Chapter 103: Fever

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  Chapter 242: As Long As You

"Little girl, how many more identities do you have that I don't know about?" Si Yechen looked down at the girl beside him.

"Not many."

So, there are still some?

Si Yechen's eyes softened. He didn't expect the little girl to have so many identities. What had she experienced in the past to become so strong?

"The Bai family used to... treat you badly?" Si Yechen seemed to anticipate something and suddenly asked.

"Yeah, not very well."

"Then when you were young, you must have suffered a lot." Si Yechen stopped walking and couldn't help but embrace her.

Ou Yan suddenly found herself embraced by him, smelling his refreshing scent. Suddenly, she felt surrounded by warmth, which made her cold heart gradually warm up.

"I'll be here for you in the future." Si Yechen held her face lovingly, looking at her tenderly. "If you're ever wronged, just tell me, don't keep it to yourself, okay?"

"Okay." Ou Yan smiled gently at him.

The little girl smiled at him??

Si Yechen couldn't help but lower his head and give her a kiss.

The cinema staff were all stunned, especially the manager. They couldn't believe that the once cold and ruthless Si Yechen would be so affectionate to a girl!

It was evident that he loved the girl in front of him very much, and the sincerity in his eyes made people envious to the point of madness!

Such a handsome Mr. Si!

I never expected him to have such a tender side!

This girl is so lucky to be cherished by him like this!!

After leaving her lips, Si Yechen looked at her affectionately. "I'll carry you."

Ou Yan wore high heels today, and Si Yechen didn't want her to walk too hard...

But she reminded him softly, "This is the cinema."

"Does the cinema rule against carrying your fiancée?"

"..." No, it didn't.

Si Yechen didn't care about the gazes of others, reaching out his hand, but Ou Yan didn't want to attract attention.

The bustling mall was crowded, and besides, when she used to go to Ouyan Group, she often wore high heels to make herself look more mature. She was used to it.

Without waiting for her to refuse, Si Yechen suddenly picked her up. "You're so light, eat more in the future."

Ou Yan looked into his eyes. "Can you carry me even if I gain weight?"

"Even if you gain two hundred pounds, it's okay."

"..." Two hundred pounds, what would she look like if she got that fat? Become a ball?

"Do you still want two hundred pounds?"

"Don't talk about two hundred pounds..." Si Yechen looked at her, indulgently saying, "No matter how many pounds you gain, I want you. I only want you in this lifetime."

"..." Ou Yan lowered her eyes, her cheeks feeling warm.

"Don't think you can leave me if you gain weight!" Si Yechen said each word with indulgence and tenderness. "You'll definitely be cute when you're fat. I can't help but want to see what you look like when you're fat."

"..." You won't see it in this lifetime!

"In the future, when you're with me, you don't need to wear high heels." Si Yechen carried her forward, his figure long and domineering. "High heels are bad for your feet and uncomfortable to wear."

"You know about these things?"

"I have a women's shoe production line. I'll take you to pick some in person next time." Si Yechen smiled gently at her. "If you don't find any you like, it's okay. You can consider the person instead."

"..." This guy seizes every opportunity to confess!

"Oh my god, look, the princess carry!"

"That guy is so handsome! Tall and handsome!"

"That girl's face isn't visible, but her figure is good, her face must be pretty."

...

Si Yechen carried Ou Yan to the car, then fastened her seatbelt and drove her home.

Li Canxi raised his watch to check the time. Damn it! What time is it already?! Doesn't this Si Yechen have any sense of propriety? His sister is only a few years old, how can she come home so late?!

When the clock pointed to nine o'clock, Si Yechen's car suddenly stopped at the entrance of the villa, and Li Canxi rushed up happily.

His sister was finally home!

Finally back!

Ou Yan had just gotten out of the car and saw Li Canxi eagerly looking at her. He even affectionately called her Xiao Yan! She was a little confused. What was Li Canxi expecting? Could it be...

"I didn't bring you any late-night snacks," Ou Yan said truthfully.

"No no no, I'm not hungry! I don't want late-night snacks!" Li Canxi grinned and asked, "Did you have fun today when you went out?"

"Yeah, it was fun."

"Did anyone bully you?"

"No."

With Si Yechen's protection, she was unharmed.

"That's good, as long as you're happy~" Li Canxi rubbed her head. His sister was so obedient and cute, so lovable!

"Are you her brother?!" Si Yechen couldn't stand such intimacy.

"Can't I pat her and praise her for being so obedient?" Li Canxi didn't expect this guy to monopolize Ou Yan all day long, not even allowing him to touch a strand of her hair! Was that reasonable? Polite?

"Alright, Fifth Brother, let's go inside." Ou Yan finished speaking and looked at Si Yechen again. "Be careful on the way home."

"Okay." Si Yechen also touched her head, not expecting her to remind him to be careful on the road. She was so obedient and cute.

"Damn it, Si Yechen, move your hand away from her..."

"Because Yan Yan is so obedient and cute, can't I pat her and praise her?"

"Y-You..." Li Canxi didn't expect this guy to mimic his tone of speech, and he became even angrier.

"I'll call you when I get home." Si Yechen looked at Ou Yan, his eyes seemingly full of endless words.

The affectionate look made Li Canxi step forward and block their line of sight. "Why call?! You've been chatting nonsense all day today, isn't that enough? Yan Yan needs to rest!"

Si Yechen automatically blocked him out, after all, he was a head taller than him. His gaze naturally fell on Ou Yan. "See you tomorrow."

"What's there to see tomorrow? It's my turn tomorrow!" Li Canxi saw him getting into the car and couldn't help but say, "Tomorrow I'll take Yan Yan out for shopping! Don't come!"

After finally getting two days off, if this guy took Ou Yan away all the time...

How could he, her big brother, show his affection?

"Canxi." Si Yechen suddenly rolled down the car window, revealing his handsome face.

"What?" Li Canxi asked, annoyed.

"A one billion endorsement from Star. Will you take it tomorrow?"

The Star series under the Si Group? Star?

But thinking of his sister, Li Canxi didn't hesitate and refused resolutely, "No!"

"Three billion."

"Si Yechen, don't talk to me about money, I swear..."

"Ten billion."

Li Canxi immediately leaned against the car window and asked, "What time?"

Si Yechen smiled. "From nine in the morning to nine at night."

"Only one day??" This old fox, just to prevent him from accompanying Ou Yan, he was willing to spend money to buy a day of his time! Too much!!

"But if you finish filming early, you can leave."

"Really? It's a deal!" Li Canxi said, then smiled at Ou Yan. "Yan Yan, tomorrow, Big Brother will earn some pocket money for you again, and the day after tomorrow, I'll take you out to play. Be good."

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

  Chapter 220: Discussing Marriage Matters in the Boudoir, Banquet with Hidden Calculations (4)

Seeing Xiao Hua, who was more docile and affectionate than a dog, Lin Yong took a deep breath. "She's a good one."

Xiao Hua cast a proud glance at Lin Yong, giving him a knowing look that said, "You're smart," then squinted her eyes, enjoying Mo Yan's caress.

Lin Yong chuckled speechlessly, envy evident in his eyes as he glanced at Mo Yan. It was rare to find a wolf as obedient and well-behaved as Xiao Hua, probably the only one in the entire Da Chu.

The hot water from the kitchen continuously flowed into the yard, and Lin Yong worked quickly. With the help of Mo Qingze and others, they managed to clean up the pile of wild animals in just one afternoon.

As for the hides of these animals, except for a few holes bitten on the necks, the rest were in very good condition. Mo Yan planned to tan these hides and make fur coats for the family when the weather turned cold, as the winters in the north were quite harsh.

Lin Yong volunteered to tan the hides and hoped that Mo Yan would lend Xiao Hua to him for a day.

"You have to ask her about that. She has to be willing herself," Mo Yan rarely forced Xiao Hua. Usually, when she restrained it, it was because she didn't want it to do anything wrong.

Lin Yong was taken aback and actually asked Xiao Hua about it.

Perhaps feeling a connection with Lin Yong, Xiao Hua agreed without much thought. As for how she agreed... she scratched Lin Yong's foot with her paw and then... urinated on it.

Although the August weather was not as hot as June, if so much meat were left out in the open overnight, it would still spoil.

After salting the wild game, Mo Yan and the others helped carry it to the cool cellar. The cellar was built under the main house with the help of a friend skilled in digging cellars after the house was built. It was quite spacious, covering nearly fifty square meters.

That evening, Mo Yan personally cooked a meal to entertain Lin Yong, using various cooking methods such as frying, stewing, and boiling to make a delicious feast of wild game.

This wasn't the first time Lin Yong had tasted Mo Yan's cooking, but it was the first time he had tasted wild game cooked so deliciously, especially considering its strong odor. He couldn't stop eating.

Mo Yan and the others also ate a lot, especially Zhen'er, who refused to eat in order to eat more on an empty stomach. After being sternly scolded by Mo Qingze, he reluctantly picked up his bowl, but ended up suffering from indigestion at night, rolling around in pain with a bloated stomach.

The family was worried sick, and in the end, Li Xiu came up with a crude solution, using pepper water to help him expel the gas from his stomach.

Mo Qingze was both distressed and angry, and he gave him a stern lesson.

By this time, it was almost dawn, and seeing that Zhen'er was fine, everyone hurried back to catch up on their sleep. They had to wake up early today!

When it was just getting light, Cai Shi,  Xiong Shi, Zhou Shi, and several other women came over to help, bringing knives and cutting boards from their homes. Upon learning that the ingredients were all stored in the kitchen's compartment, they busied themselves washing and cutting.

Mo Yan and the others also took out some of the wild game from the cellar. There was too much wild game, and even if they made twenty or thirty banquet tables, they wouldn't be able to finish it all. Moreover, they were all large animals, so one of each kind was enough.

The remaining half was kept for later, to be given as gifts to close friends and relatives.

Cai Shi and the others looked at the various types of wild game, some of which they had never seen before, and couldn't close their mouths for a while.

It was extremely prestigious to have so many rare wild animals appear on the banquet table all at once. If calculated according to the standards of a restaurant, each table would probably cost no less than ten taels of silver. With twenty or thirty tables, it would amount to several hundred taels!

The women discussed excitedly. Having lived for decades, they had never seen anyone as generous as the Mo family. Although other families also provided meat and eggs for weddings, they usually distributed them based on the number of guests. Such a large amount all at once was rare to see.

▶▶The Peasant Girl’s Splendid Manor

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 Chapter 996: Hua Xian's Experience

Hua Xian tightly clenched her fingers, feeling a sense of unease.

In reality, she should have let go of her past and not mention anything negative about her previous employer. Speaking ill of the previous household could easily make the current mistress dislike her, thinking that she was someone who gossiped and caused discord.

That's why when the old lady discovered the scars on her body, Hua Xian immediately denied it. Although the old lady didn't press further, she gave her two boxes of scar ointment, claiming that it was very effective. The Third Miss had used that scar ointment to remove scars on her face before.

Compared to Fan's old lady, her current mistress was truly kind, especially the old lady whom she had been spending time with recently. The old lady had a sharp tongue but a tender heart. Even though she was just a servant, the old lady treated her with great care.

Hua Xian cherished and enjoyed the simple and warm life she had now. She just wanted to serve the old lady with all her heart.

But she never expected that Fan's old lady would want to live with the Third Madam. Hua Xian knew that when the Second Miss bought her, a large part of the reason was because the Third Madam had spoken up for her.

She felt grateful to the Third Madam and didn't want her to suffer because of her grandmother's sweet-and-sour behavior. Moreover, she heard their conversation just now, and it seemed like the Second Miss was persuading the Third Madam to bring her back.

If the Third Madam had a miserable life and developed a grudge against the Second Miss because of her concealment, Hua Xian would truly regret it.

With these thoughts in mind, Hua Xian took a deep breath and finally spoke, "Second Miss, Fan's old lady isn't easy to get along with."

"Not easy to get along with?" Shu Yu frowned. The old lady did mention that Hua Xian had injuries, but Shu Yu hadn't seen them with her own eyes.

Now that she saw them, she realized that the situation was even more serious than she had imagined.

With a stern face, Shu Yu pulled Hua Xian into the courtyard, standing in front of Ding Yuehua.

Ding Yuehua was taken aback for a moment but immediately noticed the scars on Hua Xian's revealed arms. Her expression changed instantly. "How did this happen?"

Hua Xian looked at Shu Yu, and she nodded. "Go on."

"Old Madam Fan had conflicts with Madam Fan years ago, and her temperament changed a lot. Others say that she moved to the estate because she was disheartened, but in reality, she had no choice and was forced to do so. As a result, her mood fluctuated. When she was in a bad mood, she would complain of headaches and chest pains, and Zhao Mama would send me to give her massages. If the pressure was too light, I would be scolded, and if it was too strong, I would be hit. Other people were smart and kept their distance, but I couldn't escape and became the old lady's punching bag."

Since the matter had come to this point, Hua Xian no longer concealed anything and told the whole story.

"Actually, when the Third Madam got married and the old lady brought me back, I went to find Aunt Xue myself. I asked her to help me plead with Madam Fan, allowing me to stay in the mansion for marriage instead of returning to the estate."

Aunt Xue was the steward who had taken care of Hua Xian.

Hua Xian lowered her sleeves. "Over the past year, Old Madam Fan has become even more irritable. Even Zhao Mama has been hit twice, let alone me. Actually, I never thought of getting married, but if I didn't have this excuse to stay, I might not even be alive."

She looked up at Ding Yuehua. "Third Madam, I shouldn't have spoken about these things. I..."

Ding Yuehua waved her hand. "I understand."

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  Chapter 241: A Painful Price

The founder and CEO of Ouyan Capital, Miss Ou Yan?!

Ouyan Capital is a well-known venture capital group in Huaxia, and its founder Ou Yan is known as the "God of Venture Capital." Any project she sets her sights on and invests in is guaranteed to succeed.

Many small businesses have grown and thrived because of investments from her company.

He had the fortune of meeting this girl when he personally went to Ouyan Group to seek funding for his project.

Although they were far apart, when he saw Wu You, the CEO of Ouyan Capital in Huaxia, showing such respect to this girl, he was greatly impressed! 

The outside world had no idea that the founder of Ouyan was actually a girl!

His foolish son, today, unexpectedly offended two bigwigs that they couldn't afford to offend in their lifetime!

He almost suffocated, quickly bent down to greet, "Ms. Ou Yan, I didn't expect it to be you. If it weren't for your agreement to our project and giving us money, our Shen family wouldn't have the status and position we have today. It can be said that without Ouyan Group, there would be no Jianghe Group..."

As soon as Si Yechen heard this, Ouyan Group? Ms. Ou Yan??

To make Shen Jianghe so deferential, there must be someone qualified to approve investment projects for Ouyan Group...

Apart from the founder Ouyan, who else could it be?

So, the little girl is Ou Yan?

Ouyan = Ou Yan?

Interesting.

Ou Yan didn't expect to reveal her identity twice in one day, feeling somewhat speechless.

"Ms. Ouyan, you are the benefactor of our Jianghe Group... How dare that unfilial son think of offending you..." Shen Jianghe turned around, dragged his son's ear in front of Ou Yan, and kicked him to his knees.

"Speak, what did you do to Ms. Ou Yan just now!"

Shen Jianghe seemed furious, taking the electric baton from the bodyguard, fiercely lashing his son's back.

Shen Yaozu pounced forward, almost in a kneeling position, trembling in pain.

He had never been treated so harshly since childhood; his father was really beating him to death!

He endured the pain for a while before tremblingly saying, "It's, it's Sweetie... She kicked Ms. Ouyan's chair first, kicked it several times, and I wanted to stand up for her, so I kicked along..."

"Ms. Ouyan's chair is something you can kick as you please? If your legs are useless, they can be cut off! When someone kicks Ms. Ouyan's chair, you didn't stop it, but also joined in the mess?"

Shen Jianghe raised the electric baton again, viciously striking his son's back. "Fool! Useless!!"

After beating him for a while, Shen Jianghe, with eyes full of resentment, looked at Wang Tiantian who was lying on the ground.

Wang Tiantian was terrified, her face pale, sitting on the ground, unable to stop trembling. "Mr. Shen, please, please let me explain..."

"These dirty weeds outside will only cause trouble for our Shen family! Take her away and teach her a lesson!!"

After Shen Jianghe finished speaking, he looked at his son, who was lying on the ground and couldn't get up, and stomped on him again. "Apologize, are you mute?"

Shen Yaozu had been spoiled since childhood and had never suffered such hardship. He spat out blood, "Ms. Ou Yan, I'm sorry, Mr. Si, I won't dare next time..."

"Louder!" Shen Jianghe roared.

"Ms. Ou Yan, I'm sorry! Mr. Si, I'm sorry!!!"

Shen Jianghe, hearing these words, felt that his days were numbered. He knew that just a few light apologies wouldn't be enough for Ms. Ou Yan...

Now that Jianghe Group's market value is thirty billion, if it's gone, it's gone. The key is that there are more than one hundred lives in the Shen family...

It is said that Ouyan has an extensive network of contacts, and she can easily suppress even the biggest news...

Those who have offended her before have mysteriously disappeared...

Looking at Si Yechen again, he will definitely not let his fiancée suffer in front of them small fries!

Thinking like this, Shen Jianghe closed his eyes, took a deep breath, as if he had made a decision!

"This unfilial son is beyond foolish, offending you, today, I will give Mr. Si and Ms. Ouyan an explanation!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he tightened his grip on the electric baton and walked towards his son.

"Dad, what are you going to do..." Shen Yaozu had never seen such a terrifying expression on his father's face before, as if he was going to kill him!

He crawled away, trying to get away from his father, but Shen Jianghe stepped forward step by step, holding the electric baton, and came to him, his voice chilling to the extreme, "Which leg kicked Ms. Ouyan?"

"Dad, I'm your own son..." Shen Yaozu crawled away, trying to get away, seeming to guess his father's intention, his voice trembling with tears, "If I lose a leg, I'll be disabled for life! Dad, can you bear to see me spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair?"

"Huh, having a wheelchair to sit on is not bad. What else do you want?"

If one leg could exchange for the lives of more than one hundred people in the Shen family, that would be fortunate!

"Since you won't say, then any leg will do!" Shen Jianghe raised his hand, and the electric baton struck hard on his son's left knee.

"Ah—" Shen Yaozu screamed in pain, hearing the sound of his bones breaking, almost fainting from the pain.

Si Yechen reached out to cover Ou Yan's eyes. "Don't look at these things, child."

Child??

She didn't even blink when she fired in the Triangle District, yet he called her a child??

Shen Jianghe was about to strike again, and Shen Yaozu's screams came into his ears, "Dad, it hurts so much, please don't hit me, I know I was wrong... I beg you, Dad..."

Shen Jianghe was also in pain; he knew better than anyone about Si Yechen's methods. Even if Ou Yan let them go today, Si Yechen wouldn't let them off easily. They had to give an explanation!

Tears welled up in his eyes, regretting his indulgence of this child, which led to his unforgivable mistake...

Now the price was a leg...

Regret was useless now!

After a while, he wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes, and looked at the couple in front of him with humility and flattery.

"Mr. Si, Ms. Ouyan, this unfilial son has paid the price. I don't know if you can forgive us and spare us a way out."

"Let's go." Ou Yan held Si Yechen's hand and decided not to pursue it.

Si Yechen glanced at Shen Jianghe and Shen Jianghe hurriedly said, "Mr. Si, rest assured, this unfilial son will only stay at home in the future, and will never have the chance to offend you again..."

Si Yechen heard this and then withdrew his gaze, accompanying Ou Yan to leave.

Ou Yan knew that if it weren't for her and Si Yechen's identities, if it were an ordinary couple, the outcome would be very different.

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

  Chapter 219: Discussing Marriage Matters in the Boudoir, Banquet with Hidden Calculations (3)

Regardless of their true intentions, as long as they stood by the Mo family at critical moments, Mo Yan felt that their usual efforts were worth it.

The disheveled Aunt Wang was eventually driven out of the Mo family's house by the angry villagers, who cheered as she left. With today's incident, she would at most dare to tarnish the Mo family's reputation in the village, but she wouldn't dare to cause trouble pby coming to their house again.

The villagers were very sympathetic when they learned that the Mo family's horse had fallen ill. However, when they saw the two sturdy oxen and the healthy calf, they couldn't help but envy them, eagerly touching and petting them, wishing they could take them home.

Learning that they could rent two large oxen for a small amount of money during the busy farming season, the villagers became even more grateful to the Mo family. Who would want to toil like an ox in the fields if they had oxen to plow for them?

Satisfied, the villagers left the Mo family's house. However, Mo Qingze and Li Zhong were worried as they looked at the horse struggling with diarrhea. They were not only concerned about the loss of the eight taels of silver but also worried that there might be something wrong with their house's feng shui if the horse were to die.

"Dad, Grandpa Li, don't worry. I promise this horse will be lively and jumping around tomorrow morning," Mo Yan said as she approached with vegetables. Seeing the two men still shaking their heads in sighs, she couldn't help feeling a bit helpless.

They thought she was just trying to comfort them, but to their surprise, when the horse saw the vegetables in Mo Yan's hand, it struggled to stand up, its mouth opening and closing, clearly wanting to eat.

Under the hopeful gazes of the two men, Mo Yan tossed the vegetables into the manger. The horse walked over eagerly and started eating happily.

The horse had emptied its stomach just now, which was why it had no strength to stand up. Now that it had food, it eagerly stood up and ate heartily!

Mo Qingze and Li Zhong wiped the sweat off their foreheads. As long as it could eat, that was all that mattered.

At this moment, Li Xiu returned with several children carrying a basket full of green grass. Zhen'er couldn't wait to pick up the vegetables and feed the horse and cow. Seeing them enjoying their meal, he giggled nonstop.

Xin'er and Li Yan found it amusing and joined in, feeding the animals with vegetables. For a while, the entire livestock pen was filled with the laughter of the children.

With horses and oxen, the children had something to do again. Every day, they either cut grass or brought new friends home to visit, brimming with pride and excitement.

Mo Yan watched with a smile, not stopping them. Every morning, she would give them some Spirit Spring water to drink, which directly caused them to have diarrhea every day.

Fortunately, it was normal for four animals to eat a lot. Otherwise, Mo Qingze and the others would have been worried and unable to sleep.

Seeing that the days of the house warming were approaching, the Mo family rushed into the city with a horse carriage to purchase the items needed for that day. In addition to bowls, plates, chopsticks, and guest wine, they also bought condiments such as oil, salt, soy sauce, and a lot of firecrackers.

Soon it was August 11th. At noon on this day, Xiao Hua, who had been in the mountains for several days, came back, holding a fat and plump roe deer in its mouth.

Xiao Hua dropped the roe deer and proudly invited Mo Yan for praise. After receiving a small basin of Spirit Spring water as reward, Xiao Hua went back into the mountains and brought back a wild goat. And ran back and forth like this more than a dozen times, and in the end, Xiao Hua even dragged back a wild boar weighing at least two hundred catties.

The wild boar was found under the wall. Mo Yan knew that Xiao Hua couldn't carry such a big wild boar on its own, so it must have been Da Bai who helped Xiao Hua. She couldn't help but be moved and quickly found Mo Qingze and Li Zhong to carry it in, then went to the village to invite Lin Yong to handle these wild animals.

Looking at the ten or so wild goats, roe deer, and other large wild animals lying in the yard, Lin Yong was shocked and stared at Xiao Hua for a long time before saying decisively, "This is a wolf."

Mo Yan patted Xiao Hua's head and smiled in agreement.

▶▶The Peasant Girl’s Splendid Manor

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 Chapter 995: A Private Conversation

When Shu Yu bought Hua Xian, there was one question she didn't quite understand.

At that time, First Young Master Fan was interested in Hua Xian, but she didn't want to become a concubine. According to reason, her first choice should have been to return to the old lady and let the old lady make the decision.

But she didn't. She sought advice from the steward who usually looked after her.

She didn't try to avoid marriage or return to the estate. Now it was clear that the estate wasn't a pleasant memory for her. She didn't want to go back there and would even prefer to be sold rather than seek help from Fan's old lady.

Ding Yuehua remained silent for a while. She couldn't believe that the kind and gentle old woman, who always smiled and gave her gifts when they met, turned out to be such a two-faced person.

"What did Hua Xian say?" Ding Yuehua asked.

"I asked my grandmother, and Hua Xian didn't say anything. She only claimed that she accidentally injured herself."

How careless would one have to be to have so many injuries?

Ding Yuehua took a deep breath. "Can I go see Hua Xian?"

Shu Yu checked the time and realized it was still early. "Let's go. Hua Xian has been staying with my grandmother at the Yiren Pavilion during this time."

Shu Yu informed Lu Erbai before leaving. He had just finished examining the drawings and confirmed that everything was fine. So Ding Yuehua took the drawings back with her.

The two of them headed straight to Ningshui Street.

The shop was bustling. When Shu Yu arrived, Da Ya was doing someone's makeup.

Da Ya had developed the ability to style hair independently. After their trip to the southwest and experiencing different things along the way, she had gained unique insights and was no longer as timid and shy as before.

Now, when receiving customers, she could confidently discuss and promote clothes and cosmetics.

Seeing her busy, Shu Yu didn't disturb her and went directly to the backyard with Ding Yuehua. Before leaving, she asked Hua Xian to bring them two cups of tea.

After the sunflowers in the backyard had been cut down, it looked bare, but it wasn't as crowded. The stone bench had been moved back from the corridor.

Hua Xian quickly came over with the tea. Shu Yu and Ding Yuehua exchanged glances and asked in front of Hua Xian, "Now that you've separated, your old lady wants to come back from the estate to live with you. It's also good to have an elder in the family. Look at how well I get along with my grandmother. Maybe next time, you can bring your old lady to accompany my grandmother."

Hua Xian's hand holding the teacup trembled, and the tea almost spilled.

Shu Yu and Ding Yuehua looked at her simultaneously.

Hua Xian tightened her fingers and her breathing became slightly rapid. She hurriedly lowered her head and said, "Yes, I'm sorry, Second Miss, Third Madam. It was my carelessness that almost dirtied the master's clothes..."

She kept apologizing but still didn't mention what Fan's old lady had done to her.

Shu Yu waved her hand. "It's alright. You can go back to the front of the shop and continue with your work."

"Yes." Hua Xian quickly left with the tray.

Shu Yu gestured to Ying Xi, who followed her.

After a while, Ying Xi returned. "Hua Xian is very anxious. She's been pacing back and forth and her face has turned pale. She doesn't look good."

Shu Yu nodded. "Then let's wait a little longer."

Ding Yuehua agreed. "Okay."

It was normal for her to struggle since she had been keeping it hidden for so long.

Sure enough, after a while, Hua Xian returned. She pursed her lips, lowered her head, and didn't dare to look at Ding Yuehua. She whispered, "Second Miss, may I speak to you alone for a moment?"

Shu Yu pretended to be unaware and walked with her to the corridor.

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 Chapter 496 Strange Reaction

"Meet in person?" Ye Muyu was slightly surprised. Even for a girl like Miss Wang who was casual in her dealings, it was very rare in this era.

"Yes, Miss Wang directly found an opportunity to meet with Song Lu in the inn." Chu Heng, knowing Ye Muyu's gossiping nature, naturally continued to tell her what she wanted to hear.

Seeing the bright eyes of the woman flashing with surprise and shock because of his words, he found it interesting.

"So, does Song Lu know the reason why Miss Wang wants to see him?" Ye Muyu took a deep breath, this was even more embarrassing for Chu Qingxiang than she had previously guessed.

"After meeting, he naturally knew."

Chu Heng was casual, "However, it seems that he refused Miss Wang's proposal on the spot and expressed that he already has a fiancée and the wedding is imminent, asking Miss Wang to choose another suitable man."

"And then?" Ye Muyu thought, from this point alone, Song Lu still had some merits, but that was it.

Chu Heng said, "Then Miss Wang felt that he was affectionate and honorable and became even more eager to marry him."

"She said that if Song Lu was already married, she could agree to give up but now that he is unmarried and expresses that he wants to marry someone, he will never escape her grasp."

Ye Muyu fell silent.

"Song Lu immediately stated that he would never marry her."

"Miss Wang then thought of a way to intervene directly from the elders of the Song family in this marriage."

"Perhaps Song Lu thought that since Miss Wang was rejected, she would not be persistent in this matter anymore, and also because the exams are imminent, he has been living in the dormitory of the academy these days, exchanging ideas with classmates, and has not returned to the village for half a month."

"So, are you suggesting that Song Lu doesn't know what the Song family is doing?" Ye Muyu asked.

"Yes." Chu Heng nodded.

"But only until today."

"You told him?" Ye Muyu asked.

"Yeah, and I also analyzed it with him, the benefits of marrying Miss Wang and marrying a girl from my Chu family respectively." Chu Heng said naturally.

Ye Muyu was stunned and speechless, feeling that only Chu Heng could do such a thing.

Isn't this putting Song Lu in a dilemma?

The benefits of marrying Chu Qingxiang are definitely not as many as those of Miss Wang, especially in helping him achieve success and fame.

But if he marries Miss Wang, he will lose his freedom after marriage. With the strong influence of the Wang family, Miss Wang will surely assert herself in front of his parents and the relationship in the family will inevitably become tense.

"Speaking of which, choosing Miss Wang is just to make our family suffer a little, and never worry about not having enough to eat or wear " Ye Muyu said lightly, although she said so, there was no smile on her face.

"It's just a choice between power and dignity for him." Chu Heng said indifferently, completely unconcerned about Song Lu's choice.

Ye Muyu looked at him and asked, "What about the parents?"

"I have already let Luchuan explain the situation to them and it's none of our concern afterwards." Chu Heng said softly.

Meaning that, regardless of how Chu Qingxiang chooses even if she is bullied by the Song family in the future, as an uncle, he will not intervene anymore.

Chu Heng's indifferent reaction made Ye Muyu somewhat surprised, feeling that his reaction was somewhat strange.

Chu Heng noticed her confusion but didn't know how to explain the events of the past. After all, in the past life, even if Chu Qingxiang got married, she still schemed against the Ye family.

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 Chapter 495: Reasons

"That's different." Chu Jin couldn't quite explain what was different but he just wanted to go.

"Zǐluo, then you watch over Xiao Jin. Neither of you should go into the water, just play by the shore, okay?" Ye Muyu reminded worriedly.

Chu Zǐluo smiled and nodded. "Mom, don't worry, I'll definitely take good care of my little brother."

"Mom, I promised not to go into the water, so I definitely won't." Chu Jin straightened his chest, speaking confidently.

"Mom, then I'll go back to my room to pick out clothes for tomorrow." Chu Zǐluo didn't want to wear her best clothes in case they got dirty with mud, so she wanted to choose from the old clothes she used to wear. But she had gained some weight recently and her previously thin cheeks had become plump.

The old clothes that used to hang loosely on her frame now needed careful selection to find a suitable fit.

Chu Jin wanted to have a carefree day tomorrow, so he boldly looked at Chu Heng. "Dad, I want to do tomorrow's homework today, okay?"

"Of course, but it's time for your test tomorrow night." Chu Heng had already made it a rule that when the school was on break, he would give Chu Jin a test.

Chu Jin was no longer panicking. He thought about the recent lessons, all of which he had completed. He figured his dad would test him on those, and if it were three months ago, he would have been panicking.

"Okay, Dad." Chu Jin nodded confidently.

Chu Heng responded with a grunt and didn't pay him any more attention.

Chu Jin carried his empty bowl and chopsticks to the kitchen before turning to go to the study to do his homework.

After finishing her meal, Ye Muyu silently waited for Chu Heng to finish his meal.

Chu Heng didn't go to the study to read as usual, but instead, he washed up and tidied up with Ye Muyu

Ye Muyu was curious. "Aren't you going to study today?"

"No need." He hadn't been studying, mainly gathering information and developing industries. The time he spent interacting with classmates in the school's classroom was enough.

Ye Muyu acknowledged with an 'oh' and didn't ask any more questions.

Two quarters of an hour later.

The two of them had finished washing up and were sitting on the bed.

Seeing that he had no intention of sleeping, Ye Muyu also sat down beside him. After thinking for a while, she couldn't help but ask, "Is there anything else about the Song family that I don't know?"

"Do you know why the Wang family suddenly took an interest in Song Lu?" Chu Heng asked.

Ye Muyu pondered. "Why?"

"A few days ago, Song Lu represented the school in Lin county and came to our place to exchange ideas. He made a strategy that caused quite a stir and many scholars said that Song Lu had extraordinary talent and would surely be nominated."

"Like most businessmen, the Wang family also likes to catch a talented son-in-law from the list."

"These things are very common in the capital city and even in the imperial capital." Chu Heng explained carefully to her.

Ye Muyu nodded in understanding. After all, no matter how much land, grain, and money the Wang family had, they were just merchants. If they wanted to continue their legacy, they had to produce scholarly talents in the family.

And the most convenient way was to catch a son-in-law from the list.

The bigger the business, the higher the status of the people involved.

This place was far from the capital, and with the prosperous and developed Jiangnan region, there were many landlords like the Wang family. The farther north one went, especially on the way to the capital, the more careful one had to be with those who came and went to the capital for business.

"Because of this, the Wang family had the idea of marrying into the Song family. But Song Lu is still young and coincidentally the Wang family has a third miss who returned home after a divorce. After that third miss met Song Lu, she personally agreed to this marriage proposal from the Wang family."

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