Chapter 66: I Heard You Cut a Person in Half

Lu Sanzhu's voice was loud and excited, causing people who were not out working in the village to poke their heads out and ask.

The recent commotion in the Ruan family was just too big. First, they brought a fake Er Ya to claim kinship, and then Er Ya went and beat up their door. And now, something else has happened.

Seeing Lu Sanzhu passing by, they no longer fear him, and they grab him to ask, "Lu Sanzhu, tell us quickly, what happened to the Ruan family?"

Lu Sanzhu's excited face turned red, "Hahaha, you don't know yet. That vicious old woman, I heard that the Yu family's master wants to recognize a pair of dragon and phoenix twins as his children. She want to sell the two children from my second brother's family. And now, just recently, the Yu family's steward came and smashed the Ruan family's house."

Shu Yu had promised the village head of the Ruan family not to spread the news of Ruan Pozi situation.

But now, it was the Yu family's steward who was being talked about, so it wasn't her fault.

Lu Sanzhu felt that all of this was arranged by Er Ya, "The Yu family's steward said that Master Yu didn't even know that the Ruan woman wanted to sell her grandson. He only just heard about it. Once he found out that this Ruan family was trying to tear apart a good family in his name, he thought she was too vicious. And she wanted old Master Yu to bear the blame for this kind of sin? How could Master Yu not be angry? So the Yu family went to their door, and now half of the Ruan family's house has been smashed, and Ruan Lao Da's leg was broken when he tried to stop them."

The crowd looked at each other in confusion. Was Ruan Pozi still human? The Lu family was already like this, and she still wanted to sell off another two people?

She really deserved it. Not only did she want to sell someone off, but she also wanted to involve  Master Yu. Now she's looking for trouble.

"Okay, okay, those of you who want to watch the excitement can go to the Ruan family village to see. I have to go tell my niece this good news." Lu Sanzhu squeezed his way out of the crowd and ran towards Lu Er Bai's house.

The villagers looked at each other and whispered, "What's so interesting about this? Let's not watch it. We have work to do at home."

But Lusanzhu did not even enter his own house. He pushed open the door of Lu Erbai's house directly.

When he saw Shu Yu standing in the courtyard, he hurriedly walked over and whispered, "Er Ya, something happened to Ruan's family."

"I know. Your voice is loud. I heard it all here," Shu Yu replied.

Lu Sanzhu felt embarrassed. "So... did you have something to do with the fact that Master Yu sent someone to cause trouble for Ruan Laopo?"

"What do you think?" Shu Yu asked, glancing at him.

Lu Sanzhu shuddered all over when he saw her eyes and couldn't help but pat his chest. Her gaze was becoming more and more terrifying.

He didn't know how she managed to make the Yu family go after Ruan Pozi. This girl was really impressive.

Lu Sanzhu was itching to ask more questions, but he heard the sound of the door opening outside, followed by Da hu and San Ya voice, "Er Ya, Er Ya."

Shu Yu turned her head and saw the old lady and her two children coming back.

The old lady looked anxious and pushed Lu Sanzhu aside, asking nervously, "Er Ya, are you okay? I heard that you went to Ruanjia Village to make trouble for your grandma?"

"How did you find out?" Shu Yu asked.

"Someone from Ruanjia Village went to the county to sell things today. I happened to meet her, and she told me that you chopped Ruan's family house in half with an axe yesterday," the old lady explained.

(The end of this chapter)

Chapter 65: Da Ya Visits

It's good that the news spread around, so that outsiders would know that the Lu family is not easy to mess with now.

Shu Yu walked straight home and saw Liang Shi at the door. Liang Shi must have known what she had done and gave her a guilty smile before heading back into the house.

But she quickly turned around and said, "Er Ya, Da Ya heard that you were found and came over yesterday afternoon. She waited at your home for a long time and even cleaned inside and outside your house. She even fed the chickens. But since you didn't return, her husband came to pick her up."

Da Ya? Shu Yu had actually heard San Ya mention this elder sister before. She had married into Dayan Village and lived a mediocre life, with many family matters to attend to and few opportunities to return home.

San Ya didn't give too many details, but Shu Yu could sense from her tone that Da Ya wasn't doing too well. Otherwise, why would she only come back every few months or even half a year despite the relatively short distance between Dayan Village and Lu Family's village?

Shu Yu sighed and replied to Liang Shi, "I understand. I'll go to Dayan Village to check on her and give her some peace of mind."

As she was about to enter the house, she suddenly turned her head and asked, "Da Ya fed the chickens? Didn't San Uncle say he did it?"

"Oh, don't even get me started on that. I told him that Da Ya had already done it, but he didn't listen and insisted on feeding them again. He said it was our mother's instructions, but I don't believe him. When did he ever listen to our mother? I don't know if his brain went bad after going out for a while. He's such a wastrel, always eating his fill and causing trouble. He even scared the neighbors with all the chicken noises when he entered your house in the middle of the night. They almost thought there was a thief."

Liang Shi ranted and raved, clearly still angry about the situation.

Looking up, Shu Yu saw that Lu Sanzhu had already entered the house, so she closed her mouth and grumbled a few times before going back inside.

After entering the gate, Shu Yu looked at the messy yard and the corner where the chicken coop was located. She couldn't help but touch her forehead.

It seems that asking Lu Sanzhu to feed the chickens was a mistake. The neat yard had been messed up.

She picked up the overturned stool and put it back in place before entering the main room. As soon as she entered, she noticed a strange little basket on the table. Inside the basket was a light blue cloth with several large peaches pressed down on the bottom.

This basket was not here when she left yesterday. Now, not only was it here, but there was also a piece of cloth suitable for making clothes for a girl. She didn't need to think twice to know that it was probably a gift from Da Ya.

She was struggling to get by, yet Da Ya still sent such a nice gift. She didn't know how long Da Ya had been saving up for this.

Shu Yu touched the cloth and then picked up the basket before going back inside. She rearranged the yard, fed the chickens, and then began to examine the whole yard.

Shu Yu wanted to build another room. She couldn't leave for the time being, and the Lu family wouldn't let her leave either. She needed her own private space because she still had some secrets to keep. Having an independent room would be more convenient.

But she couldn't let her grandmother stay at Uncle's house forever. That wouldn't look good. If she added a room, the cost wouldn't be too high, and it would only take a few days.

While building the room, she could also repair the damaged parts, making life more comfortable for the whole family.

As Shu Yu was contemplating, she heard Lu Sanzhu's exclamation outside, "The Ruan family is in trouble, the Ruan family is in trouble."

(End of chapter)

 Chapter 63: Farewell

"Enough, of course, it's enough," said Shu Yu.

She glanced at him, thinking about the one hundred taels of silver.

Although Shu Yu wanted to bleed him for more money, she knew that there was a limit. The current Old Master Yu was too superstitious and desperate to have a child. But as the head of such a large estate, he couldn't be that foolish. Once he calmed down, he would realize that having a child was not the only solution. If she played too many tricks, he would find out and be heartbroken.

For now, it was just right, not too much or too little.

However, Shu Yu still declined at first. After some bargaining, she reluctantly accepted the one hundred taels.

She wiped the blood off the corner of her mouth and stood up. "This silver is given by the benefactor. In the future, I will do good deeds and accumulate virtues, and the benefactor will naturally have a share of the credit. It's getting late, and the benefactor must have many things to attend to. I will take my leave."

"Wait a minute." Old Master Yu didn't want her to leave. This Taoist was so accurate, he hoped she could help him with his problem of having a child.

Old Master Yu blocked Shu Yu's way. "To be honest, there is something I want to ask for your advice, Daoist."

Shu Yu shook her head and smiled. "Although I don't know the details of what the benefactor wants, from the characters you showed me earlier, I can tell it's related to having children. As I said earlier, the cause of the benefactor's misfortune is related to his children. Don't force anything, let it happen naturally."

"What do you mean?" Old Master Yu asked.

"I am not proficient in divination, so I was only able to read the negative energy earlier. I can't help the benefactor now, but I can offer some advice. Whatever is meant to happen will happen. Don't force anything, and if you genuinely love your children and treat them well, don't use any unconventional means to harm them. Children will naturally feel the warmth and kindness, and your children's luck will flourish."

Old Master Yu was stunned. "So, I really can't have children in my lifetime?"

Shu Yu resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "I don't know about that. I'm not a doctor."

She continued to smile, "But don't be too pessimistic, as long as you sincerely love and cherish your children, and don't use unorthodox methods to harm them, they will naturally know that the benefactor's household is a good place to be, and their destiny will prosper."

"Pindao has said all that needs to be said. Farewell."

As Master Yu wanted to stop him, Shu Yu suddenly coughed twice and held her chest in discomfort. Master Yu immediately withdrew his hand.

This Taoist priest was clearly different from the swindler Master Geng. She was indifferent to fame and fortune, traveling around, and could not stay at the mansion for long. If he insisted on keeping her, he would eventually be the one at a disadvantage.

Master Yu wanted to ask for Shu Yu's name and address, but Shu Yu shook her head and said, "If we have fate, we will meet again."

Shu Yu left, and Master Yu was very regretful but couldn't stop her.

At the moment, he still had to deal with his wife and Master Geng's affair of conspiring to seek wealth and harm lives, and he really couldn't spare any other thoughts.

Master Yu face turned cold, and he walked back to the courtyard.

Mrs. Yu and Master Geng were not capable of resisting much. Under Master Yu questioning, they soon confessed their plan thoroughly.

Master Yu was shocked to learn that quite a few people in the mansion had been bribed by these two, not only the maids and sedan chair bearers around Mrs. Yu, but even the steward.

The steward quickly implicated old lady Ruan from Ruan Family Village. Master Yu thought of what Shu Yu had said, not to do anything harmful to the child. But what had this Ruan Pozi done? She had sold her granddaughter over a decade ago and was still committing evil deeds.

(End of this chapter)

 Chapter 62: Shu Yu has some money

Master Yu instructed the remaining servants to keep an eye on Shu Yu before sweeping his sleeve and walking inside with large strides.

The courtyard gate closed again, and no one knew what happened inside.

Shu Yu was feeling a bit tired, so she found a rock nearby and sat down to rest. She had done her part, and now it was up to Master Yu. She hoped he would be able to handle it.

She didn't know how long she had been waiting when she heard a loud banging sound coming from inside. This was followed by a woman's crying and a man's pleading. However, Shu Yu was too far away to hear clearly, so she could only guess at what was happening.

It was getting hot, so Shu Yu moved to a cooler spot nearby.

When she moved again for the second time, the gate in front of her finally opened. Shu Yu remained seated, watching as a slightly disheveled and angry Master Yu walked out. He looked like he had been through a lot.

He no longer had any doubts and deeply bowed to Shu Yu, saying, "Many thanks to the Taoist priest for your help."

Shu Yu rested one hand on her knee and weakly waved the other, saying, "Don't mention it, I didn't do much."

Yu Lao was serious. He really appreciated the nun in front of him. If it weren't for her, he would have not only invited a wolf into his house and treated a liar with false words as a guest, but also lost his wife and child. His family's fortune, accumulated over generations, would have been handed over to someone else.

As the Taoist priest had said, it was just a matter of one or two days before it would have been too late for him to do anything. This was the legacy of the Yu family, which had been targeted by these two people.

Just now, he almost spat out blood when he saw his wife, who had been respectful to him for many years, lying in another man's arms.

It was simply disgusting, utterly disgusting!!

Master Yu believed that the Taoist not only had real skills but was also his savior.

He had to find a way to keep this person, but just as he was about to persuade him, he saw that Shu Yu looked weak and asked anxiously, "What's wrong, Taoist? Why do you suddenly look unwell?"

Shu Yu smiled bitterly, "It's nothing, just the backlash from leaking secrets."

Master Yu was taken aback. Yes, the Taoist had said before that if she helped him, she would be backlashed.

"What about the Taoist?"

"Spurt..." Shu Yu directly sprayed a mouthful of blood.

Master Yuwas shocked, "Taoist, what's wrong with you?"

Shu Yu wiped his mouth, "I didn't expect the backlash this time to be a bit heavy."

Master Yu immediately became anxious, "Is there any way to stop it? How can it be resolved?"

"As long as I do more good deeds, help the poor, the elderly, and the children, accumulate merits, I can offset this backlash. It's okay, I'll rest for a while and then do more good deeds. It will be okay."

Master Yu immediately said, "Then I'll have someone escort the Taoist back to rest at home. I'll complete the good deeds for the Taoist."

Shu Yu smiled kindly, "It's natural for the donor to do more good deeds. This evil spirit will affect the donor to some extent, but it will slowly dissipate as the donor does more good deeds. However, the merits of the good deeds are the donor's, and the backlash of the Taoist is the Taoist's. Only the Taoist can resolve it by doing good deeds. Donor, please rest assured, I'll be fine."

Yu Lao looked at her, how could she look okay?

He paused, then immediately took out two silver notes from his arms, "In that case, the Taoist must accept this money, and use it to do good deeds. I just don't know if it's enough?"

(End of this chapter)

 Chapter 61: Finding a Place to Stay

Master Yu led Shu Yu and two followers hastily towards the direction of Wenmo River.

The town was not big, and they soon arrived at the bank of Wenmo River.

They walked along the Wenmo River for a while, and one of the followers suddenly said, "Isn't that Madam's sedan chair over there?"

Master Yu was taken aback and looked up. Sure enough, he saw his wife's sedan chair parked not far away.

Looking around, it seemed that the alley leading to Master Geng's house was nearby. This was normal since his wife had been very faithful to Master Geng since he said she was likely to conceive a child. She occasionally went to him for advice.

Master Yu thought that since Master Geng was nearby, it would be a good idea to visit him.

However, just as he was about to take a step forward, Shu Yu suddenly said, "Wait a minute, that sedan chair has also attracted a lot of ominous energy."

Master Yu was taken aback, "Is my wife in danger?"

Shu Yu remained silent for a while, then looked at him sympathetically and hesitated, "The ominous energy on that sedan chair seems to be of the origin."

Master Yu was stunned, what did that mean??

He was, after all, a businessman with a quick mind, and at this point, he had already thought of a possibility. However, his wife was a relative who had shared the same bed for many years, and in front of him was just a passing nun. Naturally, he would be more inclined to believe his wife.

Therefore, even though he had some doubts in his heart, he slightly frowned at Shu Yu's face and said, "Perhaps the Daoist is mistaken?"

Shu Yu forced a smile, "I hope so."

Master Yu snorted and walked quickly towards Master Geng's house.

Shu Yu saw that although he had an unpleasant expression on his face, he seemed very dissatisfied with the bad things for his wife. However, the direction he was walking in deliberately avoided the location where the sedan chair and sedan bearers could see, and she couldn't help but smile secretly.

Master Yu walked with his hands behind his back, silent, but a huge wave had already been stirred up in his heart.

He remembered that his wife's zodiac sign was the horse.

Could it be that she really would harm him?

It's impossible. This Taoist came out of nowhere. It's clearly an attempt to sow discord. He couldn't be deceived.

But when he stood in front of Master Geng's door and saw that the house number was 36, his steps almost faltered.

Master Yu, who had originally intended to knock on the door, stopped in his tracks. He called over two attendants and said to one of them, "You quietly climb over the wall and see what's going on inside."

Then he said to the other, "You keep an eye on that Taoist and don't let her leave."

The two immediately agreed, and Shu Yu watched as one of the attendants flipped over the wall.

She didn't say much, just had a look of sorrow on her face.

Before long, the attendant came back down from the wall, but his expression was particularly heavy and ugly.

He looked very hesitant, and Master Yu had a bad feeling about it.

"Speak."

The attendant glanced at Shu Yu, but still leaned in and muttered a few words in his ear.

The more Master Yu listened, the wider his eyes became, and his face was full of shock. "Are you, are you serious?"

The attendant nodded. "I have already tied up the maid who guards the courtyard and gagged her. Master, do you want to go in and take a look?"

Master Yu gritted his teeth, his whole body trembling, his eyes turning red. He opened his mouth one word at a time. "Go!"

The attendant gently opened the door and went inside, and Master Yu was about to go in as well.

He took a step forward but then turned his head, deeply looking at Shu Yu. She nodded. "If you go in, this is indeed the source of evil energy. I can only help you this far."

(End of chapter)

 Chapter 60: Shu Yu Gets Conned

Shu Yu let out a sigh and looked up at Master Yu standing in front of her. She said, "Please don't make things difficult for me. The heavenly secrets cannot be revealed, otherwise I will also suffer the consequences. Before I left, my master repeatedly reminded me to not go against the will of heaven. If you could let me go, then just treat me as a swindler and don't believe anything I say."

The more she spoke like this, the less likely Master Yu was to let her go.

Even if Shu Yu was really a swindler, if what she said was inaccurate, Master Yu still had plenty of ways to deal with her.

But if what she said was true, wouldn't he be missing out on a chance to save his life?

Master Yu became more respectful and said, "As the saying goes, saving a life is more meritorious than building a seven-story pagoda. Since I have met Daoist Shu, it must be a sign from heaven. How can it be considered going against the will of heaven?"

"This…" Shu Yu frowned, still looking hesitant.

"Please enlighten me, Daoist, where does this evil energy come from, and what is the cause and effect?" Master Yu asked.

Shu Yu let out a heavy sigh in the end and said, "Alright."

She looked around and turned to the Yu family's shop behind her. "Could you please write a word for me to test?" she asked.

Naturally, Master Yu had no objection. He entered the shop, took out a pen and paper, and wrote a word.

Shu Yu looked up and said, "Child? It really doesn't bode well." he had been longing for a child in her heart.

"How should this be interpreted?"

Shu Yu pointed at the characters above and said, "Please look, the character 'Hai' on the right side of the character 'child' indicates that this karma is related to offspring. 'Hai' is the last position of the twelve zodiac signs, representing the Qian gua and six yin. At this point, everything is white, the earth is not warm, and metal produces cold air. Moreover, the character 'Hai' is associated with 'Hai Ma,' which means 'terrifying' or 'startling.' This character implies something shocking or dangerous, such as tumultuous waves or violent storms. In my opinion, this karma is also related to horses. It is either caused by someone born in the year of the horse or someone with the surname Ma, who has a close relationship with horses."

Master Yu was initially unfazed by this, but now he felt a sense of fear as he looked at the character.

"Do you know where the person who wants to harm me is now?" Master Yu asked.

Shu Yu continued to point at the character and said, "Hai is in the northwest, and this karma comes from the northwest. It also represents water, so the evildoer must be near water. The corresponding numbers for 'Hai' are 1, 4, 6, 10, and 12. Please check if any of these numbers are included in the gatehouse number."

She looked up at Master Yu head and frowned suddenly. "This karma is becoming stronger and more dangerous. Someone is plotting to steal your wealth and harm your life. You should go northwest as soon as possible. Maybe you can still make it in time."

She spoke with such conviction that even if Master Yu had previously suspected her of being a fraud, he now began to worry under her urgent expression.

"Can you come with me to check it out?" Master Yu  asked. He wanted to verify whether Shu Yu's words were true or false and also have someone by his side for protection.

After hesitating for a moment, Shu Yu nodded solemnly. "Please follow me."

Master Yu breathed a sigh of relief and quickly walked out of the shop. They headed towards the northwest direction of the county town, which was near the water, and that was where the Wenmo River was located.

Wait a minute, didn't Master Geng also live in that area?

It just so happened that they could also visit Master Geng and ask him to help check whether the Daoist next to him was a fraud. If she was, Master Geng would definitely be able to tell.

(End of chapter)

 Chapter 59: This is pleasing them

After everything was prepared, Shu Yu stayed in a relatively clean inn in town for a night.

The next morning, she changed into a Taoist robe in her room, applied makeup to make herself look older, completely concealing her true appearance. She tied up all of her hair and looked like a real immortal, even more like an expert than the fortune-teller from yesterday.

Satisfied with her appearance, Shu Yu hung a bag over her shoulder and left the inn.

She still went to the food stall outside of the Yu family's gate to have breakfast, while watching the gate of the Yu family.

Sure enough, not long after, she saw the figure of Old Master Yu coming out of the gate.

Shu Yu had inquired about it and knew that Old Master Yu usually walked around the shop in the morning to check the situation.

From the direction he was going, it was true.

Shortly after Old Master Yu left, Madam Yu also left in a sedan.

Only then did Shu Yu put down a few coins, and walked quickly towards the Yu family's shop.

Old Master Yu had just come out of the shop. Shu Yu kept her head down and walked straight towards him, avoiding the attendants in front of Old Master Yu without a trace, and successfully collided with him head-on.

"Don't you have eyes?" Old Master Yu staggered back two steps and looked up angrily.

Shu Yu immediately lowered her head and stood still, apologizing, "Please forgive me, Master. This humble Taoist was in a hurry. I saw the chaotic situation over here and was worried that something might happen, so I accidentally bumped into Master."

Old Master Yu was superstitious, so he was much more friendly to monks and Taoists. At this moment, he had also calmed down, "I was a little impolite in my words. Taoist Master, please don't take it to heart."

As soon as he finished speaking, Lord Yu suddenly thought of something and frowned, "You just said that you saw the overwhelming aura here?"

He turned his head to look behind him, which was his own shop. Does that mean his shop is going to have trouble?

Shu Yu raised her head and suddenly looked surprised. "It turns out that the aura is emanating from the benefactor."

Lord Yu became nervous. "Why do you say that, Daoist?"

"Has the benefactor encountered something recently? Why is the center of his forehead black and stained with karma, about to face a great calamity..." She suddenly stopped speaking, sighed, and shook her head.

At first, Lord Yu was not very happy when he heard her talking about the black center of his forehead. He had been in a good mood recently. Master Geng had said that he was about to have a child, how could he have a great calamity?

But just as Shu Yu spoke halfway through, sighing and about to leave, his heart suddenly tightened, and he immediately stopped her. "Why did you stop talking halfway, Daoist?"

"I was just passing through this Wenlan town and should not have interfered in other people's affairs. I thought it was the overwhelming aura from this shop that might harm innocent people, so I rushed over. But now that I have discovered that the source of the aura is the benefactor and that it is due to karma, it would be against the will of heaven for me to intervene. The benefactor should take care of yourself, and I bid you farewell."

Shu Yu turned her head and walked away, without any posture of being chased by a swindler in the world, very clean and neat.

Lord Yu became even more nervous and believed in her even more. He quickly let his two followers stop her. "Please stay, Daoist."

Shu Yu closed her eyes slightly, with a look of seeing through the world, and her mouth hooked without a trace.

This... is what it means to "play to their interests."

Lord Yu didn't really believe in this kind of thing, did he? Then let's see who is better, her or the fortune teller, Master Geng.

(End of this chapter)

 Chapter 58: Hurry back and feed the chickens

Madam Yu nodded, "Don't worry, the old woman said that the twins are living in poverty at home and can't even have enough to eat. As long as they come to the Yu family, they will live a life of luxury. Even if it's for the sake of the two children, their family should agree."

"That's good. This matter should be done in the next few days. If it's delayed any further, your pregnancy will be discovered."

"It's already not good now. I vomited this morning and almost got caught by the master. Fortunately, my maid was quick-witted and said I ate too much hawthorn. But if I vomit again tomorrow, the master will have to invite another doctor. You have to think of a solution for me quickly."

The fortune teller frowned and pondered for a moment before saying, "Your morning sickness can't be stopped, and you can't take any medicine right now. So, I'll prepare some talismans for you. Tomorrow, you can have your maid come and get them. When the master asks, just say that I gave them to you. They have the effect of driving away evil spirits. Only when you find the twins and get rid of the evil spirits around you, will the baby come to your family. However, the talismans will make you uncomfortable and cause dizziness and vomiting. It's not severe, and the master won't say anything about it."

Madam Yu's eyes lit up, and she immediately smiled, "Okay, let's do it this way. But there's no need for my maid to come over. I'll come find you myself tomorrow morning."

The fortune teller smiled, "Then I'll be waiting for you."

The two of them chatted for a while longer, and when they saw that it was getting late, Madam Yu left the small courtyard feeling satisfied.

As soon as she left, Shu Yu took advantage of the fortune teller's inattention and climbed over the wall again.

Lu Sanzhu outside the door was so anxious that he was about to go bald. When he finally saw her come out, he breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly approached her, saying, "You finally came out. I was so scared when Madam Yu left."

"Look at you, so useless." Shu Yu patted her skirt and her face relaxed a bit.

Lu Sanzhu didn't dare to argue back and just asked, "So what do we do next?"

"We?" Shu Yu was puzzled. "It's already late at night. Aren't you going back? Aren't you afraid that your wife and children will be looking for you everywhere?"

There was no city wall in Wenlan Town, so there was no need to worry about the city gates being closed. Even if it was already late, it wouldn't take too long to rush back.

Lu Sanzhu was stunned for a moment. He did need to go home.

"Alright then, let's go home first. Er Ya, don't act recklessly. Lord Yu is not someone we can offend. Let's go back and discuss with others."

Shu Yu stopped her steps, "Who said 'we'? I told you to go back. I still have something to do here. I'll leave tomorrow."

"Something to do?" Lu Sanzhu's voice was raised, but after being glared at by Shu Yu, he quickly covered his mouth, looked around, and asked incredulously, "You're not really planning to go to the Yu's house, are you?"

"Remember to feed the chickens at my house when you go back."

"What time is it already? And you only remember your chickens, chickens, chickens. I'll just eat those two chickens when I get back."

Lu Sanzhu thought angrily to himself and wanted to persuade her again, but when he looked up, Shu Yu was already gone.

He was shocked, "Er Ya, Er Ya?" He looked around in all directions, but couldn't find her.

Lu Sanzhu had no choice but to return to Shishi village first as it was getting dark.

However, Shu Yu had already left the alley and went to buy some necessary things while the nearby shops were still open.

(End of this chapter)

 Chapter 57: Already Had a Child()

Shu Yu looked over the wall and saw that there was no one in the courtyard. She landed lightly on the ground.

There was some movement coming from the main hall. Shu Yu followed the sound and saw the fortune teller and Madam Yu sitting in the hall, talking while the maid served them tea.

However, after only a short while, Madam Yu asked the maid to go and watch the courtyard.

When the maid came out, Shu Yu quickly retreated a few steps and hid around the corner.

The maid brought a chair and sat next to the courtyard gate.

Shu Yu frowned. If she tried to eavesdrop outside the hall, she would inevitably be caught by the maid. What should she do?

Just as she was thinking about whether to go around to the back, she heard the fortune teller and Madam Yu leave the hall and enter the left wing.

The window of the wing was right where Shu Yu was hiding.

Shu Yu was delighted and immediately opened the window a crack, squinting her eyes to look inside.

But at first sight, she wished she could gouge out her eyes.

As soon as they entered the room, Madam Yu and the fortune teller embraced each other and kissed as if they were long-lost lovers.

Shu Yu finally got a clear look at the fortune teller's appearance. He was indeed handsome, and if it weren't for his wide, gray Daoist robe, he would have had a bit of a pretty boy vibe.

No wonder he could attract Madam Yu to sneak out of the mansion to meet him.

Shu Yu sighed inwardly, and the two inside the room separated.

Madam Yu, who was breathing slightly unevenly, sat beside him with a coquettish look and stared at the fortune teller, saying, "Look at how impatient you are. You must restrain yourself a little. There's still our child in my belly."

Shu Yu suddenly raised her head and asked, "Child?"

It turned out that she had felt strange before. The fortune-teller had said that if Lord Yu adopted a pair of dragon and phoenix twins, he could have his own biological child. But if he did adopt them and the child still did not come, wouldn't the fortune-teller be in danger of being beaten alive by Lord Yu?

The child already exist and it's the fortune-teller child. All they needed to do now was find the dragon and phoenix twins to prove that the fortune-teller was indeed capable.

Shu Yu secretly sneered. She saw the fortune-teller smiling and saying, "Don't worry, this child is the foundation of our future. I won't let anything happen to him."

As he spoke, he touched his Madam Yu belly and asked, "The child is almost a month old. How are the dragon and phoenix twins doing?"

"I came over to tell you about this. Remember the old woman we met before? She said her daughter has a pair of dragon and phoenix twins and would bring them over in a couple of days. I sent someone to find her this morning. But there was a little accident, so we have to wait for two more days. This woman is so unreliable. Who knows if she can bring the children over smoothly in two days. What about your side? Have you found the runaway dragon and phoenix twins?"

The fortune-teller's face turned cold. "No, if those two children hadn't run away, our plan would have been implemented long ago. We wouldn't need to find them again. Once Lord Yu believes that I have the ability, he will rely on me more and more. We will work together, and the entire Yu family will be ours. We've been waiting for this day for a long time. So, that woman you mentioned, make sure she delivers the dragon and phoenix twins safely." 

(End of chapter)

 Chapter 56: Appealing to Their Preferences

Lu Sanzhu's eyes flickered. What if he caused trouble for himself and the entire Lu family? 

Shu Yu leaned against the door with her eyes closed. "If you're afraid, you can go back now and feed the chickens at my house."

Lu Sanzhu was angry but didn't dare to argue with her after witnessing Er Ya's strength.

But in the end, Lu Sanzhu didn't leave the mule cart. Although he was extremely nervous, he was also curious.

So when they passed the entrance of Shishi Village, he didn't even look in the direction of his own home.

The mule cart arrived in Wenlan Town, and Shu Yu sent the mule cart back directly.

Watching the back of the cart disappearing into the distance, Shu Yu touched her chin. It would be more convenient to have a car.

She sighed and thought about making money.

Shu Yu walked into town and turned her head to ask Lu Sanzhu, "Where is the Yu family?"

Lu Sanzhu hesitated to answer until Shu Yu showed impatience. He then pointed ahead abruptly and said, "I'll take you there."

As expected, the Yu family was the richest family in town and lived in the best location.

According to Lu Sanzhu, the Yu family had houses in the county and the prefecture, but they hadn't moved because their ancestral home was in Wenlan Town.

Shu Yu followed Lu Sanzhu to the front door of the Yu family's house, which was indeed luxurious and well-maintained.

Looking around, Shu Yu saw a tea stall not far away and went over to sit down. She asked the owner to bring her a pot of tea.

Lu Sanzhu saw that she didn't barge in directly, and secretly breathed a sigh of relief. She hurriedly sat down opposite her and asked, "Er Ya, what exactly do you plan to do with the Yu family?"

"Appeal to their preferences," Shu Yu thought for a moment and said decisively.

Road Sanzhu frowned, not understanding. "Appeal to their preferences - isn't that a word to please people?"

Shu Yu drank tea and looked at the entrance of the Yu family's gate. Few people came out of the gate, and the servants who came in and out mostly used the side door. So after watching for a while, there was not much gain.

Lu Sanzhu was even nodding off.

After another two quarters of an hour, there was finally movement at the gate. A richly dressed woman walked out of the gate.

Shu Yu narrowed her eyes. "Who is that?"

Lu Sanzhu suddenly startled and sat up, looking around. "Who?"

Shu Yu pointed to the entrance of the Lu family's gate. Lu Sanzhu took a closer look and said, "That's Madam Yu, Master Yu's wife."

Shu Yu looked up at the sky. "It's so late. Why is Madam Yu going out at this time?"

Seeing Madam Yu get into the sedan chair parked at the gate, Shu Yu immediately put down a few coins and stood up to follow. Lu Sanzhu hurriedly caught up.

The sedan chair moved slowly along the street and finally stopped in front of a small courtyard. Madam Yu sent her maid to knock on the door, and a man dressed like a Taoist priest came out from inside.

Shu Yu narrowed her eyes. Could this be the fortune teller who suggested to Mr. Yu to adopt the twins? What to do? She felt like rolling up her sleeves and rushing in to beat him up.

Watching Madam Yu walk into the courtyard, and seeing the sedan chair temporarily leave the alley, only Madam Yu and her maid, as well as the fortune teller, remained in the courtyard.

Shu Yu looked around and found the easiest place to climb over the wall. She suddenly kicked her foot and climbed up while no one was around.

Lu Sanzhu, "...", Er Ya, did you forget something?

  (End of this chapter)

Chapter 55: Going to Town

When Shu Yu arrived in the county town this morning, she heard that a government official had arrived in the city of Dong'an, where her father, the governor, was stationed. Although the Shu family was not due to be exiled for another three months, the investigation was likely already underway. As the governor, Shu's father was already overwhelmed with the arrival of the official from the capital.

As for the Jiangyuan County Magistrate, who was subordinate to the Shu family, the days ahead were also likely to be difficult. He was too busy covering up his own crimes to deal with trivial matters like this.

This was why Shu Yu dared to openly confront the Ruan family. She wanted to teach them a lesson and show everyone that the Lu family was no longer easy to bully.

Moreover, someone like Ruan Pozi would never dare to report her to the authorities. She was just making idle threats.

As Shu Yu passed by Ruan Pozi, she suddenly crouched down and whispered, "Don't worry, your days of suffering are far from over. My revenge has only just begun."

But all she had done was damage a few of the Ruan family's possessions. Was that really considered revenge?

Ruan Pozi's face changed slightly as she watched Shu Yu walk out of her house. She suddenly stood up and pointed at Shu's back, shouting, "You ungrateful woman! You're such a shrew that you'll never get married in your entire life. No one will want you!"

Shu Yu ignored her and walked away. She had never thought about getting married before, not in her past life or in this one.

But Ruan Pozi didn't stop there. "And what about San Ya and Da Hu? They'll be forever single because of you!"

Shu Yu snickered. Could someone from Ruan's family really find a spouse? Her sibling San Ya and Da Hu were obedient and sensible, and they would lead peaceful and happy lives.

Ruan Pozi had already exhausted herself with her shouting, but her words had no effect on Shu Yu. In fact, they even attracted the attention of the villagers.

Ruan Pozi finally stopped yelling. No, the village chief wouldn't help her in this matter. She had to come up with another plan.

"Yes, go find the Yu family. The Yu family is rich and powerful. Can't they take care of the Lu family?" 

However, what she didn't know was that someone had beaten her to it.

As soon as Shu Yu walked out of the courtyard, Lu Sanzhu followed her, with a flattering smile on his face. He was older, but now he was acting like a follower behind her.

Shu Yu glanced at him, making him nervous. He hurriedly explained, "I warned you to be careful just now. I didn't go in to help you because I could see that you had the ability to handle those people. I didn't want to drag you down."

Shu Yu just smiled and didn't say much.

When they arrived at the village entrance, Shu Yu climbed directly onto the mule cart.

Lu Sanzhu hesitated for a moment and tried to put his hand on the shaft of the cart. Seeing that Shu Yu didn't say anything, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief and climbed onto the cart.

Compared to when they arrived, Lu Sanzhu was now extremely cautious and obedient. He crouched next to the shaft of the cart and didn't even dare to talk to the driver.

It wasn't until Shu Yu told the driver, "Go to Wenlan Town," that Lu Sanzhu suddenly turned around and exclaimed through the curtain of the cart, "You want to go to the town? You want to find... " He glanced at the driver and swallowed the word "Yu family" that was on the tip of his tongue. Then he asked in a low voice, "Er Ya, what exactly do you want to do?"

He had told her that Old Master Yu had connections with the county magistrate. Er Ya had the ability to break into the Ruan family and destroy their house, but she couldn't even enter the Yu family's gate. Even if she was skilled, there were many of Yu family's thugs, and she would surely be caught.

(End of this chapter)

 Chapter 54: Can I Leave Now?

Shu Yu raised the paper bag and said, "This is a pastry from Liu's Dim Sum Shop in town, which I found in the hall just now. This was the tool the buyer gave Ruan Pozi to lure my younger siblings. But Ruan Pozi obviously didn't want to give such a good thing to my siblings, so earlier, Ruan's eldest and second eldest were hiding in the house and eating it instead."

This was evidence that Lu Sanzhu had accidentally overheard.

Ruan's two daughters-in-law, who had already returned from the fields, looked at their own men incredulously. They could understand not sharing with them, but even hiding it from their own children?

Ruan's eldest son and second don turned slightly red and shouted angrily, "Nonsense, when did we eat pastries? These pastries from Liu's are clearly what you brought to frame us."

"Before you speak, clean the pastry crumbs from the corners of your mouths," Shu Yu said coldly.

As soon as she said this, everyone's gaze fell on the corners of the two men's mouths, and they instinctively raised their sleeves to wipe them clean.

With this revelation, there was nothing more to say. These Ruan brothers were clearly guilty.

Shu Yu threw the paper bag in front of Granny Ruan, and when she tried to defend herself, Shu Yu sneered, "You don't have to say you bought this yourself. I heard that Liu's pastries are dated, and the date on this one is today. Did you go to town today? Or did someone else buy it for you? If so, who was it?"

Ruan Pozi widened her eyes and was at a loss for words.

"I, I..."

"Enough!!" Village Chief Ruan finally couldn't take it anymore. He glared fiercely at Ruan Pozi and then looked at the Ruan brothers.

His voice became deep, "You brothers have hands and feet, and your family is not living poorly. Your eldest sister has always taken care of you, and this is how you treat her? She is your own sister, and you sold her daughter. Isn't that enough? Do you really want to force them to death? Do you have a conscience?"

The Ruan brothers were not convinced. They had been indoctrinated by Ruan Pozi since they were young to think that their sisters should be the ones to sacrifice for them, even after getting married.

Although it was not a good thing to sell Er Ya last time, this time they sold the twins to the wealthy Yu family in town. The Yus were rich, and they were going to adopt the twins as their own children. The twins would live a good life, and it would also reduce the burden on the Lu family. What was there for their eldest sister to be unhappy about?

Just because they didn't get what they wanted, they couldn't say anything to justify themselves. At the moment, they just turned their heads and remained silent.

Shu Yu took a few steps forward and asked, "Can I leave now?"

Village Chief Ruan looked at the mess on the ground and was about to demand compensation from Shu Yu. However, considering Shu Yu's earlier threat and the glares from other villagers in Ruan Village, he could only nod slightly and say, "You can go now. I will punish them. I hope you won't spread rumors and damage the reputation of our Ruan Village. Otherwise, the villagers of Ruan Village won't let you off."

Shu Yu smiled and said, "I said from the beginning that this was a personal grudge. It was you who wanted to turn it into a conflict between villages. As long as you can keep that family from bothering us, I won't say anything more."

After speaking, she walked straight towards the gate of the courtyard.

 The old lady looked around, but none of the villagers came forward to stop Shu Yu. She immediately shouted, "I'm going to report you to the authorities. You trespassed into a private residence."

"Go ahead," the village chief was already at his wit's end.

(End of this chapter)

 Chapter 53: Making It Impossible for the Girls from Your Ruan Village to Get Married

Village Chief Ruan didn't like Shu Yu's attitude, and he became even more unhappy. "What revenge? Ah Wang's wife did steal you and sell you off back then, and that was indeed wrong of her. But many people from the Lu family also came and beat up Ah Wang's wife. She almost died."

He snorted. "The conflict between their family and the Lu family was already resolved back then. I also promised the Lu family that Ruan Village would properly restrain Ah Wang's wife. Now you've come to our door again. Can't that be considered provoking us? You caused such a huge loss to Ruan Village, so of course, we have to go to the Lu family's door."

Shu Yu nodded. "You're right. So, Village Chief Ruan, have you really properly restrained Ruan's old woman?"

"Of course."

"Then how dare they have the audacity to target my younger siblings again, and plan to sell them off?" Shu Yu's face turned cold, and she asked in a cold voice, word by word.

"What??" Village Chief Ruan couldn't believe his ears and felt like he was hearing things.

Other people from Ruan Village were also shocked. No, that can't be right. Old Lady Ruan was unrepentant and wanted to sell off her grandchildren?

Shu Yu sneered. "Is this the result of Village Chief Ruan's restraint? My family is in a terrible state. Everyone present should know about it. But Ruan's old woman still won't let up. She really wants to force her daughter and son-in-law to death. Village Chief, your restraining measures are so effective that they have only made things worse. I'm starting to wonder if you're really restraining them or encouraging them."

Shu Yu took a few steps forward. "They did such a thing. Is it unreasonable for me to seek revenge? If Village Chief Ruan is going to help them, that's fine. I'll go out and spread the word. I'll tell everyone that the girls from Ruan Village, when they are married, not only have to work like slaves in their natal families but also have to be sold by their natal families to their in-laws to support their households. Even if their in-laws make a fuss, Ruan Village doesn't care and supports its own people, right? By then, I wonder which village will still dare to marry the girls from your Ruan Village."

Village Chief Ruan was taken aback. "No."

Other people from Ruan Village were also anxious. "We're not supporting our own people. We don't know about Ah Wang's wife's matters."

"Yeah, this has nothing to do with us, the Lu family's Second Miss."

"Village chief, what Ah Wang's wife did was really despicable. Even the most heartless person wouldn't sell their grandson and granddaughter."

Ruan Pozi felt a little anxious. She didn't understand why Shu Yu knew that she had come up with the idea to sell Lu Erbai son and third daughter. She hadn't revealed anything.

Seeing that the villagers were starting to criticize her, Ruan Pozi quickly waved her hands in denial. "No, I didn't do it. That damn girl framed me."

Village chief Ruan felt that the situation was serious. He knew Ruan Pozi's character well, so he felt that Shu Yu's words were more believable. Otherwise, a girl wouldn't be so angry. It was obvious that she had been provoked.

But as the village chief of the Ruan family, he naturally stood on Ruan Pozi's side.

He looked at Shu Yu and asked, "What evidence do you have?"

"Of course, I have evidence."

Ruan Pozi was shocked. What evidence could she have? She hadn't even told her own family.

The village chief's face also became serious, and his sharp gaze turned cold as he looked at Ruan Pozi.

The people in the courtyard also looked curiously at Shu Yu, who then took out a paper package from behind her.

(End of this chapter)

 Chapter 52: Personal Grudges

Several villagers in the courtyard walked towards Shu Yu and said, "Miss Lu, put down the axe, or else we won't be polite to you."

"Then come and try." Shu Yu suddenly withdrew her axe, kicked Ruan Laoda out with one foot, and then charged at the approaching villagers. In an instant, the villagers collapsed into a pile and couldn't get up for a while.

Shu Yu immediately walked towards the main hall, wielding her axe and chopping it recklessly.

Ruan Pozi's heart was broken. "Stop her, who can stop her?"

"The village head is here, quick, the village head is here." A villager shouted loudly.

Shu Yu had already destroyed the main hall and was about to enter the room. The village head of Ruan family was urgently summoned.

Shu Yu stopped and lifted the axe onto her shoulder, then walked out confidently.

The village head of Ruan looked at the chaotic scene and gasped in cold air, staring angrily at Shu Yu, "What are you trying to do? Do you really think there is no one in our village of Ruan? You come here to act wildly?"

Someone whispered to the village head of Ruan, "Village head, this girl is the second Miss Lu who was sold. She says she's here for revenge."

He gestured towards Ruan Pozi, meaning that she was the one who sold her.

The village head of Ruan was stunned. His anger subsided a bit and he stared fiercely at Ruan Pozi, blaming her for the trouble.

Ruan Pozi had already rushed to help her two sons up. After Ruan Lao Er got up, he saw that the courtyard was filled with his own people. Without saying a word, he picked up the hoe from the ground and smashed it down on Shu Yu's head.

"You damned girl, how dare you hit me! I'll kill you, you unfilial thing!"

The villagers in the courtyard watched as the hoe came down fiercely, and they all gasped in horror.

Shu Yu just moved half a step to the side. "You didn't learn your lesson." She stepped forward a few steps and stood behind Ruan Lao Er, then slammed him hard on the back with the handle of the axe.

"Ah..." Ruan Lao Er screamed in agony, knocking heavily on the steps, and a tooth was knocked off directly, with blood all over his mouth.

The people in the yard couldn't help but feel a toothache.

Ruan Village Chief frowned, pushed two villagers next to him, and scolded, "What are you standing there for? Help him up."

"Oh, okay." The two villagers looked at Shu Yu with some fear. Just now, her movements were clean and neat. She was obviously a master.

Ruan Lao Er was helped to the side, and this scene made Ruan Lao Da, who had originally wanted to step forward, take two steps back and dare not move.

Ruan's Pozi saw the situation and could only turn to the village chief for help. "Third Uncle, you have to help us make a decision. Look at this dead girl. She has turned our family into this. She didn't even put our Ruan family village in her eyes. She came and hit people. I am her grandmother. If it were someone else, they would..."

Ruan Village Chief had a headache. "Okay, Ah wang's wife, calm down first. I'll handle this."

Two women came over and helped Ruan's Pozi to the side.

The village chief then looked at Shu Yu, his face suddenly turned dark. "Lu Bai's second daughter, I know you have grievances, but you can't do this. Look at what you've done to Ruan's family. We can't just let it go like this for our village."

"I've already said that I'm here for revenge. This is a personal grudge. But from what you just said, Village Chief, do you want to escalate this to a conflict between villages?" 

(End of chapter)