Chapter 51: Help!

Ruan Laoda dropped his broken pole and tried to pounce on her. Seizing the opportunity, Shu Yu swung her axe and placed it firmly against his neck.

Ruan Laoda's breathing stopped, and his eyes widened in fear.

Shu Yu said, "Try moving again and see what happens."

"What do you want to do? I am your uncle. You dare not kill me?" Ruan Laoda asked.

Shu Yu stepped on Ruan Lao Er's back as he tried to stand up, and pressed him back down to the ground. She then looked calmly but menacingly at Ruan Laoda and said, "I was just joking. I am a good person and of course, I will not kill you. But, it wouldn't be a problem to leave you with some injuries that will make you half-disabled for the rest of your life and confined to bed."

"You..." the old lady stopped crying, looking at her two sons being held down by one person, and started to panic. Especially with Shu Yu holding an axe so close to Ruan Laoda's neck that a slight movement could easily sever it.

Ruan's mother got up quickly from the ground, rushed out of the courtyard and shouted, "Help! Someone has been killed! Help!"

Lu Sanzhu was originally blocking the courtyard door and was bumped by the old lady Ruan. He almost fell down.

Mainly because he had weak legs, and Shu Yu's murderous aura was too terrifying just now.

By the time he had stabilized himself, many people who had heard the commotion had already walked over from nearby.

Lu Sanzhu quickly took two steps back and hid behind the door.

The villagers of Ruan's village followed Ruan's mother into the courtyard and were shocked to see the mess. They exclaimed, "What happened here?" They then looked at the Ruan brothers being pressed down by Shu Yu with an axe, and were even more horrified, "Who are you? What do you want?"

Shu Yu raised her head, glanced at several villagers who had come in, and said, "Who am I? My father is Lu Erbai and he is married to Ruan's family. My mother is Ruan's Shi. I am Lu's second daughter. So, now you know who I am, right?"

The villagers who had originally been fierce and threatening suddenly froze, was this the rumored Second Miss who had been found?

Shu Yu sneered, "I think you all know what the Ruan family has done to me. Now that I am here for revenge, it is a matter between our families, a personal grievance. Do you really want to interfere?"

The villagers looked at each other in confusion. It was true that this was a family matter. After all, Lu Er Bai second daughter was old lady Ruan's granddaughter.

But even so, no granddaughter should destroy her grandparent's house like this and leave her uncle paralyzed.

Someone tried to reason with her, "Lu girl, even if Ruan Pozi has done wrong to you, you have already come back, and you seem to be doing well. She is still your grandmother and an elder. You shouldn't lay your hands on her."

"Yes, let go of her and apologize to your uncle. They won't blame you," someone else added.

Shu Yu found it ridiculous. "Apologize to them? If I didn't spare them, it would have been merciful. Either don't interfere or come and try my axe."

Some people didn't like her attitude and wanted to approach her, but they were wary of the axe in her hand.

The villagers whispered among themselves in the courtyard. Ruan Pozi saw that no one was taking action and began pounding her thighs, "Quickly, save my son! We are all from Ruan Family Village, how can we allow an outsider to cause trouble in our village? What will happen to our face if this spreads?"

The people from Ruan Family Village felt that old lady Ruan was right, even if they didn't like her on ordinary days. But an outsider had entered the village and was calling for violence, and they couldn't just sit back and do nothing.

(End of this chapter)

Note:

1. Ruan Laoda: It is a Chinese term used to address someone by their family name followed by "Laoda," meaning "elder brother" 

2. Ruan Laoer: This Chinese term used to address someone by their family name followed by "Laoer," meaning "second brother." 

 Chapter 50: Demanding Debt with an Axe

Ruan's two brothers hurriedly ran up to Shu Yu and looked at her with furrowed brows. "Are you Er Ya?"

"Er Ya, this is your grandmother. What are you doing with an axe? You shouldn't scare people like this. Listen to your uncle, put that thing down and come in for a drink of water. Let's talk things out."

Shi Yu looked at the two brothers who thought they were kind, and it was said that these brothers were both younger than Ruan Shi. As the eldest sister, Ruan Shi had been working since she was young, taking care of her parents and brothers. These two brothers were raised by her.

Faced with such a sister, they could still be so crazy as to help the old lady steal her just-born child for a bit of money. Their conscience had been eaten by dogs!

Shi Yu sneered, "What am I doing with an axe? You'll find out soon enough."

After saying that, she raised her hand, and the axe hit the clothesline pole beside her, knocking the bamboo pole to the ground. The clothes and quilts that were hung on it fell to the ground all at once.

Shi Yu walked straight over, stepping on the clothes and quilts as she went.

The Ruan family hadn't reacted yet, and Shi Yu struck with the axe again, smashing a big hole in the water jar in front of her. All the water inside poured out with a loud "splash", soaking the ground and the quilts.

"Ah..." the old lady screamed, looking at Shi Yu who continued to walk in, disbelieving. "What are you doing? Are you crazy? You're crazy!!"

As she walked, Shi Yu swung her axe, knocking down the chair in the corner, smashing the dustpan in the corridor, and splitting open the pickled vegetable jar in the corner. Wherever she went, the ground was in a mess.

"Er Ya!!" Watching their home destroyed, the two brothers were about to explode with anger and rushed towards her.

Shi Yu turned around, pointing the axe at them with a cold expression. "I dare you to come any closer!!"

"You, you crazy girl, put down the axe, put it down!"

Shu Yu said, "Why should I let it go? I heard that when I was first stolen, my grandmother and uncle came with people to settle accounts with you, but only ended up giving you a beating. I think they were wrong, how could they just give you a beating? They should have demolished your entire house so that you wouldn't be able to live a worry-free life on the money from selling my body, getting fat and ugly like a pig, making people sick to their stomachs."

She swung her ax, "It just so happens that I'm here today to finish what they didn't do over a decade ago."

After finishing her speech, Shu Yu charged into the kitchen and smashed the cupboard open with her ax.

She proceeded to hack away at the pots and pans inside.

The clanging and banging sounds made one's heart tremble along with it.

Old Ruan immediately covered her chest, sat on the ground, and slapped her thighs while howling, "This is so unfair, so unfair. This girl has gone mad. Somebody, come and catch her. Our house will be destroyed by this girl."

The Ruan brothers turned pale and ran into the firewood room to get their hoes and carrying poles, then ran to the kitchen to attack Shu Yu.

Shu Yu moved quickly. In just a moment, not only had she smashed all the pots and pans, wine jars, and other utensils, she had also split the dining table in half with her ax.

After finishing up in the kitchen, she walked out and saw the Ruan brothers rushing towards her in anger.

Lu Sanzhu at the door of the courtyard took a deep breath and yelled, "Be careful!"

The next moment, he watched as Shu Yu grabbed the Ruan brothers' carrying pole with one hand and split it in two with her ax in the other.

Then, with a quick sidestep, she dodged Ruan Er's hoe, kicked him in the knee, and sent him tumbling to the ground.

(The End of This Chapter)

 Chapter 49: Road Family's Blood Bread

Shu Yu walked quickly in the direction he pointed, and Lu Sanzhu stood there for a moment, slapped his mouth, and hurried to catch up.

Unlike Shishi Village, which was a mix of different surnames, Shishi Village was originally composed of many villagers who fled famine. But Ruanjia Village was different. Although the village was small, two-thirds of the people were surnamed Ruan, all descendants of the same family.

Because of this, Lu Sanzhu felt uneasy as soon as he entered Ruanjia Village, always looking around suspiciously, like a thief.

On the other hand, Shu Yu had a clear goal and soon stood at the door of the Ruan family.

The door of the Ruan family's courtyard was ajar, indicating that someone was at home.

Shu Yu was about to push the door in when he heard the voice of Old Lady Ruan from inside. "Alright, alright, I'll go cut the meat and send it to that unfilial daughter. Do we need to please them? Why spend money on her? I am her mother. She has found her second daughter, so why still hold grudges over past events?"

As she spoke, Old Lady Ruan had already opened the courtyard door and almost bumped into Shu Yu standing at the door.

She was surprised for a moment, raised her head to scold, but then saw Shu Yu's expressionless face.

Old Lady Ruan was taken aback. The next moment, her expression changed and she spoke in a sarcastic tone, "Oh, isn't this Second Miss Lu from the Lu family who just returned to recognize her relatives? Have you finally remembered that you have us as your in-laws and come to pay us a visit?"

Without noticing the item in Shu Yu's hand as she lowered her head, Old Lady Ruan became even more displeased. "You came to visit relatives, but came empty-handed?"

Shu Yu didn't even look at her and pushed her aside, walking in on her own.

"Hey, you..." Old Lady Ruan hurriedly followed, pointing at Shu Yu's back and grumbling, "Don't you have any manners? You have no upbringing. You don't even greet your elders when you see them. Are you a mute?"

Shu Yu still ignored her and looked at the courtyard in front of her.

Not to mention the brick and tile house on one side, but the area of this courtyard was more than twice that of the Lu family.

Looking at the two brothers from the Ruan family who had just come out of the hall, they were indeed tall and strong, just as Lu Sanzhu had said. Compared to the thin and weak Lu Erbai, there was really a world of difference.

There were still crumbs of pastries remaining at the corners of their mouths, as if they were afraid that others would not know how well their Ruan family was doing.

The Ruan family had everything they had because of the silver they had earned from selling their belongings in the past.

Shu Yu looked around and happened to see an axe in the corner. He grabbed it and shook it in her hand.

Lu Sanzhu, who had just arrived at the gate of the Ruan family's courtyard, was shocked. He widened his eyes and quickly retreated his neck, silently looking into the courtyard without taking another step.

What did Er Ya want to do after all?

This was also what old lady Ruan wanted to ask. She had been scolding and ranting, but Shu Yu remained silent and did not respond, which made her feel embarrassed and angry. She ran up to her, blocking her way, and said, "You, little girl, I'm talking to you. What are you here for? You..."

"Shut up." Shu Yu suddenly stretched out her arm, and the axe in her hand almost hit old lady Ruan nose.

The old lady was so scared that her face turned pale. She took a step back and fell to the ground, almost wetting her pants.

(End of this chapter)

 Chapter 48: Shu Yu visits the Ruan's family

Shu Yu was amazed by the Ruan family's actions. They had stolen and sold her years ago, and now they were trying to do it again. She thought it was unbelievable and they were beyond redemption.

"They really think there's no one left in the Lu family and they can keep taking advantage of us!"

Shu Yu turned and walked away, scaring Lu Sanzhu who quickly grabbed her. "Hey, what are you doing? Don't be impulsive. Let me tell you, although Lord Yu is just a wealthy man in town, he has connections with the county magistrate. We can't afford to offend him."

Shu Yu raised an eyebrow. "So you mean we should just obey Lord Yu's wishes and let Ruan's old lady sell Da Hu and San Ya?"

"I didn't say that." Lu Sanzhu immediately denied it and then chuckled sheepishly. "But Lord Yu is not someone we can mess with. You just came back and don't know yet, our county magistrate...is not easy to deal with."

"I see." Shu Yu gave him a glance.

After speaking, she went directly back to the pharmacy with Lu Sanzhu following nervously behind her.

Then she said to the old lady, "Nainai, I have to go back for a while. But my ointment is not ready yet. Can you watch it for me? Stay in the county tonight. I've already reserved a room with Doctor Xu. Da Hu and San Ya will stay here."

The Ruan family had such intentions that it was not safe for San Ya and Da Hu to go back. Who knows what kind of means the Ruan family had waiting for them.

The old lady looked confused and looked at Lu Sanzhu, who was following behind. He was also very confused and couldn't figure out what Shu Yu was trying to do.

It was the first time Shu Yu had asked the old lady for help, and of course, she wouldn't refuse. She just asked Lu Sanzhu, "When you go back, could you please help feed the chickens at Second Brother's house?"

"Me?" Lu Sanzhu was shocked. Was the old lady confused? How could he help Second Brother with his work?

However, Shu Yu answered for him without waiting for his response. "He knows how to do it."

After speaking, she left the pharmacy without saying goodbye to Lu Sanzhu and hurriedly left.

Lu Sanzhu looked around and saw an old lady approaching him with the intention of asking him something. Without a word, he went after Shu Yu.

Shu Yu headed towards the city gate, where she could rent a carriageZ. She looked around and finally stopped in front of a mule cart, asking the driver to take her to Ruanjia Village.

Lu Sanzhu climbed aboard the cart immediately and grinned at Shu Yu. "I've never ridden a mule cart before. Thanks to my niece's good fortune today, I'll hitch a ride with you back home."

Shu Yu didn't say much, only telling the driver to start.

Lu Sanzhu didn't get into the carriage either, sitting beside the driver instead. He wanted to say a few words to Shu Yu, but when he saw her cold expression, he silently closed his mouth.

Mule carts were faster than ox carts, especially in the case where Shu Yu requested to speed up. Ruanjia Village was two villages away from Shishi Village, but it was closer to the county town.

The cart stopped at the entrance of the village, and Shu Yu asked the driver to wait for her before walking into the village.

Lu Sanzhu followed immediately, and Shu Yu turned around to ask him, "Where is old lady Ruan?"

"Er Ya, are you trying to settle scores with Ruan Pozi? That's not a good idea. The Ruan brothers are both tall and burly, and they're very violent. You'll be at a disadvantage if you go alone. Otherwise, we can go back to Shishi Village first, and bring along Big Brother, Da Niu and Er Niu, and then come back..."

"Where is it?" Shu Yu interrupted.

Lu Sanzhu immediately shut up and pointed straight ahead. "Turn left at the third household and then the second house on the left is Ruan Family house. 

(End of this chapter)

 Chapter 47: old lady Ruan's Objectives

Perhaps he had been intercepted by  workers, so Lu Sanzhu raised his voice, and it sounded very noisy.

Shu Yu thought about Lu Sanzhu who had gone to inquire about old lady Ruan's matter early in the morning and had now come directly to the county town. The results he obtained must be very important.

She let San Ya and Dahu continue to make medicine, and she walked towards the front of the shop.

The old lady also heard the commotion. At this moment, she was already standing in front of Lu Sanzhu. She lifted her hand and slapped him on the head, saying, "You came, so what? Why are you making noise? Don't you know where this is? If your second brother can't recover here because of you, I'll kill you."

Lu Sanzhu dodged and said, "Mother, mother, don't hit me. I came to find Er Ya with something very important."

"What else can you have besides extortion and deceit? I warn you, don't bother Er Ya" the old lady said.

Lu Sanzhu was so annoyed that he said, "Why am I bothering her? It's Er Ya who asked me to help her with something."

As he spoke, he happened to see Shu Yu walking out. He quickly ran behind her to hide.

Shu Yu said to the old lady, "Indeed, I asked Third Uncle to help me inquire about something. Nainai, we'll be out for a while."

The old lady was stunned. What did Er Ya just call her? She called her Nainai?

Excited, the old lady wiped her face and said kindly, "Okay, okay, you go ahead and do your work."

Lu Sanzhu felt that his mother changed her attitude too quickly. She was so good to a girl, but she would either hit or scold him, her youngest son. This was too much.

He followed Shu Yu out in resentment.

Only then did the old lady react. Her third son could still help? ?? ?

Her son was an absolute lazybones who wouldn't sit down if he could lie down. Even though the second family was in such dire straits, she had never seen him help out. He had only just met Er Ya, yet he could be commanded?

There must be a problem. No, she had to go and ask Ruan Shi what had happened when she wasn't around.

The old lady turned around and hastily returned to the backyard.

Shu Yu had already left the clinic with Lu Sanzhu and entered a small alley nearby.

"Tell me, what's the situation with the Ruan family?" Shu Yu asked.

Lu Sanzhu chuckled, "Well, you see, Er Ya, I had a tough journey here and didn't even have lunch. My stomach is so empty that my brain isn't working properly."

Shu Yu stepped back, "You still have vegetable leaves on your teeth, and your speech even has the taste of buns. Did you just eat vegetable buns?"

Lu Sanzhu "...", damn, why is Er Ya so sharp?

Shu Yu said, "Hurry up and tell me. If the information you give me is valuable, I'll treat you to meat."

"That's what you said," Lu Sanzhu's eyes lit up, and he immediately said, "You don't know, that old woman Ruan is just terrible. She came to see Second Sister-in-law, crying and repentant, just for Da Hu and San Ya."

"What does that have to do with Da Hu and San Ya?" Shu Yu frowned.

Lu Sanzhu looked around, lowered his voice, and said, "I heard that Lord Yu in town hasn't had a child for many years after his marriage. Recently, a great master moved into his house and told him that if they adopt a pair of dragon and phoenix twins under the age of ten, they can call their son back. So, Lord Yu wants to buy a pair of dragon and phoenix twins to bring home."

Shu Yu suddenly looked up, gritted her teeth and said, "Are you saying that old woman wanted to steal children again?!"

Lu Sanzhu clapped his hands, "Exactly!" 

(End of this chapter)

 Chapter 46: Shu Yu is sinister and cunning

"Of course I can," said Shu Yu.

Da Hu was excited and hugged San Ya, "That's great, then you don't have to be sad anymore."

San Ya leaned in close to his ear and whispered, "Second sister also said to make me into a little beauty."

The two of them whispered to each other, and the old lady's eyes turned red from watching them. "Great, our family is now full of happy events. Er Ya has returned, Second son's leg can be healed, and now San Ya's scar can also be removed. The days ahead will be even better."

Da Hu raised his head proudly, "It's all thanks to Second Sister."

"Yes, yes, Second Sister is our lucky star. With her return, we have no more worries," said the old lady.

Shu Yu cleared her throat, feeling a little embarrassed by the praise. "You guys wait here for a moment, I'll go get the medicine."

The old lady hesitated but eventually nodded, "Go ahead."

Once Shu Yu left, she took out a few copper coins from her pocket and let out a sigh. They didn't have much money left, and now that Er Ya had returned, she would have to spend her savings.

The old lady felt a little uneasy, but at least with Er Ya's return and Second son's leg being healed, they would be able to earn the money back.

Shu Yu quickly returned with a bag of medicinal herbs. Fortunately, there were already tools for making medicine in the clinic, so she simply asked to borrow them from Doctor Xu.

Doctor Xu was generous enough to lend her the tools since Shu Yu had paid for her consultation fee. However, he was skeptical of her ability to make scar-removing ointment and asked his assistant what herbs she had used.

Some of the herbs did indeed have scar-removing effects, but the results would not be significant. Doctor Xu had seen San Ya's scars; they were over a year old and would not be easy to treat. If they had been treated right after she had been injured, it would have been easier to handle, but now it was hard to say.

Doctor Xu was curious and wanted to take a look, but it was someone else's secret recipe. He had professional ethics and couldn't pry into it, so he had to inquire about it secretly.

Shu Yu smiled slyly and asked, "Doctor Xu seems very interested?"

Doctor Xu's expression turned serious, "You're not a doctor, I'm afraid you'll mess it up and end up destroying your sister's face. She's still young, I can't let you harm her."

Shu Yu hadn't had a chance to answer yet, and San Ya, who was squatting beside her and wanting to help, immediately said, "My sister won't harm me."

Shu Yu patted her head. "Yes, Second Sister won't let you down."

Doctor Xu was choked for a moment, and Shu Yu smiled and said, "Doctor Xu, if this ointment of mine can really remove scars, would you be interested in buying the prescription?"

Doctor Xu was stunned, then his eyes suddenly lit up. "You want to sell me the prescription?"

"If the price is right, I can consider it."

"If there's really no problem, I'll buy it."

Shu Yu smiled, "Then it's a deal?"

Doctor Xu left satisfied, but suddenly woke up when he got to the front of the store. "Could this girl have borrowed something from my clinic on purpose to sell me this prescription?"

Devious and cunning.

Shu Yu continued to make the medicine with great joy. She had thought about selling it in a pharmacy, but unfortunately, the Lu family did not have a strong background or the ability to protect themselves. Especially since she would be exiled in three months, this prescription would not be protected at all.

As she was thinking about it, she heard the voice of Lu Sanzhu outside, "I came to see my second brother, let me in."

(End of this chapter)

 Chapter 45: Family Reunion

Shu Yu still had no idea that Lu Sanzhu had already set off from home in a hurry to come and find her.

At this moment, she was leading Ruan Shi and the twins, who were curious about everything, to Xu's medical clinic. The clinic was as desolate as ever, and the clerk behind the counter was yawning while making medicine.

He suddenly raised his head upon hearing some noise and saw Shu Yu. He stood up and smiled, "Miss Shu is here? Uncle Lu and the others are resting inside. Just go in."

"Thank you."

Shu Yu and the others lifted the door curtain and entered the backyard. Only Lu Erbai was living in Xu's medical clinic now, and it seemed a bit lonely.

Shu Yu walked to the room on the far side and was about to enter, but Ruan Shi said to her, "Er Ya, wait outside for a while. Let me go in and explain the situation to your father and your grandmother, and let them be psychologically prepared."

"Okay."

Ruan Shi took a deep breath and pushed open the door.

Shu Yu only stood in the courtyard for a moment before a sudden cry came from inside, "You, what did you say?"

The next moment, the door was pushed open, and the old lady rushed out, grabbing her shoulders with both hands and staring at her with burning eyes. "You, you are Er Ya?"

Shu Yu nodded slowly, "Yes."

The old lady's lips trembled slightly, as if she wanted to say something but couldn't. Then she lifted Shu Yu's sleeve and looked at her arm and back of her neck. After looking, she cried and laughed, and then hugged her tightly for a long time.

"Er Ya, good Er Ya, you finally came back. You finally came back."

After old lady's embrace, Shu Yu had calmed down. She gently patted the old lady's back to comfort her and looked inside the room through her shoulder, Lu Erbai was lying on the bed, unable to move his legs, but he was looking at this side with excitement. His eyes were red, and he opened his mouth to say something.

After a long time, the old lady finally calmed down, and Shu Yu helped her into the room.

Lu Erbai looked eager, with too many words in his heart to say, but in the end, he only emphasized two words, "Good, good."

As long as they were safe, and could reunite, nothing else mattered.

The old lady held Shu Yu's hand and talked to her in the room for a long time.

The old lady was furious when she learned that the old woman Ruan had come to their house again with a fake person and almost fooled Ruan Shi. She angrily cursed, "What bad ideas is that old witch up to again? She never learns, always doing these despicable and wicked things. She has a heart as black as coal."

"Don't worry, whatever evil intentions she has, she won't succeed. Don't be angry," Shu Yu comforted them.

Just then, Doctor Xu arrived to change the bandage for Lu Er Bai's wound. The old lady closed her mouth and left Ruan to help, while everyone else left the room.

Shu Yu said to the old lady, "I'll go to the pharmacy and get some medicine. You can rest here for a while."

"What medicine do you need? Are you feeling unwell?" The old lady became nervous immediately.

"No, I'm getting medicine for San Ya. I want to help her get rid of the scar on her face," Shu Yu explained.

"Scar removal?" The old lady exclaimed in surprise and looked at her and then at San Ya.

San Ya smiled and nodded happily. Da Hu couldn't even pretend to be serious anymore and grabbed Shu Yu's hand, asking, "Second sister, can San Ya's face really be healed? Can it?" 

(End of chapter)

Chapter 44: Something Big Happened

San Ya seemed to understand but not quite, while Da Hu pretended to casually listen in with his ears perked up.

Shu Yu noticed right away that the little one probably imitated adults in the way he spoke and acted, likely because he was the only boy in the Lu family and wanted to appear more mature. Despite being extremely curious, he didn't say a word and kept a composed demeanor. Even though his joyful feelings couldn't be expressed, he silently stayed by the side, making others feel both heartbroken and comforted.

San Ya relied on her a lot and had become familiar with her by now, so she stuck close to Shu Yu and asked, "Second sister, where is that handsome man you were talking about?"

"I don't know." Shu Yu shook her head. She had only seen that man twice a year ago and knew only his surname was Meng.

Back then, at Dongqing Temple, she and Lu Erbai àhad both been seriously injured and were healed by a wandering doctor passing by.

The owner of that wandering doctor, was this Meng Gongzi who had a pleasant voice.

Meng Gongzi was just passing by while she was recuperating, and they had never met again since then.

San Ya wanted to ask more, but Ruan shi had already beckoned them, "The cart is here, hurry up and get on, we're leaving."

The few of them stopped talking and climbed onto the cart.

There were already two people on the cart, and with the four of them, it suddenly became quite crowded.

Fortunately, both Da Hu and San Ya were thin and weak children, so they could be held on laps without any problem.

The cart made its way towards the county town, picking up two more people along the way until it was full and couldn't take any more passengers.

Most villagers who went to the county town to sell their goods still relied on their own legs to get there since the cart cost one or two coins per ride, which they couldn't afford.

Ruan shi also felt sorry about this, but the money had to be spent.

As the few of them sat on the swaying cart, San Ya almost fell asleep in Shu Yu's arms when the cart finally stopped.

"We've arrived."

San Ya was carried down by Shu Yu and held hands with Da Hu. Looking up at the high city wall in front of them, she exclaimed with joy, "So this is the county town!"

Ruan Shi was taken aback and felt a bit sad. Yes, their family's conditions were not good, and she had never even brought the two children to the county town before.

Shu Yu held one of their hands and said, "Let's go to the medical hall first."

The group of four followed the lively crowd and entered the city gate. At this time, Lu Sanzhu was running back home with a hurried pace and sweating profusely.

His urgent appearance frightened Liang Shi. She couldn't help but curse, "Are you trying to get yourself killed? Why are you running so fast? Is there a dog chasing after you?"

Lu Sanzhu didn't mind her bad attitude. He scooped up a ladle of water from the tank and drank it down refreshing himself before saying, "Something big has happened. Something really big."

"What happened? Where did you go so early in the morning?" Liang Shi asked.

"I'll tell you what, Er Ya is amazing. She really hit the nail on the head. She's a genius." Lu Sanzhu marveled while walking out.

Liang Shi pulled him back and asked, "Explain it clearly. What happened?"

"Oh, I can't explain it clearly right now. I'm going to find Er Ya first." Lu Sanzhu said.

"Er Ya is not here. Er Sister-in-law and their family have gone to the county town." Liang Shi informed him.

"Gone to the county town?" Lu Sanzhu frowned, then sat back down and vigorously fanned himself with a fan, "Then I'll wait for them to come back."

However, he stood up suddenly after sitting for a while, "No, I can't wait. I'm going to the county town to find Er Ya. I'll tell you, this is such an important message. If I tell her, I might get some benefits."

(End of this chapter)

 Chapter 43: The Most Handsome Man

As soon as they locked the gate, Shu Yu heard Liang Shi's voice from behind, "Oh, Er Sao, where are you going?"

Actually, Ruan Shi and Liang Shi didn't have much contact, and they even had a few conflicts before. They usually acted like they didn't know each other when they met.

Who knew that Liang Shi would take the initiative to talk to her today? Was it because of the noodles yesterday?

Ruan Shi replied in a low voice, "Er Ya has gone back home, and we're going to the county to see mother."

Liang Shi sneered secretly, but smiled on her face, "Alright, take care, Er Sao."

Ruan Shi nodded and took her two children to leave.

When Shu Yu passed by Liang Shi, she asked, "Why didn't I see Third Uncle?"

"Oh, him? He went out early in the morning. Is Er Ya looking for him?" Liang Shi's eyes sparkled.

Shu Yu just smiled, "No, I just asked casually."

She thought that Lu Sanzhu must have gone to inquire about old lady Ruan's matter. She didn't expect that he would be so interested in this kind of thing, as he usually didn't work and was always scheming.

But it was just as well, she wanted to know as soon as possible too.

The four of them soon arrived at the village entrance, and San Ya kept holding Shu Yu's hand tightly, occasionally looking up at her.

Several times, she almost fell, but Shu Yu held her up.

There were not many people at the village entrance. They set off a bit late, and the villagers who went to the county town had already left early in the morning.

If Ruan Shi were alone, she could have walked to the county town directly. Now they could only wait for a ox cart at the village entrance. Usually, only one or two ox carts or donkey carts passed by, and they were all in the early morning.

Today is market day, and there are two more carts pulling in customers. Shu Yu looked around and saw a large rock not far away. She was about to call Ruan Shi to sit there when Da Hu grabbed her hand.

She was surprised and looked down at him.

Da Hu pointed to a person approaching them and whispered, "Second sister, look, that's Tang Xiucai from our village. He's very impressive. He's only eighteen years old and has already passed the Xiucai exam."

Shu Yu raised her head and saw the young man approaching. He was indeed very young, with a thin figure and a book box on his back. He seemed to have just returned from the county or town.

As he approached, Da Hu was afraid he would hear them, so he quickly closed his mouth, but his eyes were full of envy and admiration for Tang Xiucai.

Tang Xiucai passed by them without looking sideways and quickly entered the village.

After he disappeared, San Ya said, "Second sister, isn't Tang Xiucai very handsome? He's the most handsome person I've ever seen, and he must be very smart because he studies so well."

Shu Yu couldn't help but laugh. "Is he the most handsome? I've seen someone even more outstanding, someone who is a talented and handsome man with a refined appearance, like a peerless beauty. Although when he smiles, it looks a bit fake, but it doesn't detract from his exquisite facial features and magnetic voice."

That kind of voice that could impregnate your ears is probably referring to that person.

San Ya widened her eyes. "Second sister, you used so many idioms just now, you're so knowledgeable."

Shuyu chuckled. "..." Is that your main point?

"Second sister, what does guang feng ji yue mean?" asked Sanya.

Do you mean "guang feng jie yue"?

San Ya laughed. "It means having an open-minded and generous heart and temperament."

(End of chapter)

The term "Er Sao" (二嫂) is a Chinese phrase that translates to "second sister-in-law" in English. It is commonly used to refer to the wife of the second oldest brother in a family. The character "Er" (二) means "second," and "Sao" (嫂) means "sister-in-law" or "older brother's wife."

 Chapter 42: A Family Goes to the County town 

Shu Yu smiled as she watched San Ya, who was being cautious, and picked her up and placed her on the bed.

The little girl immediately burrowed herself into the thin blanket, revealing a pair of cute and happy eyes.

Shu Yu lay down beside her and whispered, "Did you tell your mother that you came over here?"

"Yes, I did," San Ya obediently nodded her head.

With that, Shu Yu felt relieved and gently patted her hand.

The little girl was probably feeling a little hot, as she slowly uncovered the blanket and stared at Shu Yu.

Shu Yu chuckled, "You're not going to sleep?"

"Second sister, I really like you," San Ya said.

Shu Yu raised an eyebrow in surprise. The little girl felt a little embarrassed, but still whispered, "I'm happy that you're my second sister, and my brother is happy too."

"I know, and I'm also happy that you're my little sister and brother," Shu Yu replied.

San Ya immediately smiled, and as she did, the scar on her face became more apparent.

Without thinking, Shu Yu reached out and touched the scar. The little girl's body suddenly stiffened and she shrank her neck, turning her face away, trying to cover up the scar. "Second sister, it's ugly."

"It's not ugly," Shu Yu comforted her. "Didn't I tell you before? We can get rid of that scar. Tomorrow, I'll go to the county and get some medicine from the pharmacy. Before you know it, San Ya will become a little beauty."

The little girl's eyes lit up at these words, "Second sister, I don't need to become a little beauty. You're already one." She quietly held Shu Yu's hand, feeling very content.

After a while, she raised her head again and whispered, "Second sister, can I go to the county with you?"

San Ya was already five years old and had never been to the county seat. The farthest place she had been to was the village where Da Ya got married.

She wanted to go to the county town with her second sister and also wanted to see her father and grandmother. If her father knew that her second sister had returned, he would definitely be very happy.

Shu Yu naturally had no objections, "Okay, not only you, but we will all go."

Since they were recognized as relatives, they naturally had to formally meet the old lady and Lu Erbai. Besides, she estimated that tomorrow Ruan Shi should go to the county town to exchange shifts with the old lady.

The old lady was getting old, and it was not good for her to take care of patients all the time.

If both she and Ruan Shi were not at home, there would only be two five-year-old children left. It was better to take them along.

San Ya became excited after hearing this, and her smile became even more brilliant. She felt that she hadn't smiled this much in a year, but she was really happy today.

The little girl closed her eyes and fell asleep quickly.

Shu Yu listened to her steady breathing, pulled up the thin quilt, and put her hand flat.

With this movement, she discovered that San Ya was holding two candies in her hand.

These candies... were the ones she bought.

Shu Yu suddenly remembered the conversation she and Da Hu had when they sat outside the hall. They said that when they found the second sister, they would give her the candies to eat, so that she would no longer be miserable.

Shu Yu took a deep breath and looked at San Ya's slightly raised mouth, unable to help but smile.

The next day, Ruan Shi did come and say she was going to the county town.

She was originally going to tell Shu Yu yesterday, but there were too many things going on, and she forgot for a moment.

She also intended to take Shu Yu with her. Finding the second sister was such a big deal that she naturally had to tell her husband and mother-in-law.

Therefore, the two of them decided to go together. After breakfast, Ruan Shi carried a basket on her back, took Lu Erbai and her own clothes and daily necessities, and left with Shu Yu, Da Hu, and San Ya.

Editor's note:

Ruan shi is Lu Er bai wife ( fl mother) her in-law also called her Er Sao

Old lady Ruan or Ruan Pozi is Ruan shi mother 

(End of this chapter)

 Chapter 41: Wanting to sleep with Second Sister

Ruan Shi closed the door behind her. "You can sit on the bed. Mother will patch you up in no time."

Shu Yu instinctively refused, "No need. I can do it myself. I..."

Wait, she didn't know how to sew.

Shu Yu covered her face. She was talented in both literature and martial arts and had a quick mind, but she really couldn't sew.

In her past life, she didn't need to learn. With a wealthy master, all her clothes were custom-made. Many clothes were never worn again and didn't need washing, let alone needing to be sewn.

In this life, there were maids in the Shu family. The original "Shu Yu" knew how to embroider. However, after she crossed over, she only inherited memories and her hands didn't listen to her. So she had never sewn any clothes.

Ruan Shi smiled at her but didn't point it out. She had already lit the candle.

She put on the needle and thread, and asked Shu Yu to take off her skirt. Ruan Shi deftly hooked the thread with her hands.

Shu Yu sat quietly on the side, watching Ruan Shi's soft face appear and disappear in the candlelight. She suddenly felt warmth in her heart.

Her hand slowly touched her chest, and Shu Yu quickly lowered her head.

In her past life, she lived in hatred and hadn't felt this warmth for a long time.

"Okay, see if it's good." Ruan's voice rang out, quickly bringing Shu Yu back to reality.

She hurriedly looked up and took the skirt that Ruan handed her.

Upon closer inspection, she found that there was no trace of stitching. "This..."

Ruan laughed. "Mother's only good at this much. The torn part of the skirt was small, and it didn't need a patch. Besides, it was at the hem of the skirt. By folding it a little, the thread could be hidden, and it would not be visible."

When she said this, there was a glow on her face.

Shu Yu saw this expression for the first time on Ruan Shi, who was usually timid and silent.

She reached out and touched her, smiling, "Thank you, I really like it."

"What are you thanking mother for?" Ruan Shi hesitated for a moment, then patted her hand back, "If you like it, then mother is relieved."

She put the needle and thread back in the basket and stood up, saying, "Mother will go out first. You should rest earlier."

"Okay."

Ruan Shi turned around and went out, but when she got to the door, she hesitated and turned her head, "Er Ya..."

"Um? What's wrong?"

"Nothing, it's nothing. Mother is going." Ruan Shi eventually pursed her lips and left.

In fact, she really wanted Er Ya to call her "mother."

Although Er Ya had recognized them again, Ruan Shi knew that she hadn't fully accepted them from the bottom of her heart, so she had never called her mother.

But it didn't matter. She understood. Er Ya had been away from home for many years, so she was already satisfied with the current relationship they had.

The door closed again, and Shu Yu lay on the bed, touching the hem of her skirt and suddenly laughed.

In fact, the Lu family was pretty good, right?

"Second sister? Second sister?" Just as Shu Yu closed her eyes, a cat-like voice came from outside.

Upon hearing this voice, she knew it was San Ya.

Shu Yu looked towards the direction of the windowsill and indeed saw her showing a round forehead, with her eyes barely visible.

She wanted to laugh, got up, and opened the door.

San Ya was still trying hard to reach the windowsill with her tiptoes.

"Over here."

Shu Yu waved to her, and San Ya turned her head, saw Shu Yu standing at the door, and hurriedly ran over happily.

Shu Yu led her inside and asked her, "How did you come over? Why don't you go to bed so late?"

"Second sister." San Ya held her hand and asked in a small voice, "Can I sleep with you tonight?"

(The end of this chapter)

 Chapter 40: The Remaining Silver

Liang Shi nodded. "Okay, okay, I'll go later." A bowl of such delicious food was not enough.

But just as she finished speaking, Lu Sanzhu, who was slurping noodles, lifted his head and swallowed two strands of meat, saying, "Don't bother going."

"Why not? Don't worry, this time I'll go with Da Bao. Da Bao is a child, so Second Sister-in-law wouldn't refuse, right?"

Lu Sanzhu sighed. "It's not just about Second Sister-in-law. Now there's Second Missy…" He clicked his tongue and shook his head. "Let's forget it."

"Is Er Ya hard to deal with?"

"More than just hard to deal with." Lu Sanzhu suddenly fell silent, with a hint of emotion. "In the future, Second Brother's family's life will only get better. We better not offend Er Ya, you know?" He pointed to the bowl of noodles in front of them. "We didn't get this for free."

Liang Shi didn't take it seriously. She knew Er Ya was from a good family, but she was an elder, and Da Bao was just a child. Could she really harm them?

But the family affairs always followed Lu Sanzhu's lead. Since he said so, Liang naturally couldn't do anything else. She reluctantly gave a third of her own bowl of noodles to her son.

After dinner, it had gotten dark outside, and the Lu family had finished the entire pot of noodles.

Ruan shi and the others were rarely full and even felt like they needed to digest. They had never experienced such a feeling before in their lives.

Ruan shi didn't let Shu Yu do any more work. She, with Da Hua and San Ya, quickly finished all the chores like washing dishes, feeding chickens, and cleaning the yard.

Shu Yu went back to her room and took out her purse to count her money.

When Shu Yu left the Shu family, she didn't take a single penny from them. Most of the Shu family's money was dirty, and Shu Dalao's accumulation of wealth was unscrupulous. When the Shu family was exiled three months later, these accounts would be scrutinized and accounted for by government officials.

Although Shu Yu knew that she couldn't escape the fate of exile, she didn't want to add another charge when she was cleared. She still wanted to get away immediately after being exiled, to avoid trouble, especially since it would be troublesome to carry the Shu family's money.

So when she left the city, she only had the sixty taels of silver that she had earned herself.

Sixty taels of silver, of which Lu Erbai's leg treatment alone would require at least fifteen taels.

To be on the safe side, Shu Yu prepared twenty taels of silver.

After deducting this amount, the remaining money was the cost of her journey from the capital, and she used one and a half taels to rent a carriage. In addition, she spent about five hundred wen on buying meat, snacks, rice, flour, and other things today, as well as her dining expenses outside.

So now, she only had thirty-eight taels of silver that she could use. 

Thirty-eight taels of silver might be a large sum for the villagers of Shishi Village, and many households probably didn't have half that amount in savings.

But for Shu Yu, it was still too little. She had many places where she needed money, and it seemed that the urgent task was to make money as soon as possible.

Just as she was thinking about this, she heard a knock at the door.

Shu Yu put away the silver and got up to open the door.

Then she saw Ruan Shi coming in with a basket of needles and thread, smiling and saying, "I see that the hem of your clothes is torn. Let me help you mend it."

Shu Yu was taken aback and looked down at her dress.

Indeed, the hem of her skirt was torn. It had been accidentally hooked by a wooden thorn when she was blocking for Ruan Shi during their confrontation today.

(End of this chapter)

 Chapter 39: Third Uncle is Reasonable

After thinking for a moment, Lu Sanzhu agreed to the invitation.

Although he was attracted by the large bowl of egg and meat noodles, another reason was that he wanted to build a good relationship with Shu Yu. His cheap niece looked like a wealthy person.

Now it was just one bowl of meat noodles, but in the future, there would be countless bowls of meat noodles, right?

"Okay, since you are my niece, I'll help you out. Can I go in now and eat the noodles?" Lu Sanzhu asked.

"Sure," Shu Yu nodded.

Without hesitation, Lu Sanzhu immediately ran into the kitchen. Although Ruan Shi and her family had already served the noodles, they were all worried that Shu Yu would suffer from Lu Sanzhu's hands. They anxiously watched the kitchen door.

As soon as Lu Sanzhu walked in, he wanted to reach for the larger bowl, but he heard a cough from behind.

He turned his hand and put it down on the larger bowl.

"Sister-in-law, I'll take this bowl of noodles. You can eat slowly. But the portion is quite big. If you can't finish it, just call me. After all, it's not good to keep the noodles till tomorrow in this hot weather," Lu Sanzhu said.

Ruan Shi laughed dryly and watched as Lu Sanzhu walked away with the bowl of noodles.

Once he left, Ruan Shi pulled Shu Yu over and asked her in a low voice, "Did your uncle trouble you?"

"No, he is actually quite reasonable," Shu Yu replied.

Ruan Shi was surprised. Reasonable? Was Shu Yu talking about Lu Sanzhu?

Ruan Shi wanted to ask what they talked about, but she was afraid of being too nosy and making Shu Yu unhappy. In the end, she didn't ask anything.

Shu Yu urged them to eat the noodles quickly. When she saw that there was more meat than noodles in the bowls of her three younger siblings, she picked up two more chopsticks and gave them more meat. "Eat quickly. We have to finish this bowl of noodles tonight. Don't save any for later."

Her three siblings happily buried their heads in the noodles and started eating. When they lifted their heads, their eyes were squinted. "Sister's noodles are so delicious."

"If it's delicious, eat more," Shu Yu said.

Shu Yu smiled. When she was making the noodles earlier, she had already noticed that the Lu family was really short of food. Moreover, when she came back, she asked Da Niu and found out that in this area, people generally only eat two meals a day.

Today, it was only because she was here that the old lady had allowed Ruan Shi to make breakfast for her. So apart from that breakfast, Ruan Shi and the twins probably haven't eaten anything else.

No wonder San Ya and Da Hu were malnourished. They were originally eating porridge with pickles, and they only had two meals a day. It was strange if they could grow well.

Thinking of this, Shu Yu picked up two chopsticks and picked up some egg and meat for the twins.

At this time, Lu Sanzhu had also returned home with his bowl. Liang Shi and Da Bao, who had been waiting in the house, immediately greeted him. When they saw the big bowl of meat and noodles, their eyes lit up.

Liang Shi quickly took out a few bowls to divide the noodles and exclaimed, "I knew that Second Sister-in-law would definitely cook something delicious. Sure enough, she cooked meat. Look at this oily and juicy meat. Second Sister-in-law must be overjoyed to see her daughter, and she was willing to use so much oil."

As she spoke, she had already divided the noodles into three bowls and called her son, "Quickly sit down and eat. This noodle smells really good. When we got married, we never had noodles with so much oil."

Da Bao had already thrown himself onto the table, burying his chubby little face in the bowl, "It's delicious, too delicious. Mom, I want to eat this tomorrow too. This is not enough. You can go and ask San Ya and Da Hu for more later." 

(The end of this chapter)

Chapter 38: You're Stingy

Lu Sanzhu was surprised, then smiled and waved his hand. "No need to ask, I already know."

"You know?" Shu Yu raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, this is something you caused," Lu Sanzhu nodded. "Yesterday, when you entered the village, many people saw you. You even gave candy to the children at the village entrance and brought meat and snacks to my second brother's house. At that time, everyone said that a noble person had come to find my second brother, and that my second brother's family would have a better life in the future. Later, my mother went to borrow a cart from the village chief and said that Yan Langzhong was not there, and she wanted to take my second brother to the county town to see his leg."

Lu Sanzhu spoke with enthusiasm, "You don't know the situation at my second brother's house. Even if we want to see a doctor in the town, we have to consider it again and again. Without money, how can we afford to see a doctor? Besides, it's just a fall. The people in the countryside would just bear with it and apply some herbal medicine. But my second brother actually wanted to go to the county town? Someone has to pay for the medical fees, and my mother didn't go to borrow money. So, people naturally thought of you, right?"

"Also, that Yan Langzhong wasn't there yesterday, but he came back to the village early this morning. I heard that he was angry about this and said that my mother didn't trust him and would rather run so far away than use the ointment he gave. He spread the word everywhere, and it just so happened that someone from Ruan's family came here to seek medical treatment from Yan Langzhong. Yan Langzhong told him about it, and the person went back and spread the news. Ruan's family naturally knew that a wealthy young lady had come to my second brother's house, bought meat, and paid for medical treatment. So, of course, they came over to make friends with my second sister-in-law."

With Ruan's family's money-grubbing nature, it would be strange if they didn't come over quickly.

Lu Sanzhu finished speaking, "That's how it is. Alright, I'm going to eat noodles now."

He took a step out, but Shu Yu pulled him back. "Wait."

"What else?" Lu Sanzhu was getting impatient. If he waited any longer, his noodles would be eaten by his sister-in-law and the others.

"This is not right," Shu Yu said.

"What's not right?" Lu Sanzhu was anxious.

"What's wrong?" Lu Sanzhu was very anxious. If they waited any longer, Second Sister-in-law and the others would have eaten all the noodles.

Shu Yu stood in front of him and said, "You're talking about what happened from last night until this morning, right? But didn't you also hear what the beggar said? That Ruan Pozi approached her a few days ago and asked her to impersonate Er Ya. At that time, I hadn't arrived yet, and the Lu family was still poor. So what was old lady Ruan trying to do?"

At first, she thought old lady Ruan was after her, but after listening to what the female beggar said, Shu Yu felt that things were not so simple.

Lu Sanzhu said, "Oh, right. Why didn't I think of that? So, what do you think Ruan Pozi is doing all this for?"

"Isn't this what you need to go and find out?" Shu Yu replied.

Lu Sanzhu said, "......"

Shu Yu patted his shoulder and said, "Thank you for your trouble."

"Eh, no, this sounds like a complicated matter. Wasn't a bowl of noodles and two candies too little for me?" Lu Sanzhu asked.

Shu Yu thought for a moment and said, "You did get shortchanged. How about I give you two more candies?"

Two candies? he could hardly believe she said that.

Shu Yu continued, "Don't think I'm stingy. If I knew more about Shishi village, I would have gone to someone else. Even if I only gave them two steamed buns, I would still be able to get the information. Do you believe me?"

Of course, he believed her.

But she was still stingy. 

(End of chapter)

Chapter 37: Asking Lu Sanzhu for Help

In the end, Da Hu ran to open the door with a face full of suspicion. Luckily, there was only Lu Sanzhu standing outside, and Third aunt and the annoying Da Bao were not there.

Lu Sanzhu rarely smiled brightly at Da Hu, casually patting his head before bypassing him and heading straight to the kitchen.

"Oh, I could smell the fragrance from afar."

The shredded meat and egg noodles on the table were very eye-catching, and Lu Sanzhu spotted them immediately. His eyes lit up, especially when he saw the greasy soup in the basin, making his mouth water.

Lu Sanzhu quickly sat down on a stool and smiled at everyone. "No wonder it smells so good. So, Sister-in-law made meat today. These noodles look delicious, and just the smell alone is even more enticing than what the master chefs in the county town can cook. It's different when Er Ya is back; life in Second Brother's family has improved."

While speaking, he had already picked up the chopsticks from the table, ready to dig in. "I'm hungry, let me try."

"Eh..." Ruan Shi tried to stop him.

But Shu Yu had already pressed down Lu Sanzhu's chopsticks directly. "Wait a minute."

Lu Sanzhu was momentarily startled, then raised his head and met Shu Yu's smiling gaze. Remembering her swift and clean attack earlier, he wisely put down his chopsticks and smiled at her ingratiatingly. "Er Ya, I'm your Third Uncle after all. Look, today, your Third Aunt and I helped expose that fake, so let me have a taste of the noodles to share in the joy. Isn't that reasonable?"

Shu Yu nodded. "It's reasonable."

Lu Sanzhu's eyes lit up. "Er Ya is so generous." After speaking, he reached for the chopsticks again.

"But I have something I want to ask for your help with. If you agree, I'll let you take the whole bowl of noodles back."

Lu Sanzhu was taken aback. Help? Him?

"Hey..." he chuckled dryly. "That's where you're wrong. As your Third Uncle, eating from your bowl, why should there be conditions? As a younger generation, it's only right to be filial to the elders."

"You're right, my mistake. As my Third Uncle, helping your niece shouldn't come with a trade-off. So even if you don't eat this bowl of noodles, you should still help me. That's how the elders take care of the younger ones."

Lu Sanzhu sighed. "Fine, what do you want me to help with? But let's make it clear first, I don't have any special abilities, so I might not be able to help you."

Shu Yu calmly glanced at Ruan Shi and then pointed outside. "Let's talk outside."

"Still being so secretive." Lu Sanzhu curled his lips and reluctantly stood up, walking out of the kitchen.

Shu Yu told Ruan Shi, "You and San Ya and Da Hu go ahead and eat the noodles. It won't taste good if it gets cold."

Ruan Shi opened her mouth, worriedly watching the two of them walk into the courtyard one after the other.

Lu Sanzhu was anxious about the bowl of noodles, "Alright, tell me quickly, what do you want me to help with?"

"I want you to find out why the Ruan family found a fake to impersonate Er Ya."

(End of this chapter)