under the eaves of the porch.


    Xing Hua said to Li Yu, ¡°Madam, Steward Cai said that you want to brew fruit wine with these grapes, so I¡¯ll leave them here.¡±


    Li Yu nodded. ¡°Carry the grapes to the well and bring out arger jar.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Xing Hua agreed crisply and carried the grapes to the well with Aunt Zhang.


    Old Madam Liu carried a wine jar to the well and said to Li Yu with a smile, ¡°Madam, the wine steel is here. Are you nning to brew fruit wine?


    ¡°There are quite a lot of grapes in the manor. Wash the grapes and dry them.


    Then get some crushed rock sugar and call me when the water is dry.¡±


    ¡°Alright, go and rest for a while. When it¡¯s done, we¡¯ll call you again,¡± Old Madam Liu replied.


    Just as Li Yu returned to the main courtyard, Granny Yang entered the courtyard with an invitation. She smiled and said, ¡°Madam, the Duke of Fu has married a second wife and sent a wedding invitation to invite you and Master to a banquet. I heard that the new princess consort of the Duke of Fu is only in her teens. She¡¯s about the same age as the youngest daughter of the Duke of


    Li Yu took the invitation and saw that it said 2nd September. She was curious about what kind of family was willing to marry their daughter to an old man.


    ¡°Whose daughter is it?¡± Li Yu asked.


    Granny Yang smiled and said, ¡°I heard that she¡¯s the daughter of a concubine of a family with the surname Yu. Her father is a lowly official. During the Dragon Boat Festival, Duke Fu went out on a trip. His horse was frightened by a crazy cow from a farmer¡¯s family. This lowly official saved Duke Fu and somehow became Duke Fu¡¯s father-inw.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and said, ¡°Alright, it¡¯s only two days away from the second day of the new year. Who sent those wine and pastries?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s General Shen Wu¡¯s Madam. Madam Wu said that she¡¯s going to visit Maple Leaf Mountain in the east of the city on the ninth day of the new year and asked if you were going. She even sent chrysanthemum wine and Chongyang cake.¡¯


    On the ninth day of the new year, it was the Double Ninth Festival. People had to nt dogvvoods, eat Double Ninth Cake, and drink chrysanthemum wine. ¡°Are the Double Ninth Cake and chrysanthemum wine at home ready?


    ¡°It¡¯s ready. The gift has been sent out.¡±


    ¡°Alright, we have many elders in our family. On the ninth day of the new year,


    I¡¯ll bring them to eat crabs and drink chrysanthemum wine to rx.¡±


    Granny Yang smiled when she heard that. ¡°That¡¯s good. On that day, I¡¯ll bring them to the backyard to drink and admire the chrysanthemums. Madam, are you going to Maple Leaf Mountain?¡±


    Li Yu recalled that Zhou Jia had not gone to the hot spring manor outside the city since he came back. ¡°No, on the ninth day of the new year, we¡¯ll go to the manor outside the city to soak in the hot spring. Reply to Madam Wu. I¡¯ll treat her the next time.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll go and reply Madam Wu now.¡± Granny Yang bowed and retreated.


    After dinner, Old Madam Liu came to ask Li Yu to teach them how to make wine.


    Li Yu went to the kitchen and brought a few people to crush the grapes. She ced them in the wine jar with the skin and sprinkled ayer of rock sugar before cing the grapes. After they were done, she sealed the wine jar.


    ¡°Let it ferment in the house for a month. When the timees, you can filter it with thin gauze and let it sit for another month.¡±


    Old Madam Liu smiled and said, ¡°Madam, why don¡¯t youe back in a month?¡±


    Li Yu nodded and returned to the main courtyard. Zhou Jia looked at the invitation from the Fu family and looked at Li Yu. ¡°Yu¡¯er, do you know who the princess consort of the Fu family is?¡±


    ¡°I heard that she¡¯s the daughter of a concubine of a low-ranking official. What¡¯s wrong?¡± Li Yu asked curiously.


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu. ¡°She¡¯s the daughter of County Lieutenant Yu¡¯s concubine.¡±


    The news was beyond Li Yu¡¯s expectations. ¡°Ah! Has County Lieutenant Yu been transferred to the capital?¡±


    ¡°County Lieutenant Yu and the county magistrate of Qingchuan were not on good terms. Not long after we left, he abandoned his official position and returned to Qingzhou. I heard that he partnered with someone to open an escort agency. When the escort cart into the capital, he happened to save the Duke of Fu.¡±


    Zhou Jia paused for a moment. ¡°You know, his concubine¡¯s daughter is a restless person. For some reason, she hooked up with Duke Fu. I heard from my colleagues in the government office that Duke Fu dotes on her very much.¡±


    ¡°How do you know this?¡± Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia in surprise. ¡°You men gossip about this in the government office! Why haven¡¯t you ever told me about it?¡±


    Zhou Jiaughed when he heard that. ¡°I¡¯d listen to them from time to time. If you like it, I¡¯ll tell you when Ie back in the future.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and sat beside Zhou Jia. She couldn¡¯t imagine a group of dignified ancient officials gossiping.


    ¡°Then what are you all doing at work? Tell me.¡±


    ¡°After the official business is done, after everyone has eaten lunch, they will carry tea and sit in the garden at the back of the government office. They will share things like how someone was punished by his Madam to kneel on the pedalst night. Which family copsed their grape rack, which family¡¯s concubine fought with Madam. In order to promote the actor, a certain young master took the antiques at home and pawned them¡­¡±


    Li Yuughed when she heard that. ¡°I always thought that when you were all in the government office, you were all serious and did your own things. I didn¡¯t expect you to gossip like women.¡±


    ¡°Most of the time, they¡¯re still polite. You know that those people praise the strong and trample on the weak. Many of them just maintain a superficial harmony.¡±


    ¡°Yu¡¯er, County Lieutenant Yu went to the government office to look for me after hooking up with Duke Fu. I felt that he was up to no good, so I ignored him. Later, Duke Fu found him a job in the capital government office.¡±


    From Madam Tang¡¯s encounter, Li Yu knew that County Lieutenant Yu was not a good person. Also, Yu Yan was the same as her mother. If Duke Fu married such a woman, he would not be far from the destroying his family.


    ¡°It¡¯s right to ignore such an evil person. His concubine¡¯s daughter isn¡¯t a kind person either. We don¡¯t have any dealings with their family, so let¡¯s pretend not to know them.¡±


    ¡°My wife and I have thought of the same thing.¡±


    Zhou Jia stood up and held Li Yu¡¯s hand. ¡°Let¡¯s tell Yang¡¯er about entering the pce as a studypanion..¡±

 Chapter 529 - 529: Study Companion

    Chapter 529: Study Companion


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    The couple carried Yueyue and Xingxing to the backyard.


    Yangyang, Little Loach, and the others were still cultivating. When Yangyang saw Li Yu, he jumped in front of Li Yu and made a move to punch her. Li Yu grabbed his fist with one hand and suppressed him until he couldn¡¯t move.


    Yueyue looked at Yangyang and giggled.


    Xingxing reached out to Yangyang and wanted him to carry him. Little Loach and Maizi took the two little guys and carried them to y.


    Zhou Jia thought of what had happened at the entrance of the school and said to him, ¡°Under absolute power, you have to think of a way to win with your brain. Thest time you were at the entrance of the school, you knew to avoid the enemy and find help. You¡¯re worthy of praise.¡±


    Yangyang nodded. ¡°Mother said that I should learn how to recognize acupoints from Grandmaster. When I¡¯m not strong enough, I¡¯ll hit the enemy¡¯s acupoints and make him temporarily lose the ability to resist. When the difference in strength is too great, I¡¯ll run quickly.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and nodded. ¡°If you can¡¯t win, you should run. You did it. Do you remember the acupuncture point diagram?¡±


    Yangyang looked at the two of them in shame and whispered, ¡°No.¡±


    Li Yu looked at his ashamed expression and wiped the sweat off his face with a handkerchief. She said gently, ¡°I heard from Master that opportunities are for prepared people, but sess is for people with actions. Think about what it means. ¡±


    When Yangyang heard this, he lowered his head and thought for a while. He went forward and held Li Yu¡¯s hand. He looked at her and said, ¡°Mother, what I mean is that it¡¯s not enough to just be prepared. I have to take action. I¡¯ll learn from Grandmaster from tomorrow onwards.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Li Yu smiled and nodded in relief. ¡°Go back and wash up. I¡¯ve prepared your favorite cream fruit ice bowl.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll bring my brother back before eating.¡±


    Zhou Jia had always been very curious about the master Li Yu was talking about. He looked at Li Yu and smiled. ¡°Yu¡¯er, what Master said makes sense. I


    wonder who he is. I really want to see him.¡±


    Li Yuughed dryly. ¡°Who knows where he went? I also want to see him!¡±


    When the couple returned to the main courtyard, Yangyang brought Little Loach and the others back with his two younger brothers. Li Yu looked at the giggling Xingxing and thought to herself that this little guy usually didn¡¯t like to move or smile. He was only a little lively when he was with the children. She wondered whom he took after.


    Little Loach and the others ced the children on the couch and bowed to the two of them. ¡°Master, Madam, we¡¯ll take our leave.¡±


    Li Yu smiled at them. ¡°Granny He made an ice bowl. You guys stay and eat a bowl before back. ¡±


    The few of them smiled when they heard that. They bowed and said, ¡°Yes, Madam.¡¯


    Zhou Jia looked at their happy expressions and thought to himself that no matter how sensible and obedient a child was, he was still a child.


    Looking at Li Yu smiling and talking to them, he recalled how his mother had treated Zhao Cai, Ruyi and Ji Xiang the same way in the past. Zhou Jia felt that it was because of his mother¡¯s love for them that the few of them followed him through life and death.


    Auntie He brought out the ice bowls and ced them on a small table in the reception hall. She smiled and said to them, ¡°It¡¯s not good for your stomach if you eat too many ice bowls. Everyone can only eat a small bowl.¡±


    ¡°Got it, Granny.¡± After Yangyang, Little Loach, and the others agreed, they held their bowls and chatted as they ate.


    Yueyue sat and looked at the few children eating happily. He reached out his hand and wanted to eat too. Seeing that they ignored him, he pursed his lips and cried.


    Seeing that Yueyue was crying, Xingxing turned over andy on the couch. He patted the couch, causing the bamboo board to jump.


    Li Yu hurriedly smiled and carried him up. She smiled and said to Yueyue, ¡°Aiyo! Our gluttonous cat wants to eat everything. I¡¯ll carry him back to drink goat milk.¡±


    After Yangyang washed up and returned to his room, Zhou Jia told him about His Majesty asking him to enter the pce to study.


    Yangyang looked at him and asked, ¡°Father, I like my current school and Sir and Lin Haoran. Can¡¯t I not go?¡±


    ¡°No, the Holy Decree can¡¯t be vited.¡± Zhou Jia looked at Yangyang. ¡°Yang¡¯er, I¡¯ll go back and make things clear to Sir. Although you don¡¯t have as much freedom when you enter the pce, you can learn with His Highness the Crown Prince under the best teacher in Great Yong. You can also learn riding, archery, and martial arts from the best master. I think this is a rare opportunity. Remember, you have to be careful with your words and actions in the pce.¡±


    Yangyang frowned at Zhou Jia and said, ¡°Father, why doesn¡¯t His Highnesse to study outside the pce? He wanted me to enter the pce to study with him. His Highness said that the pce is not fun at all. No matter what he does, he has to follow the rules. There are also people watching his every move and word. I don¡¯t like it.¡±


    ¡°Father knows that you don¡¯t like it. Father told you that he doesn¡¯t like to go to the government office to do those cumbersome things, let alone leave you guys and go to Yuezhou for so long. But we can¡¯t do everything ording to our preferences. We have to do what we should do. Entering the pce to study with His Highness the Crown Prince is what you should do.¡±


    After a while, Yangyang replied unhappily, ¡°Alright!¡±


    Zhou Jia picked him up and pressed his forehead against his. He said gently,


    ¡°Father¡¯s eldest son is a responsible little man.¡±


    Two dayster, Yangyang followed Zhou Jia to the pce. There were also two other children who entered the pce with him. Thus, Yangyang began his studypanion career.


    On the second day of the new year, Li Yu and Madam Gong went to the Duke


    Fu¡¯s Mansion for a banquet. When they arrived, they saw that although the Madams were dressed happily and spoke politely to the guests, their smiles made them look so awkward.


    The two of them entered the courtyard. Madam Gong whispered to Li Yu, ¡°Those two are the daughters-inw of the Duke Fu. Look at their forced smiles. They look ufortable.¡±


    Li Yu nodded and felt that it made sense. If it were Old Master Zhou who married teenage woman to be Zhou Jia¡¯s stepmother, the feeling would be a little sour.


    The two of them walked to the garden and had just sat down when Elder Madam Gong walked over. She held Li Yu¡¯s hand and smiled. ¡°Ah Yu, are you nning to go to Maple Leaf Mountain to look at the maple leaves tomorrow?¡± Li Yu shook her head and smiled. ¡°Aunt, we n to go to the hot spring manor outside the city to soak in the hot spring. What about you?¡±


    Elder Madam Gong smiled brightly. ¡°We n to go to Maple Leaf Mountain to y. Qiao¡¯er and Jia¡¯er have agreed toe along. You can go to the hot spring manor no matter what time it is.¡±


    Li Yu recalled that she had already rejected Madam Wu¡¯s invitation. It was not good to go with them. She smiled and said, ¡°The manor outside the city was where Granny used to live. Jiahe hasn¡¯t gone to take a look since he came back!¡±


    Elder Madam Gong revealed a knowing smile. ¡°Oh! Then you should go take a look. Actually, it¡¯s better to look at the maple leaves at Maple Mountainter.


    The scenery is better. I heard that Yang¡¯er entered the pce to study with His


    Highness the Crown Prince. Why didn¡¯t I hear you mention it?¡±


    Madam Gong smiled and continued, ¡°Cousin, Ah Yu and her husband don¡¯t like to be ostentatious to begin with. We only found out after Yang¡¯er entered the pce..¡±

 Chapter 530 - 530: Attending the Banquet

    Chapter 530: Attending the Banquet


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Elder Madam Gong thought about it and felt that it made sense. She smiled and said to the two of them, ¡°You don¡¯t know yet, but it¡¯s Princess Yichun¡¯s family and the Prince Consort¡¯s family. These two families just heard that the pce is choosing their children to enter the pce as studypanions. In order to let their children enter the pce to study with them, the families almost broke their heads.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s actually such a thing, but among the children who entered the pce to study with him this time, there¡¯s no one from Princess Yichun¡¯s family or the Prince Consort¡¯s family?¡± Madam Gong said.


    Madam Dagong smiled and nodded. ¡°Yes, this matter even spread to the pce. For this matter, the Empress Dowager even issued a decree to reprimand the two families and let them settle their family matters.¡±


    Madam Gong nodded. ¡°It¡¯s time to control them well. Look at those descendants of the imperial family. Most of them are fighting over one another. They haven¡¯t done a good thing.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Madam Dagong smiled and nodded. ¡°The banquet has begun. Let¡¯s go over!¡±


    After the few of them went over and sat down, they had just started eating when people served the dishes one after another. After eating for a while, an old woman walked to Li Yu¡¯s side and bowed. ¡°Madam Li, my Princess Consort invites you to the wedding room. She wants to see you.¡±


    Li Yu looked at her indifferently. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s not convenient for me to enter the wedding room these days.¡±


    The old woman was stunned for a moment. She smiled awkwardly and said, ¡°Oh! Sorry to disturb you.¡± With that, she retreated.


    Madam Gong nced at the old woman who had retreated and whispered to Li


    Yu, ¡°That¡¯s Granny Yan Xi. Why is she looking for you?¡±


    Li Yu lowered her eyes and said, ¡°She said that her County Princess wanted to see me. I rejected her. I¡¯ll tell you when I got back.¡±


    Madam Gong nodded and looked back at Granny Yan Xi before turning back to eat wine.


    Granny Yan Xi returned to the wedding room and said to Yu Yan, who was wearing a phoenix crown and wedding clothes, ¡°Princess Consort, Madam Li said that it¡¯s not convenient for her to enter the wedding room.¡±


    Yu Yan nodded casually. ¡°Got it. You can leave!¡±


    Granny Yan Xi looked at her in surprise and left.


    Yu Yan looked down at the red pattern on her nails and said in a low voice, ¡°You don¡¯t dare to see me, but I want to see you!¡±


    After the banquet, Li Yu and the Gong sisters bade farewell and left. On the way back, Li Yu told the Gong sisters briefly about the Yu family.


    When the Gong sisters heard this, they sighed and said, ¡°That¡¯s what concubines are like. When their status is low, they want to take another step forward. After taking another step forward, they want to take another step forward. County Lieutenant Yu is even worse. He depends on his wife and uses her silver to raise his concubine. He even asked her to be magnanimous and not fuss about it. Such a beast is not worthy of being a husband and father.¡±


    Elder Madam Gong thought for a moment and said to Li Yu, ¡°Ah Yu, once a despicable person like Madam Yu seeds, as long as she meets someone with a lower status than her who has seen her unbearable side, she will definitely take revenge. Ah Yu, you¡¯re not worried about this but I think she will definitely want to show off to you.¡±


    Li Yu smiled. ¡°Aunt, the Regional King¡¯s Mansion isn¡¯t in contact with the Zhou family. As long as she doesn¡¯t disturb me, I can¡¯t be bothered with her.¡±


    Madam Gong said disdainfully, ¡°Ah Yu, you don¡¯t have to care about such a person at all! If she had been outside all this time, she could have been a mistress to Duke Fu. With that status, the Duke¡¯s heir and his wife might not have attacked her yet. Now that she has coaxed Duke Fu into marrying her and doting on her like this, the heir and his wife will definitely deal with her. A person like her who thinks she¡¯s smart will know that the Duke¡¯s Mansion is not a good ce to stay in less than half a year.¡±


    Elder Madam Gong nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right! Duke Fu has spent his entire life fooling around. Could it be that he has be infatuated? Could it be that he has been poisoned by the infatuation poison of Miaojiang!¡±


    Madam Gongughed when she heard that. ¡°Cousin, you¡¯ve seen too much when you¡¯re a girl. There¡¯s no such thing as infatuation poison.¡±


    Elder Madam Gong alsoughed when she heard that. Li Yu looked at the two of them and said with a smile, ¡°Maybe he was drugged and controlled.¡±


    ¡°Ah Yu, is there really a bewitching drug in the world?¡± the Gong sisters asked in surprise.


    ¡°I saw it in a book.¡± Li Yu spread her hands and smiled.


    There was no Ecstasy. What controlled people were nothing more than addictive drugs, such as opium poppy, marijuana, and Five Stones Powder.


    The next day, on the ninth day of September, Zhou Jia and Li Yu brought the three children to the hot spring manor.


    When the carriage arrived at the entrance of the manor, Zhou Jia got out of the carriage with Li Yu. He pointed at the small hill in front of him and said to Li Yu, ¡°At that time, Ruyi and the others often ran up to y. They cultivated while I studied. If I had known earlier, I would have cultivated with them.¡±


    Li Yu nced at him. ¡°We can¡¯t do much with posits. Let¡¯s not talk about the past. You¡¯ve been learning from me for so long all these years, but I¡¯ve never seen you make a name for yourself.¡±


    Zhou Jiaughed dryly. ¡°Wifey, aren¡¯t I busy with work?!¡±


    Li Yu rolled her eyes at him. Yangyang looked at Zhou Jia gloatingly. ¡°Father,


    Mother despises you. Look, I¡¯ve already surpassed you. You have to work hard!¡±


    Zhou Jia bared his teeth and walked towards Yangyang. ¡°Little baddie, how dare you add fuel to the fire.¡±


    ¡°Aiyo! Father is so scary. I have to escape quickly.¡± Yangyang turned around and ran. Zhou Jia smiled and chased after him.


    Li Yu looked at the father and son running into the manor one after another. She returned to the carriage and looked at Yueyue and Xingxing who were being carried by Granny Chen and Xing Hua. ¡°Father and Brother ran away.


    Let¡¯s chase after them.¡±


    When the twins saw Li Yuing over, they reached out and pounced at her. Li


    Yu carried one in each hand. ¡°Let¡¯s go! I¡¯ll bring you to y with water.¡±


    Zhou Jia chased Yangyang into the manor. When he entered, he saw arge area under the courtyard wall with fiery red festive Chinese roses and a cluster of Xiangfei bamboo in the corner of the courtyard.


    Atter entermg tne second cloor, ne walKea past tne corridor ana walKea to tne back. He passed through the corner door and followed the cobblestone path forward to the hot spring pool. Zhou Jia saw that the two pools were already separated by a flower wall. Purple flowers that he did not recognize bloomed on the wall.


    Li Yu carried the two children to the side of the hot spring and saw Yangyang floating in the pool in a small coat. When he saw Li Yuing over, he pointed at the flower wall and said, ¡°Mother, that¡¯s where you women soak.¡± Li Yu smiled and rolled her eyes at him. ¡°Stupid child, where¡¯s your father?¡±


    ¡°Daddy went back to change his clothes,¡± Yangyang said and waved at Yueyue and Xingxing proudly. ¡°Yue¡¯er, Xing¡¯er,e quickly. I¡¯ll bring you to y with water.¡±


    The two of them looked at him and cried out. Zhou Jia walked over from the hot spring in a short coat and the knee-length shorts Li Yu had made for him. Li Yu handed the two children who were ying with the water to him. ¡°I¡¯ll leave the children to you today. I have to y leisurely for a while.¡±


    Zhou Jia took the children and sighed at the two of them. ¡°Sigh! The three of us are despised by your mother.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and waved at them. She turned around and returned to the courtyard. She took her clothes and walked out of the house. Granny Chen reported from outside, ¡°Madam, there¡¯s a Madam outside who wants to see you.¡±


    She came as soon as she arrived at the manor. Could it be that someone was watching her family? Li Yu frowned and said, ¡°Did she say who she was?¡±


    Granny Chen shook her head. ¡°She didn¡¯t say who she was. She only said that she was an old friend of yours..¡±

 Chapter 531 - 531: Divine Pill

    Chapter 531: Divine Pill


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    ¡°An old friend!¡± Li Yu knew who it was and thought to herself that this person¡¯s skin was really thicker than the city wall. Li Yu said that she wouldn¡¯t see her and but thetter even chased her to the manor. She just married an old man. Was she so eager to show off?


    ¡°Let¡¯s go! If we don¡¯t see her, she¡¯ll think that I¡¯m afraid of her!¡±


    Li Yu brought Granny Chen to the entrance of the manor and saw Yu Yan standing under an embroidered umbre. She was wearing a golden silk dress embroidered with phoenix patterns. There was a jade belt with a dark green phoenix pattern embroidered on her waist. She was wearing a phoenix hairpin on her head and two phoenix heads on both sides. She looked smug.


    Yu Yan also secretly sized up Li Yu. She saw that she was wearing a light purple floral dress with a jade hairpin on her head. She was still dressed inly. She heard that she had already given birth to a few children. Why did she still look so beautiful?


    Yu Yan looked at Li Yu proudly. ¡°Madam Li, I didn¡¯t expect to see you again after not seeing you for a few years.¡±


    Li Yu didn¡¯t invite her into the house and looked at her indifferently. ¡°Madam


    Yu, what¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Yu Yan didn¡¯t see Li Yu¡¯s envious gaze and was furious. She cursed in her heart, ¡°Bitch, you still dare to treat me like this even now. Do you think I¡¯m still that helpless concubine¡¯s daughter?¡±


    ¡°Madam Li, you¡¯ve been in the capital for a long time. Don¡¯t you know that you should wee all guests?¡±


    ¡°Hehe!¡± Li Yu sneered. ¡°I never receive uninvited guests. Please go back!¡±


    ¡°Bitch, you¡¯re still as high up in the air as before.¡± Yu Yan was furious with Li Yu as she muttered under her breath. She cursed in her heart and red at her.


    She shouted sternly, ¡°I¡¯m the princess consort of a county. How dare you speak to me like this?¡±


    Li Yu couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°You¡¯ve begged to see me time and time again to show off to me that you¡¯ve flown to the top and are no longer the daughter of a concubine who waggled her tail and begged for mercy! ¡±


    When Yu Yan heard Li Yu mention her past, she looked at Li Yu hatefully and raised her head proudly. ¡°You and Madam Tang can¡¯t wait for me to stay in that small ditch for the rest of my life. How can I fulfill your wish?!¡±


    Li Yu looked at her and finally understood what it meant to be a despicable person.


    She raised her eyebrows and smiled. ¡°Princess of County, this is the capital. You have to remember that when youe out to behave atrociously in the future, you have to figure out the rank and the title first so that you don¡¯t embarrass yourself! ¡±


    Yu Yan looked at Li Yu and shouted sternly, ¡°I¡¯m the Princess Consort. You¡¯re just a Madam. How dare you teach me a lesson?¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t know, you have to ask more. Instead, you relied on your imagination. You can¡¯t pretend to know if you don¡¯t know!¡± Li Yu shook her head and said. Granny Chen alsoughed when she heard that.


    The granny behind Yu Yan hurriedly went forward and whispered in her ear, ¡°County Princess Consort, Madam Li is a First-grade Madam. Although you¡¯re a county Princess Consort, you¡¯re a second-grade. When you see her, you have to bow to her.¡±


    When Yu Yan heard this, her face instantly turned red as if it had been sprayed with blood. She turned around and looked at Li Yu hatefully before turning to leave.


    Granny Chen watched Yu Yan leave angrily and said to Li Yu, ¡°Madam, that woman¡¯s eyes are sinister. It¡¯s obvious that she¡¯s not a good person. Duke Fu¡¯s house is going to be in chaos.¡±


    Li Yu thought of the Madams of the Duke¡¯s Mansion at the banquet and smiled faintly. ¡°Who cares! Let¡¯s just live our lives well.¡±


    Yu Yan returned to the manor not far from Li Yu¡¯s house and stormed into the courtyard. When she entered the house, she saw Duke Fu leaning against the rocking chair and listening to the music. He smiled and waved at her. ¡°Yan¡¯er, you went to visit Madam Li. Why didn¡¯t you y for a while longer?¡±


    Yu Yanhong looked at Duke Fu with red eyes. ¡°Your Highness, I shouldn¡¯t go out and embarrass myself¡­¡±


    Duke Fu frowned and said, ¡°Why did Madam Li give you an attitude? Didn¡¯t you say that you two got along quite well in Qingchuan?¡±


    ¡°Only a ghost would get along well with her.¡± Yu Yan sat down beside Duke Fu aggrievedly.


    ¡°Ie from a lowly background and am not worthy of others¡¯ attention. Your Highness, I¡¯m fine. I shall go out less in the future.¡±


    Duke Fu nodded. ¡°That¡¯s good. Their family is very protective. Be sensible and don¡¯t provoke her. ¡±


    Yu Yan nced at Duke Fu. Li Yu¡¯s family was very protective of her. Wasn¡¯t she also Duke Fu¡¯s family? Why didn¡¯t he protect her after she was wronged? Why didn¡¯t he go to Li Yu¡¯s family to seek justice for her?


    Duke Fu yawned and looked at Yu Yan with tears in his eyes. ¡°Baby, what exactly is that Immortal Pill you gave me made of? Why am I anxious after not eating it for a day?¡±


    Yu Yan said to the granny who had followed her in, ¡°Granny Du, go out.¡±


    Granny Du bowed and retreated, closing the door behind her. After a few steps, she tiptoed back and pressed her ear to the door, listening for movement.


    Yu Yan said to Duke Fu in a coquettish voice, ¡°Your Highness, the Immortal Pill is a paste to strengthen your body. Look, you also feel much stronger after eating it. When we return to the cityter, I¡¯ll get Aunt to send some more over.¡±


    Duke Fu smiled and nodded. ¡°That¡¯s true. Let¡¯s go back to the city and get your aunt to send some more over. The Prince Consort also said yesterday that we should send some more to him.¡±


    Yu Yan nodded. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go pack up now. Let¡¯s go back to the city.¡±


    The Duke of Fu nodded and leaned back in his rocking chair, waiting to set off.


    After an hour, Duke Fu and Yu Yan took a carriage back to the city. Just as they arrived at the entrance of the Duke¡¯s Mansion, Duke Fu yawned and said to Yu Yan, ¡°Go to your aunt¡¯s house now and bring back the Immortal Pills. Let her send some to the Prince Consort¡¯s Mansion.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Yu Yan got out of the carriage and got into the carriage behind. She walked towards South City. When she arrived at Osmanthus Street in South City, she got out of the car in front of a house. She walked to the door and knocked three times. A charming middle-aged woman opened the door and weed her in.


    The woman looked at her and smiled. ¡°Have you used up the Immortal Pills?¡± Yu Yan smiled. ¡°Yes! I¡¯ve also finished using it on the Prince Consort. Can you also send some to his residence? Aunt Gao, I think there¡¯s something wrong with the royal prince eating that. Will he be fine?¡±


    Yu Yan didn¡¯t want anything to happen to Duke Fu. She was worried that if something happened to him, the wealth she had just obtained would dissipate.


    ¡°No, he¡¯s recovered after eating it. Aren¡¯t you enjoying it too?¡± Madam Gao looked at Yu Yan meaningfully. ¡°We helped you be a superior person. You have to help us send the Immortal Pill into the pce.¡±


    Yu Yan blushed and nced at Madam Gao. ¡°I¡¯ve already asked the county king to publicize it among those people. Don¡¯t forget what you promised me!¡±


    Madam Gao smiled and replied, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, when the sale starts, I¡¯ll give you the dividends I promised you.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Yu Yan took the cloth bag from Madam Gao and carried it out of the door into the carriage.


    When they returned to the Duke¡¯s Mansion, Yu Yan poured a few pills out of the jar. Duke Fu took them and swallowed them in one gulp.


    A momentter, he heaved a long sigh of satisfaction. He felt that his spirit had returned to his body and he had returned to his youth. After a while, the two of them rolled together.


    When the granny serving outside the house heard the blush-inducingmotion inside, she curled her lips and gently retreated to the south courtyard..

 Chapter 532 - 532: Something Happened

    Chapter 532: Something Happened


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    There was a round-faced granny waiting at the door of the courtyard. She was about her age. When she saw hering, she greeted her with a smile.


    Granny Du said to the nanny waiting there, ¡°Nanny Xu, the County Princess gave the County Lord something called the Immortal Pill. The County Lord said that he would panic if he didn¡¯t eat it for a day. When he came back, I saw that he was still yawning. Just as he returned to the entrance of the residence, the County Lord asked her to get something. The County Princess didn¡¯t let anyone follow her.¡±


    Granny Xu nodded and stuffed a pouch into her hand. ¡°Nanny Du, keep an eye on her. Master said that you will benefit.¡±


    Granny Du smiled and took the pouch. She said politely, ¡°Thank you, Master!¡± Nanny Xu smiled and nodded. She turned around and entered the courtyard.


    Granny Du happily pinched the silver in her purse and put it in her pocket as she walked back. Thinking of what had happened in front of Lord Zhou¡¯s manor today, she felt that the new princess consort was just an ignorant country girl. The royal prince was already so old.


    Granny Xu returned to the main room and reported to the heir and his wife, ¡°Heir Lord, Crown Princess, Granny Du said that the Princess Consort fed the royal prince ¡­¡±


    When the heir, Chu Yan, heard this, he was so angry that he mmed the table. He looked excitedly at the Crown Princess Consort, Madam Tang, who was sitting at the side. ¡°Look, I told you! Father was unwilling to remarry for more than ten years. How can he be so muddle-headed when he¡¯s old? It was that vixen siren who used some method to bewitch him. Look, it¡¯s indeed not beyond my expectations.¡±


    He did not expect that bitch to have such methods. He had to figure out what she had fed the Royal Prince.


    ¡°Master, I think I have to think of a way to get that thing out of a jar and bring it to the imperial physician for an examination to find out what it is¡±


    ¡°We can¡¯t search Father¡¯s room.¡± Chu Yan looked at Granny Xu and said, ¡°Go and tell Granny Du that as long as she helps steal that thing, I¡¯ll let her family go and help them settle down in Lin County.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Lord.¡± Granny Xu bowed and left for Duke Fu¡¯s courtyard.


    Li Yu returned to the hot spring and saw Zhou Jia sitting on a bamboo chair by the pool with Yueyue and Xingxing in his arms. Yangyang kept sshing water at Zhou Jia and the other two. Yueyue and Xingxing were so happy that they danced and giggled.


    Li Yu stood at the side and watched happily as the father and sons yed. Yangyang turned around and saw Li Yu. He smiled and waved at her. ¡°Mother,e quickly!¡±


    ¡°I said that your father will bring you guys to y today. I want to rest well.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and went to the pool at the side. She went into the water and swam a few rounds. She leaned against the stone pillow beside the pool and closed her eyes to rest.


    Yangyang quietly approached the hot spring pool at the side and quietly approached Li Yu. He suddenly jumped into the pool and sshed Li Yu¡¯s face.


    Li Yu smiled and pointed at Yangyang. ¡°Young brat, just you wait. Let¡¯s see how I deal with you today!¡±


    Yangyang¡¯s sneak attack was sessful. He looked at Li Yu proudly. ¡°Haha! Mother, you can¡¯t catch me.¡±


    Yueyue and Xingxing reached out to Li Yu and cried out. They also wanted to go into the water to y.


    Zhou Jia smiled and said to Li Yu, ¡°After Xing¡¯er grew up, he looked much livelier, especially when he saw Yang¡¯er.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! I was worried that he was a little old man!¡± Li Yu kissed the two of them and took the Xingxing. She raised him and swam in the water. The little guy was not afraid of the water at all. His feet kept drawing water and he chuckled at Yangyang.


    When Yueyue saw this, he panicked. He pointed at the pool and pped Zhou Jia, crying out.


    ¡°Anxious little baddie.¡± Zhou Jia smiled and kissed him before carrying him into the water.


    Yangyang smiled and kept waving at the two of them. ¡°Come on! Come and chase after me!¡±


    ¡°Oh, oh, oh. Let¡¯s go after my brother.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and swam away. Laughter and joy filled the pool.


    The family yed in the manor until the evening before leaving. Just as they reached home, Zhao Cai weed them anxiously. ¡°Master, something happened at the old residence.¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Zhao Cai anxiously. ¡°What happened?¡±


    Li Yu felt that something big had happened when she saw his expression. ¡°Zhao


    Cai, apany Master over to take a look first. I¡¯lle overter.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± Zhao Cai got into the car. ¡°Master, don¡¯t be anxious. I¡¯ll tell you what happened. ¡±


    Zhou Jia quickly jumped into the carriage and looked at Zhao Cai. He heard him say, ¡°Two hours ago, Second Young Master brought two brokers to the old residence to look at the house. He said that he wanted to sell his share. Old Master said that he was disobedient and unfilial by selling the ancestral residence. He said Second Young Master didn¡¯t have a share in the house and chased away the two brokers.


    Before Second Young Master left, he spat at Old Master. In a fit of anger, Old Master pped him. Second Young Master then knocked Old Master to the ground. Old Master fell back and hit the stone steps. The old woman cooking realized that he was unconscious on the ground.


    After helping him up, she realized that his head was broken and bleeding. She hurriedly sent him to the medical center. The doctor dealt with it briefly and said that Old Master was injured. He asked her to send Old Master back and wait for him to wake up. After going back and waiting for an hour, Old Master was still unconscious. She hurriedly hired a carriage to look for us. After Old Master Wen went to take a look, he said that Old Master¡¯s head was injured. He would be fine when he woke up tomorrow morning. If he couldn¡¯t wake ¡­¡±


    Why did something happen when he was just a little better? Why did the heavens have to be so cruel? Zhou Jia felt that if the gods were to let Old Master Zhou go, it might have been better to leave him unrepentant and unreformed.


    ¡°Master, don¡¯t worry. Old Master is a good person. He will be fine.¡±


    Zhou Jia calmed himself down. ¡®Who¡¯s guarding there now?


    Zhao Cai looked at Zhou Jia worriedly. ¡°Old Master Wen and Old Madam Yun are guarding over there.¡±


    Li Yu changed the children¡¯s clothes and fed them. She brought Yangyang to the old residence and saw Mr. Wen and Seven Pounds guarding outside the room.


    ¡°Sir, how¡¯s Old Master? Is his injury serious?¡±


    Mr. Wen frowned. ¡°The injury doesn¡¯t look serious externally. I guess he fell to the ground first after falling and injured his head. From the outside, he didn¡¯t bleed much. I was just worried that there would be blood clots in his brain. I prescribed blood cirction and fed it to him. I inserted silver needles. If he doesn¡¯t wake up after tonight, we¡¯ll see when he wakes up!¡±


    When Li Yu heard this, she thought worriedly, If he doesn¡¯t wake up, won¡¯t he be a vegetable? In her previous life, the medical equipment was so advanced and the medical skills were so superb. Yet the technology was helpless against a vegetable. Can one be treated here?


    Seeing that Mr. Wen was very tired, Li Yu said, ¡°Thank you, sir. You¡¯ve already been tired for a day. Seven Pounds, help Sir into the room to rest for a while.¡±


    Mr. Wen had been busy in the medical center for the entire day and felt very tired. He stood up and said to Li Yu, ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. We can only do our best now.¡±


    Li Yu nodded. When Seven Pounds, who was talking to Yangyang, heard Li Yu¡¯s words, he hurriedly helped Mr. Wen to the room at the side to rest.


    Li Yu looked at Mr. Wen, who was staggering, and suddenly felt a little worried. She was afraid that these old people would leave them one after another..

 Chapter 533 - 533: Familiar Stranger

    Chapter 533: Familiar Stranger


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Zhou Jia guarded the bed and looked at the unconscious Old Master Zhou. He held his rough hand and muttered, ¡°As long as you wake up, I¡¯ll definitely talk to you properly. Didn¡¯t you say that you¡¯re very tough? Then wake up well. I¡¯ll get someone to make you whatever you want to eat.¡±


    Li Yu stood at the door and pushed Yangyang. ¡°Go to Father and talk to Uncle.¡± Yangyang walked over in fear and saw Old Master Zhou lying on the bed. He thought for a moment and said, ¡°Uncle, Yang¡¯er entered the pce to study with the Crown Prince. Do you want to know what the pce is like? Wake up quickly and I¡¯ll tell you.¡±


    After Yangyang finished speaking, he saw that Old Master Zhou was lying on the bed and did not respond. He leaned into Zhou Jia¡¯s arms and hugged his neck. He sobbed. ¡°Father, what¡¯s wrong with Uncle? Why can¡¯t he wake up?¡±


    Zhou Jia hugged his son and gently patted his back. ¡°Uncle is too tired. Grandmaster said that he wants to sleep. He¡¯ll wake up tomorrow.¡±


    Li Yu stood at the door and looked at Zhou Jia, who was sitting in front of the bed and guarding Old Master. She thought that if Old Master Zhou was still as selfish and cold as before, he would not feel so terrible. Now that Old Master Zhou had changed, the rtionship between the father and son had also improved. Yet he might not wake up from his injury¡­


    Yangyang had yed for a day and fell asleep soon after leaning in Zhou Jia¡¯s arms. Zhou Jia carried Yangyang out of the house and handed him to Li Yu, who was guarding there. ¡°Take the child back to rest first. I¡¯ll guard here for the night. If he doesn¡¯t wake up tomorrow, I Il bring him to our side.¡±


    Li Yu took Yangyang and looked at Zhou Jia worriedly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. Change guard with Zhao Cai and the others.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Zhou Jia watched Li Yu carry Yangyang away and said to Zhao Cai, ¡°Go and capture Zhou Xin to the old residence.¡±


    Zhao Cai nodded and went out to the small courtyard where Zhou Xin and his mother lived.


    After Zhou Xin and Zhou Yu fell out with Old Master Zhou back then, they took the remaining dowry from Old Madam Zhou and went to the Huang family to stay for a few days. When they were almost done spending the money in their hands, the Huang family began to mock the mother and children. Zhou Xin couldn¡¯t stand this anger, so he rented a house in an alley in South city with Madam Huang and Zhou Yu.


    Aftering out, Zhou Yu was a little better. Seeing that there was no money at home, he knew to go out and find something to do. Zhou Xin was lecherous and liked to gamble. With some money in his hands, he was sent to the casino. After winning, he was sent to the brothel and lost all the remaining money.


    Madam Huang was in a daze all day long. She did not care about the two brothers and still had to rely on Zhou Yu¡¯s money to support her.


    A few days ago, Zhou Xin stole the money that Zhou Yu had saved up to marry a wife and ran to the casino. In the blink of an eye, he lost all of it. He was afraid that Zhou Yu would find out, so he had designs on the old residence. After arguing with Old Master Zhou, he saw Old Master Zhou fall to the ground and hurriedly fled home to hide under the nket.


    When Zhou Yu returned from the restaurant, he saw that Madam Huang was still hiding in her room and not going out. Zhou Xin did not move either. He heated up the food he had brought back from the restaurant and brought it to Madam Huang before going to Zhou Xin¡¯s room. Seeing him lying on the bed with his nket covering him, he pulled his nket away and said, ¡°Why are you so honest today? Didn¡¯t you go out to fool around?¡±


    Zhou Xin pulled the nket back and said in a low voice, ¡°It¡¯s none of your business. Just take care of yourself.¡±


    Zhou Yu looked at him. ¡°Did you do something bad?¡±


    Zhou Xin covered his head and kept quiet. At this moment, there was a knock on the door. Zhou Xin grabbed Zhou Yu, who was about to open the door, and looked at him in fear. ¡°Don¡¯t open the door!¡±


    Zhou Yu felt that something was wrong with Zhou Xin. ¡°What did you do?


    They¡¯ve alreadye looking for you. How long have you been hiding?¡±


    Zhao Cai knocked a few times outside. Seeing that no one answered the door, he jumped onto the wall and leaped into the courtyard. Hearing the brothers arguing, Zhao Cai walked to the door of the room. When Zhou Xin saw him, he pointed at him in fear and shouted at Zhou Yu, ¡°How did hee in?¡±


    Zhou Yu turned around and saw Zhao Cai. He said angrily, ¡°Get lost! What are you doing at my house?¡±


    Zhao Cai pointed at Zhou Xin. ¡°Why am I here? Third Young Master, just ask second young master wnat ne did. second young Master, let¡¯S go! DO you still want me to invite you?¡±


    Zhou Xin shrank to the corner of the bed and shouted in horror, ¡°I¡¯m not leaving. I didn¡¯t do it on purpose. I just pushed him gently. He lost his bnce.¡±


    ¡°Old Master is lying in bed and unconscious. You¡¯d better follow me to the old residence obediently. Don¡¯t wait for me to make a move.¡±


    Zhou Yu looked at Zhao Cai and said, ¡°You mean my second brother beat up my father? He¡¯s unconscious now?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master instructed me to bring Second Young Master over.¡±


    As Zhao Cai spoke, he walked towards Zhou Xin. Zhou Yu looked at Zhou Xin and roared, ¡°Is what he said true?¡±


    Zhou Xin pointed at Zhao Cai. ¡°He lied to you. Why would I go to the old residence?! That old thing is thinking about that bastard now. After earning money, he would rather buy things for that brat than give them to us.¡±


    When Zhao Cai heard him insult Zhou Jia and his son, it went forward and dragged him off the bed. ¡®You¡¯re worse than a pig and a dog. You pushed your own father to the ground and escaped without asking how he was. Your conscience has been eaten by a dog!¡±


    Zhou Xin struggled desperately, but Zhao Cai twisted his hands and dragged him out. He threw him into the carriage and drove it back. Zhou Yu hurriedly followed him back to the old residence.


    Zhao Cai carried Zhou Xin to Old Master Zhou¡¯s door. Zhou Jia came out of the room and looked at him coldly. ¡°You better beg him to wake up. Otherwise¡­¡±


    Zhou Xin looked at the extraordinary Zhou Jia and roared with jealousy and hatred, ¡°You¡¯re no longer from our family. What right do you have to talk to me like this?¡±


    Zhou Jia kicked him angrily. ¡°No matter what identity I use, I will deal with scum like you.¡±


    Zhao Cai looked at Zhou Xin, who was lying there like a pool of mud, and thought to himself, Old Madam Zhou might have had a grudge with the Zhou family in her previous life. She married into the Zhou family to take revenge. In just a few decades, she had harmed two generations of the Zhou family. No wonder people said that it was not easy to choose a mate.


    When Zhou Yu arrived, he nced at Zhou Xin, who was lying on the ground. He entered the Old Master¡¯s room and saw that his head was wrapped in a white cloth that was stained with blood. Hey there motionless. Zhou Yu went forward and ced his hand under his nose. When he felt his breathing, he was relieved. He turned around and went out to help Zhou Xin up. The brothers stood at the side in silence.


    Mr. Wen came out of the room and sighed when he saw them. After entering the room to take Old Master Zhou¡¯s pulse, he said to Zhou Jia, ¡°Jiahe, his pulse is more stable than before. If nothing goes wrong, he should be able to wake up.¡±


    Zhou Jia heaved a sigh of relief when he heard that. He helped Mr. Wen out. ¡°Sir, rest first. I¡¯ll call you if anything happens.¡±


    Mr. Wen patted Zhou Jia¡¯s hand and persuaded, ¡°Jiahe, it¡¯s better to resolve enmity than to keep it alive. Let¡¯s not talk about brotherhood.. Treat them as strangers!¡±

 Chapter 534 - 534: Awakening

    Chapter 534: Awakening


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Zhou Jia nced at the two brothers standing at the side. ¡°Sir, let¡¯s talk about it when he wakes up.¡±


    Mr. Wen nodded. ¡°Alright, when your father wakes up, the grudges of the older generation will be settled within the older generation!¡±


    The Zhou brothers stood there for a long time, but no one greeted them. They really couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. They dragged a bench and sat on it in a daze.


    When the sky turned dark, Zhou Yu was worried about Madam Huang, who was at home alone. He reminded Zhou Xin a few times and went back to take care of Madam Huang. Zhou Xin shrank his neck and sat on the stool. He did not dare to leave and gradually dozed off.


    In Old Master Zhou¡¯s room, Zhou Jia leaned back in his chair and fell asleep. A cool breeze blew outside the house, and it started to drizzle. The autumn rain was cold. After autumn, the sky gradually turned cold.


    Not long after midnight, Old Master Zhou opened his eyes. In a daze, he turned around and saw Zhou Jia sleeping soundly on the back of the chair. He smiled and thought about how he had lived for most of his life. It seemed that he had only lived for half a year.


    Old Master Zhou looked at Zhou Jia quietly for a while before shouting, ¡°Jiahe, go to bed and sleep. You won¡¯t feelfortable sleeping like that.¡±


    Zhou Jia suddenly woke up. Seeing Old Master Zhou looking at him with his turbid eyes, he leaned over and said, ¡°You¡¯re awake! Are you feeling unwell? I¡¯ll call Sir to take a look at you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. My head just hurts a little. I¡¯ll be fine after some sleep. Go! Go to sleep.¡±


    Zhao Cai, who was leaning against the cold couch outside the room, heard voicesing from inside. He jumped down from the cold couch in surprise and entered the house. Seeing that Old Master Zhou had indeed woken up, he said, ¡°Ha! Master, you can rest assured now! Old Master is indeed lucky. He woke up just after midnight.¡±


    Old Master Zhou smiled proudly. ¡°Of course I¡¯m lucky.¡±


    Zhou Xin, who was outside the house, also heard themotion in the house.


    He ran to the door and heaved a sigh of relief when he saw that Old Master Zhou was awake. It was good that he was awake. ¡°If the old man didn¡¯t wake up, that bastard would definitely send me to see the officials.¡±


    ¡°Brat, how dare youe over?¡± When Old Master Zhou saw Zhou Xin at the door, he grabbed the fire sickle by the bed and threw it over.


    When Zhou Jia saw him like this, he knew that he was fine. He stood up and said to him, ¡°Rest well. I¡¯ll go sleep for a while.¡±


    ¡°Go! You still have to go to courtter!¡± Old Master Zhou looked at Zhou Jia and said.


    Zhou Jia walked out of the house and saw Zhou Xin curled up on the cold couch. Seeing Zhou Jia standing in front of the cold couch, Zhou Xin looked at him provocatively. ¡°The old man is fine. You better let me go tomorrow morning.


    Otherwise, I¡¯ll go to the government office to sue you.¡±


    Zhou Jia suddenly reached out and grabbed his shoulder. He said sinisterly in his ear, ¡°You¡¯d better be honest. If I find out that you are here to cause trouble again, I¡¯ll get someone to send you to the salt field and work until the day you die. If you don¡¯t believe me, let¡¯s try.¡±


    Zhou Xin¡¯s eyes widened as he looked at Zhou Jia in fear. He knew very well that he was capable of doing what he threatened. It was precisely because of this that he was so frightened that he trembled and lost his arrogance.


    Zhou Jia let go and ignored him. He walked to the eaves of the porch and looked at the rain and fog.


    Mr. Wen had also woken up. Seeing that Old Master Zhou had woken up, he smiled in relief. ¡°Good people don¡¯t live long. Bad people bring about thousand years of disaster. The ancient people are right.¡±


    Old Master Zhou smiled proudly. ¡°Hehe! I heard Yang¡¯er say that he wanted to tell me what the pce is like. How can I not wake up? I still have to wait for Yang¡¯er¡¯s blessings!¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at the Old Master in surprise and muttered to himself, ¡°Did he hear what I said? Could it be that he was pretending to be unconscious? On second thought, he can¡¯t hide from Sir¡¯s medical skills!¡±


    When Zhou Jia went to court, the gray rain was still getting heavier. Zhao Cai sent Zhou Jia to the door with an oil-paper umbre and sent him to the car.


    Zhou Jia went home and told Li Yu that Old Master Zhou had woken up.


    ¡°I was really worried that he wouldn¡¯t wake up. I¡¯ll wake Yang¡¯er up. Go wash up and enter the pce together!¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu¡¯s tired expression. ¡°Alright, the rain is getting heavier. Don¡¯t cultivate anymore. Sleep well for a while.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Li Yu handed him his court clothes before heading to Yangyang¡¯s room next door. Looking at the rainy and misty sky, her heart ached that the child had to get up so early to enter the pce.


    When she entered the room, she looked at Yangyang, who was sleeping soundly with her stomach propped up. She called out softly, ¡°Yang¡¯er, Uncle is awake. Your father is also back. Hurry up and get up to eat and enter the pce.¡±


    Yangyang rubbed his eyes and sat up. She leaned against Li Yu sleepily. ¡°Mother, did Uncle wake up?¡±


    Li Yu kissed him and ced the clothes beside him. ¡°Yes! We¡¯ll visit him when youe out of the pce.¡±


    Yangyang nodded. The father and son ate and left together.


    In Duke Fu¡¯s residence, Granny Du saw that Yu Yan had gone to the guest room and began to tidy up the bed. She looked around on the carved bed but did not find the small jar Yu Yan had brought back. Hearing Yu Yan pull her shoes out of the guest room, she hurriedly tidied the bed and stood at the side.


    Yu Yan came out of the guest room. Granny Du handed her a handkerchief and said to her, ¡°County Princess Consort, Heir Lord, and Heir-Consort have alreadye to pay their respects.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine as long as the Royal Prince sees them. I shouldn¡¯t go out and make people dislike me!¡± Yu Yan said casually.


    Granny Du smiled and nced at Yu Yan. ¡°Princess Consort, I heard that the Heir Lord and the Heir-Consort are saying that the Royal Prince looks much younger. They even asked what immortal pills the Royal Prince has taken.¡±


    Yu Yan¡¯s heart skipped a beat. This was a good thing! If they also started eating Immortal Pills, she would get even more dividends.


    ¡°Did they really say that?¡± Yu Yan stared at Granny Du.


    Granny Du said fearfully, ¡°How would I dare to lie? If you don¡¯t believe me, ask them. The Heir-Consort even praised you for serving people!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. I didn¡¯t say that you were lying to me. I¡¯ll get you some Immortal Pills. Take them to the Heir-Consort and tell her that these are pills concocted by an old immortal to strengthen the body and extend life. Let her try them. If she feels good after eating them, I¡¯ll help her ask my aunt to buy them.¡±


    Granny Du did not expect to obtain the medicinal pill so easily. She suppressed her excitement and kept praising Yu Yan. ¡°I¡¯m lucky to be able to serve you. You¡¯re so magnanimous. The Prince Consort and the Madams treated you like that, but you still disregarded the past and gave them the immortal pills.¡±


    Yu Yan thought proudly that it was for the sake of the silver, or she wouldn¡¯t have bothered with them. She nced at Granny Du and took out pills from the secretpartment of the dressing table. She poured out more than ten pills.


    ¡°Alright, take these to them!¡±


    Granny Du took the pills and walked happily to the Heir-Consort¡¯s courtyard with an umbre. She handed the pill to Granny Xu. ¡°Granny Xu, please receive these.¡±


    Granny Xu took the pill and was a little surprised.. ¡°You¡¯re quite fast! You didn¡¯t give yourself away, did you?¡±

 Chapter 535 - 535: Hehe! Longevity

    Chapter 535: Hehe! Longevity


    Granny Du looked at her happily. ¡°I just ttered her a little and she gave it to me. She even said that after the Heir-Consort finished eating, she would ask her aunt to help buy it.¡±


    Granny Xu looked at Granny Du¡¯s smile and was secretly jealous. Why was she so lucky to easily obtain her indenture?


    ¡°Go back and wait first. I¡¯ll report to the Heir-Consort now.¡±


    Granny Du nodded with a smile and left excitedly.


    Granny Xu went to the main courtyard and told the Heir-Consort, Madam Tang, what Granny Du had said. ¡°Princess Consort, look at how readily she gave it to Granny Du. Perhaps her pills can really extend life?¡±


    Madam Tang red at her. ¡°Are you stupid?! Use your brain to think about it. Even the Hajima Pill rewarded by the Empress Dowager didn¡¯t have such effects. There must be something strange about her.¡±


    Nanny Xu smiled awkwardly. ¡°I deserve to die. I shouldn¡¯t have thought of taking advantage.¡±


    Madam Tang looked at the glowing red Divine Immortal Pill in her hand and smelled it. A refreshing fragrance assaulted her nose. She thought to herself that if this was not brought over by that bitch, she might have really tried it.


    ¡°This thing is definitely not something good. I have to send it to the Heir Lord quickly so that it can be taken to the Imperial Hospital for examination!¡±


    Chu Yan, the son of Duke Fu, was also very surprised to see the pills. After thinking about it, he took the pill to the Imperial Hospital and found Imperial Physician Wu, who was close to him, to check.


    After Imperial Physician Wu checked, he was shocked and hurriedly pulled him to a quiet ce. He stared at him and said, ¡°Heir Lord, this is clearly a medicinal pill refined from the Five Stone Powder that Great Ancestor strictly prohibited from consuming. It was enhanced with some herbs with a strange fragrance.¡±


    ¡°Five Stone Powder,¡± Chu Yan eximed in a low voice. His vision darkened and he almost fell to the ground.


    Imperial Physician Wu supported him and looked at Chu Yan with a serious expression. ¡°Heir Lord, Great Ancestor has strictly forbidden the subjects of Great Yong to consume this thing. It has been more than a hundred years since


    Great Ancestor left. It¡¯s no wonder you don¡¯t know it. You should know that Great Ancestor has ordered that if the nobles and ministers consume this thing, they will be exiled after their ranks are cut.¡±


    Chu Yan hurriedly stuffed a pouch into Imperial Physician Wu¡¯s sleeve. ¡°I got it by chance. Seeing that the color was good and there was a fragrance, I was curious, so I brought it to you to check what it was.¡±


    Imperial Physician Wu nced at him. ¡°I don¡¯t think you knew what this is either. Otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t have shown it to me. You should know what to do. If I get caught, I won¡¯t be able to escape responsibility.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, thank you. I know what to do. I won¡¯t implicate you.¡±


    After Chu Yan cupped his hands in thanks to Imperial Physician Wu, he hurriedly left the Imperial Hospital.


    After getting into the carriage, he gritted his teeth and looked at the medicinal pill in his hand. ¡°Who exactly is this bitch who came to harm the entire Duke¡¯s Mansion? The Old Master is really something. He¡¯s already so old, but he¡¯s still bewitched and hooked up with her. Now, he might even harm the entire Duke¡¯s Mansion.¡±


    The carriage quickly returned to the Fu County¡¯s residence and Chu Yan brought a few guards straight to the Fu County¡¯s courtyard. When they reached the entrance, they said to the guards, ¡°Watch this ce. No one is allowed to enter or leave.¡±


    After a few guards bowed in agreement, they guarded the courtyard door.


    When Duke Fu saw his son run in angrily, he looked at him unhappily. ¡°Ah Yan, why did you barge in without informing me?¡±


    Chu Yan rushed in front of Duke Fu and gritted his teeth as he pointed at Yu Yan, who was standing behind him.


    ¡°Immortal pills! I think it¡¯s very good to eat it. Do you want me to get some for you to try?¡± The Fu Duke chuckled.


    Chu Yan looked at Duke Fu and his eyes widened. ¡°These pills are made from


    Five Stone Powder. This vixen siren is clearly trying to harm our Duke


    Mansion.¡±


    ¡°No, no¡­¡± Duke Fu¡¯s eyes widened when he heard this. He turned to look at Yu


    Yan behind him, unwilling to believe that he was consuming Five Stones Powder. ¡°What did you give me to eat?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll really give you immortal pills!¡±


    Yu Yan did not know what the Five Stone Powder was. From the expressions of Chu Yan and Duke Fu, she could tell that it was not something good!


    Looking at Duke Fu and his son, she said with an aggrieved expression, ¡°Heir Lord, I really gave the royal prince immortal pills. I won¡¯t harm the royal prince.¡±


    ¡°How dare you quibble!¡± Chu Yan ignored Duke Fu and pointed at the trembling Yu Yan. ¡°Tell me, who asked you to harm my Duke Mansion? Where did thise from?


    Yu Yan looked at the prince and retreated in fear. ¡°I didn¡¯t know these were made from Five Stones Powder. She said that these were immortal pills. She also said that eating it can extend one¡¯s life and preserve one¡¯s youth forever.¡± He looked at her and shouted, ¡°Who is she? Where does she live?¡±


    Duke Fu also reacted and said to the heir, ¡°Quickly bring people to capture that bitch and inform the Prince Consort.¡±


    Duke Fu looked at Yu Yan and roared, ¡°B*tch, hurry up and lead the way.¡±


    Yu Yan agreed fearfully and rushed towards Osmanthus Street with Duke Fu and Chu Yan. When they arrived at the entrance of the Gao family¡¯s house, she pointed and said, ¡°That¡¯s the one.¡±


    ¡°Knock on the door,¡± he ordered in a low voice.


    Madam Gao opened the door a crack and saw the aggressive Chu Yan and guards behind Yu Yan. She hurriedly closed the door but it was pushed open by the guards.


    When Madam Gao fell to the ground, she took out the pill from her sleeve cage and stuffed it into her mouth. When the guard picked her up and he saw her looking at Yu Yan with a strange smile.


    When Yu Yan saw the ck blood flowing out of Madam Gao¡¯s mouth and flowing down her face, she screamed in fear.


    Chu Yan¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He instinctively felt that something was wrong and hurriedly said, ¡°Go in and search.¡±


    The guard rushed in. After searching carefully, he did not find a pill.


    Chu Yan got someone to drag Yu Yan in. He looked at her with a dark expression and said, ¡°Find out where that woman hid the medicine.¡±


    Yu Yan looked at the clean house and felt as if she was in an abyss. She entered the house where Madam Gao used to gather medicine and saw that it had already been turned into a mess by the guard.


    Yu Yan stood in the house and looked around. She walked to the bed and turned to look at the guards. ¡°See if there¡¯s anything in here.¡±


    The guard went forward and flipped his foot. He saw that it was not hollow below. There was also a partition. He patted the pedal and it lifted. He saw the neatly arranged ck porcin medicine jars inside.


    Chu Yan found a cloth bag and put them away. He walked to the courtyard and looked at Madam Gao¡¯s corpse. He thought for a moment and asked the guard to enter the house to find a lock. He locked the courtyard door and brought the guard and Yu Yan back.


    He got someone to lock Yu Yan in the house and ced the pills in front of Duke Fu. ¡°Father, the bitch who sold the medicinemitted suicide and died after consuming poison. I haven¡¯t informed Prince Consort¡¯s residence yet. I don¡¯t know if the Prince Consort has given it to anyone else. What do you think we should do now?¡±

 Chapter 536 - 536: Regret

    Chapter 536: Regret


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Chu Yan looked at him with a livid expression and said, ¡°If you want to harm your descendants, the Regional King¡¯s Mansion will be stripped of its nobility and everyone will be exiled. Continue eating. I¡¯ll see how you can face your ancestors!¡±


    Duke Fu lowered his head. After a while, he looked up at Chu Yan. ¡°Take it further away. I crave it when I smell it.¡±


    Chu Yan looked at Duke Fu. ¡°Father, what do you think we should do with this? There¡¯s still a dead person in the house on Osmanthus Street. Also, we have to think of a way to deal with the woman you married and the Prince Consort.¡±


    Duke Fu thought for a long time and felt that his mind was filled with paste. He did not have the ability to think at all. He waved his hand and said, ¡°In short, the fewer people who know about this, the better. Go and inform the Prince Consort first. He¡¯s also taking the pills. Let¡¯s see what he says.¡±


    Chu Yan looked at Duke Fu¡¯s distracted expression and knew that it wouldn¡¯t be a good idea to discuss it with him. He put all the divine immortal pills in the house into a bag and turned around to discuss it with Madam Tang.


    When Madam Tang heard Chu Yan¡¯s words, she was so frightened that she grabbed Chu Yan and said in fear, ¡°Master, if the imperial family finds out about this and reports it, we¡¯ll be in trouble. Hurry up and find my father to think of a way.¡±


    When Chu Yan heard that Madam Tang wanted him to look for her father, he couldn¡¯t help but feel a little afraid. His father-inw was a censor. Could he tell him about this?


    It was better to discuss it with Second Brother. They were all in the same boat now. If they didn¡¯t work together to think of a foolproof n, the entire family would be exiled after the incident!


    After thinking it through, Chu Yan said to Madam Tang, ¡°Madam, I think we should discuss this with Second Brother first and hear his opinion before going back to discuss it with Father-inw.¡±


    When Madam Tang heard this, she thought about it and felt that it made sense. ¡°Up to you. It¡¯s good to discuss it with Brother-inw first.¡±


    Chu Yan looked at his wife in relief. ¡°That¡¯s not the only thing I have to worry about. I heard from Father that the Prince Consort is also taking this. I wonder if there are any other nobles and ministers taking it in the capital?¡±


    After a pause, he continued, ¡°Also, why did that womanmit suicide? Is there someone with ulterior motives who wants to y tricks in the capital? Interrogate that bitch from the Yu family and ask her where the dead woman came from? Who did she sell those things to?¡±


    Madam Tang nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll go now.¡±


    Madam Tang went to the room where Yu Yan was imprisoned and saw Yu Yan thrown to the ground like a rag. She bent down and took off the hemp core that was stuck in her mouth. She looked at her with disdain. ¡°Let me tell you, that thing is forbidden by the Imperial Court. You better tell me honestly. Who is the woman on Osmanthus Street? Who did you sell those things to? Otherwise, you¡¯ll be imprisoned!¡±


    Yu Yan looked up at Madam Tang in shame and regret. If she had known earlier, she wouldn¡¯t have thought of entering the Regional King¡¯s Mansion. Wasn¡¯t it good to be the mistress of Duke Fu? Now, she had been harmed by Madam Gao.


    Seeing Yu Yan lower her head and not say anything, Madam Tang shouted,


    ¡°Madam Yu. are you going to sav it or not?¡±


    Yu Yan looked at Madam Tang and cried, ¡°Princess Consort, I don¡¯t know that that thing is a forbidden item of the Imperial Court, nor do I know where Madam Gao is from. I only know that she¡¯s a physician and knows how to treat some women¡¯s illnesses.


    I only got to know her not long after I met the county lord. She was the one who gave me the pills and said that the county lord would agree to marry me into the residence as the county princess. I listened to her and gave the pills to the county lord. The county lord was indeed very satisfied. After a few days, he agreed to marry me.¡±


    Madam Tang looked at Yu Yan in disgust. What a bitch. She even wanted to climb up the socialdder and be a phoenix. She was so angry that she pinched her soft flesh. Seeing that Yu Yan was trembling in pain, she stopped. ¡°Apart from the Prince Consort, who else bought the pills?¡±


    Yu Yan did not dare to tell them that Madam Gao had asked her to send the pills to the pce. She said with a trembling voice, ¡°I only know that the Prince Consort bought it. Madam Gao said that this thing is not easy to obtain. She even said that she would give me a dividend after selling it.¡±


    ¡°Pfft!¡± Madam Tang looked at Yu Yan and spat angrily. ¡°You shallow thing. Even a low-grade servant is more knowledgeable than you. Are you worthy of being the county princess? Why don¡¯t you weigh yourself first!¡±


    Madam Tang angrily picked up the hemp pit on the ground, pinched Yu Yan¡¯s mouth, and gagged her. She came out of the room and got someone to close the door before walking back.


    Seeing that the door was closed again, Yu Yan realized that there was not even a person helping her send news outside in this deep courtyard. She could not even die. Yu Yan was filled with regret and could not help but whimper.


    Madam Tang went back and told Chu Yan about her interrogation of Yu Yan. She looked at him and said, ¡°That bitch only has these few words. Go and discuss the countermeasures with Brother-inw first!¡±


    Chu Yan found his second brother, Chu Xiao, and told him what had happened. He looked at the silent Chu Xiao and asked a momentter, ¡°What do you think we should do now? Our family will prosper and perish together. If this matter is not resolved, the Regional King¡¯s Mansion will be taken back.¡±


    Chu Xiao thought for a while and looked up at Chu Yan. ¡°Brother, I¡¯ll tell you my opinion. I think you should make it clear to the Imperial Family.¡±


    Stunned, Chu Yan looked at him and said, ¡°Go on.¡±


    ¡°Big Brother, think about it. The women on Osmanthus Street took poison andmitted suicide. This matter is definitely not as simple as selling medicine. That bitch Madam Yu doesn¡¯t know anything. We don¡¯t know where their aplices are hiding either. Also, those guards and Imperial Physician Wu, how are we going to seal their mouths?¡±


    ¡°Even if we spend a Herculean effort to seal these people¡¯s mouths, what if that woman¡¯s aplices use this matter to threaten us to work for them? Are we going to do it or not?¡±


    ¡°Think about it. We didn¡¯t know about this at all. We only realized that something was wrong with Father¡¯s body. After investigating, we realized that that bitch, Madam Yu, had given Father those pills. After getting someone to check, we realized that it was that thing. Let¡¯s send Madam Yu to the Imperial Family and hand the matter to the Imperial Family to deal with. That¡¯ll be it!¡±


    Chu Yan looked at Chu Xiao in admiration. He did not expect his usually quiet second brother to have such a brain. It seemed that he could not underestimate honest people.


    ¡°Second Brother, it¡¯s a good thing I came to discuss it with you. I think your analysis is right. I¡¯ll bring people to send that bitch Yu to the imperial family and exin the matter to them.¡±


    Chu Xiao smiled faintly. ¡°Brother, we¡¯re biological brothers. Why are you so polite?! I think we should bring Father along. His rtionship with the Imperial n elders is better than ours.¡±


    Chu Yan nodded. ¡°Alright, alright. Let¡¯s go find Father and send that bitch Yu to the Imperial Family.¡±


    The elder reprimanded Duke Fu and punished him to go back and reflect on his mistakes. They got someone to detain Yu Yan and send someone to the capital government office to report the case before hurriedly entering the pce with the medicinal pills.


    After Chu Yuhao found out about Duke Fu¡¯s family, he suspected that Madam Gao was on the Second Prince¡¯s side. He sent secret guards to keep an eye on Madam Gao¡¯s house and lie in wait for the mastermind..

 Chapter 537 - 537: Releasing

    Chapter 537: Releasing


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    When the government office received the report, they hurriedly sent someone to Osmanthus Street and brought back Madam Gao¡¯s corpse. They began to investigate Madam Gao¡¯s background and realized that she had arrived in the capital two years ago. The household register certificate she had brought was fake.


    When they visited her neighbors, they found that Madam Gao did not interact with anyone at all, and no one knew who she was interacting with.


    The government office had no choice but to get someone to go to Osmanthus Street and keep an eye on Madam Gao¡¯s residence.


    When Zhou Jia returned from the government office, he told Li Yu about Yu Yan being locked up in the imperial family. He said, ¡°Madam Yu was locked up first, and County Lieutenant Yu was kicked out of the capital government office. Even the Yu brothers, who were studying in the academy, were chased out by the academy.¡±


    Li Yu didn¡¯t expect Yu Yan to be a prisoner from a county princess in just a day. Retribution came too quickly!


    ¡°Yu Yan and her mother both fell under a medicine because they were insufficient and had ulterior motives. It¡¯s really a cycle of karma.¡±


    Zhou Jia nodded and said to Li Yu, ¡°You¡¯re right. His Majesty feels that the


    Second Prince¡¯s people were behind the pill incident. I don¡¯t know where the


    Second Prince¡¯s people are hiding. Looks like the capital isn¡¯t stable either.¡±


    Li Yu frowned and said, ¡°Hasn¡¯t there been any news from the people following


    General Zou?¡±


    Zhou Jia shook his head. ¡°A few days ago, His Majesty even mentioned this matter. He said that General Zou brought his family back to their original ce. They didn¡¯t detect anything wrong! ¡±


    ¡°A fox will reveal its tail sooner orter. Just be patient and keep an eye on it.


    Let¡¯s go to the old residence to see Old Master first!¡±


    ¡°Yes! When Yang¡¯er finishes his homework, let¡¯s bring him along.¡±


    Zhou Jia and Li Yu brought Yangyang to the old residence. Old Master Zhou chatted with Yangyang for a while and said that he had something to say to Zhou Jia and his wife before letting Yangyang go out to y.


    Old Master Zhou looked at Zhou Jia. ¡°Jiahe and wife, I want to transfer the house deed of the old residence to your names.¡±


    Zhou Jia refused tly. ¡°That won¡¯t do. I¡¯m no longer under your name. If it¡¯s not legitimate, there will be more trouble in the future.¡±


    Old Master Zhou looked at Zhou Jia and Li Yu. ¡°Listen to me first. If this house falls into Zhou Xin¡¯s hands, he will sell it for money in less than a year. What I mean is, call the Zhou brothers over. Buy them a house each and let them have a ce to stay. It would be considered as you having bought this house.¡±


    Zhou Jia and Li Yu didn¡¯t want the old residence. They felt that this ce was rotten.


    Old Master Zhou frowned and said, ¡°You really don¡¯t want this house?¡±


    Zhou Jia nodded. ¡°Uncle, to be honest, I don¡¯t like the old residence. We¡¯ve already bought the manor outside the city. I think you can stay in the manor. There¡¯s a hot spring there and it¡¯s good for you to nt flowers. Just give the old residence to the brothers!¡±


    When Old Master Zhou heard this, he lowered his head. ¡°Let me think about it. I¡¯m fine. Go back and rest.¡±


    Zhou Jia replied, ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll go back first. Zhao Cai is here. Tell him if you need anything.¡±


    Old Master Zhou thought for a few days and decided to split the residence into three ording to Zhou Jia¡¯s instructions. The father and son each entered the courtyard and got Zhao Cai to hire people to build the wall to separate the residence. He would move to the farm to raise flowers and sell them.


    The people guarding Osmanthus Street guarded until the end of the year, but they did not manage to capture anyone. The secret guards watching General Zou did not notice any abnormal movements from him. The Second Prince¡¯s men were like poisonous snakes that had entered hibernation and were hiding somewhere.


    After the new year, Fan Mingfang gave birth to Li Qing¡¯s eldest son, Li Lin.


    Time passed quickly. In the blink of an eye, another year passed. Li Qing¡¯s eldest son, Li Lin, was also more than a year old. Li Yu¡¯s twins were also three years old.


    After the new year, Li Qing received the appointment from Outreach County early in the morning. He took the appointment letter to the Zhou family and told Li Yu about his release. He smiled and said, ¡°Sister, Le County is only half a month away from the capital. If you have the time, go there and visit me.¡±


    When Li Yu heard that the capital was only half a month away from Le County, she felt that it was convenient to travel there. She smiled and nodded. ¡°Alright, when you¡¯re settled, I¡¯ll go to Le County to see you. Are you leaving with your wife, or are you going alone?¡±


    Li Qing smiled and said, ¡°I came to look for you after getting the appointment letter. I haven¡¯t gone home to tell Wanwan yet. She did say before the new year that she would go with me wherever I went.¡±


    ¡°Yes! The couple should be together. Dong¡¯er is too young. You have to be careful on the way,¡± Li Yu instructed worriedly.


    ¡°Got it. I¡¯ll go back and tell Wanwan the news.¡± Li Qing walked to the door and turned back. ¡°Sister, the Spring Quarter Examination is about to start. Is there any news from Laidi?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t heard from her these days. Has shee for Dong¡¯er¡¯s first birthday?¡±


    Li Qing nodded. ¡°She was here. She even gave me a small golden lock and some clothes, shoes, and socks. Laidi told me that her rtionship with Li Fengqi is very tense. I¡¯m afraid something will happen to her.¡±


    ¡°She didn¡¯t tell me any of this. I¡¯ll get Ji Xiang to take a look.¡±


    Li Qing bade farewell and left. Yueyue and Xingxing ran into the house one after another. The two little fellows were already more than two years old and were as good-looking as dolls.


    Yueyue pulled Li Yu¡¯s cor. ¡°Mother, I want to bring my brother out to y.¡±


    Li Yu pinched his little nose and smiled. ¡°Are you bringing him out to y? I think it¡¯s more like him bringing you.¡±


    ¡°Yes! Brother is stupid. He¡¯ll be sold,¡± Xingxing said primly.


    Yueyue immediately exercised his brother¡¯s authority. He ced his hands on his hips and looked at the Xingxing. ¡°I am your brother. You can¡¯t talk about me like that.¡±


    Xingxing said slowly, ¡°You¡¯re already more than two years old, yet you can¡¯t even differentiate between an older brother and a younger one. I think you¡¯re the younger brother.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes. If you don¡¯t believe me, ask Mother.¡± Yueyue blushed and jumped up and down.


    Xingxing nced at him. ¡°Hmph! I¡¯m going to ignore you. I¡¯m going fishing by the lotus pond.¡±


    Xingxing turned around and left. Yueyue looked at him and then at Li Yu before turning around to chase after him.


    Li Yu looked at the two little fellows with a headache. Ever since the two of them learned how to run, they behaved like this every day!


    Li Yu asked Granny Yang to go to the storeroom to get a few pieces of cloth and some supplements and handed them to Ji Xiang to bring to Laidi¡¯s house.


    When Ji Xiang arrived at Laidi¡¯s house, he saw the old woman alone in the courtyard. ¡°Is your Madam here?¡±


    The old woman nced at Ji Xiang and walked to his side. She whispered,


    ¡°Inw,e out with me for a moment.¡¯


    Ji Xiang nodded and followed her out of the courtyard. The old woman pulled the door closed and whispered to Ji Xiang, ¡°Manager, my Madam has a strong personality and doesn¡¯t like to tell her family about her hardships, but when will her tough life end?¡±


    Ji Xiang was confused by the old woman¡¯s random words.. ¡°Grandma, what happened to Miss? Could it be that Young Master Li abused her and hit her?¡±

 Chapter 538 - 538: Divorce

    Chapter 538: Divorce


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    ¡°He had never beaten her up.¡± The old woman sighed. ¡°Ever since Madam had a miscarriage, Master has treated her better. The two of them lived indifferently for more than two months. Master went out to find a private school to be a teacher. In June two years ago, Master didn¡¯t go home much and didn¡¯t bring money back to family expenses. Madam and I relied on needlework and the silver Madam¡¯s family brought to survive.¡±


    Ji Xiang frowned and asked, ¡°Young Master Li isn¡¯t going home. Where is he staying?


    The old woman looked angry. ¡°Madam didn¡¯t ask him or look for him. Every time Master came back, he came to get his clothes. On the day of autumnst year, Master came back and moved all his clothes and luggage away. Before he left, he even said that he wanted a divorce.¡±


    ¡°Madam asked him to make himself clear. He said that marrying her was the most unlucky thing in his life. He said that he had never liked Madam and even said that he was willing to divorce her. If not for Master Zhou, he would have written a divorce letter to Madam long ago.¡±


    Ji Xiang thought to himself that Miss Cousin-inw¡¯s judgment was really not good. To think such a straightforward person was married to Li Fengqi, a heartless person. Why was Li Fengqi willing to get a divorce? Could it be that he had found a better family?


    ¡°What did your Madam say?¡±


    ¡°Madam didn¡¯t agree and argued with him. Master threw the divorce letter to Madam and left. When Madam got too angry and went to the private school to look for him, the teacher said that Master had long quit his job and left.¡±


    Ji Xiang did not expect things to have reached this point. He asked the coachman to move the things out of the cart and handed them to the old woman. ¡®Grandma, take the things in first. I¡¯ll go back and report to Madam.¡±


    The old woman nodded. She thought for a moment and instructed Ji Xiang, ¡°Inw, tell Madam not to say that I told you. If Madam says anything, I¡¯ll have to sell myself.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I know what to do.¡± After Ji Xiang agreed, he got the coachman to drive the cart back to the residence and told Li Yu what the old woman from


    Laidi¡¯s tamily had said.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go and take a look. After checking in with Laidi, go to the government office and find out where Li Fengqi went.¡±


    When she arrived at Laidi¡¯s house, Li Yu walked into the courtyard and saw Laidi sitting under the eaves of the porch with a needle and thread. Her expression was calm and not too bad.


    When she saw Li Yu, she stood up in surprise. ¡°Cousin, you just sent something over. Why are you here personally again?


    ¡°Ji Xiang heard from someone in the hall that Li Fengqi had moved out of his house. I¡¯m here to ask what¡¯s going on. What are you thinking?¡±


    When Laidi heard this, she lowered her head and said in a low voice, ¡°I n to live like this. As long as I don¡¯t agree to the divorce, he can¡¯t do anything to me.¡±


    Li Yu looked at her, not understanding what was in her mind. ¡°Isn¡¯t he afraid you¡¯ll tell us about him asking you to steal the child?¡±


    Laidi looked at Li Yu in surprise. ¡°You knew?¡±


    Li Yu nodded. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for you, do you think he would have been able to live peacefully these days? He would have long been stripped of his schrly title and gone to jail.¡±


    Laidi looked at Li Yu apologetically. ¡°Cousin, I¡¯ve let you and my parents down. I was blind and mistook fish eyes for pearls.¡±


    Li Yu looked at her and said earnestly, ¡°Laidi, let me tell you clearly today. For your desire, you wanted to marry this man. It was your wishful thinking that broke your parents¡¯ hearts.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ve let go of your dream of wealth and glory. I just want to tell you that you¡¯re still young and have a long way to go. If you can learn a lesson from this and get out, you¡¯ll be able to find the life you really want.¡±


    Laidi got up and went into the house to get the divorce letter written by Li Fengqi for Li Yu. She saw that Laidi¡¯s signature was already on it. Li Yu didn¡¯t expect her to have already thought it through. She looked up at Laidi. ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯ve thought it through. Live your life well in the future.¡±


    ¡°He came back that day and threw a divorce letter to me. He even said that he had never liked me. In a fit of anger, I said that he would never be able to get rid of me. He threw down the divorce letter and disappeared. I¡¯ve thought it through these days. I want to wait for him to try to find him that day and give him the divorce letter. I want to cut ties with him.¡±


    ¡°Wait at home. I¡¯ll get someone to find Li Fengqi. Give him the divorce letter personally. After giving it to him, what are your ns?¡±


    Laidi looked at Li Yu and hesitated for a moment. ¡°Cousin, can I go to the countryside to collect vegetables and make the pickled vegetables you made in the past to sell?¡±


    Li Yu nodded. ¡°Sure, if you want to do it!¡±


    Laidi bowed deeply to Li Yu. ¡°Thank you, Cousin. I¡¯ll definitely live a good life in the future and stop thinking about unrealistic things.¡±


    Seeing that she really had the intention to repent, Li Yu said, ¡°It¡¯s good for people to have dreams, but they have to consider their actual abilities to set realistic goals. They have to take one step at a time and slowly improve themselves before they can go further. Impractical dreams are just dreams.¡±


    When Laidi heard Li Yu¡¯s words, she smiled bitterly and said, ¡°Cousin, I was dreaming in the past. I even had nightmares.¡±


    ¡°Alright, if you¡¯re fine, I¡¯ll go back. Write to Aunt about you and Li Fengqi so they won¡¯t worry.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡± After agreeing, Laidi sent Li Yu out.


    Li Yu went out and got into the car. She said to Ji Xiang, ¡°Go to the government office and find someone to investigate Li Fengqi. Where does he live after moving out of here?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± Ji Xiang turned his horse around and went to the capital government office to find someone to investigate Li Fengqi¡¯s whereabouts.


    The coachman drove the cart back. The cart slowly moved forward. Li Yu leaned against the pillow in the cart and fell asleep.


    Suddenly, she felt that it was quiet outside. It was not as noisy as the route back to the East City. Li Yu gently lifted the curtain and realized that the carriage had arrived at a quiet street.


    Li Yu took out a dagger from her space and nned to see who instructed the driver to divert her route.


    The carriage moved forward slowly. Li Yu looked out through the gap in the curtain and saw the north city gate in front.


    Li Yu thought to herself that it seemed that he was going to drive her out of the city. She had to tell Xiao Xi so that he wouldn¡¯t worry.


    Li Yu took out paper and a charcoal pencil from her space. Time was tight, so she only had time to write: Zhou Jia, I¡¯m fine, Li Yu.


    Wrapping a piece of silver barley in the paper, she threw it through the curtain.


    When a city guard saw a paper ball thrown out of the car, he hurriedly picked it up and pinched a hard piece inside. He opened it and saw the silver barley inside. He happily held the silver barley and smiled at hispanion. ¡°Brother, let¡¯s drink two cupster.¡±


    Hispanion pointed at the paper in his hand. ¡°Hey! Look at what it says. It seems to say that she¡¯s safe. Do you think she eloped?¡±


    ¡°It might be! Put it in your pocket first. Someone will be looking for it and we can show it to him.¡±


    Li Yu realized that not long after the car left the city, two people jumped onto the carriage. One sat in the front car, and the other sat in the back of the carriage.


    Only then did Li Yu say, ¡°Old Lin, why did you pull me out of the city?¡±

 Chapter 539 - 539: Search

    Chapter 539: Search


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Old Lin¡¯s voice sounded. ¡°Madam Li, just sit there in peace! We don¡¯t have any other intentions. We just want to get a few coins to spend. It¡¯s best if you don¡¯t move. We know that your martial arts are not bad, so we especially got a few strong crossbows to greet you.¡±


    Old Lin and the other two robbers didn¡¯t dare to stop the carriage or enter the carriage to face Li Yu. They only wanted to speed up and leave the capital as soon as possible.


    Li Yu said to herself, ¡°Knowing that I have kungfu, it seems that they have been watching me for a long time. Fortunately, I¡¯m alone today. If I bring the children, I¡¯ll be in trouble if they kidnap me.¡±


    Old Lin was sent over by the Lin family when Zhou Jia went to Yuezhou. At that time, Uncle Lin was worried that the people outside were unreliable, so he gave Old Lin, who had been driving the carriage for him, to Li Yu¡¯s family. In order to avoid any issues, he even gave the deed to Li Yu.


    It was impossible for Uncle Lin to harm his family. Old Lin was a mole nted in the Lin family.


    Old Lin had been driving the carriage in the Lin family for more than ten years. Who had nted him in the Lin family? Could he be the Second Prince¡¯s subordinate? If that was true, how many people had the Second Prince left in the capital?


    Should she fight them here or attack their nest? She might as well go to their nest to take a look.


    Li Yu made up her mind and said in a low voice, ¡°Old Lin, how much silver do you want? I¡¯ll get someone to send it to you immediately.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha!¡± Old Lin smiled proudly. ¡°Madam Li, you shoulde with us brothers in peace. We¡¯ll inform Lord Zhou what we want. Don¡¯t worry, as long as you don¡¯t move, I promise I won¡¯t attack. When Lord Zhou gives us the ransom, we¡¯ll let you go immediately.¡±


    The robber sitting in the cart behind shouted, ¡°Brother Lin, why are you talking to her? Hurry up and rush back.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, they won¡¯t be able to catch up.¡±


    As Old Lin spoke, he whipped the horse and it started galloping. After about four hours, the carriage went up a mountain path. Li Yu had already taken out the dagger and sleeve arrow from her space and tied them up. She also tied a dagger to her calf and watched the car walk down the mountain path into the forest.


    Ji Xiang asked about Li Fengqi¡¯s whereabouts from the government office and rode back to the residence to report to Li Yu.


    When they reached the door, Uncle Liu looked at him and said, ¡°Manager Xiang, Second Young Master has been looking for Madam a few times. Why didn¡¯t Madame back with you? Did she stay at Miss Cousin¡¯s house?¡±


    ¡°Madam has long returned!¡± Ji Xiang said anxiously. ¡°Uncle Liu, didn¡¯t you see Madam return?¡±


    Uncle Liu looked at Ji Xiang and felt that something was wrong. ¡°That¡¯s right! She went out with you and never came back.¡±


    ¡°Hurry up and call Ruyi, Zhao Cai, and the others over. Tell them to split up and go to Uncle and the others to take a look. If not, I¡¯m afraid Madam has been kidnapped.¡±


    Before Ji Xiang could finish speaking, he had already run out and was riding his horse to Laii¡¯s house.


    Uncle Liu hurriedly called Little Loach and the others Ruyi and Zhao Cai. After the two of them found out, they went to the houses of Li Qing and Lin Zexu respectively. The gatekeeper said that Li Yu had never been there.


    As soon as Zhao Cai and Ruyi left, the gatekeepers of the two families hurriedly went in to report.


    When Fan Mingfang and Madam Gong found out that Li Yu had disappeared, they were also anxious. They hurriedly called someone to the government office to go home to find her. The two of them rushed toward Li Yu¡¯s house.


    When Ji Xiang arrived at Laidi¡¯s house, he saw Laidi and the old woman sitting in the courtyard. He didn¡¯t see Li Yu.


    His heart skipped a beat and he almost lost her bnce. ¡°Miss Cousin-inw, has Madam evere back?¡±


    Laidi stood up abruptly. ¡°Cousin left with you!¡±


    Ji Xiang ignored her and turned to go out the door. He mounted his horse and rushed back.


    Laidi put down her needle and thread and chased after him.


    Ji Xiang had just run halfway when he saw Ruyi and Zhao Cai riding over. Seeing their anxious expressions, he knew that there was no trace of Madam at the Li and Lin families.


    Ruyi said to Ji Xiang, ¡°Go to the government office and report to Master. Zhao Cai and I will bring people to the various city gates to ask if they saw Madam¡¯s carriage leave the city.¡±


    Ji Xiang nodded. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s split up.¡±


    When they arrived at the Ministry of Revenue, they found Zhou Jia and said uneasily, ¡°Master, Madam is missing.¡±


    ¡°What did you say?¡± Zhou Jia thought he had heard wrongly.


    ¡°Today, Madam¡­ Madam and I split up. Madam hasn¡¯t returned home since she came out of Miss¡¯s house.¡± Ji Xiang looked at Zhou Jia worriedly, preparing to support him if anything went wrong.


    ¡°You said Madam is missing¡­¡¯


    Zhou Jia felt a buzzing in his ears and couldn¡¯t help but sway a few times. He hurriedly leaned against the table to stabilize his mind.


    After Zhou Jia stood still, he said, ¡°I¡¯ll go to the capital¡¯s government office immediately and bring people to look for Madam. Bring Tiezhu, Ruyi, and the others to a few city gates and ask if Madam¡¯s carriage left the city.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Seeing that Zhou Jia had calmed down, Ji Xiang calmed down a lot. He turned around and drove back with Tiezhu.


    Zhou Jia arrived at the government office anxiously and found Magistrate Tu. ¡°Lord Tu, my Madam disappeared on the way home. She might have been kidnapped.¡±


    ¡°Madam, Lord Zhou, don¡¯t be anxious. Tell me slowly when it happened. Why didn¡¯t you see him?¡±


    Magistrate Tu had a headache when he heard that. Everyone in the capital knew that Lord Zhou doted on his wife like crazy. Madam Li was also a first-grade Madam. If she was really kidnapped and something happened to her, he would probably not be able to keep his official post.


    ¡°About what happened before noon today¡­ My Madam¡¯s martial arts are strong. The person who kidnapped her might not be weak.¡±


    Zhou Jia exined the reason as quickly as possible. He bowed to Magistrate Tu and said, ¡°It¡¯s an emergency. Lord Zhao, quickly send someone to investigate along the way and see if anyone has seen my carriage.¡±


    ¡°Senior Zhou, don¡¯t be anxious. I¡¯ll send someone to look for them now.¡± Magistrate Tu hurriedly sent people to the few city gates, as well as Laidi¡¯s family and the Zhou Mansion to investigate along the way. He looked for witnesses and traces of the carriage and Li Yu.


    Zhao Cai rushed to the north city gate and asked a few guards. They all said that they did not find the Zhou family¡¯s carriage. Zhao Cai nced outside the city and got on his horse to walk back.


    ¡°Steward Zhou, wait a moment.¡±


    The city guard who had picked up Li Yu¡¯s paper ball thought of the paper ball he had picked up. The person written on it was also surnamed Zhou. He hurriedly stopped Zhao Cai and handed the paper ball in his pocket to him. He smiled awkwardly and said, ¡°There was even a piece of silver wrapped in it. I didn¡¯t care when I saw that it was written without rhyme or reason. I was also worried that something would happen, so I put it in my pocket.¡±


    Zhao Cai looked at Li Yu¡¯s message and was so excited that tears almost fell. He took out his pouch and stuffed it into the city guard¡¯s hand. ¡°Brother, it¡¯s been hard on you. Everyone, take it to drink.¡±


    With that, he mounted his horse and ran back. A few city guards looked at the silver in the pouch and smiled happily.


    Zhao Cai hurriedly rushed back and met Zhou Jia halfway. He hurriedly handed Li Yu¡¯s message to Zhou Jia and said to him, ¡°Master, it seems that Madam let them kidnap her on purpose. I found Ruyi and Ji Xiang. Let¡¯s follow them and take a look.¡±


    Zhou Jia was relieved and felt sore all over. He nodded and said, ¡°Wait at the city gate, and don¡¯t act on your own. I¡¯ll get someone to inform Ruyi and the others to meet you.¡±


    ¡°Yes, slow down.¡± Zhao Cai looked at Zhou Jia and instructed. Zhou Jia waved his hand and rode his horse to inform Magistrate Tu and Ruyi..

 Chapter 540 - 540: Farm

    Chapter 540: Farm


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    When Fan Mingfang and Madam Gong arrived at the Zhou family¡¯s house, they saw that the residence was gloomy. The two of them looked at the twins who were crying and looking for their mother and could only force a smile tofort the two children.


    Laidi rushed to the Zhou family¡¯s house and found out from Auntie He that Li Yu was really missing. She felt so guilty that she wanted to die.


    In her heart, Li Yu was omnipotent. She never expected Li Yu to be kidnapped.


    Laidi¡¯s face was covered in tears. ¡°Auntie He, my cousin disappeared because of me. I can¡¯t absolve myself of the me even if I die a thousand times.¡±


    Xing Hua rolled her eyes at Laidi and muttered to herself, ¡°If something really happens to my Madam, what¡¯s the use of dying ten thousand times? You can¡¯t evenpare to a strand of my Madam¡¯s hair.¡±


    Auntie He alsoined to her, ¡°Miss Cousin, go back and guard the house first. Wait for my Madam toe back in peace. Don¡¯t do anything stupid. Otherwise, when Madames back, you¡¯ll be in trouble.¡±


    Laidi nodded and turned to walk out. Auntie He thought of Li Mei and couldn¡¯t help but sigh. She stopped Laidi and said, ¡°Miss, I¡¯m heartbroken about you. Think about it. Is it worth it for such a heartless person?


    If he doesn¡¯t take you seriously now, how can he take you seriously when he achieves his goals? We, women, have to find someone who dotes on us. Look at your sister and then look at yourself. Think about it.¡±


    Laidi looked at Auntie He and felt ashamed. ¡°Yes, Auntie He. In the past, I was blind. Now, I know my mistake. I¡¯ll go back and wait for Cousin. But she might not go to my ce again!¡±


    ¡°Go!¡± Auntie He waved her hand and let her go.


    The carriage ran along the hill path, passed a forest, and climbed for more than an hour in twists and turns. It began to descend. After another hour, an expanse of farnd appeared ahead.


    Old Lin drove the cart to the entrance of the vige. He nced at the big banyan tree at the entrance and drove into the vige. He stopped in front of a farmstead of green bricks and gray tiles.


    At this moment, it was already dark. The vige was cold and cheerless as if there was no one around.


    Old Lin got out of the car and pulled out his dagger. The three of them looked at the carriage door solemnly.


    Old Lin carefully walked to the car door. ¡°Madam Li, we¡¯re here. As long as you don¡¯t make a move, we won¡¯t touch you.¡±


    Li Yu nodded. Old Lin went forward and lifted the curtain.


    Li Yu saw two fierce men. One of them was pointing a crossbow at her. Both of them had a pair of sparkling eyes. The tall one had high cheekbones, and the shorter one had fleshless cheeks and a solemn expression.


    Old Lin looked at Li Yu proudly and reached out to make an inviting gesture. ¡°Madam Li, don¡¯t be angry. Crossbow swords are blind!¡±


    The tall robber pointed his crossbow at Li Yu and shouted impatiently at Old


    Lin, ¡°Brother Lin, why are you talking to her? Hurry up and bring her in.¡±


    Li Yu got out of the carriage obediently and walked towards the door. As Old Lin walked with the machete, he paid attention to Li Yu¡¯s every move. The two robbers stared at Li Yu with crossbows in their hands and did not rx for a moment.


    From the looks of it, as long as Li Yu made a move, she would be shot.


    After entering, she saw a spacious courtyard dam. There were also more than ten ordinary-looking men in the courtyard dam. Some were tidying up with hoes and farming tools, while others were wiping with weapons.


    When the ck-faced man saw the two men holding crossbows, heughed loudly. ¡°Old Chai, Ah Gen, why are you so nervous? There are so many of us. Are we afraid of a delicate woman like her?!¡±


    Old Chai smiled. ¡°Sir said that this woman is good at martial arts and is born with divine strength. We guarded her for more than a year and finally got her here. We don¡¯t dare to be careless.¡±


    ¡°Hehe¡­¡± A man looked at Li Yu wretchedly. ¡°Good martial arts. I think it¡¯s in bed!¡±


    ¡°Hahaha¡­¡± Seeing Li Yu lower her head in silence, Old Linughed arrogantly. ¡°Brothers, you¡¯re alright! Are you preparing for spring plowing? How¡¯s the harvest in the past few years?¡±


    A man smiled and said, ¡°The harvestst year was not bad. I even got some sweet potatoes from the Imperial ntation to nt. That¡¯s a good thing.¡±


    Li Yu thought to herself that the sweet potato seeds had also reached their hands. It seemed that they also had people in the Imperial ntation.


    A man winked at Brother Lin and said, ¡°Brother Lin, you¡¯re not leaving this time, are you?¡±


    ¡°Brother Lin is quite lucky!¡±


    The group of people spoke loudly and brazenly, treating Li Yu as theirs.


    Brother Lin nced at Li Yu proudly. ¡°I brought back a big fish. It¡¯s already showing its face. I can¡¯t go anymore. Open the cer and lock her in the cer first.¡±


    ¡°Alright!¡± A man ran towards the room.


    Li Yu thought to herself that in the past, she was the one who locked people in the cer. Now, it was her turn.


    When they arrived at the entrance of the cer, Brother Lin looked at Li Yu. ¡°Madam Li, you should behave and walk down yourself! Otherwise, it won¡¯t be good if the sword hurts you!¡±


    Li Yu walked into the cer silently. Old Lin took a knife and two other robbers with crossbows aimed at Li Yu and escorted her down the cer.


    The tall one said to Old Lin impatiently, ¡°Brother Lin, quickly tie her up and feed her the Soft Tendon Powder so that we can heave a sigh of relief.¡±


    After consuming the Soft Tendon Powder, no matter how much strength she had, she could not use it. Li Yu did not think that she could be faster than the crossbow. The moment Old Lin bent down to get the rope, she looked at the positions of the two robbers holding crossbows and hid in the space.


    The two robbers with crossbows watched helplessly as Li Yu disappeared in front of them. They were so frightened that they widened their eyes and looked at the ce where Li Yu had disappeared. They were stunned and their lips subconsciously moved. ¡°Ghost, ghost¡­¡±


    In the blink of an eye, Li Yu came out of the space again. She looked at the two people who were stunned and shot the sleeve arrow into their throats. The two of them fell to the ground.


    When Old Lin heard themotion, he straightened up with the rope. In the blink of an eye, Li Yu was in front of him. She pped his neck and Old Lin fell. Li Yu tied him up with the rope and picked up the rag on the ground to gag him.


    Looking around the cer, she saw that it was filled with sacks. She pinched them and estimated that they were filled with food. There were at least 100,000 catties. Li Yu found a sack and stuffed Old Lin in. She tied the sack and ced him on the topyer of the sack.


    She lifted the hem of her dress to her waist and tied it in a knot so that it wouldn¡¯t trip her movements. She picked up the crossbow from the ground and walked up.


    When she reached the entrance of the cer, she saw twonterns hanging at the exit. Footsteps came. Li Yu stood in the dark and raised her crossbow to aim at the entrance of the cer.


    Footsteps sounded and a man¡¯s arrogant voice sounded. ¡°Brother Lin, the food and wine are ready. We¡¯re just waiting for you. We shall interrogate that woman after we¡¯ve eaten and drunk our fill. We promise not to attack.. Let


    Brother Lin¡­

 Chapter 541 - 541: Annihilation

    Chapter 541: Annihtion


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Just as the man¡¯s head appeared at the entrance of the cer, Li Yu pulled the trigger of the crossbow. The arrow tore through the air and the man fell.


    Li Yu caught him and ced him on the ground. She jumped into the cer and saw that the room on the left was brightly lit. Those men wereughing loudly inside. She bent down and followed the wall to the entrance of the courtyard. She gently took off the door chain and followed the wall back to the corridor of the right ear room. She followed the corridor and entered the inner courtyard like a ghost.


    The courtyard was dimly lit. Twomps were ced under the eaves at both ends of the veranda. It was quiet. No one should be living in the inner courtyard.


    Li Yu arrived in front of the main room and gently pushed open the door of the central room. She shed into the room and closed the door. She took out a lighter and blew on it. She saw that the central room was simple. There were two rows of wooden chairs. In the middle was an eight-seat table and a chair on both sides. It seemed to be a ce to entertain guests and discuss matters.


    Li Yu left and went next door. Seeing that the door was locked, she took off a


    hairpin and inserted it into the lock. After fiddling with it a few times, the lock opened.


    Pushing open the door, she saw a desk by the window. There were brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones on the table. There was a row of tall cabs against the wall with a few exquisite jade ornaments on them. Li Yu couldn¡¯t be bothered to distinguish which letters and books were useful and put them all into the space.


    The people waiting for Old Lin to drink in the outer courtyard waited for a long time, but Old Lin and the others did note out. Someone felt that something was wrong and frowned. ¡°Why haven¡¯t Brother Lin and the otherse out after so long? Second Han went to call someone but didn¡¯te back.¡±


    A wretched-looking man smiled and said, ¡°Brother Lin, Old Chai, and the others won¡¯t have their way with her just like that! Let me take a look.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go take a look too.¡± The men smiled wretchedly and walked towards the cer with their arms around each other¡¯s shoulders, talking indiscriminately.


    When the wretched man reached the entrance of the cer, he walked down anxiously. He stepped on Er Han and shouted, ¡°Brothers, grab your weapons. Er Han has been killed. Hurry up and see if anyone followed us in.¡±


    The other two turned and ran back. The wretched man and the two men drew their daggers and carefully reached the mouth of the cer. They stuck their heads in and looked inside. They saw Old Chai and the other two lying on the ground. They rushed into the cer with their daggers in their hands and saw the arrows at their throats. They looked around the cer but could not find Old Lin.


    The wretched man said anxiously, ¡°I think it¡¯s most likely that Old Lin helped that woman kill Old Chai and Ah Gen. It¡¯s dark. They can¡¯t have gone far. Let¡¯s go out and look around.¡±


    The few of them scurried out. The people outside had already scattered, looking for Li Yu¡¯s traces.


    Someone realized that the door chain was against the wall. ¡°Oh no, she must have run away. Hurry up and chase after her with a torch.¡±


    Li Yu was in the study and had already swept to the bookshelves. When she touched a book, the bookcase made a cracking sound as it opened. A secret door appeared in front of her. Li Yu was overjoyed. Just as she was about to enter, she suddenly heard a shout from outside. She quickly retreated and hung the lock again. She climbed onto a beam and quietly leaned against it. She looked at the aisle of the ear room and listened for movement.


    After more than ten breaths, they saw three men running in with knives. They checked each room and quickly arrived at the main room. Seeing that the lock of the main room was hanging on it, they went to the room on the left and checked around but didn¡¯t find anything wrong. They shook their heads and turned to run out of the courtyard.


    Li Yu waited for them to go out beforeing down from the beam. She opened the study door and shed into the room. She closed the door and walked down the tunnel towards the secret room.


    The people who ran out of the house to search ran around but couldn¡¯t find any traces of Li Yu and Old Lin. One of them said, ¡°I don¡¯t think they can run so fast. I¡¯m afraid they¡¯re still hiding in the courtyard. I think we should go back and take a look first.¡±


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go back and see if they¡¯re hiding in the backyard.¡± They ran back with torches.


    Li Yu had already walked into the secret room and lit the candles on the wall. She saw that in the secret room that was more than 100 square meters, there were all kinds of bows, crossbows, spears, spears, axes, and machetes neatly arranged. There was also an entire box of arrows that shone coldly under the candlelight.


    Li Yu put away some weapons and ced them in her space in case of emergencies. She came out of the secret room and closed the door. Just as she reached the study, four to five people rushed in with torches.


    When the leader saw Li Yu, he shouted, ¡°Brothers,e quickly. That woman is in the inner courtyard.¡±


    Li Yu raised the crossbow and aimed it at them. With a few thuds, the people in front fell to the ground. The people behind hid behind the pir and shouted,


    ¡°Everyone, be careful. That woman is at the door of the study. She has a crossbow. Go back and get the arrows.¡±


    Li Yu kicked the wall and climbed up the beam again. She hid behind the porch pir and shot at the two bandits who were running out. The two of them were shot and fell to the ground.


    Then two more people ran in with machetes. The bandit hiding behind the porch pir shouted at them, ¡°Be careful, the two of you. That woman has arrows.¡±


    The two of them hurriedly hid in the dark. ¡°Big ck, the two of us will go around the west wing. You guys go over here. We¡¯ll nk them from both sides.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± the man hiding behind the porch post replied.


    The two of them ran along the corridor toward the room opposite. Li Yu aimed at the two of them and pulled the trigger. The arrow tore through the air, making a cracking sound. The person who was aimed fell to the ground. The other person who had been shot in the arm hurriedly hid behind the corridor pir.


    The people here didn¡¯t dare to move. The wretched man gritted his teeth and looked at the porch pir where Li Yu was hiding. He patted the big ck man beside him. ¡°Big ck, let¡¯s go back to the house to get the arrows first.¡±


    The dark-skinned man nodded. The two of them bent down one after another and ran along the wall towards the aisle of the ear room. How could they escape Li Yu¡¯s watch? She aimed at the two of them and shot. The wretched man was shot in the back and fell forward.


    With a bang, the big ck man was also knocked to the ground. He did not dare to move anymore. Hey on the ground and shouted outside, ¡°Brothers, bring the bows and arrows and shoot that bitch to death.¡±


    The man who had returned from outside walked to the aisle and retreated


    when he heard the shout. He returned to the house with his quiver and bow and walked in.


    The big ck man shouted at them, ¡°Brothers, aim at the beam in the study and shoot that bitch to death.¡±


    The few of them drew their bows and aimed their arrows at the beam. With a whoosh, the arrow brushed past Li Yu¡¯s body and shot into the wall and pirs. The few of them attacked the study as they shot. The two of them walked to the side, wanting to shoot Li Yu from the side.


    Li Yu leaned on the beam and aimed at the two people who had spread out. She quickly pulled the trigger and the arrow flew towards the person on the right. The person on the right was shot and fell to the ground. The person on the left moved quickly and shot when he saw Li Yu aiming. The arrow tore through the air and flew towards Li Yu. Li Yu waved her crossbow and knocked down the arrow. She pulled out the dagger on her leg and threw it at the bandit on the left who fell to the ground..

 Chapter 542 - 542: Liang Village

    Chapter 542: Liang Vige


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Under the cover of the arrow, the big ck man took the opportunity to rush to the study. He shed at Li Yu with his long saber. Li Yu waved her crossbow and sent the big ck man¡¯s saber flying. The big ck man was stunned for a moment. He did not expect a woman to be so strong.


    Li Yu pivoted off the corridor pir and kicked the big ck man¡¯s chest repeatedly. The big ck man flew out and knocked over two bandits with bows under the eaves of the corridor. The three of them fell to the ground and rolled into a ball.


    Li Yu activated the sleeve arrow and dealt with thest bandit with the bow. The other two had already gotten up. The two of them raised their bows and whipped at Li Yu with them.


    Li Yu waved the crossbow to block a bow, and the dagger at her wrist slipped into her hand. She leaned forward and cut the throat of a bandit. She grabbed him and used his body to block a blow. She raised her leg and kicked the remaining bandit.


    With a crack, the bandit heard his jaw crack and swayed to the ground. Before he died, he finally understood what Old Chai meant by natural divine strength.


    Seeing that the situation was bad, the bandit who had been shot in the arm ran away. Li Yu chased after him and reached the outer courtyard. The bandit staggered and fell to the ground. Hey on the ground and shouted, ¡°Heroine, spare me.¡±


    Li Yu stood still and looked down at him. ¡°Tell me, who are you? What is this ce? What are you doing? Who asked you to capture me? If you tell me the truth, I¡¯ll spare your life!¡±


    The bandit shrank his body and looked at Li Yu. ¡®My name is Big Stone. This is Liang Vige. Someone brought me here ten years ago and I¡¯ve been living here. I usually explore the wastnd and raise chickens to feed the pigs. Every ten years, someone wille and teach us martial arts. A few years ago, I often went out to rob passing merchants. I haven¡¯t gone out in the past few years. There were originally more than a hundred people who left one after another before the new year. Only ten of us are left to manage the farm.¡±


    Li Yu looked at him and said, ¡°What does Old Lin do? How muchnd is there in the manor? Where are the original vigers! Are those thatched houses upied?¡±


    Big Stone nced at Li Yu. ¡°Old Lin used to manage us here. A few years ago, the steward came to the manor and took him away. Later, I heard from them that he looks 80 to 90% like someone¡¯s coachman, so they got him to enter the capital to drive someone¡¯s carriage.¡±


    It seemed that the original Old Lin had been killed. That guy was an imposter. Why hadn¡¯t Uncle¡¯s family discovered it?


    Big Stone stole a nce at Li Yu and continued, ¡°There are a total of five to six hectares ofnd in the manor. After the main family bought this ce, the vigers took the money and settled down elsewhere. Some of the thatched houses have livestock locked up and raised chickens and ducks. There are also a few rooms that have women locked up separately. The manor head doesn¡¯t allow them to live in the manor.¡±


    There were five to six hectares ofnd in the vige. It was impossible for them to have only harvested so little food. Where were the sweet potatoes? ¡°Where did the manor head go? Where¡¯s the cer in the manor?¡±


    ¡°The manor head went out early this morning. I don¡¯t know where he went either. Every time he goes out, he¡¯s dyed for at most a night. He alwayses back around noon.¡± Big Stone pointed at one of the rooms. ¡°It¡¯s filled with food.¡±


    Li Yu pointed at him with her dagger. ¡°Get up and lead the way.¡±


    Big Stone got up and limped toward the room. He pushed open the wooden door and there was a mountain of sacks on a wooden shelf in the dim light. A row of more than ten houses was filled with food.


    Li Yu took a hemp rope and said to Big Stone, ¡°Behave yourself. I won¡¯t kill you. If you¡¯re not obedient, you can join them.¡±


    Big Stone looked obedient. ¡°Tie me up! I promise to be good.¡±


    Li Yu tied up the Big Stone and put him into a sack. She took the torch and entered the lit room. She saw stewed chicken, roasted duck, fried fish, stir-fried peanuts, and steamed sweet potatoes on the table.


    Li Yu sat down and ate. After eating and drinking her fill, she took the oilmp to the cer.


    After lifting Old Lin out of the sack, Old Lin looked at Li Yu fiercely, wishing he could kill Li Yu with his gaze.


    Li Yu looked at him coldly and threw him to the ground with a bang. She pulled the rag out of his mouth and looked at him. ¡°Tell me! Who are you working


    ¡°Pfft!¡± Old Lin spat at Li Yu. ¡°Bitch, don¡¯t even think about me telling you.¡±


    Li Yu stepped on his finger and crushed it with her toes. Old Lin broke out in cold sweat from the pain. He gritted his teeth and did not shout.


    ¡°Take it slow. I have plenty of time to torture you.¡± Li Yu looked down at him, revealing her white teeth. She looked at him fiercely. ¡°If you dare to say evil words again, I¡¯ll crush your body inch by inch and turn you into a pool of soft meat. Oh! There seems to be a stone mill outside. I heard that it grinds people, including their bones and flesh, into meat paste to feed the pigs. The chickens and pigs grow quickly after eating them. Tell me, would you like to try it?¡±


    Old Lin was shocked. His lips turned white, and his eyes revealed uncontroble fear. His lips moved with difficulty. ¡°You¡¯re not human. You¡¯re an evil ghost!¡±


    Li Yu began to exert force. ¡°Are you with the Second Prince? Did you ughter everyone in Liang Vige?¡±


    With his fingers connected to his heart, Old Lin finally couldn¡¯t withstand the heart-wrenching pain. ¡°I don¡¯t know about the Second Prince. I only know that every time there¡¯s a mission, they ce the note under the Upper Horse Stone outside the Lin family¡¯s door. I don¡¯t even know what the person who sent the note looks like. Those people in Liang Vige really have nothing to do with me. When I came, there was no one in Liang Vige.¡±


    It seemed that these people were all one-way contacts. She did not expect the second prince to have such talents under him. ¡°Where did the real Old Lin go?¡±


    Old Lin stammered, ¡°They¡­ they killed him.¡±


    Li Yu stared at him. ¡°Why did you kidnap me here?¡±


    Old Lin looked at Li Yu¡¯s sharp gaze and said, ¡°The higher-ups instructed us to kidnap you to the farm and send the news out. Someone wille to pick you up. Old Chai said that the higher-ups said that you killed their people.


    He should be to the Eldest Prince and the Imperial Consort. Chu Yuhao being the emperor had nothing to do with Li Yu. The Eldest Prince didn¡¯t have the ability to rule the world and only knew how to settle scores with women and children.


    Li Yu looked at the trembling Old Lin. ¡°When are theying to pick me up?¡±


    Old Lin hurriedly said, ¡°They are waiting for us to send the news.¡±


    ¡°How do you send it?¡± Li Yu asked indifferently.


    ¡°Stick the note in a crack in the wall outside North City. They¡¯ll send someone when they get the news.¡±


    Li Yu patted Old Lin¡¯s cheek with the dagger. ¡°You better tell the truth and not lie to me. Otherwise, just wait for me to deal with you!¡±


    ¡°Everything I said is true.¡± Old Lin gritted his teeth and said in one breath, ¡°If you find out that I lied to you, you¡¯ll grind me using the mill.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll believe you for now.¡±


    After saying that, Li Yu stuffed the rag into his mouth and came out of the cer. She closed the courtyard door and went to the woodshed to lean against the straw pile and narrow her eyes. She began to recuperate.


    The people from the government office found Ji Xiang and Ruyi at the north gate. Li Qing, Lin Lan, and Lin Yun also rushed to the north gate after hearing the news. They were relieved to know that Li Yu had left a note..

 Chapter 543 - 543: Pursuit

    Chapter 543: Pursuit


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Lin Zexu was the examiner of this year¡¯s Spring Quarter Examination and could not leave the examination hall. Zhou Jia asked Lin Lan and Lin Yun to go to the Zhou family to find out more about Li Yu¡¯s disappearance and prepared to bring Zhao Cai and the others out of the city to look for Li Yu.


    Li Qing said to Zhou Jia, ¡°Brother-inw, Yue¡¯er and Xing¡¯er are crying at home. You should go back andfort the children. Brother Cai and I will go find Sister.¡±


    Zhou Jia refused tly. ¡®Yue¡¯er and Xing¡¯er will be taken care of by Granny. I¡¯ll go with you.¡±


    Magistrate Tu said to Zhou Jia, ¡°Lord Zhou, I¡¯ve sent Chief Arrester Leng of the government office to help your steward find Madam Li.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Lord Tu.¡± Zhou Jia, Li Qing, and the others thanked Magistrate Tu.


    Ruyi walked to Zhou Jia¡¯s side and knocked him out with a p to the back of his neck when he was unprepared. He handed him to Lin Lan. ¡°Please bring my master home.¡±


    Lin Lan nodded in agreement. The brothers said to Li Qing, Ruyi, and the others, ¡°Be careful.¡±


    Ruyi, Ji Xiang, Zhao Cai, and Li Qing nodded in agreement and left the city with the constables.


    Everyone searched for Li Yu along the official road and walked to a fork in the road. There was a mountain path on the left that went straight to an official road. Constable Leng from the government office said to Li Qing, ¡°Lord Li, how do we continue?¡±


    Li Qing nced at Zhao Cai and the others. ¡°I think we should split up and search!¡±


    Zhao Cai nodded in agreement. Ruyi said to Zhao Cai, ¡°Brother Cai, you, Uncle, and Constable Leng continue to search along the official road. Ji Xiang and I will take the mountain path and search.¡±


    Constable Leng nodded and said, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s split up and search.¡±


    Ruyi and Ji Xiang went up the mountain path. After walking for about an hour, they found carriage tracks in a soft ce. The two of them looked at each other happily and followed the mountain path.


    After chasing for more than two hours, they couldn¡¯t see any more tracks. The two of them walked straight for an hour and realized that there was only a narrow path ahead. The carriage couldn¡¯t move at all.


    Retreating back to the ce where the scuff marks had been left, Ruyi saw a


    forest ahead and said to Ji Xiang, ¡°Let¡¯s go into the forest and take a look.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± They ran toward the forest and saw the ruts again. Ji Xiang nced at Ruyi. ¡°Sure enough, they came this way.¡±


    The two of them followed the tracks of the car over the grass into the forest.


    Night had fallen by the time they reached the forest. Under the dark clouds, there was not even a trace of starlight in the sky. The leaves rustled in the wind, and the hair-raising cry of an owl came from the forest.


    Ji Xiang found a pine log and lit it. He handed it to Ruyi. The two of them followed the ruts left by the carriage and followed it through the forest.


    Fortunately, it was spring and the air was moist. The soil in the forest was soft and the grass was lush. The carriage would easily leave a mark.


    The two of them followed the ruts to a gentle slope with torches. A mountain path appeared in front of them.


    Ji Xiang and Ruyi were getting more and more suspicious. This was a forested area. How could there be a mountain path that could amodate carriages?


    Ji Xiang said to Ruyi, ¡°Ruyi, there¡¯s a mountain path here. There should be a vige below. Why haven¡¯t we seen any vigersing and going along the way?¡±


    Ruyi threw away the pine firewood that was about to burn out. ¡°It might be the nest of the people who kidnapped Madam ahead. There are no traces of a fight along the way. It seems that Madam didn¡¯t resist at all and deliberately followed them. Let¡¯s find another pine firewood. Otherwise, we won¡¯t be able to see the tracks.¡±


    Ji Xiang said proudly, ¡°Madam deliberately left with them. Otherwise, how could they hold Madam hostage?¡±


    Ruyi was still a little worried. ¡°That¡¯s right! Logically speaking, even more than ten burly men are not Madam¡¯s match. I¡¯m just afraid that something will happen. If the enemy uses poison and hidden weapons, it will be impossible to guard against them.¡±


    Ji Xiang kicked a stone away fiercely. ¡°These wretched bastards. Let¡¯s capture them and cut them into pieces.¡±


    The two of them found a dry log in the forest. After lighting it, they led the horse forward along the ruts.


    Li Qing and the others chased to Shanyang County and asked the city guards, but no one had seen the Zhou family¡¯s carriage.


    Seeing that it was already dark and everyone was exhausted from chasing, Constable Leng said to Li Qing, ¡°Lord Li, let¡¯s go into the city to rest for the night and continue our pursuit tomorrow, okay?¡±


    Li Qing was so anxious that he could not bear to rest. He looked at Zhao Cai and said to Constable Leng, ¡°Constable Leng, bring our brothers into the city to rest first. I want to take a look at the nearby town.¡±


    Seeing that Li Qing and the others were unwilling to rest, Constable Leng could not bring them to rest. He smiled and said to Li Qing, ¡°In that case, let¡¯s go to the town in front to rest.¡±


    Li Qing cupped his hands at everyone and said, ¡°Thank you, everyone.¡±


    ¡°Lord Li, you¡¯re too polite. It¡¯s our duty,¡± Constable Leng said politely.


    When they arrived at the town, the sky was already so dark that they could not see their fingers. Li Qing brought Constable Leng and the others to the inn to rest. Zhao Cai looked around the inn in the town and did not find the carriage from the Zhou family. His heart felt as sad as if someone had pressed a huge rock on it. He secretly prayed that Ruyi and Ji Xiang had found traces of Madam.


    Li Qing stood at the window and looked out at the darkness. He felt that his heart was also dark. Tears couldn¡¯t stop falling. He covered his face and whimpered.


    Zhao Cai walked to Li Qing¡¯s door and stopped when he heard crying from inside. He turned to look at the dark sky in a daze.


    Zhou Jia only woke up after being sent home by the Lin Lan brothers. Looking at Yueyue and Xingxing, who were pouncing at him, he opened his arms and hugged the two of them. Yueyue cried and asked Zhou Jia, ¡°Where¡¯s Mother?¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at the two children sadly and forced a smile. He hugged the two of them and said, ¡°She went to the Wang Family Vige to look at the crops. Yue¡¯er, Xing¡¯er, stay at home and wait for me toe back.¡±


    Xingxing hugged Zhou Jia¡¯s neck and looked at him. ¡°Father is lying. Father is crying. I saw Aunt and Aunt crying.¡±


    ¡°When Father came back, he encountered someone else¡¯s chili and knocked it down. The chili powder entered his eyes and they turned red from the spiciness.¡±


    Xinzxing looked at Zhou Tia. ¡°Reallv? You¡¯re not Ivinz to me? Mother said that


    you have to have a long nose if you lie.¡±


    ¡°Yes, long nose.¡± Yueyue also looked at Zhou Jia.


    Zhou Jia looked at the two identical faces and nodded vigorously. ¡°Yes! Long noses. ¡±


    For the first time, Zhou Jia felt that it was troublesome for children to be too smart. He thought that fortunately, Yang¡¯er had note home from the pce. Otherwise, he would really not be able to keep it from him.


    Madam Gong said to Yueyue and Xingxing, ¡°Babies,e to Aunt quickly.


    Father is tired in the government office. Let him rest well.¡±


    Xingxing shook her head. ¡°We¡¯ll apany Father to rest,¡± Yue Yue added.


    Zhou Jia said to Madam Gong and Fan Mingfang, ¡°Aunt, Sister-inw, go back first. I¡¯ll inform you as soon as there¡¯s news.¡±


    Madam Gong and Fan Mingfang nodded. Madam Gong said, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go back first. Take the child and rest for a while. Granny Chen said that the two of them slept for a while before moring to look for his mother.¡±


    Yueyue pouted. ¡°I want Mother, not Nanny.¡±


    Zhou Jia carried one in each hand. ¡°Alright, I don¡¯t want Manny! Let¡¯s let Mother y for a day. Daddy will bring you to sleep, okay?¡±


    ¡°Alright, sleep with Father.¡± Xingxing nodded, and Yueyue nodded together.


    When Madam Gong and Fan Mingfang returned home, Lin Yun stayed with the Zhou family to help..

 Chapter 544 - 544: 30 Nights of Soul Disappearance

    Chapter 544: 30 Nights of Soul Disappearance


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Li Yu woke up after sleeping in the grass for two hours. She came out of the kitchen and walked towards the thatched house in the vige with a torch.


    The vegetable garden behind the manor was filled with all kinds of vegetables. They walked along the field path and arrived at the first thatched house. Li Yu pushed open the fence door and realized that there were more than ten piglets and more than ten half-grown pigs in the thatched house. A group of chickens and ducks were locked in a thatched house at the side.


    Li Yu walked towards the thatched house at the back with the torch. When she got closer, she saw a row of three thatched houses. The vegetable garden in front of the door was empty. She pushed open the fence door and walked in. Dried vegetables hung under the eaves. The door to the central room was locked, and the kitchen door was ajar. Li Yu pulled out her hairpin and fiddled with it a few times before the lock opened.


    She pushed open the door and walked into the central room. She walked to the door of the room on the right and saw a few pairs of dazed eyes. It turned out that there were five women sitting on the wooden bed and looking at her nkly.


    Li Yu walked into the house and looked at them. She said gently, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯m not a bad person. I want to ask who you are and why you¡¯re locked here.¡±


    An older woman looked at Li Yu and said, ¡°We¡¯re from Liang Vige. We¡¯ve been locked up here for more than ten years.¡±


    Didn¡¯t that bandit called Big Stone say that everyone in Liang Vige was gone? The woman from Liang Vige was actually locked up here by them.


    Li Yu looked at them in surprise. ¡®You¡¯re all from Liang Vige. Were the old people, children, and men in the vige killed by the people on the farm?¡±


    At this moment, two more women walked out of the house on the left and two 18-year-old girls came over. The four of them looked at Li Yu in surprise. The older woman nced at them and continued, ¡°There are a total of more than 30 families in our vige. We were originally living well. Fifteen years ago, just after midnight, a group of people rushed into the vige and killed all the men, old people, and children in the vige, leaving behind women in their twenties.¡±


    Li Yu didn¡¯t expect such a tragedy to happen less than a day away from the capital. What was the local county magistrate doing?


    Looking at the woman who spoke, she saw that her eyes were empty and her expression was t. When she spoke, she seemed to be talking about someone else. Some of the other women were expressionless, some hung their heads and didn¡¯t say anything. Tears fell silently. All of them had sallow faces and tattered clothes.


    The woman¡¯s hollow voice rang out again. ¡°So there were more than forty of us. There are less than twenty-six left. Some killed themselves because they couldn¡¯t stand the humiliation. Some were tortured to death.¡±


    ¡°During the day, we¡¯re chained by them like livestock. We weave, feed, and work in the fields. At night, they lock us in the house and take turns ruining us.¡±


    Li Yu turned around and saw two young girls squatting on the ground and crying sadly and desperately.


    The cries were heartbreaking. Li Yu¡¯s eyes turned red. A group of animals. Why didn¡¯t anyone discover this heinous thing after so many years?


    ¡°What about your rtives and family? Has no one visited you in all these years, looking for you?¡±


    The woman shook her head and continued, ¡°In the beginning, we also fled. We wanted to report to the officials and find our rtives to help. Before the people who escaped could escape to the vige entrance, they were discovered and captured. They tortured them to death.¡±


    The woman gritted her teeth and roared, ¡°Those thieves still wanted us to watch them die slowly. Later, everyone stopped escaping. Those who couldn¡¯t take it sought death. Those who were alive only wanted to live to take revenge.¡±


    ¡°As time passed, some of those thieves let slip that the people outside only Imew that there was a gue in Liang Vige and didn¡¯t understand what was going on. ¡±


    The woman looked at Li Yu and actually smiled. ¡°It¡¯s a gue! Who knows how many people will die if they get infected? Who dares toe and take a look?! All these years, no one hase to visit us, be it our parents or rtives. Ever since a group of the evil thieves left before the new year, we¡¯ve been living a little easier.¡±


    Under the woman¡¯s narration, everyone recalled that on New Year¡¯s Eve, those who were working outside had all returned home early. Everyone was happily at home preparing for the New Year.


    On the thirtieth day of the new year, the children all had a beautiful meal. They hugged their newly made clothes and waited for the new year. Before they fell asleep, they nned to wear their new clothes the next morning to visit their rtives. They were still discussing who had prepared more stir-fried goods when they fell asleep.


    When it was midnight, the elderly also slept separately. It was rare for them to not have to think about getting up early to work tomorrow morning. The men sat at the table and drank and bragged. It was rare for them to be drunk. They copsed on the bed and slept soundly.


    No one would have thought that in the middle of the night, a group of evil thieves in ck with long knives would break into the vige and raise their butcher knives to kill the young men, old people, and children, leaving only more than 40 young women.


    On New Year¡¯s Eve, who would have thought that such a disaster would descend from the sky? Xiang Le¡¯s vige had be a ughterhouse for those thieves, and their home had be a graveyard for their families to be buried. Women were bullied and raped in their homes.


    Thinking of their rtives and vigers who had died tragically, and the humiliation they had suffered all these years, the women covered their faces and cried.


    The women cried and kowtowed to Li Yu. ¡°Madam, leave quickly!


    Li Yu took a step forward and helped them up. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, no one will torture you in the future. I¡¯ve already killed all the remaining thieves and left two behind to be brought back to the government office for interrogation.¡±


    ¡°What did you say?¡± the woman said with a trembling voice.


    The women in the house looked at Li Yu in surprise. They couldn¡¯t imagine that a beautiful woman actually dared to kill someone and even killed more than ten fierce men.


    Seeing that they were all stunned, Li Yu looked at them and said, ¡°I¡¯m a First-grade Madam bestowed by His Majesty. I was also abducted here by them. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can follow me to the manor to take a look.


    The corpses of those people are still in the manor.¡±


    The woman who had spoken just now looked at Li Yu excitedly. ¡°Are you really a First-grade Madam?¡±


    Li Yu raised her hand solemnly and swore, ¡°If I¡¯m lying, I¡¯ll be struck by lightning! ¡±


    The woman immediately became lively. She hugged the woman beside her and cried, ¡°Sister, there¡¯s hope for us to take revenge. Heavens! You¡¯ve finally opened your eyes and seen the grievances of hundreds of people in our Liang Vige. ¡±


    The other women also hugged their heads and cried. Some kowtowed to Li Yu to thank her.


    Li Yu helped them up and looked at them gently. ¡°My surname is Li and my name is Yu. What are your names?¡±


    The woman who had just spoken said to Li Yu, ¡°Madam, my name is Ah Lian.¡±


    She pointed at the long-faced woman beside her. ¡°Her name is Hong Mei. She¡¯s my sister-inw..¡±

 Chapter 545 - 545: Hatred

    Chapter 545: Hatred


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Hong Mei looked up at Li Yu and smiled at her. Li Yu saw that she was delicate and good-looking. Perhaps because she had been in the house for a long time, her thin skin looked fairer than Ah Lian and the others.


    ¡°My name is San Qiao. My name is La Mei. Cuifen, Qiao Ju¡­¡± The other women said their names.


    Li Yu greeted them. Ah Lian said to Li Yu, ¡°Madam, we still have sisters locked in the nearby thatched house. We want to let them out.¡±


    Li Yu picked up the torch inserted in the crack in the wall. ¡°Let¡¯s go! I¡¯ll hold the torch for you.¡±


    Ah Lian nodded and bowed to Li Yu. ¡°Thank you, Madam.¡±


    Everyone followed Li Yu out. Hong Mei shouted from the bed, ¡°Second


    Sister-inw, I want to go with you.¡±


    Ah Lian looked back at her and nodded. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go together.¡±


    Li Yu saw Ah Lian walk to the bed and carry Hong Mei on her back. When Ah


    Lian walked past Li Yu, she said, ¡°Her legs were broken by those animals.¡±


    Hong Mei turned to look at Li Yu and said, ¡°Madam, without my second sister-inw and these sisters, I would have died long ago. I stayed in this world to survive because I wanted to live to see the retribution of those evil thieves.¡±


    Seeing that a few of her front teeth had fallen out, Li Yu felt that they might have been knocked out by those thieves. She smiled and nodded at her. ¡°You¡¯ll definitely see it.¡±


    Ji Xiang and Ruyi also found the vige entrance. They found the manor and stood at the door for a moment, listening. They reached out and pushed the door. It creaked open and their hearts lifted as they walked towards the courtyard.


    There were no signs of a fight in the courtyard. The oilmps in one of the rooms were almost extinguished. There was still not much food on the table and a few sweet potatoes.


    Neither of them was in the mood to eat. They looked around the courtyard and didn¡¯t find anything. Ruyi said, ¡°Let¡¯s go to the inner courtyard and take a look first.¡±


    Ji Xiang nodded in agreement and the two of them walked towards the backyard. As soon as they entered the courtyard, they found the corpses on the ground and the extinguished torches.


    Ruyi picked up a torch and lit it. He looked at it and said to Ji Xiang, ¡°Those who were shot were all killed by an arrow. Madam might have already escaped.¡±


    Ji Xiang walked around the courtyard. ¡°These people are all dead. None of them are alive. There¡¯s no one in the house. Let¡¯s go outside the manor and take a look. ¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± The two of them walked out of the manor and saw the thatched house at the back. They walked towards the thatched house.


    Just as he reached the back of the manor, he saw someone walking around with a torch in front of him.


    ¡°Ruyi, let¡¯s chase after him and take a look.¡± Ji Xiang pulled Ruyi and ran in the direction of the torch.


    When the two of them saw the person holding the torch, they were so excited that they couldn¡¯t speak. Ji Xiang punched Ruyi and shouted incoherently,


    ¡°Ruyi, Madam, haha! It¡¯s really Madam.¡±


    ¡°Quick! It¡¯s really Madam in front.¡± Ruyi pulled Ji Xiang towards Li Yu.


    When Li Yu heard Ji Xiang¡¯s voice, she turned around and saw the two of them running toward her. The woman hid behind Li Yu and whispered, ¡°Someone ising. They¡¯ve discovered us.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. They¡¯re my stewards. They¡¯re looking for me,¡± Li Yuforted them.


    Ji Xiang and Ruyi ran to Li Yu and stopped. Ji Xiang¡¯s small eyes had already narrowed into thin slits from smiling. The two of them looked at Li Yu.


    ¡°Madam, we found you.¡±


    Li Yu also looked at the two of them happily. ¡°You found me so quickly. You haven¡¯t slept all night, right? You must be tired!¡±


    Ji Xiang patted Ruyi and chuckled. ¡°Hehe! I¡¯m not tired.¡± Li Yu nodded. ¡°If you¡¯re not tired, let¡¯s go and release those women who were imprisoned first.¡±


    Ruyi and Ji Xiang nced behind Li Yu and looked at the woman who was trembling with fear. They nodded and said, ¡°Alright, Madam. Give me the torch.¡±


    Li Yu nodded. Ruyi took the torch Li Yu was holding and pointed at the thatched house in front. ¡°Is that it?¡±


    La Mei nodded and said, ¡°The two rooms in front.¡±


    Everyone entered the courtyard. Ruyi handed the torch to Li Yu and unlocked the door. Ji Xiang and Ruyi retreated to the courtyard.


    Li Yu, Ah Lian, and the others entered the house. Ah Lian carried Hong Mei and rushed into the central room. She shouted, ¡°Ying Tao, Yang Liu¡­¡±


    The women in the rooms on both sides walked out of the house. They looked at Ah Lian, who was carrying Hong Mei, before shifting their gazes to Li Yu, who was holding a torch, and La Mei. They asked in surprise, ¡°Why are you all out?


    Who is she?¡±


    Ah Lian ced Hong Mei on a broken bamboo chair and pulled a woman¡¯s hand. She said to them, ¡®Yes! We¡¯re all out. This is Madam Li, our benefactor.


    Let¡¯s go to the back and let Cha Hua and the others out before talking in detail.¡± A dozen women smiled and replied in unison, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Ah Lian carried Hong Mei on her back. The group followed Ah Lian out. Some were talking softly, some were eximing, and some were crying¡­


    When they arrived at the straw hut and opened the door, Ah Lian brought out four women with shed faces. One of them even had a crippled leg.


    The few of them listened to Ah Lian¡¯s words with wooden expressions and turned to walk out silently.


    Ah Lian looked at Li Yu in embarrassment. ¡°Madam, their faces were cut by those thieves. Ying Tao¡¯s legs were also broken by those wretched thieves.¡±


    Li Yu smiled gently at her. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I saw a few more houses. Is there any more¡­¡±


    Ah Lian shook her head and said, ¡°No more, Madam, there are cows and mules, as well as pigs and sheep.¡±


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go to the manor first.¡±


    Li Yu went out and Ji Xiang and Ruyi followed behind her. The group quickly arrived at the manor. The four women stood at the door and looked at the open courtyard door as if they were looking at a man-eating monster.


    Ruyi and Ji Xiang nced at them with torches and followed Li Yu into the courtyard. Li Yu said to Ah Lian, ¡°Those bandits all died in the inner courtyard. Are you afraid?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not afraid,¡± Ah Lian and the others replied loudly. The others kept nodding.


    Li Yu nced at Ji Xiang and the other two. The three of them led a group of women into the inner courtyard.


    Li Yu watched as the women entered the courtyard. When they saw the corpses lying in the courtyard, they didn¡¯t look afraid at all. They gritted their teeth and went forward to kick them.


    Ah Lian looked around and said to Li Yu, ¡°Madam, two people ran away. One is the head of the manor, and the other is Big Stone. The head of the manor is called Mu Da. That wretched thief is the most vicious and inhumane.¡±


    Li Yu looked at Ah Lian and thought for a moment. ¡°Follow me. There are still two survivors. One said that his name is Big Stone and the other is Old Lin. Do you know him?¡±


    Ah Lian, La Mei, and the others followed Li Yu to the storeroom. Li Yu lifted the Big Stone off the sack. Ruyi untied the rope and lifted the Big Stone out.


    When Big Stone saw Ah Lian and the others, he begged pitifully,


    ¡°Sisters-inw, on ount that I¡¯ve never bullied you, spare my life.¡±


    ¡°Beast, evil thief, I¡¯ll eat your flesh and drink your blood..¡±

 Chapter 546 - 546: Sea of Bitterness

    Chapter 546: Sea of Bitterness


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Ah Lian spat at him and stepped on his face. La Mei also went forward and kicked him a few times. Four women with scars on their faces came out of the inner courtyard and saw a living enemy. They rushed forward and punched and kicked him, pulling his hair and biting him. Big Stone screamed repeatedly and wished he could die.


    Seeing that they were almost done venting, Li Yu said to them, ¡°Sisters-inw, leave him alive and help the government office find the bandits who escaped.¡±


    Ruyi and Ji Xiang went forward to stop the women and snatched the Big Stone from their hands.


    The crippled woman looked up at Li Yu unhappily and sneered. ¡°Hehe! Hand it to the government office! Everyone knows that the government office is in cahoots with these evil thieves. Otherwise, why would our Liang Vige be like this? We don¡¯t live like humans or ghosts. It was done by the government office and these dogs.¡±


    Li Yu didn¡¯t want to exin too much to these women who had been tortured by hatred for many years. She said to Ruyi and Ji Xiang, who were stopping these women, ¡°Ruyi, Ji Xiang, let go of him and hand him to them. Let them deal with him.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± Ji Xiang and Ruyi let go of Big Stone and retreated to the side. When the four women and Ah Lian saw that Li Yu had indeed handed him over to them to deal with, they stood there motionless again.


    Ah Lian looked at Li Yu and then at her sisters. She said to the crippled woman, ¡°Ying Tao, let¡¯s listen to Madam Li. We have to find the evil thieves who escaped and avenge the wronged deaths.¡±


    Yingtao looked at Ah Lian and nodded after a while. ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll listen to Sister-inw.¡±


    Ah Lian bent her knees and bowed to Li Yu. ¡°Madam Li, you¡¯re magnanimous. Don¡¯t lower yourself to my sister¡¯s level.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to apologize. I understand. There¡¯s food in the house over there. Go get some to eat first and rest for a while.¡±


    ¡°Madam, I¡¯ll be honest with you. This residence belongs to my family. My father-inw was the vige chief of Liang Vige. My mother-inw, my man, my two sons, my daughter, and my two uncles were all killed by those evil thieves.¡±


    Ah Lian¡¯s tears fell and she choked a few times. ¡°In the blink of an eye, only Aunt and I were left in the entire family. Aunt¡¯s teeth and legs were also knocked away and broken by a wretched thief because she bit off a piece of that evil thief¡¯s lip.¡±


    Yingtao and the women looked at the crying Ah Lian and thought of their dead rtives. They also cried. The women¡¯s sorrowful cries sounded in the courtyard.


    Ji Xiang was so angry that he kicked Big Stone. ¡°You¡¯re worse than an animal. How can you kill an unarmedmoner?¡±


    Big Stone screamed and fainted. Ah Lian and the others stopped crying when they heard the scream and turned to look at Ji Xiang.


    Ji Xiang pointed at Big Stone. ¡°I was so angry that I kicked him.¡±


    Seeing Ji Xiang¡¯s awkward expression, Ah Lian wiped her tears and said, ¡°Thank you, Little Brother. We¡¯re fine.¡±


    Seeing that it was almost dawn, Li Yu said to Ah Lian, ¡°Go get something to eat. We¡¯ll move those corpses to the straw shed outside and wait for the officials to pull them away.¡±


    With that, he, Ruyi, and Ji Xiang walked towards the inner courtyard. They entered the inner courtyard and brought the two of them to the study. They opened the secret room. When they arrived, Ji Xiang and Ruyi were stunned.


    Ji Xiang eximed, ¡°Oh my god! There are so many weapons and armor. Are they preparing to rebel?¡±


    Ruyi looked at Li Yu with a smile. ¡°Madam, let¡¯s choose a few suitable ones?¡±


    Li Yu thought of the ones in her space and smiled. ¡°Choose! After you¡¯re done, go to the cer and get Old Lin out. There are still two corpses inside. Search them and see if there are any clues.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Ji Xiang and Ruyi chose a machete and a crossbow respectively and carried them out the door.


    When she returned to the courtyard, Li Yu recalled that the bandit called Big Stone had said that the manor head had gone out yesterday and would be back today. She said to Ji Xiang and Ruyi, ¡°After dawn, the two of you quickly go back and report that you¡¯re safe. Then, bring the officials over. I¡¯ll go to the forest at the vige entrance and wait for the manor head to return.¡±


    The two of them agreed and Ruyi said, ¡°Madam, Uncle and Zhao Cai went to


    Shanyang County to look for you. I wonder if they¡¯ve returned?¡±


    ¡°Go back and send the news to them. They¡¯ll naturallye back.¡±


    Li Yu thought about how her disappearance this time must have frightened Li Qing and Zhou Jia, causing Zhao Cai, Ruyi, and the others to be afraid. Also, Yang¡¯er and the twins were probably looking for their mother.


    She looked at Ruyi and Ji Xiang apologetically. ¡°You were frightened, right?¡±


    Ji Xiang scratched his head. ¡°Madam, you¡¯ve really frightened us this time. When we go back and find that bastard Li Fengqi, we¡¯ll definitely teach him a lesson.¡¯


    ¡°Alright, put him in a sack and beat him up.¡± Li Yu smiled.


    The few of them searched the bandits¡¯ bodies. They didn¡¯t find anything else but some silver.


    Li Yu handed the silver to Ji Xiang and said, ¡°When youe backter, buy some clothes, cloth, bedding, and mosquitos for those women. If it¡¯s not enough, let¡¯s add some. It¡¯s best to bring Granny Chen over so she can check on them.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± Ji Xiang and Ruyi dragged the two corpses out.


    It took the three of them two trips to move all the bodies out and put them in the empty straw shed, covering them with straw.


    After getting Big Stone into the cer and seeing Old Lin, Ruyi and Ji Xiang gave him a few more blows each. Li Yu told the two of them that he was a fake. The three of them dragged the corpses and Old Lin to the courtyard, nning to let Ah Lian and the others recognize him.


    Li Yu threw Old Lin at the side of the warehouse. La Mei walked over and looked at Old Lin for a while before shouting, ¡°Ah Lian, Sister-inw,e and take a look! Is this dog the evil thief who cut the Yang Liu¡¯s face?¡±


    Ah Lian and the women ran over. Everyone stared at Old Lin and San Qiao shouted angrily, ¡°It¡¯s him. I remember even if he turns to ashes.¡±


    Yang Liu looked at Old Lin. He closed his eyes and did not dare to look at Yang Liu and the others. They could only see the flesh on his face trembling in fear.


    Yang Liu looked at Old Lin and thought of those humiliating days. She turned around, entered the house, and ran out with a kitchen knife. ¡°Bastard, I¡¯ll kill you!¡±


    Yang Liu raised her knife angrily and shed. Ruyi went forward and snatched the knife from her hand. Everyone smelled a stench. The ground under Old Lin was wet. It turned out that Old Lin had peed his pants in fear.


    Only then did the women realize that the usually arrogant thieves could also be afraid.


    Everyone red at Ruyi, pointed at him, and shouted, ¡°Why are you protecting him?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s still useful, ¡± Li Yu said to Ah Lian.


    Ah Lian nced at Li Yu and said to Yang Liu, ¡°Yang Liu, this evil thief is still useful. Don¡¯t kill him.¡±


    Yang Liu red at Ruyi angrily and walked towards the kitchen with the knife. The other women followed.


    Ah Lian looked at Ying Tai, Yang Liu and the other sisters, who were silent and sitting there in a daze.


    ¡°Sisters, now that we¡¯ve escaped the sea of bitterness, what are your thoughts? What are your ns for the future?

 Chapter 547 - 547: Plans

    Chapter 547: ns


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Ying Tao said faintly, ¡°What ns do I have? My child and man are gone. I¡¯ve also seen through my maiden family. A married daughter is like water that has been sshed out. We¡¯re like that basin of water that has been sshed out. What¡¯s the point of thinking about it? I don¡¯t have any other thoughts. I just want to wait to find those evil thieves and avenge my child!¡±


    San Qiao looked at Ah Lian and then at her sisters. ¡°After those evil thieves are found, I want to bring a child back and leave a root for my family. Otherwise, if I die, my ancestors will have no descendants.¡±


    ¡°Pfft!¡± Yang Liu spat hatefully. ¡°I don¡¯t want to continue the incense for those two old things. From the moment I was sold to his house, I was used as an animal by those two old things. It wasn¡¯t until my darn husband became sensible that I had a few good days. I want to get my darn husband out of his house and set up my own business.¡±


    Everyone thought about how Yang Liu¡¯s inws had treated her. It was not strange for her to have such thoughts about them.


    Yingtao nodded in agreement. ¡°That¡¯s what we should do. Now that we¡¯re the only women left in Liang Vige, we¡¯re in charge. We can do whatever we want!¡±


    Li Yu had just walked over when she heard Yang Liu and Ying Tao¡¯s words. She didn¡¯t expect to hear suchments here. She looked at the two of them curiously.


    When Ah Lian saw this, she exined to Li Yu, ¡°Madam, Yang Liu was a child bride bought by the Liu family in the vige. When she was sold to the Liu family, she was only four or five years old. The two inws of the Liu family ordered her around and often beat and scolded her while not giving her food and drink. Fortunately, her man had always protected her.


    The two of them had only consummated their marriage two years ago and had even given birth to a son. Just as they were living a good life, they were harmed by those damnable thieves. Yang Liu was angry with her parents-inw, so she said those words. Yingt Tao was the only daughter. Her man had married into her family. She was used to being in charge.¡±


    Li Yu looked at these women who had experienced hardships that ordinary people had never experienced. She looked at them in admiration. ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything wrong with the thoughts of Yang Liu and Ying Tao. I admire you very much and think that you¡¯re very good, strong, and amazing. After the disaster, you bravely faced the aftermath. We women can also rely on our own efforts to live a good life. I believe you can do it.¡±


    Ah Lian, Yang Liu, and Ying Tao, as well as the silent women, looked at Li Yu.


    Ah Lian walked up to Li Yu excitedly and stared at her. ¡°Madam, our family and children were killed by those evil thieves. The evil thieves left us behind to ruin us. We lived like livestock in the world and didn¡¯t die. We¡¯re really brave and strong. Aren¡¯t we shameless and afraid of death?¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t do anything wrong. Why should you go and die? The ones who deserve to die are those evil thieves whomitted such a monstrous crime.¡± Li Yu looked at them with admiration. ¡°Sisters, you¡¯ve experienced unimaginable suffering and torture. To you, living is worse than death.¡± Li Yu ced her hand on her chest. ¡°Sisters, I really admire you. This is my heartfelt words.¡±


    Tears streamed down Ah Lian¡¯s face. She squatted on the ground and cried loudly. The other women also cried. The women¡¯s heart-wrenching cries sounded in the kitchen.


    ¡°Cry! Cry! Let the bitterness in your heart and the hatred in your heart turn into tears that flowed out. After experiencing hardship, there will always be a time when the worst has passed.¡±


    Li Yu rubbed her face and turned to walk out. She saw Ji Xiang and Ruyi standing at the door with red eyes. ¡°Go find a ce to sleep for a while and let them cry. ¡±


    Ji Xiang and Ruyi nodded and found a ce to sleep. Li Yu took a kiln and walked towards the vegetable garden at the back of the house.


    After Ah Lian and the others cried loudly, they felt their heavy hearts rx a little. After everyone vented, they gradually stopped crying. They looked up and saw Li Yu carrying a full basket of cabbage into the kitchen. They wiped the tears off their faces in embarrassment.


    Yang Liu went forward and took the basket from Li Yu. ¡°Madam Li, let us do it. You¡¯ve been tired for the night. Go and rest.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I see eggs in the rice jar. Cook them and eat them. Don¡¯t be reluctant.¡± ¡°Got it.¡± Ah Lian pulled Li Yu out. ¡°Go and rest.¡±


    Li Yu came out of the house and wrote a letter. She told Zhou Jia about the situation here and handed it to Ruyi to bring back to Zhou Jia.


    The women braised a pot of white rice, heated up the leftovers, stir-fried cabbage, fried eggs, and cooked vegetable leaf egg soup. Ah Lian came over to invite Li Yu, Ruyi, and Ji Xiang to eat. Everyone ate together and it was already dawn.


    Li Yu looked at Ruyi and Ji Xiang. ¡°Ji Xiang will bring Old Lin to the north city to deliver the news. Then, he will return to the city to report to Master. Ji Xiang will set off after Ruyi leaves for two hours.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± After the two of them agreed, Ruyi went to the livestock shed and set off with the horses.


    Li Yu and Ji Xiang returned to the cer. Ji Xiang nced at Old Lin and untied him from the pir. Old Lin looked at Li Yu in horror. ¡°Madam, I¡¯m telling the truth. Please spare my life.¡±


    Li Yu nced at him. ¡°As long as you do what I tell you obediently, I¡¯ll consider sparing you.¡±


    Old Lin promised solemnly, ¡°I¡¯ll definitely be honest.¡±


    ¡°Alright, you and Manager Xiang go to the north city to send a letter to those people.¡±


    Ji Xiang took Old Lin out of the cer and handed him a pen and paper. The two of them saw that he had written on it: The goods are in hand.


    After Old Lin finished writing, he smiled at Ji Xiang ingratiatingly. ¡°Manager


    Xiang, please roll the note into a thin strip.¡±


    Ji Xiang nodded. After picking up the note and rolling it up, he handed it to Old


    Lin. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    Old Lin nodded and followed Ji Xiang to the livestock shed to drive the carriage away.


    Li Yu saw them drive away. She stood on the field and looked at Liang Vige, which was immersed in the mist. The distant fields were covered in ayer of mist. The clouds on the mountain were lingering like a paradise, and there was a faint fragrance in the air.


    Ah Lian walked over and stood beside Li Yu. There was a smile on her sallow face as she looked at Li Yu in admiration. ¡°Madam, the sisters asked me to thank you for helping us kill those evil thieves.¡±


    Li Yu looked at her and smiled. ¡°You¡¯re wee. I¡¯m doing this for myself.¡±


    Ah Lian pointed at the thatched houses where livestock were fed. ¡°Are we still feeding those livestock?¡±


    Li Yu nodded and said to Ah Lian, ¡°You should feed those livestock well. I¡¯ll tell the government office that those livestock are all yours. Although these things can¡¯t make up for your pain, they can make your lives better.¡±


    Ah Lian felt that Li Yu was really thinking for them. She bowed gratefully to Li Yu and said to her, ¡°Madam, thank you. The sisters said that they have survived the most difficult times. They want to adopt a few children and leave a root. They can¡¯t let their ancestors¡¯ lineage end.¡±


    Li Yu nodded. ¡°Alright, after you settle down, do as you think and live well..¡±

 Chapter 548 - 548: Bandits

    Chapter 548: Bandits


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Ah Lian nodded. Thinking of the rtives and vigers who had been killed by the evil thieves and buried in the pit at the foot of the mountain, she said to Li Yu, ¡°Madam, when the officialse, we still want to hire someone to bury our rtives.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll mention this to the officials. Remember the faces of the bandits who came to the vige all these years. Get someone to draw them so that we can find them.¡±


    Ah Lian looked at Li Yu and said, ¡°Madam, we remember all the thieves who left. The thieves who came to ughter the vige that night all wore ck masks. The leader of the thieves wore a mask and only his eyes were exposed. That evil thief was tall and his voice was a little hoarse. He stood there and didn¡¯t attack.¡±


    ¡°I heard him give the order to keep the young women. I also heard my father-inw shout that it wasn¡¯t bandits. It was soldiers.¡±


    Li Yu remembered it in her heart. ¡°Alright, tell the sisters that when the officialse, tell them everything you remember so that we can search faster. Go and do your work first. The steward in the manor went out yesterday and will probablye today. I¡¯ll go to the vige entrance to guard itter and catch him first.¡±


    Ah Lian nodded and said, ¡°Got it. I¡¯ll go back and let them think about it. Remember them clearly.¡± Li Qing, Zhao Cai, and Constable Leng split up and set off for the two nearby towns before dawn to ask about Li Yu.


    Ruyi and Ji Xiang split up and rushed towards the capital.


    Li Qing and Zhao Cai arrived at another town the next morning. After asking around the town, there was still no news of Li Yu.


    Zhao Cai said to Li Qing, ¡°Uncle, Ruyi and Ji Xiang went up the mountain path and didn¡¯t turn around to chase after us. I guess the mountain path they went to is the direction those thieves fled in. We think we should go back and take a look. ¡±


    Li Qing thought for a moment and nodded. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go back and see if Constable Leng and the others have found anything before making ns.¡±


    After discussing, the two of them turned around and walked back. Halfway through, they met Constable Leng and the others who had turned around. Seeing that they had not found any useful information, they could only turn around and walk back.


    Ruyi had just arrived at the city gate on her horse when Little Loach and Mao Dou, who were guarding the city gate, saw Ruyi riding her horse towards the city gate from afar. They ran forward happily and their eyes darkened when they saw that Ruyi was alone.


    Ruyi arrived in front of the two of them. Little Loach looked at Ruyi. ¡°Uncle Yi, did you find Madam?¡±


    ¡°Found her.¡± Ruyi smiled at the two of them. The two of them jumped almost


    80 feet in joy and reached out to Ruyi. ¡°Uncle Yi, let¡¯s go back quickly and tell Master the news.¡±


    Ruyi nodded and pulled the two of them onto their horses to rush towards the Zhou residence.


    Ruyi, Little Loach and Mao Dou stopped their horses at the entrance of the house. Little Loach and Mao Dou jumped off their horses and ran towards the residence.


    Mao Dou said to Uncle Liu, who was looking at them, ¡°Uncle Liu, Madam is fine. Madam even killed those robbers.¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright, alright. Hurry up and tell Master.¡± Uncle Liu ran towards Ruyi and took the reins.


    She smiled and muttered, ¡°It¡¯s good that she¡¯s safe.¡±


    Ruyi smiled. ¡°Yes, as long as you¡¯re safe.¡±


    Little Loach and Mao Dou ran out of the study and shouted at Zhou Jia,


    ¡°Master, we¡¯ve found Madam. Uncle Yi is back¡­¡¯


    Zhou Jia rushed out of the study and saw Ruyi striding in alone. He looked at


    Ruyi. ¡°Where¡¯s Madam?¡±


    ¡°Madam is in a vige in Shanyang County¡­¡± Ruyi took out the letter from his pocket and handed it to Zhou Jia.


    Looking at Ruyi¡¯s tired appearance, Zhou Jia nodded and said, ¡°Alright, go eat something and rest first.¡± Ruyi agreed and left.


    ¡°Little Loach, tell Ruyi that I¡¯m going to the pce,¡± Zhou Jia said as he quickly walked out.


    ¡°Yes, Master.¡± Little Loach turned and ran towards the kitchen.


    Zhou Jia entered the pce and saw Chu Yuhao. He bowed and said, ¡°Your Majesty, my Madam was kidnapped by the coachman at home yesterday.


    Madam pretended not to know and was brought to Liang Vige in Shanyang County. The steward at home discovered it at the north city gate and followed her all the way¡­ Madam asked the steward at home to bring back a letter. It rted what my Madam saw and heard in Liang Vige. It¡¯s really heinous.¡±


    Chu Yuhao looked at Zhou Jia in surprise. ¡°Madam Li has been kidnapped.


    Hurry up and hand over the letter.¡±


    The eunuch took the letter from Zhou Jia and bowed before handing it over. Chu Yuhao read what Li Yu had written quickly, as well as what she had seen and heard in Liang Vige, what she was preparing to do next, and the request for the capital to cooperate.


    Chu Yuhao looked at the letter in his hand in disbelief. He never dreamed that such a tragedy would happen in Shanyang County under the emperor¡¯s feet.


    Those people were actually so bold as to fabricate that the vige had suffered a gue and ughtered everyone in the vige, leaving the women to watch their rtives die¡­


    After more than ten years, no one had discovered it. They had even hoarded arge number of weapons in the manor. Other than Second Brother, whose life and death were unknown, who else dared to do such a thing?


    Chu Yuhao turned to look at the eunuch. ¡°Summon Chu Sihai to enter the pce.¡± The eunuch bowed and left.


    Chu Yuhao said to Zhou Jia, ¡°Go to the Dali Temple and find out who the county magistrate of Shanyang County was ten years ago and where he is now. Then, find out who the current county magistrate of Shanyang County is.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± Zhou Jia bowed and left.


    In less than an hour, Chu Sihai entered the pce. Chu Yuhao told him what Li Yu had discovered.


    He began to give a series of orders. ¡°Send someone to the north city immediately to contact Ji Xiang of the Zhou family and ask them to keep an eye on the north city. Then, send someone to Shanyang County to monitor the county magistrate of Shanyang County. Hurry up and monitor those people in the capital who are rted to the Second Prince¡¯s noble consort. Find out who they interacted with. After Second Brother disappeared, did anyone leave the capital and live elsewhere? Also, send someone to Liang Vige to protect Madam Li.¡±


    After receiving the order, Chu Sihai left the pce and instructed Ding Yi,


    ¡°Hurry up and bring people to North City to meet Ji Xiang.¡±


    After Ding Yi left, Chu Sihai returned to the bank and got someone to go to Shanyang County. He got someone to keep an eye on the Eldest Prince and Second Prince¡¯s families.


    Zhou Jia quickly found out that the county magistrate from ten years ago had been dismissed and investigated ten years ago. On the way back to his hometown, he encountered bandits and his entire family was wiped out. He took the dossier and returned to the pce to report to Chu Yuhao.


    Chu Yuhao looked at the dossier that Zhou Jia had submitted and sneered. ¡°The entire family was wiped out when they encountered bandits. It¡¯s obvious that he was silenced . Someone actually believed such lies and even approved the case to be closed.¡±


    Zhou Jia bowed and said, ¡°Your Majesty, you hadn¡¯t seeded the throne at that time. You also know how the people below worked at that time.¡±


    Chu Yuhao recalled that the capital at that time was the world of the noble consort and her son. Even he had to hide far away in Tongzhou.


    The people working under them had to act ording to their whims. It was not strange for such a thing to happen..

 Chapter 549 - 549: A Contented Person

    Chapter 549: A Contented Person


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Chu Yuhao felt that ever since he met Zhou Jia and the others in the forest and was saved by Li Yu at thentern show, she had never hidden those high-yielding seeds and the method to print and make ice.


    When Chu Yuhao thought of this, he looked at Zhou Jia sincerely. ¡°Jiahe, from Madam Li¡¯s letter, those people are looking for her to take revenge. I know who wants to take revenge on her. This is also why I didn¡¯t confer you with such a high-profile title back then.¡±


    When Zhou Jia heard this, he was touched and kowtowed to Chu Yuhao to thank him. ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty.¡±


    Chu Yuhao helped Zhou Jia up and said with a smile, ¡°You and I don¡¯t have to do this. When we bring those people to justice, I will reward you again.¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled honestly at Chu Yuhao and said, ¡°Your Majesty, my Madam said that we don¡¯t want to be conferred titles. She even said that our lives are already not bad. I also think Madam is right.¡±


    Chu Yuhao sighed and said, ¡°Jiahe, you two are the most contented people I¡¯ve ever seen. You¡¯re very good.¡±


    Zhou Jia bowed and said, ¡°Your Majesty, my Madam said that you¡¯re a good emperor. I feel that Your Majesty is a wise ruler.¡±


    Chu Yuhaoughed out loud when he heard that. ¡°Jiahe, Madam Li is still the most honest. You¡¯re not bad either. Compared to your Madam, you¡¯re more cunning.¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty, my Madam is indeed very good. Hehe!¡± Zhou Jia smiled happily. Chu Yuhao looked at Zhou Jia and felt that a minister who doted on his wife like Zhou Jia would not cause him to worry. ¡°Alright, go down first. I¡¯ll send someone to protect Madam Li.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty!¡± Zhou Jia bowed and left.


    When Zhou Jia came out of the imperial study, he saw Yangyang standing at the entrance of the pce. Zhou Jia walked up to him and Yangyang looked at him resentfully. ¡°Father, why didn¡¯t you tell me that Mother was kidnapped?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, your mother is fine now. Daddy will pick you upter.¡±


    Hearing that Li Yu was fine, Yangyang looked at Zhou Jia happily. ¡°Is Mother home?¡±


    Zhou Jia shook his head. ¡°Your mother still has something to do. Go home and help me control my younger brothers.¡±


    Hearing that Li Yu was not home yet, Yangyang nodded unhappily. ¡°Oh! Thene and pick me up early.¡±


    Zhou Jia stroked his head. ¡°Alright, go back quickly!¡±


    Ji Xiang was dressed as a man of Liang Vige. He brought Old Lin to the north city and saw Ding Yi sitting on the mule cart outside the city. Old Lin drove the cart along the city wall for half an hour. Old Lin whispered to Ji Xiang, ¡°We¡¯ve arrived at the ce where the note is to be ced.¡±


    Ji Xiang looked at him indifferently and said softly, ¡°Go! You Imow what to do!¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Old Lin got out of the car and walked to the city wall. He stuffed the note into the crack in the wall and returned to the carriage obediently without stopping for a moment. He drove the carriage towards Liang Vige with Ji Xiang.


    Ding Yi and a few secret guards stared at the ce where Old Lin had stayed in the dark.


    Ji Xiang drove the cart to the entrance of the mountain path and saw Zhao Cai, Li Qing, and Constable Leng riding horses. They had just arrived.


    Seeing that Ji Xiang did not greet Zhao Cai, Li Qing did not say anything. It was not until Ji Xiang and Old Lin went up the mountain path that the few of them stopped their horses slowly and revealed relieved expressions.


    Everyone rode towards the city gate. Constable Leng looked back in the direction of Ji Xiang and Old Lin.


    Li Yu calcted the time and went to the vige entrance before the manor head returned. She saw therge banyan tree with lush branches and leaves at a nce. When she walked under the banyan tree, warm sunlight shone through the treetops.


    Li Yu looked at its thick tree trunk and climbed up. She found a seat that could be seen at a nce and sat down. She leaned against the tree trunk and waited for the head of the manor to return.


    Before noon, a mule cart slowly drove into the vige. Soon, it appeared in Li Yu¡¯s vision.


    A man in a melon leather hat drove the mule cart towards the vige. The mule cart gradually approached. It was driven by a middle-aged man with a long face, triangr eyes, and slightly yellow skin. He looked at the vige with a sinister gaze, looking like a cold poisonous snake.


    When the mule cart arrived in front of the banyan tree, Li Yu jumped down from it and kicked the manor head away at lightning speed. He fell into the rice field by the road. The manor head struggled to climb up a few times but couldn¡¯t get up. He rolled andy on the ground. He tried his best to raise his head with his hands and looked at Li Yu with a grimace. ¡°Who are you?¡±


    Li Yu walked up to him and looked at him coldly. ¡°Your captor.¡±


    The manor head suddenly thought of Old Chai and the others entering the capital to help Old Lin kidnap that very powerful woman. He looked at Li Yu in surprise. ¡°Are you that woman surnamed Li?¡±


    Li Yu looked at him coldly. ¡°Since you know it¡¯s me, tell me who asked you to kidnap me? Who¡¯s the mastermind?¡±


    As expected, it was her. She had probably killed all the brothers in the manor. More than ten men could not resist a bare-handed woman. Against such a woman, how could he have any chance of escaping?


    The manor head looked at Li Yu coldly and suddenly grinned strangely. He lowered his head and bit his cor. Li Yu thought to herself that something was wrong and hurriedly went forward to dislocate his lower jaw. The manor head fainted. Li Yu realized that his face was starting to turn gray. She hurriedly took a few antidotes from her space and stuffed them into his mouth. She carried him and ran back.


    Li Yu carried the manor head and ran back to the manor. She ced him under the roof and saw that he was still breathing weakly. She threw him there and turned to enter the kitchen.


    When Ah Lian saw the manor head, who had been thrown under the eaves of the porch by Li Yu, she eximed, ¡°Madam Li, this is the head of the manor. You¡¯ve caught him! What¡¯s wrong with him? This Chi person is gloomy and ruthless to people.¡±


    Li Yu frowned and looked at the manor head. She wanted to take a look again. If he still wasn¡¯t awake, she could only urge him to vomit and see if she could spit out the poison.


    ¡°After he was caught by me, hemitted suicide by taking poison. I fed him some antidotes. It doesn¡¯t seem to be very effective. Prepare arge basin of rice water. If my antidotes don¡¯t work, feed it to him.


    Ah Lian nodded. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll wash the rice now.¡±


    Li Yu looked around the house and saw that they had not returned for lunch. Only then did she remember that most of the people here ate two meals during their free time.


    ¡°There¡¯s so much food in the storeroom. Wash more rice and cook Call Yang Liu and the others back for lunch.¡¯


    Ah Lian looked at Li Yu in surprise. ¡°Madam Li, are you going to give us some food in the warehouse too?¡±


    Seeing her surprised expression, Li Yu also smiled. ¡°Of course I should give you a share. You also have a share of those fields. Moreover, you contributed to those grains. The government office should leave you a portion of rations.¡±


    Li Yu didn¡¯t know how the Imperial Court wouldpensate Ah Lian and the other victims in the end, but the massacre of the people in Liang Vige was most likely done by the emperor¡¯s brother. She felt that Chu Yuhao wouldpensate them and give them some care so that they could live and work in peace..

 Chapter 550 - 550: The Cheng Family

    Chapter 550: The Cheng Family


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    When Ah Lian heard Li Yu¡¯s words, she also felt that it was only right to give them a portion of the food.


    She said happily to Li Yu, ¡°Madam Li, we sisters admire you very much. Although we didn¡¯t see how you killed those evil thieves with our own eyes, we know that you¡¯re very powerful. Madam Li, if only we were as capable as you. They wouldn¡¯t have died in vain.¡±


    Li Yu looked at Ah Lian, who was in a low mood in the blink of an eye, and didn¡¯t know how tofort her. She patted her shoulder and looked at her.


    ¡°They must want you to live well and happily.¡±


    Ah Lian wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and bowed to Li Yu. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Li Yu carried the rice water and sat under the eaves to check on the manor head, Old Chi. After more than a quarter of an hour, she saw that his expression gradually improved. She thought to herself that fortunately she didn¡¯t have to wash the rice water.


    After another hour, Ah Lian also finished cooking and went to call Yang Liu and the others.


    Li Yu sat on the chair and saw Old Chi¡¯s eyelids twitch a few times. She knew that he had woken up and ignored him. She just looked at him indifferently to see if he dared to die again.


    From his slightly opened eyes, Old Chi nced at Li Yu, who was leaning against the chair. Then, he closed his eyes again. He no longer had the courage to endure it again. The feeling of being on the verge of death was really terrifying. His internal organs felt like they were being burned, and it was unbearable.


    Li Yu looked at him. ¡°Manor Head Chi, have you thought about it? Should you tell me?


    Manor Head Chi said weakly, ¡°What good will it do if I tell Madam?¡±


    ¡°Benefits!¡± Li Yu looked at him coldly. ¡°If you want to discuss benefits with me, it depends on what useful things you can take out. Otherwise¡­¡±


    Manor Head Chi panted and said in a thin voice, ¡°The things in my head must be useful.¡±


    Li Yu chuckled and said, ¡®Whether they¡¯re useful or not will depend on me. I¡¯ll give you a hint. It¡¯s like a cer! You don¡¯t have to mention a secret room.¡±


    Manor Head Chi widened his eyes and looked at Li Yu. From the looks of it, he never dreamed that Li Yu would find the secret room.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so surprised. I can roughly guess what you do, so don¡¯t think about getting away with it.¡±


    Manor Head Chi nodded in admiration. ¡°I was originally a servant of the Cheng family in Yuezhou. Fifteen years ago, I followed the steward to the capital and worked behind him for two years. The steward felt that I was still useful, so he promoted me to the head of the manor. After another year, I was sent here to manage everything in the manor.


    After crossing a few mountain ridges in front of Liang Vige, we saw the caravan from Liangzhou. It was the only way to enter the capital. When we received the news, we brought people out and ambushed and plundered. The plundered property was sent to the Second Prince¡¯s residence in the capital.¡±


    Li Yu cursed in her heart. The prince of a country sent people to ughter the vige for money just to raise a group of bandits for convenience. If such a cruel person was allowed to ascend the throne, the world would be his ughterhouse.


    ¡°How long will it take to cross a few mountain ridges? Where will you rest along the way? Are there any viges along the way?¡±


    Manor Head Chi thought for a moment. ¡°There are still two mountain ridges and viges in front. There¡¯s nothing beyond that. It will take at least a month to go back and forth.¡±


    ¡°When will you stop doing this?¡±


    Manor Head Chi panted a few times. ¡°Later, there was news that the Eldest


    Prince broke his leg and something happened to the Second Prince. Then, the


    Third Prince was appointed the Crown Prince. His Majesty died, and the Noble Consortmitted suicide by taking poison. I haven¡¯t been there since I received orders, so I¡¯ve been staying here.


    Four years ago, Steward Cheng pulled those weapons to the manor. Only then did I know that there was a secret room under the study. Steward Cheng sent many weapons to the cer one after another. Two years ago, he picked up more than a hundred men from the manor and instructed me to continue guarding here and wait for news.¡±


    Once, I asked Steward Cheng if the Cheng family wanted to rebel. He smiled and pped me, saying that the world belonged to the Second Prince. I knew from that time that the Second Prince was not dead, but I didn¡¯t know where they were hiding.


    From then on, I have to stay at the Tongfu Inn in Shanyang County every half a month. As long as there¡¯s news, they¡¯ll get someone to put the note in a crack in the green brick at the entrance of thetrine.¡±


    Li Yu asked, ¡°You¡¯re not a death warrior. Why are you hiding poison in your cor?¡±


    ¡°Supervisor Cheng said that as long as I go out, I have to wear this poisonous shirt with a cor. If I¡¯m captured, I¡¯ll immediately take poison andmit suicide.¡±


    Manor Head Chi looked up at Li Yu and panted heavily. ¡°Madam Li, I¡¯ve already told you everything I know.¡±


    Li Yu nodded and dragged the weak Manor Head Chi into the cer. She tied him up and ced him on the sack.


    From the confessions of Manor Head Chi, Old Lin, Big Stone, it could be seen that these people had been plotting for a long time and were quite experienced. No one on the surface knew who their superior was.


    Li Yu felt that some of them must be hiding in the capital¡¯s government office. They should soon receive the news of what happened in Liang Vige and quickly disappear.


    Li Yu sat under the eaves of the porch and narrowed her eyes for a while. Seeing that it was already time to cook dinner, she stood up and entered the kitchen.


    She saw a few old pumpkins on the table in the corner and took one down.


    Seeing that there was mixed noodles in the rice jar, she scooped some out of the jar. After beating eggs and kneading the old noodles, he ced them in front of the stove to ferment.


    She peeled of the skin of the old pumpkin, dug out the inner flesh, and ced it aside. She washed the pumpkin, cut it into strips, and ced it in the steamer. She nned to make pumpkin steamed buns after steaming it.


    As soon as she lit the fire, he heard Ah Lian shout for the door to be opened.


    Li Yu stood up and went out to open the door for them. Ah Lian, Yang Liu, and the others carried a basket of wild vegetables. San Qiao carried Hong Mei on her back and the group entered the courtyard.


    Li Yu smiled and nodded. ¡°Alright! I steamed some pumpkins and n to steam some pumpkin buns.¡±


    Yang Liu looked at the fire in the stove, the steamer in the pot, and the flour fermenting on the stove. She then looked at Li Yu and said with a smile, ¡°Madam Li, I thought you official madams didn¡¯t do any chores. I didn¡¯t expect you to know how to do these.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯m also from a farming family. I know everything you know. ¡±


    Ah Lian smiled and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to be from a farming family. We thought you could be the daughter of an aristocratic family, but we didn¡¯t think so. In the past, when we went to the capital to y, we saw that they were all delicate. How would they dare to fight with evil thieves?¡±


    Everyone chatted andughed as they got busy. After the meal, Li Yu warmed the steamed buns and food in the pot and waited for Ji Xiang toe back to eat.


    She then said to Ah Lian and the others, ¡°You have to be more vignt when you sleep at night. I¡¯m worried that someone wille to the manor to take revenge.¡±


    Yang Liu said, ¡°Madam Li, we¡¯ll choose a few rooms in the backyard to rest and apany you.¡±


    ¡°Alright, it¡¯s up to you,¡± Li Yu said..

 Chapter 551 - 551: Night Attack

    Chapter 551: Night Attack


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Ding Yi and the other secret guards waited outside the north city gate of the capital until dusk before seeing an ox cart. They slowly walked to the ce where Old Lin had sent the news. A thin old man with white hair got out of the carriage and got into the cart to drive the ox away.


    A shadow guard followed. An hourter, the old man entered a nearby vige and was greeted by three children. The old man happily took out the sweets he had bought for the children from his backpack. The children climbed onto the ox cart and the grandfather and grandchildren entered the courtyard. The shadow guard found a ce nearby and guarded it.


    Ji Xiang and Old Lin drove the cart into the forest. Ji Xiang suddenly felt a murderous aura in the forest and quickly reined in to look around warily.


    Seeing Ji Xiang rein in, Old Lin also became nervous. Suddenly, a few arrows shot out of the forest in front of him. Sharp arrows whistled over and headed straight for Old Lin and Ji Xiang. Old Lin fell.


    Ji Xiang flipped down from the carriage. When the arrow brushed past, it left a blood groove on his arm and he hid under the carriage. He raised the crossbow and shot at the forest opposite. Seeing that his attack had seeded, the person on the tree opposite fled quickly. Ji Xiang crawled under the carriage and saw that Old Lin had been shot in the throat and chest.


    Ji Xiang carried Old Lin into the carriage and scattered Golden Injury Medicine on his legs before driving the cart towards the vige.


    At midnight, Ji Xiang rushed to the vige and dragged Old Lin down to be with the dead people. Just as he drove the carriage to the entrance of the manor, the door opened from the inside. When Ji Xiang saw Li Yu holding the oilmp. She smiled and asked, ¡°You¡¯ve been rushing all the way. You¡¯re hungry, right?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I ate some dry food and I¡¯m not very hungry yet.¡± Ji Xiang drove the carriage into the livestock shed.


    Seeing that Ji Xiang was alone, Li Yu guessed that something had happened.


    Ji Xiang looked at Li Yu and said in shame, ¡°Madam, when we returned, we were attacked in the forest. Old Lin was shot to death.¡±


    ¡°Are you injured anyvvhere?¡± Li Yu looked at Ji Xiang worriedly.


    Ji Xiang shook his head. ¡°An arrow grazed my arm. I¡¯ve already applied Golden


    Injury Medicine.¡±


    Li Yu was relieved. ¡°That¡¯s good. The food is warm in the pot. Go eat something and wash up first.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± After Ji Xiang agreed, he said to Li Yu, ¡°I saw Ding Yi guarding the city gate. Madam, I think those bandits might already know that you wiped out Liang Vige. Otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t have sent someone to shoot Old Lin. ¡±


    Li Yu didn¡¯t expect the enemy to hear the news so quickly. From the looks of it, when Old Lin appeared outside the north city gate, someone was watching there. How did they know that Old Lin had been captured by her and even confessed? Since Chu Sihai had already sent people to guard the north city, the people sent to Liang Vige should have arrived!


    Li Yu nodded and said, ¡°Yes! Someone might sneak up on us tonight. Go and eat and rest first.¡±


    ¡°Aye!¡± Ji Xiang agreed and entered the kitchen. He brought out the hot food from the pot and ate it in big mouthfuls. After dinner, he casually wiped his face andy down in the house and clothes beside him.


    Li Yu thought for a moment and went to the study again. She entered the secret room and took out some crossbows and arrows to put in the space. She closed the door of the secret room and came out with her weapon. She hid in the dark and guarded the manor.


    Hu Cheng brought a few secret guards to Liang Vige. It was already midnight. Under the cold moonlight, he sneaked into the vige.


    When he arrived at the manor, he saw a dim yellow lighting out of the courtyard. Hu Cheng asked the other secret guards to guard outside and jumped onto the wall.


    Just as he flipped into the courtyard, before he could shout, he saw Li Yu aiming the crossbow at him.


    Hu Cheng hurriedly raised his hands and said to Li Yu with a smile, ¡°Madam Li, I¡¯m Hu Cheng, under Head Shopkeeper Chu Sihai. I¡¯m here to listen to your orders. I have a letter from Head Shopkeeper to you.¡± As he spoke, he took out Chu Sihai¡¯s letter to Li Yu from his pocket.


    Li Yu looked at him and nodded. ¡°Bring it over.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Hu Cheng bowed and handed the letter to Li Yu with both hands.


    Li Yu took the letter and saw the meaning in Chu Sihai¡¯s letter. ¡°Madam Li, Sihai is under His Majesty¡¯s orders to send someone to protect you. The leader of the team is called Hu Cheng. They¡¯re all at your disposal.¡±


    Li Yu felt that there were not enough people when she brought back the news of being intercepted from Ji Xiang. The people Chu Sihai sent happened to solve the problem of theck of manpower.


    ¡°Alright, tell those brothers that I¡¯ll get someone to prepare food in the kitchen. You can have it yourself. Also, my steward was intercepted in the forest tonight. I think those bandits already know what I discovered here. In my opinion, there¡¯s no need for us to hide anymore. Send someone back to the capital immediately and get Shopkeeper Chu to report it. Send someone to transport the things in the manor. I¡¯m worried that something will happen if we¡¯rete.¡±


    Hu Cheng bowed in agreement and blew the bamboo whistle. A secret guard in ck jumped into the courtyard. Hu Cheng told him what Li Yu had said. After receiving the order, the secret guard turned around and climbed over the courtyard wall, disappearing into the night.


    Hu Cheng said to Li Yu, ¡°Madam Li, rest well. My brothers and I are guarding outside.¡±


    Li Yu had rested during the day and didn¡¯t feel tired. However, for some reason, she kept feeling that tonight wouldn¡¯t be peaceful. When she heard this, she still nodded. ¡°Alright, there¡¯s boiling water and steamed buns in the kitchen.


    You guys can do whatever you want.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam Li.¡± Hu Cheng nodded and left.


    Li Yu greeted Ji Xiang and went to the study in the backyard. Shey down on


    the couch in the study.


    Hu Cheng and the secret guards guarded a few dark corners of the wall and quietly hid there.


    An hourter, more than a dozen figures appeared on the road at the vige entrance. They were dressed in ck and were quickly rushing towards the manor under the cover of the night.


    Hu Cheng and the secret guards stood on the wall and quickly raised their crossbows, preparing to shoot.


    When these men in ck were about to approach the manor, they suddenly scattered and ran towards the courtyard in front and behind the manor. As they ran, they pulled out torches soaked in kerosene from the leather bags on their backs and prepared to light them and throw them into the courtyard.


    Suddenly, they heard a sharp whistle. ¡°Not good. There¡¯s an ambush. Hurry up and retreat,¡± one of them shouted.


    The men in ck were stunned for a moment before quickly retreating. How could he be faster than arrows? He only heard the sound of arrows tearing through the air. Dense arrows tore through the air, and then there was a muffled sound.


    Seeing the men in ck outside the front yard fall to the ground one by one, Hu Cheng flipped onto the roof and shot at them from above.


    Ji Xiang also ran to the backyard with the crossbow and shouted anxiously,


    ¡°Madam.¡±


    ¡°Yes, don¡¯t panic.¡± Li Yu leaned on the roof and replied. She aimed at the men in ck who were rushing towards the backyard and pulled the trigger of the crossbow. There was the sound of the crossbow. A few more men in ck fell in the field. Ji Xiang was relieved and climbed onto the roof to deal with the men in ck..

 Chapter 552 - 552: Ruthless

    Chapter 552: Ruthless


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Soon, all the men in ck who had besieged the manor were eliminated. Hu Cheng jumped off the roof with the secret guards and leaped down from the wall. He saw the torches that the men in ck had dropped in the field.


    Hu Cheng kicked the man in ck on the ground and pulled out the arrows from his body. ¡°Brothers, see if there¡¯s anyone alive. Feel them carefully and search for anything suspicious.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± the secret guards agreed in unison and carefully checked.


    Li Yu and Ji Xiang had also arrived. Hu Cheng pointed at the torches and said to Li Yu, ¡°Madam, look at these torches. These people are here to burn the manor down.¡±


    When Li Yu saw the torches Hu Cheng and the others had collected, she felt that these people were very ruthless.


    ¡°Yes! It seems that they already know that this ce has been exposed. They¡¯re unwilling to let those things fall into the hands of the Imperial Court. There¡¯s no point in staying here anymore.¡± Li Yu looked at Hu Cheng and said, ¡°Hu Cheng, send someone back to the city after dawn. Get the government office to send two physicians who are proficient in gynecology to treat those injured women. After settling them down, we¡¯ll return to the city!¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Hu Cheng replied with a bow.


    At this moment, Ah Lian, Yang Liu, and the others were also woken up. They all ran out of the house and looked at the secret guards in ck in horror as they dragged the corpses of the men in ck toward the thatched house behind the manor.


    Seeing Li Yu¡¯s worried and afraid expression, they were afraid that the peaceful days they had painstakingly obtained would be gone. They were afraid that they would be vengeful souls under the butcher¡¯s knife of those evil thieves again.


    Ah Lian looked at Li Yu uneasily. ¡°Madam Li, those evil thieves are really here. They want to kill us!¡±


    Li Yuforted them gently. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be afraid. These evil thieves came for the food on the farm. They¡¯re unwilling to leave that food for us. When the government office takes away the food, those people won¡¯te again.¡±


    When Ah Lian, Yang Liu, and the others heard Li Yu¡¯s words, they felt that she made sense. There was so much food that was enough for them to eat for the rest of their lives. How could those evil thieves bear to give it to others for nothing?


    San Qiao begged Li Yu, ¡°Madam Li, please tell the officials to catch those evil thieves as soon as possible. I¡¯m afraid that they wille again after you leave.¡±


    Li Yu nodded and said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll tell them to send more people to capture those evil thieves as soon as possible. It¡¯s still early. You still have to work tomorrow morning. Go and sleep for a while.¡±


    Ah Lian nodded. ¡°Sisters, Madam Li will help us. We still have to work tomorrow. Let¡¯s go back first so that we won¡¯t dy Madam and the others.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! Let¡¯s go back! We can¡¯t help.¡±


    Hu Cheng waited for the women to return to the courtyard and said to Li Yu, ¡°Madam Li, those people are very cunning. We¡¯ve caught a few after so many years. Our head shopkeeper has been running around all these years just for these dogs.¡±


    Ji Xiang said indignantly, ¡°These people are vicious and don¡¯t care about morals at all. Just look at the people who died in vain in Liang Vige.¡±


    Hu Cheng smiled and nodded. ¡°Manager Zhou is right. Manager Zhou,st time in Yunzhou, I realized that Brother Yi and Brother Cai¡¯s martial arts are not bad. I didn¡¯t expect you to be not inferior either, especially Madam¡¯s martial arts. Even our head shopkeeper praised them.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Ji Xiang replied proudly. Hu Cheng and Ji Xiang chatted animatedly.


    Li Yu nced at Hu Cheng and thought of the secret guard in Tongzhou, Yun Yi. She felt that the secret guards under Chu Sihai were either chatterboxes or reticent.


    After cleaning up the battlefield, Li Yu and Ji Xiang returned to their courtyards to rest. Hu Cheng brought the secret guards and hid around the manor again.


    Li Yuy on the bed and thought that since the Second Prince had prepared arge number of weapons in the manor, they must be used to snatch back the imperial power. He had also transferred arge number of people away. They should have been sent somewhere to train.


    Thinking of what Manor Head Chi had told her, she felt that he still had something to tell her. Li Yu thought of the Second Prince and the others and already knew that she was the one who had helped Chu Yuhao back then. She felt that they would not let the matter rest.


    Feeling that there should still be a nest of these bandits in the nearby mountain beam, she decided to go back and see Chu Sihai. She would get him to interrogate Manor Head Chi again and send someone to Tongfu Inn and the nearby deep mountains and forests to investigate.


    The secret guards sent by Hu Cheng entered the city after the city gate opened for a while. They returned to the backyard of the bank and saw Chu Sihai. They conveyed Li Yu¡¯s words to him.


    When Chu Sihao heard Li Yu¡¯s words, he hurriedly entered the pce to report that Ji Xiang had been ambushed and that Old Lin had been killed. When Chu Yuhao heard this, he instructed Chu Sihao to send an order to transfer people from the capital¡¯s government office to Liang Vige to settle those women. He would bring enough people to haul those weapons back and capture the current county magistrate of Shanyang County to the capital for trial.


    Chu Sihai received the order and left the pce to arrange for people.


    At dawn, Ruyi hauled the cloth, bedding, and mosquitos he had bought and some household items towards Liang Vige. They left the city and drove into the mountain path.


    Not long after they went up the mountain path, a group of carriages followed behind. Ruyi turned around and saw the first carriage. Shen Zhong was sitting in the carriage, and the driver was a loyal-looking man.


    Shen Zhong smiled. ¡°What a coincidence! Steward Yi.¡±


    Ruyi smiled and stopped the car. Shen Zhong jumped out of the carriage and walked to the Ruyi cart with a smile. He jumped on and sat on the cart.


    Seeing that Ruyi had hauled a full cart of things that were even wrapped in oilcloth, Shen Zhong smiled and said, ¡°Manager Yi, what did you haul?¡±


    Ruyi smiled. ¡°My Madam instructed me to buy it for those women in Liang


    Vige. There are bedding, mosquitos, cloth, and some household items.¡±


    When Shen Zhong heard this, he nodded and said, ¡°Madam Li is the one who really doesn¡¯t care about fame and fortune.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Ruyi smiled and nodded. She turned around and looked at the carriage behind. ¡°General Shen, why did your team go to Liang Vige?¡±


    ¡°The officials from the government office are going to deal with the matters in Liang Vige. His Majesty even sent two imperial physicians to Liang Vige to treat those women,¡± Shen Zhong said.


    Thinking of the sallow-faced women in Liang Vige, Ruyi praised, ¡°Your Majesty is benevolent. It¡¯s indeed not easy for those people in Liang Vige tost until the day they rebuild.¡±


    Shen Zhong also sighed in his heart. ¡°That¡¯s right! No one expected such a heinous evil to happen in this peaceful era.¡±


    Ruyi cursed silently. The person who did such a thing was from the royal family. Otherwise, who would have the ability to hide it?


    ¡°General Shen, did you find anything?¡±


    Shen Zhong said in a low voice, ¡°We haven¡¯t found anything unusual yet. We¡¯ve already sent them out. The shopkeeper asked me to bring those people caDtured bv Madam Li back to the caDital for interrogation.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right, especially that Lin. I don¡¯t know when he killed Uncle Lin¡¯s coachman, but no one noticed. These people are really extraordinary.¡±


    Shen Zhong agreed with Ruyi¡¯s words. It was as if the woman on Osmanthus Street had appeared out of thin air. Until now, he had not found anyone to meet that woman. The new princess consort of the Duke of Fu was still locked in prison. She had be crazy..

 Chapter 553 - 553: Placement

    Chapter 553: cement


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Ruyi recalled Zhao Cai and Li Qing¡¯s evaluation of Constable Leng and felt that those constables and officials in the capital were really unreliable. He felt that His Majesty should have handed this matter to the secret guards to investigate long ago. He felt that the secret guards were much more reliable than those officials.


    The two of them each had their own thoughts and made small talk as they drove the carriage towards Liang Vige. Ruyi, Shen Zhong, and the others went down the mountain path in the afternoon and saw the t field in the depression.


    Shen Zhong said to Ruyi, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect there to be such a beautiful ce in this depression.¡±


    Ruyi nodded. ¡°Yes! They also took a fancy to the remote terrain in this area and such arge t field, so they made a nest here.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Shen Zhong nced at Judge Sun, who had been sent by the capital¡¯s government office. Seeing that he also looked surprised, he walked to his side. ¡°Lord Sun didn¡¯t expect Liang Vige to be a beautiful ce, right?¡±


    Sun Tong was in his forties. He was fair and clean-looking and was gentle and polite. When he heard Shen Zhong¡¯s words, he nodded and said, ¡°To be honest, General Shen, I really didn¡¯t expect such arge piece of fertilend in this cave. ¡±


    Ah Lian and the women stopped what they were doing when they saw more than a dozen carriages in the field.


    Yang Liu wiped her body twice and lifted the two strands of messy hair that were scattered at her temples. She looked at Ah Lian and said, ¡°Second Sister-inw, what do you think those carriages are doing?¡±


    Ah Lian watched the carriage walk towards the vige. ¡°It should be the officials. Let¡¯s go back and take a look.¡±


    San Qiao grabbed Ah Lian. ¡°Second Sister-inw, our title deeds and household registers are gone. Do you think the government office will return ournd to us? Will they treat us as aplices of those evil thieves and arrest


    LIS


    ¡°That¡¯s right! Will the people from the government office really leave us food and return thend to us like Madam Li said?¡± The other two also looked at Ah Lian worriedly.


    Ah Lian nodded and said, ¡°San Qiao, don¡¯t be afraid. No, Madam Li said that she will help us tell the Imperial Court. I believe her.¡±


    ¡°I believe in Madam Li too,¡± Yang Liu said.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go over and call Ying Tao and the others. We¡¯ll ask them while Madam Li is on the farm.¡±


    San Qiao walked towards the field and thought to herself that it would be great if she could bring a child back with her to the field. Someone would carry on the family line. Even if she died, someone will worship the ancestors.


    When the secret guards sitting on the banyan tree at the vige entrance saw Shen Zhonging with his men, they blew the bamboo whistle hanging around their necks. Hu Cheng and Ji Xiang walked out of the courtyard.


    When Ji Xiang saw Ruyi driving the carriage over, he smiled and went up to her. ¡°You¡¯re here so quickly? Have you eaten on the way?¡±


    Ruyi smiled and said, ¡°I brought dry food!¡±


    Ji Xiang greeted Shen Zhong and Judge Sun Tong again. Everyone exchanged pleasantries and entered the manor.


    Li Yu came out of the house. After Shen Zhong and Sun Tong greeted Li Yu,


    Shen Zhong pointed at the two gray-haired imperial physicians and said to Li Yu with a smile, ¡°Madam Li, one of them is Imperial Physician Xu, and the other is Imperial Physician Chen. His Majesty sent them to treat those women.¡±


    Seeing that the two imperial physicians were about the same age as Mr. Wen,


    Li Yu smiled and said to the two imperial physicians, ¡°Imperial Physician Xu,


    Imperial Physician Chen, it¡¯s been hard on the two of you.¡±


    The two of them cupped their hands politely and said, ¡°It¡¯s not hard on us.¡± Imperial Physician Xu smiled again. ¡°I¡¯m better at women¡¯s diseases.¡±


    Imperial Physician Chen also smiled and cupped his hands. ¡°I¡¯m proficient in injuries.¡±


    Li Yu bent her knees and bowed. ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty. You¡¯re so considerate of them.¡±


    At this moment, Ah Lian and the others had also arrived at the entrance of the courtyard. They watched as the carriage and officials cowered into the courtyard.


    When Li Yu saw Ah Lian and the others cowering, she smiled and waved at them. ¡°Ah Lian, Yang Liu,e in quickly. His Majesty even sent imperial physicians to treat you.¡±


    When Ah Lian and the others heard Li Yu¡¯s words and saw two gray-haired old men standing there with medicine boxes on their backs, they felt relieved.


    Ah Lian looked at Li Yu in surprise. ¡°Madam Li, His Majesty also knows what happened to our Liang Vige? He even sent imperial physicians to treat us?¡± The other women also looked at Li Yu in surprise.


    Li Yu nodded and said, ¡°Yes, your encounter has been reported to His Majesty.


    His Majesty is very angry and sent Judge Sun from the Imperial Magistrate¡¯s


    Office to settle you down. He also sent Imperial Physician Xu and Imperial Physician Chen to treat you. Go bring out some tables and chairs and let the two imperial physicians treat you.¡±


    When Ji Xiang and Hu Cheng heard this, they hurriedly entered the house and brought out tables and chairs. Ji Xiang said to Ah Lian, ¡°Sister-inw Ah Lian,e down from the eaves here and wait for the two imperial physicians to treat you.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and nodded at them. Ah Lian, Yang Liu, and the others walked over.


    Imperial Physician Chen and Imperial Physician Xu carried the medicine box to the shade under the eaves. They took out their pulses and sat down to treat them one by one.


    Li Yu brought Shen Zhong to the secret room, opened the door, and walked in through the tunnel with Shen Zhong and Sun Tong.


    When Shen Zhong and Sun Tong saw the weapons below, Sun Tong eximed,


    ¡°Heavens! There are so many weapons. Are they trying to attack the capital?¡±


    Shen Zhong looked at the weapons in the secret room and felt that more than ten carriages would have to make a few trips before they could all be transported back to the capital.


    ¡°Fortunately, Madam Li found out. Otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable.¡±


    Judge Sun nodded and said, ¡°That¡¯s true. I didn¡¯t expect these people to be so ambitious. They prepared so many weapons near the capital. Once¡­¡±


    The two of them did not dare to imagine it. Their hearts began to beat like drums. They could not help but worry that the Second Prince still had weapons hidden elsewhere.


    Li Yu said to Shen Zhong, ¡°There are still two bandits locked in the cer. Get someone to bring them back and interrogate them as soon as possible, especially since that person surnamed Chi. He was caught by me andmitted suicide by taking poison. Fortunately, I had the antidote made by Sir with me, so I saved his life.¡±


    Shen Zhong said respectfully, ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll get someone to load the car and bring them back to the capital.¡±


    The few of them came out of the secret room and arrived at the granary. Li Yu pointed at the food in the warehouse and nced at Judge Sun. ¡°Lord Sun, these food were all stored in the farmstead. I hope you can leave a year¡¯s worth of rations for the women in the vige and reprocess their household registers and title deeds that were burned by the bandits. Then, give them a certain amount ofpensation so that they can rebuild their houses and live and work in peace.¡±


    Judge Sun bowed and said, ¡°Madam Li, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll do it well for them.¡±


    Li Yu bent her knees and bowed. ¡°Thank you, Lord Sun. Also, some of them want to adopt children and leave a legacy for their innocent families. Please help them pay attention and choose good people with good character from those orphans to prevent them from having no one to rely on when they grow old.


    ¡°Also, please find a few Daoist priests to exorcise their innocent rtives. You can discuss the details with them.¡±


    Judge Sun said solemnly to Li Yu, ¡®Madam Li, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll definitely do these things for them..¡±

 Chapter 554 - 554: Reconnecting Broken Bones

    Chapter 554: Reconnecting Broken Bones


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Shen Zhong turned around and looked at the sallow and thin women surrounding Imperial Physician Xu. He said to Li Yu, ¡°Madam Li, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll get someone to pay attention to them. Besides, it will take some time to draw the bandits they remember.¡±


    Li Yu nodded and said, ¡°I¡¯ll thank the two of you on their behalf.¡±


    After Imperial Physician Xu took a look at them, he realized that their bodies were very deficient. Moreover, all of them were seriously ill. If they were not treated in time, it would greatly affect their lives.


    Looking at these pitiful women and two girls who were only in their teens, Imperial Physician Xu felt pity for them.


    Fortunately, when His Majesty sent them over, the Empress Dowager found out and said that these women¡¯s bodies would definitely be deficient and there would be all kinds of illnesses. She instructed them to bring enough medicinal herbs.


    After Imperial Physician Xu took a look at them, he prescribed a prescription and recorded their pulses. He said to Ah Lian and the others, ¡°I¡¯ll prepare the medicine for youter. There are internal and external uses for those medicines. I¡¯ll exin clearly and you have to take these medicines on time. I¡¯lle back to change the prescription for you in half a month.¡±


    Ah Lian, Yang Liu, and the others looked at Imperial Physician Xu uneasily.


    ¡°Doctor Xu, we don¡¯t have a single cent now. Can you wait for me¡­¡±


    Imperial Physician Xu raised his hand and interrupted Ah Lian. He said gently, ¡°Sister-inw, you don¡¯t have to worry about the money for the medicine. When we came, His Majesty and the Empress Dowager instructed us to prepare the herbs. Take all the medicine for your treatment from the imperial hospital.¡±


    Ah Lian and the women were extremely excited when they heard that. ¡°His Majesty and the Empress Dowager asked you to treat us and even bought medicine for us Ki. Thank you, Your Majesty. Thank you, Empress Dowager.¡±


    Imperial Physician Xu smiled and nodded. ¡°Just treat the illness in peace and live a good life.¡±


    When Yang Liu and the others heard this, they nodded happily. ¡°Thank you, Doctor Xu. We¡¯ll remember.¡±


    After Imperial Physician Chen took a look at Yingtao and Hongmei, he said to the two of them, ¡°After your leg bones were broken, you didn¡¯t receive timely treatment. The bones inside are dislocated, causing you to be unable to stand.


    If you can endure the pain, I can break the broken parts and reattach them. When the bones heal again, although you won¡¯t be able to carry weight, at least it won¡¯t affect your walking. You can still do some not light housework.¡±


    Hong Mei¡¯s eyes turned red when she heard that. She thought to herself that if she could really treat her leg, she would be willing to bear with the pain and end the days when she had to rely on others to go to thetrine.


    Ying Tao looked at Doctor Chen and said firmly, ¡°No matter how painful it is,


    I¡¯m willing to bear it.¡±


    Hong Mei looked at Imperial Physician Chen with a strong gaze. ¡°Doctor Chen, I¡¯m not afraid of pain. As long as I can walk, I can endure it no matter how painful it is.¡±


    Doctor Chen looked at the two of them and nodded. ¡°Alright, since you have the courage, I¡¯ll definitely do my best to treat you.¡±


    The two of them replied firmly, ¡°We have the courage.¡±


    When Ah Lian and Yang Liu heard this, they hugged the two of them excitedly.


    ¡°That¡¯s great. Your legs can be treated too. That¡¯s really great.¡¯


    The sisters held hands and smiled until their faces were covered in tears. Everyone looked at these unyielding women gratefully and sincerely hoped that they would be able to live a stable life.


    Doctor Chen nced at Hu Cheng, Ji Xiang, and the others standing at the door of the courtyard and waved at them. ¡°Strong men, which one of you has stable hands? Help me break their bones again so that I can rectify their bones.¡±


    The few of them walked up to Imperial Physician Chen. Hu Cheng pushed Ruyi. ¡°Brother Yi, you¡¯re the most reliable. It¡¯s best if you do it.¡±


    Ruyi pondered for a moment and nodded. ¡°Okay.¡±


    Ying Tao sat on a chair. Ruyi said to Li Yu, who hade from the granary,


    ¡°Madam, please stabilize this sister-inw.¡±


    Li Yu walked over and saw Ying Tao sitting on a chair with a determined expression. Imperial Physician Chen hurriedly exined to Li Yu. Li Yu nodded and let Yingt Tao sit on the stool. She took a handkerchief and folded it. She let Yingtao hold it and hugged her from behind.


    Imperial Physician Chen lifted Ying Tao¡¯s trouser leg and made a mark in the dislocated spot with ink. He nodded at Ruyi. ¡°Steward Zhou, this is the spot.¡±


    Ruyi touched the spot and hit Ying Tao when she wasn¡¯t looking. Yingtao screamed and fainted.


    Imperial Physician Chen took advantage of her unconsciousness to help her reattach the dislocated bones. Ying Tao woke up from the pain again. Li Yu controlled her and made her unable to move at all. Ying Tao¡¯s face was pale from the pain, and cold sweat flowed down her hair like water.


    Ying Tao fainted again.


    Imperial Physician Chen nimbly tied two thin wooden nks to Yingtao¡¯s leg and wrapped them in cloth to secure them. He said to Li Yu, ¡°Madam Li, please carry her in and let her sleep. Don¡¯t touch her leg.¡±


    Li Yu nodded in agreement and carried Ying Tao into the house in the backyard. She carefully ced them on the bed.


    Looking at the thin wooden board tied to Ying Tao¡¯s leg, she thought about how one wouldn¡¯t have to worry about his leg getting injured again after stering the broken leg in the hospital in her previous life.


    After reattaching Hong Mei¡¯s leg and carrying her back to the bed to rest, Li Yu went back and said to Imperial Physician Chen, ¡°Imperial Physician Chen, I want to ask you if you can wrap their legs with something y-like. This way, we won¡¯t be afraid of hurting their legs again.¡±


    ¡°Use something in the shape of y.¡± Imperial Physician Chen¡¯s hand that was writing the prescription stopped. He thought for a moment and nodded with a smile. ¡°Madam Li¡¯s idea is interesting. I¡¯ll go back and try it. If it really works, I¡¯lle and thank you again.¡±


    Imperial Physician Xu and Imperial Physician Chen were busy brewing medicine for Ah Lian and the others. A few women went up to help. Some even went to the kitchen to cook.


    Shen Zhong and Sun Tong brought people to carry the weapons in the secret room to the carriage. Ah Lian, Yang Liu, and the others were stunned when they saw the cold weapons.


    San Qiao was stunned for a moment before pulling Yang Liu back. ¡°Where did so many knives and spearse from?¡±


    ¡°I think it was hidden by those evil thieves,¡± Yang Liu said through gritted teeth.


    Ah Lian said hatefully, ¡°We work during the day and are locked in that straw house over there at night. How would we know what the evil thieves are doing in the farm?¡±


    Li Yu recalled that Ruyi had not distributed the things he had bought to them. She walked up to them. ¡°Ah Lian, follow me.¡±


    Ever since Imperial Physician Chen reattached Hong Mei¡¯s bones, Ah Lian¡¯s heart felt like a huge rock had been lifted of her heart. When she heard Li Yu call her, she looked at Li Yu with a smile. ¡°Madam Li¡­


    Li Yu brought them to the handcart and removed the oilcloth tied to it with them.


    Ah Lian looked at the cloth, cotton, mosquito, and some other tools in the car. She looked at Li Yu. ¡°Madam Li, this is¡­¡±


    Li Yu handed the bag of ready-made clothes above to Ah Lian. ¡°You¡¯re going to be busy farming soon. You don¡¯t have the time to make clothes, so I asked Ruyi to buy some ready-made clothes for you and some clothes and bedding. Move them into the house and share them with the sisters..¡±

 Chapter 555 - 555: Reunion

    Chapter 555: Reunion


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Ah Lian carried the big cloth bag that Li Yu handed over. Yang Liu and the others felt the soft cotton and bedding on the handcart and were so touched that tears flowed out. They looked at Li Yu. ¡°Madam Li, thank you. You let us see the light of day again and even gave us these¡­¡±


    Li Yu gently patted Yang Liu¡¯s shoulder and teased with a smile, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to set up your own household and take charge? I still have toe and see you when I¡¯m free. I want to see how you perform as the head of the family!¡±


    Yang Liu nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll definitely take care of my house and wait for you toe to y next time.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Li Yu looked at them. ¡°I¡¯ve already spoken to Judge Sun. He¡¯ll leave you a year¡¯s worth of rations. The household register and the house title deed will be redone for you. Also, I¡¯ve also told them what San Qiao said about adopting children. You can discuss the rest with them yourself. They¡¯ll try their best to satisfy your request.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Madam.¡± Ah Lian and the others looked at Li Yu. ¡°Madam Li, what we want to do the most is to capture those evil thieves as soon as possible and avenge our families who died tragically.¡±


    ¡°It might take a few days. Don¡¯t worry, with such a group of viins hiding in the dark, the government office is even more anxious than you.¡±


    Ah Lian nodded. ¡°Madam Li is right. Those evil thieves are ruthless. As long as they bump into us, we¡¯ll die.¡±


    Li Yu nced at the manor and said to them, ¡°After we leave, you have to be more vignt at night. It¡¯s best to raise those livestock near the manor. I¡¯ll go back and get someone to buy two dogs for you and bring them over.¡±


    Ah Lian and the others knew that Li Yu was going back to the capital. They looked at her and nodded reluctantly. ¡°Got it.¡±


    After Shen Zhong loaded the carriage and Ruyi, he said to Li Yu, ¡°Madam Li, let¡¯s send a batch back first. Do you want to return to the capital with us?¡±


    Li Yu had been out for a few days and missed the children at home. She nodded and said, ¡°Let¡¯s return to the capital together in case someonees to hijack us on the way. It¡¯s best to put Big Stone and Manor Head Chi in sacks and put them in the carriage.¡±


    Shen Zhong also thought of it and nodded with a smile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll feed them some knockout pillster and put them into sacks. They won¡¯t even move. ¡±


    Li Yu was also in a hurry to go back and see the children. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s set off!¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Shen Zhong fed Big Stone and Manor Head Chi some medicine, put them in a sack, and carried them to the carriage. San Qiao and the others made dinner, and everyone prepared to set off after eating.


    After Ji Xiang set up the carriage, San Qiao and the others packed some steamed coarse grain buns for Li Yu and the others. They reluctantly sent Li Yu and the others outside the manor. Ah Lian and the others instructed, ¡°Madam Li, you have toe to Liang Vige to y when you¡¯re free!¡±


    Li Yu smiled and nodded. ¡°Alright, discuss with Lord Sun about the manor. Live well. I¡¯lle and see you when I¡¯m free.¡±


    Judge Sun smiled and replied, ¡°Madam Li, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll settle them well.¡±


    Ah Lian and the others couldn¡¯t help but nod. ¡°Madam, don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ll definitely live well.¡±


    Li Yu turned around and got into the carriage. She stuck her head out of the window and waved at them. ¡°Go back!¡±


    Ji Xiang waved his whip and drove the carriage after the carriage in front.


    They did not encounter anyone who attacked them on the way. The carriage arrived safely at the city gate before it closed and returned to the capital. Li Yu and Ji Xiang rushed home. Ruyi followed Shen Zhong to haul the weapons to the Ministry of War.


    When Uncle Liu saw Ji Xiang drive into the courtyard, he went forward happily with antern and bowed to Li Yu. ¡°Madam is back!¡±


    Li Yu smiled and nodded. ¡°Hey! I¡¯m back.¡±


    Uncle Liu smiled and said, ¡°Second Young Master and Third Young Master came to see you at dusk. They didn¡¯t see youing back and pouted before going back.¡±


    Li Yu nodded and strode towards the inner courtyard. Just as she reached the door of the main room, she saw Zhou Jia and his sons rushing out.


    ¡°Mother, where did you go?¡± Yueyue and Xingxing pounced at Li Yu.


    Li Yu picked them up in each hand and kissed their faces. She nced at Zhou Jia, who was looking at her with a smile. ¡°I went to catch bad people. Are you obedient at home?¡±


    Xingxing pointed at Yueyue. ¡°Second Brother was not obedient. He keeps crying.¡± He pointed at his nose. ¡°Xing¡¯er is very obedient and even helped Father coax Second Brother.¡±


    Yueyue buried his head in Li Yu¡¯s shoulder in embarrassment. Yangyang went forward and looked at Li Yu. He asked with a smile, ¡°Mother, you must be tired!


    Are you hungry?¡±


    Li Yu smiled and nodded. ¡°I¡¯m hungry. Yang¡¯er was worried at home, right?¡± Yangyang nodded and said, ¡°Mother, you scared us.¡±


    Li Yu smiled awkwardly. Zhou Jia smiled and went forward. He opened his arms to Yueyue and Xingxing. ¡°Come, Father will carry you. Mother has had a long day. Let her rest well.¡±


    Yueyue pushed Zhou Jia¡¯s hand away. ¡°I don¡¯t want Daddy to carry me. I want to walk by myself.¡±


    Li Yu smiled at Zhou Jia. The couple looked at each other and smiled


    Auntie He replied with a smile, ¡°Yes, Madam. The food is hot. Eat and wash up first.¡±


    Li Yu washed her face and went to the dining room. Ji Xiang came out after dinner and went to the study with Zhou Jia to talk.


    Yangyang followed Li Yu closely with his two younger brothers. The three brothers apanied Li Yu for dinner and chatted with her for a while before Yangyang returned to his room to rest.


    Yueyue was especially attached to Li Yu and guarded the bathroom. After a while, he was about to call his mother, afraid that Li Yu suddenly disappear again. When she finished washing uo, he pulled Li Yu¡¯s hand into the room. ¡°Mother, Xing¡¯er and I want you to sleep with us.¡±


    Li Yu followed him toward the room. ¡°Didn¡¯t Brother sleep with you?¡±


    Yueyue nodded. ¡°He slept with us. We want Mother to apany us.¡± Xingxing nced at him. ¡°Brother is the stupidest.¡±


    Li Yu rubbed Xing¡¯er¡¯s head. ¡°Xing¡¯er, you can¡¯t say that about your brother.¡±


    Granny Chen had already made their beds. Li Yu smiled and said to her,


    ¡°Nanny, go and rest first. I¡¯ll coax them to sleep.¡±


    Granny Chen smiled and nodded. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll be outside. Call me if you need anything.¡±


    Li Yu nodded and took off their clothes to change into pajamas. The two of them quickly climbed onto the bed andy on both sides of Li Yu. Li Yu looked at Xing¡¯er and then at Yue¡¯er. She gently patted the two of them and hummed, ¡°The chubby child is chubby and rides a horse to the capital. The capital is easy to y with. The chubby child rides a white horse¡­¡±


    The two of them slowly closed their eyes under Li Yu¡¯s humming. Li Yu leaned over and kissed the two of them. She looked up and saw Xingxing looking at her with her dark eyes. ¡°Mother, Father is an adult. You don¡¯t have to apany him.¡±


    Li Yu burst outughing. ¡°Silly child, I won¡¯t apany Father. I¡¯ll apany you.¡±


    Xingxing looked at Li Yu as if he knew very well that she was lying. ¡°Mother, you will have a long nose when you lie.¡±


    Li Yu looked at the smart boy and was caught betweenughter and tears. She smiled and kissed him. She decided to treat him as a big child and discussed with him, ¡°I¡¯ll apany you to sleep. Then I¡¯ll go next door to see Big Brother and then see Father. I need to tell Father what happened in the past few days, okay, Xing¡¯er?¡±


    Xing¡¯er thought for a moment and nodded. ¡°Alright!¡± Then he closed his eyes..

 Chapter 556 - 556: Cheating

    Chapter 556: Cheating


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Li Yu waited for the two children to fall asleep and came out of the room. Seeing that Granny Chen was still sewing, it seemed that she had made clothes for the children. She smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s too tiring to do needlework at night.


    Granny, rest early.¡±


    Granny Chen smiled. ¡°I¡¯m old and don¡¯t sleep much. Madam, go and rest first. I¡¯ll watch over the young masters.¡±


    ¡°Alright!¡± After Li Yu agreed, she went to the next room to take a look at the sleeping Yangyang before turning around and returning to her room. She then dried her hair with a handkerchief.


    In the study, Ji Xiang told Zhou Jia about Old Lin being shot dead and the banditsing to the manor. He said indignantly, ¡°Master, those people are simply heartless. They even brought torches during the night attack and nned to set fire to the manor.¡±


    Zhou Jia pondered for a moment and said, ¡°They¡¯re alreadying for us. Go back and tell Ruyi and Zhao Cai to investigate all the servants on your side again. Send out those who are suspicious as soon as possible.¡±


    Ji Xiang nodded. ¡°Yes, Master. I¡¯ll tell Brother Cai and the others and investigate the background of those people.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re tired too. Go back and rest first!¡± Zhou Jia said.


    The two of them had just walked out of the study when Ruyi returned from the Ministry of War¡¯s storeroom. Zhou Jia looked at his exhausted appearance and patted his shoulder. He said gently, ¡°Go! Go back and rest for the night. We¡¯ll talk tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master.¡± Ruyi and Ji Xiang agreed and left together.


    Zhou Jia sent Ji Xiang and Ruyi off and quickly returned to his room. He saw Li Yu sitting in front of the dressing table and drying her hair with a handkerchief. He walked forward and looked at Li Yu with burning eyes.


    Li Yu felt Zhou Jia¡¯s gaze and turned to look at him with a smile. ¡°Silly, why are you staring nkly?¡±


    ¡°I just want to take a good look at you.¡± Zhou Jia smiled and took the handkerchief from her hand. He gently wiped her hair. Looking at his wife smiling sweetly in the bronze mirror, his empty heart was filled.


    Li Yu grabbed his hand and leaned against him. She said gently, ¡°Xiao Xi, I¡¯ve made you worry.¡±


    Zhou Jia leaned over and hugged her. He leaned over and kissed her. After a while, he whispered in her ear, ¡°Yu¡¯er, I miss you. You have to make it up to me.¡±


    Li Yu looked at him with a loving expression. Zhou Jia picked her up and walked towards the bed.


    Shen Zhong handed over the weapons that he had returned with Ji Xiang and returned to the pce to meet Chu Yuhao to report the situation in Liang Vige.


    Chu Yuhao originally thought that there were only a few hundred weapons. He was shocked when he heard that more than ten thousand weapons were hidden in Liang Vige.


    More than 10,000 weapons could not be forged in a short period of time. From the looks of it, when Second Brother got someone to upy Liang Vige, his brothers were working together to deal with him.


    At that time, Second Brother had secretly prepared these things in Liang Vige. From the looks of it, even if the eldest son became the crown prince, Second Brother had no intention of giving up on fighting for the throne. His brotherhood was just for show.


    Chu Yuhao thought about it again. Since ancient times, the royal family had no kinship. For this supreme power, there was nothing strange about what Second Brother did.


    Shen Zhong bowed and stood there. Seeing that Chu Yuhao was deep in thought, he did not dare to disturb him. He stood there quietly and waited for instructions.


    After a while, Chu Yuhao said, ¡®Get Sihai to send someone to find a job at Tongfu Inn to monitor it. Also, Li Hanlin mentioned Constable Leng from the capital¡¯s government office and felt that something was wrong with him. Get someone to keep an eye on him for a few days and hand over the people brought back from Liang Vige to Chu Sihai for interrogation. Ask him to meet Madam Li tomorrow morning.¡±


    Shen Zhong bowed and replied, ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±


    Shen Zhong came out of the pce and brought Big Stone and Manor Head Chi to the Four Seas Bank. He handed the two of them to Chu Sihao and told him what Chu Yuhao had said. He looked at Chu Sihao and said, ¡°Head Shopkeeper, the weapons in Liang Vige are very well-made. There¡¯s also a lot of food stored on the farm. I¡¯m worried that that person is hiding in the dark and waiting for an opportunity to cause trouble.¡±


    ¡°Sigh!¡± Chu Sihai sighed. ¡°To be honest, the capital hasn¡¯t been stable these days. I got someone to keep a close eye on the Spring Quarter Examinations, but something still happened.¡±


    Shen Zhong looked at Chu Sihai in surprise. ¡®Who dares to tamper with the Spring Quarter Examination? Do they want to die?¡±


    Chu Sihai pulled Shen Zhong into the house and sat down. He frowned and said, ¡°At midnight today, we caught two suspicious schrs from the examination hall. After interrogating them, the two of them finally confessed that their people were among the guards in the examination hall. The examination when they entered was just for show. They even said that those notes were provided by Madam Li¡¯s cousin-inw, Li Fengqi.¡±


    Shen Zhong frowned. ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean they can bite whoever they want! Even if that person is Madam Li¡¯s cousin- inw, he won¡¯t be able to get the answer to the Spring Quarter Examination!¡±


    Chu Sihai looked at Shen Zhong and said, ¡°You might not know this, but Schr Lin is among the invigtors this time. He¡¯s Madam Li¡¯s maternal uncle. ording to what I know, Madam Li¡¯s aunt¡¯s family has always been dissatisfied with High Schr Li. They feel that he¡¯s too utilitarian and even brought a letter to Madam Li, asking them to ignore her cousin-inw¡¯s family and not promote him.¡±


    ¡°Last time, Country Lord Ning even used the test papers over the years to bribe Li. She found out from him that Madam Li¡¯s family had broken off the engagement and even sent someone to Tongzhou to bring that family to the capital. This matter didn¡¯t work, so she tempted him by sending him to the Directorate and getting him to kidnap Madam Li¡¯s child. Unexpectedly, he harmed his own child instead. I think those two people exposed Li Fengqi because they wanted to drag Madam Li¡¯s family down and deal with Schr Lin. ¡±


    Shen Zhong curled his lips and said, ¡°The Liu family shouldn¡¯t have betrothed their daughter to such a greedy person. You should have arrested him.¡±


    Chu Sihai shook his head and said, ¡°The Liu family didn¡¯t want their daughter to marry Li. It was their daughter who wanted to marry Li. That daughter was loyal to that man. Madam Li¡¯s family was also afraid of harming Li. This time, we wanted to use him to fish, so we didn¡¯t catch him on the spot. We got somexatives and got him out of the examination hall. We got someone to keep an eye on him. We¡¯ll talk about it after I¡¯ve done my interrogation.¡±


    ¡°Sigh! Everyone has one or two troublesome rtives,¡± Shen Zhong said as he stood up. ¡°I¡¯m going back too. I still have to go to Liang Vige tomorrow morning. ¡±


    Chu Sihai stood up and nodded. ¡°Alright, go back and rest. I¡¯ll get someone to watch Leng first.¡±


    After Chu Sihai sent away the people Shen Zhong had arranged to monitor


    Constable Leng, he got someone to call a secret guard over and told him what


    Manor Head Chi had instructed. He said to her, ¡°Yan Niang, go to the Tongfu Inn in Shanyang County and think of a way to find something to do.¡± Yan Niang nced at Chu Sihai and nodded in agreement.


    After Chu Sihai made the arrangements, he went to the dungeon where Big Stone and Manor Head Chi were imprisoned. He said to the guards, ¡°How are those two?¡±


    The guard replied respectfully, ¡°One of them is sitting against the wall dejectedly, and the other is expressionless. He fell there silently.¡±


    Chu Sihai stood at the entrance of the door and nced at Manor Head Chi, who had fallen into the grass. Then, he went to the next room and looked at the curled-up Big Stone. ¡°Watch them carefully.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Head Shopkeeper,¡± the guard replied with a bow..

 Chapter 557 - 557: Hooking Up

    Chapter 557: Hooking Up


    Li Yu leaned into Zhou Jia¡¯s arms. After telling him what had happened in the past few days, she said to him, ¡°Xiao Xi, I don¡¯t think they only have Liang Vige as a stronghold. There are endless mountain ridges in Liang Vige. Manor Head Chi said that he brought people over a few mountain ridges in the past and reached the only way to enter the capital in Liangzhou. He robbed those passing merchants there.


    ¡°He said that everything he robbed was transported back to the capital. I think he¡¯s lying. I guess there¡¯s arger stronghold nearby that needs a lot of money to support the people inside. Otherwise, why would he get someone to rob so much money?¡±


    Zhou Jia nodded and said, ¡°Manor Head Chi isn¡¯t even afraid of death. How can he tell us everything he knows after he wakes up? I think his words are mixed in truth and lies. Most importantly, he still hasn¡¯t exined it clearly. Tomorrow morning, His Majesty might send someone to see you and hear your opinion.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s my opinion.¡± Li Yu looked up at Zhou Jia. ¡°Xiao Xi, I forgot to ask Ji


    Xiang in Liang Vige these two days. How¡¯s the investigation on Li Fengqi?


    Zhou Jia nodded and said, ¡°I asked Uncle Zhou to ask around. He has already entered the examination hall and is living near that private school now. I heard that he hooked up with a woman who entered the capital to look for her rtives. Uncle Zhou even said that the woman is not ordinary.¡±


    Li Yu said in a low voice, ¡°Since Laidi has already made up her mind to divorce him, we don¡¯t have to be polite to that guy in the future. We have to settle the score with him.¡¯


    ¡°Yes! We¡¯ll settle the score with him.¡± Zhou Jia kissed Li Yu dotingly and hugged her as hey down.


    The next morning, Li Yu woke upte for once. When she woke up, she saw Yueyue and Xingxing lying on the edge of the bed.


    Seeing Li Yu open her eyes, Yueyue scratched her cheek with his chubby fingers. ¡°Mother is azy pig. Yueyue and Brother have long woken up.¡± ¡°Mother isn¡¯t a littlezy pig. She¡¯s a bigzy pig,¡± Xingxing corrected Yueyue. Yueyue nodded. ¡°Yes! Mother is a bigzy pig.¡±


    Li Yu smiled at the two babies and touched their faces. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m a bigzy pig. Yueyue is a littlezy pig. The bigzy pig will get up immediately to eat with the littlezy pig.¡¯


    ¡°Mother, you¡¯re azy pig, but Yue¡¯er isn¡¯t.¡± Yueyue pouted.


    Xingxing grabbed Li Yu¡¯s hand. ¡°Mother, hurry up. Granny Liu made soup dumplings. They¡¯re delicious!¡±


    Li Yu got out of bed and kissed the two of them. ¡°I haven¡¯t washed up yet! Baby, wait for me, okay?¡±


    ¡°Yes! We¡¯ll feed the fish with Granny Chen first.¡± With that, she pulled Yueyue¡¯s hand and ran out.


    When Li Yu went to the bathroom to wash up, the two little fellows had already sat at the dining table. Old Madam Liu, Aunt Zhang, and the others served millet porridge, buns, eggs, and side dishes.


    The two children fed themselves. Old Madam Liu and the others left.


    Li Yu picked up a small steamed bun for each of them and ced it on a te.


    ¡°It¡¯s delicious. You¡¯ll grow taller after eating it.¡±


    ¡°Yes! Mother should eat some too,¡± the brothers replied in unison.


    Before the three of them could finish eating, Granny Yang came in and reported, ¡®Madam, Shopkeeper Chu requests an audience.¡±


    Li Yu didn¡¯t expect Chu Sihai toe so early in the morning. ¡°Oh! Hurry up and invite him to the living room to sit for a while. I¡¯ll be thereter.¡± Xingxing looked at Li Yu curiously. ¡°Mother, what does the shopkeeper do?¡±


    ¡°Shopkeeper.¡± Li Yu organized her words. ¡°Shopkeeper is someone who helps various shops manage their businesses.¡±


    ¡°Oh! Is it like the one selling osmanthus cakes?¡±


    ¡°Smart. I¡¯m done eating. I¡¯m going to receive the guest.¡± Li Yu stood up and


    nced at Xingxing, who was eating steamed buns, and Yueyue, who was eating porridge. ¡°Babies, eat slowly and finish the food in your bowl. Don¡¯t leave anything behind!¡±


    ¡°Got it,¡± they said together again.


    Li Yu smiled and arrived at the living room in the front courtyard. When Chu Sihai saw Li Yu, he hurriedly stood up and cupped his hands with a smile.


    ¡°Madam Li, I¡¯m sorry to disturb you early in the morning.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and said, ¡°Shopkeeper, why are you so polite? Have you eaten breakfast?¡±


    Chu Sihai smiled and nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve eaten. I came to ask you for a favor and an advice.¡±


    ¡°Head Shopkeeper, please sit down and talk. You really don¡¯t have to be so polite.¡± Li Yu smiled.


    Chu Sihai cupped his hands and sat on a chair. ¡°I want to ask you for the Truth Pills you gave those banditsst time. I also want to ask you for your opinion on what happened in Liang Vige.¡±


    ¡°Truth Pill¡­¡± Li Yu thought for a moment before remembering that it was a pill concocted by Mr. Wen in Qingchuan to interrogate people.


    He smiled and said, ¡°I really don¡¯t have this thing at the moment, but Sir has the form. Head Shopkeeper, that thing was concocted with a few hallucinogenic herbs.¡±


    ¡°If the person you want to interrogate has a strong mental fortitude, it won¡¯t be easy for him to fall into an illusion. It¡¯s also very easy for him to lead you astray. You have to be careful about this.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take note,¡± Chu Sihai replied respectfully. ¡°Madam Li, I wonder if you still¡­¡¯


    ¡°My opinion of Liang Vige is¡­ send someone to those rtively hidden mountain ridges to investigate as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°Yes, thank you, Madam Li. There¡¯s something else you might not know. Your cousin-inw, Li Fengqi, has been involved in a fraud case and is already being monitored by our people.¡±


    Li Yu was not surprised at all when she heard that. ¡°Li Fengqi is extremely concerned about fame and fortune. He¡¯s willing to do anything for fame and fortune. He even thinks that he¡¯s smart and treats others as fools.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s something you might not know yet. Li Fengqi has moved out of the small courtyard of the Tongzhou Guild Hall for more than a year. Before he left, he even left the divorce letter for Laidi. Laidi has already signed the divorce letter and agreed to divorce him.¡±


    No wonder he lived outside. He thought Li Fengqi had a mistress.


    Chu Sihai was enlightened when he heard that. He said in relief, ¡°Madam Li, Miss Cousin-inw has finally made the right decision. I think those people want to drag Schr Lin and your family into this mess. Since you no longer have anything to do with him, we won¡¯t have any scruples.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right! It¡¯s precisely because of Laidi that we¡¯ve been wary in the past few years. You don¡¯t have to be polite. Go ahead and investigate and find those despicable people hiding behind the scenes.¡± ¡°Alright, Madam Li. Where can I find Mr. Wen?¡±


    ¡°Sir is in the medical center. He didn¡¯te backst night. Just go to the medical center to look for him.¡±


    After Chu Sihai bade farewell and left, Li Yu called Ji Xiang over and said to him, ¡°Go to Laidi¡¯s house and tell her that Li Fengqi has fallen into a fraud case. Ask her to hand the divorce letter to you and bring it back to the residence.¡± ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± Ji Xiang left in a hurry.


    Madam Gong, Fan Mingfang, and Lin Jia arrived at the Zhou family one after another. When Madam Gong saw Li Yu, she patted her reproachfully. ¡°Why are you so bold? Fortunately, you came back safe and sound.¡±


    Fan Mingfang also looked at Li Yu and said, ¡°Sister, you can¡¯t take risks like this in the future.¡±


    Lin Jia patted her chest. ¡°Yes! Cousin-inw is right. Cousin, you scared us to death. ¡±


    Li Yu looked at Madam Gong and the others who were looking at her with


    concern and said apologetically, ¡°Aunt, Sister-inw, Cousin, I was rash and made you worry..¡±

 Chapter 558 - 558: Worried

    Chapter 558: Worried


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    ¡°You were a little rash. You¡¯re already so old, so I won¡¯t lecture you. If you¡¯re so rash again, Aunt will teach you a lesson.¡± Madam Gong patted Li Yu a few times. ¡°Alright, I won¡¯t talk to you anymore. We want to see Yue¡¯er and Xinger.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and replied, ¡°Xing¡¯er and Yue¡¯er should have gone to the backyard to y.¡±


    Madam Gong held Lin Jia¡¯s hand and waved at Li Yu, who wanted to apany her to find the two children. ¡°Ah Qing and Wanwan are going to Le County.


    Your aunt-inw can manage. Don¡¯t worry about us.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and agreed. She turned around and looked at Fan Mingfang. ¡°When do you n to set off for Le County?¡±


    ¡°Ah Qing said that we¡¯ll set off when you return safely.¡± Fan Mingfang held Li Yu¡¯s hand and said sincerely, ¡°Sister, you really scared us. You have to be careful in the future. A fierce tiger can¡¯t withstand a wolf pack. If anything happens to you¡­¡± Fan Mingfang didn¡¯t dare to think further.


    ¡°I was at least 90% confident that I can restrain him before letting him kidnap me.¡± Li Yu smiled and changed the topic. ¡°You¡¯ll be going to Le County with Ah


    Qing. Who are you nning to bring along?¡±


    Seeing that Li Yu was unwilling to continue that topic, Fan Mingfang did not harp on it. She smiled and said, ¡°Just a few old family members. We¡¯ll go to the escort agency and hire a few escorts. Ah Qing will be more rxed along the way.¡±


    Li Yu thought of this incident and was not as optimistic about Li Qing going to Le County as before. She thought about whether it was better to let Ruyi send them to Le County or to ask Chu Sihai for a few retired people to help them in Le County.


    After thinking about it, she felt that it was better to have their own people.


    After making up her mind, she looked at Fan Mingfang. ¡°It¡¯s fine to hire a few escorts. I¡¯ll go recruit a few people. If we can¡¯t recruit them, I¡¯ll get Ruyi to escort you to Le County.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re already nning to hire an escort!¡± Fan Mingfang looked at Li Yu in confusion. ¡°Sister, are you worried that the road won¡¯t be peaceful?¡±


    Li Yu knew that Fan Mingfang was not the kind of woman who would not leave her house.


    She shared her worries clearly. ¡°I¡¯m a little worried because the people who kidnapped me this time think I¡¯m the one who ruined their ns. I¡¯m worried that they¡¯ll target you. There¡¯s nothing wrong with being careful.¡±


    Fan Mingfang nodded and said, ¡°Alright, Ah Qing and I will listen to Sister.¡±


    Li Yu smiled at Fan Mingfang. ¡°I¡¯m relieved to have Wanwan at the helm for Ah Qing. No matter what happens when you¡¯re outside, you have to deal with it properly as a couple. If you encounter something that can¡¯t be resolved, send someone back to look for your brother-inw and me.¡±


    Fan Mingfang stood up and bowed to Li Yu. ¡°Yes, Sister.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and helped her up. ¡°There¡¯s no need to be so polite between us.¡± Fan Mingfang looked at Li Yu with a smile.


    When Ji Xiang arrived at Laidi¡¯s house, he saw Old Madam Huang alone in the courtyard and asked, ¡°Nanny, is Miss Cousin-inw here?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes.¡± Laidi heard Ji Xiang¡¯s voice and walked out of the house. ¡°Manager Xiang, IS my cousm back¡±¡®


    Ji Xiang nodded and said, ¡°I¡¯m back. Madam asked me to¡­¡±


    After hearing Ji Xiang¡¯s words, Laidi was shocked. ¡°Ah! He actually did such a thing. Is he courting death?¡±


    On second thought, in order to obtain schrly honors, Li Fengqi even wanted to attack his cousin¡¯s child. What was so strange about him doing such a thing now?!


    Seeing her like this, Ji Xiang was worried that she would not be able to break up with Li Fengqi. He looked at her and asked, ¡°Miss Cousin, what are your ns for you and High Schr Li?¡±


    Seeing Ji Xiang¡¯s expression, Laidi knew what he meant.


    ¡°Manager Xiang, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve long given up on that heartless person. I¡¯ll go bring the divorce letter to you so you can bring it back to my cousin.¡±


    Ji Xiang nodded and waited for Laidi to bring the divorce letter before bidding farewell.


    The old woman looked at Laidi, who was standing in the courtyard in a daze, and said, ¡°Madam, did something happen to High Schr Li?¡±


    Laidi took a deep breath. ¡°No matter what happens to him now, it has nothing to do with us. Old Madam Huang, I¡¯m not a Madam anymore. From now on, you can call me Miss! Alright, let¡¯s go to the market to buy some delicious food. ¡±


    Old Madam Huang replied, ¡°Aye! I¡¯ll go get the bamboo basket.¡±


    Chu Sihai came out of Li Yu¡¯s house and arranged for someone to go to the north city gate to look for Ding Yi. He went to Mr. Wen¡¯s medical center and exined his intentions. Mr. Wen happily gave him the prescription and instructed him on some things to take note of before getting busy again.


    Chu Sihai took the prescription back and got someone to make it. The secret guard monitoring Li Fengqi returned and reported, ¡°Head Shopkeeper, I discovered that the old woman from the woman¡¯s family who hooked up with Li Fengqi went to a small restaurant at the alley of the market when she was buying groceries this morning. ¡®


    ¡°I saw our brother there. That brother followed a man in his thirties. The old woman and that man I followed entered that small restaurant one after another.¡±


    Chu Sihai asked, ¡°Did they talk when they entered the teahouse one after another?¡±


    The secret guard shook his head and said, ¡°No, that man sat at the table and ate bun porridge. As soon as the old woman entered the restaurant, that man got up and left. The old woman went in and sat in the same seat. She ate some bun porridge and left.¡±


    ¡°There is indeed something wrong with this Constable Leng. It seemed that he is in the same group as that old woman. This time, I want to see how you hide your fox tails! ¡±


    Chu Sihai said in a low voice, ¡°Tell the brothers to be careful and keep an eye on him. Bring him back if anything goes wrong.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Head Shopkeeper.¡± The secret guard left and returned to the small courtyard where he was monitoring Li Fengqi.


    Li Fengqiy on the bed with a bitter expression. No matter how hard he thought about it, he could not understand why he had diarrhea and fainted in the examination hall.


    Supporting his weak body, he got up and walked to the eaves. He said to the beautiful woman sitting there embroidering, ¡°Ah Ying, I want to go to the medical center to take a look. It seems my stomach is still hurting.¡±


    The woman called Ah Ying looked up at him and smiled at him. ¡°How can you recover so quickly? I¡¯ll get Nanny to make you some porridge to drink.¡±


    Li Fengqi sat on the bamboo chair beside Ah Ying. ¡°I was unlucky! I wasn¡¯t prepared for the Spring Quarter Examinationst time. This time, with your guidance, you even took the exam paper written by your father and brother and gave it to me. In the first two rounds, I wrote as if I had divine help. I was originally 100% confident that I could get on the Golden Ranking List and earn


    you the title of Madam. Who knew¡­ Sigh!¡±


    Ah Ying looked at Li Fengqi and smiled gently. ¡°Brother Li, I know very well how well you treat me. You¡¯ve been apanying me for more than a year. I¡¯m already satisfied with yourpany. When you get on the Golden Ranking List next year, I¡¯ll be your first wife. There¡¯s no reason for me to be conferred the title of Madam.¡±


    Li Fengqi held Ah Ying¡¯s hand and looked at her affectionately. ¡°I originally wanted to tell you after the Golden Ranking List. Who knew that such an unforeseen event would happen? I should tell you!¡±


    ¡°Brother Li, what do you want to tell me?¡± Ah Ying looked at Li Fengqi and said..

 Chapter 559 - 559: I Don I t Want You Anymore

    Chapter 559: I Don I t Want You Anymore


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Li Fengqi looked at Ah Ying and said, ¡°Ah Ying, I¡¯ve long given that evil woman the divorce letter. I want to marry you and give you a status¡­¡±


    Ah Ying stood up. ¡°What? When did this happen? Why haven¡¯t you mentioned


    Li Fengqi was stunned. He did not expect Ah Ying¡¯s reaction to be like this. She should be happy to hear that he wanted to marry her!


    ¡°I want to give you a surprise when I get on the Golden Ranking List. Ah Ying, aren¡¯t you happy?


    Ah Ying patiently looked at Li Fengqi. ¡°Brother Li, when did you write the divorce letter to Sister?¡±


    ¡°Since the day you agreed to move in with me. I threw the divorce letter at her when I went back to get my luggage.¡±


    Li Fengqi looked at Ah Ying and said sincerely, ¡°Ah Ying, that woman is a vulgar shrew. I¡¯ve never liked her. Ever since I met you, I¡¯ve decided not to let you be with me without status.¡±


    Ah Ying looked at Li Fengqi and was extremely anxious. She pulled Li Fengqi out. ¡°Brother Li, why didn¡¯t you discuss it with me? Did Sister agree to divorce you? Go back and take a look. Has she sign it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going.¡± Li Fengqi shook off Ah Ying and stood there looking at her. ¡°Ah Ying, what¡¯s wrong with you? Don¡¯t you want to marry me as my Madam?¡±


    Ah Ying nced at Li Fengqi and rushed back into the house to take her purse. Li Fengqi pulled her back and asked, ¡°Ah Ying, where are you going?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go to my sister¡¯s ce. I can¡¯t let Brother Li be that kind of person. It¡¯s not good for your reputation.¡± Ah Ying looked at Li Fengqi and cried.


    Li Fengqi looked at Ah Ying and was touched as he went forward to hug her. ¡°Alright, Ah Ying. Wait for me at home. I¡¯ll listen to you and go back to find that evil woman.¡±


    Ah Ying said gently, ¡®Yes! Brother Li, you¡¯re weak. Hire a carriage and tell Sister not to be angry. As long as you are good to Ah Ying, Ah Ying will be satisfied.¡±


    Li Fengqi took the pouch gratefully and nodded in agreement. The two of them walked towards the courtyard door. Ah Ying sent Li Fengqi out and watched him walk away. She closed the courtyard door and turned to go to the kitchen.


    She looked at the old woman in the kitchen and said, ¡°Nanny, did you hear what that pig said? We¡¯ve been busy for more than a year. It looks like we¡¯ve worked for nothing. If the higher-ups me us, we¡¯ll all suffer.¡±


    She wasn¡¯t worried about the old woman. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry too much. Not many women will agree to a divorce.¡±


    Ah Ying curled her lips and said, ¡°A woman who would take a fancy to a man like Li Fengqi is likely to be a brainless woman.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve already said that she¡¯s brainless. What are you worried about?¡± The old woman frowned. ¡°The trouble is, I received news today that the two people who were captured in the examination are being held in an unknown ce?¡±


    Ah Ying also frowned when she heard that. ¡°Didn¡¯t they say that our people were guarding the examination hall? Why were they caught?¡±


    ¡°Just that he was sent to do something else. If we can¡¯t find him, we¡¯ll have to think of something else.¡±


    ¡°Pfft.¡± Ah Ying was so angry that she spat. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, wouldn¡¯t I have slept with Li for more than a year for nothing?¡±


    ¡°That Li guy looks like a dog. I think he¡¯s sincere to you¡­¡¯


    ¡°Come on! Do you think that Li really likes me?! He likes me because I¡¯m useful and the test questions are in my hand.¡± Ah Ying looked at the old woman sadly. ¡°We don¡¯t even own our lives. What¡¯s the point of thinking about these?¡±


    The old woman nodded sadly. ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±


    Li Fengqi took a carriage to Laidi¡¯s house. When he saw Old Madam Huang


    sitting in the courtyard choosing vegetables, he knocked on the door and said, ¡°Where did Madam Liu go?¡±


    Old Madam Huang nced at him and curled her lips. ¡°You¡¯ve already divorced my Miss. What does it have to do with you where she went?¡±


    ¡°Miss?¡± Li Fengqi¡¯s eyes widened as he looked at Old Madam Huang. ¡°Did Madam Liu sign the divorce agreement?¡±


    Old Madam Huang said angrily, ¡°If she doesn¡¯t sign it, is she going to keep it for the new year?¡±


    Li Fengqi looked at Old Madam Huang, whose attitude waspletely different. He did not believe that the woman who was loyal to him would really agree to a divorce. ¡°Call Madam Liu out¡­¡±


    ¡°Why do you want to see me?¡± Laidi came out of the house and looked at Li Fengqi. ¡®Yes, I¡¯ve already signed it. This ce has nothing to do with you anymore. Get lost.¡±


    Li Fengqi looked at the energetic Laidi and suddenly believed that she had really let go. He pretended to be rxed and said, ¡°At least you know your ce. Otherwise¡­¡±


    ¡°Otherwise what?¡± Laidi looked at the green-faced Li Fengqi. ¡°Bitch, get this straight. I don¡¯t want you anymore.¡±


    Li Fengqi flew into a rage out of humiliation. ¡°You shrew. Marrying you is the most unlucky thing in my life.¡±


    ¡°Bitch, without me, you would still be a poor schr who can¡¯t even eat.¡± Laidi picked up the broom and hit Li Fengqi. ¡°Get lost. If you disgust me again, I¡¯ll beat you up every time I see you.¡±


    ¡°Wretch, evil woman.¡± Li Fengqi hugged his head and scurried out. When he got into the carriage, he was furious. He kept patting the dust off his body and said repeatedly, ¡°Bad luck, bad luck¡­¡±


    Li Fengqi rushed back to the small courtyard and said to Ah Ying with a smile, ¡°Ah Ying, that evil woman has already signed the divorce agreement. I¡¯ll find a matchmaker to propose marriage to you immediately.¡±


    When Ah Ying heard this, she nced at the old woman standing under the eaves and winked at her. The old woman turned around and entered the house.


    Li Fengqi looked at Ah Ying. ¡°Ah Ying, aren¡¯t you happy?


    Ah Ying nodded. ¡°I¡¯m happy. Brother Li, go and rest first. Nanny made porridge. Have some first.¡±


    Li Fengqi smiled and held her hand. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m a little hungry too. Have some with me.¡±


    Ah Ying followed him obediently. The old woman brought porridge and side dishes. Ah Ying looked at Li Fengqi. ¡°Brother Li, I¡¯ll watch you drink.¡±


    ¡°Okay, Ah Ying.¡± Li Fengqi looked at her in satisfaction and picked up the porridge to eat.


    Ah Ying had a gentle smile on her face, but her eyes were cold. She looked at Li Fengqi, who was slowly eating porridge at the table. She watched him copse on the table, before she got up, and walked out.


    She said to the old woman, ¡°Are you packed?¡± The old woman nodded. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go!¡±


    The two of them carried their luggage toward the courtyard door. When they opened the door, they were twisted around by two capable men blocking the door. They knocked them out and dragged them into the courtyard.


    The secret guard walked into the central room and saw Li Fengqi lying on the table. He hurriedly went forward and ced his hand on his neck. Seeing that he was still breathing, he carried him to the courtyard and said to hispanion, ¡°He¡¯s not dead. He was drugged.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go! We¡¯ll talk about it when we get it back.¡± The two of them got the three of them into the carriage parked at the door and headed back.


    After Li Yu sent Madam Gong, her daughter, and Fan Mingfang off, she went out to the bank to look for Chu Sihai. The shop assistant politely invited Li Yu in and sat down. ¡°Madam Li, sit for a while. I¡¯ll report to the head shopkeeper.¡±


    Li Yu nodded.. ¡°Go!¡±

 Chapter 560 - 560: Looking for Someone

    Chapter 560: Looking for Someone


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    When Chu Sihai heard the shop assistant¡¯s report, he thought that Li Yu had thought of something else and hurriedly went out to wee her. ¡°Madam Li, what happened?¡±


    Li Yu smiled and said, ¡°I have something to ask you for help with.¡± Chu Sihai heaved a sigh of relief and said with a smile, ¡°Just tell me if there¡¯s anything. ¡±


    Li Yu smiled and nodded. ¡°I didn¡¯t think of being polite with you. When I thought of it, I came to look for you. It¡¯s about my Ah Qing going to Le County to take office. You know that those people are a little dissatisfied with my family. I¡¯m worried that they won¡¯t be able to live in Le County. I want to ask you to help me find a few idle people to protect them.¡±


    Chu Sihai thought for a moment and said, ¡°Madam Li, I have a few people here who retired from the Secret Guards Team. They¡¯re all injured and will be easily recognized after suffering disabilities or scars. As long as you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯ll rmend a few to you.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and waved her hand. ¡°Head Shopkeeper, these brothers are all top-notch experts. How can I mind? I would like to hire a few more of them.¡±


    Chu Sihaiughed when he heard that. ¡°That¡¯s not much. The Dark Team spent a lot of effort to nurture a qualified Dark Team. If it were not for their appearance or their limbs that have easily recognizable physical characteristics, we can¡¯t bear to let them retire.¡±


    Li Yu nodded and said, ¡°You¡¯re right. If it¡¯s convenient, give us all those brothers. I promise Ah Qing won¡¯t treat them badly.¡±


    Chu Sihai smiled brightly and said, ¡°Madam Li, you¡¯re treating me like an outsider. I know your family best. How can you treat them badly!¡±


    Li Yu smiled and said, ¡°Thank you for your praise!¡±


    Chu Sihai thought for a moment and said, ¡°There are four of them. One of them is called Liang Cheng. He has a long scar on his face from the top of his nose to his chin. The other is called Hu Zhong. This person has a broken arm. The other two are called Ding Yi and Ding Kui. Both of them are crippled. These people are all quite skilled. They¡¯re all doing some chores in the Imperial Manor outside the East City. When I¡¯ve reported to the higher-ups, I¡¯ll bring them to your residence.¡±


    Li Yu understood who the head of the secret guards was and smiled. ¡°Thank you, Head Shopkeeper. Then I¡¯ll take my leave first.¡±


    Chu Sihai smiled and stood up. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll send you out.¡±


    When the two of them walked to the door, Li Yu suddenly thought of something. ¡°Head Shopkeeper, there¡¯s one more thing. I saw a few baskets of sweet potatoes in the farmstead in Liang Vige. They were probably left behind to nt.¡±


    ¡°As you know, other than my family, only the Imperial Manor has sweet potato seeds. I can guarantee that it¡¯s absolutely impossible for seeds to flow out. I wonder where they got their seeds?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s actually such a thing?¡± Chu Sihai pondered for a moment and said, ¡°It seems that they still have people in the Imperial ntation. I¡¯ll get someone to investigate.¡±


    ¡°I suddenly remembered, so I reminded you.¡±


    Li Yu recalled what the steward of that manor had done before she epted the manor at the Wang Family Vige. She also felt that it was time to investigate the Imperial Manor.


    After bidding farewell to the bank and returning home, Li Qing arrived.


    Li Qing looked at Li Yu happily and resentfully. ¡°Sister, look, you¡¯re already so old. You can¡¯t be so rash in the future. You can¡¯t do those dangerous things anymore.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and patted him. ¡°Young brat, you¡¯re getting bolder. You actually dare to teach your sister a lesson.¡±


    ¡°I was worried about you!¡± Li Qing looked at Li Yu and said reluctantly, ¡°Sister, when Unclees out of the examination hall, we¡¯re going to Le County.


    Remember toe and see me when you¡¯re free.¡±


    Li Yu also looked at Li Qing reluctantly. ¡°I know. I got four retired secret guards for you from the head shopkeeper. It¡¯s just that their faces and bodies are a little disabled. You won¡¯t mind, right?¡±


    Li Qing sat beside Li Yu with a smile. ¡°Look at what you¡¯re saying. I¡¯m not such a shallow person! If not for you, where would I find such capable people?¡±


    Li Yu nodded. ¡°I believe you. There are some things I didn¡¯t say to Wanwan so clearly, but you should know.¡±


    Li Qing looked at Li Yu worriedly. ¡°Sister, did something happen?¡±


    ¡°There are some things.¡± Li Yu looked at Li Qing. ¡°It might be the Second Prince¡¯s people who kidnapped me this time. From what they said, they me me for ruining their ns, so they sent someone to kidnap me in order to take revenge on us. I was worried that it would not be peaceful for you to go to Le County, so I went to look for Chu Sihai to find someone to protect you.¡±


    Li Qingforted Li Yu. ¡°Sister, Le County is not far from the capital. You even found someone to protect us. We¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    ¡°Alright, go back and pack your things. I¡¯ll send them to you when the head shopkeeper brings them over.¡±


    After Li Yu left, Chu Sihai reported that Li Yu hade to him to help find someone. At this moment, Ding Yi returned from the north city gate and reported to Chu Sihai.


    Chu Sihai told him about Manor Head Chi¡¯s confession and Li Yu¡¯s guess. He instructed, ¡°Go to Liang Vige and inform Hu Cheng. The two of you will bring a brother each to the mountain ridges around Liang Vige to check. Pay attention to those remote viges. You have to pay attention to anything amiss along the mountain path close to Liangzhou that leads to the capital.¡±


    When Ding heard this, he said, ¡°Yes, please make two copies of the map of the mountain ridge in Liang Vige for me.¡±


    Chu Sihai nodded and said, ¡°Alright, go and prepare. I¡¯ll get someone to make a copy for you.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Ding Yi left.


    The map of the mountain beam was copied in less than half an hour. Ding Yi came out with his luggage. Chu Sihai handed the map to him. Ding Yi put the map away and went out to rush to Liang Vige.


    After the two secret guards brought the unconscious Li Fengqi and the other two back and imprisoned them, they reported to Chu Sihai, ¡°Head Shopkeeper, the two women drugged him and nned to escape. We brought them back and imprisoned them.¡±


    Chu Sihai nodded. ¡°Alright, go and rest for a while. Go to Tongfu Inn in


    Shanyang County to pick up Yan Niang.¡±


    Not long after the two of them left, the pce sent the concocted pills to Chu Sihai and even brought him the note written by the imperial physician.


    It was as Mr. Wen and Li Yu had said. They said that this pill could only make people hallucinate and could not really control a person, especially one who was strong and determined.


    Chu Sihai took the pill and decided to give it to the two women to try.


    After going to the dungeon to give the pills to Ah Ying and the old woman, less than an hourter, Ah Ying became confused. Chu Sihai¡¯s men coaxed Ah Ying to talk about the past.


    He learned from Ah Ying that she and the old woman were the rtives of the Noble Consort¡¯s family.


    The Eldest Prince was crippled after the fall of the Noble Consort. The Second


    Prince faked his death and escaped. After the Third Prince became the emperor, the loyalists were beheaded and exiled. Ah Ying and some of the families of the offenders were taken away during the exile because they wanted to make aeback.


    He also asked about the scheme of the cheating case from the two of them. The two imperial schrs who had been captured were their people. They had been rescued during the exile and arranged for fake identities to participate in the examination..

 Chapter 561 - 561: Gift

    Chapter 561: Gift


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    The n was to use Li Fengqi¡¯s identity to implicate the Lin and Zhou families and spread the news that Schr Lin had been implicated in a cheating incident.


    They would let the two cheating schrs appear and point out that Li Fengqi had sold the exam questions to them, causing dissatisfaction of the failed schrs, who would then take the opportunity to gather people to cause trouble.


    The personal servants of the two examiners were also their people. There were also their people among the servants of many officials in the capital.


    The person who met the old woman at the restaurant was Constable Leng. Two scribes from the Imperial Province Office were also their people. The two junior stewards of the Imperial ntation also interacted with them.


    When Chu Sihai heard this news from the two of them, he immediately reported it and began to interrogate Li Fengqi, Big Stone, and Manor Head Chi.


    After Li Fengqi was drugged, he confessed what he had done and what he was thinking.


    He despised Laidi for being vulgar andined that the Li siblings did not help him. He nned to send Laidi to the manor and lock her up when he climbed to a high position. He also wanted to teach the Zhou and Li families a lesson.


    Chu Sihai shook his head non-stop when he heard that. Such a person wanted to be a high-ranking official. Did he really think that the heavens were blind?


    From Big Stone, he learned that the bandits had been taken away and had gone to other ces to train. The rest matched what he had confessed to Li Yu.


    It took some effort to interrogate Manor Head Chi. The information he received was much different from his confession to Li Yu.


    From him, they learned that the Tongfu Inn and the northern city wall of Shanyang County were indeed the ces where they sent the news. After the news of the Liang Family Vige being wiped out spread, the two ces where the news was sent would be abandoned.


    There was also the county magistrate, county lieutenant, and registrar of Shanyang County. It was precisely because of their help that the matter of Liang Vige had not been leaked for so many years.


    About six to seven days away from Liang Vige, there was a group of bandits hiding in a valley called Sharp Mountain. There were about close to 300 people.


    There were also two other ces. There were nearly a thousand people, and they were all managed by a person called Cheng He. He had never seen the Second Prince, and he did not know where he was hiding.


    Cheng He. Chu Sihai remembered this person. He was the son of the head steward of the Cheng family. In the past, he often ran around with the Second Prince. That year, he suddenly said that he had contracted a serious illness on the way back to Yuezhou to visit his rtives and died. He was just the son of a steward. Who would care about his life?


    At that time, the neutral Eldest Prince was the most popr as the Crown Prince. The Second Prince also looked like he was following the First Prince¡¯s lead. It turned out that the Second Prince had his own ns at that time.


    Later on, for some reason, thete emperor never appointed the Eldest Prince as the heir apparent. Then, there was news that the Third Prince was almost killed by the Imperial Consort¡¯s men. Fortunately, the Empress Dowager had long received the news and sent the Third Prince away overnight. She got a substitute to pretend to be the Third Prince in the Imperial Residence. The one who was injured was the Third Prince¡¯s substitute.


    Seeing that Chu Sihai did not move for a long time, the guard looked at Manor


    Head Chi, who had fainted on the straw pile, and said to Chu Sihai, ¡°Head


    Shopkeeper, do you still want to ask?¡±


    Chu Sihai came back to his senses and waved his hand. ¡°Alright, watch carefully. Don¡¯t let anything happen.¡± With that, he left.


    The matter was urgent. Chu Sihao hurriedly entered the pce overnight to report to Chu Yuhao.


    When Chu Yuhao heard this, he said to Shen Zhong, ¡°Shen Zhong, immediately bring people to capture and interrogate all the spies hiding in the capital.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty!¡± Shen Zhong epted the order and retreated.


    Chu Yuhao looked at Chu Sihai. ¡°Get Chu Qing to lead the secret guards of the Dark Team to those ces immediately and annihte all the bandits. It¡¯s best if you capture Cheng He alive.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty!¡± Chu Sihai hesitated for a moment and asked, ¡®Your Majesty, will those secret guards who are idle in the Imperial Manor be given to Madam Li?¡±


    Chu Yuhao nodded and said, ¡°Give them to her! Those who pay lip service about their loyalty are afraid that I¡¯ll nt people in their residences, only the Zhou family dares to ask me to give people to them. Let them work well in the Li family and not embarrass the Dark Guards Team.¡±


    Chu Sihai bowed and said, ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll tell them what you said.¡±


    Chu Yuhao waved at him and lowered his head to read the memorial.


    Chu Sihai returned to the bank and conveyed Chu Yuhao¡¯s decree to Chu Qing. Chu Qing left the city the next morning and rushed towards Sharp Mountain.


    The two junior stewards in the Imperial ntation were also arrested by Shen Zhong. The people who had been exposed by Ah Ying and the old woman were all arrested.


    Liang Cheng, Hu Zhong, Ding Yi, and Ding Kui were called to the bank.


    Chu Sihai said to Liang Cheng and the others, ¡°Madam Li¡¯s younger brother, Lord Li Qing, is going to Le County to take up his post. She asked me to rmend a few people. I rmended you to Madam Li, and the higher-ups also agreed. Pack up and follow me to the Zhou residence.¡±


    Liang Cheng nced at Chu Sihai. The long scar on his face made him look a little ferocious. ¡°Head Shopkeeper, does Boss Li know our situation?¡±


    Hu Zhong pointed at his empty sleeve and smiled. ¡°That¡¯s right, Head Shopkeeper. Those officials are even timider than rats. We¡¯re all people with iplete limbs. Don¡¯t scare them.¡±


    Chu Sihai smiled and red at them. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve exined your situation to Madam Li. She doesn¡¯t mind. Go! The higher-ups have also agreed to let you go. Besides, you can¡¯t just stay in the manor for the rest of your lives! Go to the Li family and serve them well for a few years. Set up a family thereafter and have a few fat boys. That¡¯s how you live!¡±


    Hu Cheng rolled up his empty sleeve. ¡°Head Shopkeeper, you make it sound quite beautiful. Which woman would like someone like us?¡±


    Liang Cheng smiled and said, ¡°Let¡¯s find someone who likes us. What do the three of you think?¡±


    Ding Yi said, ¡°Head Shopkeeper is right. We can¡¯t stay in the manor for the rest of our lives. As long as they don¡¯t mind, we¡¯ll go.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± They all nodded in agreement.


    Chu Sihai brought a few people to the Zhou family. Uncle Liu smiled and weed Chu Sihai in.


    Liang Cheng and the others saw that the Zhou family¡¯s gatekeeper was also a crippled old man and believed Chu Sihai¡¯s words in their hearts.


    Li Qing happened to be at Li Yu¡¯s house. When he heard Ruyi report that Chu


    Sihai had brought a few disabled people over, he smiled and said to Li Yu,


    ¡°Sister, I¡¯ll go with you to see the people the shopkeeper brought.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and nodded. ¡°You¡¯re the one using their services. Of course, you have to go together!¡±


    The three of them arrived at the front courtyard together and saw Chu Sihai and four disabled strong men standing in the courtyard. They smiled and cupped their hands. ¡°Head Shopkeeper, long time no see.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! Long time no see.¡± Chu Sihai cupped his hands and smiled. ¡°Thank you, Head Shopkeeper.¡± Li Yu smiled and thanked him.


    Chu Sihai smiled and said, ¡°Madam Li, you¡¯re too polite.¡±


    After everyone greeted them politely, Li Qing turned to look at Liang Cheng and the others and cupped his fists. ¡°Head Shopkeeper, are these strong men Liang Cheng, Hu Zhong, Ding Yi, and Ding Kui?¡±


    Chu Sihai was very satisfied when he saw Li Qing smiling. He smiled and said, ¡°That¡¯s right!¡±


    Li Qing cupped his fists at them and said, ¡°Brother Liang, Brother Hu¡­ we¡¯re family from now on..¡±

 Chapter 562 - 562: The Worries of the Xingxing

    Chapter 562: The Worries of the Xingxing


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Liang Cheng and the other three saw that Li Qing was polite and did not have any strange expressions towards their appearance and disabilities. They also had a good impression of this new owner. They smiled and cupped their fists.


    ¡°Greetings, Master Li.¡±


    After Liang Cheng and the others greeted Li Qing, Li Qing said to Chu Sihai, ¡°Head Shopkeeper, I¡¯ll bring Big Brother Liang and the others back to the residence first. We¡¯ll gather again when you¡¯re free to go to Le County.¡±


    Chu Sihai smiled readily and said, ¡°Alright, I run everywhere all year round. I might go to Le County in a few days.¡±


    After Li Qing bade farewell to Li Yu, Li Yu invited Chu Sihai into the living room to sit down. She smiled and asked, ¡°Head Shopkeeper, were the truth pills useful?¡±


    Chu Sihai smiled and nodded. ¡°They were very useful. It just took some effort on the person surnamed Chi. Madam Li, your guess is right. There are indeed still people hiding deep in the mountains in Liang Vige. They also have people in the capital city and Shanyang County. Li Fengqi¡¯s lover said that they mainly want to mess up the capital and take the opportunity to pull your family and Schr Lin¡¯s family down.¡±


    Li Yu said in a low voice, ¡°These people really used all their tricks to deal with me. Fortunately, you discovered it. Otherwise, my family would have implicated Uncle¡¯s family.¡±


    Chu Sihai shook his head. ¡°You can¡¯t say that. They nted people in several families in advance. The person who searched the two schrs was Constable Leng. Even without your family, they would still cause trouble. Besides, if there was really a problem with Schr Lin, he would have been detained long ago. They wouldn¡¯t have kept him in the examination hall!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Li Yu nodded. ¡°Has Li Fengqi been imprisoned?¡±


    Chu Sihai told her about Li Fengqi finding Laidi. He smiled and sighed. ¡°The secret guard said that when that woman saw that Li Fengqi had indeed written the divorce letter, her face turned green with anger. The two of them were hiding there. That Li guy is a stupid pig. He was coaxed by that woman to sell himself, but he was still praising that woman.¡±


    Li Yu said coldly, ¡°Such a mercenary and smart person needs such a person to deal with him.¡±


    ¡°The Li schr is narrow-minded. He¡¯s been brooding over the fact that Li


    Hanlin assisted him in bing a High Schr but refused to bring him up. They even thought of taking revenge on you in the future.¡± Chu Sihai smiled as he spoke. ¡°They really don¡¯t know the immensity of heaven and earth. The Li schr is just waiting to be stripped of his schrly titles and exiled to Western Liang to apany Country Lord Ning.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and nodded. ¡°Such a person should live like this.¡±


    Chu Sihai stood up and said with a smile, ¡°Madam Li, I will be busy these few days, so I won¡¯t disturb you.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and nodded. ¡°Alright, I won¡¯t keep you anymore. Come and sit when you¡¯re free.¡±


    After sending Chu Sihai off, Li Yu went to the back garden. Xingxing held a broken toy in his hand and walked up to Li Yu dejectedly. He looked at her and said, ¡°Mother, I don¡¯t want to y with wooden toys.¡±


    Yueyue said from the side, ¡°Mother, Brother broke Big Bear¡¯s ws again.¡±


    Every time Xingxing was having fun, he couldn¡¯t control his strength well. He always broke the toy and often scratched Xiaobai until it barked. It was so frightened that it hid when it saw Xingxing.


    Li Yu squatted down and looked at the stars. She said gently, ¡°Xing¡¯er didn¡¯t do it on purpose. Xing¡¯er is as strong as Mother and is stronger than ordinary people. When Mother was young, a piglet was rented for Mother to y with!¡±


    Xingxing looked up at Li Yu. ¡°Did Mother hurt the piglet? Xiaobai isn¡¯t even willing to let me hug it. It despises me for hurting it.¡±


    Yueyue assumed the posture of an elder brother. ¡°Little brother, you hurt


    Xiaobai every time. Xiaobai runs when it sees you, but you still chase it. Mother, Xiaobai also hurts very much.¡±


    Xingxing looked at Yueyue unhappily. ¡°I¡¯ve never hurt you and Big Brother, as well as Father and Mother. Brother is annoying. I won¡¯t talk to you today.¡±


    ¡°Yes, our Xing¡¯er has never hurt us because Xing¡¯er loves Brother and Father and knows that you have to y gently with us.¡± Li Yu smiled and hugged him. ¡°If you want to y with Xiaobai, you have to y gently. You can¡¯t grab it hard when you are not happy. Grab Xiaobai like you grab Brother¡¯s hand, and it won¡¯t despise you.¡±


    Yueyue leaned against Li Yu and heard herpare himself to Xiaobai. He looked at her unhappily. ¡°Mother, Xiaobai has dog ws. He doesn¡¯t have hands.¡±


    ¡°Haha¡­¡± Li Yuughed and patted Yue Yue¡¯s head. ¡°Yes! Xiaobai¡¯s ws are ws. I was wrong.¡±


    Xing¡¯er hugged Li Yu¡¯s neck and said unhappily, ¡°Mother, I want to carry a piglet too. Let¡¯s go to the Wang Family Vige. There¡¯s a piglet in the Wang Family Vige. ¡±


    Yueyue pped her hands and smiled. He grabbed Li Yu¡¯s hand and said coquettishly, ¡°Mother, I want to anger the Wang family too!¡±


    Xingxing pointed at Yue Yue. ¡°Brother, you¡¯re stupid. We¡¯re going to the Wang


    Family Vige, not to anger the Wang family!¡±


    Yueyue turned her head to the side. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you wouldn¡¯t talk to me today? I¡¯m angry. Ignore you!¡±


    Li Yu looked at the angry brothers and smiled. She pulled Yueyue into her arms and said to him, ¡°Yue¡¯er, don¡¯t be so petty! I pointed out that what you said was wrong because I wanted to reconcile with you. Come, let¡¯s hold hands.¡±


    Yueyue, who had a warm personality, reached out his chubby hand to


    Xingxing. ¡°Alright! I¡¯m the elder brother. I forgive you.¡±


    Xingxing took his hand and nodded. ¡°Brother, I forgive you too.¡±


    Li Yu looked at the two little fellows and kissed them each. ¡°Mother¡¯s darlings, let¡¯s wait for Father and Big Brother to take a break and go to the Wang Family Vige together, okay?¡±


    Star nodded and said, ¡°We still have to call Grandmaster, Uncle, and bring Brother Loach and the others along.¡±


    ¡°Alright (¡®All *Inno ¡± T.i V11 czmilpd


    Shen Zhong led his men and spent half a day arresting Ah Ying and the old woman. He handed them all to Chu Sihai for interrogation.


    The county magistrate and registrar of Shanyang County were also brought back to the capital¡¯s government office and locked next door to the county magistrate.


    Chu Sihai did notpletely believe Manor Head Chi¡¯s words and asked Yan Niang to continue guarding Tongfu Inn to investigate.


    In Liang Vige, all the weapons in the secret room were transported back to the Ministry of War. The secret guards left in Liang Vige also followed Chu Qing into the mountain.


    The Daoist priest that Sun Tong had helped invite did a ritual for the vigers who had died tragically and buried them again. As the people who had died were buried in a huge pit by the bandits, it was impossible to tell who was whom. He could only ask someone to carve a big tombstone and bury those people in the tomb that the Daoist priest had built.


    Judge Sun had already drawn all the portraits of the bandits ording to Ah Lian and the others¡¯ descriptions. He had checked their original fields and title deeds and registered their household registers again. He had specially set up a female household and left behind enough rice for each of them to eat for more than a year. He had also given each of them 20 taels of silver. He had even thoughtfully helped them exchange two taels of silver into coins. The silver was also all small silver ingots.


    Ah Lian and the others received the new household register and silver. Looking at the rice left behind, they felt much more at ease.


    Some of them looked at the silver in the cloth bag with sparkling eyes. Their eyes darted around. Some of them bowed gratefully to Judge Sun Tong. ¡°Thank you, sir. Thank you..¡±

 Chapter 563 - 563: Divergence

    Chapter 563: Divergence


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Judge Sun waved at them. ¡°Before Madam Li left, she said that one of you wants to adopt a child. Have you thought about it? How many people have this idea? I¡¯ll go back to the capital and find someone to help you ask around.¡±


    Ah Lian took a step forward and bowed to Judge Sun. ¡°Sir, if possible, I also want to adopt a child. I don¡¯t necessarily want a boy. A daughter is fine too.¡±


    Judge Sun Tong nced at the young women and felt ufortable. At such a young age, they should have been taken care of by their parents and found a good family to betroth to. However, they were ruined by those beasts at such a young age.


    Judge Sun looked at the three girls with pity. ¡°Sister-inw, do those children think the same as you?¡±


    Ah Lian looked at the three of them and said to them, ¡°Liu Ye, what do you think? What do the other sisters think?¡±


    Liu Ye and the other two walked out and said shyly, ¡°We also want to adopt a child. We don¡¯t want to get married anymore.¡±


    Ah Lian looked at the six women standing at the back. ¡°Xiang Xiu, what do you think? Have you made up your minds?¡±


    Xiang Xiu and the women looked hesitant. ¡°We want to go back and find our brothers to adopt our nephews.¡±


    San Qiao sneered in a low voice. ¡°Adopt your nephews. Be careful lest you won¡¯t have a ce to stay.¡±


    The other women also nodded repeatedly. ¡°It¡¯s fine if they¡¯re not married. Most


    Judge Sun looked at the women who were discussing softly and said to Xiang


    Xiu and the others, ¡°It¡¯s fine if you want to find a brother¡¯s family to adopt. Have the others thought about it?¡±


    San Qiao and the other women replied, ¡®We¡¯ve thought about it. We¡¯ll adopt one outside.¡±


    Judge Sun nodded and said, ¡°Alright, a total of 21 people are going to adopt outside. When I go back, I¡¯ll get the bailiffs to help you keep an eye out. Sister-inw, you¡¯ll be in charge of the vige from now on. If there¡¯s anything, you cane to the capital government office to look for me.¡± ¡°Thank you, sir.¡± Ah Lian bowed with the women.


    Judge Sun waved his hand and said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to thank me. Live well in the future. I¡¯ll report to the higher-ups when I go back and find a good person to buy the fields in the vige so that you won¡¯t be bullied.¡±


    If a kind person bought the fields, no one would be as good as Madam Li! Her family was also farmers. Wouldn¡¯t it be better to let her buy the fields?


    After thinking about it, Ah Lian went forward and said, ¡°Sir, I have a request. Please help me.¡±


    Judge Sun nodded and said, ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    Ah Lian bowed and said, ¡°I want to ask Madam Li first after you return to the capital. I think it¡¯s best for her to buy the empty fields in our vige.¡±


    It was indeed not bad for Madam Li to buy the fields. Her family was also good at farming. Judge Sun nodded and said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll definitely ask Madam Li when I get back. If her family doesn¡¯t buy it, I¡¯ll find someone else.¡±


    Ah Lian thanked him happily. ¡°Thank you, sir.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m going back to the capital too.¡± Judge Sun thought for a moment and instructed Ah Lian, ¡°You¡¯re all women. Watch the door carefully and don¡¯t stay in the straw shed.¡±


    At this moment, the scribe came to report, ¡°Sir, the luggage is ready.¡±


    ¡°Alright, have Imperial Physician Xu and Imperial Physician Chen packed up?¡± Judge Sun judged.


    The scribe bowed and said, ¡°The two imperial physicians are concocting medicinal herbs. They said they¡¯ll be ready soon.¡±


    Imperial Physician Xu came out of the house and waved at Ah Lian and the others. When they reached the door, he pointed at the medicine packets in the wicker basket and said to Ah Lian, ¡°You can read. Distribute those medicines to everyone. Remember to drink them on time. I¡¯lle back to take a look at you in half a month.¡±


    Imperial Physician Chen also instructed them, ¡°Hong Mei and Ying Tao have to recuperate for a few more days. Apply the medication on time. I¡¯lle back in half a month.¡±


    The women bowed gratefully to the two imperial physicians. ¡°Yes, we¡¯ve noted it down. Sorry to have troubled you for so long.¡±


    Imperial Physician Xu and Imperial Physician Chen looked at these poor women and nodded. ¡°Remember to take the medicine and watch the door.¡± ¡°Yes, don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ll be careful.¡± Ah Lian nodded repeatedly.


    Everyone reluctantly sent them to the entrance of the manor. Everyone waved goodbye and stood there watching Judge Sun¡¯s carriage gradually walk away.


    Ah Lian turned to her sisters and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go back! We still have to get busy on the fields!¡±


    Xiang Xiu nced at Ah Lian. ¡°Sister-inw Lian, I want to go back and see my parents.¡±


    Ah Lian frowned. ¡°Xiang Xiu, you should wait for the houses to be built before going back to talk to your parents and brothers about the adoption. Isn¡¯t that better?¡±


    Yang Liu red at her. ¡°Sister-inw Xiang Xiu, your parents have never treated you well in the past. You still have to build a house with that little silver of yours but you¡¯re busy visiting them now. I think you don¡¯t want to build a house anymore.¡±


    Xiang Xiu rolled her eyes at Yang Liu. ¡°How do you know I don¡¯t want to? No


    one can take the money away from my pocket.¡±


    Ah Lian looked at Xiang Xiu. ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about your parents. Your sisters-inw are not easy to deal with.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Seeing that the other sisters were looking at her, Xiang Xiu hesitated for a moment. ¡°I just want to go back and see my parents. Don¡¯t you miss them?¡±


    When everyone heard this, they lowered their heads. Ah Lian looked at them and said, ¡°Yes, why not? When I was a daughter, my parents and three brothers treated me extremely well. So what? What happened in our vige has long spread throughout the capital. I don¡¯t believe they didn¡¯t hear the news. Forget it, I¡¯m no longer the Ah Lian of the past. Let¡¯s not go out and be looked down upon by others.


    Xiang Xiu and a few other women asked, ¡°What if they don¡¯t know about us?¡±


    Ah Lian looked at them and said indifferently, ¡°You can go back if you want, but there¡¯s one thing. Our vige is filled with widows now. Don¡¯t bring your brothers into the vige.¡±


    Xiang Xiu looked at Ah Lian unhappily. ¡°Why should we listen to you?¡±


    Yang Liu walked up to her and shouted angrily, ¡°Why do you think Lord Sun handed our vige to Aunt Ah Lian to manage?¡±


    Ah Lian looked at them and said earnestly, ¡°We¡¯re sisters who went through thick and thin together. Listen to me. After you¡¯ve been busy these days and built the house, you can go back and adopt a child. Money is eye-catching. I won¡¯t harm you.¡±


    Xiang Xiu muttered in a low voice, ¡°We didn¡¯t say that you wanted to harm us. We just wanted to go back and see our parents and buy something to show our filial piety to them.¡±


    Ah Lian understood. She had money in her pocket and wanted to go back and show it off. It seemed that it was still the silver.


    ¡°I¡¯ve already said it. If you want to go, go. Remember not to bring your brothers to the vige.¡± Ah Lian turned to look at the other women. ¡°Sisters, any of you can go back if you want. As long as you don¡¯t bring anyone into the vige, we¡¯re not worried about anything else. We¡¯re just worried that the food and money in our hands will make people jealous.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! In the past, we were busy all year round and couldn¡¯t save much food and money. Now, the government office has only left us with rice and a female household. Without hardbor, we¡¯re even exempted from taxes for three years. It¡¯s hard to guarantee that others won¡¯t be jealous.¡± Yang Liu looked at everyone. ¡°But what did we use to exchange for these things? If possible, I¡¯d rather eat chaff and vegetables like before..¡±

 Chapter 564 - 564: Buying Land

    Chapter 564: Buying Land


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    After Yang Liu finished speaking, she squatted on the ground and cried. Everyone also cried, missing their rtives who had died tragically.


    After a while, Ah Lian wiped her tears and stood up to pull up Yang Liu. ¡°Let¡¯s go. What¡¯s the use of crying? We still have to be busy with spring seeds. The seasons don¡¯t wait for people.¡±


    Yang Liu stood up and followed Ah Lian into the courtyard. The other women got up and walked towards the courtyard. Everyone took hoes and farm tools and walked into the field.


    Xiangxiu and the others stood for a while before turning around and going into the house to get the farming tools.


    Judge Sun returned to the capital toplete the procedures. The next day, he went to the Zhou family to visit.


    Uncle Liu informed Ji Xiang. After the two of them met and exchanged pleasantries, Ji Xiang invited Sun Tong into the living room to sit down.


    When Li Yu came out of the inner courtyard, Judge Sun Tong smiled and went forward to greet her. Li Yu smiled politely and invited him to sit down, She asked, ¡°Lord Sun, have the women in Liang Vige been settled?¡±


    Judge Sun replied respectfully, ¡°It¡¯s already been arranged. I¡¯m here because they asked me to ask for Madam¡¯s opinion.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and nodded. ¡°Lord Sun, please speak.¡±


    Judge Sun Tong said slowly, ¡°It¡¯s like this. There are still more than 400 acres ofnd without an owner in Liang Vige and more than 200 acres of slopingnd. I originally wanted to send it back to Shanyang County to sell it. That woman called Ah Lian asked me to ask Madam Li on their behalf if you¡¯re willing to buy the remaining fields of the two viges. As long as you buy those fields, that farmstead will be given to your family.¡±


    Li Yu nodded without hesitation. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll buy them all.¡±


    Seeing that Li Yu had agreed, Judge Sun smiled and said, ¡°Thank you, Madam Li. Please send someone back to the government office with me to settle the contract.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Li Yu looked at Ji Xiang and said, ¡°Apany Lord Sun to the government office. ¡±


    After Ji Xiang agreed, he followed Judge Sun to the government office.


    Li Yu thought that Liang Vige was filled with women. It might be inconvenient to hire long-term workers to work. Only by buying a few servants and hiring a few tenants to work in the vige would it be easier to restrain them.


    She got up and went to the side courtyard. She found Zhao Cai and said, ¡°Judge Sun Tong just came¡­ get Ruyi here. The two of you will split up to buy some farming tools and a few plowing cows. Go to the brokerage and buy a few servants to send to Liang Vige. nt this season¡¯s rice first and nt all the corn and sweet potatoes on the ground.¡±


    Zhao Cai thought for a moment and said, ¡°Madam, the people with most of the brokers in the capital don¡¯t know how to do farm work. It¡¯s more suitable for me to go to Lin County or Hengshan Town to buy them. Tang Yong and the other families in Wang Family Vige said that after their children got married, they didn¡¯t have enough fields to nt in our tenant fields. They even asked Han San where there were fields to farm.¡±


    Li Yu nodded. ¡°Alright, do as you see fit. When Ji Xianges back, get him to go to the hot spring manor and invite Uncle Zhou back. He¡¯ll manage the manor in Liang Vige.¡±


    Zhao Cai agreed and left. After taking a few steps, he thought for a moment and turned around to ask, ¡°Madam, are we still going to buy seeds from a seed shop?¡±


    Li Yu thought of the seeds in her space. ¡°I¡¯ll buy the seeds. Just prepare the manpower, farming tools, and cows.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± The clerk agreed and left.


    Li Yu returned to the house and entered the space. She looked at the rice and corn seeds and calcted that it was more than enough to nt those few hundred acres of fields. After sending Ah Qing away, she would send the seeds to Liang Vige.


    After looking at the seeds, Li Yu came out of the space. Granny Yang came in with an invitation and said to Li Yu, ¡°Madam, General Shen¡¯s family invites you to a banquet.¡±


    Li Yu thought to herself that Shen Zhong should be very busy these days. Did his family still have time to entertain guests?


    ¡°General Shen¡¯s house? Is it Madam Wu?¡±


    Granny Yang patted her head. ¡°It¡¯s my fault for not making it clear. It¡¯s Madam Luo, the Madam of General Shen Yu. I heard that Madam Luo sent her youngest daughter back to get married.¡±


    Li Yu opened the post and took a look. The date was the second day after Li


    Qing¡¯s departure. ¡°Alright, remember the time and remind me on that day.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± After Granny Yang agreed, she thought for a moment and said, ¡°Madam, Xing Hua is also at the age to be released. What are your ns?¡±


    Li Yu nodded and said, ¡°That¡¯s right! A year passed in the blink of an eye. Xing Hua is already old enough to get married. Did Xing Hua mention to you that she was looking for someone?¡±


    Granny Yang smiled and nced at Xing Hua, who was sitting under the eaves of the porch doing needlework. ¡°When we were talking together, I asked her. She said that she is unwilling to marry into someone else¡¯s family and is willing to stay at home. I was thinking about the boys at home. Only Tiezhu is about the same age as her and hasn¡¯t gotten married yet. What do you think about making them a couple?¡±


    Tiezhu was loyal and honest, and Xing Hua had a gentle personality. The two of them were quitepatible.


    ¡°They have to suit each other! If they don¡¯t like each other, it won¡¯t be beautiful if they be a resentful couple.¡±


    Granny Yang smiled excitedly and said, ¡°If you agree, I¡¯ll go and probe the two of them. Also, with Xing Hua getting married, you would be missing a girl in your house. I think the Han family¡¯s Ling¡¯er is not bad. What do you think?¡±


    Li Yu smiled and said, ¡°Han Ling is not bad either. Ask Han San if they can bear to part with her.¡±


    Granny Yang smiled. ¡°It¡¯s the easiest to work beside you. How can they not bear


    Li Yu said, ¡°Once Han San returns to the city, we shall ask him.¡±


    Granny Yang smiled and replied, ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll ask Xing Hua first.¡±


    Li Yu looked at Granny Yang, who was walking towards the Xing Hua. Thinking about how Granny Yang had helped her manage her daily rtionships in the past few years, she really felt much more at ease.


    She also felt that she was much more alive than when she first came. She was not as rigid as before, like a soulless prop.


    Two hourster, Ji Xiang returned home with the title deed and house deed and handed them to Li Yu. ¡°Madam, thend near the capital is much more expensive than in Yunzhou. I spent 5,000 taels of silver to buy that piece ofnd, and it¡¯s the price after the government office gave me a discount.¡±


    Li Yu nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right! We bought the hot spring farm outside the East City. There are only more than ten acres ofnd and we spent 8,000 taels of silver. Ruyi and Zhao Cai went to buy people and farming tools. Go to the farm outside the East City and pick Uncle Zhou up.¡±


    Ji Xiang thought for a moment and said, ¡°Madam, Little Loach and the others have also grown up. I think we should bring them to Liang Vige to learn from Uncle Zhou.¡±


    Little Loach, Maizi, and the others were already 11 or 12 years old. In the past few years, they had learned martial arts from Ruyi and the others. They had learned most of what they needed to learn, but they were still a littlecking. It was time for them to learn some other knowledge.


    ¡°¡®That¡¯s good too. sena them to ng vige together. ¡®Tell them. Go to the manor and bring some food for Old Master.¡±


    ¡°Aye! I¡¯ll pick Uncle Zhou up first.¡± Ji Xiang left.


    After Old Master Zhou divided the house, he locked up his ce and moved the flowerbed to the hot spring manor. There were more and more varieties of flowers, and some people went to buy flowers. Old Master Zhou simply checked out of the shop in Flower and Bird City and set up a shed at the entrance of the manor to sell flowers. He had dozens of taels of silver in savings a year. He nted flowers on the manor and yed chess. His life was carefree..

 Chapter 565 - 565: Lost

    Chapter 565: Lost


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    After lunch, Li Yu brought the two children to Li Qing¡¯s house.


    Fan Mingfang brought the two old women to pack therge ornaments that were no longer needed into the box. They would unwrap them after returning to the capital.


    Li Qing¡¯s eldest son, Li Lin, stood under the eaves with the cloth tiger in his arms.


    Seeing Li Yue with his two cousins, he ran towards the three of them and shouted, ¡°Mother, Auntie brought my brothers here to y.¡±


    Li Lin looked more like Fan Mingfang. He was a fair and chubby child with flushed cheeks. He had two towering braids on his head and was wearing red pants. His eyebrows were as exquisite as a little girl¡¯s.


    ¡°Cousin.¡± Yueyue and Xingxing smiled and went forward. Xingxing was afraid that he would hurt his cousin. He walked over and stood there motionless. Yueyue looked at Li Lin and giggled. He went forward and hugged him.


    Li Yu looked at the happy children and patted his head with a smile. ¡°Dong¡¯er, where¡¯s Mother?¡±


    Li Lin looked up at Li Yu and said in a childish voice, ¡°Auntie, Mother is packing.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and nodded. ¡°Alright, go ahead!¡±


    Fan Mingfang came out of the house and greeted Li Yu affectionately, ¡°Sister, you¡¯re here!¡±


    Li Yu smiled and nodded. ¡°Yes! I came to see how you were packing. Where¡¯s Ah


    Qing?¡±


    ¡°A colleague from Ah Qing¡¯s Hanlin Academy invited him out for a meal to bid him farewell.¡±


    Fan Mingfang weed Li Yu to the central room and sat down. ¡°Ah Qing asked the Head Shopkeeper to help bring letters to Father, Mother, and Brother yesterday to save them the trouble of bringing letters back to the capital.¡±


    Li Yu looked at her and felt a little reluctant. ¡°It¡¯s very difficult for everyone to reunite once in the past few years.¡±


    Fan Mingfang looked at Li Yu and thought that they were about to part. She said reluctantly, ¡°Sister, visit us in Le County when you¡¯re free.¡±


    Li Yu nodded readily. ¡°Alright, Yue¡¯er and Xing¡¯er will enter school next year. I¡¯ll visit you.¡±


    Fan smiled. ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll wait for you.¡±


    Li Yu chatted with Fan Mingfang at Li Qing¡¯s house for a while and helped categorize the things before bringing the two children home.


    Ji Xiang and Uncle Zhou had already returned to the residence. When Uncle Zhou saw Li Yu, he smiled and said, ¡°Madam, in the future, when you see suitable fields near the capital, you have to buy more and prepare them for the three young masters


    ¡°It¡¯s not easy to buy a farm near the capital. I also got someone to keep an eye out for one. Don¡¯t worry, as soon as there¡¯s news, I¡¯ll get Ji Xiang to buy it.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll get Little Loach and the others to pack up.¡± Uncle Zhou thought for a moment. ¡°Madam, have Little Loach and the others been given their names?¡± Li Yu shook her head. ¡°Not yet! When Yangyanges back, let him name them.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll take my leave.¡± Uncle Zhou left with a smile.


    Granny Yang suddenly sighed and said, ¡°Old people are all like this. They can¡¯t wait to leave the child with endless wealth for a few lifetimes. They¡¯re just afraid that the child will live a hard life.¡±


    Li Yu nodded and thought to herself, ¡°Children have their own blessings. If a child has the ability, he doesn¡¯t have to inherit many. If he doesn¡¯t have the ability, no matter how many he has, he can squander them. Old Master Zhou is a ready-made example. Although he only started to wake up when it was time, it¡¯s still considered good. Some of them lost all their assets and died in poverty. ¡±


    The two children took a shower and changed their clothes. Xing Hua and Granny Chen brought them to the back garden to y.


    Li Yu went to the front yard and saw Zhou Jia entering the courtyard with an aggrieved Yangyang.


    When Yangyang saw Li Yu, she ran over and shouted aggrievedly, ¡°Mother¡­¡±


    Li Yu looked at him and said gently, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did you quarrel with your friend?¡±


    Yangyang walked into the courtyard silently. Zhou Jia smiled and said, ¡°No, the Young brat fought with General Shen¡¯s daughter. He was unhappy about losing!¡±


    Yangyang turned around and looked at Li Yu. ¡°Mother, I didn¡¯t lose. You don¡¯t know that brat Shen Jie pestered me topete with me after entering the pce. I thought that since she was a girl, I would show mercy. Who knew that she would use dirty tricks and even quibble that all¡¯s fair in war!¡±


    Seeing his expression, Li Yu was amused. ¡°The youngdy is right! There¡¯s nothing wrong with deception on the battlefield. If you¡¯re on the battlefield, why are you still talking about fairness?!¡±


    ¡°Mother, you say that too.¡± Yangyang looked at Li Yu aggrievedly and said to himself, ¡± Brat, I¡¯ll definitely teach you a lesson next time.¡±


    Li Yu smiled at him. ¡°Alright, don¡¯t be angry. I know that my eldest son is a magnanimous man and deliberately gave in to a little girl.¡±


    Yangyang shook her head angrily. ¡°She¡¯s not a little girl. She¡¯s a¡ªa hag.¡±


    Li Yu said seriously, ¡°Yang¡¯er, we can¡¯t say that about her. A loss is a loss. Even if she used a scheme and won unfairly, you still lost.¡±


    ¡°I can stop talking about that hag.¡± Yangyang looked at Li Yu, still a little unconvinced. ¡°If she fights me again, I won¡¯t give in to her again.¡±


    Li Yu looked at him and said, ¡°If she challenges you again, you¡¯ll defeat her a


    little. However, she¡¯s a girl. You have to save her some face.¡±


    ¡°Oh! I¡¯m going to take a shower.¡± Yangyang walked unhappily toward the bathroom.


    The couple watched him walk forward with his head lowered. They looked at each other and smiled and shook their heads.


    Zhou Jia smiled and said, ¡°The child has grown up. He feels a little embarrassed that he lost to a girl today after practicing for so long.¡±


    Li Yu felt that it made sense. She smiled and said, ¡°As long as they don¡¯t deliberately cause trouble and bully others, let them be. Children will reconcile the next day after a fight.¡±


    After the two of them returned to the house and sat down, Zhou Jia said to Li Yu, ¡°Tie Zhu told me today that he wants to marry Xing Hua. I think the two of them are quitepatible. What do you think of them?¡±


    ¡°So this kid has long taken a fancy to Xing Hua. Granny Yang even said to make them a couple today. Let me ask Xing Hua.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu. ¡°Shen Zhong captured two people in the


    Ministry of Revenue today. Those two people don¡¯t have high positions and are in charge of physical things. They¡¯re never picky when ites to work. I didn¡¯t expect them to have been arranged by that person to be in the capital. Thinking about it, they¡¯ve been operating in the capital for so many years, so it¡¯s not strange. After all, there are many people who want to be conferred the title of marquis.¡±


    Li Yu sneered. ¡°That¡¯s true. As the saying goes, a man¡¯s heart is insatiable.¡±


    Zhou Jia lowered his voice. ¡°I think that the six departments might have been nted by that person. Ever since those two were captured, the atmosphere in the Ministry of Revenue has begun to be a little strange. After dinner, no one goes to the backyard to chat. All of them are hiding in the government office.¡±


    Li Yu said bluntly, ¡°As long as they don¡¯t have any guilt in their hearts, what¡¯s there to worry about? Those hidden people have already begun to disturb the peace of the capital. Think about it. First, the Five Stone Powder was exposed by Duke Fuls family by a freakbination of factors. After being silent for two years, they tampered with the Spring Quarter Examination. Also, about the matters in Liang Vige, that person is a person who will do anything to achieve his goals.. If the world really falls into his hands, will the people still be able to survive?¡±

 Chapter 566 - 566: Big Name

    Chapter 566: Big Name


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Zhou Jia nodded. ¡°Yes! These people will do anything to get things done. Ah Qing is going to Le County again. Thinking about it, I¡¯m really worried. How are the people you hired?¡±


    Li Yu smiled and nodded. ¡°The Head Shopkeeper brought people over early this morning. After Ah Qing took them away, the Head Shopkeeper sat here for a while and said that Li Fengqi and the woman he hooked up with had been arrested. Manor Head Chi offered¡­


    ¡°No wonder I heard that Shen Zhong brought people to capture people in the city.¡± Zhou Jia looked up at the door. ¡°Let¡¯s go eat. Auntie He has alreadye here twice.¡±


    When the family came out after dinner, it started to rain. Zhou Jia returned to the study to deal with official business. Yangyang brought his two younger brothers to y in the hall.


    Seeing that the rain was getting heavier, Li Yu called Xing Hua over and asked,


    ¡°Are Zhao Cai and the others not back yet?¡±


    Xing Hua shook her head and said, ¡°Madam, they haven¡¯t returned before dinner. The two stewards might note back until tomorrow!¡±


    Li Yu looked at Xing Hua and smiled. ¡°Did Granny Yang tell you? What do you think?¡±


    Xing Hua blushed and lowered her head, twisting the handkerchief in her hand shyly. ¡°I¡¯ll listen to you. You can make the decision.¡± It seemed that this girl was also willing to marry Tiezhu. Li Yu smiled and said,


    ¡°Then how about I betroth you to Little Loach?¡±


    When Xing Hua heard this, she looked up at Li Yu in a daze. ¡°Madam, Granny was talking about Brother Tiezhu. Little Loach can¡¯t do. He¡¯s still a child!¡±


    ¡°Hahaha.¡± Li Yuughed out loud at her appearance. ¡°Alright, since you like Tiezhu, Madam will betroth you to him.¡±


    ¡°Madam¡­ You¡¯re teasing me again.¡± Xing Hua looked at Li Yu with a red face and stomped her feet.


    Li Yu smiled at her. ¡°I heard from Master that Tiezhu is also interested in you. Since both of you are willing, I¡¯ll get Granny Yang to choose a date for you to get married.¡±


    Xing Hua looked up at Li Yu and nodded heavily. ¡°Madam, I understand. I still


    want toe back and work in the future.¡±


    Li Yu nodded. ¡°Alright, you¡¯ll work in the inner courtyard before you have children. Bring Han Ling along.¡±


    ¡°Yes! I¡¯ll go down first,¡± Xing Hua said with a red face.


    Li Yu thought about how she had yet to tell Zhou Jia that she had bought thend in Liang Vige. She walked to the door of the study and saw that he was still dealing with the official business in his hands. She turned around and looked for Yangyang to ask him if he had given Little Loach and the others their names.


    She found Yangyang, who was teaching Little Loach and the others in the outer courtyard ssroom.


    Li Yu stood at the door and waited for Yangyang to finish speaking before knocking on the door with a smile. ¡°Yang¡¯er, I want to ask you if you havee up with names for Little Loach and the others?¡±


    Yangyang shook her head. ¡°Not yet! I would have forgotten if you hadn¡¯t mentioned it. ¡±


    Little Loach and the others looked at Yangyang and said, ¡°Eldest Young Master, you should have given us a name long ago.¡±


    Yangyang asked in confusion, ¡°Uncle Xiang and the others don¡¯t use their names either? Aren¡¯t your names quite good?¡±


    Li Yu said happily, ¡°Your Uncle Xiang and the others were named by your father when he was a few years old.¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡± Yangyang turned to look at Little Loach and the others. ¡°Brother Loach, what name should I give you?¡±


    Little Loach and the others looked at Yangyang. ¡°We don¡¯t know either. As long as it¡¯s not too strange.¡±


    Yangyang stroked his chin and walked around the ssroom a few times. ¡°I¡¯ll name you Ronghua and Fugui, after riches and glory! What do you think?¡±


    Li Yu shook her head and said, ¡°The word Ronghua won¡¯t do. Your uncle has the word Rong. ¡±


    ¡°Just find a word to rece it.¡± Yangyang pointed at Little Loach with a smile. ¡°Brother Loach will be called Zhou Fu, Brother Mao Dou will be called Zhou


    Gui, and Brother Stutterer will be called Zhou Pu. He¡¯s simple and unadorned. Brother Maizi will be called Zhou Shi. Together, their names mean being well-off and simple.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯ll tell your names to the familyter.¡±


    Little Loach and the others looked at each other and bowed to Li Yu and


    Yangyang. ¡°Thank you, Madam! Thank you for the name!¡±


    Yangyang looked at them and said solemnly, ¡°Zhou Fu, Zhou Gui, Zhou Pu,


    Zhou Shi, you have to remember your names.¡±


    The four of them replied in unison, ¡°Yes, Eldest Young Master.¡±


    Zhao Cai and Ruyi only returned to the capital the next afternoon. They brought back a few servants they had bought in Lin County and Hengshan Town, as well as farming tools and cattle.


    Among the servants, one was surnamed Wang. There was a couple in their thirties. They had two sons, and a daughter. There was also a woman surnamed Li. The man owed a gambling debt and viciously sold the three of them. Another couple, surnamed Lai, was only in their twenties. Their eldest son was seriously ill and they had used up all his money for the treatment. They also owed a lot of money. Helpless, they could only sell themselves as ves.


    The tenants of the Wang family who did not have enough fields to nt also came to the capital with Han San.


    Tang Yong gave the Wang Family Vige fields to his married son and nned to nt more fields in Liang Vige with his two younger sons and wife.


    After Li Yu saw them, she asked Ruyi and Zhao Cai to bring them to Liang Vige first to plow the fields as soon as possible. She would nt them after sending Li Qing away.


    When Han San heard that Li Yu wanted Han Ling to work in the residence, he smiled happily and said, ¡°Madam, Ling¡¯er is obedient and sensible. I¡¯ll send her to tne residence tomorrow.¡±


    Li Yu nced at Han San and smiled. ¡°Alright, go back and make things clear to your mother and wife. Remember to breed more sweet potato seedlings when you go back. The fields in Liang Vige also require sweet potato seedlings.¡±


    Han San said happily, ¡°Yes, Madam. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ve also hired someone to open the slope at the back of the mountain. There are more chickens and ducks this year thanst year. When the vigers saw that the chickens and ducks on our farm were good-looking, they even asked us to buy chicks.¡±


    Li Yu thought of the locust gue that year and her heart skipped a beat. ¡°Go back and get Auntie Han to find more eggs. I n to rear more chickens and ducks in Liang Vige.¡±


    Han San kept nodding. ¡°Got it. I¡¯ll tell my mother when I get back.¡±


    ¡°Go! Go to Granny Yang and collect a few materials to make spring clothes for your mother, wife, and children,¡± Li Yu said with a smile.


    ¡°Aye!¡± Han San agreed with a smile and left.


    Li Yu went to the front yard and saw Uncle Zhou, Little Loach, and the others.


    Chu Sihai was overwrought. The people he had captured from Shanyang County and the people captured by the Ministry of Revenue gave up another group of people. As Zhou Jia had said, the six tribes had spies from the Second Prince.


    In the end, this group of people confessed that they had always been contacted by Cheng He. They rarely met Cheng He, let alone found out the whereabouts of the Second Prince.


    Chu Sihai thought of the people from the Cheng family who were still alive and guessed if they knew the whereabouts of the Second Prince. After thinking about it, he entered the pce and told Chu Yuhao his thoughts.


    Chu Yuhao said bluntly, ¡°Get someone to go to the ce where the Cheng family is exiled and bring back a few Madams of the Cheng family in Yuezhou. Hand those people in the capital to the Dali Temple and sentence them severely. The two stewards of the Imperial ntation will die. Their families will be sent to the salt farm to work and will never be pardoned.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± Chu Sihai bowed and left..

 Chapter 567 - 567: Are You Born Under the Zodiac Sign of the Dog?

    Chapter 567: Are You Born Under the Zodiac Sign of the Dog?


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Yangyang, Chu Yao, and the other two students finished a day of riding and archery on the school field. Chu Yao looked at his arm and revealed a satisfied expression.


    ¡°Chenxi, look, I also have the biceps that Master Wu mentioned.¡±


    Yangyang took a look and nodded. ¡°Yes! You¡¯re much stronger than before.¡±


    Qi Dingbang, who was reading with him, suddenly poked Yangyang. ¡°Chenxi,


    Miss Shen is here.¡±


    ¡°Where?¡± Yangyang looked at the entrance of the school field and saw Shen Jie holding a horsewhip. ¡°A good man doesn¡¯t fight with a woman. I¡¯ll go hide first.¡±


    Chu Yao smiled and said, ¡°Unless you hide in the bathroom, she can find you anywhere else.¡±


    The other student, Pan Sheng, looked at Yangyang with a wicked smile. ¡°Why are you hiding? As a man, why should you be afraid of her?!¡±


    Yangyang nced at him sideways. ¡°Since you¡¯re not afraid, you¡¯ll face herter. ¡±


    Pan Sheng¡¯s eyes flickered. ¡°She doesn¡¯t like my lousy martial arts.¡± ¡°If we don¡¯t leave now, we won¡¯t be able to,¡± Chu Yao said with a smile.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Yangyang ran.


    Seeing Yangyang shoot out like an arrow, a clear female voice sounded. ¡°Zhou


    Chenxi, you coward. You¡¯re scared shitless when you see me!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s useless even if you goad me. I can¡¯t be bothered to lower myself to your level.


    Yangyang replied loudly, but his feet did not stop at all. He ran straight towards the toilet.


    Shen Jie, who was wearing a red riding suit, ran to Chu Yao and the others. She stomped her feet at Chu Yao and said, ¡°Ah Zhu, why don¡¯t you help me stop him?¡±


    Chu Yao smiled dryly and spread his hands. ¡°I have three urgent matters to attend to. I can¡¯t stop him from entering the reception room!¡±


    ¡°Miss Shen, I can apany you for two moves.¡± Pan Sheng looked at Shen Jie, who was like a beautiful chili pepper, with a fawning smile.


    Shen Jie nced at the delicate-looking Pan Sheng and said disdainfully, ¡°Your two moves are so soft that they don¡¯t have any strength. It¡¯s like hitting a mosquito. It¡¯s boring!¡±


    Pan Sheng blushed awkwardly and felt bitter.


    Qi Dingbang looked at Chu Yao and said, ¡°Your Highness, I¡¯m afraid Chenxi won¡¯t be able toe out for a while. Do you think we should go back first or walk around a few more times?¡±


    Chu Yao did not answer him. He nced at Shen Jie, who was holding a


    horsewhip and looking at the toilet. ¡°Cousin, have you greeted Grandmother?


    Let¡¯s not go together!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve greeted Great-aunt when I came. Grandmother is talking to Great-aunt in Ci¡¯an Pce. You can go back first!¡± Shen Jie pointed at the pavilion. ¡°I¡¯ll go over there to wait for that coward. I¡¯ll beat him up until he¡¯s convinced.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go back first.¡±


    Before Chu Yao left, he nced in the direction of the toilet and said, ¡°I can¡¯t help you anymore. You¡¯re on your own!¡±


    Yangyang stood behind the door and counted in his heart. He calcted the time and felt that it was about time. Just as he was about to pull open the door, he heard light and heavy footsteps approaching.


    Yangyang cursed in his heart. ¡°Brat, you¡¯re blocking the door of the guest room.


    Aren¡¯t you afraid that others will find out that you can¡¯t get married?!¡±


    In less than two breaths, Shen Jie¡¯s voice came from outside the door. ¡°Zhou Chenxi, do you think you can fool me? Come out andpete with me obediently. Otherwise, stay in the toilet and don¡¯t even think abouting out.¡±


    Anger surged in Yangyang¡¯s heart as he sneered. ¡°I don¡¯t want to fight a shrew! Miss of a rich family! Do you have any shame? You¡¯re blocking the door of the men¡¯s room. Even if you don¡¯t want to get married, I still have to get a wife!¡±


    Shen Jie blushed and kicked the door hard. ¡°Shameless.¡± After scolding, she pulled her maidservant away.


    As the two of them walked outside, Shen Jie widened her eyes and pointed at the little girl, instructing her to wait there. She turned around and ran into the small courtyard. She tiptoed to the corner and quietly hid there.


    Yangyang waited for the footsteps to fade away. He opened the bathroom door and stuck his head out to take a look before walking out in relief.


    Just as he reached the corner, Shen Jie, who was hiding in a corner, punched him hard in the face. Yangyang dodged and strode to her side. He clenched his left fist and punched her ribs.


    ¡°Bang¡­¡±


    ¡°Ouch¡­


    Shen Jie¡¯s body arched in pain. She squatted on the ground and cried loudly.


    Yangyang looked at the crying Shen Jie and was a little helpless. ¡°You ambushed me first. Who knew vou were so weak?¡±


    Shen Jie squatted on the ground and cried non-stop. Yangyang looked around and didn¡¯t see Shen Jie get up. He took a step forward and asked, ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    Shen Jie looked up with tears all over her face and red at Yangyang with red eyes. ¡°Leave. It¡¯s none of your business.¡±


    Seeing that she was really crying, Yangyang looked at her in embarrassment. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were so weak. Don¡¯t cry. I¡¯ll help you call your little girl over!¡±


    ¡°Fake kind-hearted young brat!¡± Shen Jie was embarrassed and angry. She suddenly hugged Yangyang¡¯s waist and bit his chest. Yangyang was caught off guard and was pressed to the ground by Shen Jie. When he reacted, he pushed Shen Jie away forcefully. Shen Jie wrapped her arms around Yangyang¡¯s waist and refused to let go. The two of them rolled together.


    ¡°Stupid girl, are you born in the year of the dog? Shrew, I shouldn¡¯t have cared about you.¡± Yangyang looked at Shen Jie, who was pressing on him, and shouted angrily. He rolled hard and pressed Shen Jie to the ground. He pushed Shen Jie¡¯s hand away and pushed her to the ground before turning to leave.


    ¡°Young brat, Young brat¡­¡± Shen Jie shouted as she looked at Yangyang¡¯s back.


    Yangyang walked out without looking back and saw the little maidservant standing there uneasily, tiptoeing to look in. Yangyang red at her and walked straight toward the entrance of the school field.


    When the maidservant saw Yangyange out, she hurriedly ran into the corner of the eaves of the house and saw Shen Jie sitting on the ground. There were still tears on her face and her dress was covered in dust.


    The maidservant looked at her worriedly. ¡°Miss, what¡¯s wrong? Did Young Master Zhou bully you?¡±


    Shen Jie rolled her eyes angrily and reached out to her. ¡°Is your Miss someone to be bullied? Hurry up and pull me up.¡±


    The maidservant looked at Shen Jie¡¯s wrinkled dress and her nose and eyes were almost wrinkled together. She hurriedly straightened her. ¡°Miss, if you go back like this, Matriarch will teach me a lesson.¡±


    Shen Jie red at her and said indifferently, ¡°What¡¯s there to be afraid of?


    When we get back, I¡¯ll say that I identally fell. That¡¯ll do!¡±


    The maidservant looked at Shen Jie gratefully. ¡°Thank you, Miss.¡±


    Shen Jie pointed at the maidservant. ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to tell my grandmother about my fight with Zhou Chenxi.¡±


    ¡°Promise.¡± Xiao Ya mimed sewing her mouth shut.


    Shen Jie nodded in satisfaction and walked out first.


    Yangyang returned to the amodation and pushed open the door to enter the house. He unbuttoned his clothes and looked down to see two rows of bright red teeth marks on his chest. He bared his teeth in anger. ¡°Stupid girl!


    Hag!¡±


    He angrily took out the Golden Injury Medicine and poured a little on it. He changed his clothes and walked towards the Crown Prince Academy.


    As soon as he entered the academy and sat down in the ssroom, Chu Yao poked him. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You¡¯ve already changed your clothes. My Cousin caught you!¡±


    ¡°Stop talking. She¡¯s a crazy girl.¡± Yangyang was extremely depressed.


    Chu Yao wanted to ask more, but Grand Tutor MO walked in with his hands behind his back. The few of them hurriedly sat down and bowed seriously to


    Grand Tutor Mo..

 Chapter 568 - 568: Farewell

    Chapter 568: Farewell


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Grand Tutor MO looked at Pan Sheng and said, ¡°How about the master seat?¡±


    Pan Sheng stood up and replied respectfully, ¡°Tai Gong said, ¡®Be quiet and peaceful. Determine the softness first. Be good and not fight. Be humble and calm.¡±


    Grand Tutor MO nodded and asked him to sit down. He looked at Yangyang and said, ¡°Zhou Chenxi, the Wen King said, ¡°How¡¯s the Lord?¡±


    ¡°Taigong said, ¡°The eyes are wise, the ears are wise, and the heart is wise. With the eyes of the world, nothing can be unseen. With the ears of the world¡­¡± Grand Tutor MO nodded in satisfaction and began his lecture.


    After ss, Pan Sheng walked to Yangyang¡¯s side with a smile and pointed at his clothes. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you were pushed into the toilet!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the one who was pushed into the toilet!¡± Yangyang said angrily. Qi Dingbang winked at Yangyang and smiled. ¡°Didn¡¯t that Miss find you?¡±


    Yangyang nced at him. ¡°I can¡¯t be bothered with you. It¡¯s His Highness¡¯s sster. I¡¯m leaving.¡±


    Seeing that he didn¡¯t want to talk, Qi Dingbang said tactfully, ¡°You go first. I¡¯ll leaveter.¡±


    Yangyang greeted Chu Yao and left the Crown Prince Academy.


    Ji Xiang picked him up outside the pce door and walked back. Seeing him sitting silently on the cart, he smiled and asked, ¡°Eldest Young Master, did you notplete your homework and were punished by Grand Tutor MO?¡± Yangyang replied in a low voice, ¡°No, Uncle Xiang.¡±


    Ji Xiang nced at him. ¡°Did you fight with a ssmate? Do you want Uncle


    Xiang to help you?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to help me. I beat her until that person cried.¡±


    Ji Xiang smiled. ¡°It¡¯s too embarrassing for a man to cry.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a man, it¡¯s a woman.¡± Yangyang touched his chest and felt a little pain. Thinking that if it was a man, he would definitely knock his teeth out.


    Ji Xiangughed when he heard that. ¡°Then you¡¯re in the wrong. Girls have to be coaxed a little. You can¡¯t use your fists. ¡±


    Yangyang shook his head in frustration. ¡°She doesn¡¯t look like a girl. I can¡¯t be bothered to coax her. I¡¯m annoyed to see her.¡± With that, he crawled into the carriage.


    When the two of them returned home, Li Yu saw that he was silent and touched his forehead. ¡°Son, are you feeling unwell?¡±


    ¡°Mother,e in. I have something to tell you.¡± Yangyang pulled Li Yu into the room and lifted her clothes for her to see. ¡°Look, I¡¯ve already hidden in the toilet today, but she still won¡¯t let me off¡­ She bit me like this.¡±


    As he spoke, he looked at Li Yu worriedly. ¡°Mother, she bit me here and even hugged me. Will her family want me to marry her and make her my wife?¡± Li Yu smirked. ¡°Young brat, I wonder what you heard outside?¡±


    Li Yu looked at the bite mark on Yangyang¡¯s chest and was secretly worried. Would he get tetanus if she bit him like this? Li Yu frowned. ¡°Wait for me. I¡¯ll get something for you to wash up with.¡±


    Yangyang nodded. After a while, he saw Li Yu enter with a wine pot. ¡°Mother, are you going to give me wine? You haven¡¯t told me if her family will force her on me.¡±


    As Li Yu wiped the teeth marks on him with strong wine, she asked, ¡°Who told you that you have to marry her after being hugged?¡±


    Yangyang looked at Li Yu worriedly. ¡°Qi Dingbang said so. He said that this is how his brother¡¯s wife came about.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re still children. There¡¯s no such thing. ording to his logic, doesn¡¯t that mean you can hug whoever you want to marry? If you want to marry anyone, you can hug them too. These are all nonsense said by those pedantic families.¡±


    Yangyang heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Then I¡¯m relieved. I¡¯ve been worried for so long.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and patted him. ¡®What are you afraid of? Perhaps she¡¯s worried that you¡¯ll insist on marrying her!¡±


    Yangyang couldn¡¯t help but shake his head. ¡°She¡¯s so fierce. I don¡¯t want to marry her.¡±


    Li Yu looked at him. ¡°Remember, when you¡¯re a little older, you can¡¯t y with girls like this. At that time, they¡¯ll really want you to marry her!¡± ¡°Got it. I go see my brothers and do my homework thereafter.¡±


    Li Yu nodded and watched him run out with a smile.


    When the Spring Quarter Examinations were released, Lin Zexu¡¯s job as an examiner was finallypleted.


    After returning home to wash up and rest, Madam Gong told him about Old Lin kidnapping Li Yu.


    Lin Zexu suddenly stood up from his chair and looked at Madam Gong in disbelief. ¡°How could this be? Old Lin is someone we brought from Qingzhou.¡±


    Madam Gong said in a heavy tone, ¡°The real Old Lin was killed by the bandits long ago. This Old Lin was impersonated by the bandits.¡±


    Madam Gong felt a lingering fear just thinking about it. ¡°Fortunately, Ah Yu is skilled in martial arts, so she was safe. If he had kidnapped you and Ah Lan¡­¡±


    Lin Zexu was as afraid as Madam Gong. He frowned and recalled, ¡°That year, he said that he caught a cold and rested at home for a few days. Later, I felt that he was a little different from before, but I couldn¡¯t tell what was different. The only obvious thing was that his voice was hoarser than before. He even said that his throat was ufortable. Sigh! I really didn¡¯t expect this. I almost harmed Ah Yu. I really did something wrong with good intentions.¡±


    Madam Gong sighed and said, ¡°That¡¯s right! I thought so too. Fortunately, Ah Yu is fine. Otherwise, we would really have to feel guilty for the rest of our lives.¡±


    Lin Zexu felt that Madam Gong¡¯s words had hit the nail on the head. He nodded and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go over and take a look. I heard that Ah Qing is also setting off for Le County.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re setting off tomorrow morning. We¡¯re just waiting for you to say goodbye!¡±


    ¡°Yes! Let¡¯s go over and take a look.¡±


    Lin Zexu walked out, and Madam Gong followed him.


    When the couple arrived at Li Qing¡¯s house, they saw that Li Yu and Zhou Jia were also there. After everyone smiled and greeted each other, they sat down. Lin Zexu looked at Li Yu apologetically. Just as he was about to speak, Li Yu stopped him with a smile. ¡°Uncle, don¡¯t apologize anymore. Aunt has already said a lot. Do you not treat me as your biological niece?¡±


    When Lin Zexu heard Li Yu¡¯s words, an inexplicable sadness surged in his heart. ¡°Silly girl, I won¡¯t say anything. As long as you¡¯re fine, I won¡¯t say anything.¡±


    Li Qing stood up and said to Lin Zexu and Zhou Jia, ¡°Uncle, Brother-inw, let¡¯s go to the study to talk.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± The two of them nodded in agreement and went to the study with Li Qing. The study was almost ready.


    Zhou Jia told Lin Zexu what had happened during his time in the examination hall.


    When Lin Zexu heard this, he said with a heavy heart, ¡°Looks like that person hasn¡¯t been idle all these years. Fortunately, he didn¡¯t ascend to that position.¡±


    Zhou Jia nodded and said, ¡°We¡¯ll wait for Chu Qing toe back and see if we¡¯ve found those lurking thieves.¡±


    Li Yu, Madam Gong, and Fan Mingfang sat and chatted. Zhou Jia and Li Qing waited until mealtime beforeing out together.


    The next morning, Zhou Jia and his wife sent Li Qing¡¯s family to the city gate where everyone said goodbye.


    Madam Gong instructed, ¡°Wanwan, Dong¡¯er is still young. You have to be careful on the way and protect the good child.¡±


    Fan Mingfang nodded and said, ¡°Yes, Aunt, Sister. You have to take care of your health at home. Go to Le County to y when you¡¯re free.¡±


    Li Yu nodded. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll definitely go..¡±

 Chapter 569 - 569: Attending the Banquet

    Chapter 569: Attending the Banquet


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Li Qing carried his son over. Dongdong bowed to the two of them. ¡°Aunt,


    Auntie, Brother Dong is leaving. Come and y.¡±


    Li Yu patted Brother Dong reluctantly. Madam Gong touched his face reluctantly. ¡°Brother Dong, be good on the way and listen to Father and Mother.¡±


    Brother Dong nodded. ¡°Auntie has to be good too.¡±


    They smiled and nodded. ¡°Okay, we¡¯ll both be good.¡±


    Li Qing and Fan Mingfang bowed to everyone and got into the carriage. The coachman waved the whip and drove the horse forward.


    The group stood there and watched the convoy gradually go further and further away before turning around and getting into the carriage to return to the city.


    When Li Yu returned home, she changed her clothes and went out. She got into the carriage and headed toward the Shen family.


    The Shen family upied most of the street behind Li Yu¡¯s house. Two majestic stone lions stood at the door, and the entrance was filled with carriages.


    When Li Yu got out of the car, an old woman went forward and respectfully weed Li Yu to the door. She got into a small sedan chair and Xing Hua followed the sedan chair in.


    Walking along the limestone road to the second door, the sedan chair was lowered. Madam Wu smiled and weed her. ¡°Madam Li, please!¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Li Yu replied with a smile. The two of them walked in together.


    Madam Wu smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s rare for you toe out to socialize. After knowing that you wereing, Madam specially asked me to wee you!¡±


    Li Yu smiled. ¡°Madam Luo, you¡¯re too polite. Look at me, I don¡¯t even know what I¡¯m busy with. I never knew that Madam Luo had returned to the capital.¡±


    When the two of them arrived at the main hall, they saw that there were already many Madams and Misses sitting inside.


    Li Yu walked in. Madam Luo smiled and went up to her. She said intimately,


    ¡°This must be Madam Li!¡±


    Li Yu smiled and nodded. She bowed and said, ¡°Greetings, Madam Luo.¡± Madam Luo smiled and said, ¡°How can I let you bow to me? Please sit.¡±


    Madam Luo¡¯s attitude towards Li Yu was seen by all the Madams in the hall.


    They thought to themselves that this was as expected of His Majesty¡¯s favorite Madam. Even the Madam General had to be polite to her.


    The Madams in the hall chatted politely for a while more. After everyone sat down, Li Yu spoke to Madam Luo politely.


    After sitting for a while, the Gong sisters also came. After Li Yu went forward to greet them, she went to the garden with them.


    Madam Luo looked at Li Yu¡¯s back and thought to herself, In the past, I heard from Master that the woman who saved His Majesty was elegant. I even felt that Master was looking down on her. A farm girl who knows some martial arts might just be a little more elegant than ordinary women! Seeing her today, she indeed has an extraordinary bearing. No wonder even the Empress Dowager praised her.


    The Gong sisters and Li Yu walked into the Shen family¡¯s garden and saw that it was filled with exotic flowers and grass. There was also a man-madeke about ten acres wide in the garden.


    Theke was filled with weeping willows and arge peach blossom forest. The pink peach blossoms filled the branches, and the fine green leaves contrasted with the flowers. They were as dazzling as pearls and emeralds. A gust of wind blew, and the pink petals emitted a fragrance.


    The peach forest was paved with stone bs. The three of them walked into the peach forest and immersed themselves in the sea of flowers.


    Elder Madam Gong smiled and said, ¡°The Shen family¡¯s peach forest is really well taken care of. When I walk in this peach blossom forest and smell the fragrance of the flowers, my mood bes even better.¡±


    Madam Gong smiled and nced at Li Yu, who was immersed in the sea of flowers. ¡°The Shen family¡¯s peach forest is indeed not bad. It¡¯s rare to see such a scenery in the capital.¡±


    A beautiful woman covered in pearls walked over from the front and walked up to Madam Gong. She had a mboyant smile on her face and her eyes darted back and forth between Li Yu and Madam Gong. She bowed perfunctorily to Madam Gong. ¡°I¡¯m alsoing to the Shen family to attend the banquet! This must be Auntie Jin¡¯s cousin, right?¡±


    Li Yu looked at her and felt that her smile was too fake. She called her Aunt, but she did not have the respect she should have for her elders. She frowned and did not respond to her.


    Madam Gong nced at her and said indifferently, ¡°So it¡¯s Madam Chen. When did you return to the capital?¡±


    The woman called Ah Ning smiled awkwardly and said, ¡°I¡¯ve only been back for two days and haven¡¯t had the time to pay my respects to Uncle and Aunt.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t. I¡¯m not worthy.¡± Madam Gong pulled Li Yu with a cold expression. ¡°Ah Yu, let¡¯s go.¡±


    Ah Ning¡¯s face darkened. She wanted to say something but closed her mouth.


    Madam Gong pulled Li Yu forward. Ah Ning looked at Li Yu and wanted to call out to her. Seeing that she did not even look at her, she stood there resentfully.


    Li Yu followed Madam Gong forward. She had known Madam Gong for a few years and had never seen her treat anyone like this. She felt that something bad must have happened between them. Seeing that she was unwilling to mention it, she did not ask.


    Elder Madam Gong followed and asked Madam Gong in a low voice, ¡°Wanru, whose Madam is that? Why haven¡¯t I heard you mention it before?¡±


    ¡°This is a girl from the second branch of the Lin family. She¡¯s now the eldest young mistress of the Chen family.¡± Madam Gong said briefly, still unwilling to say more.


    The few of them walked to a pavilion built in theke. Seeing that there was no one in the pavilion, Madam Gong said to the two of them, ¡°Let¡¯s go in and sit.¡±


    When they sat down in the pavilion, Madam Gong said, ¡°She hasn¡¯t been mentioned all these years because Master said not to mention her. The Lin family doesn¡¯t have such a grandaunt. I think she wants to use me to get to know Ah Yu. I was afraid that Ah Yu would be deceived by her, so I mentioned it again.¡±


    Elder Madam Gong looked at her cousin in confusion. ¡°Just tell me what she did. I¡¯m confused.¡±


    Madam Gong looked at her. ¡°Cousin, have you forgotten that not long after I married my master, a pair of siblings from the Lin family came to my residence and stayed at my house for half a year before leaving?¡±


    Elder Madam Gong thought for a moment and shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t remember seeing them.¡±


    ¡°She was born by the second son of the Lin family¡¯s concubine. That year, the Qingzhou Prefecture was in chaos. The siblings avoided a cmity by renting a house outside Qingshan County. Later, Master came to the capital to marry me. They heard about us from somewhere and found my house to stay.¡±


    ¡°This girl looks straightforward and generous on the surface. After interacting with her for a long time, I realized that she¡¯s scheming and takes property quite seriously. Her personality is simply that of a Pixiu. No matter what it is, as long as it¡¯s in her hands, don¡¯t even think about letting it out.¡±


    Elder Madam Gong curled her lips and said, ¡°How can such a woman be raised bv an aristocratic familv?¡±


    Madam Gong sighed. ¡°That¡¯s one thing. Coincidentally, when the siblings lived in my house, Master¡¯s good friend, Su Jinshi, was waiting for the Imperial Court to send officials to the capital. Master could talk to him and the two of them often gathered.¡±


    ¡°Although Schr Su is ordinary-looking, his family is rich and eloquent. I don¡¯t know when she hooked up with Schr Su. When Master found out, he flew into a rage and said that Schr Su was engaged at home. He firmly disagreed with the two of them and even scolded Schr Su.¡±


    ¡°Then she urged his brother toe out to criticize Master. There were other unpleasant things. In short, it meant that we were not qualified to interfere in her matters. They moved out that day. Later, I heard that she and Schr Su were married..¡±

 Chapter 570 - 570: Old Friend

    Chapter 570: Old Friend


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Elder Madam Gong thought for a moment and said, ¡°Is this the Su family in Liangzhou?¡±


    Madam Gong nodded. ¡°It¡¯s his family. His family is in the fur business. I heard that their businesses are all over Great Yong.¡±


    Elder Madam Gong clicked her tongue. ¡°No wonder she¡¯s covered in pearls. She¡¯s married to his family.¡±


    Madam Gong nodded. ¡°Yes! Ever since that incident, our two families have never interacted. Today, she came to greet us and kept staring at Ah Yu. What good things can happen to someone like her who doesn¡¯t wake up early without benefits!¡±


    Li Yu listened to the two of them gossip and looked at a delicate little girl by theke. She was carrying a snow-white kitten and following behind her was a little girl with a raised nose. She walked towards the pavilion.


    Madam Gong also saw her and smiled. ¡°This girl is really good-looking.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and nodded. ¡°Yes! She makes me happy.¡±


    The little girl walked into the pavilion and bowed to the three of them. She widened her almond-shaped eyes and looked at Li Yu curiously. ¡°Madam, are you Zhou Chenxi¡¯s mother?¡±


    Li Yu looked at her and suddenly understood who she was. She nodded with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m Zhou Chenxi¡¯s mother. Are you Miss Shen?¡±


    Shen Jie blushed like the peach petals in the peach forest and nodded. ¡°Yes, Madam.¡¯


    The Gong sisters looked at Shen Jie curiously. Li Yu smiled and asked, ¡°Miss Shen, why are you looking for me?¡±


    Shen Jie looked at Li Yu and bit her lip for a moment. She looked at Li Yu with a


    red face. ¡®Madam Li, I heard from Ah Zhu that you taught Zhou Chenxi martial arts. I also want to learn martial arts from you, okay?¡±


    ¡°Ah Zhu?¡± Li Yu felt that it should be someone¡¯s nickname. ¡°Most of Yangyang¡¯s martial arts were taught by his uncles. I rarely teach him.¡±


    When Shen Jie heard this, she felt a little down. She bowed politely to them. ¡°I understand, Madam Li. Madams, sorry to disturb you.¡±


    Li Yu looked at her obedient appearance and couldn¡¯t imagine her chasing after Yangyang topete. She even hugged Yangyang and bit him. She smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s fine, Miss Shen. It¡¯s nice to meet you.¡±


    When Shen Jie heard this, she looked at Li Yu with sparkling eyes. ¡°Madam Li, I¡¯m also very happy to know you!¡± With that, she smiled at Li Yu and turned to leave.


    Madam Gong watched Shen Jie walk away and said with a smile, ¡°As expected of the daughter of a general. She¡¯s so obedient that she actually likes martial arts.¡±


    Li Yu nodded. ¡°Yes.¡±


    Elder Madam Gong said, ¡°The banquet is about to start. Let¡¯s not wait for them to invite us. Let¡¯s go back!¡±


    The two of them nodded and went back to sit for a while. Soon, the banquet began.


    Li Yu wanted to go to Liang Vige to take a look. After leaving the banquet, she bade farewell to Madam Luo and left.


    Madam Wu sent Li Yu and the Gong sisters out. After saying goodbye with a smile, Madam Gong took a carriage back.


    Madam Gong and Li Yu got into a carriage. Li Yu said to Madam Gong, ¡°I bought the remaining fields in Liang Vige and n to go to Liang Vige to take a look. Do you want to go to the farm with me for a few days?¡±


    Madam Gong shook her head and said to Li Yu happily, ¡°I¡¯ll go with you in the future. Your cousin-inw is pregnant. Sigh! She¡¯s finally pregnant.


    Li Yu was also happy for Madam Gong and held her hand. ¡°Aunt, you¡¯re really a


    good mother-inw.¡±


    Madam Gong smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯m also worried! Seeing that she¡¯s worried about having children, if I force her again, wouldn¡¯t I be forcing her to die?


    We¡¯re all women!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! They¡¯re all women, but how many of them can do it?¡±


    Li Yu really admired Madam Gong. She felt that she was open-minded and knew how to think for others, but she was not saintly.


    Li Yu sent Madam Gong back to the Lin residence before heading back. Just as she reached home and changed into afortable dress, Xing Hua sat outside and reported, ¡°Madam, a Madam sent an invitation to see you.¡±


    ¡°Did the person say which Madam she is?¡± Li Yu walked to the door in her slippers and asked.


    Xing Hua handed the invitation to Li Yu. ¡°She said that she¡¯s your cousin.¡±


    Li Yu took a look and saw that it said: Madam Chen Lin, Wen Ning¡­ Li Yu closed the invitation and ced it in Xing Hua¡¯s hand. ¡°Tell her not toe again. I won¡¯t see her.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± Xing Hua took the invitation and went out to tell Granny Yang what Li Yu had said.


    After Granny Yang nodded in agreement, she went outside and smiled politely at Madam Lin, who was waiting in the carriage. ¡°Madam Lin, my Madam asked us to tell you that she won¡¯t see you.¡±


    When Madam Lin heard this, she forced a smile and said, ¡°Nanny, does Madam have any misunderstanding about me? I can exin to her in person.¡±


    Granny Yang took two steps back and bowed. ¡°Madam Lin, please!¡±


    Madam Gong must be behind this. Madam Lin suppressed the anger in her heart and smiled at the respectful and polite Granny Yang. She knocked on the wall of the carriage. The coachman waved his whip and the carriage started.


    Granny Yang turned around and walked back. A dignified man dressed as a schr walked up to Granny Yang and cupped his hands. ¡°Granny, may I ask if this is Assistant Minister Zhou¡¯s residence?¡±


    Granny Yang bent her knees in return. ¡°Yes, may I ask your name?


    The man cupped his hands and said, ¡°My surname is Qi and my name is


    Zhanpeng. I¡¯m here to pay my respects to Lord Zhou and Mr. Wen.¡±


    Granny Yang smiled and said, ¡°Master hasn¡¯t left the government office yet. Old Master is at the West Street Medical Hall in the West City and hasn¡¯t returned. ¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Granny. I¡¯ll go to the West City to look for Sir.¡± Qi Zhanpeng cupped his hands and thanked Granny Yang before turning to leave.


    Qi Zhanpeng found the medical center and saw Mr. Wen sitting there, treating people. He saw that his gray hair had turned silver.


    Seven Pounds saw Qi Zhanpeng standing at the door and looked at Mr. Wen with red eyes. He went forward and cupped his hands. ¡°Young Master, do you want to see a doctor or get medicine?¡±


    Qi Zhanpeng smiled and shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m here to see Sir.¡±


    Seven Pounds looked at the attentive teacher. ¡°Sir, there¡¯s still a while. Young


    Master, pleasee in and sit for a while.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, little brother.¡± Qi Zhanpeng cupped his hands and thanked him. He handed the gift box in his hand to Seven Pounds and sat at the side to wait for Mr. Wen.


    After Mr. Wen finished tending to thest patient, Qi Zhanpeng went forward and bowed. ¡°Greetings, sir.¡±


    Mr. Wen looked at him in surprise and asked repeatedly, ¡°Xiao Qi, you came to the capital to take the exam! How did you do? Why are you only looking for me now? Go to the backyard and sit down.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mr. Wen.¡± Qi Zhanpeng followed Mr. Wen to the backyard. After the two of them sat down, the servant served tea and left.


    Qi Zhanpeng looked at Mr. Wen and blushed slightly. He said, ¡°I entered the capital at the bezinninz of the vear and was luckv to zet on the rankinzs.¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright. Is your mother alright? Are you married?¡± Mr. Wen smiled happily.


    When Qi Zhanpeng heard this, his eyes turned red. ¡°My mother is no longer around. I haven¡¯t found someone suitable to be my wife.¡±


    ¡°Sigh!¡± Mr. Wen sighed and stood up to pat his shoulder. Heforted him.


    ¡°Now that you¡¯re on the rankings, you canfort your parents in heaven.


    Take your time to find your wife.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, sir.¡± Qi Zhanpeng bowed.


    Mr. Wen smiled at him and said, ¡°I¡¯ve been so busy that I haven¡¯t eaten anything. Apany me for a simple meal.¡± Qi Zhanpeng agreed respectfully..

 Chapter 571 - 571: Trip

    Chapter 571: Trip


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Li Yu packed a few changes of clothes at home and went to the cer to take out the rice seeds and corn seeds in the space. She asked Uncle Liu to prepare the two mule carts tomorrow morning and nned to set off tomorrow morning to send the seeds to Liang Vige.


    When Zhou Jia and Yangyang returned, she had just told them that they were going to Liang Vige. Yueyue and Xingxing were arguing about going. Li Yu was worried that it was not safe there. She hesitated for a moment but did not agree. Mr. Wen returned to the residence.


    Mr. Wen smiled and said, ¡°Jiahe, do you remember Qi Zhanpeng?¡±


    ¡°Qi Zhanpeng.¡± Zhou Jia thought for a moment. ¡°Is it that Qi Zhanpeng who had his medical center upied?¡±


    Mr. Wen smiled and told Zhou Jia about Qi Zhanpeng¡¯s recent situation. He then said, ¡°Although he¡¯s on the list, his ranking isn¡¯t ideal. That child is a straightforward person. If there¡¯s a suitable position. Help me take care of him.¡±


    When Zhou Jia heard this, he thought about Qi Zhanpeng¡¯s experience and felt that he was worthy of his guidance. He nodded and said, ¡°The county magistrate of Shanyang County has just been taken down. There are too many people fighting for this position. His Majesty saw that the candidates reported by the Ministry of Official Personnel Affairs all relied on rtionships, so he suppressed them and hasn¡¯t decided on a candidate. His Majesty means to choose a suitable person to take up a post in Shanyang County. I¡¯ll rmend him to His Majesty. Whether he seeds or not will depend on His Majesty¡¯s decision. Don¡¯t tell him for the time being.¡±


    Mr. Wen nodded. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll let him stay at the medical center. I¡¯ll tell him when there¡¯s a result.¡±


    Yangyang pulled Mr. Wen. ¡°Grandmaster, why haven¡¯t you been back for a few days?¡±


    Yueyue and Xingxing also pulled him along. ¡°Grandmaster, I want to eat hawthorn pills.¡±


    Mr. Wen smiled happily and took out three small boxes from the bag. ¡°Come, the hawthorn pills Grandmaster made for you and Yangyang¡¯s bones and tendons.¡±


    After the children held it in their hands and bowed to Mr. Wen, Zhou Jia said to Yangyang, ¡°Grandmaster is very tired after a busy day. Yang¡¯er will bring your brothers to the back garden for a walk.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Yangyang took his two younger brothers to the garden to y.


    Seeing Mr. Wen¡¯s tired expression, Li Yu said with concern, ¡°Sir, you¡¯ve lost weight again. I think you should rest for a few days. I¡¯m going to Liang Vige tomorrow. There are beautiful mountains and clear water there. The scenery is


    not bad. Can youe back with me to rest for a few days?¡±


    Zhou Jia also persuaded, ¡°That¡¯s right! Sir, go for a walk with Xiaoyu! Ever since you opened the medical center, you¡¯ve gone to the hot spring manor twice and haven¡¯t gone out to y!¡±


    Mr. Wen felt that he was a little exhausted in the next few days. He thought for a moment and nodded. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go out with Xiaoyu. I¡¯ll go back to the medical centerter and tell Xiao Qi that we¡¯ll go to Liang Vige together tomorrow morning. ¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll get Ji Xiang to go to the medical center and tell Xiao Qi. You¡¯ve been busy for the entire day. I¡¯ll serve you a hot bath to relieve your fatigue. It¡¯s time to eat.¡±


    Mr. Wen looked at Zhou Jia lovingly. ¡°Alright, we haven¡¯t spoken properly in a long time.¡±


    Li Yu said with a smile, ¡°I got the kitchen to stew your favorite Mountain


    Treasure Duck Soup. Talk to Jiahe. I¡¯ll go to the kitchen to take a look.¡±


    After the family ate dinner happily, Zhou Jia said to Li Yu, ¡°Yu¡¯er, Sir asked me to bring Old Master back and go to Liang Vige with you. What do you think?¡±


    ¡°Alright, Uncle Zhou left him alone in the manor.¡± Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia. ¡°Let Tiezhu go to the manor now. We can only enter the city tomorrow morning when the city gate opens.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll ride a horse and bring Yang¡¯er to court tomorrow morning.¡± Zhou Jia got someone to go. The family went to the back garden to digest their food a few more times before returning to their rooms to rest.


    The next morning, Zhou Jia brought Yangyang to the morning court. Li Yu went to the backyard for morning practice.


    Ji Xiang got someone to load the seeds onto the handcart. Seeing that the sky was gray, he got someone to cover it with anotheryer of oilcloth.


    Tiezhu and Old Master Zhou also returned to the residence and prepared to set off for Liang Vige.


    Yueyue and Xingxing each hugged Li Yu¡¯s leg and looked up at her pitifully.


    ¡°Mother, we have to go together. Mother¡­ Mother¡­¡±


    Li Yu was caught betweenughter and tears as she looked at the two pitiful children hugging her legs. ¡°Little baddies, you even learned how to walk.¡±


    ¡°No! No! We want to go together too, Mother¡­ Mother¡­¡± The two children started nagging.


    Mr. Wen looked at the two of them and was so amused that he couldn¡¯t close his mouth. He said to Li Yu, ¡°Xiaoyu, bring them to the vige to y with mud and grounded down to earth.¡±


    Old Master Zhou also said, ¡°Bring the two of them along! They¡¯re going to be stupid if they¡¯re locked in the courtyard every day.¡±


    Li Yu looked down at the two of them. ¡°Alright! You can¡¯t do this next time, understand?¡±


    The two of them stood up and looked at Li Yu¡¯s smiling eyes. They nodded vigorously. ¡°Got it. No next time.¡±


    Li Yu turned to look at Granny Chen. ¡®Granny Chen, go pack some bedding and clothes. Call Han Ling, Auntie Zhang, and Auntie He. Let¡¯s go and stay for a few days beforeing back.¡±


    ¡°Aye!¡± Granny Chen turned around and walked towards the inner courtyard.


    After a while, Auntie He carried the grill, Auntie Zhang carried the mud stove and charcoal. Old Madam Liu, Granny Chen, and Han Ling each carried tworge food boxes out of the inner courtyard.


    Auntie He smiled and said to Li Yu, ¡°Madam, Second Young Master and Third


    Young Master haven¡¯t had a pic yet. Let¡¯s go to Liang Vige to barbecue.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good. I¡¯ll go up the mountain and hunt some wild animals when we get there.¡±


    Ji Xiang went to get another carriage. An hourter, everyone officially set off.


    After leaving the city, the two children were extremely excited. They stuck their heads out of the window and pointed at the people and cars along the way.


    Li Yu turned around and looked. ¡°It¡¯s a big yellow cow, not our Big Yellow. Our


    Big Yellow is in Phoenix Vige!¡±


    Yueyue thought for a moment and asked, ¡°Mother, will Eldest Brother cry if we leave?¡±


    ¡°He might! Yue¡¯er, can you go home and apany Brother?¡± Li Yu asked him with a smile.


    Yueyue was worried. ¡°But I want to go y with you. Mother, let¡¯s get Uncle Xiang to send Eldest Brother over, okay?¡±


    Xingxing interrupted, ¡°Second Brother, Eldest Brother has to go to school. He can¡¯te!¡±


    Li Yu looked at the smart Xingxing and the loyal Yueyue. She pulled the two of them to her side and sat down. She looked at Yue Yue and said, ¡°Brother is right. Eldest Brother has to go to school, and Father has to go to the government office to work. When the holidayse, our family cane out to y.¡±


    Yueyue nodded. ¡°Yes! Let¡¯s go out to y during the holidays.¡±


    The car went up the mountain path. A gust of mountain wind blew, bringing with it the faint fragrance of mountain flowers. The air was fresh and sweet, and waves of crisp and pleasant birdsong came from the depths of the trees on both sides. The two children widened their eyes curiously and looked at the forest, looking for traces of birds.


    When they reached a t ground at the top of the mountain, the carriage stopped. Auntie He, Auntie Zhang, and Granny Chen brought down the oilcloth and found a dry ce toy it out. They began to prepare food.


    Li Yu got out of the carriage with the two children. When the brothers saw Han Ling picking wildflowers, they ran over and followed her..

 Chapter 572 - 572: No Potion of Regret

    Chapter 572: No Potion of Regret


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Mr. Wen and Old Master Zhou put away the chess pieces and got out of the carriage. They looked at the mountain full of spring flowers and persimmon trees not far away and said to Old Master Zhou with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s better toe out for a walk!¡±


    Old Master Zhou cleared his throat. ¡°I¡¯m used to living on the farm now. It¡¯s notfortable for me to go back. I hired two parentless children in the vige to help me work and sell flowers. I even taught them how to read when I was free. The two children know how to be grateful. Theye early every day and help clean up the courtyard. They even nted some melons and vegetables in the open space.¡±


    Mr. Wen looked at him and teased, ¡°Oh! I didn¡¯t expect you to do these pitying things!¡±


    Old Master Zhou looked at Mr. Wen aggrievedly. ¡°Look at what you¡¯re saying.


    Although I was unreasonable in the past, I¡¯ve never bullied anyone!¡±


    Mr. Wen looked at him. ¡°You didn¡¯t bully anyone else, but you bullied Jiahe and his mother.¡±


    When Old Master Zhou heard this, he lowered his head guiltily. A momentter, he looked up and rubbed his face hard. ¡°Yes, the people I feel most guilty about in my life are Jiahe and his mother. I didn¡¯t have the ability to protect them myself, so I pretended not to see those incidents.¡±


    Mr. Wen sighed and said, ¡°It¡¯s not entirely your fault. You can only me fate for making a fool of you.¡±


    Old Master Zhou turned to look at Mr. Wen, his eyes filled with regret. ¡°Old


    Master, all kinds of medicine are sold in the world, but there¡¯s no medicine for regret. If there¡¯s really the Six Paths of Reincarnation, I¡¯d rather fall into the path of animals and redeem the sins Imitted.¡±


    Mr. Wen looked at him and persuaded, ¡°Don¡¯t me yourself too much. You¡¯ve done very well in the years since Jiahe and his wife returned to the capital.¡±


    ¡°Granduncle, Uncle.¡± Yueyue and Xingxing each brought a bouquet of wildflowers to the two of them. Yueyue handed the flowers to Old Master Zhou. ¡°Uncle, look, the flowers are really beautiful!¡±


    Old Master Zhou squatted down and took the bouquet with a smile. ¡°Aiya! What beautiful flowers! I¡¯ll bring you to pick them.¡±


    Xingxing took Mr. Wen¡¯s hand. ¡°Grandmaster, go pick the flowers.¡±


    ¡°Alright, Grandmaster will apany Xing¡¯er to pick flowers.¡±


    Li Yu stood on the mountain path and looked at the vige at the foot of the mountain. The fields were filled with busy figures.


    Auntie He and Auntie Zhang heated up the pancakes and bean juice they had brought and cut a hole with a knife. They picked up some braised food and ced it inside. Everyone sat around the oilcloth and ate.


    The two children had never eaten in the wild before. It was a novelty. After eating a pancake and drinking half a bowl of bean juice, they circled everyone and chattered like birds in the forest.


    After eating, everyone began to travel again. Soon after getting into the carriage, the two children fell asleep.


    The sky became darker and darker. Granny Chen looked at the sky and whispered, ¡°Madam, it looks like it¡¯s going to rain.¡±


    Li Yu nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right! After passing the forest in front of us, there¡¯s a steep slope when we go down the mountain. If only we could wait until we passed the steep slope beforending.¡±


    Not long after they passed the forest, a strong wind blew. Dark clouds enveloped the mountaintop opposite. Tiezhu looked at the sky and was a little worried. He said to Auntie He, who was sitting in the carriage, ¡°Nanny, it looks like it¡¯s going to rain heavily. Ask Madam how far away it is.¡±


    Li Yu lifted the curtain and took a look. ¡°There¡¯s still more than two hours to go down from here. Try your best to rush to the bottom of the slope.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Tiezhu raised his whip and drove the mule forward. After walking for more than an hour, they had just passed the ramp when bean-sized raindrops fell.


    The carriage moved forward through the rain and fog. The mountain road was slippery. Tiezhu pulled the reins tightly and drove the horse to slow down. An hourter, the rain gradually stopped and the sky gradually darkened.


    Yueyue leaned against Li Yu and listened to the frogs¡¯ croaks from the field from time to time. She pricked up her ears and listened for a while. ¡°Mother, is that the sound of a little frog?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! It¡¯s just the little frogs croaking. When summeres, frogs especially like to sing after heavy rain.¡±


    ¡°Mother, it¡¯s spring. Summer ising soon, isn¡¯t it?¡± Star asked after a moment¡¯s thought.


    Li Yu touched Xingxing¡¯s face. ¡°Yes, are you hungry?¡± Xingxing shook his head. ¡°I just ate cake. I¡¯m not hungry.¡±


    Yueyue shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not hungry either, Mother. Are you hungry?¡±


    When the sky turned dark, Tiezhu shouted from outside, ¡°Madam, we¡¯re here.¡±


    The two children cheered. ¡°Mother, we¡¯re here. We¡¯re getting out of the carriage.¡±


    Tiezhu got out of the carriage and knocked on the manor¡¯s door. Someone ran to the door and asked, ¡°Who is it?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Tiezhu. Madam is here,¡± Tiezhu replied loudly.


    ¡°Hurry up and tell Steward Yi that Madam is here.¡±


    The door opened and Tiezhu drove the car in. Li Yu got out of the car with the child. When she saw Ruyi and Zhao Cai, she smiled and stood in front of the car with thentern.


    Zhao Cai grinned and said, ¡°The rain was so heavy just now. We thought you


    would onlye in two days!¡±


    Li Yu smiled and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect it to rain so heavily. Fortunately, we were already downhill.¡±


    Old Master Zhou got out of the car and pounded his waist. ¡°Aiya! We¡¯re finally here. My old bones are about to fall apart. ¡±


    Mr. Wen pointed at him and smiled. ¡°You¡¯re not even as good as Yue¡¯er and


    Xing¡¯er.¡±


    Zhao Cai looked at the two of them. ¡°Old Master, you¡¯re here too!¡±


    Old Master Zhou deliberately pulled a long face. ¡°Can¡¯t wee?¡±


    Zhao Cai smiled apologetically and said, ¡°Yes, why not? You must be tired! Fortunately, I cleaned up the main courtyard yesterday. Otherwise, no one would be able to stay there.¡±


    Everyone moved their things into the house. Granny Chen, Aunt Zhang, and the others carried the bedding into the main courtyard.


    Ruyi got someone to move the rice seeds into the barn. Auntie He brought Madam Wang and Madam Li to cook minced pork noodles for everyone to eat. Ruyi brought Mr. Wen and Old Master Zhou to the bathroom to wash up and rest.


    Li Yu asked Granny Chen and Auntie He to bring the twins to wash up and go to the side courtyard at the back. Seeing that it was dark inside, she came out and asked Zhao Cai, ¡°Didn¡¯t Ah Lian and the others stay in the manor?¡±


    Zhao Cai shook his head. ¡°No! They don¡¯t want to live here. They despise the fact that those evil thieves used to live here. After you left, they moved back to the straw huts.¡±


    Li Yu thought for a moment and understood their feelings. ¡°The seeds are about to be nted. Are their fields ready?¡±


    Zhao Cai frowned and hesitated for a moment before saying, ¡°It¡¯s done. The vige is a little unstable these days.¡±


    It was unstable. It was difficult for their family to find them! Li Yu looked at Zhao Cai. ¡°What happened? How is it unstable?¡±


    ¡°Among them, a woman called Xiang Xiu and two other women went back to their mothers¡¯ house. They were fine when they went. When they came back yesterday, they told sister-inw Ah Lian that they were going to sell the fields in the vige and return to their mothers¡¯ houses.¡±


    Li Yu had no impression of Xiang Xiu. ¡°What did Ah Lian say about this?¡±


    Zhao Cai thought for a moment. ¡°Ah Lian didn¡¯t agree to them selling the fields. She only agreed to let them take away the 20 taels of silver. She even said that their families originally only had a few acres of thin fields. The extra fields werepensated by the government office to the people who died in their families. Even if they¡¯re no longer around, they don¡¯t have the right to sell those fields..¡±

 Chapter 573 - 573: Selling Land to Her Parental Family

    Chapter 573: Selling Land to Her Parental Family


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Li Yu recalled what Judge Sun had said the other day. ¡°Each of them was given 20 taels of silver. In addition to the fields they originally had, they were also given three acres of fertilend per family. They were given female households as an exception and were exempted from taxes for three years. They were left with one and a half years of rations for each of them. They won¡¯t be able to finish the rations left behind in two years.¡±


    These things were probably the reason why her family, who had originally ignored Xiang Xiu, was willing to let her return to her family!


    Zhao Cai continued, ¡°Auntie Ah Lian said that if they really left, she would find a descendant for those three families to carry on the family line, saving those families from having their bloodlines cut off. Xiang Xiu and the others didn¡¯t agree. They said that Auntie Ah Lian had no right to control them. They said that they had already found a buyer and came back to inform them first. They also said that it was fine if they weren¡¯t allowed to sell to others. They could sell the fields to Ah Lian and the others.¡±


    Ruyi walked in and smiled. ¡°They¡¯re right. Ah Lian is neither the patriarch nor the vige chief. She¡¯s not qualified to control them. If the fat pig wants to enter the ughterhouse, who can stop it?¡±


    Zhao Cai burst outughing. ¡°You¡¯ve also learned what Uncle Zhou said?¡±


    ¡°Uncle Zhou¡¯s analogy is right. The fat pig is really going to enter the butcher¡¯s house.¡± Li Yu looked at the two of them. ¡°Why don¡¯t I see Uncle Zhou, Little


    Loach, and the others?¡±


    Ruyi replied, ¡°Uncle Zhou brought them to buy stone bs and hire craftsmen. He also went to buy piglets. He won¡¯t be back until the day after tomorrow.¡±


    Li Yu nodded. ¡°No wonder I didn¡¯t see them. Everyone has been tired for a day.


    Go and rest! Let¡¯s talk about it tomorrow!¡±


    The two of them agreed and returned to their rooms to sleep.


    Li Yu returned to the house and saw that the two children were asleep. Granny Cheny on the edge of the bed and looked at the two children. When she saw Li Yu enter, she smiled and stood up. She said softly, ¡°They¡¯re both tired. They fell asleep with their heads on the pillow.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and said to her, ¡°Yes! You¡¯re tired too. Go and rest!¡±


    After Granny Chen went out, Li Yuy between the two children and touched their heads. She also closed her eyes and fell asleep.


    The next day, Li Yu practiced two sets of boxing in the courtyard and ate with the two children. Just as she was about to go out for a walk, Ah Lian came with Yang Liu.


    When Ah Lian saw Li Yu, tears flowed down her face. ¡°Madam, I, I¡­


    Li Yu asked Granny Chen to bring the two children out and looked at Ah Lian. ¡°Zhao Cai told me about youst night. I want to ask why you don¡¯t allow them to sell their fields and return to their families?¡±


    Ah Lian wiped her tears and looked at Li Yu. ¡°Madam, Xiang Xiu was only 15 or 16 years old when she married into Liang Vige. When her man married her, he gave her eight taels of silver as a betrothal gift. She carried a small bag and entered the house in her wedding dress. Do you think such a family that sells their daughters treats her sincerely? I was worried that her family would coax her away with the money, so I stopped her from selling thend. Who knew that she didn¡¯t appreciate it at all?¡±


    Ah Lian¡¯s tears fell again as she spoke.


    Yang Liu said to Li Yu, ¡°Madam, as soon as Lord Sun left, they made a fuss about going back to see their parents. At that time, we told her about these powerful connections. In my opinion, it¡¯s difficult to persuade a damn ghost with good words. They like to leave the wolf¡¯s den and enter the tiger¡¯s mouth. We can¡¯t stop them, nor do we have the right. While Madam is here, let her sell all the fields to Madam so that they won¡¯t sell them to shady families and cause trouble in the vige.¡±


    Li Yu looked at Ah Lian. ¡°Yang Liu is right, but you¡¯re in no position to stop them. You can¡¯t keep them here even if you force them!¡±


    Seeing that Li Yu didn¡¯t support her, Ah Lian could only nod. ¡°I¡¯ll listen to you. We can¡¯t even finish nting our own fields. Can you buy the fields in their hands?¡±


    Li Yu said indifferently, ¡°Sure, let them find Ruyi.¡±


    ¡°Madam, we¡¯ll go back first.¡± The two of them stood up and walked out.


    Seeing Ah Lian¡¯s worried expression, Yang Liu said, ¡°Sister-inw, don¡¯t worry about them. Just take care of yourself. Why don¡¯t you think about it? It¡¯s different from before. Who can you control?¡±


    When Li Yu heard Yang Liu¡¯s straightforward words, she felt that Yang Liu understood.


    In less than an hour, Ah Lian brought Xiang Xiu and two other women to the manor to sell the fields.


    Ruvi said to them, ¡°Madam said that she will add one tael to the official price of the fields andnd. Do you agree?¡±


    Xiang Xiu muttered, ¡°An official price. Your family is also an official. Who knows how much you would buy thends for?¡± Xiang Xiu looked at the other two and said, ¡°Steward Zhou, tell us the price.¡±


    Ruyi nced at her. ¡°Ten taels of silver per acre of fertilend. Seven taels of silver for the second-rate field and four taels of silver for thend. Also, we didn¡¯t bring much food over. Are you selling those grains? We¡¯ll buy them at the market price.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll sell them all to you,¡± Xiang Xiu and the others said as they looked at Ruyi with bright eyes.


    Ruyi took out the contract and read it to them. ¡°You can look for Aunt Ah Lian, right?¡±


    Xiang Xiu smiled awkvvardly. ¡°Look at what you¡¯re saying. How can we not believe you?¡±


    Ruyi sneered. ¡°I¡¯ll save you the trouble of using my family of bullying others in the future.¡±


    Ah Lian looked at Xiang Xiu and the others. ¡°Yes, we can¡¯t be ungrateful and do such a thing to y the me game.¡±


    Xiang Xiu looked at Ah Lian with a red face and said unhappily, ¡°Second


    Sister-inw, what kind of person do you think we are?¡±


    Ah Lian rolled her eyes. ¡°I didn¡¯t say you guys were like that. I just said we can¡¯t do something like that.¡±


    A round-faced woman tugged at Xiang Xiu. ¡°Just let Second Sister-inw say a few words! Hurry up and press your fingerprints. Go back and pack your luggage!¡±


    Xiang Xiu turned to look at Ruyi. ¡°Steward Zhou, let¡¯s press our fingerprints.¡±


    The three of them each pressed their fingerprints. Ruyi gave them the silver. Seeing them leave happily with the silver, he sighed. ¡°People! I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s wishful thinking.¡±


    Ah Lian followed them out and said to them, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you again. You have to tighten your grip on the money. Don¡¯t be coaxed away. You won¡¯t even have a ce to cry then.¡±


    Xiang Xiu looked at Ah Lian and felt that the silver was in her pocket. She was not a three-year-old child. How could the silver be coaxed away?


    Thinking that Ah Lian was just being kind, she said reluctantly, ¡°Second Sister-inw, don¡¯t worry. I know you¡¯re doing this for my own good, but I really don¡¯t want to live here. I feel terrible thinking about it. You have to be well after we leave.¡±


    Ah Lian looked at them and knew that they didn¡¯t take it to heart. Looking at their happy expressions, she hoped that she was thinking too much.


    She forced a smile and said, ¡°Alright, if you really have nowhere to go in the future, go back to Liang Vige. As long as Sister-inw is around, you¡¯ll have a meal! The fields are busy, so I won¡¯t send you off.¡±


    ¡°Okay, go ahead,¡± the three of them replied perfunctorily and busied themselves going back to pack.


    Ah Lian looked at their eager expressions and sighed. She walked towards the field in a low mood..

 Chapter 574 - 574: Xing’ er Was Unwell

    Chapter 574: Xing¡¯ er Was Unwell


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Ruyi took the title deeds and contracts back and showed them to Li Yu. ¡°Madam, Uncle Zhou took some silver and left. I want to go back and get some money and transfer the title deeds to our family.¡±


    Li Yu nodded. ¡°Alright, did Old Master and Sir go out?¡±


    Ruyi smiled and said, ¡°Old Master asked me to tell you that they won¡¯t being back for lunch. The two of them went out with dry food.¡± Li Yu nodded. ¡°Alright, bring Tiezhu back! I¡¯ll go to the vige.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Ruyi took the title deed and left.


    Li Yu brought Han Ling around the vige and walked to the end of the vige. She saw that the entire slope was filled with bamboo. After the heavy rain yesterday afternoon, all the bamboo shoots had emerged.


    Li Yu said to Han Ling, ¡°Ah Ling, go back and get a hoe. We¡¯ll dig bamboo shoots and dry them at home.¡±


    ¡°Aye!¡± Han Ling agreed crisply and ran back.


    Li Yu walked up the stone steps and suddenly saw a fat bamboo rat crawling out of the hole. It stuck its head out and looked around. Li Yu deliberately stomped her feet. The bamboo rat shrank back when it heard the sound.


    After a while, Han Ling and Aunt Zhang walked over with hoes and bamboo baskets. Seeing Li Yu standing in front of a bamboo basket, they smiled and asked, ¡°Madam, are you looking for bamboo rats?¡±


    Li Yu pointed at the pig and rat hole. ¡°There¡¯s a nest of pigs and rats here. Bring the bamboo basket over. We¡¯ll have bamboo rats to eat today.¡±


    Aunt Zhang took the hoe and dug along the hole. ¡°If we catch them, we¡¯ll be in for a treat today. They say that turtledoves in the sky and bamboo rats on the ground are rare. My father caught them when I was young. He couldn¡¯t bear to eat them and sold them for money. Two small bamboo rats were sold for half a tael of silver. They¡¯re quite valuable.¡±


    Li Yu covered the hole with the bamboo basket and asked Han Ling to press down on the bamboo basket. ¡°This thing is very smart. It will enter the hole as soon as there¡¯s movement. Things are expensive if they are rare.¡±


    Aunt Zhang nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right! Just rest at the side and I¡¯ll do it.¡±


    Li Yu carried the hoe and dug up the bamboo shoots. She dug from the ce where the bamboo shoots appeared and found the dense ones to dig. In a while, she dug up a few chubby bamboo shoots and piled them at the side.


    Han Ling pressed down on the bamboo basket and shouted, ¡°Aunt Zhang, two bamboo rats ran out and drilled into the bamboo basket.¡±


    Aunt Zhang smiled and said, ¡°Press it down. Don¡¯t go too far into the bamboo basket. Be careful that it bites you.¡±


    Han Ling obediently pressed down on the bamboo basket. Aunt Zhang dug over, and the other bamboo rats also crawled into the bamboo basket in panic.


    Aunt Zhang knocked the bamboo rats unconscious with the handle of the hoe. She smiled and said to Li Yu, ¡°Madam, there are five bamboo rats. They¡¯re all fat and big. I¡¯ll bring them back and fix Auntie He first.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Li Yu replied and continued to dig for bamboo shoots.


    Han Ling picked up the bamboo shoots that Li Yu had dug up and ced them together. Aunt Zhang went back and got a knife. She cut open the bamboo shell and peeled it off before putting it into the bamboo basket.


    After a while, Auntie He brought Yueyue to the bamboo forest. Seeing that he had changed his clothes, Li Yu smiled and asked, ¡°Did you y with mud?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Yueyue nodded honestly. ¡°Mother, we pinched the little y figurine. I fell and tripped my brother. Granny said my brother¡¯s stomach is not well.¡±


    Auntie He then said to Li Yu, ¡°Madam, Young Master might have caught a cold in the carriage yesterday. He yed outside and went back. When he reached home, he kept pestering you.¡±


    Li Yu threw down the hoe and took a few steps down to wash her hands in the ditch. She carried Yueyue and walked back.


    When she returned to the manor, she saw Granny Chen circling the courtyard with Xingxing in her arms.


    When Xingxing saw Li Yu return, he reached out listlessly for his mother to hug her. Li Yu hugged him and kissed him. She touched his forehead.


    ¡°Fortunately, you don¡¯t have a fever.¡±


    Granny Chen shook her head. ¡°He didn¡¯t have a fever. He pooped once. Perhaps he caught a cold when he was eating pancakes on the mountain yesterday-


    When he went out to make ay in the morning, he was exposed to the cold wind. His stomach was a little ufortable. I used a warm bag to apply it to him for a while. He¡¯s better now.¡±


    Li Yu carried him and sat down. She gently rubbed his stomach. ¡°Baby, does your stomach still hurt?¡±


    Xingxing shook his head and nodded. ¡°I feel terrible.¡± Yueyue squatted on the ground and looked at his brother. ¡°My brother¡¯s stomach hurts.¡±


    ¡°Brother, I feel terrible.¡± Xingxing looked pitiful.


    Li Yu looked at Xing¡¯er¡¯s ufortable expression and recalled that when Mr. Wen and Old Master Zhou went out in the morning, they had said that they would only be back in the afternoon. Thinking that the two of them would not go far, she said to Granny Chen, ¡°Nanny, go find Zhao Cai and ask him to look for Sir to check on Xing¡¯er.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± Granny Chen hurriedly went to the field to look for Zhao Cai.


    At this moment, Auntie He rushed back and said to Li Yu, ¡°Madam, rub your hands warm. Rub them along Young Master¡¯s navel for more than half an hour and you¡¯ll be able to dissipate the stomach wind. When Master was young, his stomach was upset. This is how Matriarch rubbed it.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll give it a try.¡± Li Yu carried Xing¡¯er into the house and rubbed her hands warm. She rubbed him gently around his navel for a while and Xing¡¯er farted a few times.


    ¡°Little brother, Stinky.¡± Yueyue covered his nose and ran away in disdain.


    Auntie Heughed when she heard that. ¡°Alright! Rub it until the gas is expelled. Let Young Master have a good sleep.¡±


    Seeing that Xing¡¯er was no longer frowning after farting, Li Yu smiled and kissed him. ¡°Is the baby feeling better?¡±


    Xingxing nodded and fell asleep in Li Yu¡¯s arms after a while.


    Li Yu brought the two children into the house and coaxed Yueyue to sleep with his brother. From time to time, she touched Xing¡¯er¡¯s forehead, worried that the child would have a fever.


    After sleeping for an hour, the two children woke up. Each of them took a small wooden sword and yed the game of officials and bandits in the courtyard. Seeing that he was in high spirits again, Li Yu was relieved. She, Aunt Zhang, and the others cut the bamboo shoots into long strips and nched them. They tied them up with thin hemp rope and hung them on the wooden shelf.


    Zhao Cai brought the two Old Masters back to the manor and Mr. Wen checked Xingxing¡¯s pulse before heaving a sigh of relief. He smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s just as guessed. He was exposed to the cold wind when he was ying. When you go out early in the morning and are exposed to the cold wind, your stomach would feel ufortable.¡±


    Zhao Cai carried one in each hand. ¡°Young Master, don¡¯t go out to y tomorrow morning. Wait in the courtyard for the dew to dissipate.¡±


    The two of them looked at Zhao Cai with shining eyes. ¡°Yes! Uncle Cai is taking us fishing.¡±


    Zhao Caiughed and said, ¡°You¡¯re not feeling well and you¡¯re already thinking about fishing. It¡¯s not time yet. It¡¯s cold in the morning. When summeres, Uncle Cai will bring you guys to fish.¡±


    Old Master Zhou carried his backpack and walked in front of Zhao Cai. He smiled at the two children and said, ¡°Xingxing and Yueyue,e down and see the flowers I dug.¡±


    ¡°Wow! They¡¯re so beautiful!¡± The two of them looked at the purple flowers in the backpack and asked Zhao Cai to let them down. Old Master Zhou smiled at them. ¡°I¡¯ll bring you to nt them together.¡± Yueyue nodded. ¡°Okay, nt them in the garden.¡±


    Granny Chen said to Li Yu guiltily, ¡°Madam, it¡¯s all my fault. I shouldn¡¯t have brought the two young masters out early.¡±


    Li Yu nced at her. ¡°It¡¯s not all your fault. Just be more careful next time.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± Granny Chen bowed and retreated to the side..

 Chapter 575 - 575: Don ‘t Lie to the Heavens

    Chapter 575: Don ¡®t Lie to the Heavens


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Li Yu smiled and said to Mr. Wen, ¡°I¡¯m relieved that you came back to take a look. ¡±


    Mr. Wen smiled and said, ¡°As long as he doesn¡¯t have a fever and doesn¡¯t have diarrhea, you don¡¯t have to be afraid. I have pills in my medicine box. I¡¯ll write a few notes and paste them on the jarter. If anything happens, take them to the child.¡¯


    ¡°Yes!¡± Li Yu thought for a moment. ¡°Sir, you can make some pills and put them in the pharmacy. This way, it¡¯ll be convenient for the patient to buy them and use them. It¡¯ll save the child from feeling unwell and dying the treatment if he can¡¯t find a doctor.¡±


    Mr. Wen shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s fine if it¡¯s used at home. If it¡¯s sold in the pharmacy, it won¡¯t be stored for long. The patient will think it¡¯s not worth it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true. Sir, we dug bamboo shoots today and caught a few bamboo rats. How do you like to eat them?¡±


    When Mr. Wen heard this, he smiled and said, ¡°Bamboo rats are good. Just let Auntie He do it. Tell Auntie He to boil the bamboo rat oil and put it away. It¡¯s not bad to treat burns.¡±


    Auntie He came in with some side dishes and heard Mr. Wen¡¯s words. ¡°Sir, I know! The five bamboo rats are all quite fat. We dug out the bamboo rat oil and boiled it in a jar. I¡¯ve kept it well. Steam er, braise two, and marinate the remaining two. I¡¯ll bring them back for Master and Young Master to try.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and shook her head. ¡°Auntie He, cook them all for everyone to try. That bamboo forest is very big. There will definitely be a lot more if we look again.¡±


    Auntie He nodded happily. ¡°Alright, bring fresh ones back for Master.¡±


    Li Yu saw that Mr. Wen and Old Master Zhou had brought the children. They took their hats and called Zhao Cai to go to the field. From the entrance of the manor to the foot of the mountain, there were fields bought this time. The fields were filled with busy tenants and servants.


    Li Yu calcted in her heart. Coupled with the manor outside the city and Wang Family Vige manor, she felt that the fields in the capital were enough. She thought that if she encountered a suitable one in the future, she would help Ah Qing and Zhao Cai buy it.


    Zhao Cai pointed at the empty space behind the manor. ¡°Madam, there¡¯s a well there. Originally, a few pieces ofnd and the homestead belonged to the three families this morning. Now that we¡¯ve bought them, I n to settle Tang Yong and the others nearby and build the pig pen and chicken pen on the wastnd on the other side of the bamboo forest. What do you think?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t gone to the wastnd yet. There¡¯s a ditch in the bamboo forest. It¡¯s best to raise livestock.¡± Li Yu thought for a moment. ¡°It¡¯s best to tell Ah Lian and the others and ask for their opinions. Don¡¯t affect the unity.¡±


    Zhao Cai shook his head and said, ¡°It¡¯s not convenient for me to go. I¡¯ll get


    Auntie He to tell themter.¡±


    Li Yu nodded. ¡°It¡¯s good to let Auntie He go. She¡¯ll talk to them. Even if they have something in their hearts, they¡¯re too embarrassed to say it.¡±


    Zhao Cai smiled and said, ¡°Actually, Aunt Ah Lian and the others are not bad. They¡¯re not like some farmers who are petty. They kept the fertilizer they preparedst year for their own use and gave the extra to us. I think the method they used to fertilize was the one you taught them. It seems that the people from the Imperial Manor taught them all of this.¡±


    Li Yu sighed and said, ¡°That¡¯s right! No matter what we do, we need food. Thisrge piece ofnd produces a lot of food a year.¡±


    Tang Yong¡¯s wife, Madam Su, walked over with a basket of wild vegetables.


    ¡°Alright, thank you. What do you think of the fields here? Is the soil still fertile?¡± Li Yu asked with a smile.


    Madam Su¡¯s dark red face was filled with smiles. ¡°Alright, thend here is good, and the soil is ck and oily. The best thing is that there¡¯s also a lot ofnd. My family has tenanted 50 acres ofnd this time.¡±


    ¡°50 acres?¡± Li Yu calcted the poption of Tang Yong¡¯s family. ¡°Your eldest son is in Wang Family Vige. Including your daughter, you only have fiveborers. Can you finish them?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Madam Su felt energetic. ¡°Madam, don¡¯t worry. We can nt them all.¡±


    Li Yu looked at her and smiled. ¡°I¡¯m relieved. You still have to take care of your bodies to prevent overwork.¡±


    Madam Su smiled and said, ¡°Thank you for your concern, Madam. My family asked Aunt Ah Lian about renting two cows. The head of the family and Second Brother will plow the fields. I¡¯ll bring the girl and Third Brother to fertilize the soil. Madam, Aunt Ah Lian is really a good person. She gave us the fertilizer she prepared. It depends on whether the heavens will give us face. It¡¯s also a bumper year this year.¡±


    Fertilizers was the top priority for farmers. Ah Lian was really generous to let everyone use her fertilizers.


    Li Yu smiled at her. ¡°Alright, I won¡¯t dy you from going back to cook.¡±


    ¡°Madam, take your time.¡± Madam Su smiled and nodded before walking away quickly.


    Li Yu asked Zhao Cai to go back first and went to the vegetable field behind the manor.


    The rapeseed scattered in the vegetable field had already grown moss. Li Yu picked a few and tied them with straw ropes before carrying them back to the manor.


    When Aunt Zhang saw the vegetable moss in Li Yu¡¯s hand, she hurriedly took it and said with a smile, ¡°I forgot that Madam likes to eat such vegetable moss.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and nodded. ¡°I saw it, so I picked some and brought them back. We just need to add some chili and garlic to stir-fry.¡±


    ¡°Hey! Go wash your hands. There¡¯s going to be food.¡±


    Aunt Zhang took a basin and washed it twice before carrying it into the kitchen. Auntie He opened the first steamer. It was filled with golden and chubby pumpkin steamed buns. The bottomyer was steamed bamboo rats, and the bottomyer was rice.


    The food was brought out of the steamer one by one. Aunt Zhang began to set up the food. Mr. Wen came in from outside and said with a smile, ¡°The sun isn¡¯t high. Let¡¯s carry the table to the courtyard to eat.¡±


    Aunt Zhang smiled and said, ¡°Alright, the courtyard is spacious.¡±


    Zhao Cai helped carry the table to the courtyard. Li Yu smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s good to eat in the courtyard. We won¡¯t hide anything from the world.¡±


    Auntie He was still busy in the kitchen. She nched the wild vegetables and squeezed out the moisture. She poured some sesame oil, sesame oil, and chili oil. She pped a few garlic cloves and chopped them up. She poured them into the seasoning and mixed them before putting them on a te.


    The stir-fried bamboo shoots with streaky pork, braised bamboo shoots with bamboo rats, steamed bamboo rats, stir-fried rapeseed and cold wild vegetables, and a basin of radish soup were all served.


    Old Master Zhou looked at the dishes on the table and the two children sitting beside him. He smiled happily and said, ¡°The food in the manor is fresh, after all. Zhao Cai, go get a pot of wine and drink two cups with us.¡±


    Zhao Cai smiled and stood up. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll drink a couple of cups with you.¡±


    Mr. Wen picked up a piece of bamboo rat meat and ced it in his mouth. ¡°Not bad. The meat is delicate and delicious. Aiya! I haven¡¯t eaten it in years.¡±


    Auntie He smiled and said at the other table, ¡°At that time, Old Master liked to eat bamboo rats and often asked someone to capture them and send them to the manor. Old Master taught me how to make bamboo rats.¡±


    Zhao Cai smiled and nodded. ¡°Yes.¡±


    After dinner, Li Yu brought the two children out to digest their food. When she walked under the big banyan tree, she saw two ox carts approaching..

 Chapter 576 - 576: Here Come People Scrapping for Benefits

    Chapter 576: Here Come People Scrapping for Benefits


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    In an ox cart in front sat three gray-haired old women. A dark, thin man in his thirties or forties drove the cart.


    In the back sat two red-faced men, a thin old man, and an old man with a hunched back.


    Li Yu saw the few old women pointing at the busy people in the field and discussing loudly with glowing eyes.


    The ox cart walked under the banyan tree. Only when they saw Li Yu and her son did they stop. The man and the old man looked at Li Yu and her son with probing gazes.


    ¡°Ah! They¡¯re identical children. They¡¯re so handsome!¡± The old women looked at Li Yu and the twins and praised them loudly.


    Li Yu was very disgusted by this fearless gaze and discussion. She held Yueyue and Xingxing¡¯s hands and turned around to walk back.


    One of the old women jumped off the ox cart and chased after Li Yu with a


    smile. ¡°Madam, are Ah Lian and the others still on the farm?¡±


    Li Yu nced at her. ¡°They are busy in the field! Are you here to help work?¡±


    The old woman made a sad expression and wiped the nonexistent tears from the corners of her eyes. ¡°Madam, I thought my daughter¡¯s family had left with the gue. Who knew that I heard news that they were harmed and left some women behind? Let me see if my daughter is still around?¡±


    Li Yu looked at her and smiled mockingly. ¡°It¡¯s been hard on you. You haven¡¯t forgotten after so many years.¡±


    The old woman did not feel embarrassed by Li Yu¡¯s mockery at all. She sighed and said, ¡°I was pregnant with her for ten months and gave birth to her. I originally thought that I had found a good family for her. Who knew that something would happen in less than two years after I married her off? I cried a few times because of this. My tears were almost dry. I finally stopped thinking about it in the past two years. Who knew that there would be news again?¡±


    Yueyue and Xingxing looked at her curiously and spoke loudly.


    Li Yu nced at her. ¡°Which one is your daughter?¡±


    The old woman opened her mouth to reveal a mouthful of yellow teeth. ¡°My daughter¡¯s name is Ying Tao. Madam, my Ying Tao was very beautiful when she was a girl.¡±


    Ying Tao! The strong woman with a disfigured face and broken legs was actually this old woman¡¯s daughter. This surprised Li Yu.


    ¡°Ying Tao is a good woman. You should go and see her.¡±


    The old woman thought that Li Yu was saying that Ying Tao was good -looking and said exaggeratedly, ¡°Aiyo! At that time, everyone in the vige praised my Ying Tao for being beautiful¡­¡¯


    At this moment, the person in front shouted at the old woman. The old woman agreed loudly and smiled at Li Yu. ¡°Madam, I¡¯ll leave first.¡±


    Li Yu nodded and watched as she ran forward to meet up with those people and walk towards Ah Lian and the others.


    Xingxing said to Li Yu, ¡°Mother, that granny¡¯s voice is so loud!¡±


    Yueyue looked up at Li Yu. ¡°What does ten months of pregnancy mean?¡±


    Li Yu thought for a moment. ¡°The baby has lived in Mother¡¯s stomach for ten months. It¡¯s called ten months of pregnancy.¡±


    Yueyue and Xingxing let go of Li Yu¡¯s hand together. They walked up to Li Yu and looked at her stomach before looking at her. They opened their mouths in surprise. ¡°Mother¡¯s stomach is so powerful.¡±


    Li Yu looked at the two of them and was caught betweenughter and tears. ¡°Mother is very powerful! Alright, let¡¯s go back and wash our faces and take a nap.¡±


    ¡°Mother, I can¡¯t sleep. I don¡¯t want to sleep.¡± Yueyue looked at Li Yu.


    Thinking that the two of them had slept before dinner, Li Yu nodded. ¡°Alright, you don¡¯t have to sleep today. Let¡¯s go back and help Nanny He put on the bamboo shoots.¡±


    ¡°Oh! Let¡¯s go through the bamboo shoots!¡± The two children skipped forward.


    After the old woman caught up to those people, the two old women in the cart also got out of the ox cart. The dark-skinned old woman looked at her and asked, ¡°Madam Yang, what did you say to that Madam? I think she¡¯s the very powerful Madam Xiang Xiu mentioned.¡±


    Madam Yang nodded. ¡°Yes! She¡¯s quite amiable. It¡¯s just that the way she looks at me makes me feel cold. It¡¯s as if she can see through people and disregards them.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s the Madam of an official family. How can she not be good at judging people?¡± The ck-faced old woman turned around and looked at Li Yu and her sons. ¡°Do you think she¡¯ll support those heartless girls?¡±


    A mean-looking old woman interrupted, ¡°Why are you afraid of her? As long as our daughters are willing to leave with us, no one will dare to say anything.¡±


    Madam Yang nced at her disdainfully. ¡°Master Yang, Yang Liu is not your daughter. How long has her parents been dead? You sold her to the Liu family as a child bride. Yang Liu would be stupid to be willing to leave with you!¡±


    Master Yang retorted, ¡°The old crowughs at the ck pig. Ying Tao is your biological daughter. Why didn¡¯t she sell the fields and go back to look for you?¡±


    Madam Yang looked at her and mocked, ¡°I can do whatever I want with my own daughter. Unlike some people, who upied a brother¡¯s assets and even sold his daughter, aren¡¯t you afraid that the brother and wife will stand by your bed in the middle of the night?¡±


    The old woman shouted sternly, ¡°Madam Yang, do you think I¡¯m afraid of you?¡±


    A slightly hunched old man turned around and shouted, ¡°You¡¯re as noisy as a nest of sparrows. If you want to argue, go home!¡±


    Madam Yang looked at him unhappily. ¡°Big Yang, why are you shouting at me? If you have the ability, control your wife.¡±


    A thick-skinned man pulled Madam Yang¡¯s sleeve. ¡°Mother, stop talking!¡± Madam Yang red at Master Yang before stopping.


    When the group arrived outside the straw hut where Ah Lian and the others lived, Madam Yang stood outside the fence and shouted, ¡°Ying Tao, Ying Tao¡­¡±


    Ying Tao and Hong Mei were each sitting on the bed with their heads facing each other, making clothes in their hands. They both looked up when they heard shouting outside.


    Ying Tao¡¯s eyes reddened at the familiar voice. She gritted her teeth but still lowered her head to sew.


    Hong Mei looked at Ying Tao. ¡°Sister Ying Tao, someone¡¯s calling for you.¡± ¡°Let her call. Ignore her,¡± Ying Tao replied without looking up.


    Hong Mei looked at the tears falling from Ying Tao¡¯s eyes and felt sad. ¡°Sister Ying Tao, don¡¯t you want to see her?¡±


    Ying Tao looked up at Hongmei. ¡°You think she¡¯s really here to see me!


    Xiangxiu went back yesterday. Her mother must have gone back to show off. She¡¯s here to see my silver.¡±


    Ah Lian and Yang Liu stood in the field and shielded their eyes from the sun as they looked at the group in front of the house.


    San Qiao frowned and said, ¡°This is troublesome. Xiangxiu and those pigs attracted so many people as soon as they went back.¡±


    Yang Liu said indifferently, ¡°What¡¯s the trouble? We didn¡¯t stop those who wanted to leave. While Madam Li is still on the farm, I¡¯m not afraid that no one will buy those fields.¡±


    San Qiao nodded. ¡°Yes, what¡¯s there to be afraid of? As long as we make up our minds not to leave, it¡¯s useless even if the heavense.¡±


    Ah Lian looked at them. ¡°Let¡¯s go back and take a look. If anyone attacks, the sisters will attack together.


    Yang Liu replied loudly, ¡°Alright, there are so many of us. Whoever dares to bite will be bitten to death.¡±


    The women in the field replied in unison, ¡°Yes, bite them to death.¡±


    Ah Lian nodded. Everyone washed their hands in the field and walked up the ridge.


    Madam Yang called out a few times, but when no one answered, she pushed open the fence door and walked in. She entered the central room and stood at the door of the room to see Ying Tao sitting on the bed..

 Chapter 577 - 577: Competing to Go Onstage

    Chapter 577: Competing to Go Onstage


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Ying Tao also looked up and met her mother¡¯s eyes. Madam Yang looked at the scar on Ying Tao¡¯s face and tears flowed down her face. She rushed in and pointed at her face. ¡®Who did this? Who the hell did this?¡±


    ¡°So what if someone did it? Did you kill him?¡± Ying Tao looked at her coldly.


    Madam Yang looked at Ying Tao and wiped her tears. ¡°You¡¯re ming me. No one expected such a thing to happen! They said that you guys suffered from the gue. Your father¡­¡±


    ¡°Why should I me you? I only me my bad luck.¡± Ying Tao nced at her brother standing at the door. ¡°When I waited for you toe day and night, you didn¡¯t? I don¡¯t need you anymore. Leave!¡±


    Madam Yang looked at Ying Tao¡¯s cold gaze and said aggrievedly, ¡°Ying Tao, we¡¯ve been here before. Just as your father and brother reached the Yang


    Forest, they were stopped. Those people said that your vige was infected with the gue and no one was allowed to enter. We even took a few beatings for this. We didn¡¯t know that those people were bandits.¡±


    Ying Tao also believed that they hade. Logically speaking, they would not be of any use even if they came. Instead, they would have lost their lives for nothing. However, she could not calm down.


    ¡°Sigh!¡± Ying Tao sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t me you. Even if you came, you would have lost your lives for nothing. You¡¯ve seen me. Go back!¡±


    Seeing that Ying Tao¡¯s expression softened a little, Madam Yang thought that she had persuaded her.


    She said anxiously, ¡°Your father misses you. He wants you to go back and see him. Your brother and I specially came to pick you up.¡±


    Ying Tao nced at Madam Yang and lowered her eyes. ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to go back.¡±


    Ying Tao¡¯s brother walked into the house and looked at the scar on Ying Tao¡¯s face with heartache. ¡°Sister, Xiang Xiu¡¯s mother returned to her mother¡¯s house yesterday and told Father and Mother about you. Father asked Mother and me to visit you. We¡¯re relieved to see that you¡¯re fine. Rest well. When the farming at home is over, we¡¯lle and help you work.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need.¡± Ying Tao looked at her honest and loyal brother and felt a warmth in her heart when she thought of her loyal and kind father. ¡°I¡¯m fine. My broken leg has been fixed by the doctor sent by the government office.


    When I recover, I¡¯ll take the time to go back and see him.¡±


    Ying Tao¡¯s brother hung his head, not daring to look at Ying Tao. ¡°We¡¯ve let you down, sister.¡±


    Madam Yang looked at her son and then at Ying Tao. Thinking of the silver Xiang Xiu had mentioned, she was still tempted.


    As long as Ying Tao agreed to sell those fields, she would get more than a hundred taels of silver.


    When the time came, she could renovate the house at home and give money to her two grandsons to marry. She could also buy a few acres of fields. With these fields, she was not afraid that no one would support Ying Tao in her old age.


    This girl was stubborn. She would coax her back first before talking to her properly.


    ¡°Ying Tao, your legs are inconvenient. Your brother and I will bring you back to recuperate for a few days. We¡¯ll send you back when you recover.¡±


    ¡°Hehe!¡± Ying Tao chuckled and looked at Madam Yang. ¡°Bring me back to recuperate for a few days. Alright! Let me make it clear to you first. I¡¯m sick all over.¡±


    Yingtao pointed at the medicine bags on the dpidated wooden table in the corner and looked at Madam Yang mockingly. ¡°Do you see those medicine bags? Those are the medicine that the imperial physician sent by the government office prepared for us. These medicines cost a few taels of silver. I want to go back with you. Do you have the money to get the medicine for me? Also, aren¡¯t you afraid of the woman¡¯s disease on me?¡±


    Illness! Madam Yang looked at Ying Tao and thought of what Xiang Xiu had quietly said to her. She shut her mouth.


    Ah Lian, Yang Liu, and the others also rushed back to the house.


    The people in the central room watched as the women came in like a swarm of bees. They saw mud on their faces and hair as they looked for familiar faces.


    The Yang couple no longer recognized Yang Liu, but Yang Liu remembered Yang Da¡¯s hunchback. He was the one who carried her to Liang Vige and sold her to the Liu family.


    Yang Liu nced at the Yang couple who chased after her like blood-sucking leeches once they smelled money.


    Yang Liu thought to herself that if she couldn¡¯t adopt a child, she would rather give those fields to someone else before she died than give them to this wretched couple.


    Elder Madam Yang and her husband looked at the 20 or so women who had squeezed into the house. They looked at the women in front and pretended to be worried. ¡°Yang Liu, Uncle and Aunt are here to see you.¡±


    Ah Lian looked at the sharp-mouthed Yang couple and sneered, ¡°You¡¯re here to see the Yang Liu too? Do you know which one is Yang Liu?¡±


    Yang Liu looked at the two of them and mocked, ¡°That¡¯s right! Which one of us is Yang Liu? Do you recognize her?¡±


    Elder Yang and his wife looked at each other and felt that any one of them could be Yang Liu.


    Elder Yang rubbed his hands and smiled awkwardly. ¡°Yang Liu, it¡¯s been so many years. Uncle and Aunt are already old. We can¡¯t think of what you look like. We just heard about you and were worried, so we came to see you.¡±


    ¡°Were you worried? Look at you.¡± San Qiao chuckled. ¡°How old is Yang Liu? You sold her for money. I think you¡¯re here to see Yang Liu¡¯s silver!¡±


    Madam Yang said anxiously, ¡°Who are you? What right do you have to say that? We¡¯re her uncle and aunt. She¡¯s in trouble now. We¡¯re her family, so we wanted toe and see her!¡±


    Without this family, she wouldn¡¯t have ended up like this. Yang Liu stared at them and smiled mockingly. ¡°You also know that she¡¯s in trouble. What did you bring to see her? Show us and we¡¯ll help you bring them to her.¡±


    Madam Yang Da and her husband stammered, ¡°We left in a hurry. We¡¯ll prepare everything when we return home.¡±


    ¡°Return home?¡± San Qiao looked at the two of them coldly.


    The women looked at the people in the central room with cold eyes. Ah Lian asked loudly, ¡°How much silver did Xiang Xiu take to her mother to make youe to Liang Vige during a busy season?¡±


    Elder Madam Yang pointed at Ah Lian unhappily. ¡°What are you talking about? What does it have to do with you that we¡¯re here to see my daughter? Why are you stopping us from seeing her?¡±


    Yang Liu ced her hands on her hips and shouted, ¡°Who¡¯s stopping you? You don¡¯t even know who Yang Liu is, yet you still have the cheek to talk nonsense here. Go somewhere else!¡±


    Elder Yang stared at Yang Liu for a while and pointed at her. ¡°Are you Yang Liu?¡±


    Yang Liu took a step forward and stood in front of Madam Yang. She questioned sternly, ¡°I¡¯m Yang Liu. What¡¯s wrong? Do you think I¡¯m still the four-year-old Yang Liu? Or the Yang Liu who lost her parents and was at the mercy of others? You¡¯re still thinking of eating my flesh and drinking my blood. You made the wrong call, beast.¡±


    ¡°Bitch, I¡¯ll beat you to death.¡± Elder Yang flew into a rage out of humiliation. He suddenly rushed in front of Yang Liu and raised his hand to hit her.


    Yang Liu red at him. ¡®Elder Yang, you beast. You¡¯re the beast who upied my father¡¯snd and sold his daughter. If you dare to touch a finger of mine, I¡¯ll chop you up..¡±

 Chapter 578 - 578: Sisters, Fight

    Chapter 578: Sisters, Fight


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    When the Elder Yang couple saw Yang Liu¡¯s expression, they knew that they would not get any benefits. Elder Yang pped Yang Liu¡¯s face. ¡°I¡¯ll beat you to death, you embarrassing bitch.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll fight you to the death.¡± Yang Liu lowered her head and bumped into them.


    Ah Lian shouted, ¡°Sisters, hit these two dogs.¡±


    The twenty women behind Yang Liu roared and rushed forward to grab the hair of Elder Yang Da and his wife. They pulled them to the ground and tore, scratched, and bit them, punching and kicking them.


    ¡°You¡¯re still thinking of bullying us. I¡¯ll beat you to death. I¡¯ll beat you to death¡­


    ¡°Tear his mouth apart. Let¡¯s see who dares to scold us in the future¡­¡± Dozens of hands fell on the Yang Da couple. They let out cries of pain and did not even have the chance to fight back.


    Elder Yang screamed, ¡°Help! Someone¡¯s beating us to death. Help..


    The people who came with them looked at them¡­


    Seeing that no one went forward to help them, Elder Yang began to scream and beg for mercy. ¡°Stop fighting. We don¡¯t dare to anymore. Let¡¯s go. Stop fighting.¡±


    ¡°Too fierce.¡± The people in the central room were dumbfounded.


    They looked at these women and began to beat a retreat.


    Seeing that the Elder Yang couple were pressed to the ground and could not move, a thin old man went forward and advised, ¡°Sisters-inw, it¡¯s about time. If you kill them, you have to pay with your lives.¡±


    Seeing that the two of them had lowered their voices, Ah Lian felt that it was about time. She stood up. ¡°Sisters, don¡¯t beat them to death. It¡¯s not worth it to die for such scum.¡±


    Everyone obediently got up and dispersed. The coupley on the ground with disheveled hair. Their clothes were torn and tattered, and their faces, necks, and bodies were covered in injuries.


    Yang Liu pointed at them from above and said sinisterly, ¡°I have nothing left now. I only have a rotten life. If you anger me, I¡¯ll burn your house down.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t dare anymore, I don¡¯t dare anymore¡­¡± Elder Yang begged for mercy in a sorry state.


    Yang Liu pointed at him in an imposing manner and shouted, ¡°Get lost. If youe to Liang Vige again, I¡¯ll beat you up every time I see you.¡±


    The Elder Yang couple got up and did not dare to look at Yang Liu. They squeezed out fearfully and limped away.


    Ah Lian turned to look at the others. ¡°Who are you all looking for?¡±


    The old man looked at Liu Ye and saw that she vaguely resembled his daughter. He identified her carefully, but she didn¡¯t look like a teenage daughter no matter how he looked at her. He couldn¡¯t be sure that she was the person he was looking for.


    Liu Ye looked at him and smiled bleakly. ¡°You¡¯re here to see my house, right? I¡¯m Liu Ye. I¡¯m the only one left in my house. My mother was killed by them in order to protect me. Leave! I don¡¯t want to see you.¡±


    The old man looked at Liu Ye, who looked like an old woman, and revealed a stunned and heartbroken expression.


    Liu Ye looked at him and thought of the old man¡¯s love for her when she was young. Looking at him, she couldn¡¯t bear to see him like this. ¡°Leave! I¡¯m doing very well with my aunts. The Imperial Court will find us a child. I¡¯ll raise him well. My parents will have their bloodline.¡±


    The dark-skinned man stepped forward and said with heartache, ¡°Liu Ye, I¡¯m your uncle! Your grandfather rushed over as soon as he heard about you. How can you talk to your grandfather like this?¡±


    Liu Ye looked at him and said coldly, ¡°What do you want me to say? Do you want me to cry bitterly with you? I don¡¯t want to cry now, and I can¡¯t cry anymore.¡±


    ¡°Child, you¡­¡± Liu Ye¡¯s uncle looked at Liu Ye and opened his mouth slightly, but he could not say aplete sentence.


    The old man took out a pouch from the pouch and took the things from his son¡¯s hand. He ced them on the table in the central room and turned to look at Liu Ye. He choked and said, ¡°Child, Grandpa is going. Live a good life. If you encounter anything in the future, bring a letter to the family.¡±


    Liu Ye watched as her grandfather took a step forward and retreated. She knelt down and kowtowed. ¡°Take care.¡±


    Liu Ye¡¯s uncle looked at Liu Ye with red eyes. ¡°If you encounter anything, bring a letter to Uncle. When you have thought things through,e and see your grandfather.¡± With that, he went forward to support his father and slowly walked out.


    Liu Ye watched the two of them slowly walk out of the courtyard. She rubbed her face and took a deep breath. She said to Ah Lian, ¡°Second Aunt, I¡¯m going to cook.¡±


    Ah Lian nodded and looked at the remaining dark-faced woman and the two men. ¡°Who are you? What are you doing here?¡±


    The ck-faced woman looked at the dark-skinned woman behind Ah Lian and said with red eyes, ¡°La Mei, don¡¯t you miss me anymore?¡±


    Lai Mei wondered bitterly, ¡°Miss you? Do you want me to be ordered around like a mule? A married daughter is like spilled water. That¡¯s what you said.¡± La


    Mei looked at her coldly. ¡°No, you don¡¯t have to miss me. I¡¯m afraid.¡±


    The old woman spat angrily at the coldness of the La Mei. ¡°You heartless girl. I¡¯vee so far to see you. Is this how you talk to me? I¡¯m your biological mother. I might as well have raised a dog.¡±


    La Mei said angrily, ¡°Can a dog work day and night for you? I started cutting pig grass and herding cows when I was three years old. When I was a little older, I went to work in the fields. The day before I left, I was still nting seedlings in the fields. Madam Li¡¯s servants all live more like humans than I did. When I married into the Liang family, I didn¡¯t miss a single ceremonial item when it came to you. When my child was sick, I asked you to lend me money. What did you say? You said you don¡¯t have to worry about spilled


    water.¡±


    Was this still the silent La Mei who only knew how to work? The old woman pointed at the winter plum in disbelief. ¡°Wretched girl, so you¡¯re so resentful! Go to the vige and take a look. Which girl hasn¡¯t lived like this since she was young? Who asked you to be reincarnated into a family like ours? Why don¡¯t you reincarnate as the youngdy of a rich family? Do you have that fate?¡±


    La Mei shouted, ¡°I was reincarnated into your family because I was unlucky. Even a hen knows how to protect its chicks! You only protect your sons. You were the one who gave birth to them. I¡¯m a good-for-nothing and the ve of your sons. I can only work day and night.¡±


    Seeing that the La Mei¡¯s attitude waspletely different from before, and thinking of her purpose foring, the La Mei¡¯s mother softened her stance and said, ¡°Even if I treated you badly in the past, girl, you¡¯re alone now. You¡­¡¯


    After saying so much, it was all because of the few taels of silver. La Mei looked at her with a sneer. ¡°You don¡¯t have to say so much here. I know why you¡¯re here. Leave! I won¡¯t sell mynd to earn tributes to your sons and grandsons.¡±


    ¡°You!¡± The old woman looked at the angry women and could only say resentfully, ¡°If you have the ability, don¡¯t go back to your parents¡¯ house for the rest of your life.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve died countless times. I don¡¯t take it to heart anymore,¡± La Mei said indifferently.


    ¡°You heartless girl. Let¡¯s see how long you can be arrogant.¡± La Mei¡¯s mother cursed and pushed through the crowd.


    Ah Lian looked at the remaining two men. ¡°Whose family are you from?¡±


    The two of them looked at Ah Lian. ¡°We¡¯re here to ask if we can find the government to pay some money since my brother-inw¡¯s family is no longer around..¡±

 Chapter 579 - 579: You Should Die

    Chapter 579: You Should Die


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    They were quite bold to want to find the government office to getpensation! Ah Lian revealed a mocking smile. ¡®You have to ask the master of the capital government office.¡±


    They smiled sheepishly and turned to Ying Tao¡¯s brother. ¡°We¡¯ll wait for you outside.¡¯


    Ying Tao¡¯s brother walked forward and pulled Madam Yang. ¡°Mother, let¡¯s go! Let her rest well.¡¯


    Madam Yang saw the scene just now and looked at Ying Tao who was still indifferent. She sighed and said, ¡°Sigh! Let¡¯s go! Even if we want to suck up to her, she has to be willing!¡±


    Brother Cherry looked at Cherry warmly. ¡°Little sister, take good care of yourself. When I finish my work, I¡¯ll bring your nephew to help.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no need to trouble you. Auntie Ah Lian and the others will help me. Go back and tell Father that I¡¯m fine!¡±


    Madam Yang pulled him. ¡°Let¡¯s go! She¡¯s stubborn. Why are you nagging at her?¡± Ying Tao¡¯s brother and Madam Yang walked out.


    Ah Lian looked at La Mei and Ying Tao sitting there in a daze. ¡°Alright, they¡¯re finally gone. La Mei will help Liu Ye cook. Let¡¯s go work for a while more.¡±


    Ying Tao wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and looked at Ah Lian with a smile. ¡°Yes! They¡¯re all gone. We have peace.¡±


    La Mei also nodded and forced a smile. ¡°Second Sister-inw, I¡¯ll help Liu Ye cook at home and take the opportunity to ck off.¡±


    ¡°We still have to live. We have to think more clearly.¡± Ah Lian smiled and patted her before rushing towards the field.


    Li Yu and Aunt Zhang were picking vegetables in the vegetable field. When they saw Elder Yang and his wife walking over in a sorry state, they thought to themselves, ¡°When a rabbit is forced into a corner, it will bites. How dare they provoke a group of women who crawled up from hell?¡±


    Aunt Zhang looked at the two of them and whispered, ¡®Why do they want to be pounced on by wild dogs?¡±


    Li Yu smiled and said, ¡°They should have been beaten up by Ah Lian and the others. ¡±


    Aunt Zhang looked at Li Yu in surprise. ¡°Madam, you¡¯ve never gone over to take a look. How did you know that it was Ah Lian and the others?¡±


    Li Yu smiled. ¡°Look, their clothes are torn and their faces are covered in scratches, but they¡¯re not bleeding. Who else could it be but Ah Lian and the others?¡±


    Aunt Zhang nced at them again. ¡°Now that you mention it, it¡¯s true. These people are really too much. Ah Lian and the others are already very pitiful. Thepensation was given in exchange for human lives. Aren¡¯t they afraid of retribution?¡±


    When the Elder Yang couple heard Aunt Zhang¡¯s words, they did not dare to respond. They endured the pain and quickened their pace toward the vige entrance.


    Li Yu and Aunt Zhang pinched some vegetable moss and garlic seedlings and went back. They saw Yueyue and Xingxing chanting the song from Mr. Wen¡¯s medical book.


    Old Master Zhou was tending to the orchids that had been dug up. When the two children saw Li Yu return, they smiled at her. ¡®Mother, we know how to memorize medicine.¡±


    Li Yu squatted down and looked at them with a smile. ¡°Oh! How impressive. Recite it to me.¡±


    The two of them sped their hands behind their backs and looked at Li Yu. ¡°Big dates, warm nature, and non-toxic. Goji berries, a sweet taste, t nature, non-toxic. Radish..


    Li Yuughed when she heard that. ¡°Why is it all food?¡±


    Xingxing looked at Li Yu proudly. ¡°Grandmaster said that what you eat is also medicine!¡±


    Li Yu nodded. ¡°Grandmaster is right. What you eat is also medicine. Go y!¡±


    The two of them skipped off to y. Li Yu asked Mr. Wen, ¡°How is Seven Pounds learning from you?¡±


    A gratified smile appeared on Mr. Wen¡¯s face. ¡°Seven Pounds is a good child. He¡¯s quiet and willing to work hard. His brain is also good. I can see some small problems now; I have to help him check the medicine when I prescribe the prescription. In time, he will definitely surpass me.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and nodded. ¡°The heavens reward hard work. Hard work pays off. This child has been interested in those herbs since he was young. He will definitely be able to achieve something in the future.¡±


    At this moment, a tall and thin man knocked on the door and stuck his head out. ¡°Does Ah Lian live here?¡±


    Aunt Zhang, who was sitting on a small stool choosing PPP vegetables, looked up and saw an ox cart parked in the open space behind the man. Beside the cart stood two men, a man in a long robe and an arrogant and stern old man.


    Aunt Zhang stood up and smiled. ¡°Ah Lian lives not far behind the manor. You¡¯ll see it when you turn around.¡±


    The man cupped his hands and smiled. ¡°Thank you, Sister-inw.¡±


    Aunt Zhang smiled and said, ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡±


    After they left, Auntie Zhang carried the selected vegetables into the courtyard and said to Li Yu, ¡°Madam, Auntie Ah Lian¡¯s family is here. It seems that Auntie Ah Lian¡¯s family background is not bad. I think they might be here to bring Auntie Ah Lian back.¡±


    Li Yu nodded. ¡°It should be good. After all, no woman in the countryside can read. ¡±


    Ah Lian, whose pants were covered in mud, looked at the people standing at the door and was suddenly at a loss. She wiped her body hard and straightened her tattered clothes. She tucked her scattered hair behind her ear. When she felt that she was done, she walked towards the old man.


    Ah Lian stopped a few steps away from the old man and bowed with a calm expression. ¡°Master Zhang, Little Brother, you¡¯re here!¡±


    Ah Lian¡¯s younger brother looked at her indifferently, as if he was looking at a stranger.


    Seeing Master Zhang standing there quietly, Ah Lian stood up straight and looked at them.


    Master Zhang looked at Ah Lian silently for a while and waved at the tall man behind him. The man hesitated for a moment and walked out with a white cloth.


    ¡°Are you going to leave yourself, or should I get someone to do it?¡± Master Zhang said coldly.


    Ah Lian trembled and involuntarily took a few steps back. Looking at the white silk in his big hand, her heart felt like it had been soaked in ice water. She shouldn¡¯t have fantasized that they were here to visit her. She thought that their hearts would ache for her and they would cry out for injustice.


    She clearly knew that in his eyes, the Zhang family¡¯s reputation and his interests were the most important. His children were only tools for him to protect his reputation and interests. He would never ask if one was willing or not. Why would he care what happened to her?


    When Ah Lian thought of this, she swayed. Yang Liu and the others all stood behind Ah Lian to support her.


    Seeing this, San Qiao hurriedly said to the woman beside her, ¡°Sister-inw, quickly invite Madam Li over.¡±


    The woman nodded and ran towards the manor.


    Yang Liu looked at Master Zhang. ¡°What right do you have to let Second


    Sister-inw die? You¡¯re not an official.¡¯


    San Qiao said, ¡°That¡¯s right. What right do you have to make hermit suicide? What right do you have to look down on us?¡±


    Old Master Zhang looked at Yang Liu and Ah Lian with disgust as if he had seen something dirty. He ignored Yang Liu and San Qiao.


    He looked at Ah Lian coldly and said, ¡°I¡¯ll ask you again. Are you going to do it yourself? Or should I get Zhang Da to do it?¡±


    Yang Liu and the others watched as Master Zhang stood in front of Ah Lian. They raised their heads and puffed out their chests as they looked at Zhang Da. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare attack!¡±


    Ah Lian stood up straight and walked to the front with her head raised. She looked at Master Zhang and said word by word, ¡°Ever since you betrothed me to Eng, I¡¯ve already repaid your kindness. From then on, I have not felt that I am a member of the Zhang family. I¡¯m a member of the Liang family now. This is Liang Vige. You have no right to criticize me here..¡±

 Chapter 580 - 580: I’ll Live Well and Anger You to Death

    Chapter 580: I¡¯ll Live Well and Anger You to Death


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Master Zhang did not expect Ah Lian to dare to resist him. He pointed at Ah Lian in exasperation and scolded loudly, ¡°You disobedient and unfilial thing. The Liang family has suffered. You should have followed Liang Eng to protect your reputation, but you were afraid of death and lived shamelessly.¡±


    These words pierced the hearts of Ah Lian and the others like a sharp de. When they were in trouble and wanted to die, no one came to save them. After being saved from their misery, these scourges came out one by one to ask for money, insult them, and take their lives.


    Yang Liu went forward angrily, pointed at his nose, and scolded, ¡°Old man, what were you doing earlier? When we were in a state of misery, why didn¡¯t youe and kill us to protect our reputation? Why didn¡¯t you kill those evil thieves to avenge us? After those evil thieves died, we had just calmed down a little when you ran over. Let me tell you, I don¡¯t want to die now. I want to live well and let you watch helplessly from the side so you can be angered to death.¡±


    ¡°Well said.¡± Li Yu walked to the front of the crowd and looked at Master Zhang coldly. ¡°No matter who you are, you have no right to let them die. You have no right to judge them and look down on them. They bravely faced the suffering they suffered. They¡¯re much nobler than those sanctimonious hypocrites.¡±


    When Master Zhang saw Li Yu wearing a thin cloth dress and a jade hairpin on her head, he thought that she was just the stewardess of the manor. When he heard that she was backing Ah Lian and the others, he secretly mocked her for being a hypocrite. The corners of his mouth twitched in anger. He shouted in a low voice, ¡°You¡¯re a woman, yet you actually dare to spout nonsense here.


    Hurry up and leave.¡±


    Li Yu raised her eyebrows and said, ¡°If the road is unfair, everyone will step on it. So what if I¡¯m a woman? Are you the only one allowed to spout nonsense here, but no one else is allowed to uphold justice? Try moving the people here!¡±


    Old Master Zhou looked at Old Master Zhang and mocked, ¡°I hate such people who talk about moral etiquette but have dirty hearts the most. Hurry up and get lost. Don¡¯t dirty my eyes here.¡±


    Mr. Wen looked at him. ¡°Great Yong didn¡¯t allow the people to use lynchings as early as the founding era. You¡¯re Aunt Ah Lian¡¯s father but you¡¯re not worthy of being a father.¡±


    Madam Su also shouted, ¡°That¡¯s right, get lost. Are you even a father? Even a vicious tiger won¡¯t eat its cubs! It wasn¡¯t easy for your biological daughter to survive. Not only did you not feel heartache, but you even wanted to strangle her to death with white silk. Are you still a human? Pfft!¡±


    Old Master Zhang looked at the person pointing at him with a flushed face. He pointed at Ah Lian fiercely and shouted, ¡°From now on, you¡¯re not the daughter of my Zhang family. I¡¯ll cut ties with you. ¡± With that, he grabbed the white silk from Zhang Da¡¯s hand and threw it in front of Ah Lian before turning to leave.


    The group looked at Ah Lian and didn¡¯t know how to persuade her. Some pain was unforgettable and wouldn¡¯t disappear with time, especially when it came to hurt from family.


    Li Yu patted her shoulder. ¡°Some people and things should be left behind. Don¡¯t care about thements of these people. You have to look forward.¡±


    Ah Lian looked at her and then at the departing Master Zhang. She said firmly, ¡°I¡¯ll live well and not let them have their way.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I believe you can do it.¡± Li Yu and Mr. Wen turned around and walked toward the manor.


    Yang Liu and San Qiao helped Ah Lian back into the house. Hong Mei and Ying Taoy on the edge of the bed and were relieved to see them enter.


    Li Yu returned to the manor for dinner and walked a few rounds with the children before going back to wash up and rest.


    The next morning, Mr. Wen and Old Master Zhou brought their dry food and carried their small backpacks up the mountain.


    After noon, Uncle Zhou, Little Loach, and the others returned from town with a few craftsmen and more than ten short-term workers. Zhao Cai brought the long-term workers to the upside-down room. After eating, he brought them to the field to busy themselves.


    The craftsman followed Uncle Zhou and pulled a few carts of stone bs to the empty space at the end of the vige. He began to build houses to raise livestock not far from the bamboo forest.


    When Uncle Zhou returned and saw Li Yu and the twins, he smiled and said, ¡°I thought you should go to the manor. This ce is not bad, but it¡¯s a little far from the capital.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and said, ¡°A day¡¯s journey isn¡¯t too far. You¡¯ve been out for two days. Go eat something and rest.¡±


    Uncle Zhou nodded. ¡°I¡¯m not very tired. Little Loach and the others are quite


    sensible. They¡¯ll be good after being trained.¡±


    Li Yu looked at Little Loach and the others and smiled. ¡°Did you hear that?


    Learn from Uncle Zhou.¡±


    ¡®Got it, Madam,¡± Little Loach and the others replied with red faces.


    The twins looked at them and went forward to pull them out. ¡°Brother Loach,


    Brother Mao Dou, let¡¯s go out and y. Mother won¡¯t bring us out to y.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and patted the two of them. ¡°Let Brother Loach and the others eat first. You¡¯ll y after dinner.¡±


    ¡°Yes! Let¡¯s eat.¡± Yueyue pulled Little Loach towards the kitchen.


    Seeing that the two children had followed Little Loach and the others to the kitchen, Li Yu got up and returned to the house to get a hat. She put it on and walked towards the field.


    From the entrance of the manor to the side of Ah Lian and the others¡¯ straw huts to the piece ofnd under the slope at the vige entrance, it was allnd bought by Li Yu. The entire piece ofnd was connected. Li Yu looked at thisrge piece ofnd and thought that it would be good if there were seedlings and harvesters in the future.


    The field had already been ttened. The Wang, Li, and Lai families were all busy in the field.


    Zhao Cai, who was instructing the short-term workers in the field, said to Li Yu, ¡°Madam, the fields will be t in a few days,¡±


    After Li Yu looked around, she nodded and said, ¡°Once it¡¯s ttened, it can be soaked. I brought along the wild rice sent by Hu Vige. I¡¯ll leave an acre for breeding. ¡±


    Zhao Cai looked at it and pointed at thend at the end. ¡°What do you think of using thisnd?¡±


    Li Yu walked over to take a look and nodded. ¡°We¡¯ll use thisnd. Also, I n to take a walk on the mountain tomorrow morning.¡±


    Zhao Cai smiled and said, ¡°You want to hunt! It¡¯s only spring. The wild animals have been hungry for the entire winter. They¡¯re not fat enough.¡±


    Li Yu pointed at the mountain beam opposite and said softly, ¡°I think the people who attacked Ji Xiang in the forestst time and the people who came to the farm at night came too quickly. I want to go to the nearby mountain beam to take a look.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Zhao Cai thought about it but was worried. ¡°You have to be careful. If anything is really wrong, don¡¯t do it alone.¡±


    Li Yu nodded and turned to walk back. When she reached Ah Lian¡¯s house, she met her. Other than her eyes being a little red and swollen, she was in a good mental state.


    Ah Lian smiled and greeted Li Yu. ¡°Madam,e to the field!¡±


    Li Yu smiled. ¡°Yes! It¡¯s about to be soaked. I came to see how the fields are t. How¡¯s the preparation of your rice seeds?¡±


    Ah Lian pursed her lips. ¡°The rice seeds were chosenst year. In the past, they were changed every two years. If they were nted this year, they should be changed next year.¡±


    Li Yu nodded. ¡°Tell the stewards in the manor in advance how many rice seeds you need next year. When the timees, we¡¯ll haul them back from the city..¡±

 Chapter 581 - 581: Going Up the Mountain

    Chapter 581: Going Up the Mountain


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    After yesterday¡¯s incident, Ah Lian and the others understood what the people outside thought of them.


    Although everyone said that they didn¡¯t care about others¡¯ opinions. they were


    actually very afraid of being pointed at by others.


    They would rather stay in the vige and live isted from the world than go out and face the gossip.


    Ah Lian smiled and nodded. ¡°Thank you. I don¡¯t have to worry now.¡±


    Li Yu smiled at her. ¡®What¡¯s there to thank? There are some things we want to buy too, but it¡¯s just a matter of two more carts. If you need anything in the future, and it¡¯s not convenient for you to go out and buy it, go to the manor and tell them. They¡¯ll go out and help you bring it back.¡±


    Ah Lian looked at Li Yu¡¯s warm gaze and smiled. She bent her knees and bowed. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and said, ¡°Believe me, it will get better.¡± With that, she waved at her and walked towards the manor.


    ¡°Yes! It will get better.¡± Ah Lian looked at Li Yu¡¯s back and took a deep breath. She revealed a determined gaze and strode towards the field with renewed vitality.


    When Li Yu returned to the manor, Auntie He smiled and said, ¡°Madam, Little Loach and the others heard that we could catch bamboo rats in the bamboo forest and brought the two young masters to the bamboo forest to catch them. Before they left, they said that they would take good care of Young Masters.¡±


    Li Yu nodded. ¡°Alright, Auntie He. I n to go to the mountains tomorrow morning to take a look. Prepare some dry food tonight. I¡¯ll take it away to eat on the way tomorrow.¡±


    Auntie He smiled and shook her head. ¡°The food we prepared tonight won¡¯t taste good after a night. How long do you n to go? I¡¯ll get up tomorrow morning to prepare it for you.¡±


    The two children were on the farm and would not be at ease if she was gone for a long time. Li Yu thought for a moment and said, ¡°I¡¯ll be back after a day at most.¡±


    Auntie He nodded. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go and prepare something delicious for you.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and nodded. She returned to the house and packed two sets of clothes to put in the space. Thinking that there was a lot of rain in spring, she entered the space to take a look and saw two sets of raincoats and a pair of deer boots.


    She came out of the space and went to the warehouse to find a few torches. She ced them in wooden buckets and ced them in the space.


    Mr. Wen and Old Master Zhou walked in with a backpack each.


    Mr. Wen happily took out the herbs he had picked up from the mountain. He washed them, tidied them up, and dried them in the dustpan.


    Old Master Zhou dug up a few gardenias, azaleas, and some unknown wildflowers and nted them under the courtyard wall.


    On the empty space at the other end of the bamboo forest, Uncle Zhou was discussing the location of the pigpen with the craftsmen. Little Loach and the others had brought the Yueyeu and Xlngxing and found a rat hole. They were digging for bamboo rats with all their might.


    When they dug through both ends, they realized that it was empty. There was not even a rat¡¯s fur.


    The few of them continued to search the forest dejectedly. After searching for a long time, they could not find their target. They began to dig for bamboo shoots again.


    Yueyue and Xingxing also helped pick up the bamboo shoots. Soon, their bodies and faces were covered in yellow mud.


    Little Loach and the others looked at the two young masters and smiled bitterly. They were a little worried that they would be med when they returned.


    When they returned to the courtyard with a full basket of bamboo shoots, everyone looked at the yellow mud on Yueyue and Xingxing¡¯s bodies and faces andughed.


    Xingxing and Yueyue ran to Li Yu and reached out their chubby hands that were covered in yellow mud. ¡°Mother, I want to take a shower.¡±


    Little Loach and the others looked at Li Yu and said, ¡°Madam, we didn¡¯t bring


    Young Master well. ¡±


    Li Yu smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s fine. Children like to y with mud.¡±


    Mr. Wen said happily, ¡°Let the children have some rustic air and grow stronger.¡±


    Old Master Zhou looked at the two muddy children and said with a smile,


    ¡°Come, I¡¯ll bring you to the bathroom to take a shower.¡±


    Li Yu looked at them. ¡°Go! Take a shower with Young Master.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± The few of them agreed loudly and followed Xingxing and the others to the bathroom.


    After dinner, everyone peeled the bamboo shoots that Little Loach had carried back and nched them. They put on hemp ropes and hung them up before splitting up to wash up and rest.


    Li Yu brought the two children back to her room and told them that she was going hunting in the mountains. Yueyue pouted and looked at Li Yu. ¡°Mother, I want to go with you.¡±


    Xingxing tugged at Li Yu¡¯s sleeve and kept swaying. She twisted her body and said coquettishly, ¡°Mother, I want to go too.¡±


    Li Yu looked at the two of them. ¡°You¡¯re too young. I can¡¯t take care of you in the forest. Even your eldest brother hasn¡¯t gone hunting in the mountains. When you go back, practice your martial arts well. When you grow up, I¡¯ll bring you there.¡±


    Seeing Li Yu¡¯s expression, the two of them knew that she wouldn¡¯t agree to bring them there. They climbed into bed unhappily and crawled under the nket, ignoring Li Yu.


    Li Yu got into bed and rubbed their heads with a smile. ¡°Little baddies, you have to eat obediently at home. Don¡¯t make a fuss and go fishing by the ditch.¡± Yueyue turned to look at her. ¡°Mother, can we go when the weather gets hot?¡±


    Li Yu nodded. ¡°Yes! We can go when the weather gets hot.¡± Xingxing yawned and pulled Li Yu¡¯s arm. ¡°Mother sings. Baby sleeps.¡±


    ¡°Alright, little rabbit, be good. Open the door. Open it quickly¡­¡±


    Seeing that the two children were asleep, Li Yu crawled into bed and slept.


    The next morning, Li Yu handed the children to Granny Chen and Auntie He. After eating something, she took the rice balls, rice soup, and meat buns prepared by Auntie He and Auntie Zhang and carried her backpack and rope out toward the foot of the mountain.


    There was a narrow path at the foot of the mountain. Li Yu walked on the path for an hour before it lit up. The forest was foggy, and there were dewdrops on the leaves. A morning breeze blew, and the leaves in the forest swayed with the wind, emitting a rustling sound.


    The early birds in the forest chirped in the depths of the forest. Wildflowers bloomed on both sides of the path that spiraled up the terrain. Crystal clear dew hung on the petals. Li Yu smelled the faint fragrance of flowers in the air. She used her long saber to push aside the dense vines and wild grass and walked through the forest.


    After walking in the forest for more than two hours, other than the chirping of birds, she did not find any traces of wild animals. She did not even see a pheasant.


    Li Yu thought of the bandits who had upied Liang Vige in the past and felt that those people might often go up the mountain to hunt. The wild animals on the shallow mountain might have been hunted by them long ago.


    At this moment, the sun had already risen. Tiny rays of sunlight passed through the dense leaves and cast mottled light and shadow on the ground. Li Yu only caught a pheasant halfway up the mountain. There were really few wild animals.


    The sun was getting stronger. By the time she reached the halfway point, the trail had already disappeared. Li Yu walked towards a slightly tter terrain. She used her machete to push aside the bushes and waist-deep weeds and stepped on the soft dead branches and leaves. The forest became even hotter and more humid. The air was filled with the smell of dead leaves and rotten son.


    When she walked into a mixed forest, she found a trap. There was the skeleton of a goat inside. It looked like it had been left behind by the bandits at the foot of the mountain.


    The forest was filled with mushrooms. Li Yu picked up a lot of sheep¡¯s stomach mushrooms and oval mushrooms. The pits on the surface were really very simr to the sheep¡¯s stomach. Li Yu also picked up the bovine liver fungus, pine mushrooms, chicken fennel, and white onion fungus. She was dyed in the forest for nearly two hours and picked up half of the backpack.


    She entered the space and ced the mushrooms inside. Then, she carried her backpack and climbed towards the top of the mountain. Four hourster, when she reached the top of the mountain, she only hunted two pheasants and three hares. She saw a few squirrels. Li Yu couldn¡¯t bear to kill the cute little things. She waved the long saber in her hand at them, scaring them so much that they jumped onto the tree and disappeared in the blink of an eye.


    Standing at the top of the mountain, the bottom of the mountain was visible. Below was a deep stream and facing east was a continuous mountain beam..

 Chapter 582 - 582: The Next Liang Village

    Chapter 582: The Next Liang Vige


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Li Yu sat on arge rock, ate some dry food, and drank a few mouthfuls of rice soup. She went down the mountain from the east and prepared to take a look at the mountain opposite. She would turn back tomorrow.


    When the sun set in the west, she walked to the depression at the foot of the mountain and realized that there were two medium-sized men in front. They were wearing rough cotton pants and holding machetes. They carried bows and arrows on their shoulders. Each of them had a string of prey hanging from his shoulder. There were hares, turtledoves, and pheasants.


    Li Yu deliberately stepped on a dead branch, causing it to make a crisp sound.


    When the two people in front heard themotion, they turned around and saw Li Yu. They stood there for a moment and looked at her in surprise.


    The two of them had square faces and rough dark skin. The one on the right was probably in his thirties, and the one on the left was younger. The two of them looked a little alike.


    The two of them saw that Li Yu was not ordinary-looking. She was wearing dark brown clothes, had a backpack, and was holding a long saber. She looked at them with slightly raised eyebrows, emitting a fierce aura that no one dared to look at directly.


    The young one looked at Li Yu and lowered his head.


    The older man was much more experienced. He was stunned for a moment beforeing back to his senses. He smiled and cupped his fists at Li Yu. ¡°Sister-inw, are you also here to hunt in the mountains?¡±


    Li Yu nodded. ¡°Is Big Brother also from a nearby viger?¡±


    The older man smiled and nodded. ¡°My surname is Yang, and my name is Yang


    Lin.¡± As he spoke, he pointed at the man beside him. ¡°This is my third brother, Yang Mu. My family is in the Yang Family Vige in front. We don¡¯t have muchnd at home, so we came out to farm some wild animals to exchange for money to support the family.¡±


    ¡°Are there any other valuable wild animals in the mountains?


    As Li Yu spoke, she pointed at the mountain ridge behind her. ¡°There¡¯s no prey in that mountain at all. I went up the mountain early in the morning and didn¡¯t even see a slightly valuable wild creature.¡±


    Yang Lin looked in the direction Li Yu was pointing at and hesitated for a moment before saying, ¡°You came up from Liang Vige, right? There¡¯s no prey there anymore. Those people killed it all.¡±


    It seemed that those people had long discovered the bandits gathered in Liang Vige. It was unknown if they were pretending not to know or if they were afraid to check.


    Li Yu went straight to the point. ¡°Brother Yang, are you familiar with the nearby mountain ridges? Have you found a ce like Liang Vige elsewhere?¡± Yang Mu looked up at Li Yu and quickly lowered his head.


    Hearing Li Yu¡¯s question, Yang Lin regretted saying what he had just said. He shook his head and said, ¡°We don¡¯t dare to go far. We¡¯ll just circle around these mountain ridges. We haven¡¯t seen them nearby, but we¡¯re not sure about the distance.¡±


    Seeing their uncertain gazes, Li Yu felt that they must have discovered something abnormal.


    After thinking for a moment, she asked, ¡°You¡¯re from the Yang family vige. Do you know Ying Tao?¡±


    Yang Lin hesitated for a moment and Imew that Li Yu understood what he meant.


    After a moment¡¯s hesitation, he nodded slightly. ¡°I heard something too. We really didn¡¯t know that those people were bad people. We thought that the government had sent them to guard Liang Vige and prevent the people infected with the gue from escaping.¡±


    Li Yu asked, ¡°When did you realize that something was wrong?¡±


    ¡°It was probably not long after the vige was sealed. At that time, I was only in my twenties. That day, I went hunting and realized that someone was guarding there. They didn¡¯t allow us to approach the mountain ridge over there and said that they had been infected with the gue in the past and were going to seal the vige.¡± Yang Lin paused for a moment. ¡°Those people were holding long sabers and looked fierce. Ever since then, we didn¡¯t dare to go to the mountain ridge over there. We didn¡¯t dare to tell our families when we went back.¡±


    Li Yu believed Yang Lin¡¯s words. People in this era were most afraid of gues.


    ¡°Brother Yang, if you find anything wrong while hunting in the mountains, it¡¯s best to inform the people in the government office.¡±


    ¡°You can also go and tell the vige head. Otherwise, when more and more of their people gather, I¡¯m afraid there will be another Liang Vige nearby.¡±


    When Yang Mu heard Li Yu¡¯s words, his expression changed. He pulled Yang


    Lin. ¡°Brother, it¡¯s getting dark. Let¡¯s leave quickly!¡±


    Yang Lin nodded and nced at Li Yu. ¡°If we find anything, we¡¯ll tell the vige chief and ask him to report it to the government office.¡± With that, he pulled Yang Mu away.


    Li Yu watched them walk away quickly. Thinking of Yang Mu¡¯s expression, she felt that these brothers must know something. She felt that she should go back and get someone to ask.


    Thinking of this, she was not in the mood to hunt. She turned around and walked back the way she came.


    The Yang brothers walked for a while. Seeing that Li Yu didn¡¯t follow them and ask, they heaved a sigh of relief.


    The two brothers looked at each other and suddenly felt as if a rock was pressing down on their hearts.


    Yang Mu nced at him and whispered, ¡°Brother, do you think the people we foundst time are bad people? Was Liang Vige really massacred until only some women were left?¡±


    Yang Lin looked solemnly in the direction of Liang Vige and said in a low voice, ¡°That¡¯s what Ying Tao¡¯s brother said. Third Brother, if those people find out that we¡¯ve discovered them, Yang Vige will be finished.¡±


    Yang Mu recalled Li Yu¡¯s words. ¡°But what that sister-inw said is also possible. ¡±


    Indeed, the Liang family vige had been ughtered by them for no reason. What was the difference between keeping the remaining women alive and killing them? On second thought, the Liang family vige was in the col, and the Yang family vige was beside the official road. Those people shouldn¡¯t be so bold.


    Yang Lin thought about it and was no longer in the mood to hunt. He wanted to go back and discuss it with the old people at home.


    ¡°Forget it, let¡¯s go back!¡±


    Yang Mu nodded obediently and followed him back.


    Before Li Yu could climb to the mountain ridge, the sky gradually darkened. A gust of wind blew in the valley, and the low bushes swayed with the wind, emitting a hair-raising sound.


    Li Yu took out a torch from her space and lit it. As she walked, she ate her meal. She heard the cries of owls and unknown birds. The timid ones would probably break out in cold sweat.


    When she reached the top of the mountain, she felt a little tired. Li Yu picked up some leaves with a torch and chopped a few withered trees. After cutting them down, she lit them up and sat on a big rock to rest.


    She hugged the saber and narrowed her eyes. After resting for more than an hour, she lit the torch and continued on her way.


    When she reached the foot of the mountain, the chickens were already crowing. Li Yu entered the space and put the mushrooms into the backpack. She picked up a few of the pheasants and hares she had hunted a few years ago and tied them with hemp ropes. Thinking about it, she brought out another roe deer and put the few lingzhi mushrooms and monkey head mushrooms into the backpack.


    After packing up, she carried the backpack and returned to the farm with the pheasant and hare in one hand and the roe deer in the other.


    Zhao Cai opened the courtyard door and saw the wild animals in Li Yu¡¯s hand. He hurriedly took them and carried them. He smiled and said, ¡°Madam, your luck is too good! You can even hunt roe deer here.¡±


    Could it be that she had been exposed?! Li Yu looked at Zhao Cai guiltily. ¡°Have you never hit a roe deer here?¡±


    Zhao Cai smiled and said, ¡°I tried a few times but didn¡¯t manage to buy it. Those hunters said that there aren¡¯t many row deer to hunt here. There are more in Tongzhou.¡±


    Li Yu smiled dryly and said, ¡°Looks like my luck is really good.¡±


    Auntie He and Uncle Zhou also woke up. When they saw the fresh mushrooms in Li Yu¡¯s backpack, they eximed, ¡°These are all good things! It would be good if Master and Eldest Young Master coulde to the manor together.¡±


    Zhao Cai sighed. ¡°It¡¯s going to be difficult!¡±


    Uncle Zhou took out the Lingzhi and smiled. ¡°This is good stuff. When Sir wakes upter, he will be overjoyed to see it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± As Auntie He spoke, she turned around and walked towards the bathroom. ¡°Madam, I¡¯ll go mix water. Go wash up and have a good sleep. We¡¯ll talk tomorrow.¡±


    Li Yu nodded and followed her toward the bathroom..

 Chapter 583 - 583: Telling Her

    Chapter 583: Telling Her


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    After Li Yu washed up, she returned to her room and pushed open the door. She saw Granny Chen sleeping on a low couch in the inner room.


    When Granny Chen heard the sound, she got up. ¡°Madam, why are you back so quickly?¡±


    Li Yu looked at the two children sleeping with red faces on the bed and said softly, ¡°I caught a few wild animals and picked up some fresh mushrooms before rushing back. It¡¯s notfortable for you to sleep here. You should sleep on the outer bed!¡±


    Granny Chen nodded and walked out quietly.


    Li Yu went to bed and kissed the two babies before lying down to sleep.


    The next morning, the two children woke up and saw their mother lying on the bed. They pounced on Li Yu happily and kissed her. ¡°Mother, where did youe from? We didn¡¯t even see you when we sleptst night!¡±


    Li Yu smiled at them. ¡°Mother knew that I was thinking about me, so she came back quickly!¡±


    ¡°Mother!¡± The two of them pounced on Li Yu and smiled happily.


    Granny Chen hurriedly entered the house and said to the two children, ¡°Young Masters, Madam wasn¡¯t home until dawn. She¡¯s very tired. Go out with Granny to wash your faces, brush your teeth, and eat. Let Madam rest well.¡±


    Xingxing looked at Li Yu. ¡°Mother, are you tired?¡±


    Li Yu nodded. ¡°I¡¯m tired! Be good. I¡¯ll get up after sleeping for a while and make delicious food for you.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡± The two of them put on their clothes and followed Granny Chen out.


    Mr. Wen woke up early in the morning and saw the mushrooms drying in the dustpan. He looked at Auntie He in shock. ¡°Ah Yu came backst night!¡±


    Auntie He smiled and nodded. ¡°She came back when the chicken crowed. She even brought you something good.¡±


    Old Master Zhou smiled and said, ¡°What was it? Let me take a look.¡±


    Auntie He turned around and brought out a basket.


    She ced the basket on the bamboo rack to reveal the few purple lingzhi mushrooms inside. Then, she looked at the two of them with a smile. ¡°They¡¯re good things, right?¡±


    Old Master Zhou nodded. ¡®Yes! It¡¯s good stuff!¡±


    Mr. Wen nodded repeatedly. ¡°Ah Yu¡¯s luck is really good. Other than the deep mountains and forests, it¡¯s really rare to encounter such a good lingzhi here.¡±


    ¡°Look at whose wife she is.¡± Old Master Zhou smiled proudly.


    Mr. Wen nodded and said, ¡°Jiahe has better taste than his father.¡±


    In Yang Vige, the Yang brothers walked until dawn before returning home.


    The Yang family lived at the end of the Yang family vige and did not split up. The entire family lived in arge brick courtyard. It seemed that their family background was alright.


    Father Yang looked at the brothers and asked curiously, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you would stay on the mountain for a few days beforeing back? Why are you back so quickly?¡±


    Yang Lin put down his prey and bow and pulled Father Lin. He said softly,


    ¡°Father, let¡¯s go to your room. I have something to tell you.¡±


    Seeing that his usually steady eldest son was flustered, Father Yang hurriedly returned to his room with him.


    After the father and son entered the house and sat down, Father Yang quickly asked, ¡°What happened?¡±


    Yang Lin looked at him and said, ¡°Father, do you still remember what I told you when T went hunting with Second Brother and Third Brother three wears ago?¡±


    ¡°Three years ago?¡± Father Yang thought for a moment. ¡°Third Brother said that he chased a white fox into a cave and realized that the cave was open. Did he see anyone on the other side of the cave?


    ¡°Yes! We met a woman in the mountains at dusk yesterday. She said¡­¡± Yang Lin looked at Father Yang after saying that.¡± Father, do you think we should tell her? ¡±


    ¡°I heard about what happened in Liang Vige. Your mother also told me about Ying Tao and the others.¡±


    Father Yang looked at his son. ¡°Sigh! What a sin! That woman is probably Madam Li, who saved Yingtao and the others. Xiang Xiu¡¯s mother said that her man is quite high-ranking and she treats them well.¡±


    Yang Lin said anxiously, ¡°Then what do you think we should do? Are we going to say it or not? If they find us and attack us¡­¡±


    Yang Lin did not dare to continue. The Yang family vige was muchrger than the Liang family vige. At that time, the three of them would be sinners.


    Father Yang shook his head and said, ¡°It¡¯s been three years, but those people haven¡¯te looking for us. It proves that they didn¡¯t discover Third Brother back then. Otherwise, we would have been silenced long ago.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid that Madam has already sensed it. Sigh! Let¡¯s quietly go to Liang Vige and tell her the ins and outs of the matter. When the officialse looking for us, we¡¯ll really be in trouble!¡±


    Yang Lin nodded. ¡°Father, we¡¯ll do whatever you say.¡±


    Father Yang stood up and looked at him. ¡°Go! Call Third Brother over. Let¡¯s go to Liang Vige now.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Yang Lin followed Father Yang out of the door, called Yang Mu, and drove the ox cart to Liang Vige.


    Li Yu slept until the afternoon before waking up. She went out and saw Granny Chen and Auntie He drying mushrooms and bamboo shoots in the courtyard. The others were not in the courtyard.


    When Auntie He saw Li Yu, she smiled and said, ¡°Madam, you¡¯re up! I¡¯ll cook a bowl of chicken noodles for you.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and nodded. ¡°Alright, where did the children go?¡±


    Granny Chen smiled and said, ¡°The two young masters followed Old Master, Mr. Wen, and Little Loach to the bamboo forest to see those craftsmen build houses.¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡± After Li Yu washed up, she went to the dining room beside the kitchen to eat.


    When she came out after dinner, she saw Auntie He packing up the wild animals.


    Auntie He pointed at the pheasant and said, ¡°Madam, Young Master said that he wants to eat beggar¡¯s chicken. I looked around. There¡¯s no lotus pond here. I cant wrap the chicken with lotus leaf. I can¡¯t make it!¡±


    Li Yu smiled. ¡°Tell them that there¡¯s no lotus pond here. It¡¯s the same if you apply seasoning and roast it for them.¡±


    Auntie He smiled and nodded. ¡°That¡¯s the only way. I¡¯ll prepare the seasoning. Go and rest for a while.¡±


    Li Yu nodded. ¡°Is Ruyi back from the capital?¡±


    ¡°He arrivedst night. He went to town early this morning.¡±


    Li Yu thought about how she had encountered the Yang brothers yesterday and wondered if she should go back and ask the government office or go to the Yang Family Vige personally.


    Before she could decide, Aunt Zhang came in from outside and reported, ¡°Madam, three vigers with the surname Yang outside said that they want to talk to you.¡±


    It seemed that the Yang Lin family was here. Li Yu thought to herself that they came quite quickly. It seemed that she had not guessed wrongly.


    ¡°Invite them in.¡±


    Aunt Zhang turned to the courtyard door and brought the Yang father and sons into the courtyard.


    Father Yang went forward and bowed to Li Yu. ¡°Madam Li, I took the liberty to visit you because I have something to tell you.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and raised her hand. ¡°Old man, there¡¯s no need to stand on ceremony. Pleasee in and sit down.¡±


    Father Yang cupped his hands and said, ¡°Thank you, Madam Li.¡±


    The few of them entered the central room. Aunt Zhang sent tea over, and Father Yang and his sons sat on chairs cautiously.


    Li Yu saw that the Yang brothers¡¯ eyes were red and guessed that they had also returned to the Yang family vige overnight. They might have discussed it with their father at home and rushed over.


    She looked at them and smiled. ¡°You haven¡¯t eaten, have you? Aunt Zhang, cook a bowl of noodles for them.¡±


    Father Yang hurriedly stood up and rubbed his hands nervously. ¡°Don¡¯t trouble this sister-inw. You¡¯re too polite.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re wee. It¡¯s just a meal.¡± Li Yu smiled.


    Aunt Zhang agreed and went to cook the noodles..

 Chapter 584 - 584: Going Up the Mountain to Investigate

    Chapter 584: Going Up the Mountain to Investigate


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Father Yang said to Li Yu, ¡°Madam Li, my Eldest came back and told me about meeting you, so we rushed over. It¡¯s just, it¡¯s just¡­¡±


    Li Yu looked at his uneasy expression and knew what he was worried about. She said gently, ¡°Thank you. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll get them to keep it a secret so it won¡¯t affect your family¡¯s safety. If the news is really useful, the Imperial Court will even reward you after we eliminate those bandits.¡±


    Li Yu¡¯s words were like a calming pill, assuaging the concerns of the Yang father and son. Thinking about how the Imperial Court helped Ying Tao and the others treat their illnesses and even returned the money, they felt a little tempted.


    Father Yang looked at Yang Mu. ¡°Third Brother, tell Madam Li everything you saw that day.¡±


    Yang Mu nodded and said to Li Yu with a red face, ¡°A few years ago, the wild animals in the forest here were not easy to fight. Before the Winter Solstice Festival three years ago, Big Brother, Second Brother, and I went to the mountains to the east. There were few people and many preys there. We walked on the mountain with dry food for a few days and climbed a few mountains to hunt a lot of wild animals.¡±


    ¡°When I went down the mountain, I chased a wild creature into a cave behind a waterfall. There was a big rock behind the waterfall that blocked the entrance. The rock was hung with with withered vines. It was really not easy to notice.


    After I chased that thing into the cave, I realized that the cave was very deep. As I walked, I suddenly heard someone snoring. I was so frightened that I broke out in a cold sweat.¡±


    ¡°I quickly retreated and told my brother. He said that there were no ghosts in broad daylight. Seeing that I was being fearful, he brought me in again. After entering, I realized that the cave was open.¡±


    ¡°There were two men lying at the entrance to the cave. Each of them was carrying a long spear. There were also two wine jars and some peanuts on the ground. The two of them were drunk. They¡¯re the ones who made the snoring sounds.¡±


    Li Yu asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t they hunters who went up the mountain to hunt?¡±


    I didn¡¯t dare to dy for a moment and rushed home. I told my father about this and didn¡¯t mention it to anyone else.¡±


    Father Yang said to Li Yu, ¡°Madam Li, our familyprises old hunters. We¡¯re all familiar with the hunters in this area. The children often walk in the mountains and are quite urate in judging people.¡±


    Li Yu felt that the terrain there was probably simr to the cave leading to the Green Dragon Stronghold. Someone must have moved arge rock to block the entrance.


    ¡°I believe you. Don¡¯t mention this to anyone else. Please remember how to get there. You might have to lead the way.¡±


    Hearing Li Yu say that she wanted them to lead the way, Father Yang was worried. ¡°Madam Li, if they find out, will they take revenge on us?¡±


    Li Yu smiled andforted him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll get them to keep it a secret for you.¡±


    Father Yang could only cup his hands and say, ¡°Thank you!¡±


    Yang Lin nced at his father and wondered to himself, ¡°What¡¯s the point of asking? We¡¯re already here. The people in the government office would certainly make them lead the way!¡±


    Father Yang understood what his son meant, but he still wanted to say something and felt more confident.


    Aunt Zhang said from the door, ¡°Madam, the noodles are ready.¡±


    Li Yu nodded and said to Father Yang, ¡°Go and eat something first. Think about it. Should we leave someone here to apany the people from the government office? Or should we wait for the people from the government office to pick Brother Yang up from your house?¡±


    Father Yang thought for a moment and looked at his two sons. ¡°Which of you will stay?¡±


    Yang Mu said, ¡°I¡¯ll stay! I remember it better.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Father Yang looked at Li Yu and cupped his hands. ¡°Madam Li, please take care of my son.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll remind them. Go eat some noodles first. They won¡¯t taste good if they get lumpy.¡±


    The Yang father and sons followed Aunt Zhang.


    Auntie He smiled and said to the three of them, ¡°It¡¯s nothing delicious. I cooked three bowls of noodles for you. Take your time and eat. Don¡¯t stand on ceremony.¡±


    Father Yang looked at the three bowls of minced meat noodles and a few dishes on the table and cupped his hands in embarrassment. ¡°Thank you, Sister-inw. We won¡¯t stand on ceremony.¡±


    Auntie He nodded with a smile. ¡°Enjoy.¡± With that, she went out.


    Li Yu returned to her room and wrote a letter. She got someone to call Zhao Cai back and told him about the Yang family.


    She instructed him, ¡°Ride back to the capital immediately and hand the letter to the head shopkeeper. Let himpare Head Chi¡¯s confession. It¡¯s best to send someone to investigate.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± Zhao Cai changed his clothes, brought some dry food, and rode away.


    Father Yang and Yang Lin bade farewell after dinner while Yang Mu stayed in the manor to wait for Chu Sihai to send someone over.


    Zhao Cai galloped all the way. Before the city gate closed, he brought Li Yu¡¯s letter into the city and handed it to Chu Sihai.


    Chu Sihai looked at Li Yu¡¯s letter and realized that it did not match the location of Manager Chi¡¯s confession.


    However, he had already sent out all the people around him. Thinking about it, he could only ask Shen Zhong for help.


    ¡°Steward Zhou, I have something on. I¡¯ll go out for a while. Go back and wait for me. I¡¯ll look for you tomorrow morning.¡±


    Zhao Cai cupped his hands at him and said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go back and wait for you.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Chu Sihai smiled and cupped his hands at him. The two of them went out together and split up.


    When Zhao Cai returned home, Zhou Jia was still working in the study. Yangyang asked him, ¡°Uncle Cai, when are my mother and brothersing back?¡±


    ¡°Young Master, they¡¯ll be back before Qingming.¡±


    Yangyang calcted. ¡°Sigh! There are still six to seven days before Qingming. Uncle Cai, are you still going to the manor?¡±


    Zhao Cai looked at him and smiled. ¡°Yes, we¡¯ll leave tomorrow morning. Do you have anything you want me to bring to Madam?¡±


    Yangyang shook his head and sighed. ¡°Let them have fun! I¡¯m going to rest.¡±


    Zhao Cai watched him walk unhappily toward his room before going to Zhou Jia¡¯s study.


    The next morning, Chu Sihai brought four secret guards borrowed from Shen Zhong and went to Liang Vige with Zhao Cai.


    Seeing Li Yu, the two of them exchanged a few pleasantries. Chu Sihai said, ¡°Madam Li, where¡¯s that hunter surnamed Yang? There¡¯s no time to lose. We¡¯ll set off now.¡±


    Li Yu nodded. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll get Ruyi to call him out.¡±


    Yang Mu followed Ruyi to see Chu Sihai. Li Yu said to him, ¡°This is Mr. Chu from the capital. Go with them!¡±


    Yang Mu nodded. Chu Sihai smiled and said to him, ¡°Brother Yang, don¡¯t worry.


    We¡¯ll protect you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Master Chu,¡± Yang Mu said with a red face.


    Chu Sihai smiled and nodded. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s set off immediately.¡±


    The group climbed up the mountain from the east of Liang Vige and traveled through the forest for seven to eight days before arriving at a steep mountain.


    Here, there was no longer a vige or a paddy field to be seen. Mountains were stacked together. Looking up from below, the mountains surrounded by clouds looked like a paradise.


    Yang Mu stood at the foot of the mountain for a while and pointed at a slightly tter ce. He said to Chu Sihai, ¡°Master Chu, we went up the mountain from there..¡±

 Chapter 585 - 585: There Was Indeed Someone

    Chapter 585: There Was Indeed Someone


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Chu Sihai had a good impression of Yang Mu, who was not talkative and agile.


    He smiled and said, ¡°Brother Yang, please lead the way.¡±


    Yang Mu nodded and brought Chu Sihai and the others up the mountain.


    The group walked and stopped in the rugged and dangerous forest.


    From time to time, pheasants and hares darted out of the grass and fled in all directions, but they did not find anyrge wild beasts. They did not even see a goat.


    Chu Sihai said to the apanying secret guard, Ding Si, ¡°This mountain is a little strange. Logically speaking, there should be goats, badgers, wild boars¡­ After walking for so long, I haven¡¯t seen these things.¡±


    Ding Si nodded. ¡°From the looks of it, there are indeed people gathering on the mountain. The wild animals in the mountain have already be their food.¡±


    Chu Sihai nced at Yang Mu, who was rushing along. ¡°Brother Yang, what wild animals did you hunt here three years ago?¡±


    Yang Mu smiled shyly.


    Chu Sihai nodded and pointed at the pine forest in front of him. ¡°Everyone is tired after traveling for a few days. Let¡¯s rest here early tonight.¡±


    Ding Si looked around and said to Chu Sihai, ¡°Head Shopkeeper, the terrain here is too high. It¡¯s easy to be discovered if we light a fire. Let¡¯s eat dry food!¡±


    Chu Sihai looked at them. ¡°Alright, everyone, find a big tree and climb up. I¡¯ll be on night duty in the first half of the night. We¡¯ll take turns in the second half.¡± After everyone agreed, they found a big tree and climbed up.


    The next day, before the sun set, the few of them climbed over a mountain beam and went down the mountain to the valley.


    Yang Mu pointed at arge mountain opposite and said, ¡°It¡¯s on that mountain.


    There¡¯s a waterfall there. The cave is behind the waterfall.¡±


    Chu Sihai wiped the sweat off his face. ¡°Find a ce to rest tonight. We¡¯ll travel tomorrow morning.¡±


    Chu Sihai looked around. There were big trees, vines, and bushes everywhere, giving off a feeling of istion.


    Everyone found a leeward ce and picked up some dry firewood to set up a fire. They hurriedly ate some dry rations and arranged for the people on night duty to rest.


    Not long after he fell asleep, Ding Si woke Chu Sihai up and pointed at the mes moving up the mountain opposite. ¡°Head Shopkeeper, do you think someone is rushing with a torch?¡±


    Chu Sihai nodded excitedly. ¡°Yes, someone is climbing up the mountain. The person who is going up the mountain might not be on the same path as us. It seems that these traitors are indeed hiding in the depths of the mountain.¡±


    Ding Si was also confident in this trip. ¡°If we can find their hiding ce, we can annihte them. Go and rest first. We still have to travel tomorrow morning.¡±


    The next day, just after dawn, the few of them began to move towards the opposite mountain. At dusk, the group reached the middle of the mountain. Before they could see the waterfall, everyone heard the sound of water sshing.


    They walked for another hour before reaching the waterfall. Looking up, the waterfall was more than a meter wide and about 50 feet tall. It plunged down the steep rock wall andnded in the deep pool below.


    Yang Mu pointed at a fewrge rocks beside the deep pool and said to Chu


    Sihai, ¡°Master Chu, you can pass by stepping on them.¡±


    Chu Sihai nodded. Although the stones looked to be ced haphazardly, he could step on them easily.


    If one took a closer look, one would notice that there was no moss growing on the part of the stone that was sticking out of the water. It was obvious that people often walked past here.


    These rebels were too cunning. If the Yang brothers hadn¡¯t discovered this ce, they really wouldn¡¯t have found their hiding ce.


    Chu Sihai looked at the secret guards apanying him and said to him, ¡°Ding Si, go in and check. We¡¯ll hide in the forest.¡±


    Ding Si nodded, pulled out the dagger at his waist, and jumped onto the stone. With a tap of his toes, he was behind the waterfall.


    Yang Mu was dumbfounded and wondered to himself, ¡°What kind of martial arts is this? If I had such martial arts, I wouldn¡¯t be afraid of ferocious beasts when hunting.¡±


    Ding Si swept forward like a ghost in the cave.


    After more than half an hour, the faint sound of people talking could be heard.


    Ding Si was ted and rushed towards the ce where the sound came from.


    A momentter, Ding Si saw the fire and the conversation could be heard clearly. He said in a low voice, ¡°Brother Shui, it¡¯s really f*cking boring to stay in this deep mountain forest. I farm during the day and have to be on night duty at night. I¡¯m already moldy after staying in this godforsaken ce for a few years.¡±


    Brother Shui replied in a low voice, ¡°That¡¯s right! We¡¯re just a littleter than them. Yet the dirty and tiring work is all ours. Damn it, why did those people let usete to guard the entrance of the cave? It¡¯s difficult to even see a strand of human fur in this godforsaken ce. In the past, there were women we can vent on in Liang Vige. Damn it, we might as well stay in Liang Vige!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! Since we¡¯re all farming, we might as well find a ce to nt safely and marry a wife to live a stable life!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re still craving a stable life. I saw that the Big Boss, who came backst night, looked a little off. I think something must have happened outside.¡±


    ¡°So be it! Damn it, if we want to fight, let¡¯s fight him well. If this continues, we¡¯ll be crippled.¡±


    Listening to theirints, Ding Si thought to himself that two must havee from Liang Vige. It seemed that they were tired of staying in the mountains. He would go back and tell the Head Shopkeeper the news first.


    Chu Sihai saw Ding Si appear from behind the waterfall from the tree and hurriedly slipped down from the tree.


    He looked at Ding Si and asked anxiously, ¡°How is it? Is anyone there?¡±


    Ding Si smiled and nodded. ¡°Yes, the two traitors guarding the entrance of the cave came from Liang Vige. I heard themining. They¡¯re obviously tired of living like this.¡±


    ¡°A hundred people left Liang Vige one after another. If they¡¯re all here, including the original people, there are at least two to three hundred people.


    We don¡¯t have enough people.¡±


    Chu Sihai thought for a moment. ¡°Guard here with the three brothers and check if there are any other entrances. I¡¯ll bring Yang Mu back immediately and bring people over.¡±


    ¡°Are we going to kill the people whoe out?¡± Ding Si asked.


    ¡°If someonees out, follow them to take a look. After capturing them alive and asking them questions, destroy them. Don¡¯t rm the other bandits. It¡¯ll be difficult to find them if they escape into the deep mountains.¡±


    Ding Si replied, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Chu Sihai woke up Yang Mu, who was sitting on a big tree branch. ¡°Brother


    Yang, let¡¯s go down the mountain and call someone.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Yang Mu agreed and slipped down with Chu Sihai. The two of them disappeared into the night.


    Ding Si and the brothers left behind arranged the time for the night duty.


    He climbed up the tree where Chu Sihai was hiding and leaned against the tree trunk with his eyes closed.


    Chu Sihai and Yang Mu walked for a while until they could not even see their fingers. Then, they lit torches and walked through the forest.


    It was midnight before they climbed onto a tree and rested for a while before continuing on their way..

 Chapter 586 - 586: Moving the Army

    Chapter 586: Moving the Army


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    After Li Yu scattered the rice seeds, she set off for the capital the day before the Qingming Festival.


    The next day after returning to the capital, she went out of the city to pay respects to the ancestors and went to Wang Family Vige to take a look.


    Han San grabbed dozens of the chicks raised in the bamboo forest and put them into the bamboo basket. Ruyi then pulled the chicks to Liang Vige.


    Li Yu¡¯s family returned from the Wang Family Vige and went to the hot spring manor to y for two days before returning to the city.


    As soon as she arrived home. Grannv Yang came over with the visiting card and said to Li Yu, ¡°Madam, that Madam Lin brought two boxes of gifts yesterday and sent them over. She begged to see you.¡±


    Li Yu nced at the invitation. ¡°Send it back and tell her that there¡¯s no need to send the invitation.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Granny Yang left.


    Zhou Jia said to Li Yu, ¡°Her husband wants to stay in the capital to work and has taken a fancy to the position of Shanyang County¡¯s county magistrate. I heard that he even went to apologize to Uncle and was chased out by him.¡±


    Li Yu asked in confusion, ¡°I heard that the Su family is a rich family. Why are they still seventh-grade officials after so many years?¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled and said, ¡°Although he didn¡¯t take bribes or vite thew, he didn¡¯t make any achievements during his tenure. After the previous Minister of Official Personnel Affairs had his property confiscated and was exiled, who would dare to take bribes and promote him openly?¡±


    Li Yu thought of Qi Zhanpeng, whom Mr. Wen had mentioned previously. ¡°Is the Schr Qi you said you liked still living in Sir¡¯s medical center?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s been helping out at the medical center since you left. Even Seven Pounds said that he¡¯s a good person. I rmended him like the Ministry of Official Personnel Affairs. He might be appointed in the next few days.¡±


    ¡°Oh!¡± Li Yu thought of how Chu Sihai had been walking for more than ten days with Yang Mu. ¡°I wonder how the Chief Shopkeeper and the others are doing in the mountains? Has he found any traces of the bandits? Also, have Chu Qing and the others found the bandits hiding in the sharp mountain depression?¡±


    Zhou Jia calcted. ¡°It takes less than half a month to reach the sharp mountain depression from here. It will take more than half a month to walk the mountain path. ording to this, they will only have reached the sharp mountain depression at most.¡±


    ¡°Ah Qing will reach Le County in a few days.¡± Li Yu turned to look at Zhou Jia.


    ¡°Xiao Xi, why do I feel a little uneasy when I think of Ah Qing these days?¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at her and smiled. ¡°Ah Qing has already established his family. He¡¯s the parent official of a county. You have to be happy and not worry about them. Besides, when we were in Yunzhou, he also came to the capital alone!¡±


    Li Yu didn¡¯t feel this way in the past. She kept feeling that something was wrong, but she couldn¡¯t tell why. She could only say, ¡°I¡¯m probably thinking too much!¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu¡¯s expression and knew that she was still worried. Heforted her gently, ¡°Yu¡¯er, Le County is not far, but it¡¯s more than half a month away. If you¡¯re still worried in a few days, let¡¯s go to the escort agency to hire an escort to take a look.¡±


    Li Yu nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll go rest for a while. The children are in the garden. Get someone to watch them.¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled and said, ¡°Yes! Rest well.¡±


    Chu Sihai and Yang Mu traveled day and night and arrived at Liang Vige after noon on this day.


    The two of them appeared at the entrance of the Liang Family Vige with dark circles under their eyes and unshaven beards. They knocked on the courtyard door.


    Zhao Cai hurriedly weed the two of them in. When Zhao Cai saw that there were only two of them, his heart skipped a beat. ¡°Why are there only the two of you? Where are the other strong men?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re fine,¡± Chu Sihai panted.


    Yang Mu was so tired that he sat on the ground after entering the courtyard. Uncle Zhou and Little Loach hurriedly helped him up and brought him into the house to sit on a chair.


    Chu Sihai panted and said to Zhao Cai, ¡°Hurry up and prepare the horses. I¡¯ll enter the capital immediately.¡±


    Seeing his exhausted appearance, Zhao Cai nodded and said, ¡°It¡¯s still half a day away from here. You should eat something first. I¡¯ll go get the horses.¡± Chu Sihai nodded and slumped onto the bamboo chair under the eaves. After a while, he began to snore.


    Aunt Zhang cooked arge bowl of noodle soup and Zhao Cai woke the two of them up.


    Chu Sihai and Yang Mu ate a hot meal. After Chu Sihai finished thest mouthful of soup, he eximed, ¡°Sigh! I¡¯m finally alive.¡± He wiped his mouth and said to Yang Mu, ¡°Brother Yang, rest here and go home. Wait for me to find you.¡±


    Yang Mu nodded. ¡°Master Chu, take care.¡±


    Chu Sihai waved his hand and followed Zhao Cai out of the courtyard. Zhao Cai untied the reins and handed them to Chu Sihai. ¡°Head Shopkeeper, be careful.¡±


    Chu Sihai cupped his hands at Zhao Cai and jumped onto his horse to gallop towards the capital.


    After Chu Sihai and Yang Mu left, Ding Si and his three brothers hid in the tree for the night.


    The next day, at dawn, two bandits, one tall and one short, crawled out from behind the waterfall. Ding Si and the rest saw the two of them carrying a machete and walking hurriedly past the forest up the mountain.


    Ding Si gave Ding Jiu a look, and the two of them slid down the tree and followed. The two bandits swaggered in front, not expecting anyone to follow them.


    The tall banditined in front, ¡°Damn it, I just came back with the leader yesterday. The soles of my feet are still hurting. Today, we¡¯re going to the sharp mountain cave again.¡±


    The sharp mountain cave! Ding Si and Ding Jiu¡¯s eyes lit up when they heard that. It seemed that Shopkeeper Chu had brought people to the right ce. The two of them continued to listen attentively.


    ¡°Brother He, look at what you¡¯re saying. Everyone knows that Boss values you the most. He¡¯ll bring you along wherever he goes.¡± The short bandit¡¯s tone was fawning. ¡°Brother He, how long are we going to stay in this mountain? These days are a little difficult for a group of men!¡±


    Brother He revealed a smug smile. ¡°How would I know about these things? Only the higher-ups know about these things. Just endure it! If you endure it, you can live a good life.¡±


    The shorter man nodded. ¡°I think many of our brothers can¡¯t take it anymore, especially those from Liang Vige.¡±


    ¡°Pfft.¡± Brother He spat. ¡°These people are the worst. They¡¯ve enjoyed a few years in Liang Vige. We¡¯ve suffered here. Aftering here, they¡¯ll get angry when we let them do more work.¡±


    Ding Si, He Ding, and Ding Jiu followed behind. After four hours, the two people in front climbed to the top of the mountain and sat on a rock to eat some dry food.


    After they ate pancakes, they got up to pat their butts. They then walked to arge locust tree and pushed aside the vines under the tree before burrowing into them.


    Ding Si and Ding Jiu hid in the bushes and waited for about half an hour, but the two of them did note up. They came out of the bushes and walked to the locust tree to push aside the vines. A narrow path appeared in front of them, but the two of them were nowhere to be seen.


    ¡°Chase quickly,¡± Ding Si said with a wave of his hand.


    The two of them hurriedly ducked through the vines and onto the path. The road was steep and straight, and they could fall off a cliff if they weren¡¯t careful. After chasing for a while, they turned a corner and saw two bandits walking ahead with sabers.


    Ding Jiu looked around and whispered into Ding Sits ear, ¡°Fourth Brother, what should we do?¡±


    Ding Si said in a low voice, ¡°Follow them into the valley before attacking..¡±

 Chapter 587 - 587: Le County, Lord Wenchang

    Chapter 587: Le County, Lord Wenchang


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    The two people in front walked at a moderate pace. Ding Si and Ding Jiu realized that the lower they went, the less steep it was.


    When the sun rose above their heads, Ding Si and the other man followed the two criminals to the bottom of the valley. The two of them took out the dry food in their bags and found a rock to sit down and eat.


    Ding Si and Ding Jiu looked at each other and shed out of hiding. They silently arrived behind the two of them and pped the back of their necks. The two of them fell to the ground with sesame cakes in their mouths. Ding Si and Ding Jiu pulled out the belts of the criminals and tied them up. Ding Si searched their clothing for a while and took out a wax-sealed bamboo tube and two money bags.


    Ding Jiu opened their bags and saw that there were still some dried meat and pancakes inside. ording to their appetite, each of them still had at least five days of rations.


    Ding Si looked at the wax seal and pried open the wax seal with a dagger. He saw that it said, ¡°Chief Manager, the people in the city have been captured by the rebels. What should we do? Please instruct!¡±


    ¡°Ninth Brother, look, we said they were rebels, but they call us the same.¡±


    Ding Jiu nodded. ¡°Shopkeeper Chu has already gone to the sharp mountain depression. The end of these rebels wille soon.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s find a ce to wake them up and ask about what¡¯s going on inside before going back.¡±


    Ding Jiu nodded and pointed under a big tree not far away. ¡°Get over there.¡±


    The two criminals were to the tree and had their faces doused with water to wake them up.


    Brother He and the short man looked at the two of them and had a bad feeling. The two of them thought at the same time that it was over since the government had captured them.


    Brother He forced himself to be calm and asked, ¡°Who are you? Where did youe from?¡±


    Ding Si ced the dagger on their necks and said coldly, ¡°Haven¡¯t you already guessed who we are? You better tell me honestly, how many people are in the cave? Where are you going? What¡¯s going on inside?¡±


    Brother He smiled bitterly and looked like he was begging. ¡°Sir, we¡¯re just two errand boys.


    Ding Si cut the short man without hesitation. ¡°Ah¡­¡± The short man let out a series of screams.


    Ding Jiu covered his mouth and looked at him sinisterly. ¡°Fourth Brother, what will happen if we cut them all up and leave them in the forest?¡±


    Ding Si sneered. ¡°What kind of ending will it be? The leeches, various insects, and wild beasts will eat them until not even their bones are left.¡±


    The two of them had been in the mountains for so many years, so they naturally understood what it was like to be abandoned in the forest.


    Before the two of them could speak, Ding Si stabbed Brother He again. Ding Jiu pretended to stab the short man, who hurriedly begged for mercy, ¡°I¡¯ll talk, I¡¯ll talk¡­


    ¡°You¡¯d better tell the truth, or you¡¯ll die an ugly death,¡± Ding Jiu said, staring at him.


    The shorter man nodded vigorously and said quickly, ¡°The cave goes down into a valley. It¡¯s surrounded by mountains on all sides. The road is difficult. The most convenient entrance and exit is the cave behind the waterfall. There are nearly two hundred people in the cave.¡±


    The short man cried, ¡°Officer, I¡¯ve never harmed anyone. I¡¯ve been reiming and farming in the valley!¡±


    ¡°Where do you n to go?¡± Ding Si looked at Brother He and asked.


    Brother He looked at the tube in Ding Si¡¯s hand and did not dare to lie. ¡°Boss asked me to send a letter to the sharp mountain beam. Our people are there.¡±


    ¡°Is there anyone else elsewhere? Where did you go out of the mountain? Where did youe back fromst night?¡±


    Brother He looked at Ding Si in surprise. He wondered how the man before him knew that he had left the mountain. He even knew that he and the Boss had returnedst night.


    Ding Si looked at him. ¡°You¡¯d better tell me the truth, or you¡¯ll die an ugly death. ¡±


    Brother He looked at Ding Si and nodded fearfully. ¡°Boss sent a few people to Liang Vige to pick them up a few days ago. In the end, only one of them came back to report. There¡¯s no news of the others. Boss brought me outside to gather information and realized that the people who stayed in Liang Vige had disappeared. There are still two people in the vige.¡±


    ¡°We went to Shanyang County again and realized that the people there were gone too. Boss rushed back with me and came back to rest for the night. Boss asked me to send a letter and you caught me.¡± Ding Si looked at him. ¡°Who are you picking up from Liang Vige?¡±


    Brother He shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    Ding Si nced at Ding Jiu. The two of them cut the throats of Brother He and the short man at lightning speed. The two of them widened their eyes, not understanding why they were silenced when they had told the truth.


    Ding Si and his brother returned to their hiding ce. It was already dark, and their brother, who had been hiding there, was nowhere to be seen. After checking around, they found no traces of a fight. They felt that they might have followed the people inside and climbed up the tree to hide.


    At ten o¡¯clock in the middle of the night, the two secret guards returned to where Ding Si and the others were hiding. They brought a tube and handed it to Ding Si. ¡°Fourth Brother, after you walked for fifteen minutes, two more bandits came out. The two of them were even leading two mules. We found a secret letter addressed to Le County on them.¡±


    Ding Si took the tube. ¡°Looks like they¡¯ve also set up people in Le County. We¡¯ll report when the Head Shopkeeperes.¡±


    The few of them went up the tree and leaned against it. They ate dry food and monitored the bandits inside.


    Chu Sihai and Zhao Cai returned to the capital. After reporting the situation to


    Chu Yuhao, they handed over the letter that Li Yu had brought to him. ¡®Your Majesty, take a look. I think Madam Li¡¯s suggestion is not bad. Please send more people. I¡¯ll bring people to eliminate the traitor hiding in the mountains.¡±


    Chu Yuhao saw Li Yu¡¯s words in the letter, ¡°Head Shopkeeper, I think you should announce the matter of those evil bandits and let themoners be the eyes and ears of the Imperial Court. You should give a certain reward to themoners who came to report the situation and mobilize their enthusiasm. Only then can you capture all the evil bandits hiding among themoners.¡±


    Chu Yuhao wrote a handwritten order and said, ¡°Take my order to Shen Zhong and ask him to deploy 200 imperial guards to immediately set off for the hiding ce of the renegade and annihte them.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty. I¡¯ll take my leave.¡± Chu Sihai bowed and left.


    Chu Yuhao looked at the letter on the table and felt that Li Yu¡¯s suggestion was still feasible. He said quietly, ¡°Second Brother, you used death to hide among the people and caused so much trouble. Then die outside and nevere back.¡±


    Chu Sihai sought out Shen Zhong with the written order. Shen Zhong immediately mobilized 200 imperial guards and followed Chu Sihai out of the capital overnight, rushing towards the forest where the bandits were hiding.


    A few dayster, when they arrived at the waterfall, Ding Si came out of his hiding ce and said to Chu Sihai with two tubes, ¡°Head Shopkeeper, we¡¯ve already dealt with a few bandits who left the mountain. The people inside haven¡¯t noticed it yet, but there¡¯s a piece of news that is meant for Le County.


    What do you think we should do?¡±


    ¡°Le County!¡± Chu Sihai took the tube from Ding Si¡¯s hand in surprise. He saw a few simple words written inside: Lord Wenchang, there are developments in the capital.


    Chu Sihai thought to himself, Oh no, Madam Li¡¯s brother, Li Hanlin, has gone to Le County to work. I have to inform Madam Li quickly.


    ¡°Ding Si, rush back to the capital immediately and send the news to Madam Li.


    Don¡¯t mention this to anyone else.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Head Shopkeeper.¡± Ding Si agreed and turned to walk down the mountain.


    Chu Sihai led the imperial guards into the cave. War cries sounded from all directions..

 Chapter 588 - 588: Arrival

    Chapter 588: Arrival


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Ding Si rushed back to the capital night and day and went straight to the Zhou residence.


    When Li Yu heard the news from Ding Si, she finally understood why she had been uneasy these days. She was even more worried that Li Qing would be harmed by the bandits hiding in Le County.


    After sending Ding Si off, Li Yu immediately got someone to call Zhou Jia back from the government office. She began to pack her luggage and prepared to rush to Le County.


    After Zhou Jia returned to the residence and heard the news that Ding Si brought back, he was also worried.


    He was worried about Li Yu going to Le County to see Li Qing, but he couldn¡¯t stop her.


    Seeing Zhou Jia looking at her worriedly, Li Yu went forward and hugged him.


    She said gently, ¡°Xiao Xi, don¡¯t worry. Ah Qing has just arrived in Le County. They won¡¯t attack so quickly. If I don¡¯t go and something happens to Ah Qing, I won¡¯t be at ease for the rest of my life. Wait for me at home. I¡¯ll definitelye back safely. ¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Li Yu and hugged her tightly. He said reluctantly, ¡°Go! I¡¯ll go to Sir¡¯s ce to get you some pills. Bring Ruyi and Ji Xiang along. You can take care of each other if you go together.¡±


    Li Yu said softly, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll bring them along.¡±


    An hourter, Li Yu brought Ruyi and Ji Xiang out of the city and sped toward Le County.


    On the way to Le County, Li Qing¡¯s family encountered heavy rain and were dyed in a small town for a few days. At dusk inte March, they finally arrived at Le County.


    The convoy entered the city from the east city gate of Le County. Li Qing, Liang Cheng, and the others rode horses and saw that the streets were rtively clean and neat, but the pedestrians on the streets were sparse. The shops on both sides also looked cold and cheerless.


    Grandmaster Lin Su said to Li Qing, ¡°County Lord, this Le County looks a little deserted!¡±


    Li Qing nodded and said, ¡°It might be because it¡¯s dusk. The vendors have all packed up and gone home.¡±


    Lin Su looked at the hurried pedestrians on the street. ¡°That might be the reason. ¡±


    When the convoy arrived outside the county office, the two bailiffs at the entrance shouted at them, ¡°Hurry up and leave. This is the entrance of the county office. It¡¯s not a ce you shoulde to.¡±


    Lin Su went forward and said to him, ¡°Our master is the newly appointed county magistrate of Le County. Who is in charge?¡±


    When the bailiff heard the private advisor¡¯s words, he immediately changed his expression and smiled obsequiously. ¡°Sir, please forgive me. I failed to recognize a formidable person. I¡¯ll invite County Magistrate Wang over now.¡±


    The bailiffs left behind looked at the carriages and the scars on Liang Cheng¡¯s face, as well as Hu Zhong and the others¡¯ murderous expressions. They shrank back behind the door in fear.


    Li Qing looked at the entrance of the county office. The mountain shape of the Le County office in front of him looked even more majestic than the Lin County office in the capital. There were a few gilded words on the lintel.


    At this moment, a middle-aged man with a medium build, ordinary looks, and a ruddy face walked out of the government office. He had a gentle smile on his fair and fat face, and his eyes were shining.


    County Governor Wang smiled and bowed to Li Qing. ¡°Greetings, County Lord.¡±


    ¡°Lord Wang, there¡¯s no need to stand on ceremony.¡± Li Qing smiled and helped him up. He smiled and asked in a probing tone, ¡°I wonder if Lord Liu is still in the county office?¡±


    County Magistrate Wang sighed and said, ¡°Lord Liu has been lying on the bed for many days. When he learned that you were here, he has already moved from the county office to the inn behind the county office to stay. After you hand over the position, Lord Liu will set off for the countryside to recuperate.¡± Li looked guilty. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault for being dyed on the way.¡±


    Wang Ping said sincerely, ¡°Lord Li, you¡¯re thinking too much. Lord Liu has been sick since he took office for a year. He¡¯s been looking for doctors and medicine for the past two years. He¡¯s also in a hurry to go back to see a doctor. Lord Li, are these all your carriages? I¡¯ll get someone to help you pull them into the back hall. ¡±


    Li Qing shook his head. ¡°There¡¯s no need to call anyone. Just someone to lead the way.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Wang Ping cupped his hands at Li Qing and turned to the bailiff at the door. ¡°Hou Wen,e and lead the way for Lord Li.¡±


    A bailiff called Hou Wen hurriedly ran over and bowed to the two of them with a smile. ¡°Yes, Lord Li. Please follow me.¡±


    Hou Wen led Li Qing and the others into the county office.


    The county office had three courtyards. They passed through the middle corridor and entered the second hall. Then, they passed through the second hall and arrived at the back hall. The east and west courtyards were on both sides of the back hall. Beyond that was where the families lived.


    Hou Wen smiled and said to Li Qing, ¡°Lord Li, I¡¯ll go out first. If there¡¯s anything, get someone to call me from the front office.¡±


    Li Qing nodded and said, ¡°Okay.¡±


    After Ah Lei stuffed him with a pouch, Hou Wen felt the hardness inside and retreated with a smile.


    Fan Mingfang carried Dongdong out of the carriage and instructed the servants she had brought, ¡°Granny Yun, Nanny, Xiaonong, clean up the room. Granny Yang, Granny Lin, carry the bedding into the house.¡±


    The few of them replied in unison, ¡°Yes, Madam.¡±


    Old Madam Yang and Old Madam Lin moved the bedding from the cart.


    Granny Yun, Nanny Xu, and the servant girl, Xiao Qiong, were busy entering the house to check.


    Liang Cheng, Ding Yi, and a few escorts carried therge luggage into the house.


    Granny Yun and the others walked into the house and saw that it was clean. Even the window paper had been changed.


    They scrubbed the room before carrying the things into the house one by one and cing them neatly.


    Hou Wen took the pouch and returned to the front office happily. He waved it in front of his colleague, who was leaning against the porch pir. ¡°Brother Wang Zhi, I¡¯ll treat you to a drink tonight.¡±


    Wang Zhi looked at the pouch in Hou Wen¡¯s hand enviously. ¡°You¡¯re quite lucky! It¡¯s obvious that Lord Li has a background. Look at the horses, the big green mule cart, and the men apanying them. All of them are murderous.¡±


    Hou Wen nodded. ¡°This county magistrate looks much more energetic than Lord Liu. We¡¯ve never seen such a good-looking person in Le County. He¡¯s even more handsome than those girls.¡±


    The two of them were chatting happily and didn¡¯t see Wang Ping walk behind them. Wang Ping patted Hou Wen¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Go to the inn at the back and tell


    Lord Liu that Lord Li is here.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Hou Wen smiled ingratiatingly and retreated.


    Wang Ping nced at Wang Zhi. ¡°Go to the second hall and see if those old women are back. If they¡¯re not, go to the house and call them toe to work quickly.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master.¡± Wang Zhi hurriedly walked towards the second hall.


    Li Qing took Dongdong from Fan Mingfang¡¯s arms. Seeing Dongdong¡¯s tired look, he touched his forehead and said gently, ¡°Son, we¡¯re here. Look, this is where we¡¯ll live in the future.¡±


    Dongdong wrapped his arms around Li Qing¡¯s neck and said softly, ¡°Father, I don¡¯t want to be here. I want to y with Brother Yueyue and Brother Xingxing.¡±


    Li Qingughed. ¡°Silly child, your brothers are in the capital! We¡¯ve already traveled a long, long way. We¡¯ll be here for a long time before going back.¡±


    Dongdong twisted around. ¡°I don¡¯t want to! I want to go home. I want to look for my brothers!¡±


    Fan Mingfang went forward and carried him back. She coaxed him softly, ¡°Dongdong is an obedient baby. Daddy is very tired. Mother will bring you into the house to sleep..¡±

 Chapter 589 - 589: Handover

    Chapter 589: Handover


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    After everything was moved into the house, a few escorts came out and cupped their fists at Li Qing. ¡°Lord Li, we brothers will take our leave.¡±


    Li Qing smiled politely. ¡°Brother Song, why are you in such a hurry? You can stay here for the night and set off tomorrow morning.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right! We haven¡¯t even eaten. We¡¯ll rest here for the night after eating, ¡± Liang Cheng said with a smile.


    Escort Song cupped his fists and smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s disturb you for another night.¡±


    Li Qing nodded and said to Ah Lei, ¡°Ah Lei, go to the street and order two tables of banquets in. After dinner, everyone can rest well.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master.¡± Ah Lei bowed and left.


    Lin Su stood beside Li Qing and said in a low voice, ¡°Master, from what County Magistrate Wang said, not long after Lord Liu arrived in office, he was bedridden. We didn¡¯t hear anyone from the Ministry of Official Personnel Affairs mention this in the capital. Since he was bedridden, who has been in charge of the affairs of the county office during his tenure? Why didn¡¯t he report that he was seriously ill?¡±


    Li Qing thought for a moment. ¡°I¡¯m curious. Was Lord Liu originally so weak and sick? Or is he sick because of Le County? Also, after exchanging the seal, we¡¯ll check the ounts and official business before doing the handover.¡±


    Lin Su nodded and said, ¡°We don¡¯t have anywhere to gather information, so we can only take it one step at a time.¡±


    Li Qing said, ¡°Tomorrow morning, I¡¯ll get Brother Ding and the others to investigate.¡±


    Liang Cheng and the others helped arrange therge pieces of furniture. Fan Mingfang, Old Madam Yun, and the others were busy cleaning up the house and arranging it neatly.


    Old Madam Lin and Old Madam Yang washed up in the kitchen. When they saw that there was still a bundle of firewood in front of the stove, they began to boil water to wash up.


    Ah Lei entered with a few waiters from the restaurant.


    Li Qing pointed at the main hall and the flower hall and said, ¡°Set up the food in the main hall and a table in the flower hall. Everyone, eat and wash up first.¡±


    The shop assistant set up the food and bowed to leave to get the unfinished food.


    Wang Zhi had already called the four old women who were helping in the kitchen at the back office to the second door.


    When the old women saw the waitersing out of the restaurant, a long-faced old woman pulled the round-faced old woman in front of her and whispered with glowing eyes, ¡°This is the waiter from Xiangman Restaurant. They ordered a table of dishes and wine at Xiangman Restaurant. The cheapest one costs two taels of silver.¡±


    The round -faced woman nodded. ¡°It seems that the new county magistrate is not poor.¡±


    The others kept nodding. When they reached the entrance of the back office, Ah Kun stopped them. ¡°Who are you?


    The round -faced woman nced inside and shouted, ¡°We¡¯re servants hired by the government office to help cook. Why aren¡¯t you allowing us in?¡±


    Ah Kun nced at her and shouted, ¡°Speak properly. Why are you shouting? Just wait. I¡¯ll report to Master.¡±


    After Fan Mingfang heard the report, she said to Li Qing, ¡°Ah Qing, the old women hired by the government office are all connected to those constables and scribes. Not only are they not easy to manage, but they also spread the news of the inner courtyard. These people¡¯s wages are all paid by the county office. I want them to go back and their wages will be distributed as usual.


    What do you think?¡±


    Li Qing nodded. ¡°You¡¯ll be in charge of the matters in the back hall. You can do whatever you want.¡±


    Fan Mingfang nodded and said to Ah Lei, ¡°Go and tell them what I said.¡±


    After agreeing, Ah Lei went to the second door and saw a few old women standing at the door and sticking their heads into the inner courtyard. Ah Lei told them what Fan Mingfang had said.


    Seeing two old women reveal happy expressions, two of their expressions changed. The round-faced old woman looked at Ah Lei. ¡°Little brother, it¡¯s not good for us to get paid if we don¡¯t work!¡±


    Ah Lei nced at her. ¡°My master already said that there¡¯s nothing bad about it.¡±


    The old women muttered and left. After a while, Wang Zhi told County Magistrate Wang about Li Qing chasing the old women away. ¡°Uncle, what do you think we should do?¡±


    County Magistrate Wang touched his chin and thought for a moment before saying, ¡°Let them go back first. We¡¯ll talk about it in a few days.¡±


    Just as Li Qing and the others finished eating, an old man who imed to be County Magistrate Liu ¡®s advisor came to meet Li Qing.


    Li Qing got someone to bring him in. The old man bowed to Li Qing and said, ¡°Lord Li, I¡¯m Liu Chun. I¡¯m Lord Liu¡¯s advisor. My master isn¡¯t feeling well and wants to return to his hometown to get treated as soon as possible. I want to ask Lord Li to take over as soon as possible.¡±


    Li Qing took a step forward and helped him up. ¡°Advisor Liu, there¡¯s no need to be so polite. I¡¯ll take over as soon as possible.¡±


    When Advisor Liu heard Li Qing¡¯s words, he bowed again and said, ¡°Thank you, Lord Li. My master will wait for you in the front office tomorrow morning.¡±


    Li Qing smiled and said, ¡°Sure, sure.¡±


    The next morning, Li Qing saw Lord Liu in the front hall of the county office.


    He was stanamg tall ana ms race was pale. It was ODVIOUS tnat ne nau Deen SICK for a long time.


    After the two of them exchanged pleasantries, County Magistrate Wang and County Lieutenant Zhang brought the constables, scribes, and bailiffs to meet Li Qing.


    County Magistrate Liu pointed at County Magistrate Wang and the old man behind him and said weakly to Li Qing, ¡°Lord Li, my illness fluctuates between good and bad. County Magistrate Wang and my advisor are in charge of the official matters. They know the ounts and official matters best. They¡¯ll take over the handover. After the handover, I can return to my hometown to see a doctor.¡±


    Li Qing cupped his hands and smiled. ¡°Sure, sure. I¡¯ll definitely take stock as soon as possible and hand it over.¡±


    County Magistrate Liu did not expect Li Qing to take stock after changing the seal. He was stunned for a moment and could only nod. ¡°Okay.¡±


    County Magistrate Wang lowered his head and his expression changed. He did not expect Li Qing to disregard County Magistrate Liu¡¯s health in favor of checking the ounts.


    Li Qing brought Lin Su and Ah Lei to the government office to tally the ounts. Liang Cheng, Ding Yi, and the others went out and walked toward the street separately.


    Le County had four main streets that led straight to the entrances below the four-door city. There were also more than a dozen streets and alleys in the city. These streets and alleys intersected horizontally and vertically, making it very convenient for people in the city to travel in all directions.


    Liang Cheng and Ding Yi walked around the street and found the Four Seas Bank on East Street. There was also a Huiheng pawnshop next door. The two of them stood at the door and looked around. They realized that there were quite a number of peopleing to pawn things.


    Liang Cheng said to Ding Yi, ¡°Did you notice that although the streets of Le


    County are clean and tidy, there are not many vendors on the street market? Even the market has fewer vendors than other ces.¡±


    Ding frowned. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll have to ask the locals.¡±


    Liang Cheng looked at Ding Yi and smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll have to rely on you to do it. It would be strange if I donn¡¯t scare them away.¡±


    Ding Yi nced at him and nodded with a smile. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s split up.


    Continue shopping. I¡¯ll find someone to ask for information.¡±


    Li Qing brought Ah Lei to take stock of the taxes and savings of the government office since County Magistrate Liu took office. Lin Su checked the quantity of food stored in the county office¡¯s granary.


    County Magistrate Wang and Advisor Liu brought the clerks to move the bills out of the warehouse. After that, Advisor Liu returned to the inn at the back of the county office.


    County Magistrate Wang stood at the side and helped eagerly. He saw Li Qing and Ah Lei calcting the abacus with one hand and recording the ounts with the other. Their posture was even faster than the people working on umted ounts.


    When County Magistrate Wang saw that it was noon, he came out of the government office and hurriedly took a car towards North Street..

 Chapter 590 - 590: Checking the Accounts

    Chapter 590: Checking the ounts


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    County Magistrate Wang took a carriage to a high-walled courtyard on North Street. When he reached the entrance of the courtyard, the doorman weed him in politely.


    Then, a slightly plump middle-aged man came over with a smile and weed him into the courtyard.


    ¡°Lord Wang, didn¡¯t you say that the new county magistrate has arrived? Why are you still free toe over today?¡±


    County Magistrate Wang sighed and shook his head. ¡°Manager Huang, is Mr. Cheng here?¡±


    Steward Huang smiled. ¡°Yes, he just came back yesterday.¡±


    Steward Huang brought him into the main courtyard.


    When County Governor Wang saw the thin man standing under the eaves of the corridor ying with birds, he went forward and bowed. ¡°Mr. Cheng, Lord Li arrived in Le County at dusk yesterday. This morning, he exchanged seals with County Magistrate Liu and suggested that he wanted to check the warehouse before handing it over.¡±


    Mr. Cheng turned to look at him and teased the thrush bird. He said casually, ¡°Didn¡¯t I help you level those ounts long ago? What are you worried about?¡±


    County Magistrate Wang blushed and rubbed his hands uneasily. ¡°Mr. Cheng, some ounts are too different from the actual number. They really can¡¯t be leveled! I think they¡¯re even better at checking ounts than the ountant you sent. I¡¯m worried!¡±


    Mr. Cheng looked confident. ¡°What are you worried about? Those nerds are only focused on studying and taking the imperial examination. Unless they learn from the ountant for three to five years, they won¡¯t be able to understand the trick in the ounts. Do you think it¡¯s that easy?


    County Magistrate Wang felt that it was not as Mr. Cheng had said. He stammered, ¡°Mr. Cheng, it¡¯s not that I¡¯m timid. I saw with my own eyes how they checked the ounts. They¡¯re really better than the ountant you sent. Also, can you get someone to send the food you borrowed back to the warehouse in the next two days? I think they will be going to the warehouse to check. ¡±


    After saying that, County Magistrate Wang looked at Mr. Cheng pitifully.


    Mr. Cheng looked at him unhappily. ¡°Now is not the time to return the food. Where can I find so many supplies for you all at once? Go back and stall them first. If it really doesn¡¯t work, burn those ounts and be done with it.¡±


    County Magistrate Wang looked at Mr. Cheng in surprise. He thought for a moment and felt that this was a good idea.


    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea, but you¡¯ll have to send someone to do it.¡±


    Mr. Cheng nodded without hesitation. ¡°Alright, go back first. I¡¯ll send someone.¡±


    County Magistrate Wang was relieved and bowed to him. ¡°Thank you, sir. I¡¯ll go back.¡±


    ¡°Go!¡± Mr. Cheng waved his hand and watched County Magistrate Wang leave. He turned around and walked toward the study.


    A tall man with a faint scar on his face and a gloomy aura stood in front of a row of bookcases and flipped through a book.


    Mr. Cheng bowed to him and said, ¡°Second Master, County Magistrate Wang came just now. He said¡­¡¯


    Second Master put down the book and twirled the thumb ring on his thumb. He looked at him and said indifferently, ¡®We¡¯ll do as you say. Burn those ounts and burn down the warehouse. It¡¯s best to create a fire. When County


    Magistrate Liu leaves Le County, find a hidden ce and deal with them.¡±


    Mr. Cheng nced at him. ¡°Yes, Second Master. Do you mean the two people guarding the warehouse¡­¡±


    Second Master nced at him, but his words were cold. ¡°If we don¡¯t get rid of them, won¡¯t we be found out? Also, why hasn¡¯t there been any news from the capital these days? Get someone to investigate if something happened?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll go now.¡± Mr. Cheng bowed and left.


    After obtaining a solution to the problem, County Magistrate Wang no longer paid attention to Li Qing and the others checking the ounts. He dawdled in the detention room to the lower office and slowly left the county office. County Magistrate Liu returned to the inn. When Advisor Liu returned, he looked at him and said, ¡°Uncle, it seems that this Lord Li will only hand over to me after checking the ounts. What do you think we should do?¡±


    Advisor Liu looked around, closed the door, and helped County Magistrate Liu sit down. He said softly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I think Wang Zhi is like a cat on a hot tin roof. We just have to bide our time. Wang Zhi will naturally take action to settle it.¡±


    County Magistrate Liu shook his head uneasily. ¡°I don¡¯t feel at ease. I keep feeling that the person behind Wang Zhi won¡¯t let us leave easily.¡±


    Advisor Liu looked at the extremely weak County Magistrate Liu and sighed. ¡°Sigh! If we had known earlier, I wouldn¡¯t have let you be an official. Isn¡¯t it good to be a High Schr at home? You came all the way here and got involved in a mess. You even had to drug yourself to avert trouble.¡±


    ¡°Uncle, fortunately, Li Niang and Auntie have already left Le County with the children. If anything happens to us, sigh!¡± County Magistrate Liu sighed. ¡°It¡¯s all my fault for being weak-willed and bewitched by that dog Wang Zhi!¡±


    Advisor Liu patted him andforted him. ¡°Think about it. We have no one in the court and no foundation. It is more important to preserve our lives.¡± County Magistrate Liu nodded. ¡°You¡¯re right. Let¡¯s leave this ce first.¡±


    Li Qing and the others checked the ounts until it was dark. The three of them felt that their minds were filled with numbers. They also had a preliminary understanding of the situation in Le County. Looking at the records in the ount book, Li Qing had a headache. He felt that it was really not that easy to be an official here. On second thought, he felt that no matter how difficult it was, it would not be as difficult as what Zhou Jia went through in Qingchuan.


    Ah Lei held a book and said to Li Qing, ¡°Master, look, other than the official and civiliannd taxes, there¡¯s also the volunteer warehouse tax. There are many kinds of farming equipment taxes, silkworm salt money, crooked money, and municipal money. Can the people still survive?


    ¡°And here. It¡¯s only been a month, but they used 20 to 30 taels of silver to buy so much ink and paper. Are they buying them to eat? It¡¯s more like using such a small bill to deceive those second-generation rich people who don¡¯t know their stuff.¡±


    Li Qing said with a dark expression, ¡°After His Majesty ascended the throne, he ordered the abolition of all misceneous sects and additional taxes. Could it be that the officials of Le County don¡¯t know about this decree? Also, look here. Justst year, Le County opened more than 600 wastnds. A county city with more than 2,000 households can actually open so many wastnds. It¡¯s really ludicrous!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s so strange about that? The money allocated by the Imperial Court to encourage the wastnd remation has all fallen into their pockets,¡± Lin Su said, looking up from a stack of bills. ¡°Lord, from the warehouse ounts, the amount of food in Le County is quite normal. However, I think we can only verify it after going to the warehouse to check.¡±


    At this moment, Liang Cheng knocked on the door. ¡°Master, Madam invites you back to the back office for dinner beforeing back.¡±


    ¡°Coming.¡± Ah Lei opened the door. ¡°Uncle Liang, I¡¯ve been hungry for a long time.¡±


    Liang Cheng patted him and smiled. ¡°Eat a few more bowls when you¡¯re hungry. There¡¯s something delicious prepared on the stove.¡±


    Li Qing rubbed his sore neck and said to Lin Su, ¡°Mr. Lin, let¡¯s go back and eat before investigating.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Lin Su closed the bill in his hand and blew out the oilmp. He closed the door and walked out..

 Chapter 591 - 591: Arson

    Chapter 591: Arson


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Liang Cheng said to Li Qing, ¡°Master, Ding Yi, I, and the others walked around the county city separately and realized that there are fewer street vendors than elsewhere. Ding Yi got someone to ask around. The vendors here have to pay the stall fee when they reach the market. They also have to pay all kinds of misceneous fees every month. After a month, the money they earn is not enough to pay the fees, so the vendors naturally have fewer.¡±


    Li Qing nodded. ¡°I¡¯ve already found out from the ounts. I¡¯ll waive these misceneous fees after the handover.¡±


    Liang Cheng nodded. ¡°Old Ding and the others heard that County Magistrate Liu¡¯s family left Le County half a year ago and returned to their hometown.


    They even said that County Magistrate Liu is just a puppet county magistrate.


    The real person in charge of Le County is Magistrate Wang.¡±


    Li Qing felt that the helpers his sister had found for him were really too good. They were good at martial arts and were capable of doing things. No matter what they did, they could do it well without his special instructions.


    ¡°Alright, it¡¯s been hard on you. Brother Liang, I want you to help me check the warehouse in Le County and see how much food is stored inside.¡±


    ¡°Okay, we¡¯ll go tonight.¡±


    Fan Mingfang stood under the eaves of the corridor in the backyard. When she saw Li Qing enter the courtyard, she turned to the old women and said, ¡°Get someone to set up the meal. Master is back.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± Granny Yun and Old Madam Yang got busy.


    Fan Mingfang looked at the tired Li Qing and said gently, ¡°Is the ounting unclear?¡±


    Li looked at her and smiled. ¡°Yes, there¡¯s the same thing repeated in the ledger. There are some other problems. Where¡¯s Dong¡¯er?¡±


    Fan Mingfang smiled and said, ¡°Dong¡¯er is asleep. It¡¯s been a long day. Hurry up and eat!¡±


    Not long after Li Qing and the others left, a ck shadow sneaked into the county office and went straight to the room where Li Qing and the others were checking the ounts. After entering the house, he took out the oil can in his hand and sprinkled kerosene on the ount book and the cab table.


    Finally, he picked up a ledger and tore off a page. He walked to the door and lit it, cing it on the sheet that had been sprinkled with kerosene. With a bang, the ledger caught fire.


    The man in ck stood there calmly for a moment before closing the door and disappearing into the night.


    After a while, the fire gradually grew stronger. The tables, chairs, and cabs in the house crackled. The fire was already spreading.


    Wang Zhi held his stomach and muttered, ¡°Damn it, I drank his wine and had diarrhea.¡± As he spoke, he slowly walked towards the inner hall.


    Suddenly, his eyes widened and he shouted, ¡°There¡¯s a fire! Someonee quickly! There¡¯s a fire!¡±


    When the bailiffs on night duty in the government office heard the shout, they carried basins and buckets and ran towards the fire like a swarm of bees. They filled the fireproof vat with water and sshed it at the fire.


    Li Qing was stunned when he heard the shout. ¡°Oh no, someone set a fire!¡± He rushed out.


    Liang Cheng and the others also rushed over after hearing the news and joined in the fight against the fire. After a while, the fire was finally extinguished. The house where the ledgers were piled and the house beside it had already be a ruin.


    Lin Su said to Li Qing, ¡°County Lord, when we went back to eat, I was thest to leave. I only closed the door and left after extinguishing the oilmps. Why would there be such a big fire for no reason?¡±


    Liang Cheng also said, ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s only been a few minutes since we went to the back office to eat. There was no wind, so how could the fire be so big? Unless someone deliberately set it on fire¡­¡±


    Wang Zhi¡¯s face was ck and gray as he ran to Li Qing wetly. ¡°Lord Li, when I


    patrolled the night, I realized that the fire had already spread to the next house. It was toote to save it.¡±


    Li Qing looked at him. ¡°You were the first to discover the fire? Who¡¯s patrolling tonight?¡±


    Wang Zhi bowed and said, ¡°Yes, I should be on duty tonight. My stomach hurt a little just now.¡± As Wang Zhi spoke, he knelt on the ground with a thud. ¡°Sir, please forgive me.¡±


    Li Qing waved at him with a dark expression. ¡®Get up first. Tell Advisor Lin the situationter.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Lord.¡± Wang Zhi kowtowed gratefully before getting up from the ground.


    Li Qing looked at the ount book that had been burned to ashes and thought to himself that it seemed that these people knew very well which room had the ount book and wereing straight for it. He had just started checking, and someone was already afraid. That person even got someone to burn these ount books. Since they dared to burn the ount books, it seemed that the taxes in Le County were very deep!


    Lin Su nced at Li Qing, whose face was ashen, andforted him. ¡°County Lord, the fire has already happened and the fire has been extinguished. We¡¯re already lucky that we didn¡¯t cause much damage.¡±


    The other bailiffs knelt in front of Li Qing uneasily. ¡°Lord Li, I¡¯mte to put out the fire¡­


    ¡°Get up! You didn¡¯t know this was going to happen. After this lesson, everyone will has to walk more often on duty in the future.¡± Li Qing looked at the bailiffs whose faces were covered in ashes. ¡°It¡¯s cold at night. Go change your clothes!¡±


    When the bailiffs heard Li Qing¡¯s words, they were relieved and bowed. ¡°Yes, sir. We¡¯ll remember. Thank you, sir!¡±


    Li Qing waved his hand and said, ¡°Fire and water are heartless. Go wash up ande back to Advisor Lin to tell him the situation.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, sir.¡± They bowed gratefully and retreated.


    Seeing those people leave, Li Qing whispered to Lin Su, ¡°The only thing we can do now is to settle the ounts we found today as soon as possible.¡± Lin Su nodded. ¡°That¡¯s the only way.¡±


    Li Qing then said to Liang Cheng and the others, ¡°Brother Liang, from today onwards, keep an eye on Wang Zhi and Magistrate Wang. I think they¡¯re secretly behind this. Also, you have to be careful when you go to the warehouse tonight to investigate.¡±


    Liang Cheng and the others bowed and replied, ¡°Yes, Master.¡±


    The ledger had already been burned, so there was no need to check it. Li Qing returned to the backyard. Fan Mingfang stood at the door of the backyard and heaved a sigh of relief when she saw Li Qing return.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Where¡¯s the fire?¡±


    Li Qing wrapped his arm around Fan Mingfang and walked in. ¡°The ledger was burned.¡±


    ¡°The ledger was burned!¡± Fan Mingfang stopped in surprise and looked at him worriedly. ¡°Was it an ident? Or was it arson?¡±


    Li Qing looked at Fan Mingfang¡¯s worried expression and patted her shoulder. ¡°Someone set it on fire. Don¡¯t worry. When I go back and write down the ounts I¡¯ve read, I¡¯ll slowly investigate. I¡¯ll get to the bottom of it.¡±


    ¡°To think such a thing actually happened in such a small county. It looks even more chaotic than Liangzhou. Fortunately, you weren¡¯t there. Otherwise¡­¡± Fan Mingfang didn¡¯t dare to continue. She didn¡¯t even want to think about it.


    Li Qing sensed her fear and led her to sit down. He hugged her and said gently,


    ¡°Wanwan, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    ¡°Yes! I know.¡± Fan Mingfang looked up at him and smiled gently. ¡°Didn¡¯t you want to write down the ounts? I¡¯ll grind the ink for you.¡±


    Li Qing smiled and kissed her. ¡°I can¡¯t calm down with you here. Go back and apany Dong¡¯er.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re still in the mood to joke.¡± Fan Mingfang smiled and punched him lightly. ¡°Alright! I won¡¯t disturb you anymore..¡±

 Chapter 592 - 592: Burning the Barn

    Chapter 592: Burning the Barn


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Wang Zhi and the others simply washed the dust off their bodies and came to look for Lin Su to tell him about discovering the fire. Lin Su noted down Wang Zhi¡¯s words and asked him to sign before letting him go.


    Then, he asked a few bailiffs. A strong bailiff said to Lin Su, ¡°Advisor Lin, I was resting in the house when I suddenly heard Wang Zhi call for water. That¡¯s why I ran out.¡±


    The tall and thin bailiff said, ¡°When Wang Zhi came, he was talking about eating with Hou Wen when he came back. His stomach felt ufortable from the wine. Did he eat something unclean?¡±


    Lin Su looked at them. ¡°Then did you notice anyone suspicious sneaking into the county office?¡±


    They said in unison, ¡°No. We ran out of the room when we heard the shout.¡±


    Lin Su recorded their words and got them to sign. Then, he stood up and walked to the backyard.


    Seeing that he had returned and asked him to sit down, Li Qing said, ¡°Mr. Lin, Brother Liang and the others found out that Magistrate Wang was actually in charge of the government affairs in Le County and even sent his family away early. Since Lord Liu is so sick that he doesn¡¯t even have the energy to deal with the government affairs in the county office, why didn¡¯t he submit his resignation to the Imperial Court? He insisted on holding on and only left after his term was over. Also, why did his Madam leave her seriously ill husband behind and leave with the child? Isn¡¯t she afraid that he won¡¯t be able to return if he gets sick?¡±


    Lin Su frowned and stroked his beard. ¡°Yes! I¡¯ve thought about that too. Do you think he¡¯s pretending to be sick?¡±


    Li Qing felt that Advisor Lin¡¯s thoughts were the same as his. He nodded and said, ¡°That¡¯s possible. Then let¡¯s get Brother Hu and the others to go to the inn to investigate.¡±


    ¡°Alright, they¡¯re already back. I¡¯ll tell them now.¡± Private Advisor Lin left to look for Hu Zhong.


    Liang Cheng went back and changed into a dark brown suit. He took his mask and walked towards the warehouse northwest of the city. There was not even a star in the sky and he could not see his fingers.


    More than an hourter, Liang Cheng arrived at the Le County warehouse.


    The door was tightly shut, and a windmp hung high outside the door, emitting a dim yellow light.


    Liang Cheng bent down and turned under the wall of the warehouse to a slightly lower ce. He took a long breath and quickly walked forward. He used the force of his feet to pivot on the ground and leaped up. He stepped on the wall and flipped into the courtyard. When he entered, he realized that there were a total of nine warehouses inside.


    Liang Cheng approached the closest one and walked to the door. He gently pushed the wooden door open. The door creaked open. Liang Cheng looked around and walked in to blow on the lighter. He saw that it was empty and there were many grains scattered on the ground.


    Liang Cheng came out from inside and walked towards the other room. He saw that there was still some sorghum rice piled inside. It was at the bottom of the pile in the warehouse.


    After walking a few rooms in a row, he realized that some of them had half a warehouse of old grains, and some did not have any food at all. Liang Cheng walked around inside, but no one came out to check. He quietly walked to the small house at the door.


    When he reached the door, he heard a snoring sound that almost pierced through the roof. He saw two guards sleeping soundly inside.


    Liang Cheng spat and was about to retreat to the courtyard wall and climb over it when he suddenly heard someone approaching the door. In a breath, he saw a dagger reach in through the crack and flick thetch.


    Sure enough, someone was here! Liang Cheng simply stood there and waited for the person to walk in.


    After a dozen breaths, the door chain was ced on the ground and the door was gently pushed open. A masked man walked in with a sharp knife in his hand and turned to close the door.


    Liang Cheng reached out to p his neck. The man quickly tilted his head and dodged the blow. He swung his saber at Liang Cheng, who dodged to the side and grabbed his wrist with his left hand like an iron w. The sharp saber in the masked man¡¯s hand fell to the ground.


    Liang Chen¡¯s right hand clenched into a fist and suddenly mmed toward the man. Then, kicked the man out and mmed him into the wall. The man let out a strange cry and hit the wall with another muffled sound. He fell to the ground and his head tilted before he stopped moving.


    ¡°Are you dead?¡± Liang Cheng went forward and twisted his head. ck blood flowed out of his mouth and nose and he was no longer breathing. Liang Cheng searched his body and nced at the warehouse manager who was sleeping soundly on the bed. He closed the door and climbed over the wall to disappear into the night.


    When he returned to the county office, he saw Li Qing ce a water bag on his table and told Li Qing about the situation and his encounter with the man in ck.


    ¡°Master, I left that person in the warehouse. I found a water bag on his back with kerosene in it. Fortunately, we went to the warehouse tonight. Otherwise, the warehouse would have been set aze by now.¡±


    Li Qing was so angry that he pped the table. ¡°The nine warehouses are all empty. How dare they be so brazen? Where did those grains go? Did the officials and merchants collude to sell them?¡±


    Lin Su frowned and said, ¡°Even if the officials and merchants colluded, they wouldn¡¯t dare to empty the warehouse! There must be something we don¡¯t know. Master, we can¡¯t let County Magistrate Liu go easily.¡±


    Li Qing nodded and took a deep breath. He said to Liang Cheng, ¡°Brother Liang, it¡¯s been hard on you.¡±


    Liang Cheng smiled indifferently. ¡°Master, I think the waters in Le County are very deep. You have to have someone by your side at all times. I¡¯ll protect you tomorrow.¡±


    Li Qing stood up and bowed to Liang Cheng. ¡°Thank you, Brother Liang.¡±


    Liang Cheng hurriedly returned the greeting. ¡°You¡¯re too polite. I¡¯ll go back first.¡±


    After Liang Cheng left, Li Qing and Lin Su discussed a way to deal with County Magistrate Liu.


    Lin Su thought for a moment and said, ¡°County Lord, these people are so vicious. As soon as you arrived in Le County, the county office caught fire one after another. The people are stupid. When the timees, they will spread some rumors and to y the me game that you brought a fire and burned their life-saving food.¡±


    Li Qing shuddered when he heard that. He gritted his teeth and said, ¡°We can only force County Magistrate Liu to tell us what he knows.¡±


    County Magistrate Liu and Advisor Liu also learned that the ount books had been burned. Advisor Liu looked at County Magistrate Liu with a smile. ¡®My guess is right! That dog Wang Ping is more anxious than us!¡±


    County Magistrate Liu also felt relieved and sighed. ¡°Sigh! I really didn¡¯t expect them to be so bold as to burn those ounts.¡±


    Advisor Liu stood up and rubbed his face. ¡°This is great. Now that Li can¡¯t find a reason not to settle the handover procedures with us, I¡¯ll go pack up and set off after the handover.¡±


    Ding Yiy under the eaves of the inn that County Magistrate Liu had rented and watched as the two of them lowered their voices. What were they discussing? Ding Yi looked at County Magistrate Liu¡¯s actions and felt that he did not look like someone with an incurable illness at all.


    After returning to the county office, Ding Yi told Li Qing what he had seen. Ding Yi¡¯s discovery confirmed Li Qing¡¯s guess that County Magistrate Liu was pretending to be sick.


    The next day, Hu Zhong went to the barn at the northwest corner of West Main Street at dawn.


    As he hid in a tree not far from the warehouse, he saw a person run out of the warehouse in a hurry an hourter.


    Hu Zhong followed him..

 Chapter 593 - 593: Burn and Put an End to It

    Chapter 593: Burn and Put an End to It


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    He made a few turns in the alley and arrived at arge green brick courtyard. He said to the door, ¡°Is Magistrate Wang at home?¡±


    The doorman nodded and said, ¡°Yes, Master hasn¡¯t gone to the government office yet.¡±


    The warehouse manager ran straight in and saw Wang Ping sitting at the dining table eating.


    Wang Ping also looked at him and frowned. ¡°What happened? You look like you¡¯ve lost your soul.¡±


    The warehouse manager panted and patted his chest in shock. ¡°Master, Wang Chun and I woke up this morning and found a masked corpse at the entrance. There was also a sharp knife on the ground. What do you think we should do? Should we report it to the government office?¡±


    ¡°Was the masked man going to attack Wang Chun and the others? Or were they going to burn down the warehouse? It seemed that they had never thought of returning the food to me. What should I do? This newly appointed county magistrate was not as easy to control as County Magistrate Liu.


    They could no longer get the food back. It was good to burn it. It would put an end to everything.


    Seeing that Wang Ping had fallen into deep thought, the warehouse manager was a little anxious and urged, ¡°Master, what do you think we should do?


    There¡¯s a big dead person there.¡±


    Wang Ping looked up at him. ¡°Don¡¯t report it. Sit down. I have something to ask you.¡±


    The warehouse manager nced at him and sat down diagonally on a chair.


    Wang Ping pulled a chair and sat opposite him. He looked at him and said, ¡°Wang He, how much of the food did you and Wang Chun sell?¡±


    Wang He¡¯s eyes flickered. ¡°Master, we wouldn¡¯t dare. We always did as you instructed.¡±


    Wang Ping looked at him and shook his head. ¡°Wang He, you¡¯re dishonest. I know everything you and Wang Chun did. In the past, on ount that we¡¯re from the same n, I didn¡¯t pursue the matter. I Imow everything you did. Do you want me to bring you to the West Street grain shop to confront you?¡±


    Wang He knelt on the ground with a bang. ¡°Master, we only did it a few times and got some money to spend!¡±


    Wang Ping stood up and looked down at Wang He. ¡°Let me tell you, the new county magistrate is not like County Magistrate Liu. He has already begun to check the ounts. I think he¡¯s about to find out what¡¯s going on in the warehouse. You know better than me. Let me tell you, you¡¯ll be beheaded for raiding the warehouse!¡±


    Wang He¡¯s heart seemed to have fallen into a pot of oil. He cursed in his heart, ¡°Damn it, we¡¯re brothers of the same race, yet we still call you Master. You sold


    99% of those grains! If we have to kill someone, you¡¯ll be the first to do it.¡±


    Wang He looked up at Wang Ping and said ambiguously, ¡°Master, what do you think we should do? Give us a suggestion! We¡¯ll definitely do it.¡±


    Wang Ping said softly, ¡°It seems that the man in ck was here to burn down the warehouse. Go back and burn it down. Make that man in ck look like he stole food. When you found out, you identally killed him and identally lost control.¡±


    Wang He¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. When the food has been burned up, let¡¯s see how he investigates!¡±


    Wang Ping nodded. ¡°Hurry up and go back. You have to do it cleanly.¡± ¡°Aye! I¡¯ll go back and do it now.¡± Wang He got up and ran out.


    Hu Zhong saw Wang Hee out of the house and followed him back to the warehouse. After seeing him run in, he closed the door.


    Wang He told Wang Ping¡¯s words to Wang Chun. Both of them felt that this was a good idea. They boldly dragged the man in ck to the side of the warehouse and went back to get an oilmp to start a fire.


    From the tree, Hu Zhong saw the two of them dragging the man in ck to the side of the warehouse. They were still at the door. He turned around and went back into the warehouse with the oilmp. ¡°It looks like this dog still wants to set the fire.¡±


    Hu Zhong came down from the tree and flipped into the warehouse. The two of them had already lit the fire. Hu Zhong was so angry that he pushed the two of them onto the freshly lit sorghum rice and shouted, ¡°Put out the fire, or I¡¯ll turn you into roasted pigs.¡±


    Wang He and the other man fell on the sorghum that had just been lit. They hurriedly extinguished the fire under them and looked at Hu Zhong in fear. ¡°Who are you? Why are you here?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll know who I amter.¡± Hu Zhong twisted the two of them and tied them up with twine.


    Mr. Cheng waited until dawn, but he did not see the expected fire. Even the person he had sent to burn the warehouse did not return. He felt that something was wrong and hurriedly went out to Wen Chang Pavilion outside the city.


    Advisor Liu also went to the county office to look for Li Qing. His eyes were red as he said, ¡°Lord Li, I¡¯m busy sending my master back to his hometown to see a doctor. Please sign the handover document on ount of us being colleagues.¡±


    Li Qing nced at Advisor Liu and took out something simr to a contract and a stack of ounts that he had written with Advisor Lin and Ah Lei overnight.


    He ced it in front of him and said indifferently, ¡°Advisor Liu, take a look. This is the ount I found yesterday. It¡¯s not that I¡¯m unreasonable, but this matter is too important. Take it back and let Lord Liu take a look. If you agree, sign and stamp here. We¡¯ll have proof in the future!¡±


    Advisor Liu looked at the ounts and contracts Li Qing handed him and flipped open the written ounts. He even saw a few ounts he had handled. They were actually recorded exactly.


    He looked at Li Qing in surprise and thought to himself that it was no wonder Lord Li was chosen to be a Third Honors Schr. His memory was actually so good.


    Looking at the contract again, the general idea was: After checking the ounts of Le County¡¯s county office, they found that there were major discrepancies. ording to the usual practice, Lord Li should not do the handover with County Magistrate Liu. Moreover, the ount book was identally destroyed. However, County Magistrate Liu was seriously ill. Lord Li made an exception and did the handover with Lord Liu based on the concept of putting people first.


    Before the handover, both sides settled the current affairs and wealth of the county office. Lord Li was only responsible for the affairs and wealth of the county office after he took over.


    After reading it, Advisor Liu muttered, ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of signing a contract before settling the handover procedures! Lord Li is too cunning! This way, what¡¯s the difference between my master leaving or not?¡±


    ¡°Lord Li, aren¡¯t you making things difficult for my master?¡±


    Li Qing raised his eyebrows and looked at him. ¡°Advisor Liu, you know very well how the ounts of Le County are. I don¡¯t think this is making things difficult for County Magistrate Liu. If you don¡¯t even agree to this, I can only report it to the Imperial Court.¡±


    Private Advisor Liu looked at Li Qing with a livid expression. ¡°Lord Li, it won¡¯t do you good to report it to the Imperial Court. If you can spare someone, spare them. You¡¯re my master¡¯s colleague. Why are you so aggressive?¡±


    ¡°Am I being aggressive?¡± Li sneered and ced the water bag that Liang Cheng had brought back on the table. ¡°You probably don¡¯t know yet! Someone went to the warehousest night and prepared to burn it down. Don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t know how much food is stored in it!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m very curious.. Who gave you the guts to sell the food in the warehouse? What incredible secret is Le County hiding that made Lord Liu not hesitate to harm his body to seek a way out? But can you really escape unscathed?¡±

 Chapter 594 - 594: He’s Forcing Me

    Chapter 594: He¡¯s Forcing Me


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Li Qing looked at Advisor Liu mockingly.


    Advisor Liu widened his eyes and looked at Li Qing in fear. ¡°Lord Li, how can you nder us? You¡­¡±


    Li Qing raised his hand to stop him. ¡°Advisor Liu, you should go back and tell your master what I said. Let¡¯s see what he says.¡±


    ¡°Goodbye.¡± Advisor Liu cupped his hands at Li Qing and left resentfully.


    Seeing that Advisor Liu had left, Hu Zhong went in and reported to Li Qing, ¡°Master, they nned to burn the warehouse again, but I caught them. One of them is called Wang Chun, and the other is called Wang He. They¡¯re from the same n as Magistrate Wang. Magistrate Wang was the one who came up with the idea to burn the warehouse.¡±


    Li Qing sighed and said, ¡°How bold! The two people in charge of the warehouse are actually also members of the Wang family. Le County has be the Wang family¡¯s world. ¡±


    Hu Zhong nodded and looked at Li Qing. ¡°Are we bringing those two back?¡±


    Li Qing shook his head. ¡°If we bring them back and lock them in jail, we won¡¯t know we died! Find a ce outside to lock them up and interrogate them until Ie over.¡±


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go find a quiet ce.¡± Hu Zhong bowed and left.


    Advisor Liu returned to the inn. After showing the contract to County Magistrate Liu, he told him what Li Qing had said.


    ¡°He knows!¡± County Magistrate Liu looked at him and eximed.


    ¡°Yes, what do you think we should do? If we sign this thing, we won¡¯t be able to escape. If we don¡¯t sign it, he won¡¯t do the handover.¡± Advisor Liu looked at him awkwardly. ¡°What do you think we should do?¡±


    County Magistrate Liu felt that he was in a dilemma. He said angrily, ¡°I¡¯m really unlucky to havee to this godforsaken ce. Not only was I


    suppressed by a magistrate, but the person who is taking over is also unreasonable.¡±


    Advisor Liu looked at him and said, ¡°No matter what, we have toe up with an idea! They¡¯re still waiting for you to check the warehouse.¡±


    County Magistrate Liu lowered his head and thought for a moment.


    ¡°Then what do you think?¡± Advisor Liu asked.


    County Magistrate Liu looked at Advisor Liu and said in a heavy tone, ¡°Uncle, I¡¯m in a difficult position too. Look, he¡¯s just a small county magistrate like me. He definitely doesn¡¯t have much foundation to be brought to this godforsaken ce. Do you think we have a high chance of winning if we cooperate with him?¡±


    Advisor Liu thought for a moment. ¡°He¡¯s a Third Honors Schr and has been in the Hanlin Academy for three years. He should still have some connections. Go and talk to him. Tell him something and sound him out.¡±


    When County Magistrate Liu heard this, he thought about it and felt that this was the only way. He nodded and said, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll test him and see if he has the guts to go against the people behind Wang Ping.¡±


    When Mr. Cheng arrived outside the north city, he followed the stone steps to Emerald Bamboo Mountain. The Wenchang Pavilion was built surrounded by ancient trees and green bamboo. The pavilion was surrounded by high courtyard walls, and there were pools, flowers, pines, and green bamboo in the courtyard.


    A well-built man was sweeping the fallen leaves on the ground in the courtyard. Seeing Mr. Cheng¡¯s hurried footsteps, he asked curiously, ¡°Sir, why are you here so early?¡±


    Mr. Cheng nodded. ¡°Chu Yun, is Second Master up?


    Chu Yun nodded and said, ¡°I¡¯m up. I¡¯m practicing boxing in the backyard.¡±


    Mr. Cheng nodded and walked towards the backyard. Seeing that Second Master was still boxing, he stood at the side and waited for him to end before going forward and saying, ¡°Second Master, the person who was sent to burn the warehouse hasn¡¯t returned.¡±


    Second Master¡¯s face darkened. ¡°I understand. I didn¡¯t see the firest night. Did you receive any news from the capital?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m worried that our people will be exposed.¡± Mr. Cheng looked at him carefully. ¡°The new county magistrate is a real piece of work. What do you think we should do next?¡±


    ¡°Get someone to kill him and find someone to rece him. It will be more convenient for us to do things moving forward.¡±


    Mr. Cheng thought to himself that if he could get someone to rece him after killing him, County Magistrate Liu would have long gone to see the King of Hell. There was no need to worry about County Magistrate Li.


    ¡°Second Master, with the people from the Four Seas Bank watching over there, will it work?¡±


    Second Master was so angry that he kicked the wooden basin under his feet over. ¡°Who would have thought that Old Master would have handed the bank to him long ago? No wonder after the Elder¡¯s ident, he said that we were the whetstones Old Master prepared for Third Brother.¡±


    Mr. Cheng agreed. What was the use of the Cheng family having money? In this world, one still had to have people and troops in their hands. It was precisely because the Third Prince had the support of troops that he could sit in that position.


    Mr. Cheng suddenly felt a little desperate. How could those people in the mountains resist the army of the Imperial Court? When would the days of hiding end?


    ¡°Second Master, let¡¯s get Wang Ping to try and rope him in. What do you think?¡±


    ¡°Go and tell Wang Ping that to watch his head if this matter isn¡¯t done well!¡± Mr. Cheng bowed and left.


    Second Master stood quietly for a while and said to Chu Yun, ¡°Go and prepare. We¡¯ll go out and take a look.¡±


    Chu Yun hesitated for a moment. Under Second Master¡¯s gaze, he could only nod. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll prepare it now.¡±


    An hourter, Second Master and Chu Yun, who had disguised themselves, rode towards the capital with three strong men.


    When County Magistrate Liu arrived at the county office, he cupped his hands at Li Qing andined, ¡°Lord Li, you¡¯re too much! We¡¯re all officials of the Imperial Court. Why are you operating like we¡¯re merchants? Do we still have to sign a contract to settle the handover procedures?


    Li Qing looked at him indifferently. ¡°Lord Liu, I don¡¯t have to tell you what¡¯s at stake. Since we¡¯re here, let¡¯s go see the food.¡±


    ¡°You already know the situation, so what¡¯s there to look at?!¡± County Magistrate Liu cursed in his heart and walked up to Li Qing. He looked at him and said, ¡°Lord Li, I won¡¯t hide it from you. It¡¯s the same as what you said. There¡¯s no food stored. Have you really made up your mind to investigate this matter? Aren¡¯t you afraid of the person behind Wang Ping?¡±


    ¡°The person behind Wang Ping!¡± Li Qing looked up at him. ¡°What extraordinary person is hiding behind Wang Ping to make you so afraid?¡±


    County Magistrate Liu hesitated for a moment before pointing at the roof. Then, he extended two fingers at Li Qing and said softly, ¡°A person who was originally dead! Do people like us dare to touch him?¡±


    Li Qing looked at County Magistrate Liu and recalled that the Second Prince had sent someone to kidnap his sister. He looked at him curiously. ¡°How do you know it¡¯s him? Are you sure you didn¡¯t get the wrong person?¡±


    County Magistrate Liu saw that Li Qing was only curious if he had mistaken him for someone else but did not ask what he meant. He felt that Li Qing must know about that Second Master.


    He looked at him and smiled bitterly. ¡°When thete emperor was in power, I entered the capital to take the exam. I took a few exams before I could enter high school, so I, unfortunately, met that person.¡±


    Only then did Li Qing understand why he knew the Second Prince. ¡°Since Lord Liu knows that he¡¯s supposed to be a dead person, why didn¡¯t he report it when he discovered him?¡±


    County Magistrate Liu looked at Li Qing listlessly. ¡°Is he someone people like us can provoke? I¡¯m a nobody and don¡¯t have a backer in the capital. Who do you want me to report to? Who will believe my words? Ever since I identally met him and felt that there must be something wrong with him hiding here, I¡¯ve be more afraid the more I think about it.¡±


    Li Qing looked at him and analyzed silently, ¡°I don¡¯t know how many benefits he¡¯s gotten in Le County in the past few years. No wonder he¡¯s doing so well and isn¡¯t willing to work anymore.¡±


    County Magistrate Liu looked at Li Qing. ¡°Lord Li, I¡¯ve told you all my secrets..


    Look, you should be magnanimous and settle the handover procedures!¡±

 Chapter 595 - 595: Not What She Meant

    Chapter 595: Not What She Meant


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Li Qing looked at him. ¡°Lord Liu, I want to ask you. Do you think he will let you reach home safely after you¡¯ve seen him? I think you might as well cooperate with me and find out all the corrupt deeds Wang Ping has done all these years to make up for your mistakes.¡±


    County Magistrate Liu looked at Li Qing and spread out his hands. ¡°The ount book was burned by Wang Ping. How are you going to investigate?¡±


    Seeing that he was suggesting that Li Qing would not be able to investigate even if he were to cooperate, Li Qing chuckled and said, ¡°Lord Liu, let¡¯sy out cards on the table. Look, you¡¯ve long begun to prepare an escape route. I don¡¯t believe that you haven¡¯t had any backup ns all these years. You can raise any conditions. We¡¯ll discuss them.¡¯


    County Magistrate Liu looked at Li Qing. ¡°Lord Li, I want to ask you how you dared to investigate this. Is there anyone in the capital who can speak for you?¡±


    So he was afraid that there would be no one behind me. Li Qing looked at him and said with a smile, ¡°Lord Liu, don¡¯t worry. My uncle is a schr and my brother-inw is the assistant minister of the Ministry of Revenue. You can rest assured now, right?¡±


    County Magistrate Liu looked at Li Qing as if he was looking at a fool. ¡°If you have such good connections, why are you still in this godforsaken ce?¡±


    Li Qing smiled bitterly and said, ¡°That¡¯s right! I regret it too! If it were a littleter, I would have been near the capital. However, since I¡¯m already here, I can¡¯t turn around and go back!¡±


    County Magistrate Liu felt that he could not easily give the life-saving thing in his hand to a rash person like Li Qing. He had to go back and discuss it with his uncle and think about it carefully.


    ¡°Lord Li, I¡¯ll go back and think about it before replying to you.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Li Qing agreed readily. He watched him leave and said to himself, ¡°Even if you don¡¯t cooperate with me, I have a way to find out where the food in the warehouse went.¡±


    Just as County Magistrate Liu left, Wang Ping arrived. He stood at the door and looked at the busy Li Qing. He piled up a smile and said to Li Qing, ¡°Lord Li, the vigers in the county want to wee you. I wonder if you can give me the honor?¡±


    Li Qing looked up at him and said with a dark expression, ¡°Magistrate Wang and the vigers are too considerate. I haven¡¯t officially taken office. I think there¡¯s no need to wee me!¡±


    Wang Ping did not expect Li Qing to not even give him this bit of respect. He looked troubled. ¡°Lord Li¡­


    ¡°Magistrate Wang,¡± Li Qing raised his voice. He looked at him and said, ¡°Don¡¯t you know what happened in the county officest night? Do you think I¡¯m still in the mood to attend the banquet?¡±


    Wang Ping blushed. ¡°Lord, I only found out about the news this morning. Why did everything go wrong?¡±


    Li Qing walked up to him and looked down at him. ¡°I still want to know why there was a mishap. It just had to be the room where I checked the ounts. Do you think he intentionally burned it down?¡±


    Wang Ping took two steps back and smiled awkwardly. ¡°Sir, I didn¡¯t even go out the door when I went home¡­


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say it was you!¡± Li Qing interrupted him and deliberately misinterpreted.


    Wang Ping hurriedly shouted, ¡°Lord Li, that¡¯s not what I meant!¡±


    Li Qing looked at him.


    Wang Ping cupped his hands at Li Qing resentfully and said, ¡°Lord Li, since you don¡¯t have the time to attend the banquet, I¡¯ll go back to those vigers first.¡± Li Qing nodded and said, ¡°Alright, please tell the vigers on my behalf that I¡¯ll personally thank them for their kindness when I take office.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Lord Li.¡± Wang Ping walked out without looking back. He walked out of Li Qing¡¯s sight and spat angrily. ¡°You don¡¯t know how to appreciate favors.¡±


    When Li Qing returned to the back office, Ding Yi returned and reported, ¡°Master, Old Hu has already found the ce where the two hamsters are locked up and is interrogating Old Liang!¡±


    Li Qing felt that the people Li Yu had helped him find were really too good. Without their help, he would have a worse time.


    Li Qing cupped his fists happily at Ding Yi and said, ¡°Brother Ding, it¡¯s been hard on you.¡±


    Ding Yi smiled and shook his head. ¡°You don¡¯t have to thank me. It¡¯s all within our scope of work.¡±


    County Magistrate Liu returned to the inn to discuss with Advisor Liu. After a night of hesitation, he finally decided to cooperate with Li Qing.


    The next day, County Magistrate Liu and Advisor Liu returned to the government office with a ledger and said to Li Qing, ¡°Senior Li, I won¡¯t hide it from you. I reached out to take some not long after I arrived. Later, I realized that something was wrong, so I deposited all the silver I received into the Four Seas Bank. Grandmaster and I have always carried the banknotes with us.¡±


    Li Qing took the ledger and also took out the warehouse managers¡¯ confessions. ¡°Lord Liu, I¡¯ll show you something too.¡±


    After County Magistrate Liu took documents and looked at them, he broke out in a cold sweat. He was secretly d that he had chosen the right person to side with and handed the confessions to the puzzled Advisor Liu. County Magistrate Liu bowed to Li Qing. ¡°Thank you, Lord Li. Thank you.¡±


    Li Qing obtained evidence of Wang Ping¡¯s corruption and handed over the paperwork to County Magistrate Liu. He said sincerely to County Magistrate Liu, ¡°Lord Liu, I advise you to move back to the Second Hall for a while and wait for Wang Ping and the others to be arrested before leaving.¡±


    County Magistrate Liu and his uncle readily agreed. Assistant Liu knelt down and kowtowed to Li Qing. ¡°Thank you for being kind and magnanimous to my Fenglin. I can¡¯t repay your kindness. I¡¯m willing to testify against Wang Ping.¡±


    Li Qing smiled and helped him up. ¡°Thank you, Advisor Liu. With your help, it will be much easier to capture Wang Ping and the others.¡±


    Li Yu rode the horse with Ruyi and Ji Xiang. In four to five days, they covered most of the distance.


    On this day, as soon as they came down from the mountain, the sky gradually darkened. Blinding lightning streaked across the sky, apanied by deafening thunder. The heavy rain was about toe.


    Ruyi said to Li Yu, ¡°Madam, it¡¯s going to rain heavily soon. Let¡¯s find a ce to hide. ¡±


    Li Yu replied loudly, ¡°Alright.¡±


    Ji Xiang, who was walking in front, pointed not far away and shouted, ¡®Madam, there seems to be a house in front. Let¡¯s go over and take a look.¡±


    The few of them rode over and saw a dpidated courtyard in front of them.


    The three of them led their horses along the moss-covered stone path through the wildly growing bushes, vines, and waist-deep weeds in the courtyard. When they reached the gate, they found that it turned out to be a mountain temple.


    There were three rooms, one in the main hall and two side rooms. They tied their horses to the colonnades under the eaves. A thunderp exploded on the roof and heavy rain fell with lightning.


    The three of them walked into the main hall and saw that it was covered in spiderwebs. The originally mighty statue had be mottled. The rain kept dripping from the roof near the statue.


    Ji Xiang bowed a few times to the statue. ¡°Mountain God, sorry to disturb you.¡±


    Li Yu turned around and came out. When she arrived at the house on the west side of the hall, she saw that the doors and windows at the front and back were tattered. There was also a dpidated wooden table and chair inside.


    Fortunately, this house did not leak rain.


    Li Yu returned to the hall and said to Ji Xiang, ¡°Let¡¯s not disturb the Mountain God in the main hall. Let¡¯s go to the west room. It won¡¯t leak.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Ji Xiang followed Li Yu out with the bag..

 Chapter 596 - 596: Coincidental Encounter

    Chapter 596: Coincidental Encounter


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Ruyi turned around from the back of the house with a bundle of firewood. He smiled at the two of them and said, ¡®We found firewood at the back of the house. It rained so heavily all of a sudden. Fortunately, there¡¯s a mountain temple to shelter us from the rain. Otherwise, we would have been drenched.¡±


    Li Yu smiled. ¡°There are raincoats in the bag. I¡¯m just afraid that the horse will be sick.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Ji Xiang took out the map and looked at it. ¡°Madam, it¡¯ll take us two to three days to reach Le County if we go faster. If we¡¯re slower, it¡¯ll take three to four days.¡±


    Ruyi smiled and hit him with a branch. ¡°You¡¯re already so old and don¡¯t even know how to speak. Just say that you¡¯ll be in Le County in three days at most. Wouldn¡¯t that be short and clear?


    Ji Xiang rolled his eyes at him. ¡°Don¡¯t even think about eating my baked pancakester.¡± Ruyi looked at him askance. ¡°Then don¡¯t use the firewood I brought.¡±


    Li Yu watched the two of them bicker like children and smiled. ¡°How old are the two of youbined?¡±


    Ji Xiang smiled and said, ¡°Madam, 70 years old!¡±


    Ruyi looked at Ji Xiang with disdain. ¡°Silly, Madam isughing at us for being childish.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the childish one!¡± Ji Xiang smiled and picked up a few thin branches. He broke them and lit the firewood that Ruyi had piled up. After taking out the pancakes and putting them on the branches to warm up, he handed them to Li


    Yu.


    The three of them took out water bags and ate dry food. Ruyi walked to the door and looked at the sky. She turned around and said, ¡°It looks like the rain won¡¯t stop for a while. Madam, rest well in this room. Ji Xiang and I will go next door to guard it.¡±


    Li Yu nodded. ¡°Alright, everyone is tired these few days. Let¡¯s take turns resting.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Ruyi and Ji Xiang agreed and left.


    Li Yu took out her sleeping bag and crawled in. She listened to the raindrops fall on the tiles and quickly fell asleep.


    Ruyi let Ji Xiang rest first. He sat alone on the threshold of the hall and leaned against the door frame. He looked at the few purple flowers on the vines in the courtyard that had been blown around by the wind and rain.


    An hourter, the rain gradually lessened. Li Yu walked out of the house and said to Ruyi, ¡°Go and rest for a while.¡±


    Ruyi nodded and said, ¡°Yes, Madam. There¡¯s dry food in the bag. You can heat it up when you¡¯re hungry.¡±


    Li Yu looked at him and waved her hand with a smile. ¡°Go! It¡¯s not the first time I¡¯ve gone out. Don¡¯t worry about me.¡±


    Ruyi smiled and left.


    Li Yu stood under the eaves of the corridor and looked at the rainy mountains. She stretched her muscles and bones and suddenly saw a few strong mening from the rain and fog.


    The tall man who was protected had a full beard and his true appearance could not be seen. When he looked at people, a hawk-like dark light shed in his eyes with a hint of ruthlessness.


    Li Yu nced at them and turned to walk towards the west room.


    Second Master and the others approached the Mountain God Temple and saw Li Yu standing under the eaves.


    Chu Yun nced at the horse tied under the eaves of the porch and Li Yu, who had turned around and walked in. He whispered to Second Master, ¡°Second Master, look¡­


    ¡°We¡¯ll leave when the rain stops,¡± Second Master said in a low voice as he nced at Li Yu. Chu Yun nodded and escorted Second Master to the hall with a man.


    The man behind watched Li Yu enter the house and frowned for a while. He turned around and whispered to the man beside him, ¡°Ah Shen, did you see that woman clearly?¡±


    Ah Shen nced at the room Li Yu had entered and teased in a low voice, ¡°Old Gao, have you taken a fancy to that woman?¡±


    ¡°Fuck you.¡± Old Gao rolled his eyes at him. ¡°I wanted to ask you if you noticed that she looks like the woman in the portrait sent from the Imperial Capital.¡±


    Ah Shen was a little surprised when he heard that. He looked at Li Yu¡¯s room again. ¡°With your eyesight, you shouldn¡¯t be wrong. Hurry up and report it to Second Master.¡±


    Li Yu saw the expression on the man¡¯s face when he looked at her from the window. Her intuition told her that this person had seen her and wanted to harm her.


    She stood behind the door quietly and looked at the dagger under her short skirt. She took out a crossbow and tied it to her arm with a cowhide belt, preparing to face the enemy.


    Old Gao and Ah Shen quickly entered the hall and walked to Second Master¡¯s side. They whispered, ¡°Master, I realized¡­¡±


    Second Master¡¯s eyes revealed a bloodthirsty ferocity. ¡°Did you see it correctly?¡±


    Old Gao nodded. ¡°I¡¯m eighty to ny percent sure.¡±


    Ah Shen said in a low voice, ¡°Master, Old Gao is the best at recognizing people.


    He can¡¯t be wrong. Besides, even if he¡¯s wrong, it¡¯s just a woman who died.¡±


    Chu Yun said in a low voice, ¡°Master, it seems that we didn¡¯t seed in the capital. Do you think something happened in the capital?¡±


    ¡°Something must have happened. Looks like we really can¡¯t underestimate this woman.¡±


    Second Master thought of the letter Old Master Cheng had brought. It said that there were two assassinations against Third Brother that were almost sessful. They were about to seed, but this woman came out and ruined things. He didn¡¯t expect to meet her here. He had really found her without any effort.


    At the thought of how he had been hiding for the past few years, Second Master was so angry that he almost gritted his teeth and cursed softly, ¡°B*tch, you¡¯ve ruined my ns time and time again. I¡¯ll definitely make you wish you were dead.¡±


    Chu Yun and Ah Shen said in unison, ¡°Master, let¡¯s go catch her.¡±


    Second Master nced at the two of them. ¡°Don¡¯t be rash. The news Old Master brought said that this woman has divine power and seems to be quite skilled.¡±


    Chu Yun said in a low voice, ¡®Master, no matter how strong she is, she¡¯s still a woman. Are we afraid of her?¡±


    Second Master looked at him and shouted in a low voice, ¡°Shut up. It¡¯s different from before. I don¡¯t want to see anything happen to you.¡±


    Seeing that he was angry, Chu Yun hurriedly knelt on one knee. ¡°Master, punish me!¡±


    Second Master waved at him and looked at Old Gao. ¡°Old Gao, go and check if the people following her are in the next room.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master.¡± The old man walked up the hall and pretended to pass by the house where Ruyi and Ji Xiang were resting. When he saw the two of them sleeping soundly against the wall, he walked to the corner and turned back to the hall.


    After he turned around and walked over, Ruyi and Ji Xiang opened their eyes and stood up.


    Ruyi pointed at the broken window behind them. Ji Xiang nodded and the two of them ducked out like roons.


    Ruyi and Ji Xiang bent down andnded on their toes, quickly reaching the back of Li Yu¡¯s house. Li Yu heard a sound from the back window and saw Ruyi and Ji Xiang standing outside the window. Then, Ruyi crawled in through the broken window hole.


    Li Yu pointed at Ji Xiang, indicating that he should stay behind the window. Ji Xiang nodded and squatted down.


    Old Gao returned to the hall and reported to Second Master in a low voice,


    ¡°Master, there are two people sleeping soundly against the wall.¡±


    Second Master thought for a moment and said to them, ¡°Old Gao, Ah Shen, and Ah Yun will deal with that woman. Ah Shui and I will deal with her followers.¡±


    Chu Yun looked at Second Master anxiously. ¡°Master, you can¡¯t do it yourself. The few of us are more than enough to deal with them.¡±


    Second Master looked at the few people standing there. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can count on you anymore.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I understand.¡± The four of them knelt on one knee and whispered..

 Chapter 597 - 597: Attack

    Chapter 597: Attack


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    The five of them split up and walked toward the rooms on both sides of the hall.


    Old Gao took the lead and was about to barge into the west room. As soon as he stuck his head out, he heard a crack in his ear and was shot in the head by an arrow that flew out of the house.


    Old Gao fell under the roof with his eyes wide open. Blood mixed with the rain and water flowed to the ground.


    Chu Yun and Ah Shen shouted his name as they retreated towards the hall.


    On the other side, Second Master and Ah Shui had already realized that there was no trace of Ji Xiang and Ruyi in the room. Second Master looked at the broken window and was about to crawl in to take a look when he heard Chu Yun and Ah Shen shouting.


    He hurriedly led Ah Shui out. When they came out, they saw Old Gao lying under the eaves.


    Second Master looked at Old Gao, who had died with grievances. He was so angry that his eyes almost popped out.


    ¡°Bitch, if I don¡¯t kill you, I won¡¯t be human.¡±


    Chu Yun walked over. ¡°Master, they have crossbows. We can¡¯t get close.¡±


    Second Master pointed at Ah Shen and Ah Shui and said in a low voice, ¡°Take the crossbow and turn around from behind.¡±


    Chu Yun and Second Master hid behind the hall and shouted at Li Yu, ¡°B*tch Li,e out if you have the ability. Fight me openly instead of shooting arrows behind my back. What kind of hero are you?¡±


    When Li Yu heard this, she analyzed,¡±Someone is protecting him and calling him Master. From the sound of it, he hates me to the core. This ce is not far from Le County. It seems that other than that Second Master, there can¡¯t be anyone else!¡±


    ¡°Only bulls use brute force to fight. I can¡¯t be bothered to argue with a chicken, a coward, and a scaredy cat like you. Come over if you have the ability. I promise I won¡¯t shoot you into a hedgehog.¡±


    Second Master didn¡¯t expect Li Yu to still dare to go against him at a time like this. He scolded, ¡°B*tch, if I catch youter, I¡¯ll definitely make you beg for death. ¡±


    Li Yu mocked, ¡°B*tch, I think you only have two mouths left. If you have the ability,e out. I promise to beat you up.¡±


    ¡°Bitch, I¡¯ll kill you.¡±


    Chu Yun was so angry that he rushed forward, but Second Master stopped him. ¡°Stop. Don¡¯t fall for that bitch¡¯s provocation.¡±


    Chu Yun stopped aggrievedly and bowed to Second Master. ¡°Master, I was rash.¡±


    Ah Shen and Ah Shui walked toward the back of the house with crossbows in their hands. When they reached the corner, they slowed down and stuck their heads out to take a look. They saw a few bundles of firewood piled at the back of the house near the main hall and the west room, blocking their view of the situation behind the west room. The two of them bent down and rushed over.


    Ji Xiang was hiding behind the woodpile when he saw one of them poke his head out and retract it. He stood up abruptly and aimed at the two crouching men. Ah Shen was shot in the back of the neck and fell to the ground.


    Ah Shui was shot in the back. He endured the pain and raised his crossbow to shoot at Ji Xiang. Ji Xiang was shot in the arm while Ah Shui was shot in the throat and fell to the ground.


    Ji Xiang retreated out of the window and felt his heart panic. His arm began to go numb. He hurriedly said to Li Yu, ¡°Madam, the other party¡¯s arrows are poisonous. You have to be careful.¡±


    Li Yu hurriedly took out the antidote pill from her pocket and jumped to the window to hand it to him. She watched him swallow it.


    She retreated and said to Ruyi, ¡°Ruyi, quickly take the arrow and bleed Ji Xiang. If it still doesn¡¯t work, search the two people Ji Xiang knocked down and see if they have an antidote.¡±


    Ruyi nodded and crawled out of the window hole. He took a handkerchief and gave it to Ji Xiang to bite. He used the dagger to open the wound and pulled the arrow out of Ji Xiang¡¯s shoulder. A stream of dark blood flowed out.


    Ji Xiang bit the handkerchief and his face turned pale from the pain. Ruyi watched as he squeezed the wound until the blood flowing out turned red. Then, he poured the Golden Injury Medicine and wrapped it around him. Ruyi looked at him and asked worriedly, ¡°How are you? Do you feel better?¡±


    Ji Xiang smiled weakly. ¡°My arm isn¡¯t so numb anymore. Fortunately, Madam brought an antidote pill.¡±


    Ruyi heaved a sigh of relief and revealed a rxed smile. ¡°That¡¯s good. Hide here and rest for a while. Come out after Madam and I deal with those two.¡± Ji Xiang nodded and sat on the firewood Ruyi had carried over. He closed his eyes and rested.


    Second Master and Chu Yun were hiding in the hall and did not know the situation in the west room.


    Chu Yun looked at the house next door and thought to himself, It¡¯s raining, and we can¡¯t attack with fire. Ah Shen and Ah Shui haven¡¯t moved yet. They¡¯ve most likely been killed.


    Second Master looked at the length of the broken leg in front of the Mountain God and came up with a n. He said to Chu Yun, ¡°Use the door as a shield and cover me as I go out and kill that bitch.¡±


    Chu Yun looked at him. ¡®Master, cover me.¡±


    Second Master nodded and raised it a few times. Chu Yun raised his crossbow and the two of them walked towards the house next door.


    Chu Yun stood behind the longbow and shot arrows at the west room. Li Yu and Ruyi quickly ran two steps and jumped onto the beam. They picked up the crossbow and shot at the two people behind the longbow. Second Master hurriedly raised the longbow to block the arrows.


    She pulled out a dagger with one hand and stabbed at Chu Yun¡¯s throat. With a ng, the long saber and crossbow collided with sparks.


    Li Yu¡¯s dagger had already slit Chu Yun¡¯s throat at lightning speed. Blood sprayed out, and Chu Yun fell to the ground like a sack.


    ¡°Ah Yun¡­¡± Seeing this, Second Master threw away the long table and shouted,


    ¡°Bitch, I¡¯ll kill you.¡±


    He pulled out the dagger and stabbed at Li Yu. Ruyi shot an arrow at his wrist and the dagger fell to the ground. Li Yu kicked him to the ground.


    Second Master rolled over and picked up the dagger from the ground. He pointed at her and shouted, ¡°Bitch, you know who I am. How dare you attack


    Li Yu looked at him coldly. ¡°Attack you? So what if I kill you?¡±


    Second Master shouted sternly, ¡°How dare you? I¡¯m..


    ¡°Die!¡± Li Yu didn¡¯t wait for him to finish. Under his frightened gaze, she shed his throat without hesitation.


    Seeing that he was holding his throat in disbelief, she said indifferently, ¡°When you treated other people¡¯s lives like they were nothing, did you ever think that this would happen to you?¡±


    Second Master red at Li Yu and fell.


    Ruyi said to Li Yu, ¡°Madam, throw them down the mountain! Don¡¯t cause unnecessary trouble.¡±


    Li Yu looked at the rain outside the window and nodded. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get Ji Xiang to the side room to rest first.¡±


    Ruyi crawled over and saw Ji Xiang leaning against the wall. His expression improved a little. He smiled at him and said, ¡°It¡¯s over.¡±


    Ji Xiang nodded and smiled in relief. ¡°Yes! It¡¯s over.¡±


    Ruyi squatted down and said to him, ¡°I¡¯ll carry you back to the house to rest.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Ji Xiangy on Ruyi¡¯s back and returned to the house. Li Yu took out her sleeping bag and let him get in and lie down.


    The two of them began to pack Second Master and the others¡¯ things and piled them up.


    Ruyi pointed at the horses and said, ¡°Madam, what should we do with these horses?¡±


    Li Yu nced at the key horses. ¡°Use them to pull the corpses into the mountains and chase the horses away!¡±


    Ruyi nodded. ¡°Sigh! It¡¯s a pity about these good horses!¡±


    ¡°Yes! Unfortunately, there¡¯s nothing we can do. It¡¯s troublesome to keep them.¡±


    After settling Ji Xiang down, Ruyi ced the corpses of Second Master and the others in a pile and searched them for all the signature items. She ced the corpses on the horse and said to Li Yu, ¡®Madam, watch Ji Xiang in the temple. I¡¯ll go up the mountain and find a home for them..¡±

 Chapter 598 - 598: Return, Capture

    Chapter 598: Return, Capture


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Li Yu nodded. ¡°Try your best to find a remote location and leave them behind.¡± ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± Ruyi agreed and led the horse into the rain and fog.


    Ruyi drove the horse into the mountains and found a cave to throw it in.


    Listening to the rain and looking at the bottomless cave, she said quietly, ¡°When you were fighting, did you think about the final boneyard? It¡¯s just a cave.¡±


    She turned around and patted the horse. ¡°Go! Go live a free life.¡±


    A horse ran into the forest, and the others followed. Li Yu burned the luggage and personal belongings of Second Master and the others in the temple.


    After cleaning up the traces, she sat on the threshold of the hall and watched the rain continue to fall.


    Li Yu leaned against the door frame and narrowed her eyes. She looked at the rainy and misty sky and thought about the Second Prince. He had finally gone where he should go.


    She looked at the sky and said softly, ¡°Sisters of Liang Vige, we¡¯ve helped you take revenge. Your rtives can rest in peace.¡±


    Ruyi returned from the mountain and saw Li Yu leaning against the door frame. She narrowed her eyes and sat there casually. She walked quietly towards the house where Ji Xiang was resting.


    Ji Xiang fell asleep in his sleeping bag. Ruyi was relieved to see that his face had already turned rosy.


    He took off her raincoat and leaned against the wall to rest for a while before going out to say to Li Yu, ¡°Madam, Ji Xiang is fine. It looks like the rain won¡¯t stop. We can only stay here for the night.¡±


    Li Qing¡¯s potential threat had been eliminated, so Li Yu was not in a hurry to hurry. She smiled and said to Ruyi, ¡°We¡¯ll stay as guests on a rainy day. Let¡¯s stay in the Mountain God Temple for the night and continue tomorrow morning. Get something to eat first. Go and sleep first. I¡¯ll guard here.¡± Ruyi also smiled and nodded. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go start the fire.¡±


    When Ruyi entered the house to light the fire, Li Yu went to the back of the house and took out a hare from her space. She carried it back and handed it to Ruyi. ¡°Hehe! My luck is not bad. I caught a hare in the firewood.¡±


    Ruyi gave her a thumbs up. ¡°Madam is indeed lucky.¡±


    Li Yuughed dryly and wondered to herself, ¡°If I fetch another wild deer, let¡¯s see what you can praise me with.¡±


    The rain finally stopped in the middle of the night.


    The next morning, Li Yu woke up to the cries of birds outside the house. She walked to the eaves of the porch and looked at the purple flowers blooming in the courtyard. Under the sunlight, the dew on the petals became even more sparkling and translucent. She breathed in the fresh and sweet air after the rain.


    Ji Xiang also walked out of the house. Looking at the slowly rising red sun in the east, he smiled at Li Yu and said, ¡°Madam, it¡¯s a good day.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± Li Yu turned to look at him. ¡°How do you feel?¡±


    Ji Xiang waved his hand. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. With Old Master¡¯s antidote pill, that bit of poison is nothing. Look, are we going to hurry after eating?¡±


    Seeing that he was energetic, Li Yu smiled and nodded. ¡°Okay.¡±


    After Li Qing officially took office, he called County Lieutenant Zhang Jingtang over and showed him the evidence of Magistrate Wang¡¯s corruption.


    After reading the evidence, County Lieutenant Zhang was not surprised at all. He only felt that this new county magistrate was too capable.


    He looked at Li Qing and smiled in admiration. He cupped his hands and said,


    ¡°Someone has finallye to eliminate this malignant tumor in Le County.¡±


    Li Qing looked at his head and said, ¡°County Lieutenant Zhang, although Le County has been in a mess because of Wang Ping, fortunately, there¡¯s still a conscientious county lieutenant like you. Otherwise, the people of Le County would really have no way out.¡±


    ¡°Sir, this is my duty.¡±


    County Lieutenant Zhang bowed respectfully to Li Qing and looked up at him. ¡°Lord Li, just instruct me what you want to do. I will definitely go through fire and water!¡±


    Li Qing smiled brightly and said, ¡°There¡¯s no need to go through fire and water. You just need to bring your brothers to capture Wang Ping and those thieves who raided the warehouses. I¡¯ll get someone to help you.¡±


    County Lieutenant Zhang straightened his chest and replied loudly, ¡°Yes, sir.¡±


    Li Qing asked Ding Yi and Ding Kui to assist County Lieutenant Zhang at County Governor Wang¡¯s house.


    County Lieutenant Zhang took the order signed by Li Qing and brought people to County Magistrate Wang¡¯s house. He shouted at his constables, ¡°Surround the Wang family and don¡¯t let anyone escape.¡±


    With that, he led his men in. When County Magistrate Wang heard the report, he came out of the house angrily. He pointed at County Lieutenant Zhang and scolded, ¡°Zhang Jingtang, how dare you offend your superior?¡±


    County Lieutenant Zhang held the document signed by Li Qing and shook it in front of his eyes. ¡°Wang Ping, the heavens have eyes for a beetle like you. The day when I can catch you personally has finally arrived.¡± With that, he waved his hand. ¡°Capture him and take note of everything in the house.¡±


    Wang Ping shouted at the servant in exasperation, ¡°Beat him up. If he dies, it¡¯ll be my fault.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master.¡± The arrogant and domineering servant of the Wang family rushed up with a water stick.


    Ding Kui and County Lieutenant Zhang stepped forward and knocked the mob to the ground.


    Ding Yi went forward and grabbed Wang Ping. ¡°Dog, how dare you resist arrest?¡±


    Wang Ping struggled and shouted, ¡°Let¡¯s see which of you dares to arrest me?


    Do you Imow who I¡¯m working for?¡±


    ¡°You dog, how dare you spout nonsense?¡± Ding Yi knocked him out.


    After capturing Wang Ping and raiding the Wang family, the constables found countless gold, silver, and treasures from Wang Ping¡¯s house.


    County Lieutenant Zhang looked at the things piled up in the courtyard and the


    Wang family members who were staring at them fiercely. He said sternly, ¡°Wang Ping has done so many outrageous things in Le County all these years and plundered so much from themoners. It¡¯s time for you to pay for following Wang Ping and eating the flesh and blood of themoners.¡±


    After confiscating the Wang family, County Lieutenant Zhang quickly brought people to capture Wang Zhi and Mr. Cheng, as well as a few squires who were in on the collusion.


    Ding Yi and the constable brought Wang Ping and the Wang family to the county office.


    When themoners saw Wang Ping tied up and the servants who used to strut around, they all became agitated.


    The people who received the news surrounded them from all directions. They cursed, grabbed things, and threw them at the Wang family.


    After Mr. Cheng was arrested, Li Qing got someone to paste a seal on his residence and Wenchang Pavilion. He wrote a secret letter and handed it to Liang Cheng for him to bring back to the capital.


    The old women who were paid for doing nothing in the front hall of the county office were so frightened that they did not dare toe again.


    After the people inserted by the county office¡¯s Wang Ping¡¯an were clear and clean, Li Qing was busy abolishing the taxes that Wang Ping had privately added to themoners.


    County Magistrate Liu saw that County Lieutenant Zhang had brought Mr. Cheng back, but he did not see the Second Master. He found the front office and asked Li Qing doubtfully, ¡°Lord Li, we didn¡¯t catch that person?¡±


    Li Qing shook his head worriedly. ¡°We¡¯ve searched Wenchang Pavilion and the Cheng family, but we can¡¯t find that person. Even the few guards following him are gone. Cheng said that he doesn¡¯t know where that person went.¡±


    County Magistrate Liu thought for a moment.. ¡°Lord Li, do you think he¡¯s no


    longer in Le County?¡±

 Chapter 599 - 599: Auntie Is Not Fun

    Chapter 599: Auntie Is Not Fun


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    At this moment, Ah Lei ran in with a surprised expression. ¡°Master, go back and take a look. Who¡¯s here?¡±


    Li Qing looked at Ah Lei¡¯s expression and thought of that master. He guessed that Li Yu might have received the news and rushed over worriedly. He hurriedly asked, ¡°Is my sister here?¡±


    ¡°Master, you really guessed it.¡± Ah Lei gave Li Qing a thumbs up. ¡°Madam is here with two stewards.¡±


    Li Qing cupped his hands at County Magistrate Liu. ¡°Lord Liu, I¡¯ll excuse myself. ¡±


    With that, he ran out.


    County Magistrate Liu watched Li Qing run out and turned to look at Advisor Lin curiously. ¡°Sister Li treats him so well. She came to see him as soon as he took office.¡±


    When Advisor Lin heard County Magistrate Liu¡¯s words, he knew thetter regarded Li Yu as the kind of woman who doted on her brother. He looked at County Magistrate Liu unhappily. ¡°Lord Liu, Madam Li is not an ordinary woman from the inner residence. She¡¯s the First-grade Madam Protector of the country conferred by His Majesty. Madam Li¡­¡±


    County Magistrate Liu looked at Advisor Lin, who couldn¡¯t stop, in surprise¡­


    Li Qing ran back to the backyard and saw Fan Mingfang holding Li Yu¡¯s hand in surprise. He smiled and bowed. ¡°Sister, why are you here?¡±


    Li Yu looked at the high-spirited Li Qing and patted him reproachfully. ¡°Young brat, you¡¯ve grown capable! Cant Ie and see you?


    Li Qing¡¯s eyes were filled with smiles as he nodded vigorously. ¡°Yes, why not? I can¡¯t wait for you toe and not leave! Where are Brother Ruyi and Brother Ji Xiang?¡±


    Li Yu smiled at him. ¡°Ah Lei will apany them. I¡¯ll go wash up first. Go talk to them.¡±


    Fan Mingfang smiled and said, ¡°That¡¯s right! Sister has traveled for so long. Let her wash up and rest before asking!¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright, alright!¡± Li Qing said happily, ¡°Wanwan, go prepare some of Sister¡¯s favorite food. Also, where¡¯s Dong¡¯er? Bring him to meet Auntie.¡±


    Fan Mingfang looked at the long-winded Li Qing and pushed him out with a smile. ¡°I know. Go quickly!¡±


    Li Qing went to the front yard. Ruyi and Ji Xiang hurriedly got up to greet him.


    ¡°Brother Ruyi, Brother Ji Xiang, you¡¯re treating me like an outsider!¡± Li Qing hurriedly went forward and pulled the two of them down.


    Ruyi looked at Li Qing and said with a smile, ¡°Are you used to being in Le County?


    Li Qing told the two of them what had happened after he arrived in Le County. He smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to Brother Liang and the others. Otherwise, it wouldn¡¯t have been easy for me to be the county magistrate.¡±


    ¡°Madam rushed over as soon as she received the news. She was afraid that you¡­ Fortunately, it was a close call.¡± Ji Xiang smiled.


    Li Qing looked at Ah Lei and asked him to guard the door. He whispered to the two of them, ¡°We haven¡¯t caught that person yet. I didn¡¯t know you wereing. I wrote a secret letter and asked Brother Liang to send it to the capital. ¡±


    Ji Xiang and Ruyi looked at each other and thought in unison that Madam was the most far-sighted after-all. She asked the shopkeeper for those experts. Otherwise, Li Qing¡¯s matter in Le County wouldn¡¯t have gone so smoothly.


    Seeing that Li Qing was worried about that master¡¯s whereabouts, Ruyi pointed at Ji Xiang¡¯s arm and said, ¡°Uncle, on the way here, Madam and I encountered five or six wild beasts in the wilderness. Their posture was very scary. One of them even bit Ti Xiang¡¯s arm. Don¡¯t worrv. we¡¯ve alreadv killed those wild


    beasts and they¡¯ve been left in the deep mountains and forests. They can¡¯te out to harm others anymore.¡±


    Li Qing immediately understood what Ruyi meant and looked at the two of them worriedly. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect the road to be so unstable. Is my sister alright? How¡¯s Brother Ji Xiang¡¯s arm?¡±


    Ji Xiang nodded happily. ¡°Madam is fine. I took the pill concocted by Old Master and have recovered long ago.¡±


    Li Qing felt relieved and said happily to the two of them, ¡°That¡¯s good. You have to have fun for a few days before leaving.¡±


    Ruyi smiled and said, ¡°We¡¯ll listen to Madam.¡±


    When Li Qing heard Ruyi¡¯s words, he said with some emotion, ¡°My sister is relieved to see that I¡¯m fine. If you don¡¯t believe me, look at her! She¡¯ll only be here for two days at most before she¡¯s busy going back to see Yang¡¯er and the others!¡±


    Ruyi nodded. ¡°Second Young Master and Third Young Master are still young and can¡¯t leave Madam. Master and Eldest Young Master leave early every day. Even with Granny and the others watching, they still can¡¯t let go. When Young


    Masters grow up, Madam can walk around freely.¡±


    Li Yu leanedfortably against the bathtub and thought about what themoners had said when she entered the city. She felt that Zhou Jia knew Li Qing best.


    Back then, not only could that scrawny kid stand up for the Li family, but he could also benefit themoners. Thinking of this, Li Yu smiled proudly.


    Seeing that Li Yu had been in for almost an hour, Fan Mingfang was worried that she had fallen asleep in the bathtub. She held Dongdong¡¯s hand and walked out of the bathroom. She called out softly, ¡°Sister, are you done bathing?¡±


    Hearing Fan Mingfang¡¯s cry, Li Yu stood up and walked out of the bathtub. She raised her voice and said, ¡°Alright, wait a moment.¡± She changed into a purple dress, tied up her hair, and fixed it with a hairpin. Then, she pushed open the door and walked out.


    Fan Mingfang looked at Li Yu and said with a smile, ¡°Sister looks really good in this.¡± As she spoke, she looked down at Dongdong, who was looking up at Li Yu. ¡°Dong¡¯er, don¡¯t you recognize Auntie?¡±


    ¡°I know Auntie.¡± Dongdong held Li Yu¡¯s hand. ¡°Auntie, where are Brother Yueyue and Brother Xingxing?


    ¡°Baby, your brothers are at home!¡± Li Yu smiled and picked him up. ¡°Did you miss Auntie?¡±


    Dongdong looked at Li Yu and shook his head. ¡°No, I miss my brothers.¡±


    Fan Mingfangughed when she heard that. ¡°Young brat, you only know how to y.¡±


    Li Yu pretended to be sad. ¡°Aiyo! Auntie is sad. Dong¡¯er didn¡¯t even think about


    Auntie.¡±


    Dongdong hugged Li Yu¡¯s neck and looked at her honestly. ¡°Auntie isn¡¯t fun. My brothers are fun.¡±


    Li Qing walked in and heard Dongdong¡¯s words. He smiled and pped him on the butt. ¡°Little baddie.¡±


    Dongdong pointed at Li Qing and looked aggrieved. ¡°Auntie, Father hit me.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and patted Li Qing. ¡°Let¡¯s ignore him. Auntie will carry him to eat.¡±


    When they arrived at the table, Li Yu smiled at Dongdong and said, ¡°There¡¯s so much delicious food. What do you like to eat?¡±


    Dongdong pointed at the minced meat egg custard. ¡°Dong¡¯er likes egg custard.


    Auntie, eat it.¡±


    ¡°Alright, Auntie will scoop custard for Dong¡¯er.¡±


    After dinner, the siblings sat in the reception hall and chatted. Li Yu looked at


    Li Qing and said in relief, ¡°Ah Qing, you¡¯re very capable. I¡¯m very happy.¡± Li Qing bowed to Li Yu and said, ¡°Sister and Brother-inw taught me well.¡±


    ¡°The teacher leads the way. Cultivation depends on the person. I¡¯m really happy that you can achieve what you have today.¡± Li Yu looked at him and said


    seriously, ¡°In the tuture, you have to remember not to torget your original intentions no matter where you go.¡±


    Li Qing replied respectfully, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Li Yu looked at him and lowered her voice. ¡°It¡¯s fine as long as you understand what Ruyi said to you. No matter when, you have to understand that the more you know, the more likely you are the one who is sacrificed.¡±


    When Li Qing heard Li Yu¡¯s words, he understood what she was worried about. He looked at her and nodded solemnly. ¡°Sister, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll remember what you said..¡±

 Chapter 600 - 600: Return to the Capital

    Chapter 600: Return to the Capital


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Seeing that he had remembered it, Li Yu nodded in relief. ¡°Alright, live well with Wanwan. Your brother-inw is very busy in the Ministry of Revenue and can¡¯t take care of the house. I¡¯m also worried about Yue¡¯er and Xing¡¯er at home.


    Seeing that you¡¯re fine, I¡¯m relieved. I¡¯ll set off in two days.¡±


    Li Qing looked at Li Yu reluctantly. ¡°I knew it. You¡¯ll leave in two days at most.¡±


    Li Yuughed when she heard that. ¡°That¡¯s right! I was worried about you when


    I didn¡¯t see you. When I don¡¯t see your brother-inw, Yang¡¯er, and the others,


    I get worried about them. I¡¯m naturally a worrier.¡±


    ¡°Sister, I remember that you used to say that you liked to look around. When Yang¡¯er and the others are older and Brother-inw is not busy anymore, you can go out with him to take a look and y around.¡±


    Li Yu couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°Come on! Who knows how long we¡¯ll have to wait until he¡¯s not busy? I remember you mentionedst time that Aunt asked you to go back and move Father and Mother¡¯s graves to Phoenix Vige. It seems that you won¡¯t have time to go in the next few years.¡±


    ¡°Yes! We can only go back and move Father and Mother¡¯s graves when my term at Le County¡¯s term is up.¡±


    Fan Mingfang coaxed Dongdong to sleep and came over to say to Li Qing, ¡°Ah Qing, you too. Sister is tired from the journey. If you have anything to say, say after she has had some rest.¡±


    Li Qing smiled and nodded. ¡°Alright, apany me to rest!¡±


    Chu Sihai led his men to eliminate all the bandits in the cave and even got someone to seal those caves, treating them as the burial grounds of those bandits.


    The group led the two small leaders they had captured alive back and arrived at the foot of the Liang family vige at dusk.


    Yang Liu and San Qiao came out of the courtyard with a load of rice. When they saw the two small leaders pressed down by Chu Sihai¡¯s soldiers, they shouted angrily, ¡°Beast, I¡¯ll beat you to death¡­¡±


    The two of them threw down the wicker basket and raised their poles to hit them. Chu Sihai let them hit them a few times before getting someone to stop them.


    Chu Sihai said to the two of them, ¡°Sister-inw, the bandits who walked out of Liang Vige have all been killed. You can live in peace in the future.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Master. Thank you, sirs.¡± Yang Liu and San Qiao bowed to Chu Sihai and the soldiers before turning around and running back. ¡°Let¡¯s go back and tell Second Sister-inw and the others the good news.¡±


    When Ah Lian and the women heard the news, they happily made food and sent it to the farm to thank Chu Sihai and the others.


    When they returned home, they went to the grave where the dead in Liang


    Vige were buried. They paid his respects to them and asked them to rest in


    peace.


    Chu Sihai rested in Liang Vige for the night and brought those people back to the capital the next morning.


    The second day after Li Yu arrived in Le County, the people sent by the Imperial Court arrived.


    There were more than 20 people in the group, and the leader was the Fu Commandery Prince.


    Li Qing gave the list of people captured by Mr. Cheng¡¯s family and Wenchang Pavilion to the Fu Commandery Prince.


    After the Fu Commandery Prince saw this, he said to Li Qing, ¡°Lord Li, why isn¡¯t that master on the list?¡±


    Li Qing looked at him with a worried expression and said in distress, ¡°Lord, I searched their hiding ce but couldn¡¯t find that person. ording to Mr. Cheng, he said that he left Le County with his guards a few days ago. Before he left, he didn¡¯t tell him where he was going. I¡¯m also very worried! What if he¡¯s still in Le County? What should I do? Please bring your men to stay here for a few more days and investigate.¡±


    When the Fu Commandery Prince heard this, he also understood Li Qing¡¯s feelings. With such a person in his jurisdiction, it was troublesome whether he was dead or alive.


    He was also unlucky to have epted such an errand.


    However, it was best if that master was not around. It was not good for anyone rted to him to be brought back to the capital alive.


    ¡°Lord Li, I want to interrogate Mr. Cheng first and see if he can remember anything?¡±


    Li Qing couldn¡¯t wait to throw this hot potato to the Fu Commandery Prince.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll take you to the county office jail and hand them over to you.¡±


    The Fu Commandery Prince interrogated Mr. Cheng for a long time and his conclusion was the same as what was written in Li Qing¡¯s dossier.


    The Fu Commandery Prince and the apanying people heaved a sigh of relief.


    The leaders discussed in low voices and felt that they had to look for a few living people who had ridden out.


    Finally, the Fu Commandery Prince greeted Li Qing and brought his men to the surrounding county cities to quietly search.


    Li Yu set off under the relunctant gaze of Li Qing¡¯s family.


    Ten dayster, in the afternoon, the three of them finally appeared at their house.


    After receiving the news, Zhou Jia brought his three sons to the second door.


    The two little ones ran over happily and held Li Yu¡¯s hand. ¡°Mother, we missed you so much.¡±


    ¡°I miss you guys too.¡± Li Yu looked at the father and sons and smiled.


    The father and sons escorted Li Yu into the house. Li Yu gave them the gifts Li Qing and his wife had prepared for the children. There were wooden toys, brush, ink, paper, and inkstone, as well as the clothes prepared by Fan Mingfang.


    The family ate happily. Li Yu looked at Yangyang, who had not been very active since she returned. ¡°Mother¡¯s eldest son, is there something on your mind?¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled and nced at him. ¡°The child is old. It¡¯s normal for him to have his own worries.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Yangyang looked at Li Yu. ¡°Mother, Pan Sheng said that he¡¯s going to participate in the county examination next year and asked me if I was going. Qi Dingbang also said that we¡¯re in good graces and don¡¯t have to take those exams. Mother, do you think I have to participate in the county examination?¡±


    Li Yu thought for a moment and said gently, ¡°Do whatever you think. If you want to validate what you¡¯ve learned over the years, participating in the imperial examination is the best way to test it.¡±


    Yangyang looked at Zhou Jia. ¡°Father, do you think I should go?¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at him and said without hesitation, ¡°As a schr, I feel that you should go. When you have experienced it, you will understand that good graces and your achievements are twopletely different feelings.¡±


    Yangyang looked at the two of them conflictedly. ¡°But I don¡¯t want to be a civil servant. I want to be a general.¡±


    ¡°Then take the written examination first before taking the martial arts examination.¡± Zhou Jia looked at him. ¡°As a man, don¡¯t be indecisive. Once you have thought about it, just do it.¡±


    Li Yu looked at his frown and rubbed his head with a smile. ¡°Son, there¡¯s no conflict between the imperial examination and you being a general! Isn¡¯t there a saying about Confucian generals!¡±


    Yangyang lowered his head and thought for a moment. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ve decided to participate in the county examination next year.¡±


    Zhou Jia nced at him and decided to provoke him again. ¡°I think you should think about it again tonight. Think about it carefully. Tell us tomorrow morning. ¡±


    Yangyang looked at his parents and said loudly, ¡°Father, you said just now that a man can¡¯t be indecisive. I¡¯ve been thinking about it for two days. This is my decision.¡±


    Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia and nodded. Zhou Jia said, ¡°Alright, we respect your decision. Your mother is tired too. Go to the garden and bring your brothers to wash up and rest.¡±


    After Yangyang agreed, he went to the back garden to look for his brother. Li Yu and Zhou Jia returned to the house..

 Chapter 601 - 601: Family Rules Are Not For Show

    Chapter 601: Family Rules Are Not For Show


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    The couple leaned against each other and talked about what had happened these days.


    ¡°Yu¡¯er, Chu Sihai and Chu Qing have already returned from the mountains. That Steward Cheng took poison andmitted suicide. The two of them brought a few small leaders back. These two days, the capital has captured another group of people and sent them to jail. Since you have returned, I think Chu Sihai wille tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°I know why Chu Sihai woulde for us.¡± Li Yu told Zhou Jia in a low voice that she had killed the Second Prince. ¡°Xiao Xi, we encountered that inhumane thing. If he doesn¡¯t die, we won¡¯t be able to live in peace. If he dies, it¡¯ll be over. Let them find him slowly!¡±


    Zhou Jia nodded and said, ¡°That¡¯s right. An emperor¡¯s family is best at turning hostile and being heartless. Even if that¡¯s an inhumane thing, killing and killing outsiders are two different things. We don¡¯t want to take the credit.¡±


    Li Yu smiled and kissed the corner of his lips. Shey on Zhou Jia¡¯s chest and looked at him with a smile. ¡°Ah Qing said that he remembers me saying that I like to travel.. He even said that when Yang¡¯er and the others grow up, he¡¯ll let you apany me for a walk. When do you think you can go?¡±


    Zhou Jia said gently, ¡°Yu¡¯er, I n to wait for Yang¡¯er to get married and get him to guide his brothers. Then, we can go out and take a look.¡±


    Li Yu burst outughing. ¡°You really dare to think about letting Yang¡¯er and his wife manage Yue¡¯er and the Xing¡¯er!¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at her and said seriously, ¡°Why not? Weren¡¯t you the one who brought Ah Qing along back then? They¡¯re countless times better than us!¡±


    When Li Yu heard Zhou Jia¡¯s words, she felt that what he said was not unreasonable. She was used to protecting the children and had forgotten that they were actually more outstanding than she had imagined. ¡°Alright! Let¡¯s talk about it after Yang¡¯er gets married.¡±


    ¡°Yes! Let¡¯s rest too!¡±


    After a good night¡¯s sleep, Zhou Jia left with Yangyang the next morning in high spirits.


    After Li Yu ate, she brought the children to the garden to stretch and kick. After ying for a while, Granny Yang came to report that Chu Sihai had arrived.


    Li Yu recalled Zhou Jia¡¯s words the night before and smiled. ¡°Invite him in.¡±


    Granny Yang brought Chu Sihai to the front hall and Li Yu arrived. She looked at him and bowed with a smile. ¡°Head Shopkeeper, thank you for getting someone to bring me a letter.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re being too polite!¡± Chu Sihai smiled and took a letter from his pocket and handed it to Li Yu. ¡°Chu Shan asked someone to give this to you. It seems to be about your manor in Yunzhou.¡±


    Seeing Chu Sihai¡¯s expression, Li Yu felt that he should know something. She looked at him and asked. ¡°Does the shopkeeper know what happened at the


    manor in Yunzhou?¡±


    Chu Sihai nodded. ¡°I heard from someone who came backst year that after the Dragon Boat Festivalst year, that Little Manager Yangs aunt¡¯s family found him Yunzhou. The aunt and nephew reunited very intimately.¡±


    ¡°Manager Yang first arranged for them to work in the inn. Two monthster, for some reason, he handed the inn to them to manage. After Schr Liu argued with him a few times to no avail, Schr Liu found Chu Shan and told him the situation.¡±


    Li Yu nodded. ¡°Thank you for telling me! Did youe to me today to send me a letter?¡±


    Chu Sihai revealed a rxed smile. ¡°Let me tell you that all the bandits in the mountains have been wiped out. When the Fu County Prince brings Mr. Cheng¡¯s group back from Le County, that matter will be over.


    ¡°We still have to thank you for finding the Yang brothers. It allowed us to destroy those bandits in the mountains.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re old friends.¡± Li Yu smiled and waved her hand. ¡°Did you reward the Yang family? ¡±


    ¡°I remember everything you said! I saw that Yang Mu was meticulous and could endure hardship, so I introduced him to the Shanyang County Office as a constable. I heard from the person who brought him back that the Yang family was overjoyed.¡±


    Li Yu gave him a thumbs up. ¡°As expected of the Head Shopkeeper!¡±


    ¡°Hahaha!¡± Chu Sihai smiled and cupped his hands at Li Yu. ¡°Thank you for your praise, Madam. If you want to send someone to Yunzhou, someone from the bank will go the day after tomorrow. He can leave with the people from the bank.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± Li Yu smiled and nodded. ¡°I won¡¯t stand on ceremony.¡±


    ¡°Look at what you¡¯re saying. I¡¯ll take my leave.¡± The two of them exchanged a few pleasantries before Zhao Cai came over to send Chu Sihai off.


    Li Yu opened the letter. There were letters from Schr Liu and Chu Shan.


    The meaning of Chu Shan¡¯s letter was: Lord Zhou, Madam Li, that Manager


    Yang might have been blinded. That woman¡¯s family was clearly a real piece of work. I suspected that the woman¡¯s family had found out from somewhere and specially came to lie to him.


    He was young and was cared for by others, so he thought that they really treated him as family.


    Schr Liu wrote: Master, Madam, the family of Manager Yang¡¯s aunt often bullied the boys who went to the inn to work and ordered them around.


    The children told Manager Yang, but he listened and believed his aunt. He said that the children were delicate and could not take hardship.


    The children were really unable to continue working at the inn because of the Yang family¡¯s aunt, so I recalled all the children back to the farm.


    His aunt¡¯s family was in charge of the inn but wanted to reach out to the manor to interfere in the marriage of those children in the manor.


    They imed that you had raised Manager Yang as your younger brother. You had all gone to the capital. The inn and manor in Yunzhou were left for Manager Yang. They had to help Manager Yang take care of his assets.


    Li Yuughed angrily after reading it. ¡°You really don¡¯t treat yourself as an outsider?¡± She put down the letter and said to Granny Yang, ¡°Nanny, call Zhao


    Cai over.¡±


    Seeing Li Yu sitting there with a dark expression, Zhao Cai asked worriedly,


    ¡°Madam, what happened in Yunzhou?¡±


    Li Yu pointed at the letter on the table. ¡°Take a look!¡±


    After reading it, Zhao Cai frowned and said, ¡°I was still wondering! Why did the profitsst year decrease by 20%? The tea leaves sent over are fine, but the quality of those mountain goods is much worse than in the past. So they¡¯re helping him raise his ancestors!¡±


    Zhao Cai thought for a moment. ¡°Madam, can you let Ji Xiang make a trip?¡±


    Li Yu nodded. ¡°Alright, Ji Xiang can go. Let him bring Gu Yu back to her mother¡¯s house to take a look.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam.¡¯


    Zhao Cai found Ji Xiang and said angrily, ¡°This Yang Wei is too outrageous. He acknowledged a rtive and brought her to the inn to stay. He even handed the inn to his rtive to manage. Madam asked you to bring Gu Yu back and visit her mother¡¯s house.¡±


    Ji Xiang said angrily, ¡°Master and Madam have been too generous to him. I think he treats his house as decoration! ¡±


    Ji Xiang returned with Zhao Cai and said to Li Yu, ¡°Madam, how should I deal with Yang Wei after I go?¡±


    Li Yu said coldly, ¡°Find what they¡¯ve stolen and send that family to the government for investigation! The family rules are not for show. Sell Yang Wei to the salt mine to work ording to the family rules.¡±


    ¡°Madam is right. That¡¯s how it should be.¡± Ji Xiang looked at Li Yu. ¡°Madam, who will take care of the inn?¡±


    Li Yu thought for a moment. ¡°Go over and see if any of the children on the farm can do it. If not, hire a shopkeeper and Mr. Liu can take care of it together. The rules are still the same.¡±


    Ji Xiang bowed and agreed. ¡®Yes, I¡¯ll go back and tell Gu Yu about this first. We¡¯ll set off after preparing.¡±


    Li Yu nodded. ¡°Alright, go to the bank and tell the Head Shopkeeper that you¡¯ll leave with them.¡±


    Two dayster, Ji Xiang set off for Yunzhou with Gu Yu and the child..

 Chapter 602 - 602: Fate

    Chapter 602: Fate


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    After Yangyang entered the pce, he told Chu Yao about his decision to participate in the imperial examination.


    Chu Yao looked at Yangyang in admiration and said with a smile, ¡°Then you have to take the exam well. You can¡¯t ruin our reputation.¡±


    Yangyang replied solemnly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Your Highness. I¡¯ll definitely do my best. ¡±


    Qi Dingbang patted Yangyang in admiration and smiled. ¡°Good brother, you¡¯re still the best. I¡¯ll wait for our good graces! ¡±


    Pan Sheng looked at him with mixed feelings. ¡°Zhou Chenxi, aren¡¯t you determined to be a general? Why are you still participating in the imperial examination?¡±


    Yangyang felt that Pan Sheng¡¯s attitude towards him these days was a little strange. He was sometimes cold, sometimes hot, and sometimes sarcastic.


    He decided not to spoil him anymore. He looked at him and raised his eyebrows. ¡°Who said that you can¡¯t participate in the imperial examination as a general?¡± He turned to look at Chu Yao. ¡°Your Highness, is there such a rule in thew?¡±


    Chu Yao nced at Pan Sheng. ¡°Why would there be such strange rules in thew? If one can participate in the imperial examination, one can be a general who knows both martial arts and literature.¡±


    Chu Yao¡¯s attitude embarrassed Pan Sheng. He forced a smile and said, ¡°Zhou Chenxi, you have to work hard. Unfortunately, I only know two dilettantish middling moves. ¡±


    Yangyang smiled and waved his hand. ¡°I¡¯ll definitely do my best.¡±


    At this moment, Shen Jie brought her maidservant, Xiao Ya in from the pce door. Pan Sheng blushed and found an excuse to retreat into the ssroom.


    Yangyang looked at him in confusion. ¡°What does his marriage proposal have to do with me? I didn¡¯t ask him to do it. He¡¯s always so sarcastic.¡±


    Chu Yao looked at Yangyang and felt that he had only grown taller in the past few years. He felt that Eldest Master Zhou¡¯s life was toofortable. Zhou Chenxi didn¡¯t know anything. He didn¡¯t know that his family had long been the first choice for those enthusiastic mothers looking to betroth their daughters.


    Chu Yao decided to teach this silly kid a lesson. ¡°Did you see Pan Sheng when he saw my cousin?¡±


    Yangyang shook his head. ¡°I can¡¯t tell. He¡¯s been sarcastic to me these days. I can¡¯t be bothered with him.¡±


    ¡°I heard from my grandmother that the Pan family invited someone to the Shen family to propose marriage,¡± Chu Yao said in a low voice.


    Yangyang turned around and looked at Pan Sheng, who was sitting in the ssroom in a daze. He gave Chu Yao a thumbs up.


    ¡°How brave. How dare he have designs on this little chili.¡±


    Shen Jie looked at the two people muttering and pointed at Yangyang. ¡°Zhou Chenxi, are you talking bad about me?¡±


    Yangyang felt a pain in his chest when he saw Shen Jie. He rolled his eyes at her. ¡°Which ear of yours heard me talking bad about you?¡±


    Shen Jie nced at Chu Yao, who was rubbing his nose and smiling dryly. She was so angry that she stomped her feet and turned to leave.


    Two monthster, the Fu County Prince brought Mr. Cheng and the others back to the capital to report to Chu Yuhao.


    They told the emperor that they had searched the nearby county cities but could not find any traces of the Second Prince.


    Mr. Cheng could not survive the punishment. He recalled that the Second Prince had said in the past that he would die if he did not seed. He had said that he might not be alive anymore.


    Chu Yuhao did not believe that this treacherous second brother wouldmit suicide. He kept feeling that he was still hiding in some corner. He sent a secret order to Chu Sihai and asked the people of the Four Seas Bank in various ces to secretly investigate the news. If they found anything, it did not matter if he was dead or alive.


    Time passed like an arrow, and the sun and moon were like shuttles. In the blink of an eye, it was August¡¯s golden autumn. In therge rice field in Liang Vige, the golden grain waves swayed with the wind, emitting the fragrance of rice.


    The dpidated vige had changed. New three-party courtyards rose from the ground.


    Ah Lian and the other women were busy harvesting. After working hard for more than half a month, they finally took the rice back to their new home.


    The rice was stored in the granary. Looking at the clean and tidy courtyard and thinking that the government office was sending the children back the next day, everyone was so excited that they couldn¡¯t sleep.


    The next morning, Ah Lian and the other women woke up early and packed their things. They made rice cakes and killed the chickens and ducks to wee the children.


    At dusk, the women who had been watching at the vige entrance for the entire day finally saw a few carriages appear at the vige entrance. Everyone greeted them excitedly.


    After entering the vige, everyone watched as the fair and chubby Lord Sun alighted from the carriage. An old woman and two scribes followed him down.


    Lord Sun said to Ah Lian, ¡°I¡¯ve already found a child for you. There are girls and boys. Are you prepared for this?¡±


    Looking at the carriage, Ah Lian and the others bowed gratefully and said, ¡°Sir, we¡¯ve long thought about it. Whether it¡¯s a son or a daughter, it¡¯s our fate.¡± Sun Da nodded in satisfaction. ¡°Alright, for this matter, we¡¯ve also thought of a way. The children are all sitting in the car. The child you hold first will be your child.¡±


    When the women heard this, they all felt that this was a good idea. They didn¡¯t even see if it was a boy or a girl. They didn¡¯t see if the child was ugly or handsome. It saved the sisters from hurting their harmony.


    Everyone readily agreed and nodded. ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll do as you say, sir.¡±


    Lord Sun took out the registered register. ¡®Whoever I calles up. Three at a time. San Qiao, Yang Liu, Ying Tao.¡±


    After the three of them bowed to Lord Sun, they were led to the carriage by the old woman. They suppressed their excitement and nervousness and extended their hands into the carriage.


    San Qiao led out a thin and small little girl who looked to be three or four years old. She had bright ck eyes and looked at San Qiao timidly.


    The old woman said to her, ¡°Girl, this is your mother. Call her Mother.¡±


    San Qiao¡¯s heart almost melted when she saw her. She said gently, ¡°Child, I¡¯ll be your mother from now on.¡±


    Looking at San Qiao¡¯s warm gaze, the little girl wrapped her arms around San Qiao¡¯s neck and called out softly, ¡°Mother.¡±


    San Qiao¡¯s tears fell. ¡°Aye¡­ Aye!¡­¡±


    Yingtao and Yang Liu each led a thin kid down.


    Next were Ah Lian and Hong Mei. Aunt and Aunt brought down a boy and a girl. An hourter, all the women who had registered received their children.


    After the scribe helped settle the household register, everyone happily brought the children back. The deserted Liang Vige became lively.


    The women invited the Zhou family¡¯s stewards and tenants home for a reunion meal to celebrate their future.


    At dusk, a few carriages stopped at the entrance of the Zhou Mansion.


    An honest man who looked like a shopkeeper got out of the car and a youth helped an auntie to the entrance of the Zhou Mansion.


    The young man went forward and asked politely, ¡°Uncle, may I ask if the


    Assistant Minister of Revenue Zhou¡¯s family is here?¡±


    Uncle Liu sized up the family of three and felt that the woman looked a little familiar. He smiled and nodded. ¡°Yes, may I ask who you are?¡±


    The young man cupped his hands shyly. ¡°Please inform him that Madam¡¯s aunt and uncle from Tongzhou are here..¡±

 Chapter 603 - 603: Let’s See Where You Can Escape to

    Chapter 603: Let¡¯s See Where You Can Escape to


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    ¡°Ah! Pleasee in.¡± Before Uncle Liu could finish speaking, he walked in and met Ruyi halfway. ¡°Manager Yi, Madam¡¯s aunt is here.¡±


    Ruyi smiled in surprise. ¡°Hurry up and inform Madam. I¡¯ll wee them in.¡±


    Li Yu received the report and hurriedly went out to wee her. Li Mei looked at Li Yu, who she had not seen for more than ten years, and greeted her excitedly.


    The aunt and niece held hands, their faces filled with the joy of reuniting after a long time.


    Li Yu looked at Li Mei, who had gray hair, Brother Pig, who was tall and thin, and Liu Changming, who looked much older. She sighed that time was unforgiving.


    After exchanging pleasantries, Li Mei looked at Li Yu guiltily. ¡°Xiaoyu, I¡¯ve burdened you. Laidi has troubled you.¡±


    ¡°Aunt, you¡¯re still so polite to me!¡± Li Yu looked at the delicate Brother Pig.


    ¡°Aunt, Brother Pig looks different from when he was young. He¡¯s delicate.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s lost weight in the past two years. Brother Pig is much less worrisome than Laidi,¡± Li Mei said in relief as she looked at Li Yu.


    Liu Changming also nodded happily. ¡°I originally thought he was mischievous, but now it seems that he¡¯s the least worrisome.¡±


    Li Yu looked at the wrinkled and exhausted Li Mei and felt a little sad. Sheforted her. ¡°Aunt, I haven¡¯t seen her in months since I met her that time. I heard from them that she¡¯s busy with the pickled vegetables business. Eat something and rest well. I¡¯ll bring you to Laidi¡¯s house to see her.¡±


    Li Mei looked at Li Yu and held back her tears. ¡°Xiaoyu, this child broke my heart, but I can¡¯t bear to part with the flesh that has fallen from my body.¡±


    Liu Changming sighed and said, ¡°Xiaoyu, ever since we received your letter, your aunt found out about Laidi¡¯s divorce with that Li guy and mored toe to the capital to pick her up. Coincidentally, a convoy from the bank came over, so we followed.¡±


    Seeing that they missed their daughter, Li Yu said to Ruyi, ¡°Ruyi, get someone to set up the carriage. I¡¯ll apany Aunt and the others to Laidi¡¯s house.¡±


    An hourter, the group arrived outside the small courtyard rented by Laidi. The courtyard door was wide open, and a few women were sitting in the courtyard. Everyone was busy choosing and washing the vegetables. Under the eaves of the corridor, Lai Di was busy bending down to cut the vegetables.


    Laidi turned around and saw Li Mei. She stood there in a daze, tears flowing uncontrobly.


    Li Mei walked forward and patted Laidi. ¡°Stupid girl, you troublesome girl.. ¡®


    Laidi knelt at Li Mei¡¯s feet and hugged her legs as she cried regretfully, ¡°Mother, I asked for it. I harmed myself and others, causing you toe all the way here¡­ ¡±


    Liu Changmin pulled her up. ¡°Your mother¡¯s health isn¡¯t good. Don¡¯t make her cry anymore. It¡¯s fine as long as you know that you¡¯re in the wrong. How can a person not make mistakes in their life? With Father and Mother around, Father and Mother will bring you home.¡±


    ¡°Father, Mother, Little Brother¡­¡± Laidi looked at Li Mei, her husband, and her brother. Thinking of the hurtful words she had said in the past, she knelt on the ground again in shame.


    A monthter, Li Mei bought a small courtyard in the capital. The couple apanied their son to study at Lin family school. Laidi was still doing her pickled vegetable business and became more reliable.


    Another ten years passed in the blink of an eye. After court, Zhou Jia was called to the Imperial Study by Chu Yuhao.


    After Zhou Jia bowed, he nced at the happy emperor. Thinking of the deration submitted by Great Qi and the hostages sent to the capital, he felt proud.


    Chu Yuhao was in a good mood. He felt that Mr. Zhou, who was almost close to 50, was still as handsome and elegant as ever. He looked at Zhou Jia with a smile. ¡°Jiahe, is your eldest young master engaged?¡±


    Zhou Jia bowed and said, ¡°Your Majesty, that young brat said that there¡¯s no hurry. We can¡¯t do anything about it. Besides, he¡¯s guarding Yunzhou now. We can¡¯t do anything to him.¡±


    Chu Yuhao gestured for Zhou Jia to sit down and said to him, ¡°It¡¯s time for the child to get married. Jiahe, go back and discuss this with Madam Li. I¡¯ll be the matchmaker!¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at Chu Yuhao uneasily. ¡°Your Majesty, which family¡¯s daughter is it?¡±


    Chu Yuhao smiled and said, ¡°Miss Shen, Shen Jie. That child is straightforward and pure. She has known your eldest young master since they were young. I think the two of them are quitepatible. Go back and tell Madam Li that I¡¯ll give them a marriage.¡±


    Zhou Jia recalled that Yangyang often nagged about her and said that she was annovinz. He even said that she was a little chili. Zhou Tia heaved a sigh of


    relief. ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty. I¡¯ll tell Madam when I get back.¡±


    Zhou Jia came out of the imperial study and rushed home without even going to the government office. He saw Xingxing, now a handsome youth, wiping his long saber in the courtyard. ¡°Xing¡¯er, where did your mother go?¡±


    Xingxing pointed to the back garden. ¡°Mother and Second Brother are fiddling with that big ship model in the back garden. I heard from Mother that she wants to buy a big ship and go out with you.¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled and nodded. ¡°Yes! When your brother gets married, your mother and I will go sightseeing.¡±


    Xingxing stopped wiping the saber and chased after Zhou Jia. ¡°Father, is Big Brother ising back to get married? Who is he getting married to before he¡¯s engaged? Bring me out to y with Mother. I¡¯ll protect you.¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled and patted him. ¡°Young brat, you only know how to y. I think it¡¯s time for you to find a wife.¡±


    ¡°Father, please spare me!¡± Xingxing turned around and fled.


    When Li Yu saw the father and son, Xingxing had already turned around and run away. Yueyue pointed at the ship model in the lotus pond and smiled. ¡°Mr. Zhou, how¡¯s the boat your Madam ordered?¡±


    Looking at the two-story model of the ship in the lotus pond, Zhou Jia smiled and nodded. ¡°Not bad.¡± He looked at the smiling Li Yu. ¡°Madam, when Yang¡¯er gets married and the ship is built, we¡¯ll set off to y.¡±


    Yueyue looked at Zhou Jia curiously. ¡°Father, where did you find a wife for Big Brother?¡±


    Li Yu looked at him. ¡°His Majesty bestowed a marriage? Whose daughter is it? Let me tell you first, I won¡¯t agree if her character is bad!¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, His Majesty asked me toe back and discuss it with you. I think it¡¯s not bad. It¡¯s Miss Shen, whom you Imow too.¡±


    When she heard that it was the youngdy from the Shen family, Li Yu smiled in satisfaction. ¡°Oh! Not bad. Go and ask His Majesty to issue a decree to transfer that young brat back from the border. He¡¯ll get married at the end of the year.¡±


    Zhou Jia smiled and bowed. ¡°Yes!¡±


    Zhou Chenxi, who was far away at the border, received the decree from the capital. He felt a faint pain in his chest again and thought to himself, ¡°Stupid girl, I¡¯ve fallen into your hands.¡±


    His best friend, Qi Dingbang, and a few colleagues looked at him and cheered. Qi Dingbang smiled slyly. ¡°Aiyo! You¡¯re finally taken. You can¡¯t escape after all!¡±


    Lin Sen was also happy for him. ¡°It¡¯s finally your turn to treat us to a wedding.


    Groom, quickly treat us to a drink.¡¯


    Zhou Chenxi smiled readily. ¡°Look at how petty you are. Isn¡¯t it just drinking? Let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll treat you.¡±


    Qi Dingbangughed and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±


    They walked towards the entrance of the camp with their arms around each other¡¯s shoulders.


    Zhou Chenxi saw the smiling girl in red standing there at a nce and turned to escape.


    Shen Jie pointed at him. ¡°Zhou Chenxi, let¡¯s see where you can escape to.¡±


    Two yearster, at Ninghe Port, two days away from the capital, Li Yu and Zhou Jia boarded a two-story ship docked at the river port. After waving goodbye to the people who sent them off, the ship sailed out of the port.


    After the sun set, Li Yu sat cross-legged on the deck and fished. Yueyue and Xingxing came out from the bottom and ran to Li Yu¡¯s side to sit down. They said with drooling faces, ¡°Mother, we¡¯re here too.¡±


    Li Yu rolled her eyes at them..

 Chapter 604 - 604: Side Story: Xingxing, Yueyue

    Chapter 604: Side Story: Xingxing, Yueyue


    Trantor: As Studios Editor: As Studios


    Ever since he and Li Yu went sightseeing on a ship, he had heard Li Yu tell him about the legends of the sea. Xingxing had been fascinated by sailing on the water.


    He changed hiszy habit of not interacting with outsiders. Every day, when he was free, he would look for the shipwrights on the ship to learn navigation skills.


    Because he was born with divine strength, good looks, and a sweet mouth, the boatmen were all willing to teach him how to control the ship. He learned to detect the direction of the wind and the direction of the water to differentiate where there were undercurrents and hidden reefs at the bottom of the water. Xingxing learned with relish. When he returned, he pestered Li Yu to tell him the stories of those red-haired people.


    Yueyue, on the other hand, was not interested in the boat at all. Every day, he would either fish with his parents or study with Zhou Jia. He was an elegant and beautiful youth.


    From Jiangning to the estuary, Xingxing liked the majesty of the sea more and more after going out to sea for half a month. He often nagged at Li Yu that he wanted to go to the sea on his own to take a look. He wanted to see the Five Continents Ocean and the yellow-haired monster living on the other side of the sea.


    Li Yu looked at him and said seriously, ¡°Maritime navigation and ind river navigation are two different things. Weather change at sea is unpredictable. You have to learn about how to survive and acquire navigation skills. Even old fishermen don¡¯t dare to go to sea rashly. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can ask the nearby fishermen and find someone who crossed the sea. The boatmen on our ship should know something.¡±


    Zhou Jia was afraid that he would secretly run away. He said to him, ¡°Xing¡¯er, after you and Father return to the capital, Father will go to the pce to get you navigation books. After you haveprehended it, we¡¯ll talk about it when the time is right.¡±


    Xingxing looked at his parents¡¯ worried expressions and said with a cheeky smile, ¡°Father, Mother, don¡¯t worry. Do you think Xing¡¯er is such a rash person?¡±


    Zhou Jia looked at him. ¡°That¡¯s good. Don¡¯t let your mother worry.¡±


    Xlngxing sat beside Li Yu roguishly and raised his hand to promise, ¡°Mother, I promise not to worry you.¡±


    Li Yu understood that the more you stopped a boy his age, the more he wanted to go against you.


    ¡°Think about what I said yourself. Tomorrow, you can get off the boat and go to the street market. Ask those merchants who sell fake goods and see if I¡¯m exaggerating.¡±


    Xingxing nodded. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go with Second Brother and buy some gifts for Eldest Brother and Sister-inw.¡±


    No one understood the Xlngxing better than Yueyue. Looking at the light in his eyes, he knew that he had not given up on sailing.


    At night, when the brothers were resting, Yueyue said to him, ¡°Xing¡¯er, Big Brother likes to fight. You¡¯ve always wanted to travel the world with your sword. Now that you want to sail on the sea, you have to think for your parents.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll ask around tomorrow. Withoutplete preparation, I won¡¯t act rashly.¡± Xingxing spread his hands and looked at Yueyue. ¡°Second Brother, don¡¯t worry.


    Even if I want to leave, I don¡¯t have that much money to buy a ship to go out to sea!¡±


    Yueyue nced at him. ¡°I know you have a better brain than I do. I hope you think twice before you do anything.¡±


    Xingxing smiled and nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t worry! I wouldn¡¯t dare if Mother doesn¡¯t agree! I¡¯m the Monkey Sun who can¡¯t fly out of the Buddha¡¯s palm.¡±


    ¡°Sigh! I wonder where Mother heard those stories. They¡¯re really strange.¡±


    The next day, the brothers got off the ship early and went to the street market. When they arrived at the shop that sold fake goods and bought gifts, they asked the shopkeeper about the most famous ship owner nearby and the skills necessary to go out to sea.


    The captain looked at the identical brothers and smiled. ¡°Little brother, the wind and waves at sea are higher than the embroidery building of an official¡¯s daughter. When a wavees down, even bitter bile will be spat out. This is not the most difficult thing. The saddest thing is to look at the endless sea but have no water to drink. Once, we encountered a storm at sea, and the fresh water on the ship was finished. It didn¡¯t rain either. In the end, we could only drink our own urine.¡±


    Yueyue looked at the captain in shock. ¡°Uncle, can¡¯t we drink water from the sea?¡±


    The captainughed and said, ¡°The water in the sea is salty and can¡¯t be drunk. You¡¯ll die of thirst if you drink it. Little brother, if you want to go out to sea, you have to master the pattern of the ebb and flow of the tide. You have to observe the sun during the day and the stars at night. On foggy days without stars, you have to know how to read the waterpass to avoid being buried in the sea. There¡¯s a lot of knowledge involved!¡±


    The brothers bade farewell and came out of the boat. They returned to the boat with a gift and told Li Yu and her husband what they had found out from the boat owner.


    Li Yu looked at the Xingxing. ¡°Father and Mother didn¡¯t lie to you, right? If you want to go out to sea, you have to understand what the captain said.¡±


    Zhou Jia patted him. ¡°Alright, after we return to the capital, I¡¯ll ask Lord Liu of the Imperial Astronomers to teach you how to view the stars and look at thepass.¡±


    After returning to the capital, Zhou Jia also asked Lord Liu to teach Xingxing how to observe the stars and even found a book for him. The couple thought that he would back off, but he had made up his mind.


    Two yearster, he was ranked on the Golden Ranking List and entered the Hanlin Academy to do editing. After Xingxing obtained the schrly title, he participated in the martial arts examination the next year and was the top schr.


    The first thing he said when he saw Yueyue was, ¡°Second Brother, it¡¯s fine as long as you¡¯re at home apanying Father and Mother. I want to go to the Ning River Army.¡±


    Yueyue looked at him in surprise. ¡°It¡¯s been a few years. Haven¡¯t you forgotten your idea of sailing?¡±


    ¡°No. I n to work in the Ning River Army for a few years. I¡¯ll go out to sea with Boss Huang. You can give me your private money and I¡¯ll help you earn money.¡±


    Yueyue rolled his eyes at him. ¡°Don¡¯t you know where my private money is?


    You¡¯d better tell our parents what you¡¯re thinking of and not let them worry.¡±


    Xingxing spread his hands. ¡°They didn¡¯t evene back for our exams.


    Discussing with them will have to wait until I find them!¡±


    Yueyue sighed. ¡°That¡¯s right! This time, they brought Brother Seven Pounds to


    Liangzhou. They said that they wanted to draw the mountains and rivers of Great Yong, as well as the small towns and viges in the state capital. They wanted everyone to look at the map and find their home.¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t an ordinaryndscape painting. Who knows when they¡¯lle back?¡±


    Xingxing stood up and patted Yueyue¡¯s shoulder. He hugged him and walked back. ¡°Second Brother, Mother said that you¡¯re our Zhou Jia¡¯s, warmhearted man. Be good and serve Uncle and Grandmaster at home! I¡¯ll set off tomorrow.¡±


    The warmhearted man smiled gently. ¡°Alright! I don¡¯t like to move around. I like to stay at home quietly. Go do whatever you like. I¡¯ll wait for you at home.¡±


    Many yearster, Great Yong produced an outstanding naval general who led the Great Yong Navy out of Great Yong¡­}


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