Chapter 68: The Disappearance of the Chen Family

"Captain, the Chen family has fled!"

Captain Sun was drinking when he heard this, and he sprayed the wine out in shock, looking at him incredulously, "What did you say?"

"The Chen family has fled!"

Bailiff Qian repeated once again, and this time Captain Sun finally reacted, "What's going on exactly? When did they flee?"

Bailiff Qian briefly explained, and after listening, Captain Sun frowned, "Are you sure the carriage was empty?"

"Sure!"

"What about the other carriage?"

Bailiff Qian suddenly choked up. He hadn't actually confirmed the other carriage yet, and for a moment, he panicked. Could he have made a mistake about the carriages?

Damn the Chen family, could they have deliberately set him up?

Seeing this, Captain Sun understood. He frowned, "Take some men and go confirm it again."

Bailiff Qian didn't dare to argue and quickly left, afraid that he had made a mistake.

Captain Sun then gathered his other subordinates. "Go gather all the prisoners together and count them."

...

"Chen Da, what should we do?"

The servants of the Chen family were a bit panicked when they saw the situation. Not only because they were surrounded by bailiffs, but also because of what bailiff Qian had said – the master had fled.

They were all baffled. How could they not know if the master had fled?

They had seen the master and Miss Chen enter the carriage with their own eyes, and they hadn't come out since then. So, how could the master have fled?

They had been guarding outside the carriage. If the master had come out, how could they not know?

But, it seemed that only after bailiff Qian opened the curtain did he say that the master had fled, meaning the master was not inside the carriage.

How was that possible!

So, they were both baffled and panicked, not knowing what to do.

Chen Da, however, remained calm. He didn't know why the master and the others in the carriage had disappeared, but he was very clear that they needed to buy time.

Maybe, by the time the time came, the master and the others would reappear.

So, Chen Da immediately found Yang Xiao Hua. "Do you have any medicine that can instantly make people unconscious or unable to move?"

Yang Xiao Hua was smart and immediately understood what they were up to. She couldn't refuse to help Chen Xue, so she naturally agreed.

"Yes, but I can't make it without the necessary herbs."

"This..."

Chen Da frowned as well. With the bailiffs watching them now, if they dared to leave, these people would attack them.

Even if they could leave, they wouldn't be able to find the necessary herbs in a short time, and making the medicine would take time too.

Before long, bailiff Qian returned with a group of men.

He went straight to the other carriage, as the first one had already been checked and found empty.

Seeing bailiff Qian heading towards the carriage loaded with supplies, the servants of the Chen family naturally objected.

"What are you doing? Trying to rebel?" One of Qian's subordinates shouted angrily.

"Sir, what's going on?" Chen Da still had some sense left and respectfully inquired, "We've been honest and law-abiding. Have we done anything wrong?"

But bailiff Qian ignored him and waved to his men, "Go check that carriage and see if anyone's inside!"

"Stop!"

"Stay your hand!"

The master humiliates the servants to death.

At this point, the servants of the Chen family were not concerned about the bailiffs' status. In their hearts, the Chen family was the boss, the most important.

Even the emperor didn't hold much sway in their hearts.

"You dare to defy us!"

Bailiff Qian directly drew his sword and slashed at the servants of the Chen family. The servants quickly dodged, but with shackles on, it was difficult to avoid, and one of them was injured. Fortunately, the wound wasn't deep.

"Chen Liu!"

Others hurried over to help him up, glaring at bailiff Qian, even picking up branches and various objects from the ground and throwing them.

But bailiff Qian and his men paid no attention. After all, they couldn't be harmed, except for catching a whiff of a strange smell.

They raised their weapons and started attacking, forcing the servants of the Chen family back. As long as they didn't kill them, there would be no consequences.

Furthermore, if the Chen family members really had fled, then these servants were as good as dead anyway. Even if they killed them, it wouldn't matter.

More and more bailiffs arrived and blocked the servants of the Chen family. bailiff Qian put away his weapon and opened the curtain of the carriage.

Sure enough, there was no one inside.

Not only that, but it was also filled with supplies.

In the past, he might have been tempted to take them, but now he just wanted to confirm whether the Chen family had really fled!

"Go tell the captain that the Chen family has fled!"

Bailiff Qian called out to one of his men and then looked at the first carriage again, wanting to confirm again to make sure he hadn't been mistaken.

"You scoundrels!"

The servants of the Chen family were very angry, but they were blocked by the armed bailiffs.

Boom!

Suddenly, one of the bailiffs seemed to lose his balance, not because of any other reason, but suddenly collapsed to the ground.

Other bailiffs also felt a slight weakness, and even Qian the bailiff felt a bit uncomfortable.

Seeing this, the servants of the Chen family immediately retreated a dozen steps, panting heavily beside the carriage.

Although Yang Xiao Hua didn't have this kind of medicine, she had asked her father for it. It was something they used for self-defense.

Although it couldn't kill, it could make people feel weak all over.

However, maybe because of the wind, the effect wasn't as good, but it seemed to have scared the bailiffs.

"What's going on?"

bailiff Qian's face changed. Could it be that the Chen family was getting their just deserts for impersonating the Kunshan Immortal?

But shouldn't it have been on the Chen family members? Why were the servants acting weirdly?

"What did you do?" bailiff Qian quickly realized and believed that it was the servants of the Chen family playing tricks.

"What? What did we do?" Chen Da looked confused, as if he didn't understand what he was saying.

Bailiff Qian snorted coldly, becoming smarter now. He didn't approach, "Let Chen Yuan come down. Otherwise, we'll report to the court that your Chen family intended to flee. By then, it won't be exile, but extermination of nine generations!"

"You..."

Chen Da and the others changed their expressions. If bailiff Qian really did that, then the result might really be as he said – extermination of nine generations.

But the key was, they didn't know where the master had gone?

They were sure the master was in the carriage, and he hadn't left. But bailiff Qian had said the master wasn't there.

So, they dared not ask the master, let alone lift the curtain. If the master wasn't there, wouldn't that expose everything?

Anyway, all they could do now was to buy time.

Chen Da decisively refused, "Our master has already gone to bed. Without his orders, how dare we disturb him!"

"Hmph!"

"I think he ran away!" bailiff Qian snorted coldly. "You need to think clearly. If Chen Yuan ran away, you are the scapegoats. He has abandoned you. Are you still going to protect him?"

"If you reveal his whereabouts and help us catch him, you can make contributions and maybe even avoid death."

Bailiff Qian tried to entice them, believing that few people could resist such temptation, after all, who wants to die!

As long as they weren't idiots, the servants of the Chen family would surely know how to choose the best option.

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 Chapter 866: Prosperous Lu Sanzhu

Da Niu nodded and explained his plan to Zhou Qiao. "Ah Yu said that sunflowers have a high value when they mature. Ah Yu also values them a lot. Just during dinner, she asked me about the sunflowers. I estimate that once things stabilize, she will start planting them on a large scale."

Zhou Qiao couldn't help but turn her head. "Ah Yu is already the village lord. Will she still plant flowers?"

Village lord received an annual salary, and her current status was more distinguished than those young ladies from wealthy families. Those young ladies spent their days at home embroidering and studying, and even when they went out, it was to appreciate flowers.

Da Niu chuckled. "You don't understand Ayu. She likes to rely on herself in everything. Even though she's the village lord, she won't miss out on any money-making opportunities. When she's ready to plant sunflowers, I'll go to Ah Yu and offer my help. We'll see where she buys land, and we'll go there."

But regardless of the location, Shishi Village was unlikely.

The available land there was only scattered, ranging from one to two acres.

However, Ayu had mentioned that sunflowers looked best when planted in a large area.

After listening to Da Niu's words, Zhou Qiao felt relieved. She knew that they couldn't hide from her mother-in-law forever, but for now, she really didn't want to deal with her mother-in-law, especially with her mother-in-law starting to urge them to have children.

Finally, the couple fell asleep peacefully.

Early the next morning, Da Niu and Zhou Qiao tidied up a bit and drove the cart to the south gate of the county town.

They arrived very early, and there were still few people on the streets. Most of the shops along the way were still closed, except for a few breakfast stalls that had already set up.

As a result, their journey was smooth, but even so, it took them quite some time to reach the south gate.

Da Niu stopped the cart and went to knock on Lu Sanzhu's courtyard gate first.

Lu Sanzhu was planning to buy a few steamed buns and mantou for breakfast. Now that he had received a few pay raises, he could occasionally go out to buy food when his wife felt lazy and didn't want to cook breakfast. It was simply blissful.

Who knew that as soon as he stepped into the courtyard, he heard a knocking sound on the door.

"Who is it so early in the morning?"

As he walked towards the door, Lu Sanzhu furrowed his brow. A bad premonition flashed through his mind. It couldn't be that something had happened again, right?

The Lu family had been quite unsettled lately. Last time, Er Niu was sent back home from the private school, and before that, Lan Hua's marriage was canceled.

And now, here they were, both husband and wife coming together. It happened at a critical moment when he hadn't gone out to work yet. Something major must have happened.

Lu Sanzhu didn't really want to get involved. He found it troublesome, so he turned his head and shouted into the house, "Child's mother, Da Niu and his wife are here. Hurry up and get up."

Then, he turned back to the couple standing at the door and said, "Da Niu if you have something to discuss, go find your Third Aunt. I have to go to work. It's not early anymore, and if I don't leave now, I'll be late."

He was about to leave without even buying breakfast.

Da Niu knew Lu Sanzhu quite well and could immediately see through his thoughts.

Feeling a bit helpless, he quickly reached out and grabbed Lu Sanzhu's arm. "Uncle, wait a minute. I came here to share some good news with you."

Lu Sanzhu instantly stopped in his tracks. "Good news?"

With a skeptical gaze, he scanned the couple from head to toe. Da Niu was an honest person and wouldn't lie to him.

Feeling reassured, Lu Sanzhu turned back. "What good news? Tell me."

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  Chapter 67: The Mastermind Escapes

He grabbed a torch and intended to throw it towards the carriage where Chen Xue was sitting.

"Swoosh—"

A hawk's cry pierced the sky, sounding extremely abrupt in the quiet night, waking many people up.

The servants of the Chen family were no exception. When they woke up, they saw Xiaoqing standing on the carriage, diving down.

Their vision blurred, and they saw a person falling to the ground, screaming in agony.

The servants of the Chen family immediately understood that someone was attempting an ambush. They became anxious. "Quick, protect the master and madam!"

The servants quickly surrounded the carriage where Chen Xue was, and then vigilantly watched the front.

Ahead, Xiaoqing's sharp claws grabbed the man's arm, causing him to scream in pain. He even tried to hit Xiaoqing with his hand.

"Beast, get off me!"

Xiaoqing quickly flapped its wings to dodge the man's attack, then its sharp claws struck towards the man's face.

The man instinctively used his other arm to shield his face, but he was instantly scratched, and blood gushed out, making him scream in pain again.

"Beast!"

He cursed and dared not stay any longer. After all, the mission had failed, and who would have expected there to be an eagle here?

Moreover, the servants of the Chen family were awake, and he didn't want to risk his life.

"Don't even think about running!"

The servants of the Chen family couldn't let him escape. They quickly picked up wooden sticks from the ground as weapons and blocked the man.

"Get out of the way!"

The man roared and rushed forward recklessly, trying to break through, but the servants of the Chen family kept hitting him with the sticks, and Xiao Qing occasionally attacked from behind, tearing his back to pieces.

"Help, help... Chen's family is killing someone!"

Realizing that escaping was futile, the man suddenly shouted in desperation.

The nearby people had already been awakened by Xiaoqing's cries, and now hearing the man's words, they became even more alert.

The timid ones subconsciously moved away from the scene, while the bold ones came over to watch, including the Zhang family.

"Stop! What are you doing?" Several bailiffs rushed over and shouted at the servants of the Chen family, trying to stop them from attacking.

Xiaoqing was also smart. Seeing the bailiffs with swords appearing, it knew it was not good to provoke them, so it stopped attacking.

The servants of the Chen family also refrained from attacking.

Seeing this, the man quickly hid behind the bailiffs.

One of the Chen family's servants, named Chen Yi, who had been loyal to the Chen family since his grandfather's generation, stepped forward. "Gentlemen, this man intended to attack our master, and we caught him red-handed..."

"Nonsense!" The man suddenly interrupted Chen Yi's words and argued cunningly, "It was you who attacked me first. I was passing by here, who knew the eagle you raised suddenly attacked me, and then you all attacked me together..."

Watching the man distort the truth, the servants of the Chen family were furious. "You're the one talking nonsense! Have you ever heard of someone passing by into someone else's carriage?"

"If it weren't for Miss's pet finding out, you would have set the fire already!" Chen Yi had noticed the torch at the man's feet earlier, so he knew what the man intended to do and was naturally very angry.

"You wanted to set fire to our carriage and harm our master, and now that we've caught you, you want to twist the truth."

The man didn't expect to be discovered by the Chen family's servants. He felt very anxious, but he refused to admit it.

"I said I was just passing by, do you have any evidence?"

Chen Da and others were speechless.

At this moment, Yang Xiao Hua suddenly walked out. "I have a medicine. After taking it, anyone will tell the truth when asked. Do you dare to try?"

Although she was young, she was brave at this time. She was very grateful to Chen Xue for saving her, so she naturally remembered her kindness and wanted to help now.

As for the medicine she just mentioned, she didn't actually have it, but she knew that the man was stubborn and dared not actually try it.

Sure enough, the man became nervous when he heard this. "Nonsense, there's no such medicine in this world!"

"Since you don't believe it, do you dare to try?" Yang Xiao Hua raised her little face and stared at the man.

The man's face turned ugly. How could he dare to try it? So he looked at the bailiffs beside him, signaling them. Didn't we agree that I would help you, and you would save me when things went wrong? Hurry up and help me!

Seeing this, the bailiffs said, "Alright, let's stop here. We'll take him away. If he wants to kill someone, we'll find out through the investigation. If it's true, we won't let him off."

After speaking, the bailiffs turned around and prepared to take the man away.

But the servants of the Chen family looked at each other, then looked at Chen Yi. Chen Yi gritted his teeth and decided not to let them take the man away like this. It was not only about letting them take the man away, but also about the face of their Chen family. Most importantly, how to deal with the man was not up to them to decide; it was up to the master to decide.

So, he joined the other servants of the Chen family in stopping the bailiffs.

"No way!"

"He wanted to harm our master. How can we let him go so easily? At the very least, we need to wait for our master's consent."

"Who do you think you are!" The bailiffs sneered disdainfully. "What qualifications do you have to stop us?"

"Get out of here!"

Originally, they wanted to make up for their mistake by instigating a criminal to attack the Chen family. Who knew he was such a useless person? Not only did he fail to accomplish the task, but he also got caught.

How could they afford to let him stay? Wasn't this just handing them a handle?

So they were full of anger, naturally not polite to Chen Yi.

Chen Yi's face darkened. After thinking for a moment, he returned to the carriage. After all, he couldn't make the decision on this matter.

"Master—"

He respectfully called out, but received no response. His heart sank. Could something have happened to the master?!

After all, there was such a commotion just now, but the master didn't come out?

But, he also worried that the master was just asleep, so he was not awakened by the noise.

While hesitating, the two bailiffs had already taken the man away. Seeing this, the other criminals became anxious.

"Chen Yi, what should we do?"

After thinking for a moment, Chen Yi said, "Let them go. After all, they are bailiffs. It's better not to offend them too much. It's not good for our master."

And his mind was not here, but worried about the masters. After thinking about it, he knocked on the carriage, raising his voice a few decibels.

"Master, there's trouble outside."

However, there was still no movement inside.

Chen Yi's face looked extremely ugly. He wanted to open the curtain, but without the master's order, doing so would be crossing the line.

He had heard a lot about other mansions. Once they crossed the line, they would be fined at best, and at worst, they would be beaten to death.

Regardless.

If Chen Yuan was not in danger, he would beat himself to death.

If there was danger, but because of his own reasons, the master would be in trouble, he wouldn't even be forgiven by his deceased father and grandfather for the rest of his life.

Just as he was about to open the curtain, a figure rushed over from not far away.

The person was none other than bailiff Qian.

He had originally been watching from the sidelines, but he noticed Chen Yi's actions and saw him shouting at the carriage without getting a response.

Seeing him wanting to open the curtain but not daring to do so, he felt that something was wrong. The first thing that came to his mind was that Chen Yuan had fled.

So he didn't care about his previous oath or anything else. He rushed over quickly, pushed Chen Yi away, and then opened the curtain.

Sure enough, there was no one inside the carriage.

Boom!

Bailiff Qian felt like he had been struck by lightning, and he stood there dumbfounded.

Did he really escape?

The next moment, he panicked. "Chen Yuan" was the "mastermind"! If he escaped, the entire exiled team might be beheaded.

He didn't want to die!

"Someone! Come here!"

He panicked and shouted loudly, and soon many bailiffs rushed over.

Bailiff Qian pointed at the servants of the Chen family and shouted, "Keep an eye on them! Don't let them escape too!"

After that, he ran to find Captain Sun in a hurry. "Captain, something bad happened. Chen's family has escaped!"

"What?"

Next Chapter▶▶

 Chapter 865: Zhou Qiao's Worries

Da Niu immediately turned over to face her and asked with concern, "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

"No, I'm fine."

"Then why are you frowning? Aren't you happy that Uncle Erbai's family is back?"

Zhou Qiao sat up abruptly. "Of course, I'm happy. I've been looking forward to their return. It's just that... it's just that..."

"Just what? Is there something you can't tell me?" Da Niu also sat up.

Zhou Qiao pursed her lips, turned her face slightly, and whispered, "I'm afraid that if I say it, you won't feel comfortable."

"No, I won't. Just tell me, I'm listening."

Taking a deep breath, Zhou Qiao finally spoke in a soft voice, "I was just thinking that now that Uncle Erbai's family is back, this shop will be managed by second Auntie alone. Shouldn't we return to Shishi Village?"

As she spoke, her fingers fidgeted uneasily.

Zhou Qiao hadn't thought about occupying the shop and not giving it back. It wasn't hers to begin with; she was just temporarily taking care of it.

She wasn't afraid of returning to the village to do farm work. She had grown up doing that and had long been accustomed to it.

However, returning to the village meant living at home and getting along with her mother-in-law.

She had no understanding of Li Shi before. She had only heard that Li Shi was a decent person and always treated others kindly.

Since she had lost her mother, she had hoped to take care of Li Shi like a mother after getting married.

But after getting married, she realized that she had been too naive.

Da Niu was good, and her father-in-law treated her well too. Lan Hua was a beautiful girl who occasionally had her own thoughts, but she was easy to talk to and respected Zhou Qiao. Er Niu was lively and studying at a private school, so they didn't spend much time together.

In any family, there might be some flaws, but they were all willing to adapt to each other.

It was only her mother-in-law who put on a sweet face while harboring a bitter heart. When they were in front of others, Li Shi would praise Zhou Qiao endlessly, but once they were home, she would delegate all the chores to her and nitpick over the slightest dissatisfaction. She always wanted Zhou Qiao to follow the standards of the dowry and gifts she received at the time of their marriage.

Zhou Qiao was truly afraid of her mother-in-law. Fortunately, Da Niu brought her to the county town to look after the shop.

Even then, her mother-in-law was still unwilling and claimed that a daughter-in-law should stay at home and serve her in-laws, rather than enjoying herself in the county town.

It was only when her elder sister-in-law returned to her maiden home and said that Da Niu married late, while others their age already had two children. If the couple were separated, when would her mother-in-law get to hold her grandchildren?

Reluctantly, her mother-in-law agreed to let her follow Da Niu to the county town.

But her mother-in-law still felt dissatisfied and insisted on coming along, claiming that she would take care of the couple's daily life.

However, Da Niu refused. With only one room in the shop, where would his mother stay?

His mother wanted to stay at Ah Xiang's place in Liufang Lane, but Da Niu still disagreed. Ah Xiang's house was used for making clothes, and there wasn't much space to stay.

Moreover, if his mother came to the county town, what would happen to their home? Er Niu needed to go to school, Lan Hua was preparing for marriage, and his father worked in the fields all day. They needed a mistress in the house.

Thinking about having to live with her mother-in-law every day after returning to the village, Zhou Qiao felt a bit stifled.

Da Niu, who had been with his wife for six months, could guess her thoughts to some extent. He reached out and held her restless hands, whispering, "Don't worry, I'll be there. Although we have to return the shop to Uncle Erbai, I can grow sunflowers."

"You mean the yellow ones in the yard, the ones the size of a basin?"

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 Chapter 362: Secrets

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 Chapter 361: Identity

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 Chapter 200: Big Brother Comes for Inspection

"I see." Ou Yan hadn't expected him to prepare gifts for Grandpa and Grandma. Thinking about it, she hadn't given him a gift since they met. It was time to think about what to give him.

"I heard that tomorrow we can check the college entrance exam results?" Si Yechen glanced at her with concern. "Are you nervous?"

Ou Yan: ???? Why was he asking the same questions as Big Brother?

"Not really."

"Any university in mind?" Si Yechen asked gently. "As long as you like it, you can attend."

Ou Yan curled her lips. "Can I still get in if my scores aren't enough?"

"All universities in the world are based on whether you like them or not. Scores don't matter."

Did that mean he wanted to help her get in through the back door?

"Let's see tomorrow." Ou Yan didn't have a university in mind, but she thought of what Grandpa said. She might choose the place where he was.

Although Grandpa was a bit verbose...

After a while, Si Yechen dropped her off at the company gate.

As soon as Ou Yan stepped inside, He Ninguz rushed over to report, "Miss Ou Yan, your, your, your big brother is here!"

"Big brother?"

"He'll hold an emergency meeting in ten minutes. Employees of vice-director level and above must attend, including you."

"Where is he?"

"He's already waiting in the meeting room!"

Ou Yan handed her things to Hening and asked him to take them to the office. Walking towards the meeting room, many employees rushed ahead, chatting eagerly.

"I didn't expect President Li to come to inspect our company in person!"

"I just met him downstairs, so handsome! His face is perfect from every angle!"

"I wonder what kind of girl is worthy of him."

"Don't daydream. With President Li's status, he must be with a rich girl, not us poor girls!"

"President Li's aura is so strong. I think only someone like Miss Ou Yan can match him."

Ou Yan entered the elevator, and just as the doors were about to close, she saw the employees panicking and quickly greeted her. 

"No worries, you can continue," Ou Yan said, understanding that gossip among employees was inevitable. She pressed the button to close the elevator.

Many employees held their breaths, afraid to speak.

"Why are you silent?" Ou Yan wanted to hear their gossip.

"President Ou, do you think President Li is handsome?" one of the female employees dared to ask. 

She was asking if her big brother was handsome?

Ou Yan blurted out without hesitation, "He's not bad."

"Is he your type?" the female employee continued, "If President Li pursued you, would you agree to be with him?"

Ou Yan: ???? How could she be with her big brother?

"Not likely."

How could she be with her big brother?!

"Why not?" Other employees were puzzled, "A young, handsome, wealthy man like President Li, there's no one else like him in the world, right?"

"There is." Ou Yansaid without hesitation.

"There's still someone else? Who?" Some employees didn't understand, "President Ou, you don't have a boyfriend, do you?"

"President Ou is so young, what are you guys thinking?"

"Exactly! Even if President Ou has a boyfriend, he must be outstanding!"

"President Ou, do you know why President Li suddenly came for inspection? Is there something urgent?" "Please, not layoffs!"

"Oh no, I'm afraid of layoffs..."

The elevator doors opened with a 'ding', and several employees followed Ou Yan's steps, seeing Li Yihan. They all greeted him, "Good morning, President Li!"

Ou Yan also greeted him.

"Sit next to me." Li Yihan patted the seat beside him and looked at Ou Yan kindly.

Everyone was surprised. Why was President Li so friendly to Ou Yan? Did that mean she wouldn't be fired?

Ou Yan sat down next to Li Yihan, and he said, "I'm just here to see, no need to be nervous."

His gaze swept over everyone, but it seemed like he was speaking to Ou Yan.

Hearing this, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. As long as it wasn't layoffs!

After a while, Li Yihan asked about the recent situation of the company, and several department heads mentioned Ou Yan.

"Does President Li know about what happened in the company before? Fortunately, with Miss Ou Yan around, the company didn't collapse!"

"If it wasn't for Miss Ou Yan sacrificing herself and participating in the design competition with me, I wouldn't have won the championship. The company wouldn't have become so successful. Miss Ou Yan is the biggest contributor!"

The one who said this was Yin Panpan, who had been promoted to head of the design department. She looked at Li Yihan with great earnestness, "Since President Li is here, I request headquarters to give Miss Ou Yan some rewards!"

"That's a good idea, we agree! Miss Ou Yan deserves a reward for her contributions."

Li Yihan's gaze shifted to everyone. "I heard her college entrance exam results will be out soon."

"Ah? Miss Ou Yan is still in high school!"

"When Miss Ou Yan's college entrance exam results come out, will she go to university and not come to the company anymore?"

"Don't leave us, Miss Ou Yan..."

▶▶After breaking off the engagement, Mr. Si chased his wife to the crematorium!

  Chapter 66: Farming on the Road of Exile

To be honest, Chen Xue had never made hot pot base before. Whenever she wanted to eat hot pot, she would just buy a ready-made pack.

Fortunately, she had seen the process of making hot pot base during her confinement, so she knew a little about it. She shared everything she knew with Xiao Die.

However, there were some details she couldn't quite remember, so she had to rely on Xiao Die to figure it out herself.

But instead of complaining, Xiao Die silently experimented with it. Each time she made a batch, she would taste it, even if her mouth turned red from the spiciness, she wouldn't stop.

Chen Xue took out some fruit to help ease the spiciness for her, and told her not to rush, to take it slowly. She assured her that it was okay if they didn't get it right in one day, or even two or three days, or even ten days or half a month.

But Xiao Die insisted. She felt that she had to complete the task entrusted to her to be worthy of herself.

Helpless, Chen Xue could only let her be and went to her mother to help make chili sauce.

Besides making chili sauce, she also wanted to dry some chili peppers.

Chili sauce was a condiment for meals, while dried chili peppers were ingredients for cooking and were indispensable.

However, there was no sunlight in the space, so they couldn't dry the chili peppers. Of course, they could take them outside to dry, like on top of the carriage.

But since everyone else was in exile, if they openly dried the chili peppers, it would seem like they were preparing a feast, which would only attract resentment.

"We need to expand these vegetable fields!" Chen Yuan walked over with a hoe, covered in dirt from head to toe, including his face.

"Since we've started, let's plant more." Chen Yuan pointed to the vegetable fields. "We have ten fields now, less than an acre of land. Although we have provisions in the space, we must consider what will happen if we don't harvest enough grain when we reach the Southern Barbarians."

At that time, if they didn't hand over enough grain, they would be punished.

And most importantly, they didn't submit grain by family, but by headcount, or they could choose to submit two-thirds of their production.

In other words, if they calculated by family, and they had to hand over ten catties, if they calculated by head, each person would have to hand over ten catties, which would be hundreds of catties.

The problem was, their area was all uncultivated land, and the grain yield in the first year wouldn't be high. Even if they calculated three hundred catties, each person would have to hand over ten catties, which would be hundreds of catties for a dozen people.

Of course, some people might say that choosing to submit two-thirds of the yield could avoid this.

In that case, even if the yield was only ten catties, they would only need to submit six catties. However, the bailiffs there weren't so accommodating.

When they said two-thirds, they meant two-thirds of their standard, which was three hundred catties.

In other words, no matter which option they chose, they would have to hand over hundreds of catties of grain in the end.

So, if they didn't harvest in the first year, they would have to find other ways to make up for it.

Chen Yuan's idea was to plant more grain in the space. If they didn't harvest enough later, they could use the grain from the space to make up for it and avoid punishment.

Moreover, it would take at least six months to reach the Southern Barbarians, which meant that by the time they arrived, they would have harvested one crop of grain.

When the Southern Barbarians started farming, they could continue to farm a second crop in the space. This way, they wouldn't lack grain and could avoid the trouble caused by insufficient submissions.

"So, from now on, all of us will come to work in the fields at night." Mr. Chen looked solemnly at Chen Xue and the others.

"Ah..."

Chen Xue opened her mouth wide. It was okay to plant a little, but planting dozens of mu of land was really tiring, especially since she had hardly worked in the fields since she grew up, so it was hard for her to bear.

"Dad, we're all in exile, why don't we just enjoy ourselves?" Chen Xue wanted to act coquettishly, but was interrupted by Chen Yuan, "You said it yourself, we're already in exile, so we must be prepared for anything. Our fate is no longer in our hands."

"Besides, even if we don't prepare for exile to the Southern Barbarians, we should still prepare for other things. If we encounter an unstoppable crisis, this is our last refuge."

"Furthermore, didn't you say you wanted to lose weight?" Chen Yuan said, glaring at them, "Farming is the most effective way to lose weight."

"Are you glaring at me?"

Madam Chen glared back instead.

Chen Yuan's imposing manner disappeared instantly, replaced by a smile. "I'm glaring at Xiao Xue!"

"Are you glaring at my daughter?"

"No, I..."

Chen Yuan was about to explain, but was interrupted by Madam Chen, "Alright, let's plan later on how to farm. I'm not very familiar with it, so it's necessary to make several preparations."

Since both parents said so, Chen Xue had nothing to say. Although she had only crossed over into this world for less than a month, she had intended to enjoy her life as a wealthy young lady, but who knew...

Who knew she would be exiled? Even though she had the space now and could enjoy the life of exile, who knew... she still couldn't escape farming...

In her past life, she farmed since she was young, studying hard just to avoid farming. She worked hard to earn money, giving up on enjoying life just for a better future, but unfortunately, she hadn't had a chance to enjoy it before crossing over.

However, in this life, it was also nice to meet parents who loved her.

...

Night fell, and everyone fell into a deep sleep.

The Chen family's servants stood guard beside the carriage, while the Chen family worked in the fields in the space, working hard.

At this time, a figure emerged from the woods and crept towards the Chen family's carriage.

The Chen family's servants were sleeping on the side and were completely unaware of the impending danger.

The figure stared at the Chen family's carriage, thinking about which one to set on fire.

If possible, he planned to burn them all.

After all, why should they enjoy such comfort while everyone else was in exile, suffering wind, sun, rain, and hunger, with nothing to drink when thirsty, and only book covers to eat, even if the bailiffs distributed food, it was just hard buns and coarse cakes, not fit for human consumption.

Although Chen Yuan was not corrupt and wasn't the mastermind, since he was exiled, he should receive the same treatment as everyone else.

Unfortunately, others were afraid to act against the Chen family, but he was not. Otherwise, he would have definitely burned all the carriages before the Chen family caught him.

Forget it, I don't want to think about this.

Now, he could burn one carriage, and that would be enough. Since he was having a hard time, they shouldn't have it easy either.

A look of hatred flashed in the man's eyes as he squatted down, picked up a small stone, and threw it towards where the Chen family was, "Ping," in the quiet night, the sound was very crisp.

One of the Chen family's servants seemed to hear something and made a move. The hidden person was immediately scared stiff, hiding in the bushes.

After a moment, he saw that the Chen family's servant had just turned over, and he breathed a sigh of relief, realizing it was just a false alarm.

The man breathed a sigh of relief and then quietly walked over, picking up a burning stick from the nearby fire pit.

Then he walked towards the carriage where Chen Xue and the others were, and threw the torch in his hand towards the carriage.

Although there was no oil, as long as the curtain was lit, the carriage would soon be engulfed in flames.

The man grinned triumphantly.

Next Chapter▶▶

  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.