Chapter 199 Big Brother and Si Yechen Meet

Early the next morning, when Li Yihan saw Ou Yan finishing breakfast, he immediately stepped forward, "Yan Yan, let big brother take you to work."

"No need, Si Yechen will pick me up."

That kid again??

Li Yihan finally returned to the country for a visit, and he hadn't sent his sister to work for a single day!

That kid was very attentive, always eager to pick her up and drop her off every day! He heard that the pink diamond necklace he had his eye on before was snatched away by that kid, who gave it to Yan Yan first! Parents said that the kid took a liking to Yan Yan, was generous to her, and cared for her.

But in Li Yihan's eyes, Yan Yan was still young and still in school. That kid was getting too clingy. What if he did something out of line... He wouldn't let it slide!

At that moment, Si Yechen was waiting outside the gate. He was tall and handsome, and when he saw Li Yihan and Ou Yan walking together, he straightened up and walked towards them.

"Big brother."

Out of politeness, Si Yechen, like Ou Yan, called Li Yihan "big brother".

But Li Yihan's gaze turned cold, "Yan Yan is my sister, calling me big brother is natural, Mr. Si doesn't need to be polite, calling me Mr. Li will do."

Big brother, huh? Si Yechen sensed hostility in Li Yihan's eyes, evident in the belief that he had snatched away his sister.

"You're Yan Yan's big brother, naturally, you're my big brother too."

"Yan Yan, calling her quite affectionate, huh?"

Seeing their eyes locking in a silent duel, Ou Yan spoke lightly, "I'm about to be late, let's keep it short."

"Big brother seems to have something to say, you wait in the car for me."

Si Yechen opened the car door for Ou Yan. As she bent to get in, his hand shielded her head to protect her. After she settled in, he bent again to fasten her seatbelt.

He seemed to have done this a thousand times. Li Yihan didn't expect their private interaction to be so intimate, and he clenched his fists.

He wanted to pick up his sister like this, but he never had the chance!

"Speak nicely." Before the car door closed, Ou Yan looked at Si Yechen, then at Li Yihan, as if warning them both.

"Rest assured, if big brother is unhappy, I'm willing to take a few punches."

Li Yihan: !!!

What nonsense is this kid talking about?

Is he a violent person??

How dare he smear him in front of his sister!!

At this moment, his fists became even harder!

After Si Yechen closed the car door, he came to Li Yihan, "Please instruct, big brother."

"You can call me big brother like that?" Li Yihan noticed his sister's gaze in the car, restrained his fists, and asked patiently, "When did you start dating Yan Yan?"

"I noticed her before she returned to the Li family. As for dating, it was after she returned."

"Have you met before?"

"She saved Grandpa in the hospital, with superb medical skills, leaving a deep impression."

Li Yihan had heard his mother mention this incident. He heard that his sister saved Grandpa Si twice, and Grandpa Si treated her with great affection, even giving her the crown necklace representing his daughter-in-law!

"What is your parents' attitude?" Li Yihan asked coldly.

"My parents are traveling around the world and haven't returned yet."

Since handing over the group to Si Yechen, they have been ecstatic, fearing that Si Yechen would change his mind. They flew out of the country overnight. Usually, they actively contacted the Si family, and even Grandpa Si didn't have a fixed contact method for them.

"My grandmother is still in a coma."

The only person in the Si family who could make decisions was Grandpa Si.

"Big brother, rest assured, Yan Yan is a good girl, I will cherish her with my life."

"Big brother, don't worry that I am just attracted to Yan Yan temporarily. If I ever do something to hurt Yan Yan, my life is yours to take, anytime."

Li Yihan saw that he was straightforward and didn't make things difficult. "Alright, I'll accept your promise. If you treat Yan Yan well, our Li family will naturally treat you with courtesy. But if you dare to do anything to hurt Yan Yan, be unfaithful, or make her cry, not just me, our entire Li family will come for justice!"

"Good, it's a deal." Si Yechen bumped fists with him.

Ou Yan watched this scene from afar in the car, knowing it was a covenant and commitment between men. They must have reached some consensus, and this consensus most likely had to do with her.

It wasn't hard to guess what it was.

"My sister is still young, still in school, you should treat her like you're taking care of a child, don't do anything to scare her." Li Yihan was afraid that Si Yechen was too impatient and would do something indescribable.

But Si Yechen thought to himself, Big brother probably didn't know how wild his sister could be. The head of the Yan gang in Triangle District was so skilled with guns that even big brother probably wouldn't believe his own eyes.

"I'll keep big brother's words in mind."

"In the afternoon, I'll take Yan Yan to see Grandpa and Grandma. She'll ride in my car! You don't need to come to pick her up!"

Since he returned to the country, Yan Yan had only ridden in his car once, the day after the design competition...

Since then, his sister had been monopolized by this guy. Today, it was finally his turn!

"Okay."

It's reasonable for big brother to be close to his own sister.

Li Yihan asked again, "What do you think of Shasha?"

The one who had a marriage contract with Si Yechen before was Li Yusha. She had been cherished since childhood, proficient in everything, a famous noble lady in the upper class circles.

"I have no thoughts about her." This was Si Yechen's true thoughts.

Li Yihan thought so too. If he did, Si Yechen would have been attentive to Shasha before Yan Yan returned...

But from childhood to adulthood, Si Yechen had barely met Shasha a few times. Everyone in the circle knew that he was career-oriented and extremely indifferent to matters of love.

Yan Yan seemed to be the first person he admitted to liking, the first person he would personally pick up and spend time with.

Li Yihan knew he had a good relationship with the fifth brother, and the fifth brother wasn't a fool. If his character was a problem, the fifth brother wouldn't have been with him for so long.

Thinking of this, Li Yihan looked at Si Yechen and said seriously, "I hope I'm not mistaken about you."

"Big brother, rest assured, I won't let big brother down." 

Seeing Li Yihan walk towards his car, Si Yechen respectfully said, "Take care, big brother."

After Li Yihan left, Si Yechen got into the car and touched Ou Yan's head, "You waited long."

"What did big brother say to you?"

"Nothing much." Si Yechen looked gently at her, "He asked me to take good care of you."

Ou Yan had guessed long ago.

"Big brother is taking you to see Grandpa and Grandma in the afternoon?" Even though Si Yechen couldn't go, he still wanted to prepare an extra gift, representing his intentions.

 Chapter 864: Da Niu is Shock

Da Niu and his wife took a deep breath, wondering if they had heard correctly.

Village Lord?

Not only them, but even Ah Xiang and Fu Xiangdi were stunned, wearing bewildered expressions.

Shu Yu chuckled. "When I mentioned her achievements earlier, I was referring to this."

Da Niu shook his head, coming back to his senses, and anxiously asked, "Grandma, what's going on? What heating packs? Ah Yu actually met the emperor? Please, tell us."

He couldn't even focus on eating, but the old woman waved her hand and said, "Eat first, it's getting cold."

Da Niu was anxious, and finally, he showed the excitement befitting his age.

He felt that Uncle Erbai's family had encountered many incredible things on their journey.

He ate quickly, and Grandma, seeing their urgency, didn't delay and explained the matter of the heating packs in detail.

After finishing her explanation, she took them to see the imperial edict.

Da Niu and the others held their breaths. This was the imperial edict!!

They didn't dare to touch it, but they recognized a few characters, at least they recognized Ah Yu's name and the words "village Lord."

After struggling to read it, they immediately burst into laughter. "Not only did my sister return from exile, but she also became a village Lord! A village Lord!"

Zhou Qiao was also extremely excited. She had thought that they would face countless difficulties in the future, but now it seemed that the entire Lu family would rise to wealth and fortune.

In the vast Jiangyuan County, who could compare to Ah Yu?

Da Niu also wanted to see that magical heating packs. Da Hu had just told him that the heating packs didn't require firewood or charcoal; it only needed water to cook rice.

But it was too late in the evening, and their grandmother urged them to go back.

"Forget about the heating packs and such. Let's see it tomorrow. We've been on the road all day, and you should all rest."

Da Niu slapped his forehead. He had neglected it.

"Then, Grandma, Uncle, you should rest early. Qiao Qiao and I will go back first."

Shu Yu said, "Take one of the carts back, and we'll close the shop for a day tomorrow. Let's all go back to Shishi Village together. Oh, in the morning, we need to visit the county office and inform the county magistrate. Da Niu after you go to the southern part of the county, inform your third Uncle and third aunt. We'll all come back."

Da Niu nodded. "Okay, after I finish in the southern part of the county, I'll wait for you at the city gate."

After he finished speaking, he didn't delay any further. Shu Yu's cart was still at the door, so he took the reins and returned to the shop with Zhou Qiao.

The Lu family had a lot to do the next day, so they went to bed early after washing up.

Da Niu and Zhou Qiao walked slowly. By this time, the sky was getting dark, and most of the shops on Ningshui Street had already closed.

The two entered the house from the back yard and thought about the preparations they needed to make for their return to the village in the early morning.

After finishing their tasks, lying in bed, they found it difficult to fall asleep.

Da Niu was excited, and at first, Zhou Qiao was also thrilled. She was happy that Uncle Erbai's family had returned and that Shu Yu had been acquitted and become a village Lord.

Her little sister-in-law had a noble status and a reasonable and easygoing personality. Getting along with her was also good. With such a sister-in-law, no one would dare to bully their family in the future.

But soon after, she began to worry.

Da Niu was an observant person and initially thought that his wife was also happy. But as he saw her tossing and turning, she seemed to have something on her mind.

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  Chapter 65: Division of Labor and Cooperation

"They actually came back?"

The bailiffs who were tracking Chen Xue and the others also returned after them. They were dumbfounded when they saw them entering the carriage.

While they were in the city, they suddenly lost track of Chen Xue and her father. Despite searching the entire county, they couldn't find them, but they did spot Zhao Guang wandering aimlessly on the streets.

After searching for a long time, they eventually gave up and decided to enjoy themselves in the county before returning. However, knowing they had lost track of Chen Xue and her father, they were distracted and couldn't enjoy themselves.

So they decided to return, and one of them even speculated to his companion that maybe the two had already come back.

The companion was skeptical but came over to check, only to find out that it was true.

The two of them looked at each other in astonishment, not knowing what to say. They had actually returned?

Nevertheless, they were relieved. Even though they didn't know how Chen Xue and her father had disappeared from under their noses and then returned, they hadn't completely failed their mission.

At worst, they could tell the captain that Chen Yuan and the others hadn't encountered any danger.

Thinking of this, the two of them left.

Sure enough, not long after, Captain Sun returned and immediately summoned the two of them.

The two of them had already prepared their response. They confessed that Chen Yuan and the others hadn't encountered any danger, so they didn't intervene.

After saying that, they held their breath, waiting for the captain's response.

As expected, Captain Sun's face darkened after hearing their report. What was Zhao Guang up to? He had such a good opportunity, but he didn't take action against Chen Yuan?

"Where's Zhao Guang?" Captain Sun asked, raising his eyebrows at the two.

The two bailiffs exchanged glances. Indeed, Zhao Guang was the one the captain had sent into the city.

"We saw him," they replied.

"What I mean is, what was Zhao Guang doing?" Captain Sun's tone turned stern. Why didn't he take action against Chen Yuan when he had such a good opportunity?

"He..." The two bailiffs were at a loss for words. They really didn't know what Zhao Guang was doing. After thinking for a moment, they answered honestly, "When we saw Zhao Guang, he seemed lost and was walking alone on the street..."

Upon hearing this, Captain Sun speculated further. Could it be that Zhao Guang had made a move but failed, and then he was threatened after being caught?

He wanted to ask for more details, but he was afraid of revealing his thoughts. Since the two bailiffs didn't mention Chen Xue and her father disappearing, they didn't know that the captain wanted to inquire about what Zhao Guang was doing by Chen Yuan's side.

The conversation between them went off track.

"Useless!" Captain Sun couldn't help but curse. He wasn't just cursing Zhao Guang; he was also cursing Guo Qiang in the capital. He had tasked Zhao Guang with killing Chen Yuan, but he ended up sending such a useless person. Was he an idiot?

However, the two bailiffs misunderstood the captain's curse. They thought he was cursing them and hurriedly tried to explain.

"Captain, it really has nothing to do with us. It's just that Chen Yuan didn't encounter any danger, so we didn't dare to act recklessly, fearing that it would ruin your plan..."

Captain Sun heard this and knew that his subordinates had misunderstood, but he didn't explain. Meanwhile, the bailiff Qian seized the opportunity to speak up.

"So, you must redeem yourselves for your actions."

"Brother Qian, how should we redeem ourselves?"

The bailiff Qian smiled. "Since Chen Yuan didn't encounter any danger, you can make sure he does!"

"This..." The two bailiffs were taken aback, then looked at Captain Sun. Although Captain Sun didn't speak, he turned and left, tacitly agreeing with the bailiff Qian's suggestion.

The two of them gritted their teeth. "Alright, tonight, we'll find someone to play the role of bandits and ambush them."

"We'll see how you perform," the bailiff Qian patted their shoulders and left happily, relieved that he didn't have to do it himself.

...

The Chen family parked their two carriages under a large tree, and the servants started a fire nearby to cook.

At some point, the masters in the family had stopped eating the food prepared by the servants, so they only needed to cook their own meals.

Although Chen Yuan asked them to take rice from the carriage to cook, they didn't take a lot. Instead, they calculated carefully. Even though they knew there were supplies in one of the carriages, they still practiced frugality.

While the servants were cooking, Chen Xue and the others entered the space.

Immediately, she took out the delicious food she had bought in the city and let her mother and Xiao Die taste it.

"You two!" Madam Chen looked at the bags of food and scolded them with a glare, "You don't know the value of things until you're in charge. Why did you buy so much?"

"Mother, this is father's thoughtfulness." Chen Xue ran over and shook her mother's arm, "Look, these are your favorite osmanthus cakes. Father bought several pounds for you!"

"I'm not a pig. Why did you buy so much? We can't finish all of this!" Madam Chen was both angry and amused.

Before she could finish her words, Chen Xue fed her a piece of osmanthus cake. Madam Chen chewed subconsciously and then had to swallow it.

"Mother, is it delicious?"

Chen Xue stared at her with big eyes, looking innocent and curious.

"It's delicious!" Madam Chen replied subconsciously, then reached out to pat Chen Xue's forehead, "You naughty girl!"

"Mother, if it's delicious, eat more."

"If I keep eating like this, I'll become fat." Madam Chen sighed. Who would have thought that she would feel a bit chubby after just a few days of exile, instead of losing weight?

If this got out, who would believe it? But it was indeed true.

Chen Xue, hearing this, subconsciously touched her stomach. "Yeah, I shouldn't eat too much."

Eating without exercise would only make her gain weight.

"Let's walk more during our usual time, and when we're tired, we can take the carriage!" Madam Chen and her daughter murmured to each other, discussing ways to lose weight in the exiled group.

Of course, they only talked privately and dared not say it outside. If other prisoners heard about it, they would definitely be outraged and tear them apart.

While everyone else was starving and thin as skeletons, they were talking about losing weight?

Anyone who heard that would feel deeply resentful and might even go crazy!

"These things should be put away quickly, or I'm afraid I won't be able to control myself later." Madam Chen urged Chen Yuan to put away the delicious food.

"Then, I'll go do some work, mother."

"I'll help too. Without some activity, we won't lose weight."

"What work do we need to do?" Chen Xue thought for a moment, "First, we need to chop chili peppers to make chili sauce, then we need to make hot pot base, and also plant the seeds we bought."

It seemed like there were a lot of things to do.

Madam Chen thought for a moment and said, "Then I'll help chop chili peppers!"

Indeed, that was the only thing she could handle.

She had never made chili sauce before, and she hadn't even heard of hot pot base, let alone tried planting crops.

"I'll go plant crops!" Chen Yuan turned and walked towards the field, "It's also a good time to familiarize myself before we reach the Southern Barbarians."

"Then I'll go teach Xiao Die how to make hot pot base!"

The group divided the tasks and got to work.

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 Chapter 198: Tomorrow's Appointment

Zhang Mama dared not look at Ou Yan and kept her head down, serving Li Yusha on the side.

"Have Grandpa and Grandma been feeling better lately?" Li Yihan asked, his gaze shifting to his parents after serving Ou Yan some vegetables.

Recently, he had been busy with matters at the group headquarters or rushing back home to accompany his younger sister. It had been a week since he returned, and he hadn't visited Grandpa and Grandma yet.

"On the day of the awards ceremony, your grandmother woke up once, but then she slipped back into unconsciousness," Song Qiaoying said with concern. "We don't know when she'll wake up again."

"What caused it?" Ou Yan asked softly.

She had heard earlier that her grandparents were in poor health, but she hadn't asked for specifics.

"Your grandparents enjoy sports. About a month ago, when they were climbing the mountain, your grandmother accidentally fell. Your grandfather tried to catch her and fell down more than ten steps with her. Both lost consciousness on the spot. When they were taken to the hospital, they were already in deep coma," Song Qiaoying recalled vividly.

"CT scans showed that your grandmother had a skull fracture, brain contusion, and multiple fractures throughout her body. Your grandfather was even more severe because he acted as a human cushion for her. Not only did he suffer multiple fractures, but he also had fluid in his left chest cavity and intracranial hemorrhage. Both of them have a high risk of disability and death," Song Qiaoying said, remembering that day vividly.

"On that day, when they were being examined, your grandfather showed signs of shock, and your grandmother had acute respiratory failure, which frightened us," Song Qiaoying added.

Their vital signs were extremely unstable at the time, and the bleeding was deep, so surgery was not advisable. Hence, they were transferred to the ICU.

"They've been lying in the ICU until now. Your grandmother woke up twice, but your grandfather... hasn't woken up at all," Song Qiaoying said, her mood becoming heavier. "With a series of complications, the doctors said that the intracranial hemorrhage caused significant damage to their central nervous systems. They both have symptoms of coughing and difficulty in expectoration, so the doctors also performed a tracheotomy to assist their breathing."

The symptoms sounded severe, with any slight mishap potentially costing their lives.

Li Yuanfu also spoke heavily, "Over the past month, the entire ICU team has overcome numerous difficulties, from respiratory failure, shock, respiratory tract infections, anemia to electrolyte disorders. Each day poses new challenges. Although we don't know when they will wake up completely, we always hold onto hope."

"Are they in Jingkang Hospital?" Ou Yan asked.

"No."

Although Jingkang Hospital was the best public hospital in Beijing, it wasn't as attentive in terms of care as private hospitals.

"We have a hospital in Beijing called Li Ming Hospital. Your grandparents are recuperating there," Li Yuanfu explained. "Professional staff assist them with basic and specialized nursing care every day. They communicate with your grandparents and provide them with positive psychological suggestions to help them wake up soon."

"How are Grandpa and Grandma?" Li Yihan asked in a deep voice.

"They haven't shown any improvement. Your uncle has contacted top experts abroad and took them for treatment overseas some time ago," Li Yihan said, knowing that the situation with his grandparents wasn't much more optimistic than before, feeling even heavier.

"All right, let's not talk about these during the meal," Li Yuanfu was afraid the atmosphere would become too heavy. He picked up his chopsticks and served Ou Yan some food. "Here, eat more. Hasn't it been almost a month since you came back, Yan Yan?"

"Almost," Ou Yan said obediently, picking up the dish her father served her.

"It seems like the college entrance exam results are coming out soon?" 

"You can check them the day after tomorrow."

"That's great! Have you thought about which university to apply for?" Li Yuanfu smiled, "Let me say this first, as long as it's the university you want to attend, Dad will fully support you! Of course, if you don't want to go, Dad won't stop you! Everything is based on your happiness."

"Thank you, Dad."

Li Yusha beside them was jealous!

Li Yihan looked at the girl next to him with gentle eyes, "Nervous?"

Ou Yan: ???? What's there to be nervous about, it's just the college entrance exam results?

If her brother knew her level, he wouldn't ask such a question...

But to avoid worrying her brother, she still obediently replied, "Not really."

Li Yihan couldn't see any nervousness or anxiety in her eyes. She must be confident in her results, right?

"Big brother is going abroad the day after tomorrow. After work tomorrow, I'll take you to see Grandpa and Grandma?" This was his last deadline to delay! The French side had been urging him all along, and tomorrow would be his last day with his sister. Thinking of this, he felt a bit reluctant.

Although Li Yuanfu and Song Qiaoying also wanted the elders to see their granddaughter, the two had been in a coma, which was why they hadn't arranged for them to meet Ou Yan.

A cunning light flashed in Li Yusha's eyes. If Grandpa and Grandma didn't wake up, Ou Yan's visit would be in vain, and she wouldn't gain the elders' approval, wasting her trip!

But if Grandpa and Grandma suddenly woke up and saw Ou Yan's excitement, and their bodies couldn't handle the shock, if anything happened, Ou Yan would be to blame!

How could the Li family keep someone who caused the death of Grandpa and Grandma?

Such a good show must not be missed!

Thinking like this, she weakly said, "Dad, Mom, Big Brother, I also want to go see Grandpa and Grandma."

"Then let's all go?" Li Yuanfu thought to himself, with the whole family appearing together, maybe the elders would hear their voices and suddenly wake up?

"Yan Yan, I'll pick you up tomorrow afternoon," Li Yihan patted Ou Yan's head. "Let's eat first and talk later. The food is getting cold."

"Okay." Ou Yan thought to herself, someone is going to be jealous again. He hasn't been jealous less lately...

Fortunately, there was a hospital at home where Grandpa and Grandma could recuperate properly. If it were an ordinary family, with expenses of twenty thousand per day, sustaining it for over a month would have bankrupted them.

Tang Yiyang had said before that he had seen through human nature early on because he had witnessed countless farewells in the emergency room. Some relatives, upon seeing their family members admitted to the ICU, would reach out to pull out the tubes and give up treatment...

Some because they couldn't afford it, some because they were impatient...

In short, human nature was there for all to see, not only sighing but also heartbreaking.

"Yan Yan, what are you thinking?" Li Yihan served her a bowl of soup again. He had seen the little girl being calm just now, but now she seemed lost in thought. Was she worried about her college entrance exam results?

After all, she was still a child, no matter how well she concealed it, she was still young.

Thinking like this, Li Yihan spoke gently, "Don't worry, whether it's the college entrance exam results or anything else, Big Brother is here for you."

Not to mention elsewhere, just in Beijing, which university dared to refuse a member of the Li family?!

 Chapter 863: The Grim Situation in the Main House

Sure enough, Da Niu whispered, "When my mother found out that Shu Yu was banished to the southwest, she... she demanded that we sever ties with Uncle Erbai's family. Otherwise, she threatened to divorce my father. Naturally, my father refused, and it caused a big commotion. The news spread throughout the city."

Grandma sneered, "So did your mother divorce him?"

"...No."

"What a troublemaker. Your third sister-in-law is more sensible." Liang Shi was the first to know about this matter. She knew about it and rushed to the county to tell Grandma. She never mentioned the demand to sever ties with the family.

She was such a blabbermouth, and she managed to keep it a secret for so long. How could the eldest daughter-in-law be so foolish? Didn't she know that if this matter escalated, her children would be the first to suffer?

You see, it's difficult for Da Niu to buy goods.

"Grandma, I'm sorry," Da Niu said with a bitter smile. In fact, he was fine. He had a wife who always stood by his side, understanding his joys and sorrows.

But Cui Hua, the eldest daughter, had been enduring her in-laws' sarcastic remarks for quite some time, and it hadn't been easy for her.

Fortunately, she had a strong personality and managed to win her husband over to her side, so she didn't suffer too much.

The most unlucky ones were Er Niu and Lan Hua. Er Niu had started attending a private school, but the teacher there was a bit conservative and advised Er Niu to take a break at home until things calmed down.

As for Lan Hua, she had just been engaged not long ago, and this incident caused the engagement to be broken off.

Both Da Niu and Cuihua were extremely angry about this. Da Niu used to reason with Li Shi before, but now he didn't bother anymore. He directly forbade her from leaving the house, and if she continued to cause trouble, he wouldn't support her in her old age.

Cui Hua went to her parents' house and vented her anger at Li Shi.

The children were all estranged from Li Shi and unwilling to talk to her.

Li Shi's family had never sided with her, and with her husband's reproach, she suddenly found herself isolated and had no one to speak up for her.

Although she still believed that she was in the right, she didn't dare to speak up anymore. During this time, she stayed at home and kept a low profile.

But the rumors had already spread. Although the authorities had intervened to suppress the news, no one dared to openly discuss the matter anymore, but the subtle glances from those people behind their backs were quite telling.

Grandma was still unaware of all these things. She just felt a little sorry for Da Niu. How did he end up with such a mother?

She chuckled, "I hope she divorces your father now. When she finds out that Shu Yu not only returned to her hometown without guilt but also became a village lord, she'll regret it."

"My mother didn't really want a divorce. She just..." Da Niu's words were cut off halfway as he suddenly froze.

He and Zhou Qiao, who had also realized something, were stunned for a moment, then raised their heads abruptly and looked at Grandma.

"Grandma, what did you just say? What... village Lord?"

Grandma said with some pride, "Our Ah Yu is amazing. She made a heating packs for the emperor, benefiting the people and the country. The emperor personally issued a decree, not only allowing her to return to her hometown without guilt but also appointing her as a village Lord. She was rewarded with many things, and oh, a large mansion too. It has three main entrances. Let's go find the county magistrate tomorrow and see where the house is."

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 Chapter 360: Return

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 Chapter 359: Bitter Melon Tea

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  Chapter 64: Esteemed... Individuals

Two hours later, after changing back into their original clothes, the two of them arrived at Wan Family Feast. Before they could enter, they saw Xu Tian hurrying over.

"Master Chen!"

Xu Tian greeted them and led them inside, apparently intending to have lunch together.

"This time I'll host the meal. We owe a lot to you and your family, so it's only right that I treat you."

"Master Chen, that's not necessary. You are my idol, and Minister Yang entrusted me to take good care of you..."

The two of them kept refusing, and Chen Xue coughed from the side, feeling helpless. "How about this, each of you pays half!"

"That works!"

"Great idea!"

The three of them didn't order too many dishes because Chen Xue and her father were already full. They had tasted various street foods and ended up quite satisfied.

However, just when Chen Yuan finished his meal, he realized that his daughter seemed hungry again. He touched his own stomach, feeling perplexed.

"Master Chen, what's wrong? Don't you like the food?" Xu Tian had been paying attention to Lord Chen's situation and assumed that he didn't like the dishes since he hadn't touched his chopsticks.

"No, I was just lost in thought!" Chen Yuan shook his head and hastily picked up a little bit of food symbolically.

Seeing this, Xu Tian quickly stood up and used his chopsticks to pick up a full scoop of food for Chen Yuan.

"Master Chen, try this. It's good for your health. The waiter said it has the effect of invigorating the kidney and enhancing male vitality..."

"Pfft~"

Chen Xue was enjoying her meal when she heard this and ended up spitting out the food upon hearing Xu Tian's words. She looked up and saw Xu Tian serving food to her father as if he were a devoted wife, even mentioning something about invigorating the kidney.

How could she not let her mind wander with such remarks, especially considering Xu Tian had been idolizing her father from the start and even mentioned idolization?

It wasn't entirely implausible.

After all, from the beginning, Xu Tian had only had eyes for her father, always referring to him as an idol or the like.

Admiring idols was normal.

And there were stories about men being with men.

But the crucial point was that Chen Yuan was her father. If he really accepted Xu Tian's advances, could he face her mother?

Although she had just crossed over, in the few days she had been here, Chen Xue's mother had treated her very well. She had already accepted the existence of her parents. If their relationship...

Thinking of this, she felt a bit anxious and resentful. "Dad, are you planning to abandon Mom?"

"What nonsense are you talking about, abandoning your mom?" Lord Chen glared at her, "Why are you talking about this out of nowhere!"

As he spoke, he suddenly realized something was wrong, recalling Xu Tian's words. He lowered his head to look at the bowl filled with food, then looked at Xu Tian in horror.

He immediately understood why his daughter had misunderstood. He hurriedly explained, "Xue'er, don't talk nonsense. My heart towards your mother is as clear as day and night. I've only been with your mother in this lifetime, and if I'm lying, may I be struck by lightning."

"I also believe that Lord Chen is not that kind of person!" Although Xu Tian didn't understand why Lord Chen suddenly made such a solemn vow, he knew that helping Lord Chen couldn't be wrong.

As soon as he finished speaking, both Chen Xue and Lord Chen turned their heads and glared at him, then shouted in unison.

"Shut up!"

Xu Tian was scared stiff and sat down on the chair, not daring to speak, trembling.

For the rest of the time, Xu Tian dared not speak again or serve food to Lord Chen. He quietly ate his meal alone.

Lord Chen took the opportunity to give Chen Xue a thumbs-up, praising her for rescuing him in time.

Chen Xue rolled her eyes, indicating that she wasn't just saving him; she was just telling the truth. If he dared to betray Mom, she wouldn't agree.

After some time passed, when everyone had eaten their fill and drank enough, they were ready to leave.

Only then did Xu Tian dare to speak up. "Lord Chen, do you want to pack some food for Lady Chen?"

Chen Xue and her father had indeed considered packing food, but the food at this restaurant wasn't very tasty, not as good as what they bought on the street.

Now that Xu Tian brought it up, if they refused, it might spread rumors that their marriage was on the rocks.

"Then pack a portion!"

After saying that, Lord Chen patted his body and realized he was out of money. He had no choice but to look at his daughter.

Chen Xue silently took out some silver from her space and handed it over. This scene was also seen by Xu Tian, who suddenly felt emotional.

Indeed, the rumors about Lord Chen being penniless seemed to be true.

So, he rushed to offer to pay, but was glared at by both Chen Xue and her father, so he didn't dare to speak up.

The three of them left the restaurant and headed towards the exile group. After all, Lord Chen was worried that his wife would go hungry, so he wanted to hurry back to feed her.

On the way, Xu Tian saw them carrying so many things and quickly found someone to rent a carriage to help them transport the goods.

Chen Xue and her father suddenly realized this and bought more things. After all, these were the provisions for the servants, and it was also to maintain appearances.

At least in the future, when they took things out of their space, they could explain that they bought them in the city.

The man pulling the cart saw Chen Xue and her father buying a cartload of goods and didn't get angry. Instead, he became even happier.

After all, it was rare to encounter such esteemed individuals. Seeing them buy things so generously, he would definitely not treat himself unfairly.

After all, with the two of them buying so many things, there were bailiffs serving as escorts on their travels, indicating that their status was not simple.

When they returned to the group, everyone was still resting, but when they saw Xu Tian and Chen Xue returning with a cartload of goods, they couldn't help but feel envious.

"Damn corrupt officials, may they not die a peaceful death!"

Some people muttered enviously, while others among the convicts wished they could rush over and snatch the goods, but seeing the bailiffs nearby, they didn't dare to act.

The two of them returned to their carriage and had the servants load the goods onto it. Seeing the convicts wearing shackles carrying goods and calling Chen Xue and her father "Master" and "Miss," the man pulling the cart was dumbfounded.

Could it be... You two are actually exiled convicts?

At first, he thought the two were wealthy people out for a trip, but who knew...

How could exiled convicts have much money? Even if they did, it would have been extorted by the bailiffs long ago. The man pulling the cart suddenly felt cheated.

Even though he had seen Chen Xue and her father buy a cartload of goods earlier, he still thought they were bought for the bailiffs.

However, when Chen Yuan gave him a couple of silver coins, his teeth almost fell out from smiling so much. He kept thanking them profusely, completely forgetting his earlier complaints.

Because Captain Sun and the others were still enjoying themselves in the city, the group couldn't set off yet. It seemed that they were going to rest here for the day.

However, no one complained about this; instead, they were all quite happy.

"Why are you all so happy?" Madam Chen walked over. "Did you buy something good that made you laugh like this?"

Chen Xue grinned and immediately jumped into the carriage, intending to share the good things with her mother. However, as soon as she entered the carriage, she felt like something was missing. After a moment, she remembered the little servant standing outside the carriage and pulled her in as well.

She was clumsy and couldn't make hot pot base like Xiao Die.

Plus, she had bought a lot of delicious food and wanted to share it with Xiao Die.

Next Chapter▶▶

  Chapter 197: Handle

"You!" Zhang Mama couldn't help but sneer, "What benefits did that girl give you to make you speak up for her?"

"In this household, as long as you are a servant, you must address her as Miss Ou Yan! Is the girl someone you're entitled to call?"

Even if Ou Yan didn't give her a penny, she would still stand up for her, not for anything else but because she liked Ou Yan's personality and way of dealing with people.

Unlike Miss Yusha, who was so artificial and annoying.

"Miss Yusha has treated you well before," Zhang Mama walked along the corridor, her eyes always looking straight ahead, maintaining a smile on her lips, as if reminding her of something.

"Miss Ou Yan has also treated you well. How have you repaid her?"

Aunt Lan walked side by side with her in the corridor, then turned and stood in front of Ou Yan's room, whispering, "The attitude of the master and madam is clear. Whoever bullies Miss Ou Yan again or thinks about the young master, the consequences are self-evident, you know in your heart!"

She said this, knocked on the door, and respectfully said, "Miss Ou Yan, it's time for dinner."

"Huh, some people have chosen the wrong master and think they're clever!" Zhang Mama sneered sarcastically, then reached out and knocked on the door again, with a humble attitude, "Miss Yusha, it's time for dinner."

Two doors opened simultaneously.

Ou Yan walked out just in time to see Li Yusha.

Li Yusha was stunned for a moment, remembering the humiliation she had suffered today, her dissatisfaction surged in her heart, "Disappointed your sister today, didn't you?"

Ou Yan was about to pass by her, but upon hearing her words, she coldly curled her lips, "Little sister is truly ignorant. Don't you know there's something called 'Sky Eye' in the capital?"

"Sky Eye??" Li Yusha was startled. She had indeed heard of this thing. It wasn't the ordinary surveillance found in the market. It was as small as a grain of rice, but it could capture detailed images of the entire capital's streets, even to the extent of capturing every car's license plate and every person's movements.

It was said that only the top officials of the government departments had the qualifications to access Sky Eye. Some said it was to improve the overall quality of life and safety in the first-tier cities, while others said it was initially invested in the capital and would be promoted nationwide in the future to catch criminals.

Some even claimed that the family members of the top leaders in the capital lived in a place monitored by Sky Eye to ensure their safety.

Because of its wide coverage, as long as you weren't inside a building or obstructed, walking on the street, your every move could be seen!

Ou Yan opened her phone and enlarged the surveillance, "So it was you who opened the bottle caps."

Li Yusha and Zhang Mama looked over and saw Zhang Mama standing behind the truck, unscrewing two bottle caps with her hands, pretending to stumble when entering the door...

They hadn't expected such a surveillance system to exist, and it could capture such clear images!

"Is this person you?" Ou Yan raised her lips, coldly smiling, "If your old eyes can't recognize, I can take it downstairs and let everyone help identify..."

Zhang Mama was scared and knelt down immediately, "Miss Ou Yan, I was wrong. I shouldn't have wronged you..."

"Is it useful to apologize now? If this thing falls into the hands of the police, you're deliberately committing murder. If I hadn't accidentally stumbled, if it were a minor fall, you might only get three years in prison. If it were more serious, not to mention over three years, the entire Li family would hold you accountable!"

Zhang Mama trembled with fear, "Miss Ou Yan, tell me what you want me to do, as long as you don't tell the master and madam... I'll do anything!"

"Depends on my mood." Ou Yan put away her phone, "If I find you scheming behind my back or bullying Aunt Lan, then I don't know whether to hand this thing over to the police, to my parents, or to post it online."

Aunt Lan, standing beside her, hadn't expected Miss Ou Yan to mention her, and suddenly her spine straightened, showing some toughness!

"Miss Ou Yan, it was all my fault before, I will never do it again! I kowtow to you! Please delete the video..."

"Delete?" Ou Yan coldly smiled, "I just backed it up."

At the mention of this, Zhang Mama trembled even more.

Ignoring Zhang Mama's trembling like she was electrocuted, Ou Yan raised her phone and looked at Li Yusha, "Your people tried to harm me. Do you think you can escape responsibility? Will mom and dad believe you, or believe me?"

Li Yusha bit her lip, not expecting her to access Sky Eye and save the surveillance footage. How did she manage to do that?

"Aunt Lan, let's go."

Zhang Mama watched them leave, her whole person softened.

"Zhang Mama, are you okay?" Li Yusha hurriedly reached out to help her up.

"That place clearly had no surveillance. Could it really be Sky Eye, as Miss Ou Yan said? If that thing is so powerful, it can capture such clear images..."

Zhang Mama felt she was done for, too careless, thinking there was no surveillance in that place!

Completely unaware that there was such a thing as Sky Eye!

"We have to find a way to make her delete the video! It must not spread!" Li Yusha feared being implicated.

"But Miss Ou Yan, she doesn't seem like an easy person to talk to! She just said she backed it up!"

Isn't she deliberately keeping something to threaten them!

Too despicable!

"Zhang Mama, you don't know, that thing can't capture what's happening inside buildings. We can take action inside the building..."

Zhang Mama didn't expect Miss Yusha to suddenly become enlightened and come up with this idea, "Okay, as long as it can be deleted, we can rest assured..."

"Miss Ou Yan, you're really amazing!" Aunt Lan followed Ou Yan downstairs, unable to help but admire, "Since you have evidence, why don't you use it to accuse Miss Yusha! This matter is definitely related to her!"

Zhang Mama was definitely instigated by Li Yusha!

"This thing can only prove that Zhang Mama acted, as long as she insists that it was her own idea, unrelated to Li Yusha, and Li Yusha brings up the sentiment of growing up with her parents from childhood, or cries in front of the elders at home, cries in front of a few brothers..."

Then it's just a servant being fired!

Li Yusha, to a large extent, won't be kicked out!

At most, she'll face some minor punishment.

"This thing in my hands is like a handle, it can serve as a warning to them. If they're not afraid of death, can't sit still, they'll definitely find a way to threaten me to delete it."

Then they'll make mistakes, and we'll catch Li Yusha's mistakes!

And it has to be a big mistake!

Only then can parents make up their minds and no longer have any hope for her...

"Miss Ou Yan, you're really smart!" Aunt Lan reacted and admired this young lady, "Your thinking is thorough."

"That's enough." Ou Yan gestured for her to stop before entering the dining room.

Aunt Lan promptly shut her mouth.

During dinner, Li Yusha didn't dare to look at Ou Yan, keeping her head down, almost spilling the soup several times...