Chapter 350: Sudden Heavy Snowfall and Collapsed House, Seeking Shelter (1)

Looking at the gloomy sky, Mo Yan informed Li Zhong and the others about the possibility of snow in the next two days. She instructed them to bring more grain from the warehouse to prevent difficulties on slippery roads if it snowed.

Li Zhong immediately asked Tie Tou and Wang Pangtou to hurry and transport the grain. He also called for several ox carts from the end of the street to help, otherwise, it would be dark by the time they finished two round trips with just the flatbed carts.

In total, four carts made two round trips, bringing over 10,000 catties of grain back to the shop. They stored it in a corner, combined with the existing stock in the shop, which would last for about seven to eight days.

By evening, the weather had worsened further. As Mo Yan and Tie Tou rushed back to Liuyang Village, fine snowflakes began to drift down. As they progressed, the snowfall increased, not quite goose feather-sized but certainly substantial. By the time they reached Liuyang Village, the ground was already completely white, delighting the two children who happily jumped around in the courtyard playing in the snow.

Seeing the snowfall showing no signs of stopping, Mo Yan worried that by tomorrow, it might reach their calves. As a precaution, she instructed Tie Tou that if the accumulated snow exceeded half a chi in the morning, he shouldn't go to the shop to avoid accidents on the road.

Watching the snow fall heavily, Tie Tou nodded foolishly and went home. He didn't even ask if not going to the shop would affect his wages.

The snow showed no signs of stopping. By the time they finished dinner, there was already a finger's thickness of snow on the ground. Zhen'er clamored to light a windproof lamp in the yard to build a snowman, but Mo Yan's iron sand palm sent him back inside.

However, Xiao Hua and Mao Tuan couldn't be restrained. They romped around the yard as if possessed, howling and rolling on the ground to cover themselves in snow, shaking off snowflakes everywhere. The courtyard was soon covered in their petal-shaped footprints, quickly buried under the freshly fallen snow.

Mo Yan anxiously watched the distant north. With such heavy snow and cold weather, even walking became difficult. To arrive at the battlefield within the designated time, they might have to travel day and night. She wondered if that person could endure it.

She could only hope that the imperial supply would be sufficient. Otherwise, marching in such harsh weather could leave many frozen on the road before even reaching the battlefield.

The night was exceptionally cold, with the air seemingly frozen. Even though the three beasts had thick fur, they shivered uncontrollably, urging Mo Yan to bring them into the all-season space.

Feeling cold even beside the charcoal basin, Mo Yan took them into the space. She instructed Xiao Hua and Da Bai to watch Mao Tuan and prevent it from causing trouble everywhere. Then, she took off her cotton and fur coats and began her daily work. Nearly four hundred mu of land in the space was almost fully utilized. Apart from orchards, medicinal gardens, and vegetable plots, various grains and beans were also planted.

The grain area was so large that each harvest required Mo Yan to work tirelessly for seven to eight hours in the space. Watching the three beasts frolicking carefree, she wiped her sweat and silently regretted that even though they had drunk so much spirit spring water, why couldn't they evolve a pair of hands to help her, making her work easier.

After harvesting the grains, Mo Yan collected medicinal herb seeds. The medicinal herbs in the space had grown extensively and yielded quite a lot of seeds, enough to plant at the foot of a certain barren mountain. Her only regret was that there were no ginseng seeds among them.

After finishing her work, Mo Yan took a bath with Mao Tuan and then intended to sleep in the space. Just as she was about to rest, there was a knock on the door of the small hall. Opening it, she saw Xin'er and Zhen'er holding their pillows, asking to sleep with her. Their beds were too cold, and lying down, they felt freezing to the bone, unable to sleep until now.

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  Chapter 70: How Can She Be So Crazy

Ah Dian’s expression suddenly turned ugly, and he angrily said, “It’s you again!”

“Yes, it’s me again.” The man in the splendid clothes looked at him with a half-smile, “It really is a narrow road for enemies.”

Ah Dian tightened his grip on the carrying pole, the effort to restrain himself written all over his face: “...I don’t want to see you. I promised the brothers in Xuanzhe Mansion not to fight you!”

Hearing this, the man laughed heartily, as if he had heard the biggest joke, pointing at Ah Dian and the two female attendants beside him: “Look, he really is a fool!”

The two female attendants stifled their laughter.

Ah Dian’s face turned red with anger: “You… I don’t want to talk to you! Xiao A Li, let’s go!”

As he spoke, he prepared to leave with the water bucket.

Although he had a child’s mindset, he was simple and kind-hearted. He didn’t like to cause trouble and, having been well-raised, understood some principles; he wouldn’t easily go back on his word.

However, the more he behaved this way, the more it stirred the man’s malicious interest. The man stepped forward to block Ah Diao’s path: “No, last time you were so arrogant. Why are you so timid and afraid now?”

Ah Dian frowned: “What do you want?”

“Of course, I’m here to settle the score.” The man in splendid clothes looked at him with keen interest: “You hit my man last time, and we haven’t settled that account yet. You can leave if you want, just kneel and apologize to me, and make a few dog barks for me to listen to—”

As he spoke, he pointed to himself: “Then crawl through my legs, and I won’t pursue the matter anymore. How about it?”

“You must be dreaming!” Ah Dian slammed the water bucket and carrying pole down.

The man pretended to be frightened and stepped back two paces: “Tsk, the fool is angry!”

Ah Dian pointed at him: “You…”

“It looks like you want to drink the penalty drink instead of the celebratory drink.” As the man finished speaking, he raised his hand, and four guards who had been hiding in the shadows suddenly appeared, quickly approaching with swords at their waists visible under their cloaks.

“Teach this fool a good lesson today!”

“Yes!”

“Wait—” Chang Suining put down the water bucket, stepped forward, and held out a hand to block Ah Dian.

The man in splendid clothes turned his gaze to her, narrowing his eyes slightly: “What? You want to kneel and apologize for him, and crawl through my legs?”

The two female attendants beside him stifled giggles, and one of them lightly reproached: “My lord only knows how to bully young ladies…”

How could a young lady hear such words? Yet, the girl showed no sign of embarrassment or anger, instead calmly saying: “Just joking. I haven’t asked for your name yet—”

The man in splendid clothes was slightly taken aback, then suddenly laughed: “You actually don’t recognize me?”

Chang Suining countered: “Should I recognize you?”

The man, intrigued, looked at her as if he had discovered something novel: “I do know you. You’re the illegitimate daughter of Yao Yi, who nearly lost her life yesterday during the ceremony, aren’t you?”

He regarded her with an offensive gaze, then revealed a satisfied expression: “The scene was chaotic yesterday; I stood a bit far away and couldn’t see clearly. Hmm... the rumors weren’t false; you really are a rare beauty.”

Seeing he was about to continue, Chang Suining interrupted coldly: “Is your name so shameful you can’t say it?”

Instead of getting angry, the man smiled, taking a mock step back and bowing: “I am Ming Jin. My father is Marquis Zheng.”

Chang Suining: “So, by this reasoning, you call the current emperor ‘aunt’?”

Ming Jin laughed more leisurely: “Indeed, my father and aunt are full-blooded siblings.”

Chang Suining understood, her gaze landing on the swords at the waists of his four guards: “No wonder you’re so arrogant.”

Ming Jin showed no sign of anger: “Why does the young lady only speak the truth?”

“Can we avoid a fight?” Chang Suining asked.

Ming Jin raised an eyebrow in satisfaction: “Of course. Seeing that the young lady spoke on his behalf, you can skip the kneeling, as long as he’s willing to crawl through my legs today, I’ll let him go—”

He finished with a self-satisfied smile.

“I won’t crawl! That’s bullying!” Ah Dian’s eyes turned red with anger, looking at Chang Suining with great grievance: “I also don’t want you to crawl for me!”

“Ridiculous! Who wants to crawl?” Chang Suining slightly raised her chin towards him, indicating: “Fight! If something happens, I’ll take the blame for you.”

Ah Dian’s eyes lit up: “Really?!”

Ming Jin’s smile stiffened: “The young lady has quite a big mouth.”

He couldn’t have heard wrong, right? She was going to take the blame for him?

A girl of unclear background actually dared to speak so boldly before him!

Yet that fool actually believed it! He really thought she could support him!

Ah Dian quickly untied his bundle and handed it to Chang Suining: “Xiao A Li, they all have swords, you need to stay far away!”

Chang Suining casually threw the bundle to Xi’er: “Just some worthless trash, merely posturing.”

What did she say? 

Ming Jin was so angry he laughed, immediately incensed: “What are you still standing there for? Get him!”

The four men responded in unison and immediately drew their swords to advance.

Although Ah Dian was unarmed, he showed no fear, kicking one of them away along with his sword.

The man gritted his teeth: “If you don’t chop off one of his arms today, none of you can leave here!”

Those guards were not weaklings either; each one was a top-notch fighter chosen to be with Ming Jin. They joined forces and surrounded Ah Dian.

“I never hold grudges against beautiful women.” Ming Jin wore a malicious smile, looking at Chang Suining: “If the young lady begs me now, it might still be possible.”

Chang Suining: “But I’ve never begged anyone—”

She seemed to think for a moment, then casually picked up a wooden bucket beside her, and as the guards loosened their grips, she kicked it out.

“Splash!”

The wooden bucket flew out, splashing water everywhere and crashing heavily in front of Ming Jin.

“Ah!”

“Lord!”

The two female attendants were shocked and hurriedly moved to help the stumbling Ming Jin.

Chang Suining smiled slightly and asked: “Is this how you beg?”

“You…!” Ming Jin was enraged: “You ungrateful lowlife, this is simply outrageous!”

Hearing this insult, Xi’er wasted no time grabbing a water bucket and smashing it down.

She had more strength, and this time it hit Ming Jin’s leg. He cried out in pain, and as his legs softened from the impact, he slipped on the excessively wet ground and fell, dragging one of the female attendants down with him.

“Keep an eye on them, Ah Dian,” Chang Suining instructed.

“Okay!” Ah Dian obediently responded while wrestling with the others.

Chang Suining reached out her hand.

Ah Zhi understood, placing the carrying pole into her hands.

Chang Suining took the carrying pole and stepped forward, raising it to swing down with a swoosh, hitting Ming Jin, who was still struggling to get up: “Or should I say you prefer others to beg you like this?”

“Ah!”

The maid screamed in shock and retreated.

Ming Jin grimaced in pain; furious, he was about to charge at Chang Suining when she struck his shoulder with her carrying pole, causing him to fall back to the ground, crying out in agony.

“Yell louder,” Chang Suining said expressionlessly, bringing the pole down again.

Ming Jin screamed in pain once more, turning over and crawling backward. “...You useless bunch! Why aren't you coming to save me?” 

The four guards were drenched in sweat, frantic with anxiety, but they couldn't break free.

It was hard for their lord to believe, but the four of them... were surrounded by one person!

After receiving Chang Suining’s command to “keep an eye on them,” Ah Dian diligently kept a tight watch on the four.

Over there, seeing their lord unable to get up from being beaten, the two maids cried out, “Stop hitting him! Stop!”

Chang Suining remained unmoved. “I just asked, can we not hit him? He refused to agree.”

As she spoke, the pole came down once more.

The two maids’ expressions changed: “...!”

So that’s what the other party meant by, “Can we not hit him?” 

It wasn’t that the lord could avoid being hit; it was that they couldn’t avoid hitting the lord!

“Lord... let me call for help!” 

“Hold on, my lord!” 

Seeing the situation getting out of control and feeling the other party's intimidating aura, the two maids didn’t dare approach; they could only try to call for help.

“You...” Ming Jin didn’t have time to scold them, his voice drowned out by his screams.

“Your shouting isn’t good either,” Chang Suining said, shaking her head in disappointment. “Xi’er—”

“I’m here!” 

“Cry.”

“Understood!” Xi’er pouted her lips and began to cry loudly, “Waaaaaah! Help! They’re killing someone! There’s a knife!”

The two maids were stunned: “?!”

When they turned back in shock, they saw that in an instant, the little maid was covered in tears, her cries sharp and piercing, as if she had been skinned alive!

“What happened, female benefactor?” 

A monk, alerted by the commotion, hurried over.

“That’s enough,” Chang Suining said casually, dropping the pole and finally kicking Ming Jin.

“Miss, are you alright?” Xi’er rushed over to support her mistress.

Chang Suining shook her hand.

Xi’er held Chang Suining’s hand, tears streaming down her face. “Miss, wuuuuu…”

Chang Suining: “…” There’s really no need to be this dramatic.

As soon as Chang Suining said “enough,” Ah Dian stopped holding back and quickly dealt with the guards, knocking them down to the ground.

The two arriving monks were shocked by the scene: “Amitabha, what’s happening here…”

“They’re bullying us and trying to kill us with knives!” Xi’er cried.

The monks looked at the seven guards sprawled on the ground, sensing that some explanation was needed—

Xi’er cried, “Luckily, we were blessed by the Buddha at the critical moment, allowing us to survive this ordeal!”

The monks were astonished, questioning themselves with little confidence—was their monastery really that powerful?

Just then, a sound of footsteps approached.

It was Cui Jing, having heard the noise, arriving with a group of Xuanzhe soldiers to investigate.

“Cui Jing... you came just in time!” Ming Jin, finally supported to his feet by the maids, looked at Cui Jing, his voice trembling with pain or anger, “One of your men is recklessly hurting people here, and you must give me an explanation!”

First, let Cui Jing deal with that fool! 

As for that woman who dared to hit him... he had plenty of ways to deal with her!

Cui Jing glanced at Ah Dian. “Young Master Ming, be cautious with your words. You should know that my men would never harm anyone without reason.”

“The facts are right in front of us; this is clearly intentional cover-up!” Ming Jin shouted angrily. “You are incompetent in governing, condoning your subordinates’ wrongdoings... I must report this to my aunt!”

“Of course, you should go,” Chang Suining said. “Today’s incident is serious and requires the holy Emperor’s judgment—”

Ming Jin gritted his teeth and glared at her.

How audacious and foolish! 

That was his own aunt! 

He was the one who was injured! 

In contrast, these people hadn’t even been touched! 

The more he thought about it, the angrier he got, laughing in fury, “You think you can be the first to complain!”

Cui Jing looked at Chang Suining. “Please explain the details—”

“I was carrying water with General Ah Dian when this person obstructed our path, verbally insulted us, and then attacked us with his guards,” Chang Suining explained. “General Ah Dian was appointed as a Cavalry General due to his military merits; he holds an official position. This person slandered and attempted to kill an official, which is a crime.”

Attempting to kill an official?

Ming Jin’s face twisted with unrestrained sarcasm.

He was just a fool!

Did he even deserve those words?

What Cavalry General? It was just a meaningless title given to that fool by the late Crown Prince; only a fool would take it seriously! 

At that moment, in his eyes, that girl who was pretending to be powerful continued, “Secondly, this person and his maid were secretly engaging in filthy acts here, defiling the purity of the Buddha’s teachings, disrupting the blessings, and ruining the fortunes of our great nation—”

Ming Jin’s expression froze.

The surroundings fell silent.

Ming Jin snapped back to reality and immediately retorted, “...You’re talking nonsense! As a lady of the boudoir, how could you casually slander me with such things? It’s simply shameless!”

Unbeknownst to him, such words of humiliation were completely ineffective against Chang Suining. She calmly replied, “Young Master Ming should know right from wrong and at least be aware of hiding such filthy acts behind the back mountain.”

“How dare you speak nonsense!” Ming Jin, suddenly recalling something, narrowed his eyes and stared fixedly at Chang Suining, letting out a strange laugh—

“You keep saying I’m doing filthy things here, but everything can’t be based on speculation; only seeing is believing. Did you see it with your own eyes?”

Cui Jing furrowed his brow slightly.

This was one of the advantages of being a man.

Men could easily say things like that, while women would suffer damage to their reputation with just a slight touch—especially in front of many men, asking Chang Suining to admit she personally witnessed such acts.

“Of course,” Chang Suining nodded calmly. “I saw it with my own eyes.”

It didn’t matter; he dared to say it, and she dared to take it.

Ming Jin’s expression stiffened, staring at her in disbelief—where on earth did this woman come from? How could she dare to tell such lies... how could she be so crazy!

“I saw it too…” Xi’er whispered, looking down and biting her lip, appearing embarrassed to speak.

Ah Dian nodded, pointing to the bushes, “We all saw it; they were right behind there.”

“And me!” Ah Dian, not understanding what filthy acts were, quickly raised his hand, a child also knowing when to follow along in the lie: “...I was standing right next to them at the time; I saw them engaging in filthy acts!”

Cui Jing: “…”

Cui Yuanxiang and the group of Xuanzhe soldiers widened their eyes in unison.

“Amitabha, Amitabha…” the two monks trembled and closed their eyes to chant.

How could there be such scandalous behavior?!

(End of this chapter)

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 Chapter 1136: Someone Has Been Outside the Window

Ying Xi closed the door again and came back to touch the teapot. It was indeed still hot.

However, Shu Yu had just finished the bird's nest porridge, and her stomach was filled with liquid, so she didn't feel like drinking tea. Moreover, the porridge was not greasy, and she didn't feel the need for tea.

Besides, despite the low temperature at night, Shu Yu preferred to drink cold water.

She didn't touch the hot tea and proceeded to wash up. After returning to bed, she was too tired and fell asleep quickly, not even thinking about drinking the tea.

After nearly an hour and a half of sleep, Shu Yu was awakened by a soft voice near her ear, "Miss, Miss?"

She suddenly woke up, lowered her voice, and asked, "What's wrong?"

"It's a bit strange," Ying Xi whispered, "Someone has been coming near our door and sticking to the windowsill, trying to listen to any sound inside the room."

Shu Yu squinted her eyes, "Have you seen who it is?"

"I carefully observed earlier, and it's the same servant girl who said she was bringing hot tea for you."

Shu Yu sat up slowly, "She's listening outside our window?" It was indeed peculiar.

While they were talking, they heard faint footsteps outside, and both Shu Yu and Ying Xi fell silent.

After a while, the person outside left again.

Shu Yu's gaze fell on the teapot on the table, and she narrowed her eyes, "Sneaky. Most likely, there's something wrong with that teapot."

"Miss, what should we do now?"

"Let's test it."

Shu Yu asked Ying Xi to light the candles, illuminating the room. The candlelight shone through the window, and sure enough, they heard movements outside.

As the person crouched under the window again, Shu Yu got up lazily from the bed and deliberately said to Ying Xi, "I talked to Uncle Yao for so long before sleeping, and now I'm very thirsty. Ying Xi, get me a glass of tea."

"Yes, Miss."

Ying Xi went to the table to get the teapot. Although her movements were not loud, the night was especially quiet, and they sounded very clear to the servant girl outside.

Shu Yu took the teacup, pretending to take a few sips, and then asked Ying Xi to pour another cup for her.

After finishing the tea, Shu Yu lay down again.

Ying Xi walked over, suddenly anxious, and called out, "Miss, Miss, what's wrong with you? Don't scare me."

Shu Yu rolled her eyes silently, without making a sound. She thought, "Your tone is too stiff. Show a bit of genuine concern."

Ying Xi was in a dilemma, looking at Miss, who seemed bored, sitting there in her clothes. How could she show genuine concern? She wasn't good at it at all.

Fortunately, the servant girl outside didn't need Ying Xi to be genuinely concerned. Upon hearing Ying Xi's voice, she seemed to breathe a sigh of relief and muttered, "It's done."

Then she turned and left.

Shu Yu told Yingsi, "Follow her and be careful."

"Yes." Yingsi quickly followed the servant girl.

Shu Yu took out a small porcelain bottle from her bag, poured out all the pills inside, and wrapped them in a cloth.

Then she walked to the table, poured some tea from the teapot into the porcelain bottle, and mixed it well.

After doing all this, Ying Xi returned.

Her expression didn't look too good, "Miss, I followed the servant girl all the way, and I saw her entering Yao's daughter's room."

Then she looked slightly odd, "However, when the servant girl came out, young master Yao, Yao An, was following her."

In the middle of the night, Yao An was in Yao Hong's room?

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  Chapter 349: Concealing Their Own Intentions (5)

Estimating the time, Mo Yan quickly prepared the meal. She also made a lamb stew, adding charcoal to it, and it bubbled away with the aroma of lamb, making everyone's appetite soar.

Before long, Mo Qingze and Han Zhiyun returned. They caught a whiff of the familiar smell of food from afar, both a bit surprised as they had thought that the siblings would only come tomorrow.

Upon learning the reason for their early arrival and seeing the warm clothing items they brought, Mo Qingze felt touched and didn't know what to say. He affectionately tousled their heads and energetically unloaded everything from the carriage, hanging the chickens, rabbits, and lamb meat under the eaves to ventilate.

Han Zhiyun clicked his tongue in admiration, once again feeling the impulse to claim Mo Yan and her siblings as his own children. They were so filial and thoughtful in every aspect; his own children wouldn't have thought of preparing these things. It was truly incomparable!

The steaming lamb stew made everyone sweat profusely as they enjoyed the warmth throughout their bodies. There was nothing more satisfying than this.

After the meal, Mo Yan didn't rush to clean up the dishes but instead asked about the border war. There were plenty of rumors on the streets, but most were unreliable. Places like academies usually had more accurate information.

"Aren't you worried, Yan'er? Don't worry, even if the Ba Ren tribe is formidable, they can't reach the capital. Within ten days, the hundred thousand troops will arrive at the border, and they will surely drive the Ba Ren tribe out," Han Zhiyun reassured Mo Yan with a smile, thinking she might be afraid.

Mo Yan shook her head. She had too many worries. She carefully chose her words, "The price of rice in the city has risen too quickly. As long as the war continues, the price of rice will keep rising. If it goes on for a long time, many people might end up unable to afford food."

Once people went hungry, who knew if they would gather and riot, smashing rice shops? Such things had happened before. She sympathized with the poor and hungry commoners but also worried about her own rice shop, especially with the looming threat of the Xue family. If they took advantage, her rice shop wouldn't be able to withstand it.

Listening to her, Han Zhiyun pondered deeper. In large-scale warfare, food and supplies were consumed the fastest. Moreover, with two consecutive years of natural disasters in the south and reduced taxes, coupled with several months of internal strife, the national treasury was already empty. If the border war dragged on, they would inevitably have to requisition food from the civilians, potentially leading to more unrest.

Of course, Han Zhiyun wouldn't speak of such bleak possibilities, lest it attract trouble. He could only comfort, "The war shouldn't last long. After all, this time the Ba Ren tribe invaded Da Chu just to plunder food. As long as we don't give them any advantage, and with spring approaching, they'll withdraw on their own."

"That would be great. Dragging it out benefits no one," Mo Yan pretended to be happy, but inwardly she sighed. In her dream, the war didn't end until spring in the north. That was still a few months away! She couldn't help but worry about Xiao Ruiyuan, afraid he might get injured or blamed for defeat.

At this moment, she wasn't clear about her feelings of concern, only feeling that they were now friends who could talk about these things. It was normal to worry.

When Mo Qingze and Han Zhiyun returned to the academy, Mo Yan and her siblings planned to go home. By then, the sky had grown increasingly overcast, as if it might rain or snow at any moment.

Mo Yan deliberately drove the carriage to the rice shop. She was worried after seeing Wang Pangtou's hesitant demeanor yesterday.

Arriving at the shop, Mo Yan saw many customers coming and going. Once inside with her siblings, she noticed the price tags had been updated. Rice had gone up by two wen per jin, still limited to five jin per person, while other grains had also increased by one or two wen.

Li Zhong brought out the account book for the past two days and the silver earned from selling grains, asking Mo Yan to take it back later. It wasn't safe to keep so much silver in the shop.

Mo Yan quickly glanced through the account book, checking the daily totals. She found that grain sales had improved compared to before, especially glutinous rice and other miscellaneous grains, which had increased in sales volume. The total sales revenue for these two days had reached sixty taels.

"Very good, Grandpa Li!" Mo Yan put down the account book, smiling warmly at Li Zhong, who remained calm. "Business is getting better and better now, thanks to Grandpa Li's hard work."

Li Zhong waved his hand repeatedly, not taking credit.

Knowing he didn't care about praise, Mo Yan changed the subject to the Xue family. "Has there been any trouble in the shop these past few days? Any movements from the Xue family?"

A hint of gloom crossed Li Zhong's eyes before he smiled and replied, "Everything is fine in the shop. There haven't been any incidents from the Xue family. There are a few people guarding the warehouse, though. They seem to be from the Xue family."

Mo Yan didn't notice his unease and responded with a somewhat ironic smile, "The Xue family is quite interesting. They want to achieve something but refuse to show sincerity. It's amazing they've managed to sit in that position in the Imperial Merchants for decades. However, this time, I suspect the Xue family won't be able to hold out much longer."

Li Zhong nodded, somewhat worried. "I wonder when Young Master Yan will have time. If he doesn't resolve this soon, no one can predict when the Xue family might make a move." It was surprising enough that the Xue family had endured this long.

Bringing up this topic, Mo Yan also felt a bit frustrated. But since she was asking for a favor, it wasn't appropriate to go and urge them repeatedly. However, she could mention it to Shopkeeper Xing. With her mind made up, she went to Huixian Residence, only to find that Shopkeeper Xing wasn't there, which left her feeling annoyed once more...

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  Chapter 69: A Need for Abundant Merits

"Why haven't we seen Miss Chang?"

During the early morning prayers at the Three Buddha Halls of Dayun Temple, a small girl kneeling next to Yao Xia whispered her question.

Amidst the chanting of the monks, Yao Xia, with her hands sincerely clasped together, opened her eyes a narrow slit to glance at her friend. "Sister Chang was quite frightened yesterday; she needs to rest well..."

"That makes sense..." Just as the girl was about to ask more, she caught the disapproving gaze of her mother and quickly closed her eyes to focus on the prayers.

Yao Xia murmured softly, "Amitabha, Buddha above, since Sister Chang could not come, it is truly for a reason, but I wish to share half of my merits with her..."

The girl next to her twitched her mouth, muttering, "With your tiny bit of merit, barely the size of a grain of rice, Buddha would have to break it into pieces to share it..."

Yao Xia was focused and sincere. "Don't disturb me while I earn merits..."

Sister Chang could rest assured, and she would work hard to accumulate merits for her!

At the same moment, by the spring on the back mountain of Dayun Temple, Xi'er watched a girl carrying two wooden buckets to fetch water, feeling quite conflicted.

She never expected that the way for the lady to accumulate merits was not through morning prayers but by helping the monks fetch water.

In the past half an hour, the girl had repeated the strenuous act of carrying two buckets of water back to the temple three times.

Xi'er’s gaze fell on Ah Zhi—

Ah Zhi had just emerged from the nearby woods, now carrying a large bundle of firewood on her back.

Seeing this made Xi'er feel anxious, as if that bundle of firewood was not weighing down Ah Zhi but rather her precarious career.

Just then, a monk returning with an empty bucket and yoke caught Xi'er's attention. Taking a deep breath, she stepped forward and snatched the yoke and bucket. "Master, let me do it!"

Xi'er swiftly carried the buckets and arrived beside Chang Suining. "Miss, I’ll accompany you!"

Chang Suining looked over uncertainly but soon saw the little girl quickly fill the two buckets and lift them with ease.

Chang Suining: "?"

She reached out and pinched Xi'er’s bicep.

Beneath the soft sleeve, the girl's seemingly delicate arms were surprisingly well-defined and strong.

Chang Suining, who still couldn’t compete with her, silently envied her and asked, "Have you been secretly training?"

Xi'er blushed and lowered her head. "The Chang family, the Chang family spirit... Since the lady did not like these chores before and only loved to compose poetry, I dared not show it."

Chang Suining: "…"

She had underestimated the depth of the Chang family’s military discipline.

In this household, perhaps only A Li was truly weak.

"But I didn’t mean to deceive the lady!" Xi'er quickly explained, "I’m like this just to serve the lady better..."

After all, accompanying the lady through sorrowful times, crying at any moment to comfort her, was quite the physical task—

"In short, whatever the lady needs, I will be that! I can learn anything!" The little girl's eyes were full of sincerity.

From nearby, Ah Zhi, who was carrying firewood, sighed silently.

She felt rather limited in her own capabilities.

"Very good." Chang Suining nodded in approval and began to carry the water. "Let’s go."

Seeing that the lady held no resentment, Xi'er was delighted and nodded vigorously.

The three of them walked along the stone path leading to the back door of the temple, with Xi'er carrying the water next to her lady, earnestly yet genuinely saying, "The merits I accumulate from fetching water, I’ll give all to the lady!"

Hearing this innocent declaration made Chang Suining smile, and she nodded. "Alright."

She would likely have to commit many misdeeds in the future; it was wise to have more merits on her side.

Ah Zhi added, "And mine will go to the lady too!"

Xi'er clenched her teeth in secret—this was outright stealing her idea!

"Hey... why is there a lady fetching water and carrying firewood?" 

Not far ahead, Cui Yuanxiang looked at the figures approaching and, focusing carefully, became increasingly surprised. "General, it's actually a young miss Chang!"

Cui Jing, who had brought people to patrol the back mountain, stopped in his tracks.

"Miss, it's General Cui and his men," Xi'er quietly said upon seeing the figures ahead.

Chang Suining walked over, temporarily setting down the buckets, and raised her hand to greet Cui Jing. "General Cui."

The girl wore a light-colored skirt, her arms bound with cloth, revealing her slender, pale wrists, standing tall and straight.

The ointment on her facial wounds was a light brown, and at this moment, beads of fine sweat appeared on her forehead and nose. The morning light filtered through the dense foliage on both sides of the path, casting dappled patterns on her face, resembling flickering butterflies.

Cui Jing’s gaze fell to the water buckets at her feet. "Has Miss Chang recovered from her injuries?"

Aside from the wounds on her face, her shoulder was also injured—

Chang Suining understood he was referring to her shoulder injury and replied, "They are just minor injuries; it's inconvenient to carry water, but fetching it doesn't affect me."

"Miss Chang is truly impressive..." Cui Yuanxiang sincerely complimented, though still puzzled, "But why would Miss Chang come to fetch water herself?"

And that girl was also carrying firewood—

"This trip is for the sake of blessings, so I should do what I can," Chang Suining honestly said. "Fetching water not only builds endurance but also accumulates merits, so it's a win-win."

Cui Jing: "…"

Her time management was quite reasonable.

He looked at her posture and complexion, saying, "Miss Chang has made significant progress."

Compared to the time when she drew her sword in the post station—

"Of course." Chang Suining nodded without modesty. "Because I work hard."

Strength is something that follows rules; if one is willing to practice, they will definitely see results.

Cui Jing fell silent for a moment, then nodded. "…Indeed."

Chang Suining had no intention of lingering, just as she was about to carry the water and leave when she suddenly heard a commotion in the distance.

Cui Jing instructed Cui Yuanxiang, "Go take a look and see what’s happening."

"Yes."

Cui Yuanxiang had only taken a few steps when he turned back, accompanied by a familiar face.

"Little A Li!" The robust middle-aged man approached with delight, quickly walking towards Chang Suining.

"Ah Dian, why are you here?" Chang Suining asked in surprise. "Didn’t I tell you to wait for me at home?"

Cui Yuanxiang and Cui Jing explained, "The patrolling brothers saw General Dian and brought him here."

"But I waited for so long and couldn’t wait for you to return," Ah Dian complained with a pitiful tone. "So I had to sneak over to find you."

Chang Suining looked at him helplessly. "I told you I would be out for seven days. Didn't I give you colorful ink so you could draw a picture every day?"

"I like green, and I couldn’t help but use more green to draw a few more pictures. I counted, and I’ve drawn enough for seven days!"

Chang Suining could only express her admiration with silence.

Cui Jing timely said, "No worries, I will have someone take care of the elder."

"Xiao Jing, you’re here too, that’s great!" Ah Dian finally noticed Cui Jing. He took off the burden from his shoulder and pulled out an oiled paper bag, revealing several sesame pancakes inside.

"Here, have some pancakes! I specially brought these for you and Xiao A Li!"

Looking into those clear and warm eyes, Cui Jing could only pick one up.

"About what happened that day... it was my fault. I shouldn’t have fought," Ah Dian said sincerely. "I know I was wrong. When I return to the Xuanzhe Manor, I will accept my punishment!"

"But I’m not going back just yet." He pointed at Chang Suining. "I still want to play with Xiao A Li!"

Cui Jing nodded. "No rush. You can return whenever you want."

But Ah Dian’s temperament was unstable; he hadn’t thought of returning to the Xuanzhe Manor for so long, which was unprecedented.

Cui Jing instinctively glanced at Chang Suining.

Ah Dian had already walked over to Chang Suining. "Xiao A Li, here!"

Chang Suining hadn’t had breakfast yet and was really hungry at that moment. She accepted the pancake, sat on a smooth stone nearby, and started to eat.

Ah Dian squatted down beside her and also began to eat his pancake.

He was particularly large and sturdy; squatting beside the girl made him look like a well-behaved lion.

However, after only a couple of bites, he suddenly froze, his eyes wide open. "Xiao A Li, how did you get hurt?"

Chang Suining replied, "I thought you wouldn’t notice until next year."

"I’m not blind!" Ah Dian stood up with a whoosh, dropping his pancake. He rolled up his sleeves, saying, "Who bullied you? Tell me, and I’ll go beat them up!"

He then turned to Cui Jing. "Xiao Jing, aren’t you in charge now? Xiao A Li was bullied by bad people; why aren’t you doing something about it?"

In his eyes, everyone connected to the Xuanzhe Army was family, and now the head of this family was Cui Jing in place of the prince.

Big or small matters, it all should fall under his responsibility.

Cui Jing, suddenly feeling derelict in his duty, fell silent for a moment.

Chang Suining clarified for him, "He has been taking care of it."

Cui Jing nodded in agreement.

He indeed had been involved—being nosy also counted as involvement, right?

"We have already worked together to drive the bad people away," Chang Suining said seriously while chewing her pancake.

"That’s more like it." Ah Dian squatted back down in front of Chang Suining, speaking earnestly, "You can’t let others bully you again; otherwise, the prince will be unhappy when he finds out."

Seeing Chang Suining look at him, he stated seriously, "The prince hates seeing us being bullied the most."

Chang Suining swallowed her pancake and nodded, looking down. "I know."

"Let me test you," Ah Dian suddenly reached out his hand towards Chang Suining.

"General Dian, no!" Cui Yuanxiang exclaimed, instinctively wanting to step forward to stop him—if General Dian’s unexpected strike landed, it could take half of Madam Chang's life!

However, just as he stepped forward, he saw the girl sitting on the stone suddenly dodge to the side, her movements fluid like water and as fast as lightning. Not only did she evade the strike, but she didn’t even disturb her chewing.

Cui Yuanxiang was stunned.

"Not bad!" Ah Dian nodded in satisfaction. "You deserve a reward of a string of candied hawthorn!"

Cui Jing’s eyes flickered.

This was no longer something that could be explained by diligence.

He couldn’t help but recall the statement, "My sister is a martial arts prodigy," which sounded utterly unconvincing at first glance—

Chang Suining quickly finished her pancake, took the handkerchief that Xi'er handed her to wipe her hands, and then stood up.

"General Cui, we’re leaving now."

Cui Jing nodded.

"What are you all playing? I want to play too!" Seeing Chang Suining pick up the water bucket, Ah Dian, feeling impatient, saw a monk carrying water pass by and directly took over the task, effortlessly hoisting the shoulder pole onto his shoulder.

The monk, along with a few senior brothers, could only chant, "Amitabha, thank you for your labor..."

After walking a few steps, Chang Suining and her group encountered a figure dressed in moon-blue approaching slowly.

Upon seeing Chang Suining, he showed no surprise. But when his gaze landed on the water bucket she was carrying, he couldn’t help but smile, "Young Miss Chang, what are you up to…?"

"I had nothing to do in the morning, just taking a stroll," Chang Suining said, having rested enough. She had no intention of lingering for pleasantries, leaving behind a "Lord Wei, feel free," as she carried the water away.

Wei Shuyi watched her retreating figure and laughed again, sighing, "Young Miss Chang is always so unpredictable."

He only heard that she was on the back mountain, but he never expected it to be like this.

Now that she had left, he could only retract his gaze, smiling as he looked at Cui Jing. "I didn’t expect General Cui to be here as well."

"Lord Wei, are you here to enjoy the scenery?"

"Yes," Wei Shuyi smiled, putting his hands behind his back.

He came to appreciate the view, but it seemed the scenery didn’t want to see him.

Seeing Cui Jing leading Cui Yuanxiang onward, Wei Shuyi decided to walk alongside him for a bit, casually asking, "What do you think about yesterday’s events, General Cui?"

Cui Jing walked ahead without responding.

Wei Shuyi continued to inquire, "Seeing how well-planned young miss Chang’s actions were, do you feel like you almost made things worse?"

This statement clearly had a hint of mockery.

After all, it was indeed rare to see Cui Jing being made a fool of.

"When it’s a matter of life and death, it’s better to be overly cautious," Cui Jing replied without a glance, showing no awareness of being the subject of mockery. "It’s my duty; there’s no reason to stand by and watch."

Wei Shuyi: "…"

He looked at the green mountains and clear waters ahead, letting out a long sigh.

"I say, General Cui…" Wei Shuyi said helplessly, "People like you are just born to outshine others, right?"

It seemed that all clever thoughts in this world became insignificant against such unwavering righteousness of the other.

He sighed again, "It’s really frustrating to find a point to argue here."

Wei Shuyi’s sigh echoed throughout the back mountain: "With you contrasting so greatly, it’s no wonder young miss Chang just now looked at me as if I were rather unpleasant."

…

Chang Suining remained oblivious to this lamentation as she carried the water out of the back mountain. Passing by a thicket of dense vegetation, she slowed her pace.

Amidst a low exchange of laughter between men and women, someone stepped out from behind the bushes.

"When we return to the manor… you’ll be generously rewarded!"

"Thank you, my lord, for your kindness…"

"You’re the most obedient of them all…"

The speaker was a young man dressed in finery, appearing to be in his twenties, flanked by two young maidservants. One of the maids was still lowering her head to tidy her clothing.

The other maid raised her eyes and, upon seeing someone passing by, showed an unexpected look of alarm, turning away with a flushed face and hurriedly hiding behind the man.

The young man noticed this, slightly furrowing his brows, but his gaze fell on Ah Dian, squinting his narrow eyes. "I thought it was someone else, but isn’t this the fool from the Xuanzhe Manor?"

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 Chapter 1135: The Strange Servant Girl

The servant girl quickly said, "I saw Miss Lu coming out of the study. Madam Yao is currently accompanying her in the flower hall, where they're having bird's nest porridge. After eating, Miss Lu should be going back to her room to rest."

Yao An's eyes lit up, and he clenched his fist as he told the servant girl, "Alright, you keep watching, and later come and bring some tea."

"Yes."

The servant girl left again.

Yao An turned and walked to a corner, where he opened a box and took out a purse from inside.

The medicines inside this purse were the ones he had bought from several medicine shops in the afternoon. They had the power to make people disoriented and infatuated, an excellent drug for his purposes.

Yao Hong closed the door and walked to his side, asking, "Brother, are you really going to do this?"

"Of course, this is a rare opportunity given to me by fate. It's the perfect timing, and I can't afford to miss it."

Yao An hadn't expected Shu Yu to stay overnight at the Yao residence. After he bought the medicine, he was worried about how to use it. He had thought of using Madam Yao to invite her out again on another occasion. However, he didn't expect that Shu Yu wouldn't go home tonight.

This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. How could he let it slip away?

Yao An opened the purse and took out a small packet of medicine, but as he opened it, he furrowed his brows slightly. It seemed like there was... a little less medicine powder in it.

Before he could think too much about it, Yao Hong whispered, "Brother, I'm very uneasy about this. Aren't we too hasty? We haven't prepared properly. Besides, we don't know anything about that Lu Shuyu, her background, or what her family does. We're acting rashly..."

"Enough! What's the use of saying these things now? Do you expect us to investigate everything about her family in Dong'an Prefecture? By then, everything will be too late."

Yao Hong was scolded by him and couldn't speak anymore, pouting in dissatisfaction.

She also felt sorry for Wang Jiayi. If Lu Shuyu married into the Yao family, Wang Jiayi would only become a concubine, which was quite unfair to her.

However, what she didn't know was that Wang Jiayi was currently outside the door and had overheard their conversation. She chuckled softly to herself, then saw the servant girl who had gone out earlier come back. Wang Jiayi quickly turned around and returned to her room from another path.

When the servant girl entered, Yao An handed her a tray with a teapot and said, "Do you know what to do?"

The servant girl took a deep breath, "Don't worry, Young Master, I'll handle it properly."

"Go then."

After Shu Yu finished the bird's nest porridge and rested for a while, she returned to the guest room. It was already quite late by then.

As she entered the room, Ying Xi was about to close the door but saw a servant girl approaching.

The servant girl had a very distinctive appearance, but they hadn't seen many servants from the Yao family, so they didn't know her.

Ying Xi stopped closing the door and asked her, "What's the matter?"

"Madam Yao asked me to bring a pot of tea for Miss. The tea in the room has already cooled down. Miss just finished the bird's nest porridge, and a cup of tea would be perfect to refresh her palate."

Ying Xi let the servant girl enter, and she placed the tray with the teapot on the table, exchanging it for the previous teapot.

"Miss, rest early."

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