Chapter 111: New Year's Eve

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 Chapter 514 True Thoughts

"But the things you're worried about do need to be inquired about in the county." Chu Zhiwen said anxiously.

The Wang landlord's family wasn't someone easy to deal with.

Both Chu Zhiwen and Chu Liushi disliked getting into trouble, so this matter had left them somewhat agitated.

However, after considering it together, they didn't tell anyone else about it. Even when Chu Lin returned in the evening and wanted to talk to Chu Liushi about it, he was rejected.

In the evening.

Chu Lin and Zhang sat on the bed.

Chu Lin spoke directly, "Mother is truly angry this time."

"I didn't mean to make Mother angry. You know Qingxiang's temperament. She's always been strong-willed and wants to excel in everything. I've confirmed it repeatedly, she wants to marry Song Lu, and Song Lu insisted on marrying Qingxiang in front of Miss Wang. Tell me, with Qingxiang's reputation how can this engagement still be broken off?" Zhang also felt troubled, especially after hearing what Chu Liushi said in the afternoon. She was very uneasy and anxious. She didn't want her daughter to suffer but she couldn't find a reason to refute Chu Liushi's words.

"It's not that it can't be done, it's that you and your daughter don't want to." Chu Lin said with a furrowed brow.

Zhang was angered by his attitude. Her mother-in-law criticized her and she didn't dare to retort, given her lack of confidence. But her own husband didn't stand on her side which made Zhang feel instantly aggrieved.

Grabbing her clothes in frustration, she said angrily, "By saying that, have you ever considered my desire to see our daughter do well? It's easy for you, the father, to say, not worrying about anything. I'm the only one with a worried face and I'm blamed by you all. Am I having an easy time?"

"Mother said that calling off this engagement might not necessarily be a bad thing." Chu Lin didn't want to argue with his wife. After all, she was also doing it for the good of their child. He just disagreed with Zhang's and Qingxiang's choice. They were a family after all and he respected Zhang. He didn't argue with her words and felt responsible as a father for this matter.

"Why wouldn't it be a bad thing? If we call it off, Qingxiang will have fewer choices in the future. Do you want Qingxiang to marry a commoner? To spend her life toiling away?" Chu Lin disagreed, "I'm also a commoner, do you want both you and our daughter to suffer?"

Zhang opened her mouth but couldn't find a response. "It's not the same. I certainly hope our daughter will marry better than me. If she ends up worse off than me, then I'll truly cry."

"In the end, your and Qingxiang's idea is to not let go of this scholar, right?" Chu Lin didn't beat around the bush, directly questioning her.

Zhang felt embarrassed being directly pointed out by her husband "Originally, it was Qingxiang's engagement. Why should we give up a good marriage?"

Seeing her still so stubborn, even though he didn't know what Mother said, Chu Lin knew that Zhang's desire for Qingxiang to marry into a better family must have been advised against.

If Zhang still held this attitude, persuasion would be useless.

Feeling powerless, he also understood, "Since you and Qingxiang have decided, then let the engagement continue and there's no need to worry anymore."

After saying that, Chu Lin lay down on the bed and closed his eyes to sleep.

Zhang pushed him with her hand, "Don't sleep, what about the dowry?"

"Mother has no solution for this matter. Do you think I have one?" Chu Lin didn't even lift his eyelids, turned over, and faced away from Zhang. Clearly, he didn't want to say more. In any case, now that the conclusion of this matter was clear to him, he was thinking about the last thing he could do for their daughter: personally talk to Song Lu and make sure he treats their daughter sincerely.

Next Chapter ▶▶

 Chapter 513 There Won't Be Less Injustice to Bear

Zhang's face changed instantly, "But how can that be?"

"The Song family would love for you to voluntarily call off the engagement, so why would they stick to the previous agreement?" Chu Liushi reminded forcefully.

Zhang's cheeks flushed with anger but she couldn't find any words to retort.

"Anyway, you'll see. The Song family clearly values the Wang family's money more. If it weren't for Miss Wang providing a comparison, they definitely wouldn't dare to offend our Chu family."

"But now, with Miss Wang appearing, she has opened the eyes of the Wang family members, making them think that their children deserve better and Qingxiang has become the one who's worthless!"

"Even if Qingxiang feels very wronged, the reality is like this. In the future Qingxiang will have to marry into the Wang family, not the other way around. In this day and age, daughters are inherently weaker and now with our Chu family's integrity, we should decisively refuse this marriage proposal and make the Song family compensate our Chu family."

"But now, you insist on marrying into the Song family and Qingxiang will surely suffer hardships after marriage."

"Do I need to say more about this?" Chu Liushi actually hoped to awaken Zhang and let her persuade Qingxiang.

Zhang was indeed furious, even desperate, stomping her foot in frustration, "Mother, what should we do then? You said it yourself, Qingxiang is the one who's being wronged."

"There's no way around it. In this regard, if Qingxiang insists on marrying in, she must endure." 

"The reason is simple. We can't afford to offend the Wang landlord family. I even worry that the Wang family might retaliate against us. Forget about trying to force the Song family to back down by exposing this matter." Chu Liushi had thought of every possible solution.

But the fact was that even though the Song family was shameless this time, the Chu family really had no way to assert dominance.

She was not without worries but she could only wait until tomorrow to inquire about the intentions of Miss Wang from the Song family.

Now was the time when Ah Heng had to take the exam. She couldn't ruin her son's future just for her own sake.

"So... what should we do?" Zhang was extremely worried.

Chu Liushi looked at her expressionlessly, "This was chosen by Qingxiang and you yourself. Regardless of the consequences, both of you must be prepared. I've said all I can. During these days, don't go out anymore."

"I... " Zhang hesitated.

Chu Liushi was no longer willing to talk to her "You may leave."

"Mother, I understand." Zhang could see that Chu Liushi didn't approve of the decision she and Qingxiang had made, so she might really not be able to ask her mother for help.

Zhang frowned and left.

Chu Zhiwen had been watching the situation outside in the main hall all along, so as soon as Zhang left, he slipped in. Seeing his wife's unhappy expression, he was startled and asked, "What's wrong? Did Qingxiang do something to make you angry again?"

"I didn't expect that I as a grandmother, would one day become an obstacle to my granddaughter's prosperity." Chu Liushi sneered sarcastically, feeling the subtle resentment from Chu Qingxiang, though it wasn't obvious, had already caused a rift between them as grandmother and granddaughter.

"What happened?" Chu Zhiwen naturally stood on his wife's side, asking with concern.

Chu Liushi recounted everything that had happened.

Chu Zhiwen picked up his pipe and tapped it on the table, angrily saying, "They say that everything happens naturally and can't be forced. Qingxiang is so stubborn and we, as grandparent can't stop her."

"Don't be angry either. Qingxiang, this child, I think I've figured her out. She has a strong personality and marrying into an ordinary family wouldn't bring her happiness. It's better to marry Song Lu. Whether it's good or bad afterwards, it's something she's insisted on herself. She won't say anything resentful anymore."

Next Chapter ▶▶

  Chapter 240: Gaining Another Uncle (8)

Zhen'er was so engrossed in this fun and exciting game that he didn't want to get off the red python's back.

Mo Yan was helpless with the red python. Even if she didn't give it Spirit Spring water and the chickens and fruits in the space, it would still come. It had thick skin and couldn't be driven away or scolded. The newly planted thorn forest outside the courtyard wall couldn't stop it either. After a few attempts, Mo Yan couldn't be bothered to deal with it anymore.

In the blink of an eye, Mo Qingze had been away from home for half a month. On this day, Mo Yan took her siblings into the city early in the morning to visit their father. When they reached the vegetable market street, she asked Li Zhong to wait with the two younger ones in place, while she went to buy some fresh vegetables for Mo Qingze.

Finding a deserted place, she took out the vegetables and cleaned chicken she had prepared last night, and then bought a large piece of pork ribs and two palm-sized crucian carp before returning to the street corner.

The vegetable garden in the backyard had already been set up. Mo Yan was worried that it would attract too much attention, so she only dared to water it with diluted spring water. The vegetables grew at about the same speed as those in the greenhouse before, and they weren't ripe yet, so they couldn't be picked.

Otherwise, she could just exchange the vegetables in the ground with those in the space, and she wouldn't have to bother going to the street to "buy" them.

The group arrived at the place where Mo Qingze was renting. Mo Yan used the spare key to open the door, and Li Zhong carried the vegetables and chicken inside.

"Father's place is quite small, but very clean." It was the first time the two younger ones had come, and Zhen'er gave his evaluation of "small and clean."

"It's not small anymore. It's good for Father to live alone. The rooms we used to live in were even smaller than this. Don't look down on small rooms just because you live in a big one now!" However, Xin'er thought it was very good, but she was worried that her brother would become picky again like before when he had something good to eat, so she reminded him.

"I know, I know!" Zhen'er muttered a few words and then picked up a book to read, but found it incomprehensible, so he put it down again.

The siblings sat on the bed chattering. Mo Yan began to prepare the chicken and pork ribs, preparing lunch before Mo Qingze returned from school.

Li Zhong took a basin and the vegetables to wash by the communal well outside.

Chicken is best stewed for nutrition. There was no shortage of chicken at home, and this time it was specially brought to Mo Qingze to nourish him. Mo Yan divided the chicken in half and stewed one half first. Before leaving, she would stew the other half, leaving it for her father to drink when he came back in the afternoon.

There were quite a few things brought this time, including fried wild chestnuts and some raw chestnuts. Now the chestnuts in the mountains were ripe. Mo Yan only said that she found them in the mountains, and no one in the family suspected anything. After cooking chestnuts with chicken a few times, they all became addicted.

After washing the vegetables, Li Zhong lit the stove. Estimating that Father would be back in about half an hour, Mo Yan put the pot containing the chicken and chestnuts on the stove.

The chickens in the space were very tender. After the water boiled, they only needed to stew for another twenty minutes or so to be done. As the water boiled, the fragrance of chicken and chestnuts gradually wafted through the room. Mo Yan then added the soaked shiitake mushrooms.

When she went into the mountains before, she picked up a lot of shiitake mushrooms. Later, she used the method of planting shiitake mushrooms in the ground and planted some in the space. Now they had grown into a patch, and their fragrance was even stronger than those sold outside. Just three or five of them in the pot would make it very fragrant.

Next, Mo Yan started to stir-fry vegetables. Before long, five dishes with different colors, flavors, and aromas were ready: steamed pork ribs, garlic stir-fried greens, braised crucian carp, tomato and scrambled eggs, and salt and pepper corn kernels.

Estimating that Father would be back soon, Mo Yan took off her apron, washed her hands, and brought out the dishes with bowls, ready for Father to uncover and eat when he returned.

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 Feng Xuanrui thought that Suisui was too scared and intended to turn his head to comfort her.

At that moment, he clearly heard the voices of two women outside.

Women???

There weren’t any women in the posthouse!

Realizing something was wrong, Feng Xuanrui was drenched in cold sweat.

If Suisui hadn’t been covering his mouth, he would have answered the voices.

If he had responded, and if the people outside weren’t allies, if…

At that moment, the two women continued to call out, “Young master, young master, where are you?”

However, Feng Xuanrui no longer dared to make a sound.

Not only did he stay silent, but he also worried that Suisui might speak and quickly covered her mouth as well.

After doing so, Feng Xuanrui realized, wait a minute!

Suisui hadn’t made a sound at all!

Tense, Feng Xuanrui listened carefully to the sounds outside.

The two women circled the backyard twice, and once, they even passed in front of the doghouse.

The torchlight briefly illuminated the doghouse.

Feng Xuanrui’s heart nearly stopped, his eyes wide, and he pressed Suisui’s hand over his mouth even more firmly.

When the torchlight finally moved away, Feng Xuanrui released his grip and gently tapped Suisui’s hand.

Suisui, understanding his distress, slowly let go. Feng Xuanrui breathed heavily.

Feeling her brother’s fear, Suisui wanted to comfort him but remained silent. Instead, she gently held his hand.

Feeling the firmness of Suisui’s hand, Feng Xuanrui’s eyes welled up again, almost bringing him to tears.

Just as he was about to cry, a loud noise suddenly came from outside.

Boom!

The sound was so close it was deafening.

Following that were bright flashes of fire and the sound of heavy, orderly footsteps.

Was it…

Uncle Prince Qing returning?

Having been almost tricked earlier, Feng Xuanrui dared not take risks. He tightly held Suisui’s hand and shrank further into the doghouse.

The young master thought: Unless Uncle Prince Qing personally reached in to get him, he wouldn’t go out!

The outside was filled with bad people. He wanted to return to the royal residence.

Wah!

Indeed, it was Prince Qing who had returned.

He anticipated that the bandits would regroup and target the posthouse.

Thus, Prince Qing had left some troops at the posthouse.

However…

The bandits feigned an attack, sending their main force to the posthouse.

Prince Qing realized something was wrong, swiftly dealt with the bandits, and then rushed back.

After capturing all the bandits, Prince Qing discovered…

The two children were missing!

This discovery made his heart skip a beat.

The bandit leader, severely injured and unable to move, laughed wildly upon seeing Prince Qing’s dark expression. “Hahaha! Didn’t expect this, did you? I’ve got more tricks up my sleeve. If you want your son to live, you’d better let me go!”

As soon as the bandit’s boast ended, Zhan Yuan brought back two sneaky-looking women. “Your Highness, we found these two women in the back. They didn’t seem right, so I brought them here. After questioning, they admitted they were bribed by the bandits to lure the young master out. But when they couldn’t find him after a search, they fled in the chaos.”

Prince Qing quickly focused on the key point: the children were not found.

...READ THE REST OF THE CHAPTER ON PATREON...

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  Chapter 258 The Ignored One

Such a precious item, I heard it's only passed down to the daughter-in-law...

Could it be that Ouyan has already gained the approval of Old Madam Si?

But Old Madam Si is in a vegetative state, and there haven't been any signs of improvement...

Could it be Mr. Si's idea?

I didn't expect that as soon as Ou Yan returned to this family, not only did she receive love and favor from her big brother and sister-in-law, but also from Mr. Si and Si Yechen. Looking at Li Yusha, the envy in her eyes is about to overflow. She really is an impatient child.

"Ah Chen's here?" Li Yuanfu stood up happily and gestured to the seat next to him, saying, "Come sit over here."

"Sorry, I had something come up suddenly and arrived late." Si Yechen said, then looked at Li Xingbang and Li Yingshu with gentlemanly politeness, "I apologize for making everyone wait. Let me first penalize myself with three cups."

He picked up a cup from the table and drank one after the other, three cups in a row.

Although Li Yuanfu and Song Qiaoying both said it wasn't necessary, even Li Xingbang and Li Yingshu tried to dissuade him, Si Yechen still finished the three cups.

His actions exuded a noble and dignified air, his strong and undeniable aura, coupled with his masculine charm, was enchanting.

"This child is too polite!"

"His alcohol tolerance is really good, he drank three cups without even blushing, Ah Chen, come sit down, you must be hungry?"

"Don't wait for Canxi, let's serve the dishes first!"

...

"Brother-in-law, good evening." Li Yusha greeted with ulterior motives, dressed up for today's occasion, hoping to catch Si Yechen's eye a bit more.

Li Qianshan also called out to her brother, but Si Yechen just nodded lightly, his gaze falling on Ouyan and not lingering on them for a second longer.

Li Yusha's eyes were filled with a hint of disappointment.

"Ah Chen, I heard you've been very busy lately? Even if you're busy, you should take care of yourself. Although you're still young, having ambition is a good thing, but when you get old, like me, with aches here and there, it's not worth it! You still need to take care of yourself and prioritize your health!" Li Xingbang expressed concern with a smile.

Li Yingshu maintained her aristocratic smile and said gently, "Ah Chen doesn't need your reminder! He has a wife to take care of him..."

"Haha, that's true..."

Li Yingshu glanced at Si Yechen tenderly, then looked at Ou Yan, "Ah Chen is handsome and talented, and Yan Yan is capable and beautiful. The two of them are a perfect match!"

"That's right, haha..." Li Xingbang laughed, "Ah Chen, my brother has finally found his daughter and brought her back. In the future, you have to treat her even better! We uncles and aunts won't agree otherwise!"

"Mr. Li, Mrs. Li, rest assured, I will cherish this fate and treat Yan Yan well." Si Yechen said, then glanced affectionately at Ou Yan.

Li Xingbang saw that the atmosphere was getting lively enough, changed the topic, and asked with a smile, "I heard you recently acquired a few more companies and bought land in Yangxi and Yangdong. I heard Yangxi is for building residential areas? Yangdong is for building another luxury mall?"

As soon as Li Xingbang finished speaking, Li Yuanfu smiled and interrupted, "Hey, let's not talk about work today. It's rare for Ah Chen to come over, and he even drank three cups of wine. Uncle also wants to offer you a drink. Recently, you've been taking care of Yan Yan and working hard, it's been tough..."

He poured a glass of wine, and Si Yechen also poured himself one, raising it up and clinking glasses, "Uncle is too kind. To be able to take care of Yan Yan is my greatest fortune..."

"Hahaha, you're such a smooth talker..."

Just as Li Yuanfu was about to drink, he heard both Song Qiaoying and Ou Yan simultaneously remind, "Don't drink too much."

Now, both Li Yuanfu and Si Yechen paused their movements with their glasses, and then, almost simultaneously, they put down their wine glasses.

"Well, let's not drink too much before dinner!" Li Yuanfu laughed, obviously afraid of his wife.

"Uncle is right, let's hold off on the alcohol until after dinner!"

"That's right, you can consider that I've already drunk for you..."

...

Onlookers could see that Li Yuanfu listened very much to Song Qiaoying, while Si Yechen listened a lot to Ou Yan...

They could see Si Yechen look at Ou Yan's expression with concern, and whispered softly in Ou Yan's ear, "I was late just now, so I penalized myself with three cups. I won't drink anymore."

"Oh."

"What were you busy with at the company today? Why did you finish work so late?" Si Yechen leaned in closer and asked her, assessing her expression.

Ou Yan's features were extremely delicate, with a hint of aloofness that seemed to detach her from worldly affairs, combined with the wildness that emanated from her bones, making her very attractive.

"I had a sudden collaboration with a business partner who came to the company."

So Ou Yan stayed to negotiate the collaboration and eventually the other party signed the contract readily.

"Which business partner was it?"

"YC."

"That's a good one." Si Yechen approved, "Reliable."

"It's rare to hear those words from you."

They conversed in low voices, appearing intimate and natural.

Li Xingbang, Li Yingshu, and Li Qianshan all noticed that their relationship wasn't just for show because of the engagement. From their eyes, it could be seen that their feelings were genuine.

At this moment, the door of the private room was knocked, and Li Canxi pushed the door open.

He took off his sunglasses, looking handsome and sunny, "Sorry for being late!"

He greeted everyone with a smile as soon as he entered, then spotted Ou Yan's figure and ruffled her hair, "Little sister, I'm here! Someone, add a seat!"

Originally, Li Yuanfu was sitting next to Si Yechen, with Si Yechen sitting next to Ou Yan, and Ou Yan sitting next to Li Yusha. However, Li Canxi insisted on adding a seat and sat between Ou Yan and Li Yusha.

Actually, he wanted to sit between Si Yechen and Ou Yan, but he was afraid of his parents and Si Yechen's fists...

"How's it going, Yan Yan, busy today?" After sitting down, Li Canxi, without waiting for Ou Yan's answer, looked at Si Yechen again, "Yan Yan manages a company at such a young age, it must be hard. You should help share her burden."

"I want to help too."

But his wife wouldn't allow it, so he had to find other ways to collaborate privately, which was too difficult.

"I can handle it." Ou Yan's words were clearly in defense of Si Yechen.

Si Yechen's lips curled up instantly, understanding that his wife cherished him!

"Let's not talk about company matters. tomorrow Would you like to go out with Fifth Brother?" Li Canxi actually wanted to have a chance to get closer to his little sister. Without waiting for Ou Yan to refuse, he acted cute, "In a few days, Fifth Brother will be busy again, and when that happens, you won't see me for months."

"Then Yan Yan's ears will finally have some peace and quiet." Si Yechen added.

"You're just hoping I leave soon!"

Li Qianshan noticed that Li Yusha's face was embarrassed. From the moment Si Yechen entered, to the appearance of Li Canxi, both of their attention was on Ou Yan, and neither of them glanced at Li Yusha...

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

 Chapter 1012: Hundreds of Acres of Land

Shu Yu couldn't help but find Li Shi's expression amusing. What did she say earlier? It seemed like she had been greatly wronged.

However, the old lady found Li Shi annoying and directly said to Lu Dasong, "Weren't you going to buy something? It's getting late, hurry up and go, take your wife with you and let her lend a hand."

Lu Dasong noticed that Li Shi didn't look right and quickly pulled her away.

Li Shi had many doubts to ask, but she didn't dare to ask Shu Yu or the old lady. It was just right for Lu Dasong to take her away.

After walking for a while, she grabbed Lu Dasong's arm and gritted her teeth as she looked at him. "Why did you hide from me that Da Niu wanted to go farming? He's been bullied, and you didn't tell me. Do you want to drive me to death?"

Lu Dasong furrowed his brows. "What do you mean by being bullied? Da Niu wanted to go to the estate himself."

"He wanted to go himself? That sounds nice. If he doesn't go, what can he do? Your good niece just said that there's no position for Da Niu in the shop."

Lu Dasong realized that Li Shi was becoming more and more stubborn. She would fuss and magnify every little thing. Before, he still cared about saving face, but now, she was becoming demanding, wanting to fight for superiority over every little thing.

"Why aren't you saying anything?"

Lu Dasong explained, "You misunderstood. Ah Yu has always taken care of Da Niu. That estate outside the city is said to be quite large. Da Niu mentioned that Ah Yu wanted to buy hundreds of acres of land there to grow crops. She wants Da Niu to be the overseer and help manage it. It's different from farming in Shishi Village. He can be considered a semi-landlord."

Li Shi widened her eyes. "H-Hundreds of acres?"

"Yes."

Li Shi was speechless. How did Ah Yu have so much money? She bought so much land. How much money does hundreds of acres of land cost?

Lu Dasong was quite proud. Unlike his Second Brother, who had a craft, or his Third Brother, who was clever, he simply managed that piece of land diligently, treating it like a treasure. He hoped to buy a few more acres when he had money so that he could laugh even in his dreams.

Now, his wish had been fulfilled through his son. Although he didn't buy the land himself, he was managing it. That was a skill in itself.

Thinking about this, Lu Da Song became even happier. He pulled Li Shi along and continued walking forward. "Alright, let's go buy the things first. Once the ancestral tomb is repaired, we'll go to the estate to see Da Niu."

Most importantly, they would see those hundreds of acres of land.

Li Shi was still a little dazed, but when she heard this, her spirits lifted. Yes, she would ask Ah Yu about the location of the estate later and see the situation first.

If it wasn't good, she would think of a way to bring them back to the county town.

Oh right, she would also take a few packets of medicine and bring them to the estate later.

Li Shi had planned it well, but she didn't know that the packets of medicine on the counter had been thrown away by the old lady.

"Just six months after getting married, and she's already urging her daughter-in-law to take medicine. When Cui Hua got married, Cui Hua didn't conceive until a year later, and I never pressured her like this. She's something else, thinking of ways to trouble her daughter-in-law even when she's not around. I don't know where she bought these medicines from some quack doctor or charlatan. She dares to give them to people without even seeing a doctor."

Shu Yu nodded on the side as the old lady took the opportunity to educate Lan Hua and Er Niu who were still in the shop. "You two, after you get married in the future, if your mother randomly gives you medicine, never take it. She's not a doctor and doesn't understand anything about medicine."

Next Chapter▶▶

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  Chapter 239: Gaining Another Uncle (7)

Finally, Mo Qingze took the household register and went to the yamen with the Li family of three to handle the indenture.

Indentured servants belonged to the master's household and couldn't own private property. As a result, the ten mu of barren land allocated to the Li family would have to be reclaimed by the government.

The ten mu of barren land had already been cultivated with soybeans and was about to be harvested. Seeing this, Mo Qingze spent ten taels of silver to buy the land and included it in his own land deed.

If the Li family wanted to be freed from indenture in the future, it would be convenient to return the ten mu of land to them.

The paperwork for the indenture was quickly completed, and the Li family of three seemed to have lifted a heavy burden off their shoulders. They felt more natural staying at the Mo family's home than before, and there were even more smiles on their faces.

However, although there was now a distinction between the master's family and the servants, the Mo family still respected the Li family of three, and their attitude towards the Mo family remained natural, not much different from before. Whenever there was a decision to be made, they would consult Mo Yan and her father beforehand.

There wasn't much for the Mo family to do, so Li Zhong focused all his energy on the orchard; Li Xiu continued to teach Xin'er embroidery and did some housework in her free time; Li Yan was responsible for household chores, cleaning, laundry, cooking, mowing grass, and feeding the cows.

Xin'er and Zhen'er didn't treat them like servants and would also help with some tasks within their capabilities. Mo Yan didn't want them to be lazy, so she would supervise them from time to time.

After Mo Qingze left, with the help of everyone, Mo Yan began to organize the courtyard of the house.

There were about a dozen small courtyards of various sizes in the Mo family's compound. The flower beds hadn't been planted yet, so they looked bare.

"Big Sister, these flowers are so beautiful. Did you buy them from the flower garden?" Xin'er asked curiously as she looked at the purple-red glory bower in the flower bed.

Mo Yan replied while planting flowers, "I dug them up from the mountains. There are many wildflowers in the mountains, and I picked some pretty ones. They're not inferior to the ones sold in the flower garden."

At this time of year, there were also many beautiful wildflowers blooming in the mountains. Although the cultivated flowers in the garden were more vibrant, they required careful care, otherwise they would easily wither. The wildflowers in the mountains had strong vitality and could thrive with just a little watering.

Xin'er found it interesting and also took a small hoe to help plant flowers.

In addition to flowers, Mo Yan also dug up several jujube saplings, persimmon saplings, and chestnut saplings from the mountains and planted them in the large flower bed in the backyard. The flower beds in the front yard were planted with small landscape trees bought from the flower garden, which fit well.

The Mo family's compound was too large and needed many flowers and plants to adorn it. Mo Yan would go into the mountains almost every day to dig up plants or collect seeds, which could be scattered in the flower beds in the spring.

The flowers and plants in each small courtyard of the Mo family were different according to everyone's preferences. In her own courtyard, Mo Yan planted a row of bamboo by the wall and planted many glory bower and other flowers and plants in the central flower bed.

With these flowers and plants, the courtyard looked much more beautiful.

These days were fulfilling and peaceful, without much hustle and bustle, making people feel at ease. Mo Yan hoped that such days could continue.

However, the red python that had been driven away before would occasionally climb over the courtyard wall and sneak in, which troubled Mo Yan.

Fortunately, she had given her family members preventive measures beforehand, so although they were very scared when they saw the red python, no one fainted again.

Xin'er was still afraid, but she was a brave girl. From trembling with fear and sweating profusely when she first saw the red python, she could now glance at it from a distance.

Zhen'er became bolder. As long as Mo Yan was present, he dared to touch the red python. There was even one time when the red python, in order to please Mo Yan, let him ride on its back and took him for a run around.

Next Chapter▶▶

  **Chapter 18: Hiding Together in the Doghouse**

At this moment, the open window clearly indicated that someone had jumped out.

Suisui was very obedient to the system’s instructions. She pointed at the window and whispered to Feng Xuanrui, “Brother, the window is still open.”

Feng Xuanrui, already extremely anxious, froze momentarily at Suisui’s words. Once he realized, he muttered a few “ohs” and, trembling, stood up with the help of the wall and closed the window.

On this cool spring night, dressed only in light clothing and without shoes, the two of them felt the cold even while huddled together.

Feng Xuanrui, as the elder brother, felt he should protect his younger sister. He asked softly, “Sister, are you cold?”

Suisui shook her head obediently, but her shivering voice betrayed her. “I’m not cold, brother.”

The spot under the window wasn’t very safe.

Anyone inside could see them with a glance.

Suisui, being young, didn’t think of this.

Feng Xuanrui was too cold and scared to notice this either.

At this moment, only the system could remind them.

“Suisui, you need to find a better place to hide. This spot isn’t safe.”

Suisui, following the system’s advice, said to Feng Xuanrui, “Brother, this place isn’t safe.”

Feng Xuanrui, realizing this, looked around and nodded solemnly. “Indeed!”

The view here was too open.

Even from a distance, they could be seen.

Thinking clearly, Feng Xuanrui held Suisui’s hand and whispered, “Where should we hide?”

During hide-and-seek in the royal residence, there were many empty rooms and pavilions. Hiding someone was easy.

But the posthouse was simple, with no such facilities.

Feng Xuanrui was anxious, pacing around in frustration.

Seeing her brother’s distress, Suisui was also anxious.

Suddenly, her little mind lit up. She pointed to the area near the back door and said, “Brother, I remember that Brother Di Jiao mentioned there’s an unused doghouse by the back door.”

Suisui used to hide in places like the outhouse, chicken coop, or wood shed to avoid being bullied by other children in the village.

Those places were considered dirty, so the bullies rarely searched them thoroughly.

Suisui had avoided many bullies this way.

So, the safest place she could think of was the doghouse.

Feng Xuanrui was reluctant.

But when it came to saving their lives, he had no choice but to act.

So, gritting his teeth, he pulled Suisui and started running.

The flames ahead illuminated most of the posthouse, allowing them to see many places.

Because of this, Feng Xuanrui didn’t dare to hesitate.

The proximity of the fire meant that the bandits were getting closer!

He wasn’t sure if the posthouse’s guards could fend them off.

Running barefoot, Feng Xuanrui’s feet were bruised and sore, making him wince with every step.

But he couldn’t stop!

If they were caught…

Those were mountain bandits!

Desperate men who didn’t care about human lives!

Thinking about how the bandits looked at them with cold, emotionless eyes the night before made Feng Xuanrui shiver.

He had to run faster!

Suisui...READ THE REST OF THE CHAPTER ON PATREON...

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  Chapter 257 Encounter with an Unreasonable Girl

A beautiful and arrogant girl walked in, followed by a nanny.

"Qian Qian is here?" Li Yingshu saw this and hung up the call, pretending to reprimand, "What's wrong with you, taking so long? Look, your cousin is already here! Sister Li, you didn't remind her!"

The nanny, Li Xiu, immediately lowered her head, looking apologetic, "I'm sorry, Madam, it's all my fault."

"Come over here quickly. Let me introduce you. This is your cousin, Li Ouyan. Yan Yan, this is your cousin, Li Qianshan."

Ou Yan smiled. So, the girl who had bumped into her shoulder at the mall, stepped on her shoes, and refused to apologize was her cousin, Li Qianshan?

Wasn't she said that QY's clothes didn't look good, and there wasn't anything worth swiping the card for after shopping around?

Why was QY all over the place today?

Perhaps sensing Ou Yan's gaze, Li Qianshan's face flushed as if she had been slapped.

Perhaps she hadn't expected to encounter Ou Yan here. Her expression flashed with disbelief, but she quickly regained her composure and forced herself to remain calm, asking, "Mom, is she the biological daughter of Uncle and Aunt who has been living outside?"

"Yes, why aren't you coming over to greet her sooner?"

Li Qianshan didn't expect that the person who could afford to wear two million shoes so casually was her cousin, and she felt somewhat displeased.

"Why are you still standing there? Hurry up and greet her!" Li Yingshu scolded her with a glance, then jokingly said to the people around her, "Is it because my niece is too beautiful that she's stunned?"

"Madam, Miss Qianshan was upset earlier. When she was shopping at the mall, she encountered a quite unreasonable girl..." Before the nanny Li Xiu could finish her words, she heard Li Qianshan rebuke in a low voice, "Auntie!"

Touching a sore spot! Li Xiu didn't know that the "unreasonable" girl was Ou Yan. She thought that Miss didn't want to mention her grievances in such an occasion and prioritized the overall situation.

So she took the initiative to add, "Miss has never suffered any grievances from childhood to adulthood! Madam, this matter needs your intervention. Let's see who the person is that dares to bully Miss!"

Ou Yan smiled faintly and said, "The one being bullied should be the person whose foot you stepped on, whose shoulder you bumped into, and who didn't receive an apology from you, right?"

Li Yingshu heard this and was confused. What did she mean??

Song Qiaoying quickly understood, "Yan Yan, you've met Qianshan before? Do you know what happened?"

"Yeah, I've met her," Ou Yan casually replied, "Qianshan bumped into someone, stepped on someone's shoes, refused to apologize, but since someone's shoes cost two million, Qianshan decided to compensate with two hundred thousand for dry cleaning fees, but..."

Everyone asked in unison, "But what?"

"That person didn't accept the money and even donated it. I think perhaps it's because of this that Qianshan felt uncomfortable."

Li Qianshan gritted her teeth in anger but dared not say anything. What if Ou Yan revealed the person's identity next...

Tonight's dinner was centered around Ou Yan...

If she was criticized by all the elders...

Ou Yan also guessed this, so she raised her eyes and looked at her with interest.

"You, child!" Li Yingshu finally understood what was going on and took the opportunity to educate her, "You bumped into someone's shoulder, stepped on someone's shoes, and didn't even say sorry? That's too much!"

"Mom..."

"Encountering someone who doesn't lack money, and having them donate the money you compensated, now you know there are people beyond your imagination, right?"

Li Yingshu paused and added, "Your cousin also saw this. Luckily, we're all family, so there's no ridicule. If you make another mistake next time, Mom will confiscate your card!"

"I understand." Li Qianshan muttered softly, looking at Ouyan with dissatisfaction in her eyes.

This scene caught Li Yusha's eyes, and she felt relieved.

"Since it's just a small episode, let it pass!" Li Xingbang smiled and tried to defuse the situation, "Yan Yan just finished work and must be hungry. Sister Li, ring the bell for the dishes."

"Yes." Li Xiu was also embarrassed to learn about the situation, so she went to ring the bell.

Li Qianshan muttered, "Finished work?"

Her cousin, who looked like she was only seventeen or eighteen, was already working?

Upon hearing her voice, Li Yingshu took the opportunity to set an example for her, "Your cousin just returned to this family and took over a clothing company under the group. She's been managing it well. You should learn more from your cousin in the future!"

Li Qianshan didn't expect that the person who had caused such a stir in the clothing company recently wasn't some outstanding executive, but her cousin...

She didn't expect this girl to have some skills!

"Your cousin got a perfect score on the college entrance exam this time. Not only is she good at studying, she's also talented and beautiful..." Li Yingshu couldn't stop praising Ou Yan.

"Sister Li, wait a moment longer, not everyone has arrived yet." At this moment, Li Yuanfu saw Li Xiu about to ring the bell and quickly stopped her.

Everyone was curious, who else hadn't arrived?

"Canxi recently returned home and will be here soon, and there's also Ah Chen..."

"Ah Chen is coming too?" Li Yingshu was surprised and her face lit up, "Ah Chen rarely attends such occasions..."

"He and Yan Yan are dating." Li Yuanfu's words had just fallen when someone knocked on the door of the private room.

"Yan Yan, it should be Ah Chen. Go and see!"

When Ou Yan got up to open the door, Si Yechen was already standing there. He was dressed very formally today, looking handsome and upright, giving off a feeling of meeting the parents.

"Something came up suddenly, so I arrived late." Si Yechen looked indulgently at Ou Yan, "Uncle and Aunt are already inside?"

"Yes, they're all inside."

"Meeting the parents, aren't you going to give me some courage?" Si Yechen saw her turning to leave and reached out to her, looking at her expectantly.

Ou Yan:...

How many times had he met her parents already? He had already broken through the threshold of the house. In terms of courage, who was lacking? Wasn't he just trying to take the opportunity to hold her hand?

Si Yechen, seeing that she didn't make any further moves, lovingly took her hand.

As the two walked in hand in hand, Li Yingshu, who was sitting at the dining table, suddenly noticed the necklace around Ou Yan's neck, the crown necklace that had caused a sensation worldwide and was priceless, once worn by the old Madam Si!

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

Chapter 1011: Li Shi Knows Nothing

Shu Yu was stunned. Could it be that Eldest Aunt didn't know that Da Niu and his wife had gone to the estate?

Li Shi really didn't know. After she finished speaking, she was about to walk inside. "That Da Niu's wife, she's really something. We've been here for half a day, and she won't come out. All she knows is how to be lazy."

The old lady reached out and stopped her. "That's enough. Da Niu's wife isn't here."

"Not here?" Li Shi immediately stopped in her tracks. "Then where did she go?"

"Da Niu and his wife went to the estate outside the city to grow sunflowers. They're living there now." The old lady looked at Li Shi and Lu Dasong with suspicion. "Don't you know about this?"

Li Shi was completely dumbfounded. Wha- What does that mean? Da Niu went back to farming again? What kind of farming? He was doing fine as the shopkeeper in the county town. Why did he have to go back to farming? Was he crazy?

Lu Dasong, feeling uneasy, said, "Da Niu mentioned this to me. It's just... I was busy, and at that time, Da Niu was still looking for a piece of land, so we weren't sure when he would go. I didn't mention it to the his mother."

After listening, Li Shi almost fainted. She suddenly turned around, grabbed Lu Dasong's hand, and gritted her teeth as she asked, "You knew? You knew that Da Niu and his wife went to farm?"

"Da Niu mentioned it the day he came back. That estate belongs to Ah Yu, and the land also belongs to Ah Yu. In fact, Da Niu..." Before Lu Dasong could finish, Li Shi let go of his hand, turned back around, and looked at Shu Yu.

Her expression momentarily stiffened. There was clearly a surge of anger about to burst forth, but facing Shu Yu's clear and calm gaze, she forcefully suppressed it.

After a while, she managed to force a twisted smile and said, "Ah, Ah Yu, Da Niu was doing well as the shopkeeper, right? Why did you let him go to some estate to farm? If he's not doing well somewhere, you can tell me, and I'll go and teach him a lesson. There's no need for him and his wife to go farming, right? Considering that she is your elder brother, why not let him come back and be the shopkeeper again? What do you think?"

Lu Dasong frowned and tugged at her, but Li Shi fiercely shook off his hand and continued to smile at Shu Yu.

Her smile was even more ugly than crying. Shu Yu trembled. "Now my elder sister is managing this shop. Most of the customers here are female, and Da Niu doesn't know much about clothing and dress. My elder sister is more suitable. As for the estate outside the city, Da Niu is more familiar with it and prefers that environment."

Li Shi: "..." What does it mean to prefer? Who would prefer to go farming? Many people long to leave the village and find a stable livelihood in the city. Even if it's just being a shop assistant, they can hold their heads high in the village.

Da Niu used to be the shopkeeper and earned a monthly salary of three or two taels of silver. Many people envied him but couldn't match him.

Moreover, in this county town, everything was convenient to buy, and the people they interacted with were all wealthy. After a few more years, he might even be able to open his own shop. It would be such a proud thing to return to Shishi Village then.

But now, he had gone to some unknown estate outside the city to farm?

Li Shi almost spat out a mouthful of blood. She felt that this wasn't Da Niu's intention at all. Shu Yu must have wanted to make room for Da Ya.

However, Shu Yu's status was different now, and she didn't dare to say these words aloud. She could only keep it to herself.

After holding it in for a while, her face turned red, and tears almost fell.

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 Chapter 512 Really Giving Up?

Silently staring at Chu Qingxiang, as if waiting for her to nod, it seemed she would wait indefinitely if she didn't nod.

Chu Qingxiang opened her mouth, full of reluctance. She also wanted help from her natal family. If she told her mother... in the future, if she faced difficulties, how could she turn to her natal family?

But Chu Liushi didn't give her a chance to hesitate, still staring at her directly.

"Grandma, I won't regret it." Chu Qingxiang gritted her teeth and said these words.

Chu Liushi didn't know whether to laugh or be sad, withdrawing her gaze from Chu Qingxiang's face and looking at Zhang, "Come with me."

Zhang was a bit nervous. It had been a long time since she had seen her mother-in-law get angry like this.

"Mother, I've made a decision, just follow what I say." Chu Qingxiang suddenly grabbed her wrist, whispering.

Zhang, who cared more for her daughter and had high expectations for Chu Qingxiang, didn't think she was wrong. Instead of marrying an ordinary man, it was better to marry Song Lu, a young scholar.

As for the Song family, with Qingxiang's intelligence, she could definitely handle it.

Zhang stood up, left the room, and went into the courtyard. She saw Chu Liushi entering the wing room, so she quickly followed.

After Zhang entered the room, Chu Liushi asked directly, "What's the deal with that slap?"

"It... it was Qingxiang deliberately letting Miss Wang from the Wang family slap her. When Song Lu arrived, he broke ties with Miss Wang." Zhang was a bit cautious, seeing her mother-in-law's unpleasant expression, she quickly explained, "Mother, Qingxiang was forced into a corner. Miss Wang was the one who snatched the engagement, it was her fault and we were forced to resist."

"Then did Miss Wang really give up?" Chu Liushi asked coldly.

Upon hearing this, Zhang raised her head confidently.

"Song Lu returned the bracelet and other items from the Wang family to the Song family, and Miss Wang also asked Song Lu if he really didn't want to marry her, offering a hundred taels as a dowry to him." Zhang sighed, that was a hundred taels, their family only had a few dozen taels saved and they had to borrow from her third brother.

"Naturally, Song Lu didn't agree. He can now make money from writing, and our Qingxiang is also very outstanding..." She lowered her voice towards the end, after all compared to Miss Wang from the Wang family, no matter how capable Qingxiang was, she was still from the back courtyard and couldn't match Miss Wang directly bringing in a substantial family property.

"And then, how did you confirm that Miss Wang gave up?" Chu Liushi continued to ask.

Zhang didn't even hesitate, "Miss Wang said it herself."

"Since Song Lu doesn't want to marry her, she won't marry either, she said she's done with this matter."

Chu Liushi was somewhat puzzled, "Is Miss Wang so easy to deal with?"

As a young lady from a landlord family, if others saw such a humiliating side of Miss Wang, what would they think?

Or did Zhang and Qingxiang overlook something?

"Miss Wang did say that herself and after saying it, she just left without bothering to talk to us." Although Zhang felt a bit humiliated by being ignored, she thought that she was just a rural woman, and she understood.

Chu Liushi was not reassured, "Don't go out anymore in the future."

Zhang opened her mouth, "Mother, what about the Song family..."

"Huh, now you're just hoping that Song Lu will keep his word, convince the people of the Song family and the engagement will proceed as usual. As for the bride price, with you all so eager to marry into the Song family, don't expect it to be too good." Chu Liushi was bitterly disappointed.

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