Chapter 152: Little Girl

During the time Bai Lu spent here, she ate well, drank well, and slept well. Her body improved a lot under the military boxing exercises, and she gained considerable strength. She could even flip over Li Shuixian, who weighed two hundred kilograms.

Not to mention dragging away a human child with bare hands.

Effortlessly, she said, "Today is not the weekend, you have to go to school. You can't go to the countryside. Next time, I'll take you when I have time."

Unable to resist, Xiao Wei clasped onto her leg and said, "I'm not going to school today."

Bai Lu did stop walking, but not because she was pulled, but due to something else. She lowered her head, coolly smiling at the little guy by her leg. "What did you say? Say it again."

Xiao Wei, freezing with hesitation, had to say, "I'm not going to school in the afternoon. I'll accompany you to the countryside. Uncle Fu said there are many bad people, and you won't be able to handle it alone. Big brother asked me to stay at home to protect you, and I promised to do so."

Bai Lu bent her cool eyebrows, looking into the bright, shining eyes of the little guy. Coolly, she said, "Then why were you staring at Lin Jinfan just now? Is it because he looks good?"

Xiao Wei firmly disagreed with this statement and loudly declared the most correct answer, "Big brother looks the best!"

Bai Lu smiled, "So, do you listen to what your big brother says?"

"I do!" It's a must.

Bai Lu looked at the little guy's serious and determined face. In a gentle voice, she said, "Protecting me is your brother's task for you. The school fees you pay are also given by your brother. If you don't go to school today, you will be wasting the money your brother worked hard to earn. Do you really want to go to the countryside today?"

This...

Xiao Wei was puzzled by the question, hesitating for a long time, unable to make the most appropriate choice.

Bai Lu was right.

But if Bai Lu went to the countryside, it wouldn't just be with Uncle Fu and his wife; Lin Jinfan would also be going.

Lin Jinfan, who could lead Bai Lu away.

Bai Lu had saved so much money before, all to elope with Lin Jinfan. If Bai Lu and Lin Jinfan went to the countryside together and never came back, what would happen?

What about big brother?

In the midst of Xiao Wei's hesitation, Bai Lu had already pulled his hands down from her legs and quickly led him home.

Pushing him into the house, handing him packed meals, she hung them on his hand and touched his bald head without hair.

"Be good and eat your meal. Go to school after that. I'll come back early."

Xiao Wei watched Bai Lu's departing figure, subconsciously taking a step forward, then stopping.

"You must come back."

"Don't worry, I'll be back before it gets dark."

The girl's figure walked farther and farther away, finally helped onto a tricycle by a young man, and with a loud noise, she disappeared.

Gone.

Bai Lu really left with Lin Jinfan.

Xiao Wei rushed back into the house to make a call.

As the tricycle approached the entrance of the Xiao family village, before entering the village, distant noises and reasonable voices could be heard.

"You can't do this... If you take away the sand and the chestnuts are not stored, the rice flowers of this year have not bloomed yet, and without rice, what will we eat...?"

"Please, give us a few more months."

"When the early-season rice is harvested, we will have rice, then you can take the sand. Is that okay?"

The pleading voices were from elderly people.

Worn down by the passage of time, their voices, eroded by wind and frost, were hoarse, but the pleading was exceptionally clear.

The resounding refusal, however, was merciless, "Stop the nonsense! The country has laws, and families have rules. If you're told to pay now, you pay now! If you keep dragging this out, if you don't give up the sand, don't blame us for being impolite!"

"Impolite or not, how can you force the common people like this? Are you worthy of those uniforms you're wearing?"

"We don't have sand, but we have our lives. If you want to forcibly enter the Xiao family village to plunder sand, if you want to cut down chestnut trees on the mountain, you have to step over our bodies!"

"Yes! Step over our bodies!"

"What you're doing is no different from the bandits who robbed the common people of their food in ancient times!"

The vigorous voice behind was undoubtedly the

strong and sturdy young men of the Xiao family.

Both sides were stuck at the entrance of the Xiao family village, a vast crowd with countless figures.

One could vaguely see the divided zone in the middle of the battlefield.

The brick truck for transporting sand was parked on both sides of the road. At the front, there was a silver-gray sedan and three black cars.

Entering the Xiao family village from the outside were uniformed police officers, and facing outward from the Xiao family were the young men of the Xiao family holding iron shovels and hoes. Both sides confronted each other, neither willing to step back.

The car had reached the foot of the mountain with no road ahead. The people on the car had to get off and walk into the Xiao family village.

Bai Lu looked at more than ten well-built men in uniforms ahead, furrowing her brows slightly.

She asked Li Hongying, "Do they have official documents from the relevant departments?"

Li Hongying thought for a moment before saying, "Are you talking about the notice with the red stamp?"

Bai Lu nodded.

"Yes," Li Hongying immediately replied. "Their leader brought a young man with glasses. The young man had a work permit around his neck. We couldn't see it clearly from a distance, but we knew it was from the office in the city. He had a document in his hand... a notice. When they came, he glanced at it and it indeed had a big red stamp on it."

Seeing Bai Lu lost in thought, Lin Jinfan asked Xiao Guofu, "Did you see the contents of the document clearly?"

Xiao Guofu immediately replied, "I did. I personally saw it, and it indeed stated that we were illegally mining sand and gravel. It ordered us to return all of it. The chestnut mountain did not meet the standards, so we were asked to revert the land to forestry."

When Lin Jinfan was a child, he often went to the Xiao family village with Xiao Shurong, helping his grandmother cut rice. Everyone in the village knew him, and they knew he was a rare college student.

It took several years for the Xiao family village to produce a college student. In the eyes of the villagers, college students were particularly smart and wise, destined for great success in the future.

Xiao Guofu and Li Hongying were no exception. They had the deepest hopes for Lin Jinfan, not Bai Lu.

Bai Lu was smart in doing business but wasn't a college student. Her knowledge and experience were certainly not as extensive as Lin Jinfan's. Dealing with those uniformed people, she was definitely not as capable as Lin Jinfan.

Xiao Guofu and Li Hongying led the two of them through a detour to enter the Xiao family village, waiting for Lin Jinfan's answer along the way.

Like Bai Lu, Lin Jinfan was lost in thought.

Silent all the way, occasionally looking up at the situation at the village entrance, not knowing if he was thinking of a solution.

Relatives of Lin Jinfan's grandmother were already waiting outside. Seeing Lin Jinfan return, they immediately approached him and said, "Jinfan, your mother is already keeping vigil at the funeral home. Go offer incense to your grandmother first. This matter here can wait."

Lin Jinfan's grandmother passed away yesterday.

Now that the entrance of the village was in such chaos, the peaceful passing of the old woman seemed uneasy.

Lin Jinfan looked at Bai Lu and gently advised, "I'll go offer incense and come back. They are tall and strong, with great physical strength. You, a little girl, shouldn't try to stand out. Don't get hurt. If there's anything, wait for me to come back and discuss."

Next Chapter ▶▶

  Chapter 32: Disappointment (Happy New Year)

"Where are the supplies?"

The head bailiff was somewhat angry as his subordinates gathered the boxes, barely managing to fill one.

Keep in mind, there were six or seven boxes, and each could hold over ten kilograms of supplies.

However, now, with six or seven boxes, they could only fill one, which naturally angered him.

He glared fiercely at Chen Xue and the others, looking fierce, "Where did the supplies go? Speak up, did you hide them?"

"If the officials don't believe us, you can ask the people around. They all saw that after these boxes were loaded onto the carriage, they were not taken down."

After hearing Chen Xue's words, the head bailiff decisively instructed his subordinates to inquire with the surrounding prisoners.

As long as they weren't blind, they could see whether the Chen family had hidden the supplies. After all, the boxes were loaded onto the carriage in front of many people, so how could the surrounding prisoners not pay attention?

The facts were indeed as Chen Xue had said. The surrounding prisoners saw that after the supplies were loaded onto the carriage, they were not taken down.

"Go check the other carriage!"

The head bailiff was not giving up and ordered his subordinates to check the carriage Chen Xue was sitting in.

Chen Xue was even less concerned, as that carriage had even fewer supplies.

"Brother Qian, there's nothing here!"

Sure enough, not long after, the bailiff returned disappointed.

"Sir, we were truly deceived by the stationmaster." Chen Xue once again complained pitifully, "We managed to scrape together some silver, and the magistrate promised to give us supplies, but who knew that when we opened the boxes, there was only this little..."

Beside her, Xiao Die appeared from nowhere and followed Chen Xue's instructions, crying pitifully.

"Sob, sob, sob, our lives are so miserable. Master was framed, Miss was exiled, and after managing to gather some silver, we wanted to buy supplies, but we were deceived by the stationmaster..."

As Xiao Die spoke, tears streamed down her face, looking very pitiful. Her sorrowful words could make anyone cry or sympathize upon hearing them.

Chen Xue twitched at the corner of her mouth. If she didn't know Xiao Die was acting, she would almost believe her.

This little maid indeed had talent. Her tears flowed as she pleased, even more skilled than herself. At most, Chen Xue could splash some water on her face to fake tears, but Xiao Die was genuinely crying.

Seeing the maid cry so sadly, everyone felt sympathetic. After all, considering the Chen family's financial difficulties, everyone knew they were broke.

They managed to gather some silver, only to be deceived by the stationmaster.

If it were them, they would surely go crazy.

The head bailiff furrowed his brows, believing most of what was said. After all, the supplies couldn't just disappear into thin air. The only possibility was that there were only this many supplies when they were loaded onto the carriage.

In other words, it was highly probable that the Chen family was deceived by the magistrate.

After all, as dark as a crow among crows, he, as a bailiff, was well aware of the greed and corruption of lower-ranking officials.

It was normal for a clerk to take money without fulfilling their duties.

However, how to account for these meager supplies?

The head bailiff was getting annoyed.

"Move these boxes away!"

Finally, the head bailiff decided to move the boxes.

"Sob, sob, sob... Sir, this is all the supplies we have." Seeing this, Chen Xue hurriedly said, pretending to be aggrieved.

"Sir, you know our Chen family is very poor. We managed to gather some silver, exchanged it for these supplies, and if the officials take them away, we'll starve to death..."

"Yes, yes." Xiao Die echoed, her face full of grievance, "Our young lady is already so thin from hunger. In order to let our young lady eat her fill, we had to buy supplies from the magistrate..."

Cough cough cough!

Enough acting!

Chen Xue coughed, realizing Xiao Die was even better at acting than herself. She hadn't instructed Xiao Die to say those things, yet she came up with them on her own. Did she have a talent for acting?

The head bailiff's face turned very ugly. These supplies were too few for him to care about, but the problem was, how would he account for them?

Seeing the head bailiff's expression, Chen Xue knew that appealing to his sympathy wouldn't make him leave the supplies. So, she had to speak up.

"Sir, I'm afraid you won't find these supplies appealing. However, I have a business proposition. Would the officials be interested in cooperating?"

"Business?"

The head bailiff furrowed his brows. The Chen family had been raided and exiled, so what business could they have? Although he wasn't interested, he was a bit curious.

After all, with these meager supplies, it was impossible to fulfill his duties. If the Chen family had a good business proposition, then he might consider taking the supplies.

Chen Xue didn't speak directly but instead looked hesitant, "However, this business is not easy to operate. After all, Captain Sun might not approve..."

"Don't worry about Captain Sun. If this business is good, the captain will support it." The head bailiff interrupted Chen Xue without hesitation.

Chen Xue's eyes flashed. Sure enough, the person behind him was Captain Sun, the bailiff captain who was in charge of the exiled prisoners.

Previously, she thought he didn't care about the Chen family and wouldn't help, let alone take action against them.

But now, it seemed different. Captain Sun's attitude towards the Chen family had changed, otherwise, he wouldn't have ordered his subordinates to seize their supplies.

This was bad news.

After all, although they had the support of Zhao Guang and Xu Tian, there was still a bailiff captain above them.

This captain controlled all the bailiffs and the exiled prisoners, wielding significant power. While Xu Tian might have someone backing him, he could only threaten the bailiff captain verbally and couldn't do much in reality.

To become a bailiff captain, there had to be someone supporting him.

Moreover, with the distance and the emperor's rule, the person behind Xu Tian couldn't meddle in the affairs here. So, whether it was Xu Tian or Zhao Guang, they had to consider the bailiff captain's attitude.

In other words, if the Chen family wanted to pass this stage safely among the exiled prisoners, they had to find a way to win over the bailiff captain.

However, in reality, they had already tried.

That bailiff captain had no reaction whatsoever, seemingly not optimistic about the Chen family. But what made them relieved was that the bailiff captain didn't lean towards Guo Qiang. After all, seeing he didn't help Zhao Guang, it was evident.

But now things were different. The bailiff captain's attitude had obviously changed for some reason, even ordering his subordinates to seize their supplies.

Either he didn't think much of the Chen family, or Guo Qiang had paid a high price to win him over, causing his attitude to change.

But back to the point.

When Chen Xue probed about the bailiff captain behind the head bailiff, she felt relieved. As long as they could handle the bailiff captain, their future prospects would be promising.

"This matter is of great importance... By the way, may I ask how I should address you, sir?"

"Qian Zhan!"

"Turns out it's Master Qian..."

"I'm not worthy of the title of 'Master' Just call me sir Qian. Hurry up and tell me what your business is. If it doesn't satisfy me, you know the consequences."

With that, the bailiff Qian snorted coldly, his face showing a fierce expression. If he wasn't satisfied with Chen Xue's answer, he would take action.

"I wonder if Master Qian could find Captain Sun. After all, this business is too big and requires Captain Sun's help..."

"No need." Bailiff Qian interrupted Chen Xue, "Tell me about the business first, and I'll inform the captain later."

He wasn't that foolish. If the Chen family's business proposition wasn't interesting, and later, the captain blamed him, how could he bear it? At the very least, he needed to know the value of this business.

"Hurry up, I don't have time to dilly-dally with you." Bailiff Qian was a bit angry, "If you dare to trick me, I'll make sure you don't see the sun tomorrow."

Next Chapter▶▶

  Chapter 31: Seizing Supplies (Happy New Year)

"Officials, officials, let's talk!"

Chen Yuan became anxious. Setting aside whether they could win against these bailiffs in a fight, even if they did, they would end up dead.

After all, the bailiff was right. Attacking a government official's envoy was a serious crime among the exiled group, and they had the authority to execute offenders.

Moreover, they had also been accused of attempting escape.

Either way, these bailiffs had the right to kill them without consequences!

However, unless they offended these bailiffs to death, they wouldn't just kill them for no reason. After all, the bailiffs had quotas to fulfill.

The exiled group had to ensure that eighty to ninety percent of the people reached their destination. If too many died, the bailiffs would also be punished.

So, in general, these bailiffs were mainly interested in extortion and coercion and wouldn't resort to killing.

Except for cases like Zhao Guang's.

But now, these bailiffs were suddenly getting physical, making Chen Xue and the others very uneasy.

They definitely hadn't offended these bailiffs, so the probability was high that it was Guo Qiang who failed with Zhao Guang and instructed others to act.

If that was the case, things would be difficult.

If it were just a normal conflict, it could be resolved through bribery, but their irreconcilable enmity with Guo Qiang made that impossible.

"This matter can still be negotiated!" The head bailiff suddenly changed his tune.

Chen Xue and Chen Yuan exchanged glances, seeing both joy and confusion in each other's eyes.

So, Chen Yuan stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Please enlighten us, officials."

"Hand over the supplies on the carriage behind you!" The bailiffs finally revealed their purpose. They never intended to kill from the start.

After all, there were too many prisoners around. Even if they used the excuse of the Chen family trying to escape to kill them, the surrounding prisoners might not believe it.

If any rumors leaked out or if someone investigated thoroughly, they would be doomed.

Besides, their initial goal was the supplies on the Chen family's carriage.

"Supplies?"

Chen Xue and Chen Yuan suddenly realized. So, that was their aim. In that case, they weren't associated with Guo Qiang.

They breathed a sigh of relief. If they weren't Guo Qiang's people, then their lives weren't in danger.

However, targeting the supplies on the carriage posed a problem.

Firstly, many of the supplies on the carriage had already been stored in Chen Xue's space. If they opened them, they would find that the supplies were missing.

Secondly, if they took away the supplies on the carriage, what would they use?

Although Chen Xue had a space, many things couldn't be openly taken out and used.

If the supplies on the carriage were taken away, suspicion would arise the next time they ate meat or enjoyed any luxuries.

How could they have meat if the supplies were taken away?

"What? Don't want to?"

The bailiff sneered, "I'm already giving you a chance to use the supplies to save your lives. Don't be ungrateful."

He didn't say it explicitly, but Chen Xue and the others understood. If they killed them, they could take the supplies for themselves.

Chen Xue and Chen Yuan looked very unpleasant. It was impossible to confront these bailiffs head-on, and it was impossible to give them the supplies either.

It was quite a predicament!

If they didn't hand over the supplies and angered them, they might actually resort to violence.

Moreover, Zhao Guang and Xu Tian couldn't come to their rescue, so they had to find a solution themselves.

"Officials... if you want the supplies, we are willing to give them up." Chen Xue suddenly looked pitiful, as if she was about to cry, "But, the official gave us only a small amount of supplies after taking our money... it's probably not enough for the officials."

The bailiffs were somewhat puzzled by Chen Xue's sudden change in attitude, but they only wanted the supplies, "Whether it's enough or not, that's for us to decide."

"Then please follow us, officials." Chen Xue led the way, looking aggrieved, "Officials should know that our Chen family is poor and cannot afford to buy supplies... "

"Sob, sob, sob, we finally saved enough money to give to the official, but the official only gave us empty boxes. Please, official, help us!"

The bailiffs heard this and suddenly realized. They hadn't been there at the time, so they didn't know the situation.

In the morning, when they saw the stationmaster actually send supplies to the Chen family and even say a lot of things, it seemed strange.

But now, hearing Chen Xue's words, it made sense. They had bought supplies from the stationmaster with money, which explained why the magistrate had been so kind to them.

However, they didn't believe Chen Xue's claim that they had been deceived by the magistrate and only received a small amount of supplies.

"Officials, our family is in dire straits. We finally managed to scrape together some silver, but... please, officials, help us..."

"That's enough!"

The head bailiff interrupted Chen Xue. They were here to seize the supplies, not to arbitrate disputes.

What did it matter if their family was in dire straits?

Chen Xue saw that the bailiff was getting impatient and stopped talking. After all, she had already hinted very clearly.

She led the bailiffs to the old carriage and asked the servants to step aside, letting the bailiffs handle it themselves.

The head bailiff signaled, and soon a bailiff climbed onto the carriage, opened the curtain, and opened the boxes inside.

However, upon opening them, he found that the huge boxes contained very little, leaving him dumbfounded.

He instinctively opened the other boxes, only to find the same thing. Huge boxes contained only a few cabbages, some even empty.

This made the bailiff very displeased. He quickly climbed down and reported to the head bailiff.

"What?"

"Empty?"

The head bailiff's face changed drastically, and the bailiff quickly explained, "Brother Qian, it's not all empty, just very few things."

What's the difference?

The head bailiff pushed him aside and climbed onto the carriage himself, opening the boxes. Sure enough, he found that the boxes, which could hold over ten kilograms of silver, contained only a few cabbages.

It was a waste of space to put just a few cabbages in such huge boxes.

The head bailiff was not convinced. He opened the other boxes and found the same thing—only a few kilograms of rice, not even filling half the box.

Then, he turned to look at the stack of boxes at the back of the carriage. He quickly moved them and opened them, only to find them empty.

"Get over here!"

The head bailiff was angry. He quickly jumped down from the carriage and called other bailiffs over, "Get all the boxes out for me."

Watching the bailiffs move all the boxes, Chen Xue couldn't help but show a mocking smile.

After the magistrate sent the supplies onto the carriage, she immediately stored them away, leaving only a tiny bit of supplies.

Firstly, it was safer to keep them in her space. Secondly, if one horse pulled two carriages, one full of people and the other full of supplies, it would eventually tire out the horse. So, they had to reduce the weight.

So, Chen Xue stored the supplies away and left a few boxes with a small amount of supplies as a cover-up.

Now, it seemed like a wise decision. These bailiffs were here to seize the supplies, right? Did they want the empty boxes too?

Next Chapter▶▶

 Chapter 116: When Did You Learn Piano?

At this moment, Bai Muyao walked arm in arm with Gao Yang to the fifth row of the audience seats, confidently introducing his identity to the people around them.

Initially, Gao Yang didn't want to come, but after hesitating outside for a while, he felt that as the fiancé, it wouldn't be right to skip his fiancée's award ceremony.

So, reluctantly, he came.

Although he wasn't very willing deep down, when Bai Muyao introduced his identity, he graciously greeted the people around him.

His demeanor undoubtedly gave face to the Bai family, and Bai Zhenhai and Xu Aiqin felt inexplicably proud!

On the other hand, Li's wife took out her phone and secretly sent a WeChat message to Mrs. Gao, "You're really not considerate. How come you didn't tell me about Ah Yang and Muyao's relationship? If I hadn't bumped into them in the audience, I wouldn't have known you had a daughter-in-law!"

Mrs. Gao was having morning tea when she received this message. She was so shocked that she almost fainted. She hurriedly replied, "Audience? What audience?"

She had reminded her son countless times not to see that girl from the Bai family anymore. She never expected him to ignore her warnings!

"Just the National Piano Competition awards ceremony! My daughter got fifth place, and I'm here with her. Unexpectedly, Muyao got second place. Your judgment is quite something..."

Mrs. Gao felt suffocated with anger. "Where is it? I'll come over and take a look."

"Why, wasn't your daughter-in-law invited you?" Li's wife teased, "I can see that the two of them have a good relationship..."

At this moment, Bai Muyao sweetly held Gao Yang's hand, and Gao Yang, listening to whatever she was saying, smiled faintly, bowing his head.

The scene was as beautiful as a painting!

Mrs. Gao was infuriated. "What daughter-in-law? It's just a child's plaything. Nothing's settled yet!"

"Huh??" Li's wife was surprised. "Just a plaything? Her parents take it seriously..."

"Oh, you know how many people are eyeing the Gao family..."

Lu

Li's wife understood. So, it was the Bai family embellishing themselves. The Gao family's parents didn't agree to the marriage, yet they were spreading rumors here...

Meanwhile, Gao Yang, while watching the host's opening remarks on stage, felt his phone vibrate twice. He looked and saw it was a WeChat message from his mother.

"Do you want to kill me? How many times have I told you to break up with that girl! You like going to see her so much, why don't you just marry into the Bai family! Our Gao family will act like we don't have a son like you!"

"If you love going to see her so much, then don't bother coming back home in the future!"

...

Gao Yang was puzzled as to how his mother knew he was here...

He looked around, except for the Bai family parents, all the others were strangers...

Strange.

"Mom, I'll be back in a while. Don't be angry." Gao Yang didn't want to be here either, but he felt obligated to accompany Bai Muyao, feeling a sense of guilt if he didn't.

Bai Muyao, because she was so close, saw the messages on the screen. Feeling annoyed inside, but unable to show it, she could only gently say, "Is your mom urging you? If so, you should go back first, don't mind me."

Gao Yang looked at her, her eyes pure and kind, and he felt a pang of guilt.

"Gao Yang, just go back. Don't make your mom sad. She only has you as her son." Bai Muyao said understandingly, "Regardless of what she thinks of me, as a mother, she surely wants the best for her son, hopes he finds a good girl, and lives happily ever after."

"Don't you blame her?" Gao Yang was surprised, looking into her eyes, "In the hospital, she said such harsh words..."

Denying this marriage, looking down on her...

Bai Muyao shook her head, even more gentle with a smile, "She loves you as much as I do. We both want the best for you. I understand her intentions are good, so I don't blame her."

Gao Yang was touched by her kindness. He put away his phone, held her hand, and all the recent clouds in his heart disappeared.

All those classmates mocking her, he didn't care anymore. Whether she could perform on a grand stage or not, as long as she became his wife in the future, who dared to ridicule her?

She didn't want to be raised by a janitor, but fate played a big joke on her. Instead of blaming the heavens or others, she always treated people around her with kindness...

In this world, where could he find a better girl than her?

Even if she had relationships with other boys before, so what? She didn't have a father's love since childhood, longing for care. Was that wrong?

Thinking of her childhood environment, Gao Yang suddenly had a question, "How old were you when you learned piano?"

Remembering that she had said her janitor mother worked hard to raise her, it was not easy...

In such an environment, she shouldn't have been able to learn piano...

Bai Muyao also didn't expect Gao Yang to suddenly ask her this question. This question also aroused Xu Aiqin's curiosity next to her. Yes, before Bai Muyao returned to the Bai family, it seemed she hadn't learned piano!

So how did she learn to play piano, and even win awards?

"After returning to the Bai family, I once saw a piano in my sister's room and learned it online by myself..."

This was true. In order to enhance her identity as a rich girl, Bai Muyao had self-taught a lot online.

"There are piano lessons online. When no one was around, I practiced by myself..."

"Later, my dad saw how much I liked it, so he bought me a piano and hired a tutor to come teach me piano knowledge..."

This was also true. Bai Zhenhai let the tutor come every day to teach her, but they didn't know how much Bai Muyao had actually learned.

"Just like that? Did you just learn it? The piano itself is very complicated. I studied for ten years and only got first place in the competition two years ago." Gao Yang didn't expect his small fiancée to be so talented. She had only been back to the Bai family for a few days and had learned such a difficult instrument!

"This is talent. Ou Yan, that brat, treats the piano as an ornament every day! She wasted such an expensive piano!" Xu Aiqin felt heartbroken at the thought. "But Yao Yao, just casually learning for a while, got second place! Too amazing!"

Bai Muyao felt a little guilty about their praises. She knew her level. She could only play this one piece well; the others, although taught by the tutor, were not at the level to be performed on a grand stage!

So, during this period, she practiced the award-winning pieces at home diligently, just to perform normally today!

She knew Gao Yang understood piano, so she practiced hard.

At this moment, she saw the gentle look in Gao Yang's eyes, and her heart temporarily felt relieved.

 Chapter 115: Disdain to be Her Disciple

Bai Muyao didn't understand why, but she tried to buy time with a smile, saying, "Chairwoman Qin, I really admire your pieces. Is there a chance for me to learn from you?"

Chairwoman Qin raised an eyebrow, somewhat curious, "Which of my pieces do you like?"

Bai Muyao was instantly at a loss.

Oh no, she was just being polite. In her mind, she couldn't even recall any pieces attributed to Chairwoman Qin!

All she knew was that Chairwoman Qin was very talented, achieving fame at a young age and being admired by many piano scholars.

However, a few people nearby spoke up:

"I really like Chairwoman Qin's 'Fate,' 'Autumn Day,' and 'Dreamland,' but my favorite is 'Encounter.' It feels like meeting the destined one on a lazy afternoon... The joyful, romantic, and sweet feelings intertwine so beautifully!"

"My favorite is Chairwoman Qin's 'Fragrance of Flowers.' It feels like being immersed in a sea of flowers, able to smell the fragrance even through the music."

"My favorite is 'The Sea'..."

As Bai Muyao blushed, unable to say a word, the onlookers couldn't help but comment:

"You have the nerve to say you like Chairwoman Qin?"

"Chairwoman Qin has composed 132 famous pieces. Can you perform them all?"

"I really don't understand how you got second place."

...

Bai Muyao blushed with embarrassment, feeling awkward and humiliated. "I'm sorry, Chairwoman Qin, I was too excited to see you, and I forgot..."

Chairwoman Qin was about to leave, but Bai Muyao hastily stopped her. "Chairwoman Qin, I really admire your talent. Is there a chance for me to receive your guidance? I will practice diligently every day and will not disappoint you!"

She thought that her diligence would move Chairwoman Qin...

But Chairwoman Qin saw through the girl's ambition and coldly said, "I don't take disciples."

The surrounding people were stunned. They didn't expect Chairwoman Qin to refuse so bluntly. It seemed she truly disliked Bai Muyao.

It made sense. Being the second-place winner in a piano competition, yet not even knowing Chairwoman Qin's pieces...

Bai Muyao felt extremely embarrassed. As Chairwoman Qin was about to leave, she anxiously called out, "Chairwoman Qin, do you have someone else in mind?"

Chairwoman Qin stopped for the third time, this time casting a sharp gaze at her, "I do have someone in mind. Even if I didn't, it wouldn't be you."

Bai Muyao's face turned pale. "May I ask why?"

"Because you're from the Bai family, and I don't like that." Chairwoman Qin said directly, then glanced at her attire, "You don't suit this outfit, nor these accessories. Qingyan is a person of character. You're tarnishing her work."

The people around murmured in agreement. Looking closely at Bai Muyao, they realized she couldn't pull off such clothes and accessories...

It didn't match her.

Seeing Chairwoman Qin leave, several onlookers followed suit. Xu Aiqin was taken aback and approached, "What kind of nonsense is this chairwoman spouting? How can she talk to a child like that in public? It's too much!"

"Mum, I'm fine..." Bai Muyao had some self-awareness, "I forgot to mention her pieces. It's my fault..."

"Even if you forgot, she shouldn't embarrass you in front of everyone! You got second place!" Xu Aiqin glared at Chairwoman Qin's departing figure in anger. "And saying you don't match this outfit and accessories... Who is she to decide? We have money, we can afford Qingyan's clothes and accessories, so what?"

"Mum, let's go..." Bai Muyao didn't want to stand there and attract more attention.

"She doesn't want disciples, and we disdain being her disciple!" Xu Aiqin took Bai Muyao's hand back to the audience seat, grumbling along the way, "Everybody knows that the most powerful figure in the piano world today is Master Long. In the future, you'll be his disciple!"

...

At that moment, Bai Zhenhai's friend, Li Dahui, curiously asked, "Mrs. Bai, I just saw Chairwoman Qin talking to your daughter, in the corridor. Is Chairwoman Qin interested in her? Does she want to take her as a disciple?"

Because they were too far away, Li Dahui couldn't see clearly, but he saw a group of people surrounding them, and they seemed to be talking closely...

Bai Muyao was already embarrassed, and this question made her expression even more awkward.

Xu Aiqin smiled, "Oh, Chairwoman Qin did have that intention just now, but in this industry, Master Long is the most powerful figure. So I asked Yao Yao to think about it and not rush to agree..."

Li Dahui didn't expect their target to be so high. He chuckled, "If Chairwoman Qin is interested, it means her piano skills are extraordinary... My daughter has been learning piano for many years, and I've tried to pull strings everywhere to get Chairwoman Qin to mentor her, but Chairwoman Qin hasn't agreed... If Yao Yao caught Chairwoman Qin's eye, she must be exceptional!"

"Yao Yao got second place, while my daughter got fifth place. Do you dare compare them?" Li Dahui's wife smiled and said, "Yao Yao is so outstanding. The chance of catching Master Long's eye in the future is probably high..."

Xu Aiqin was in a better mood after their praise.

"After the host finishes the opening remarks, the top eight contestants will perform their pieces. Yao Yao, you must perform well. Maybe later, when Master Long sees the playback of today's stage, he will be impressed by you..."

"Good point!" Xu Aiqin was thrilled to hear that. She pushed Bai Muyao lightly, "Yao Yao, did you hear that? You must perform well later!"

"I know." Bai Muyao was initially feeling down, but when her phone beeped with a WeChat message from Gao Yang, her spirits lifted.

[I'm in the audience now. Where are you?]

Bai Muyao stood up immediately and looked back. When she locked eyes with Gao Yang, she waved eagerly, "Gao Yang, I'm here!"

After she spoke, she hurried over to greet him.

Li's wife was a bit surprised, "Who came? Yao Yao seems quite happy..."

"Oh, it's Yao Yao's boyfriend, who came to support her!" Xu Aiqin was even happier to see the unexpected visit from Gao Yang at this late hour.

"High school graduates already have boyfriends? He looks well-mannered. Which family is he from?"

"Oh, he's the son of the wealthiest family in Autumn City."

"Gao Yang?" Li's wife was surprised. She didn't expect the Bai family, with its background, to be associated with the Gao family!

"You know him?" Xu Aiqin only knew that with the Gao family's influence, once it got out, people would envy her even more!

"I don't really know..." Li's wife only knew Gao Yang's mother and had hardly met Gao Yang a few times in reality.

 Chapter 21: Eldest Brother

Feng Jinxu's face was serious, showing no sign of joking.

Feng Jinlin shuddered inwardly three times, already imagining the scene of himself being skinned and drawn, which was truly unbearable to think about.

"Enough, enough! But not everyone around me is like Su Cheng. I also have sincere friends like Yin Canwen. His scholarship has been praised by even academicians. Don't believe me? Ask Fourth Uncle."

Immediately nodding in agreement at being suddenly mentioned, Bai Chaohai indeed affirmed that Yin Canwen was somewhat famous at Yunqi Academy. If it weren't for his thin family background and his half-studying, half-working situation, his scholarship would likely be even more remarkable.

"He truly is a rare talent, likely to make it to the top three."

Such high praise made Feng Jinyao recall something. If utilized properly, the Wen family was likely to face a great disaster.

Thinking this, the smile at the corner of her mouth deepened.

"It's truly rare for someone to not despise your dandy appearance. Learn from him well, understood?"

"Understood." Feng Er replied weakly.

Honestly speaking, their eldest brother was even scarier than their father, especially when he had a stern face. He was like their grandfather when he was young, making people feel intimidated.

Just as he was being lectured, a guard dressed man hurried over.

After whispering a few words in Feng Jinxu's ear, his expression relaxed, and he immediately instructed.

"Both of you, behave yourselves. Ah Yao, keep an eye on Second Brother and don't let him drink anymore. After this is done, take him back to the mansion and tomorrow I'll personally escort him back to the academy."

"Got it."

Then, he fist-bumped Fourth Uncle and bowed, "Uncle, I'll leave the matter of Yunhe entering the academy to you."

"Don't worry, that child is quite talented. Once he enters the academy, he might even be more favored by the academicians than me."

"That's great, then I won't bother Uncle anymore. I have something else to attend to, so I'll take my leave first."

With that, he hurriedly left.

Feng Er finally breathed a sigh of relief, but Feng Jinyao stared at their departing figures for a long time.

"What's wrong? What are you looking at?"

"Nothing."

Feng Jinyao found it strange. She felt like she had seen that guard somewhere before but she couldn't remember.

"Is Fourth Uncle planning to go to Shou'an Courtyard? I heard that several aunts are there, so it must be lively now. Isn't it the time for family members to have private conversations?"

"More or less. Your Fourth Aunt has already sent someone to inform me. What about you two? Are you going with me or are you going to enjoy yourselves with your friends for the last day?"

Bai Chaohai loved teasing Feng Jinlin the most. Seeing him deflated made him very happy.

Feng Jinyao knew that this Fourth Uncle, although not interested in politics, had a scholarly disposition and loved giving advice.

No wonder he became the youngest scholar in Yunqi Academy at such a young age, earning the favor of the academy director.

If everything went as expected, the next position of scholar at Yunqi Academy would definitely be held by this Fourth Uncle.

"Humph, Fourth Uncle is not righteous at all. He clearly accepted several paintings of the famous scholar Xu Da from me and promised to keep it a secret, but he turned around and told Eldest Brother. Look at his expression just now. If you and I weren't here, he might have beaten me up."

Patting his chest with lingering fear, he was truly scared.

Bai Chaohai knocked Feng Er's head with the folding fan, "You brat, you've been skipping school for months and still don't want to return to the academy. With only four months left until the Chunwei, if you don't get back on track, I think you really want to fail."

"Alright, Second Brother, let's return to the academy tomorrow. Be careful not to anger Father and Eldest Brother. You won't be able to handle the consequences. Moreover, Yunhe is also entering the academy. As his uncle, don't you want to set a good example for him? All you do all day is stroll around and play with cats and dogs. Aren't you afraid of influencing your nephew? He's the most promising child in our family. If you corrupt him, Father will hold you accountable!"

With a sigh, his carefree days were coming to an end.

Oh well, let's just burn the midnight oil for a few months. It'll be over soon.

The group took a shortcut and soon arrived at the entrance of Shou'an Courtyard.

Before they entered, they could already hear laughter and chatter coming from inside.

"Grandmother is in such a good mood. I haven't even entered yet, and I can already hear your laughter, grandmother."

Feng Jinlin and the others entered one after another. Inside, many people were seated, chatting happily.

"Respect to Mother, to Madams."

"Respect to Grandmother, to the Duchess."

"Respect to Mother-in-law, to Madams."

The leader was Madam Bai, followed by the Duchess of Zhengguo, the wife of the Grand General, the wife of the First Uncle, Lin, the wife of the Fourth Uncle, Princess Wen of Yijun County, Bai Siruo, Xu Mingyue, and several other young ladies who had only met once before.

"Alright, alright, everyone is here. Come in quickly, it's cold outside. Cui Gu, serve Fourth Master and Ah Yao a cup of milk tea. I remember they both love this."

"Yes."

After arranging for the two, Madam Bai waved at Feng Jinlin.

"You little monkey, come here and let everyone see you."

He was already quite old, almost eighteen years old, and had been suppressed by his son-in-law, Feng Hai, who said he couldn't talk about personal affairs without official status.

As a result, even his engagement hadn't been arranged yet.

The ladies present were all either unmarried or married to men who had unmarried daughters, so it was natural for them to boast a little.

There were also unmarried girls present, and now there were two more unmarried men. It was likely to damage their reputation.

Therefore, Bai Lin found an excuse to take those unmarried girls to see the newly transplanted plum blossoms.

After saying that, she took those unmarried girls and left Shou'an Courtyard.

Feng Jinyao sat beside Bai Siruo and asked in a low voice, "Why are you so happy? What's going on?"

"Don't you know? I heard that after the Lantern Festival, envoys from various countries will come to pay tribute to the court. This is a grand event that only happens once every three years. I only attended once with my mother at a night banquet. Those people are truly different from the commoners of the Great Jin Dynasty. Some have golden hair and blue eyes, some have red hair and blue eyes, and some are even completely black. It's my first time seeing them."

Feng Jinyao wasn't surprised. In her past life, after she got married, she also attended a tribute event with her mother-in-law once, but it was just at Changchun Tower leaning against the window.

"Oh? Why are you so happy about that?"

Bai Siruo lowered her voice, "The one responsible for the tribute this time is the legitimate son and eldest grandson of the Duchess, both of whom are working in the Ministry of Rites. From their tone, it seems they are about to be promoted."

The Ministry of Rites was responsible for important matters such as sacrificial rituals, arrangements for tributes from foreign states, and the imperial examination. Although it appeared to have no real power, it was in charge of important affairs. Once done well and pleasing to the Emperor, promotion would be much easier.

It seemed that the Duke of Zhengguo was visionary, arranging a bright future for his descendants.

Next Chapter ▶▶

 Chapter 180: What's there to smile about...

Next Chapter ▶▶

 Chapter 179: Different Opinions

Next Chapter ▶▶

Chapter 635: Rest assured, I won't let you down

Wei Linchen's strength alone was ultimately no match for the group of evil puppets.

Several formidable evil puppets rushed towards him, and his stamina gradually depleted.

His refined face, arms, back, and even his legs and feet were all injured by the evil puppets.

As his energy waned and his body covered in wounds, Wei Linchen was controlled by several evil ghosts.

One evil ghost stood in front of him, with sharp claws extending from its hands.

It seemed very interested in Wei Linchen's eyes, and the sharp claws approached his proud and cold eyes.

Wei Linchen stared coldly at the approaching black claws, his heart filled with countless emotions, yet his expression revealed nothing.

The claws were just a few centimeters away from his eyes, and he struggled to break free from the entanglement.

The strength of the evil ghosts was formidable, and he couldn't break free at all.

Knowing that he would undoubtedly die today, Wei Linchen clenched his teeth and declared fiercely, "Damn it, even if I descend into the underworld, I will seek revenge from you!"

He had lived a comfortable life since childhood and had never been in such a miserable state.

Although his cultivation was shallow, he was still a Tian Shi. In this life, he had committed no sins and would surely be treated well in the underworld. When the time came, he would have a chance to seek revenge against these evil puppets.

Just as Wei Linchen was prepared to face death, his father's cold and indifferent face appeared in his mind.

Suddenly, his vision blurred.

Thick black mist filled his eyes, followed by a dazzling golden light.

Wei Linchen's arm was pulled up, freeing him from the grasp of the evil ghosts.

Qin Ruan looked at Wei Linchen, who was in a sorry state, and furrowed her eyebrows with displeasure.

She complained, "I just said a few words, and Lin Hao couldn't even keep an eye on you!"

Hearing the familiar voice, Wei Linchen's eyes brightened.

He turned around and saw Qin Ruan standing unharmed beside him, without a trace of dirt on her body.

Before he could wonder, Qin Ruan pulled him behind her.

More evil ghosts rushed towards them.

Wei Linchen and Qin Ruan stood back to back, surrounded by a swarm of evil ghosts blocking their path. They prepared to break out of the encirclement together.

However, to Wei Linchen's surprise, the evil ghosts behind Qin Ruan did not charge at them like before. They kept their distance.

It seemed like they were afraid of something.

While Wei Linchen was puzzled, some evil ghosts still rushed towards them.

He immediately assumed a defensive posture to prepare for the fight.

But as one evil ghost approached within a meter of him, it was sent flying by an invisible force and fell to the ground in a sorry state.

Wei Linchen widened his eyes, full of disbelief.

"Qin Ruan, why can't these ghosts get close to me?" he asked.

Qin Ruan, who was collecting evil spirits, heard this and gave a faint smile.

She relaxed her voice and said without any tension, "They can't get close to you because of me."

More evil ghosts rushed towards them.

Wei Linchen didn't know why Qin Ruan had this ability, but he couldn't deny that, facing the evil-looking and foul-smelling evil ghosts, he felt relieved.

At least, he was safe now, thanks to Qin Ruan.

Qin Ruan's hands absorbed numerous resentful spirits, absorbing the resentment from their bodies while she warned the person behind her in a low voice, "Professor Wei, I've entrusted my back to you."

Wei Lincen's eyes darkened, and he solemnly replied, "Rest assured, I won't let you down!"

How could he not understand what it meant when someone entrusted their back to him?

At Shengshi Academy, he and Qin Ruan were teacher and student. Due to their distant attitude during work, they rarely interacted.

In the "North Tai Emperor Jun Above" WeChat group, they had known each other for almost half a year.

Although they often chatted, they couldn't be considered very familiar.

For Qin Ruan to entrust her back to him was a sign of trust.

Wei Linchen knew that standing behind Qin Ruan, he would be safe and quickly started recovering his strength.

He carelessly swept aside the slightly long bangs that had been torn for some time from his bag that he didn't know when he took out. He took out a Qiankun Bell.

"Ring, ring..."

The sound of the Qiankun Bell rang, and the surrounding evil ghosts were thrown into chaos.

Facing such a rich amount of resentment in front of her, Qin Ruan continued to absorb without pause.

However, there were still annoying things disturbing her.

The little girl from before appeared again.

She stared at Qin Ruan with a gloomy and paranoid look, as if she wished for her death with resentment in her eyes.

Qin Ruan also noticed her and looked at her with disdain.

With a batch of evil spirits absorbed, she turned around and threw them away, then raised her hand to grab the little girl.

Sensing the danger, the little girl rushed madly towards the Huangju tree.

In an instant, she merged with the Huangju tree.

Qin Ruan's eyes showed astonishment, then turned serious.

"Ahhhh!!!"

The puppetized little girl screamed in the tree, sounding eerie.

The Huangju tree swayed again, and the leaves rustled with urgency.

Qin Ruan frowned tightly and saw that the Huangju tree was uprooted, revealing a human figure on the trunk.

The face was not yet fully revealed, but judging from the faint appearance, it was the face of the little girl from before.

Qin Ruan stopped absorbing the resentment, and hundreds of evil ghosts watched closely.

They launched a sneak attack, attacking from various directions.

Qin Ruan's sharp gaze swept over and, with a wave of her hand, dozens of evil puppets were entwined by the golden light in her hands.

The resentment in their bodies crazily flowed towards Qin Ruan.

While absorbing the resentment, Qin Ruan also kept an eye on the Huangju tree not far away.

As the face on the trunk became clearer, she reminded the person behind her, "Wei Laoshi, be careful of the tree!"

Wei Lincen turned slightly and observed the Huangju tree.

The twisted face on the tree entered his sight.

The little girl from before actually wanted to merge with the Huangju tree?

Wei Linchen's expression changed drastically, and he pressed his lips tightly as he said solemnly, "Qin Ruan, I only have the Qiankun Bell in my hand right now, and I can't make a move."

Qin Ruan didn't turn her head and said, "Stretch out your hand!"

Wei Linchen subconsciously extended his left hand, which was not holding the Qiankun Bell.

A whip enveloped in sacred golden light consciously landed in his palm.

Qin Ruan's voice sounded immediately after, "The form of the Huangju tree is not here. The little ghost wants to merge with the original body of the Huangju tree. Use the whip to drive her out and stop her from causing trouble!"

The Huangju tree had long transformed into a human, and the human form was not here, only the original body remained.

If the little girl merged with the Huangju tree, it would absorb the vegetation for several kilometers around. That would be troublesome and difficult to explain to the outside world.

Qin Ruan now just wanted to quietly absorb the resentment and didn't want to be disturbed.

As for the sinister beings of the Audri Academy, she would deal with them one by one after absorbing the resentment.

Wei Linchen lowered his gaze and looked at the whip in his hand, brimming with tremendous power. His voice tightened, "I'll give it a try!"

He put away the Qiankun Bell and held the whip in his right hand.

The face on the trunk of the Huangju tree became clearer, and he needed to stop it immediately.

Gripping the handle of the whip, Wei Linchen exerted a great force.

Qingcheng Taoist Temple was not rich, and he had not seen many magical instruments, but he had seen quite a few.

And Qin Ruan's whip could be said to be the most precious among all the magical instruments he had seen.

Just by looking at the sacred aura surrounding the whip, he couldn't be sure if he could wield it.

Wei Linchen took a deep breath, raised his right arm, and swung the golden whip in his hand.