Chapter 116: Overnight Transformation

"Suddenly, like a spring breeze overnight, thousands of trees and pear blossoms bloom."

When everyone woke up, they saw a vast expanse of white around them. The ground and the treetops were all covered in white snow.

"Sneeze!"

"So cold!"

"I'm freezing to death!"

Everyone huddled together under the trees, waking up in the middle of the night from the cold. They quickly added more firewood, or else they would have frozen to death long ago.

They couldn't imagine that winter would come overnight without any warning.

"Help! Someone help!"

Suddenly, a woman cried out in distress.

Everyone turned to look and saw a woman holding an elderly man in her arms. The man lay motionless on the ground, obviously frozen stiff.

Upon hearing the commotion, Xu Tian hurried over and shouted to the crowd, "Clear the way, let's move him closer to the fire!"

Feeling the icy coldness of the old man's body and the lack of pulse, Xu Tian's face turned grim.

"Let me take a look!"

With his medical kit on his back, Doctor Yang hurried over. Chen Yuan had instructed him to assist in case anyone froze to death when it snowed. The medical kit was bought by Chen Yuan in the county, with one set for Doctor Yang and one for his daughter Yang Xiaohua.

Knowing that Doctor Yang was close to Chen Yuan, Xu Tian quickly made way for him, and Doctor Yang knelt beside the old man.

After checking, he sighed, "It's too late, he already..."

The old man's body was already weak, and coupled with poor nutrition and the exhaustion from walking long distances every day, he couldn't withstand the sudden heavy snowfall last night.

Upon hearing this, the woman holding the old man's body burst into tears. "Dad, don't leave me alone... Dad... why..."

Xu Tian stood up silently and looked around. He could hear cries of anguish all around, indicating that more than one person had frozen to death.

"Make the fire bigger and gather everyone around," Xu Tian quickly ordered the other bailiffs.

"In addition, boil some hot water and cook some food quickly to fill everyone's stomachs."

After everyone gathered together, Xu Tian also took stock of the casualties. Only two people froze to death, one elderly man and one baby.

Luckily, the snow didn't fall last night; it must have fallen in the morning. By then, everyone was almost awake and had gathered together to keep warm and light fires.

Otherwise, the casualties would have been much worse.

As Xu Tian sighed, feeling both fortunate and troubled, he couldn't help but wonder how many of these people would be able to endure until they reached the Southern Barbarians, which was still a long journey away.

Shaking his head, he pushed aside these thoughts and saw Chen Yuan and others cooking food. He walked over to join them.

He saw Chen Yuan and the others cooking ginger soup and letting the children, elderly, and women drink it first.

"Why should they get to drink first!"

Some people grumbled, "Why should they drink while we can't!"

"Just because we brought these things!" Chen Xue said coldly, "How we handle our belongings is our business!"

"You..."

The man who questioned Chen Xue didn't know how to respond to her directness for a moment.

At this moment, Chen Yuan also came out and looked at the crowd. "You all have elders, wives, and children. This ginger soup is limited. Do you want your wives and children to drink it, or do you want to drink it yourselves? Think carefully."

With Chen Yuan's words, the crowd naturally chose to give the soup to their wives, children, and elders, as they were weaker.

Of course, there were also selfish people who chose to drink it themselves instead of giving it to their wives and children. Such people were immediately blacklisted by Chen Yuan.

This sudden snowfall caught everyone off guard. Chen Yuan had previously dealt with sudden snow disasters while serving in the Ministry of Households, so he was well aware of the consequences. Without his intervention, these people would not have lasted until the next day.

Although he was no longer the Minister of Households now, he still had the ability to help. How could he stand by and watch these people die in front of him?

Even though some of these people deserved their fate, many were innocent.

And he didn't have to pay too high a price. With just a small sacrifice, he could save a group of people. With Chen Yuan's character, how could he not do it?

So, he sought the opinion of his wife and daughter. After getting their consent, he made ginger soup with the ginger that Chen Xue had bought as seeds and seasoning.

After all, ginger soup was known for its warming properties.

However, the ginger was limited, so the ginger soup they made was also limited. Chen Yuan was not a saint; he couldn't ensure that everyone got an equal share.

Unless they diluted the soup with more water, but then it would lose its effectiveness and taste like plain water.

Therefore, he chose to give the soup to the elderly, children, and women, who were more susceptible to the cold. If there was any leftover, they could give it to others.

The bailiffs maintained order, allowing the women, children, and elderly to come forward to receive the soup. They were required to drink it on the spot before leaving.

The man who had spoken up earlier sneered, "It's just a bowl of ginger soup. What's so great about it? We've all had it before."

Others didn't bother with him and looked enviously at those who were receiving the soup. Some of them didn't have wives or children, so they were considering whether to try to get a bowl.

"Thank you, Master Chen!"

A family of three suddenly came forward and knelt in front of Chen Yuan.

"Please get up!"

Chen Yuan was a little puzzled and quickly helped them up. Only then did he recognize them as Wu Zhang, who had explained how to build a bamboo house to them yesterday.

"If it weren't for Master Chen, our family would probably..." Wu Zhang was extremely grateful to the Chen family. Yesterday, the Chen family gave them a few cotton jackets, so that their family wouldn't be frostbitten when the temperature suddenly dropped.

It could be said that the Chen family saved their lives.

"If Chen Yuan doesn't mind, we are willing to serve you."

After discussing with his wife, Wu Zhang decided to join Chen Yuan. After all, following them would prevent them from being bullied.

"This..."

Although Chen Yuan had considered recruiting Wu Zhang before, he hadn't figured out how to approach him yet. Unexpectedly, they...

Seeing that Chen Yuan didn't speak, Wu Zhang seemed worried about being misunderstood and quickly explained, "Master Chen, we are not here for food. We just want a shelter. We will find a way to get food. If Master Chen gives us orders, we will definitely not refuse."

Chen Yuan was not worried about food, but he hadn't assessed Wu Zhang's character, so he hesitated.

"Dad, please agree!" Chen Xue suddenly spoke up, whispering in Chen Daren's ear, "Didn't we agree earlier to recruit these prisoners as our own?"

That's right, they had discussed earlier about recruiting all the bailiffs first. As a result, Captain Sun and others had an accident, but the outcome was still the same as they had hoped.

Most of the bailiffs listened to them, and now that they could control the prisoners, their journey of exile could truly be turned into a journey of travel.

In the future, they could do whatever they wanted, and these prisoners would be theirs, and they wouldn't leak any secrets.

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Chapter 289: The Shop's Grand Opening and Prosperous Business (3)

Near the entrance, a wooden shelf was used as a divider. The left side allowed customers to enter and shop, while the right side housed the counter where customers could weigh and pay for their purchases.

"Wow, big sister, is this really our shop?" Zhen'er looked at the new and spacious room with shining eyes, finding it hard to believe it belonged to his family.

Mo Yan patted his head and laughed, "Could it be fake?"

"Sister, I can't believe it either!" Xin'er was in a daze as she grabbed the crystal-clear rice from the bucket, feeling like everything was a dream.

Not only had their family moved into a big house, but they also managed to buy such a large shop in the capital. These were things she never dared to imagine before.

"Yan'er, it's really wonderful, even better than I imagined," Mo Qingze said.

It was Mo Qingze's first time here, and the clean walls and floors, along with the neatly arranged grains, filled him with pride. When he looked at Mo Yan, his eyes were full of deep love and a strong sense of guilt.

His eldest daughter was exceptionally capable, much more than him. Without her, their family's life would likely be worse than it had been in Mo Village. They wouldn't be living in a big house, owning so much land, or having such a large shop in the capital.

As a father, he hadn't helped at all and instead relied on his daughter to comfortably study at the academy. He owed his eldest daughter so much!

He felt especially pained when he heard from Ziyun that the family knew nothing about the hardships. It was his incompetence that forced his daughter to grow up too quickly. He must have accumulated a lot of good karma in his past life to have such a good daughter.

Li Xiu and her niece were also filled with joy. For them, the Mo family was both benefactor and master. The better the Mo family did, the happier they were.

Yun Zhao, holding his sister's hand, was the calmest of all. To him, this rice shop wasn't a big deal, but seeing the Mo family so happy made him feel happy too.

Mo Yan picked up a cloth and started wiping the counter and the wooden barrels of grains. The shop had just been renovated, and some white dust from the walls would fall, so they needed to wipe it down every day for now.

Seeing this, the others grabbed cloths from the corners and began cleaning. Before long, the counter, chairs, and barrels were spotless.

When Li Zhong returned after parking the carriage, he brought a stack of wooden price tags he had prepared earlier and placed them on the piles of rice, clearly marking the prices.

Li Zhong held a sign with the promotional activities Mo Yan had instructed him to write and asked her, "Yan'er, should we place this at the entrance?"

"Yes!" Mo Yan looked at the bustling crowd outside and continued, "Our shop is new, and although our grain quality is better than other rice shops, we lack their reputation and our prices are 20% higher. By offering a discount during the promotional period, we can attract customers. Once they taste the difference, they'll return even if the prices are higher."

All the grains and eggs were produced in her space, with superior quality and taste. Long-term consumption had evident health benefits. Her family and the Li family had been eating these products, and they rarely even sneezed. It was natural for the prices to be higher.

Moreover, setting high prices avoided disputes and kept customer flow manageable. The space's produce could sustain the demand since she was the only one working there. She couldn't handle too large a volume.

Thus, Mo Yan positioned the shop as mid-to-high-end. This not only avoided competition but also ensured a steady customer flow. If they undercut other rice shops, it would only invite trouble.

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Feng Xuanbin’s crying had actually dissipated half of the somber atmosphere.

 Qi Wangfei reined in her emotions, gently wiped her tears, and tenderly released the three children.

Just as Feng Xuanbin squeezed in, tears streaming down his face, he realized he was being let go.

He looked around blankly, first at his sixth brother and sister, then at his mother, and foolishly asked, “Mother, are you not crying anymore?”

Suisui was equally puzzled, looking around helplessly before moving closer to Feng Xuanrui.

Feng Xuanbin was curious whether he should continue crying or not. Seeing his sister avoiding him, he sadly cried out, “Sister, don’t avoid Seventh Brother! Seventh Brother has candy!”

 Qi Wangfei’s sadness was completely interrupted by the three children’s antics.

She thought to herself, it’s just good that the children are back!

After tidying herself up a bit, Qi Wangfei first looked at Feng Xuanrui.

After more than a month apart, not only had the young boy not lost weight, but he had also gained a few pounds.

And his face…

It had become even rounder.

Remembering Feng Xuanrui’s previous injury, Qi Wangfei asked with concern, “Does your foot still hurt?”

When Qi Wangfei asked, Feng Xuanrui was initially quite puzzled.

Foot?

Which foot?

Where does it hurt?

Children tend to forget the pain once they heal.

He didn’t even recall his previous injury.

When his mother asked, he thought about it carefully and finally replied, “It doesn’t hurt anymore, it hasn’t hurt for a long time.”

How long has it been since then?

It wasn’t a big issue that it would still hurt now.

Hearing that it didn’t hurt, Qi Wangfei felt somewhat relieved and turned to Physician Liu to ask, “Could there be any lingering effects?”

After Physician Liu reassured her that there were no issues and that he regularly checked on the Sixth Young Master, Qi Wangfei felt at ease.

Considering the hardships and exhaustion the children had endured, Qi Wangfei couldn’t help but feel a pang of sorrow.

At least, the children had returned.

Thinking about this, Qi Wangfei turned her gaze to Suisui.

She noticed the little girl casting a timid and nervous glance at her before quickly looking away, not daring to look again. Qi Wangfei’s feelings were complex.

When she first learned that the girl was the daughter of the Marquis of Jinyang, Qi Wangfei had reservations.

Dragons give birth to dragons, phoenixes give birth to phoenixes.

The children of rats know how to dig holes.

 Qi Wangfei was truly afraid that from a whole bunch of bad bamboo, no good shoots would come.

But hearing about the experiences of Qings and their party later on…

Suisui’s appearance, first saving the young Sixth Master from falling off a cliff and then unintentionally alerting them to avoid a terrible calamity due to her fever…

 Qi Wangfei believed that it was a small blessing from heaven.

She thought that maybe Suisui was a little lucky star sent by heaven.

The Marquis of Jinyang’s family just wasn’t lucky enough, and they happened to benefit from it.

Moreover, since the Marquis of Jinyang’s family had already acknowledged her cousin, even if they found out they made a mistake, they would probably have to grit their teeth and accept it.

After all, acknowledging the wrong child…

Isn’t exactly something to be proud of.

Additionally, Suisui’s household registration had already been canceled, so she was now an unregistered resident.

She could be known as Chen Suisui or Feng Sui Sui.

Who can say for sure?

And who would dare to cause trouble at Qi residence?

The more Qi Wangfei thought about it, the more confident she became.

Perhaps it was Suisui’s life-saving grace to Feng Xuanrui that made her feel compassionate.

She was also a pitiful child!

Thinking of this, Qi Wangfei waved to Suisui, “Suisui, come here, let Mother take a look at you.”

 Qi Wangfei thought that she had always hoped for a daughter over the years. Now, she didn’t have to go through childbirth herself, and she had a gentle, soft, and fortunate daughter. Isn’t that wonderful?

The child had a connection with the Sixth Master. Perhaps, it was destined for her to be her daughter.

 Qi Wangfei spoke softly and looked at Suisui with affection.

Suisui glanced at Qi Wangfei and then at her brothers.

Feng Xuanrui encouraged Suisui by patting her shoulder, “Go ahead, Sister, that’s our mother. She’s really nice.”

Feng Xuanbin didn’t fully understand the situation but still followed his sixth brother’s lead and encouraged his sister, “Yes, yes, Sister, go over there quickly. Mother is really nice!”

With both brothers encouraging her and Qi Wangfei’s loving gaze, Suisui took a deep breath and took small steps toward her.

What greeted her was the warm embrace of Qi Wangfei, “Suisui, you’ve suffered.”

After the embrace, Qi Wangfei gently lifted the child.

Since Feng Xuanrui had grown up, Qi Wangfei had rarely held children.

Even when Feng Xuanrui was small, she seldom held him.

With so many maids and servants around, there was no need for her to personally hold a child.

During affectionate moments, a simple hug would suffice.

Not having held a child for a long time, Qi Wangfei worried that she might not be able to lift her. She thought that if she couldn’t, she would squat down and hold her for a bit.

In the end, she easily lifted Suisui.

Suisui’s frail and slender form was beyond her expectations.

Thinking about the child’s difficult past and feeling the delicate little bones, Qi Wangfei couldn’t help but have red eyes.

She gently rested her head on Suisui’s shoulder and softly rubbed the little girl’s cheek, “Suisui, just settle down in the palace. From now on, you have Mother and your brothers.”

Thinking of the impracticality of the Prince, Qi Wangfei didn’t mention the father’s role.

The Prince Qi…

Whether he is present or not doesn’t really matter, right?

Qi Wangfei was grateful that although the Prince was straightforward, he understood the situation and wouldn’t ask too many questions.

Otherwise, if someone with a less flexible mind had asked, “What is Prince Qi doing at the villa?” Qi Wangfei wouldn’t even know how to answer.

Saying that the Prince went to the villa to find a master to select a good time and place and then took a concubine to give birth to a daughter?

That would be embarrassing to say!

Qi Wangfei felt that although she also wanted a daughter, she wasn’t as obsessive as the Prince.

He doesn’t just want a daughter, does he?

Isn’t he just fulfilling his own obsession?

 Qi Wangfei couldn’t care less and was too lazy to interfere.

As long as it doesn’t affect her and the child’s status and normal life.

As for the Prince…

He can do whatever he wants.

Suisui, nestled in the beautiful aunt’s embrace, inhaled the fragrant scent, feeling as if she were in a dream.

She could hardly believe that this scene was real.

The mother of her brother is so gentle!

Is this the tenderness of a mother?

Suisui didn’t understand.

But she was very fond of this embrace.

And, if the beautiful aunt said she was the mother, did that mean she could also call her mother?

Suisui wasn’t sure. She tentatively tugged at Qi Wangfei’s clothing corner and, with a small, hesitant voice full of disbelief, said, “...Mother?”

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Next Chapter▶▶

  Chapter 115: Building a New Home

"I see, I used to be a craftsman!"

Although Wu Zhang didn't understand Chen Xue's meaning, he still answered honestly.

"I'll buy your stuff, clothes and food can be given to you."

"But..."

Wu Zhang was initially overjoyed, but after hearing the last sentence, his heart suddenly skipped a beat.

"But, we also want to ask you some questions. We won't take the answers for free, we'll pay you for them."

"No problem."

Wu Zhang breathed a sigh of relief, thinking it was nothing much, just a few questions. Compared to his life, these questions were indeed too simple.

Later on, as expected, Chen Xue bought all the items brought by the man, and the man only needed clothes or food, not money at all.

Chen Xue naturally didn't mind, on the contrary, it saved her money.

After receiving the items, Wu Zhang respectfully bowed to Chen Xue, intending to take the items back first and then come back.

Chen Xue agreed, and when the man left, she entered the carriage and returned to the space, bringing out his parents.

"Dad, there will be someone later who can build a bamboo house. We can ask him about the problems we encountered."

Chen Yuan nodded. If they wanted to build a bamboo house in the space, they could only rely on themselves. They couldn't trust others, as the space was her daughter's biggest secret, and they couldn't let outsiders know.

Even the doctor Yang Xiaohua, whom Chen Xue had brought in, wasn't kept close by Chen Xue, as she still didn't fully trust her.

However, Xiaodian was different; she had gone through tests and was accepted.

In short, the secret of the space couldn't be revealed to more people for now, so they had to rely on themselves for many things.

"Later, Xiao Xue will pretend to be curious about the structure of the bamboo house because she saw it before, so she wants to understand it. This excuse should be able to fool them temporarily."

"Alright."

The few of them then discussed what questions to ask.

On the other hand, Wu Zhang returned happily to his wife and daughter.

"What's this?"

"Wow, it's meat!"

The little girl curiously rummaged through the things Wu Zhang brought back and saw a piece of meat, exclaiming happily.

Wu Zhang and his wife were also drawn over. He hadn't checked at the time because he knew his things weren't worth so much. He had already received two sets of clothes and some food.

So, he was worried that the Chen family might change their minds and didn't dare to inspect it in front of them. After all, two sets of clothes were already worth more than his items.

Unexpectedly, there was meat wrapped inside, which was wrapped in oiled paper, so he didn't notice it at the time.

"No, this is too precious!"

Without hesitation, Wu Shi said, but Wu Zhang hesitated a bit. According to reason, he should return it, but when he thought about his wife and daughter, he hesitated.

Now that the weather was getting colder, if they didn't have enough food, they could easily get sick, especially his wife and daughter, who were so frail. How could they hold on until they reached the southern barbarians?

Especially when he saw the hungry look in his daughter's eyes as she looked at the meat, his heart ached.

Seeing her husband's expression, Wu Shi immediately understood his thoughts. "I know what you're thinking, but we got a piece of meat, but we set a bad example for our daughter. How can we expect her to..."

"Although we've been exiled now, our daughter is still young, with a future and opportunities ahead of her... "

Wu Shi's voice became a bit emotional, and Wu Zhang quickly comforted her, "I understand, I just lost my mind for a moment. I'll return the meat right away."

His wife was right. He should set an example for his daughter, not lead her astray.

Wu Zhang then returned the meat to the Chen family. When they saw this, they didn't accept it, nor did they say anything like "It's for you". Instead, Chen Xue directly said, "Consider it payment for helping us with our questions!"

Wu Zhang fell silent, then shook his head. "Just a few questions, it's naturally not worth as much as the meat."

After a few refusals, Chen Xue stopped persuading him and directly began to ask about the problems encountered in building the bamboo house.

Of course, the excuse was what they had discussed before.

Although Wu Zhang was puzzled, he didn't ask much, but told them everything he knew.

Chen Xue breathed a sigh of relief. In ancient times, knowledge about technology was generally kept secret, and they thought Wu Zhang wouldn't tell them. They didn't expect him to cooperate so well.

Moreover, Chen Xue asked one more thing, and Wu Zhang, in gratitude, directly explained how to build a bamboo house.

Seeing this, Chen Xue secretly took out a recording pen and recorded Wu Zhang's words, then asked about some key points and things to avoid.

Wu Zhang spoke until his throat was dry before stopping.

Finally, when he left, Chen Xue handed him the meat, intending to give other food as payment, but Wu Zhang refused, only taking the meat before leaving.

"This person is not bad!"

Seeing this, Chen Yuan nodded. If there was an opportunity, they could consider recruiting this person.

After all, when they arrived in the southern barbarians, everything would have to start from scratch. If they were provided with houses, it would be fine, but if not, having someone who could build houses would be useful, and they would have a place to live by then.

But now, he was afraid of forgetting what Wu Zhang had said, so he hurriedly asked Chen Xue to take him back to the space, and he quickly went to build the bamboo house.

Chen Xue naturally went in to help, and because Wu Zhang's explanation was very detailed, starting from laying the foundation, every detail was covered.

What's more, Chen Xue had already recorded it with the recording pen, so they played it back while building.

It was like having someone guiding them by their side, and all they had to do was follow along.

Sure enough, it was easier to have someone guide them than to explore on their own. They quickly built a three-room house.

There were exactly four people, one room for each person.

With the house built, they didn't need to worry about beds, tables, and chairs; they could use the ones they already had.

Then Chen Xue hung up curtains, arranged the tables and chairs and wardrobes, and a delicate room soon emerged.

The rooms were arranged side by side. The first room on the left after entering was Xiao Die's, the middle one was Chen Xue's, and the innermost one was for Chen Yuan and his wife. The middle part was the living room and dining area.

On the right were the kitchen and storage area.

With everyone's efforts, a home was quickly established in the space.

"Now it feels like home."

Chen Xue lay on the bed, unable to help but sigh. The space had already changed drastically.

It was like living in the countryside, surrounded by fields, vegetable gardens, and lakes, with little houses emitting smoke, like a peaceful painting.

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 Chapter 1061: A Nightmare

Li Shi opened her mouth, wanting to say that Cui Hua's brain had rusted after being taught by the old lady, and she didn't know how to think properly.

However, when she looked at the expressions of the others, they all seemed to disagree with her. She felt somewhat annoyed, "Alright, alright, if you want to rent a house, then rent it. It's your business, and I won't interfere, okay?"

Unexpectedly, Cui Hua still responded with an "Hmm."

Li Shi almost exploded with anger. None of her four children were easy to deal with, and none of them appreciated her good intentions.

She was tempted to leave, "Since you two have decided, then why bother telling us anything?"

Cui Hua said, "I haven't finished talking, and the matter of renting a house is not just about us."

"What do you mean?" Lu Dasong asked.

Cui Hua looked at Lan Hua and Er Niu, "During the day, I heard Lan Hua say that she wants to learn skills with Shu You... Shu Yuo, so she can work at the 'Yiren Pavilion'? And Er Niu, he has already met Master Wen and will go to the academy to study in a few days, right?"

Both of them nodded.

Cui Hua continued, "Since you will all be in the county in the future, why not live together for mutual support?"

Lan Hua and Er Niu were taken aback, and then their eyes lit up in unison, "Big sister means, we will rent a house together?"

"Yes."

Lu Dasong nodded decisively, "I think it's a good idea. Let's do that. I'll pay for Lan Hua and Er Niu's rent."

After all, the eldest daughter had already married and lived a tight and not very affluent life. If it were just her family of three living together, they could easily rent a small and cheap house. Now, with Lan Hua and Er Niu joining, they would need at least two more rooms. He couldn't ask Cui Hua to pay for it.

This time, Li Shi didn't say anything. She did want to take advantage of others, but she hadn't thought about exploiting her eldest daughter.

Lan Hua shook her head, "I don't need that. I can pay for myself. Big sister Shu You said that although I'm learning the skills from her, I can still earn at least three to four hundred wen a month by helping out with work. If I learn quickly and can start doing makeup for people in a few months, my wages will increase."

Er Niu stammered, "I, I..."

He seemed to be unable to, as he was still studying and his tuition had to be paid by his parents.

With the matter settled, Cui Hua would go and find a house tomorrow, and Lai Jin Hai would follow Lu Erbai to repair the house. As for the children, they could only trouble the old lady to look after them for a day. After all, Lu Sanzhu's family needed to repair the house, and Lu Sanzhu had to go to work, so only Liang Shi could go there to look after them. Therefore, Bao Ya would have to stay here and let the old lady take care of her for a few days.

Fortunately, the Lu family had servants, and the old lady had Hua Xian to help her. In addition, Lu Sixing was still here during the day. She wasn't too burdened.

After discussing the matter, Cui Hua returned to her room with her child in her arms to rest.

The Lu family finally quieted down. Everyone sank into their dreams, except for... Shu Yu.

Not long after Shuyu fell asleep, she started having nightmares.

In her dream, she repeatedly saw scenes of bidding farewell to Meng Yunzheng.

Then, a huge fire broke out, and sometimes she saw Meng Yunzheng at the age of ten, and other times she saw him as he was now, both trapped in the flames and unable to escape.

Shu Yu slept restlessly, and in the middle of the night, she suddenly woke up, gasping for breath as she looked at the pitch-black night, her mind hazy and disoriented. It took a while before she could gather her thoughts.

After a while, she wiped the sweat from her forehead and got up to pour herself a glass of water to drink.

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 Chapter 135: Qingyan

Next Chapter ▶▶

 Chapter 562: Chu Heng Standing at the Door

"...No." Ye Zhao said with a wooden face.

Ye Muyu: "..."

"Big Brother, are you done? Can I go now?" Ye Muyu thought to herself that her big brother was like a block of wood, and she didn't expect to persuade him anymore. It was better not to waste any more words.

Seeing her eager to leave, Ye Zhao felt somewhat helpless. "Second Sister, if you ever need help in the future, just tell Big Brother. Big Brother will always stand by your side."

"Thank you, Big Brother." Ye Muyu stood up and took a few steps, almost reaching the door. Suddenly, she stopped, turned to look at Ye Hao, and curiously asked, "Big Brother, why are you being so good to me?"

"Why?" Ye Zhao's eyes flashed with a hint of confusion. He felt a sudden headache and subconsciously raised his hand to support his head. After coming back to his senses, he slowly said, "Sometimes I remember when we were young and you saved me from the pond."

Ye Muyu pursed her lips. To be honest, if Ye Zhao hadn't mentioned it, she wouldn't have remembered at all.

To be precise, the original host didn't remember either, so she wouldn't have thought of this point.

But now that she thought about it carefully, memories related to this incident suddenly emerged, and she also understood that at that time, the original host saved Ye Zhao because she was afraid of having her newly bought silver hairpin confiscated by her parents, combined with Ye Zhao's strong survival instinct.

But looking at Ye Zhao, who shook his head and radiated warmth, she moved her lips and sighed in her heart, saying, "Big Brother, you've already helped me a lot over the years. Forget about this matter. We've all grown up and should be responsible for our own lives."

Ye Zhao's icy eyes showed a trace of sadness, and he staggered back a step.

"What I mean is, I also hope to grow up and not need Big Brother's help in the future. I'll be very capable on my own!" Ye Muyu had to find words to make up for it.

Ye Hao's emotions indeed returned to normal. "Second Sister, you are very strong."

"On this matter, let's just say Big Brother made a mistake." Ye Zhao said firmly, but as a tough guy, he was too embarrassed to say sorry with his thin skin and the black-red-black handsome face.

"Big Brother, I didn't take it to heart. I'll go now." Ye Zhao didn't stop Ye Muyu from leaving this time.

As Ye Muyu walked to the door and opened it, she was startled to see Chu Heng standing at the door with an unclear expression.

Seeing that it was her, Chu Heng's expression softened, and he reached out his hand towards her.

Ye Muyu raised her hand and placed it in his palm.

Chu Heng held her hand and walked towards the room, asking, "Ah Yu, did you just say I'm outstanding?"

Ye Muyu nodded. "Yes, did you hear it? How much did you hear?"

At the door, Ye Pozi had been terrified that Chu Heng would rush in and fight with Ye Zhao, so she waited nervously the whole time. In fact, she had originally taken Chu Heng into her daughter's former chamber.

She went in, but Chu Heng told the two children to stay in the room.

Instead, he walked straight out and stood outside the door, motionless.

Ye Pozi was half scared to death, and she finally put her hanging heart down when Ye Muyu came out.

When Ye Zhao came out, he saw Ye Pozi's face full of resentment and hatred.

"Mother, what are you doing here?" Ye Zhao asked.

Ye Pozi moved her mouth but she suppressed her desire to confide, "Nothing, nothing. You should go rest too. Also, spend more time with Han Shi to improve your relationship. You've been apart for six years, and it's been tough for them these years."

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 Chapter 561: I Don't Want To

"Even if he doesn't have a background, he's educated and skilled. He'll definitely become an official in the future. By then, whether it's socializing in the official circles or receiving rewards from nobles, he won't lack for women in his household."

"With him keeping this from you now, how will your future days be?" Ye Zhao looked at her with concern.

Ye Muyu shook her head. "Big Brother, he didn't keep it from me."

"Ah, he mentioned the matter of divorce to you on his own initiative. Big Brother knows about it." Ye Zhao dropped another bombshell, his face filled with worry as he looked at her.

Ye Muyu asked, "Did Sister-in-law tell you?"

"Yes, but your Sister-in-law also cares about you. Don't blame her, blame me for not being at ease with you." Ye Zhao furrowed his brow, his coal-like face showing seriousness. "I know many young officers and soldiers who are not only talented but also faithful to their wives. They have bought a lot of land, and if you marry into their families, you won't have to worry about food and clothing... If you're willing..."

"I'm not willing." Ye Muyu didn't react much at first, but when she heard the words 'marry into', she instinctively felt a hint of disgust and immediately rejected Ye Zhao's words without hesitation.

Ye Zhao was taken aback, furrowing his brows as he looked at her, seeming puzzled as to why she was so decisive. "Second Sister, you can consider it. These officers and soldiers are my good friends. They won't dare to mistreat you out of respect for me."

"Even if you bring along two children, it's not a problem." Ye Zhao was confident.

"I'm worried about what if he dies on the battlefield." Ye Muyu's throat tightened.

Ye Zhao was momentarily speechless.

"Do you want me to be widowed again?" Seeing Ye Zhao's stunned expression, Ye Muyu's slightly heavy heart relaxed a bit. She looked at him earnestly, her eyes wide open, full of seriousness. "By then, I probably won't be able to remarry, right?"

"Well..." Ye Zhao's brow furrowed deeply, looking fierce and sinister.

Ye Muyu felt that he was a rough man, not attentive, and didn't think things through. He was even too confident, bordering on arrogance.

She realized clearly that their pursuits were different, and naturally, they wouldn't have the same life.

"Big Brother, I know you're doing this for my own good, but what you think is good, I don't like." Ye Muyu reasoned with him emotionally and logically.

"Just like how you wouldn't like what I like." Ye Muyu looked at him firmly, thinking to herself that if he didn't come to his senses, she wouldn't waste any more words. After all... considering Ye Zhao was still in a state of amnesia, she didn't even understand why he suddenly started treating her well.

Ye Zhao still wanted to argue, "But even Chu Heng wants to divorce you."

"Oh, speaking of that, it was actually a misunderstanding by Sister-in-law. If you don't believe me, go ask Mother. It was stirred up by the matriarch of Chu Heng's family, just to get her daughter married to Chu Heng, so they deliberately spread such rumors, just to try to take my place." Ye Muyu explained.

Ye Zhao was displeased. "See, if he didn't attract so many women, would so many women want to marry him?"

"Big Brother, you're wrong. Many women like Chu Heng because he's outstanding. Shouldn't you be happy that your younger sister can marry such an outstanding man? It's the kind of happiness that comes from sharing in others' glory. Don't you have it?" Ye Muyu looked at him incredulously, while silently calculating the time in her heart. She couldn't delay any longer, otherwise Chu Heng wouldn't be able to hold steady later.

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 Chapter 1060: Cui Hua's Plan

Lai Jin Hai's eyes lit up, and he quickly nodded, "Not hard at all."

Li Shi became happy. In any case, her son-in-law had work to do, and Cui Hua would have a better life, wouldn't she?

Lu Erbai had preliminary candidates for his renovation team, which now included himself, Zheng Gong, Liang Wangsheng, and Lai Jin Hai.

Tomorrow, they could go and renovate Lu Sanzhu's house. It wasn't a big house, and there weren't many places to fix, so four people were enough.

In addition, Lu Erbai also needed to find a shop.

After renting the shop, they would also need to renovate it and set up some sample displays.

At this moment, they had quite a lot of things to do, and there would be plenty of busy days ahead.

After dinner, the family rested. Everyone was tired after a day's work, and they didn't have the energy to stay up late and chat.

However, Cui Hua and Lai Jin Hai came out of their room again after a while. They found Lu Dasong and Li Shi, and also called Lan Hua and Er Niu to join them for a talk.

Everyone had puzzled looks, wondering what they were discussing at such a late hour.

Cui Hua put her sleeping son on her parents' bed and then sat down to speak, "Father, Mother, I've discussed it with Jin Hai. We plan to rent a house in the county."

"Rent a house?"

Cui Hua nodded, "Jin Hai will be working with Second Uncle in the future, so it's more convenient to live in the county. If he's here, I don't want to go back to the Lai family. So, we might as well rent a house here."

The Lai family was always noisy, and they often quarreled endlessly over trivial matters.

Currently, the Lai family hadn't divided their property yet, and when Jin Hai earned money, he would have to give a portion to his parents. But if they rented a house outside, they would need to pay much less back to the family.

Moreover, living outside would be more free. They could eat and drink whatever they wanted without worrying about secretly buying things for their son and fearing that others would find out.

They wouldn't need to take turns cooking either. In the early morning, the courtyard would be noisy with clanging noises from the daughter-in-law. Cui Hua and her husband didn't mind getting less sleep, but their son was so young that he was often woken up by the noise. Cui Hua felt extremely distressed about it.

She had long wanted to find an opportunity to move out. Now that Shu Yu had just become the village lord, it was a good time for her in-laws to agree with her decision. So, why not move now?

However, after Li Shi listened to her, she frowned. She thought it wasn't necessary. "Since Jin Hai is working with your Second Uncle, why don't you just stay here? Your Second Uncle's house is so big that there's enough room for a few more people. Look at this house, it's so good. Those outside houses can't compare. There are also servants here to wash clothes and cook. What's the point of you two going out to rent a house? You really don't know..."

"Mother!" Cui Hua's face darkened. She was Lu family's eldest daughter and several years older than Er Niu. Her words carried significant weight. Li Shi occasionally felt a little uneasy when facing her.

Seeing her daughter's expression, Li Shi felt inexplicably flustered and unconsciously shrank her neck. "Wh-what?"

"Mother, don't bring up this topic again in the future. This is Second Uncle's house, not Grandpa and Grandma's. Do you understand?"

More accurately, this was the house the Emperor had awarded to Shu Yu. If it were Grandpa and Grandma's house, Cui Hua, as their granddaughter, would just borrow it for convenience.

But there was no reason for her to bring her husband and son to live in her uncle's house or even her cousin's house. What would that make her?

Would she still have any dignity left? Did she still care about maintaining good family relationships?

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